• Are Your Ancestors Proud of You?

    פרשת כי תבוא / י”ז באלול תשפ”ב

    Many people go on genealogy sites to see who their ancestors were and are proud of them. The question that the Torah asks is would they be proud of you. Live your life so that they would be.

  • Learn to be Grateful

    פרשת כי תבוא / ט”ז באלול תשפ”ב

    This week’s portion starts with the commandment to bring tithes to the Temple. When this is done the person bringing the tithes makes a declaration of how grateful they are. This is one of the most important lessons that we can teach. We should all be grateful for the blessings that God has bestowed on us.

  • Don’t Be Average

    פרשת כי תבוא / ט”ו באלול תשפ”ב

    In the curses that we receive if we do not follow the Torah is that we will become an average people. While there is nothing wrong with being average it is not a great accomplishment either. The Torah wants us to be above average in our moral and ethical behavior.

  • The Danger of Cheating in Business

    פרשת כי תצא / י”ג באלול תשפ”ב

    The admonition of having accurate weights & measures is a warning against dishonest business practices. It is immediately followed by a warning about Amelek. The two are related. Amelek is looking for weakness in society. This is brought on by being dishonest and causing dissention in society.

  • Do Not Shame Your Brother

    פרשת כי תצא / י”ב באלול תשפ”ב

    We are admonished not to let the body of a person convicted of a capital offense hang overnight. This is so the family will not be shamed. It is assumed that the family is embarrassed by the actions of the criminal. We don’t have to rub in.

  • You Are Responsible

    פרשת כי תצא / י”א באלול תשפ”ב

    The Torah admonishes us not to blame the father for the son’s sins and not to blame the son for the father’s sins. This underscores a major concept that we are responsible for our own actions. Not to blame others.

  • Assume People Will Do Stupid Things

    פרשת כי תצא / י’ באלול תשפ”ב

    One of the commandments this week is that we are required to put a fence around the roof of a building. We do this because we assume that a person will go up on the roof and fall off. Our job to prevent, as much as possible people harming themselves through stupid actions.

  • Spirituality & Returning a Lost Object

    פרשת כי תצא / ט’ באלול תשפ”ב

    The commandment to return a lost object to its owner is an important underpinning of a good society. If your find something, it is up to you to return it. We do this not only for society but for our spiritual well-being.

  • When You Go To War

    פרשת כי תצא / ח’ באלול תשפ”ב

    In this week’s portion we discuss behavior in battle. We might think that a soldier in combat might get a pass for immoral behavior due to the unique nature of being in battle. The Torah says no. He still has to behave within certain bounds.

  • Seeking a Just Society

    פרשת שופטים / ו’ באלול תשפ”ב

    The Torah states “Justice, Justice you will seek.” Note that it does not say “you will do justice only that you will seek it. This means that while we are imperfect humans and will make mistakes, we will do our best to bring justice.