PARSHAS BO 5779
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Bo 5 Shevat 5779/January 11, 2019 During the last few years I have perused the advertisements in our community’s wonderful weekly publications. Based on those advertisements, I have come to a realization of the ideal manner in which a person in our community should spend his year. […]
PARSHAS BO 5779
STAM TORAH PARSHAS BO 5779 “BREAK IN THE ACTION”[1] Mark Twain famously quipped that “denial aint just a river in Egypt”. Pharaoh was in denial about his humanity, fancying himself to be a deity. To cover up for the fact that he had human needs, he clandestinely came down to the Nile every morning to […]
PARSHAS VAERA 5779
STAM TORAH PARSHAS VAERA 5779 “COMMITTED SOLDIERS”[1] Tsachi Sasson served in the Israel Defense Force’s armored corps. He loved others and was always looking to help others. After his years of service, he married and had two children. On Sunday evening, February 11, 2001, Tsachi was driving from work in Yerushalayim to his home in […]
PARSHAS VAERA 5779
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Vaera Mevorchim Chodesh Shevat 27 Teves 5779/January 4, 2019 Last Friday afternoon, shortly after I arrived home, our two-and-a-half-year-old twins woke up from their nap. (They make it known when they are ready to come out). When I went in to take Michael out of his crib, […]
PARSHAS SHEMOS 5779
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Shemos 20 Teves 5779/December 28, 2018 A few nights ago, I was sitting at home when I began feeling cold. When I went to the thermostat to raise the heat, I noticed that it was colder inside than the heat was set to. I went to the […]
PARSHAS SHEMOS 5779
STAM TORAH PARSHAS SHEMOS 5779 “SIGNS OR WONDERS”[1] The following speech was delivered by Rabbi Yisroel Meir Lau to (then) President Barack Obama on March 22, 2013, at Yad Vashem, during Obama’s visit to Israel[2]: “On April 11, 1945 in the Buchenwald Concentration camp which you recently visited, American troops liberated us. One of the […]
PARSHAS VAYECHI 5779
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Vayechi Shabbos Chazak! 13 Teves 5779/December 21, 2018 A few years ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to spend a week in Eretz Yisroel with our bechor, Shalom, in honor of his bar mitzvah. It was a special trip and we had the zechus to meet a […]
PARSHAS VAYECHI 5779
STAM TORAH PARSHAS VAYECHI 5779 “SWEETNESS OF INVESTMENT”[1] In January 1975, a 17-year-old German student and part-time concert promoter named Vera Brandes called the acclaimed pianist Keith Jarett and requested that he perform at a concert at the Opera House in Cologne, Germany on January 24, 1975. Jarett accepted, but insisted that he be provided […]
PARSHAS VAYIGASH 5779
STAM TORAH PARSHAS VAYIGASH 5779 “EVER CLOSER”[1] In his inspiring memoir, Out of the Depths, Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau relates the final hours of his father’s life. Along with twenty-eight thousand Jews of Piotrkow, where he served as rabbi, his father was taken to Treblinka. The day that they arrived, another train arrived packed with […]
PARSHAS VAYIGASH 5779
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Vayigash 6 Teves 5779/December 14, 2018 Gedolei Yisroel often lament that people who request that they daven on their behalf in a challenging situation, never share good news with them when they merit salvation. Two and a half years ago, when Chani was expecting our twins, there […]