The basic declaration of Jewish faith - Shema Yisrael – appears in this week’s parsha. This affirmation of the core principle of Jewish faith – the uniqueness and oneness of God coupled with our acceptance of God’s sovereignty over us – according to Jewish tradition was first uttered by the children of Yaakov at the time of his passing from this life to a better world. Throughout... READ MORE →
השנה השבת שבה נקרא את פרשת דברים בבית הכנסת נופלת על יום תשעה באב עצמו. יש מנהגים שונים בשאלה איך צריך להתנהג בשבת הזאת והאם צריך להחיל הגבלות כלשהן על עונג השבת שלנו. על אף שהמנהג הרווח הוא להתייחס לשבת הזאת כלכל שבת... READ MORE →
This week marks the beginning of the month of Av. And though we remember the many tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people this month - the destruction of both Holy Temples in Jerusalem primarily – the month has an additional name attached to it, ‘Menachem’ meaning a source of comfort. This word ‘menachem’ referring to comfort and consolation, is phrased in the present... READ MORE →
השבוע מתחיל חודש אב. ועל אף שאנחנו זוכרים את האסונות הרבים שפקדו את העם היהודי בחודש הזה - חורבן שני בתי המקדש בירושלים בעיקר - נוסף לחודש הזה עוד שם, מנחם. המילה "מנחם" נגזרת מפועל לנחם בצורת ההווה שלו ולא בצורת העתיד,... READ MORE →
The Torah instructs Aharon and through him all of his successors, the High Priests of Israel that when lighting the great menorah one should make certain that the six outside lamps should all face into the center lamp. There are various opinions amongst the commentators as to how this was to be accomplished. The wicks were bent inwards or perhaps the lamps themselves were tilted towards the... READ MORE →
The longest parsha of the Torah is the parsha of Nasso, which we read publicly this Shabat. A great part of its length is due to the repetition of the offerings and gifts of the leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel at the dedication of the Mishkan. Since each one of the twelve leaders brought the identical offering to the occasion and, furthermore, since the Torah itself at the conclusion of... READ MORE →
Among the customs that accompany the holiday of Shavuot, the public reading of the book of Ruth is personally one of my favorites. The beauty and simplicity of language, the conciseness and majesty of its narrative and the great moral lessons that are embedded in its four short chapters have always fascinated me. There is much that we and our current society can learn and apply from the ideas... READ MORE →
