Parshat Chayei Sarah 5783

Chayei Sarah תשפ"ג Yitzchak was 40 years old, and it was time for him to get married and continue the legacy that Avraham had begun. Avraham then lived in Canaan; an area inhabited by the descendants of Noach’s grandson Canaan. Because…

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How about those cheese curls? 
Parshat Vayeira 5783

Popcorn is good, but corn puffs are great. Both of them are made by doing something magical to corn kernels, but popcorn is a messy expression of that magic, leaving behind husks and debris all over your teeth and gums,…

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Parshat Vayeira 5783

Parshat Vayeira 5783

Parshat Vayeira תשפ"ג It was Pesach, the 15th of Nissan, and, just three days earlier, Avraham, now 99 years old, had circumcised himself upon Hashem’s command. In those days, sterile conditions were unavailable, and by the third day it was common to…

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My Sole is Fragile
 Parshat Lech Lecha 5783

I’m pretty confident I have weird feet. I don’t know if they’re flat, crooked, or inverted, but they don’t seem to fit into most shoes like a hand fits in a glove. If you’re a podiatrist and reading this, please…

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 Parshat Lech Lecha 5783

Parshat Lech Lecha 5783

Lech Lecha תשפ"ג             The Mishna in Pirkei Avot (5:3) tells us that Hashem tested our forefather Abraham (“Avraham Avinu”) - - with 10 tests, and he passed them all. One of the tests was the command in this week’s portion to leave his…

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It’s not your fault… 
Parshat Noach 5783

Anyone would tell you that Todd Sikorsky had a tough life, but usually he would be the first one in line. It is not easy being the father of three rambunctious boys, all three of whom were diagnosed with ADHD…

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Parshat Noach 5783

Parshat Noach 5783

Noach תשפ"ג             The Prophet Yirmiyah [Jeremiah] (1 Kings 8:2) called the Hebrew month of Tishrei “ירח האתנים“ the Mighty Month. One of the reasons for this designation is the powerful, life-changing holidays that engage us for most of the month.  Its first day, Rosh Hashana,…

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Get Lost, Get Found 
Parshat Bereishit 5783

This is a repeat of a Shabbos email from 2009, likely the last time I spent Succos in Israel. The crowd started thickening about fifteen feet from the massive double doors leading into the succah. It was definitely no ordinary…

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Parshat Bereishit 5783