Parshas Behar 5784
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Behar 16 Iyar 5784/ May 24, 2024 – 31st day of the Omer Pirkei Avos – Perek 4 MEASURED HURRIEDNESS A few weeks ago, I was speaking to Shlomo Pomerantz, a devoted firefighter and friend (and fellow talmid of Rabbi Berel Wein). We […]
Parshas Emor 5784
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Emor 9 Iyar 5784/ May 17, 2024 – 19th day of the Omer Pirkei Avos – Perek 3 BECAUSE YOU CAN Sometime during the winter of 2018, I was perusing new titles in one of the local Monsey seforim stores, and noticed a new English […]
Parshas Kedoshim 5784
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Kedoshim 2 Iyar 5784/ May 10, 2024 – 17th day of the Omer Pirkei Avos – Perek 2 EVERY DROP It’s a classic and beloved story. A forty-year-old shepherd viewed himself as a complete failure. Completely ignorant of Torah knowledge, Akiva didn’t even know how […]
Parshas Achrei Mos 5784
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Achrei Mos – Mevorchim Chodesh Iyar 25 Nissan 5784May 3, 2024 – 10th day of the Omer Pirkei Avos – Perek 1 JOY OF JOYOUSNESS On the afternoon of the seventh day of Pesach I realized that in Eretz Yisroel Pesach was over and […]
Parshas Metzora 5784
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Metzora/Shabbos HaGadol 11 Nissan 5784/ April 19, 2024 THE PROCESS (With the exception of my brief introduction, the ideas in this essay were adapted from a lecture about the Haggadah by Rabbi David Lapin.) My first position in chinuch was as the Social […]
Parshas Tazria 5784
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Tazria 4 Nissan 5784/ April 12, 2024 This week’s Musings is lovingly dedicated in memory of my Sabbah, Mr. Abe Staum, R’ Avrohom Yosef ben R’ Naftali Herz haLevi z”l, upon his yahrtzeit tonight, 4 Nissan. WHAT WAS WON’T BE There have been some […]
Parshas Shemini 5784
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Shemini/HaChodesh Mevorchim Chodesh Nissan 26 Adar II 5784/ April 5, 2024 TIMES LIKE THESE We live in crazy times. I don’t think anyone will argue with that. But I recently realized that I don’t ever remember a period in my life when people didn’t […]
Parshas Tzav 5784
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Tzav/Parah 19 Adar II 5784/ March 29, 2024 SWEET WINE Recently, one of our neighbors joined us for a Shabbos Seudah. The neighbor appreciates fine wine and gave us a bottle as a gift. It’s always a bit uncomfortable for me when I’m gifted […]
Parshas Vayikra 5784
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Vayikra-Zachor 12 Adar II 5784/ March 22, 2024 OFF HIS HIGH HORSE A friend who is a dentist gives mishloach manos full of huge cavity-inducing candies… and a business card. In truth, there is more of a connection between rotted teeth and Purim […]
Parshas Pekudei 5784
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Pekudei 5 Adar II 5784/ March 15, 2024 PUNCTUATED SALVATION Is it possible that our English teacher was right (or correct)? Could it be that punctuation really does make a difference in life and, in fact, could save lives? Many […]