• Uncovering the Chanukah Connection in Yaakov’s Struggle

    In this week’s Torah portion, Vayishlach, Yaakov leaves Lavan’s house and learns that Esav his brother who wanted to kill him is coming with 400 men.  He sends his family ahead and prepares them for war and then Yaakov crosses back over the river Yabbok alone in the night.  There he has the famous struggle…

  • Joseph, His Brothers, and the Thanksgiving Message

    In this week’s parsha, Vayeshev, we read the story of Joseph and his brothers which contains the tragic seeds of the Jewish peoples’ exile in Egypt. As the Talmud writes (Shabbat 10b): “Rava bar Meḥasseya said that Rav Ḥama bar Gurya said that Rav said: A person should never distinguish one of his sons from…

  • Joseph’s Early Mistake: The Path to Becoming a Tzadik

    This week’s Torah portion, Va’yeshev, begins by describing the relationship between Joseph and his brothers when Joseph was 17 years old. The Torah tells us that when Joseph was tending sheep with his brothers “…Joseph brought slander about them to his father. Israel loved Joseph more of all the brothers….and they (his brothers) were unable…

  • A Call to Bring Hope to the Dark Places in Our World

    The Talmud, Avoda Zava 8a, states: Our Sages taught: When Adam the first man saw that the day was progressively diminishing, as the days become shorter from the autumnal equinox until the winter solstice, he did not yet know that this is a normal phenomenon, and therefore he said: Woe is me; perhaps because I…

  • Cultivating a Personal Jewish Life Amidst External Pressures

    Yosef is called Yosef HaTzadik, Joseph the Righteous.  He is the ancestor who lives in a foreign, idolatrous land, becomes well integrated into its structure functioning there as a great leader, and yet retains his Israelite religious values.  Yosef’s ability, in the face of Egyptian culture, to not only retain his values and religious outlook…

  • Sanctifying God’s Name in the Modern World

    In 1865, almost 100 Hungarian Rabbis, (in reaction to Reform and Enlightenment movements), signed a pisak din, a halachic decision, to forbid the following in Orthodox Shuls, and additionally decreed that anyone who finds themselves in such a shul should leave immediately: The derasha given in a “secular”  language other than Yiddish or Hebrew, a…

  • Building Bridges of Faith in a Time of Hate

    This past week Jews and Christians were attacked in the midst of religious celebration and prayer.   What prompts such attacks on religion?   Though on a conscious level this hate seems to be about prejudice itself, and for Jews it seems to come from many sides of the political spectrum,  I believe that it…

  • Lessons from Joseph and His Brothers

    We have just finished reading the story of Joseph and his brothers.  In it Joseph’s brothers experience confusion, despondency, and powerlessness as their brother secretively manipulates them, falsely accusing them of being spies and thieves.  One can imagine being in their shoes and asking: Why?  Why are all these terrible things happening?  Ultimately their worst…

  • Finding Meaning in Crisis

    This week’s parsha, Vayigash , is the culmination of several chapters documenting the intriguing story of Joseph and his brothers. Imagine yourself in the shoes of the brothers – the perplexity and horror at finding their money in their sacks, the viceroy’s cup in Benjamin’s sack – framed for a crime. Having to bring their…

  • Balancing Tradition: Orthodoxy’s Struggle with Extremes

    Orthodox Judaism, in its desire to create distance from liberal denominations, at times does itself a disservice.    This phenomenon is well known.  For instance our sometimes hyper focus on the letter of the law in a way that dismisses its deeper meaning I think is often in response to liberal denominations which stress the…

  • A Jewish Perspective on Exile and Influence

    Maimonides writes the following in the Mishnah Torah, his book of Jewish law, based on a source in the Talmud: “A Jew is not allowed to follow in the ways of the idolaters, and is not permitted to imitate their dress or hair style.    Just as a Jew is different in their thinking and…

  • Turning Wounds into Wisdom

    In this week’s Parsha, Vayechi, Jacob dies and the brothers of Joseph are afraid that Joseph will take revenge upon them.  Joseph says to them, “Am I in the place of God? Although you intended me harm, God intended it for good, so as to bring about the present result—the survival of many people.  And…

  • The Younger Leader: Embracing Struggle and Creativity

    In this week’s Parsha, Vayichi, we have a familiar story of blessings bestowed upon two brothers.  According to the Torah the first born receives a double portion and is meant to be the leader and even the Jewish people itself, as a leader among the nations, is in this sense called by God, “My firstborn.”…

  • The Path to Truth: Learning from Moshe on Simchat Torah

    We have just completed the pathway of the Tishrei holidays whose purpose is to provide us with a strong foundation for the coming year. The process of Teshuva fixes and strengthens our relationships with others and with God, and Sukkot gives us an appreciation for all that we have, including – in agricultural times –…

  • Science and Creation

    “In the beginning G-d created the heavens and the land.”  Rashi (11 century) comments, “…The Torah is not attempting to describe the order of the creation…for if it was how could the Torah say, ‘the spirit of G-d hovered over the water,’ before it has spoken of the creation of the waters…thus it must be…

  • The Power of Relationships in Creating Something New

    Beginnings are a very powerful time in Judaism.  I guess the best place to learn about them is at THE BEGINNING.  When the Torah describes God creating human beings God says something strange: “Let us make humans”.  The classic Jewish commentaries ask: “Why us?”  Clearly the Torah sees God as only One.  Who is God…

  • Adam and Eve: Two Stories, Two Personalities

    In this week’s Torah portion, Berashit, the first humans, Chava and Adam are created.  The story of their creation is told twice in the Torah, the first in chapter 1 and the second in chapter 2, with many differences.  In the first story Adam and Eve are created at the same time in the image…