Does Everything Happen for a Reason (Shmini)
Everything happens for a reason. Many of us have probably said this, and if not, we’ve certainly heard it. Someone loses a job, ends a…
Remembering to Forget (Shabbat Zachor)
Judaism has lots of interesting, unique, perhaps even esoteric rituals. But the most interesting that I’ve learned revolves involves a sofer, a Torah scribe. The…
Drawing Close to God (Vayikra)
This week starts the beginning of the middle book of our Torah, Leviticus. The editors of the Torah were the Levites, the priestly caste that…
Is Shabbat Really a Day of Rest? (Vayak’heil)
These are the things that the Eternal has commanded you to do: On six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you…
Jews Like to Touch Things (Ki Tissah)
Jews like to touch things. When we parade the Torah around the congregation in the hakafah, we place our prayerbook onto the Torah cover and…
The Best Gift you can Give (T’rumah)
Why do we need this sanctuary? This room, with its Torahs and arks, the pews and prayerbooks, the ark and the Torah. Don’t get me…
Trust in God but Tie Your Camel (B’shalach)
Here is the translation of the first two verses that I chanted from this week’s Torah portion, Bshalach. And God said to Moses, ‘Why do…
The Miracle(s) of the Plagues (Bo)
One day the Pharoah awoke in his bed, there were frogs on his pillow and frogs on his bed. Frogs on his nose and frogs…
Dreaming & Living; Joseph & Mandela (Vayigash)
Our rabbis point to this week’s Torah portion, Vayigash, as a central story of t’suvah. Many years earlier, Joseph’s brothers sold Joseph into slavery. They…
I Will Not Let You Go Until You Bless Me (Vayigash)
In this portion, Jacob does tsuvah. Earlier, he and his mother conspired so that his dying father Isaac would bestow a blessing upon Jacob instead…