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In Jewish tradition, rituals and symbols aren’t mere decorations or static markers of identity; they are dynamic, transformative tools designed to reshape our inner landscape. In this week’s...
Last week, as Jews around the world watched Israel stand proudly on the Eurovision stage despite boos, hostility, and protests, I couldn’t help but think of our South...
Parashat Naso contains one of the most beautiful sections in the Torah, Birkat Kohanim, the priestly blessing. We know its words from shul, from yomtov, and perhaps most tenderly from Friday night, when...
This week we start a new Book of the Torah, Bamidbar. Our Parsha – also called Bamidbar – tells us about the time before the Jewish people begin their journey through...
Have you heard the one about the waiter at the kosher restaurant, going around to the tables asking patrons, “Is anything okay here?” It plays into...
This week’s parsha teaches us about one of the most important mitzvot in the Torah, Kiddush Hashem, sanctifying Hashem’s Name through our actions. The Torah presents this mitzvah with the verse “I...
Each night of the Omer, we count. One day. Two days. Three. We’re now approximately halfway through this quiet ritual that links Pesach to Shavuot. But why do...
In this week’s Torah reading we read all about the kohen examining people to determine whether they were afflicted by tzaraat, the leprous curse. It was a physical inspection that had spiritual implications....
As we approach Pesach this year, our hearts are deeply focused on Eretz Yisrael. We think of our brothers and sisters living under the shadow of...
For 40 years, Moshe learned Torah from Hashem. Their lessons were always preceded by a call. Hashem would summon Moshe and then proceed to teach a particular subject. When one...
When people look back on an enjoyable holiday or a family gathering, they often forget the challenges that went with it. The suitcase that was lost,...
Standing at Mount Sinai, overwhelmed by the sounds and sights just experienced, awed by the voice of G-d; we have just been freed from Egypt, carried...
Purim is a time of great celebration and fun for the whole family. Carnivals; hamantaschen; dress up; festival meals; and gifts of food to friends and family. Our sages, however, see the miracle...
The incident at Roedean School shook many in our community. Feelings ran high, and it was hard not to be unsettled. Yet even in moments like these, the Torah...
The receiving of the Torah at Mount Sinai is the most significant event in human history. Unique among all claims of divine revelation, it wasn’t the experience of a single...
The Ohr HaChaim, Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar, teaches that Torah isn’t something a person simply inherits. It’s something one must be ready to receive. Remarkably, he derives three foundational...
We stand poised at a unique moment in history. We are at the cusp of the final redemption of which the prophets of Israel spoke so voluminously. We...
So much happens beyond what we can see. If you look up in the sky tonight, you will see just a sliver of a moon. Rosh Chodesh Sh’vat – the new...
A line I once read stays with me, and I quote it in various social situations: “You know you’re an adult when taking a nap changes from being...
I clearly recall one evening some years ago, when we had a very interesting guest for dinner. He was prim and proper, turning down my offer of seconds...
This week’s Torah reading, Vayeitzei, tells a story that speaks to every generation. It’s the story of a forefather, Jacob, who leaves the comfort of home and walks straight into...
How do you build a life where every day is worth remembering? This week’s parsha recounts the passing of Sarah and Avraham, the founding couple of...
I have been learning about the parsha of the week since I was a kid, first at Shaarei Torah Primary school in Yeoville, continuing at Torah...
According to oral tradition, Abraham discovered G-d, not once, but twice. The first time was when he was three years old. The second time when he...
Wow, coming off the high of the high holy days and the events of the past few weeks, how do we ensure that we don’t come...
Life today feels like a phone at 2% battery with no charger in sight. The world is shaky, our schedules overloaded, and our spirits stretched thin....
“I proclaim before G-d that I have arrived in the land which G-d swore to our ancestors to give it to us.” Parshat Ki Tavo Last...
Among the laws of warfare in this week’s parsha is a short passage that contains three mitzvot: first, the prohibition for an impure soldier to enter...
The opening line of this week’s parsha, Shoftim, says, “Appoint judges and officers in all your gates.” On the surface, the Torah is talking about national...
A Texas teacher recently made headlines with an unusual announcement to parents: no more homework. She explained that homework doesn’t significantly improve student performance and should...
A few years ago, I came across a story that has stuck with me ever since. It’s about a design challenge called “The Spaghetti Problem” shared...
In this week’s Torah portion, we read the first paragraph of the Shema. One of the mitzvot in the Shema is the mitzvah of mezuzah. Mezuzah...
With Tisha B’Av approaching, and this year, falling on Shabbat, the fast is postponed to Sunday. Traditionally, Tisha B’Av has been associated with destruction and exile....
Life is a journey filled with movement. At times, we are called to move away from a place, situation, or stage of life. But true spiritual...
Women seldom feature in the Torah, less often by name. And rarer than both is when their words are recorded. When that happens, we need to...
The great sages of Israel wanted to insert an additional verse into the Shema prayer. The verse comes from our Torah portion in which the prophet...
“I thought I could fathom it, but it eludes me.” (Ecclesiastes 7,23) King Solomon, the author of these words, could have been describing our times. Nothing...
Are you a spectator or a participant? Do you only watch your favourite soccer club, or do you sometimes kick a ball yourself? A few years...
In this week’s Torah portion, Shelach, we encounter a subtle but powerful shift in the way G-d interacts with the Jewish people. When the people ask...
Twice in this week’s parsha, Behaalotecha, we encounter groups of Jews complaining. In one instance, their request is granted; in the other, the response is less...
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