Parsha Overview There are two main themes to the Torah portion this week. The first deals with the intricate garments worn by the Kohanim, the priests, in their Temple service. Four garments were worn by the standard Kohen, while the…
It was more than a dozen years ago when I first met Rabbi Avi Cohen. My wife Shaindel and I traveled from New York to Detroit to interview with Partners in Torah. What Partners was doing in Detroit was unique…
In the Wild West there were all kinds of villains; thieves, desperados, barrel boarders, gadabouts, nibblers, ruffians, chiselers, shotes, and mops to name a few. But in the Wild West, there was one group of people that were considered the…
And, Parshat Mishpatim starts off in a peculiar way. The Hebrew text begins with a “ו“, which translates as “And,” a word usually used to connect two ideas or concepts. But this is the beginning of a new portion!ספר שמות…
“Quit while you’re ahead” is one of the simple but wise rules of life. But for David Kime Jr., the rule was a bit different, it went something like this, “Don’t quit even when you’re dead.” David, a longtime resident…
This Shabbat, on which we read the Torah portion ofבשלח (Beshalach), is called שבת שירה (Shabbat Shira),the “Shabbat of the Song,” because this sedra (portion) contains the song that the Jewish people sang to Hashem in appreciation for the salvation…
Whether you have a watch or not, you know roughly what time it is. That is due to an almond sized beautiful piece of gray matter right in middle of your brain called the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus controls many primary…
On Rosh Hashanah this year, the Jewish calendar year changed from 5785 to 5786 (Rosh Hashanah means the “head” or the “beginning” of the new year.) This number represents the years that have passed since man’s creation on the 1st…
I want to become a hacker. Not because I want to ferret my way into your bank account and siphon your retirement funds. Not because I want to steal your Social Security number, open myself a bunch of credit cards,…