Mishpatim תשפב After the Torah reading on a Monday or Thursday morning, while the Torah is still out, the congregation offers this prayer on behalf of our Jewish brethren who are in trouble. אַחֵינוּ כָּל בֵּית יִשְֹרָאֵל. הַנְּתוּנִים בַּצָרָה וּבַשִׁבְיָה. הָעוֹמְדִים…
Ladies and Gentleman We’re going to do something a little bit different this week. I hope to write a children’s book soon, and I’m going to give you not just a sneak preview, but rather a very rough draft of…
Parshat Yitro The Jewish people left Egypt on a Thursday, the 15th of Nissan. Seven days later they miraculously passed through the Reed Sea. From there they embarked on a 45-day trek to Mount Sinai, where they would forge the next…
Parshat Beshalach תשפב 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 that they experienced from…
About two months into the pandemic I started making herring. The chocolate chip cookies made me do it. I was giving classes all the time, to people who were isolated, and often sad and fearful. On a regular basis I…
Parshat Bo תשפב On Rosh Hashanah this year, the Jewish calendar year changed from 5781 to 5782 (Rosh Hashanah means the “head of the year” or the beginning of the new year.) This number represents the years that have passed since…
She’s all of two and a half feet tall, much smaller than most of her peers. She lives a life of quiet solitude, passing her time in a small glass house, all by herself. But that’s not to say that…
Parshat Va'eira תשפב This week’s portion’s opening two verses contain four different holy names of Hashem. (ב) וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹקִים אֶל משֶׁה וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אֲנִי יְדֹוָד (ג) וָאֵרָא אֶל אַבְרָהָם אֶל יִצְחָק וְאֶל יַעֲקֹב בְּקֵל שַׁקָּי וּשְׁמִי יְדֹוָד לֹא נוֹדַעְתִּי לָהֶם 2) Elo(k)him spoke to Moshe and…