A famous Buddhist parable tells of a group of blind men who heard that a strange animal, called an elephant, had been brought to the town. Since none knew what an elephant was like, they endeavored to describe it based on their sense of touch. The first man, standing...
The double portions of Tazria and Metzora continue the Torah’s discussion of ritual impurities. Tzara’at, often translated as leprosy, is a plague that can afflict people’s skin, their clothing, or even their homes. If someone suspects tzara’at, a priest is summoned,...
I delivered this sermon for Parshat T’tzaveh on Friday evening, February 23, 2018. We read in this week’s Torah portion, Parshat T’tzaveh, “And you shall command the children of Israel, that they bring unto you pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause a lamp to...
This week’s Torah portion is Mishpatim. Mishpatim means judgements and the parshah contains a collection of rules covering virtually every aspect of human life. Many of the laws have to do with behavior and moral values. The Torah reminds us that we are obligated...
With parshat Vay’chi, we reach the final parsha of the book of Genesis. An ailing Jacob prepares to offer a final blessing to his children. He tells Joseph that Joseph’s own sons, Ephraim and Menasseh “shall be mine no less than Reuben and Simeon,” and Jacob...
G-d said to Avram, “Lech L’cha.” “Go forth. Go from your country, your kindred, your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” And from this moment, Avram’s journey truly begins. “Lech l’cha,” G-d says, a phrase that could be literally translated as “go to...
I was invited to do a guest post for the URJ's 10 Minutes of Torah liturgy series. You can read my post here: Psalm 116 Guest Post Enjoy!
Hello blog readers. I know it’s been an age… I did a sermon this past Friday evening on the subject of Tisha B’Av. It’s the summer, so attendance at worship has been light. We’ve seen about 25-30 on average at services. This Friday, however, was the start of the...
The following is the D’var Torah that I delivered Erev Shabbat: “G-d spoke to Moses saying: “Tell the Israelite people to bring Me gifts; you shall accept gifts for Me from every person whose heart so moves him. And these are the gifts that you shall accept...
Hello! As you’ve probably noticed, I took a little break from blogging for a few months. I think I’m back now. I’ve had a bit of writers block, and I think that one good way to get past it is to have a guest blogger write for me . At B’nei Mitzvah services at...