• People are Watching

    פרשת אמור / ט’ באייר תשפ”ב – כ”ד בעומר

    To blaspheme is to do something that disgraces God. When someone says that they are religious then they represent their religion to the world. In other words, to be an observant Jew is to be an observed Jew.

  • Look like a Leader

    פרשת אמור / ח’ באייר תשפ”ב – כ”ג בעומר

    Why does the priest in the Temple have to be in perfect physical shape? He represents God to the people and the people to God.

  • Economics & Holiness

    פרשת קדושים – כ’ בעמר / ה’ באייר תשפ”ב

    In this week’s Portion we explore the Torah’s meaning of holiness. One of the interesting things is that the Torah stresses honesty in business. It ties this to loving your neighbor and that if one is dishonest the result will be sacrificing your children to the idol Moloch.

  • The Miracle of Israel

    פרשת קדושים – י”ט בעומר / ד’ באייר תשפ”ב

    Today we celebrate the independence of the State of Israel. Of all the countries that have come into being since WWII Israel is the only one whose achievement of Independence can be considered a miracle. It is up to us to recognized this.

  • Israel Memborial Day

    פרשת קדושים – י”ח בעומר / ג’ באייר תשפ”ב

    Today we remember the fallen defenders of the State of Israel. For those of us who served in combat and lost close friends it is emotional. If you think that war can be cheap and inexpensive, speak to a widow or orphan. They pay the full price.

  • On Becoming Holy

    פרשת קדושים – י”ז בעומר / ב’ באייר תשפ”ב

    This week’s portion starts with “you will be holy”. Note that it does not say that we are holy but that we have to strive for holiness. Then it explains that we become holy through proper ethical and moral behavior, not by sacrifices and prayer.

  • Mourning during the Omer

    פרשת קדושים – ט”ו בעמר / ל’ בניסן תשפ”ב

    We mourn Rebbe Akiva’s students death during the Omer. The official reason given is that they died from a plague. The reality is that they died fighting the Romans in the Bar-Kochba revolt. It is no accident that Israel Independence day happens during this period.

  • What we Mourn During the Omer

    פרשת אחרי מות – י”ג בעומר / כ”ח בניסן תשפ”ב

    During the Omer we lesson our happiness due to Rebbe Akiva’s dying. The Talmud gives the reason that they died was that they did not respect one another. This is to teach us to respect our fellow man even when we disagree with him.

  • The Ultimate Defeat of the Nazis

    פרשת אחרי מות – י”ב בעומר / כ”ז בניסן תשפ”ב

    Today is Remembrance Day for the Holocaust and Heroism in Israel. The true defeat of the Nazis is not that we survived but that we survived as Jews and will continue to be Jews in spite of their evil.

  • Personal Morality Before Public Prayer

    פרשת אחרי מות – י”א בעומר / כ”ו בניסן תשפ”ב

    After discussing the importance of the sacrificial rites, the Torah returns to discussing personal morality. This is emphasize that what we do privately is more important than what we say publicly.