PARSHAS VAYETZEI 5777
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Vayetzei 9 Kislev 5777/ December 9, 2016 For the last year and a half, I have had the privilege to post a brief video entitled “Instant Inspiration” on Torahanytime.com weekly. In last week’s video, I related a powerful mussar thought on the parsha from Rav Leib […]
PARSHAS TOLDOS 5777
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Lech Lecha 10 MarCheshvan 5777/ November 11, 2016 My rebbe, Rabbi Berel Wein, related that shortly before he made Aliyah in 1997, he took some of his grandchildren to a Yankees game at the old Yankees Stadium. It was a close game, and the Yankees lost in […]
PARSHAS CHAYEI SARAH 5776
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Chayei Sarah Mevorchim Chodesh Kislev 24 MarCheshvan 5777/ November 25, 2016 No one was complaining about the weather last week in New York, especially last Shabbos. Sixty degrees with bright sunshine in mid-November is well above the average temperature for this time of year. But within a […]
PARSHAS VAYERA 5777
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Vayera 17 MarCheshvan 5777/ November 18, 2016 These thoughts are lovingly dedicated in memory of my Savta, Mrs. Minnie Staum, Shprintza bas Avrohom Yitzchok a’h, whose yahrtzeit is Friday, 17 Cheshvan. —————————————— Disclaimer: The following is not an endorsement of any candidate – not of their views, […]
PARSHAS LECH LECHA 5777
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Lech Lecha 10 MarCheshvan 5777/ November 11, 2016 Mr. Irwin Cohen, writes a column in the Jewish Press, entitled “The Baseball Insider”. In one article, he related a personal experience from October 8, 1956. At the time, he was a ninth grader at Detroit’s Yeshiva Beth Yehudah. […]
PARSHAS NOACH 5777
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Noach 3 MarCheshvan 5777/ November 4, 2016 One of the most exciting aspects of Yom Tov is the preparation during the days beforehand. Don’t get me wrong – I don’t like schlepping, shopping, and cleaning. But I love the atmosphere, the frenzied feeling that Yom Tov is […]
Parshas Bereishis 5777
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Bereishis – Mevorchim Chodesh Cheshvan Tishrei 5777/ October 28, 2016 On Simchas Torah morning, after the Kiddush ended, I carried our three-year-old son Dovid beneath the canopy spread atop the bimah, for Kol Hane’orim (the special Aliyah for all children who aren’t old enough to recite the […]
Hoshanah Rabbah – Erev Shemini Atzeres 5777
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Hoshanah Rabbah – Erev Shemini Atzeres 21 Tishrei 5777/ October 22, 2016 “Abba, the power is out in half of the rooms upstairs!” While trying to prepare derashos for Rosh Hashanah, that’s not what I wanted to hear. But I headed upstairs to try to figure out the electric issue. I […]
PARSHAS HA’AZINU 5777
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Haazinu 12 Tishrei 5777/ October 13, 2016 Once upon a time, there was a family named The Staums, who resided at 3 Landau Lane in Spring Valley, NY. This wonderful family was thrilled to spend its summers at Camp Dora Golding in East Stroudsburg, PA, where Rabbi […]
YOM KIPPUR 5777
“RABBI’S MUSINGS (& AMUSINGS)” Erev Yom Kippur 9 Tishrei 5777/ October 11, 2016 It seems that, aside for the wave of penitent emotions, the High Holy Days also arouse a certain level of nostalgia. I mentioned last week that during my formative years, my family lived on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. We davened […]