Tucked in the impoverished northeastern corner of India is an island that holds a world record, but perhaps not for long. The island of Majuli is the largest river island in the world. While most islands we think of are…
Thursday Lunch and Learn | Rabbi Leiby Burnham
Emor תשפ"ג This week’s portion contains the mitzvah to “count the omer,” one we are in the midst of fulfilling. Starting from the second day of Passover, we make a blessing every night thanking Hashem for sanctifying us with His…
Some would almost call it a lobbyist hobby, arguing over the best restaurants in DC. When you take people out for breakfast lunch and dinner, food becomes a pretty obsessive topic of conversation. Young lobbyists can spend hours discussing who…
Acharei Mot - Kedoshim תשפ"ג The famous, oft-quoted, verse, “Love thy neighbor as thyself,” is found in this week’s portion (Leviticus 19:18). יח) לֹא תִקֹּם וְלֹא תִטֹּר אֶת בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ אֲנִי יְדֹוָד 18) You shall not…
Tazriah – Metzorah תשפג This coming Shabbat, two portions will be read in Shul. The main topic of these two portions is the “metzorah,” one who is stricken with the malady -צרעת “tzaraat” (or tzaraas). The usual translation of tzaraat is leprosy, a translation that…
It all started with carpal tunnel. In the modern world, where more people spend their days typing on a keyboard than wielding a hammer or ax, our bodies are being subjected to pressures and repetitive motions that they are not…
Pesach תשפ"ג The Jews are finally out of Egypt. Hashem has delivered the knockout punch to Pharaoh by killing every first born, and Pharaoh threw the Jews out of Egypt. This chapter in Jewish history, viz, the slavery and the process of…