TOUGH LOVE
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Vaeschanan – Shabbos Nachamu 10 Menachem Av 5786/ July 24, 2026 Avos perek 4 TOUGH LOVE Like my children, all my nephews and nieces are rather precocious. It must be something in the genes. Recently, my 13-year-old niece asked the following question: Why does it seem that […]
MISSION POSSIBLE
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Devorim – Shabbos Chazon 3 Menachem Av 5786/ July 17, 2026 Avos perek 3 MISSION POSSIBLE Every wedding is a special and joyous occasion. In fact, Rabbi Yaakov Kamentesky (Emes l’Yaakov) notes that every Jewish wedding is a national celebration. He proves it from the fact that […]
VALIDATE IMMEDIATELY
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Matos-Masei 25 Tamuz 5786/ July 10, 2026 Avos perek 1 VALIDATE IMMEDIATELY One of the modern wonders of Israel is its transportation system. Who would believe that in a Jewish state that has no shortage of bureaucracy, transportation would be on time, well-maintained and dependable. With an […]
GUEST LOYALTY
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Pinchos 18 Tamuz 5786/ July 3, 2026 Avos perek 6 GUEST LOYALTY As America prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, it behooves us, the Torah faithful, to contemplate our standing in the country that has been a haven for our people and a place where we enjoyed […]
FORGET ME NOT
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Chukas-Balak 11 Tamuz 5786/ June 26, 2026 Avos perek 5 FORGET ME NOT I’ve been a rebbe now for almost two decades b”H. Since my second year of teaching, I’ve noticed that every single year during the first few weeks of the new school year, my students […]
BE A SPORT
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Korach 4 Tamuz 5786/ June 19, 2026 Avos perek 4 BE A SPORT I distinctly remember two of my high school rebbeim rattling off the starting 5 players of the championship winning 1973 New York Knicks. It surprised me because neither of them seemed like the type […]
I’M A WHAT
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Shelach 27 Sivan 5786/ June 12, 2026 Avos perek 3 – Mevorchim Chodesh Tamuz I’M A WHAT? Though I can’t verify this anecdote, I can imagine that this really happened: An American girl studying in an Israeli seminary for the year went home for Pesach. She returned […]
GIFT FROM ABOVE
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Beha’aloscha 20 Sivan 5786/ June 5, 2026 Avos perek 2 GIFT FROM ABOVE A few years ago, I had the great honor and privilege to publish Nostalgia for Eternity, a collection of lectures from my rebbe, Rabbi Berel Wein zt”l. Produced by Feldheim Publishers, it contained lectures […]
TAKING IT IN
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Naso 13 Sivan/ May 29, 2026 Avos perek 1 This Musings is dedicated in loving memory of Rabbi Avi Oberlander zt”l – Rabbi Avrohom Zechariah Menachem ben Tzvi Yehuda – a colleague, mentor and friend, in honor of his second yahrtzeit on 16 Sivan. TAKING IT IN […]
KEEP CLIMBING
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shavuos 5 Sivan 5786 –May 22, 2026 KEEP CLIMBING There is hardly anything more unstable and unpredictable than the weather in New York during March, April and May. One day in March, after a long and cold winter, it’s suddenly 80 degrees with bright sunshine. People are more than excited […]