This week’s parsha tells of the unique status of four nations; Ammon, Moab, Egypt and Edom.  Because of historical acts of cruelty and insensitivity these nations are barred from marrying into the Jewish People.  According to our sages this is true even though the individual has undergone the … [Read more...]

              I believe that the period of Bein HaMetzarim, between the straits, is the appropriate time to devote to the study of the laws of mourning.  Our response to death and loss ultimately characterizes who we are. The Talmud … [Read more...]

Rabbi Yohanan said: the Holy One Blessed Be He said, “I shall not dwell in the Celestial Jerusalem (Yerushalayim shel ma’alah) until I dwell in the Earthly Jerusalem (Yerushalyim shel matah)” There is a well-known dispute between Maimonides and Rabbi Avraham Ben David (the Raavad) regarding … [Read more...]

  “Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains.   Those who think themselves masters of others are indeed greater slaves than they.”  Rousseau Freedom for all people begins with an attitude of freedom.  For the Jews freedom required a paradigm shift in the consciousness of the … [Read more...]

Dear Friends, Emotionally, the end of the month of Nissan is always a bit like a rollercoaster.  We have just left Pesach behind and Yom HaShoah is upon us.  In this audio file I share my very personal thoughts about the Shoah from the perspective of a child of survivors. My childhood is … [Read more...]

The theological certainty that gives people the confidence to condemn and dispense one another is, in fact, sacrilegious; it is to presume knowledge of God’s infinite will. Read the original article here as posted ar Haaretz.com The Book of Esther reads more like a court drama than a book of … [Read more...]

God and Desire-Rabbi Herzl Hefter When Ahashverosh commanded Vashti to appear before him naked, she refused to come. [lo ba’ah]. Regarding this the Ba’al Shem Tov commented that “the time for nakedness is not yet come.” What did the Ba’al Shem Tov mean by this cryptic comment? R. … [Read more...]

When exactly did God command Moses to build a tabernacle (a mobile temple)? Nachmanides follows the simple reading of the text. First the Jews experienced the revelation at Mount Sinai, then came the foundational civil laws of parshat Misphatim followed by some sort of acceptance ceremony. … [Read more...]