PARSHAS BAMIDBAR/SHAVUOS 5779
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Bamidbar, Erev Shavuos 4 Sivan 5779/June 7, 2019 Avos perek 6 – 48sh day of the Omer This winter, I had quite a saga with cars, tickets, and insurance claims. Leaving out many other details for the moment, I had a court appearance date in Lakewood […]
PARSHAS BAMIDBAR/SHAVUOS 5779
STAM TORAH PARSHAS BAMIDBAR/SHAVUOS 5779 “THE INNER VOICE”[1] One night, an elementary school teacher was sitting on her living room couch grading the essay’s her students wrote about something they wished for. Her husband was sitting next to her checking his emails and social media accounts. Just when the teacher thought she’d finished […]
PARSHAS BECHUKOSAI 5779
STAM TORAH PARSHAS BECHUKOSAI 5779 “ERECT BEARING” During my first years in chinuch I had the good fortune to be the School Social Worker of Yeshiva Bais Hachinuch. Bais Hachinuch was created for students who struggle academically in the mainstream yeshivos. The greatness of the yeshiva is that there are no more than twelve students […]
PARSHAS BECHUKOSAI 5779
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Bechukosai – Shabbos Chazak! Mevorchim Chodesh Sivan 26 Iyar 5779/May 31, 2019 Avos perek 5 – 41sh day of the Omer So what do Yankees games, old time kibbutzim in Eretz Yisroel, and this year’s Lag Baomer medurah (fire) in Nee Square have in common? You […]
PARSHAS BEHAR 5779
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Behar 24 Iyar 5779/May 24, 2019 Avos perek 4 – 34th day of the Omer THE FIRE OF LAG BAOMER There are certain people whose accomplishments seem to traverse normal human limits. They seem to possess uncanny and selfless devotion to their causes which influence Klal […]
PARSHAS BEHAR 5779
STAM TORAH PARSHAS BEHAR 5779 “WITH CORDS OF LOVE” The following are my personal notes from the remarks delivered by my rebbe, Rabbi Berel Wein, at the Torah Umesorah convention, Shabbas Kodesh parshas Behar 5768, May 1998: The haftorah of parshas Behar relates that just prior to the destruction of the first Bais Hamikdash, G-d […]
PARSHAS EMOR/ LAG BAOMER 5779
It’s that time of year again. It actually happens twice – once in the spring and once in the summer. It’s the periods of national mourning when Jewish barbers are on vacation and many Jewish men’s beards look scruffy and somewhat unkempt. Between Pesach and Shavuos, the days of Sefiras Ha’omer, we mourn the loss […]
PARSHAS EMOR/ LAG BAOMER 5779
STAM TORAH PARSHAS EMOR/ LAG BAOMER 5779 “NO EXCUSES”[1] During my late adolescence, I had to make an appearance in traffic court to fight a ticket. My father accompanied me for moral support. After I explained my case about what occurred, the judge asked me for my plea – ‘guilty with an explanation’ or ‘not […]
PARSHAS KEDOSHIM 5779
STAM TORAH PARSHAS KEDOSHIM 5779 “ABOVE AND BEYOND” Rabbi Returns $98k He Found in Desk Bought on Craigslist Nov. 12, 2013 A Connecticut rabbi who bought a used desk on Craigslist for $150 discovered that it wouldn’t fit through the door into his study. As he took the desk apart to get it inside, a […]
PARSHAS KEDOSHIM 5779
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Kedoshim 5 Iyar 5779/May 10, 2019 Avos perek 2 – 20th day of the Omer There’s a classic story about two beggars – one Jewish, the other non-Jewish – who would make their rounds begging together. One night they were sitting on a bench commiserating about […]