Parshat Korach
Parshat Korach The name of this week’s Torah portion is Korach. Korach is the name of the great and holy man who created a rebellion against Moshe. I am sure you are wondering about my choice of words in describing…
Parshat Chukat 5777
Parshat Chukat The name of this week’s Torah reading is Chukat. A חק is an edict, so the word חקת means “the edict of” and in context “This is the edict of the Torah.” The Torah continues to detail…
Parshat Be’halotcha 5777
Parshat Be'halotcha This week’s Torah reading begins with the instructions to Aharon the High Priest on how to light the menorah in the Tabernacle. The instructions are, that when lighting the wicks of the menorah, the three wicks on the…
Parshat Balak 5778
Parshat Balak The name of this week’s Torah portion is Balak. Balak is the name of the king of Moab who became petrified of the Jewish nation, after seeing how they decimated the two most powerful kings, Sichon the king…
Parshat Shlach
Parshas Shlach The last paragraph of this weeks Torah portion, contains the commandment to put tzitzit on any four-cornered garment that we wear. We fulfill this mitzvah by wearing a Talit when we pray shacharit the morning prayer, and by…
What’s not to love about avocado? Matos-Massei 5777
What’s not to love about avocado? Soft and velvety, with a thick rich texture and a flavor that’s a delightful cross of butter, nuts, and fresh earth, avocados are simply awesome. If you don’t believe me, ask the good people…
Why Can’t I Get Comfortable? Pinchas 5777
The history of the Jews in Budapest is a bit complicated and tortuous. Like many places in Europe, the Jews were alternatively invited or banished based on the mood and economic desires of the rulers of the time. In 1279,…
Iceland: Beautiful, Wild, and Remote… Chukat 5777
They say, “Iceland is covered in green, Greenland is covered in ice.” But I’ve never been one to trust “they,” I had to go see for myself. So when my 15th anniversary rolled around, and my wife and I needed a…
The World is Going Down the Drain, Fast…. Korach 5777
Nanny Sentenced To 17 Years In Prison For Toddler's Death! Missing 14-year-old girl’s body found in Texas landfill! Teens charged in carjacking of 3 elderly women! Trucker who hit, pushed man in wheelchair won't be charged! Local landscaper Drowns In…
The Silence was Deafening…Sh’lach 5777
I’ve been to some dark places. I’ve stood at the side of a crematoria in Auschwitz, and next to a mountain of ash and bone at Maidanek. I’ve been to Belzec, the notorious death camp, and to Theresienstadt, the quaint…