PARSHAS VAERA 5780
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Vaera- Mevorchim Chodesh Shevat 27 Teves 5780/January 24, 2020 STEALING SIGNS Busted! It has now been verified that the Houston Astros cheated in the post-season on their way to winning the World Series in 2017. Yankees and Dodgers fans are particularly enraged and are calling for […]
PARSHAS SHEMOS 5780
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Shemos 20 Teves 5780/January 17, 2020 Raf and the Daf[1] I am Raf. I do the Daf. That Raf he does Daf. I do not like Raf who does Daf. Would you like to join and do the Daf? I cannot Raf; cannot do the Daf! Would […]
PARSHAS VAYECHI 5780
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Vayechi – Shabbas Chazak! 13 Teves 5780/January 10, 2020 THE MOMENT Like so many other Jews, the Staum family’s American roots begin on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. My grandparents all lived there, and until we moved to Monsey in September 1988, I myself grew up on […]
PARSHAS VAYIGASH 5780
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Vayigash 6 Teves 5780/January 3, 2020 LIGHT ON! It’s not something anyone wants to hear or see. While enjoying a Chanukah family get-together in Lakewood, NJ on Motzei Shabbos, I saw a message on my phone that made my heart drop: “Is everyone okay in […]
PARSHAS MIKETZ/CHANUKAH 5780
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Miketz/Shabbos Chanukah/Rosh Chodesh Teves 29 Kislev – 5th day of Chanukah 5780/December 27, 2019 ABSORBED & RADIATED It’s one of those things that makes you wonder. During the winter there can be days of resplendent sunshine, without a cloud in the sky, and yet it will […]
PARSHAS VAYESHEV 5780
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Vayeshev 22 Kislev 5780/December 20, 2019 GAINING TRACTION Winter is unquestionably here. Aside for the cold weather and snow, we have also had to contend with the more insidious danger of ice. During a couple of cold mornings recently, I walked out of my house […]
PARSHAS VAYISHLACH 5780
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Vayishlach 15 Kislev 5780/December 13, 2019 REPETITIVE MUSIC Rabbi, I was wondering about our prayers. What’s with all the praises of G-d? It seems like we say a lot of similar stuff in different ways, over and over. I’ve always been taught that because G-d is […]
PARSHAS VAYETZEI 5780
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Vayetzei 8 Kislev 5780/December 6, 2019 BENEATH THE SURFACE As far as the weather was concerned, this was a Thanksgiving to remember. Across the United States, the holiday celebration was impacted. In the Northwest there were powerful winds; the Midwest was hit with blizzard like conditions. […]
PARSHAS TOLDOS 5780
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Toldos – Rosh Chodesh Kislev 1 Kislev 5780/November 29, 2019 THUMBS UP I’m just going to be forthright about it – I have weird thumbs. The truth is that weird is relative (especially my relatives), and I’m pretty convinced that the rest of the world has […]
CHAYEI SARAH 5780
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh parshas Chayei Sarah 24 Cheshvan 5780/November 22, 2019 Mevorchim Chodesh Kislev This week’s Musings are lovingly dedicated in memory of my Zaydei, Yaakov Meir ben Yosef Yitzchak z”l, Rabbi Yaakov Meir Kohn, whose yahrtzeit is on Sunday evening, 27 Cheshvan. WHEN LESS IS MORE This past […]