Judging Earlier Generations: Progress, Not Perfection While the actions of our Patriarchs and Matriarchs at times seem highly questionable, the rabbis rarely criticize them. One of the notable exceptions is Continue Reading »
Going Where No Jews Have Gone Before… The first marriage of two Jews takes place in our parsha: Isaac marries Rebecca. There’s not much detail about the wedding: Rebecca lowers Continue Reading »
Abraham’s Legacy “Have you ever been in the company of someone who lavishly extolled the virtues of a muffin?” asks Mendel Sternhull. “No? Then you didn’t have the pleasure of accompanying Continue Reading »
Marriage and Relationships 1.0 and 2.0 After a year of confinement on the Ark, tending to animals, mourning for lost friends and wondering about the future, Noah and his family Continue Reading »
Rising to the Occasion King Solomon exhorts us to strive for achievement both in our youth and in our old age. “In the morning sow your seed, and in the Continue Reading »
The Story of the Trustee Siblings There’s a short story by Leo Tolstoy that I’d like to share with you tonight. I know what you’re thinking, “Knowing the rabbi, it’s Continue Reading »
Self-Discover and Self-Empowerment We Jews are an interesting group, a quandary. As a whole, we don’t attend daily or weekly services, but we do come for the High Holidays. You’ll Continue Reading »
Embracing a New Spiritual Paradigm In a little while, we’re going to sing Pete Seeger’s famous anthem, “We Shall Overcome”: We shall live in peace, some day Oh, deep in Continue Reading »
Repeats and Changes: Israel and our Youth Shana Tova, good Yom Tov, thank you for joining us today. First and foremost, I’m thrilled to see so many of you here Continue Reading »
How Many Mitzvot? Perhaps, I am making progress in my studies. For the past thirty years, a certain piece of Talmud has baffled me, but now I think I’ve arrived Continue Reading »