Drawing Near to God and Ourselves (Vayera)
I have always been fascinated with the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. God informs Abraham that Sodom will be destroyed due to the wickedness of the people there. Abraham then questions God's decision.
Noah's Ark & Climate Change (Noah)
The earth was corrupt before God; it was filled with lawlessness. When God saw how corrupt the earth was, God said to Noah, I have decided to put an end to all flesh, for the earth is filled with lawlessness because of…
The Roseto Effect (Yom Kippur Evening 2018)
In a small borough in Northampton County, lies a town called Roseto. Roseto was founded in 1882 by a group of Italians sailing from their home province of Foggia. Since that time, Roseto's citizens are mostly the…
Happiness Is a Choice (Yom Kippur 2018)
Dr. Laurie Santos teaches one of the most popular courses in the history of Yale University. It's so large, in fact, that the class meets in Battell Chapel, a church that's been converted into a lecture hall. Over 1200…
Abraham Failed the Test (Rosh Hashanah Morning 2018)
Our tradition teaches that the Akeidah highlights the pinnacle of Jewish faith. God commands Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac, and the Torah tells us that Abraham was so eager to carry out God's command that he awoke…
Indictiveness, Thou-Ness, and Matters of Substance (Rosh Hashanah Evening 2018)
Buenas noches y feliz ano nuevo. Good evening and Happy New Year! This summer, I started to learn Spanish. I'm using a free app, Duolingo. It can help you learn over 30 different languages, including French, German,…
Martin Luther King Shabbat
During the civil rights era, many rabbis partnered with Martin Luther King to further the cause of justice and racial equality. A teacher of mine told a story about a time when he and others were arrested during a…
… And There's Work to Be Done (Vayikra)
Kohelet said, There is nothing new under the sun. In many ways, our society is quite different than it was several thousand years ago. But there are also many similarities. Similar to us, our ancestors looked at the…
Will God Dwell Amongst Us Again? (T'rumah)
This week's Torah portion, T'rumot, contains a powerful and oft-quoted verse from Torah, Let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell amongst them. (Exodus 25:6)
A Burden of One (Yitro)
This Torah portion features the giving of the Ten Commandments. But before that, there is a small but incredibly important exchange between Moses and Yitro.