Recent Writings
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Toledot: It is about seeing—and not seeing.
Read more →: Toledot: It is about seeing—and not seeing.Our parasha reports how Isaac was tricked by Jacob, taking advantage of his father‘s blindness, into giving him the blessing of the firstborn. But was Isaac really blind?…
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Knowing that We Are Blessed
Read more →: Knowing that We Are BlessedAs Abraham reached the twilight of his years, our Torah portion informs us that “the Eternal had blessed Abraham in every way” (Genesis 24:1). The Rabbis were perplexed…
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Keeping Shabbat the Progressive Way
Read more →: Keeping Shabbat the Progressive WayOnce a year, usually mid-November, a special Shabbat is announced. The so called Shabbat Project should inspire Jews around the globe to keep Shabbat. But what does it…
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How can I help?
Read more →: How can I help?Our Torah Portion “Noach” reports twice on the downfall of humanity in the eyes of God. In the response to the first, God sends the waters of the…
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A first thought for 5780 – Shabbat Shuvah
Read more →: A first thought for 5780 – Shabbat ShuvahThis Shabbat is Shabbat Shuvah, the Shabbat that falls between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. Our tradition teaches that the gates of repentance are always open, and we…
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Rabbi’s greetings for the New Year
Read more →: Rabbi’s greetings for the New YearMy dear friends,dear congregants,guests and visitors,Chayim and I send you heartfelt greetings for a blessed Shanah Tovah u’Metukah, a year of goodness and sweet experiences!How deeply embedded in our…
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A final thought for 5779
Read more →: A final thought for 5779For the last Shabbat in 5779, our Torah comes with one of the readings I love most in the entire year. In parashat Nitzavim we find the following…
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Indifference to our world is intolerable, unethical and it breaches our morality
Read more →: Indifference to our world is intolerable, unethical and it breaches our moralityChaverim,In this week’s column I’d like to share with you an excerpt from my sermon I delivered last Friday. The sermon was about the powerful dictum of Parashat…
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Please help us – so that we can help others
Read more →: Please help us – so that we can help othersYou shall not deduct interest from loans to your countryman, whether in money or food or anything else that can be deducted as interest. ” (Deuteronomy 23:20)Chaverim,The Torah…
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Parashat Re’eh: Justice, Justice shall you pursue!
Read more →: Parashat Re’eh: Justice, Justice shall you pursue!Chaverim,The pursuit of justice is one of the most frequently repeated concerns, and not only of the Torah, but of Jewish tradition. The teaching is to pursue justice…
