Purim is definitely a good time for celebration. We should eat, drink, laugh, and enjoy the holiday fully. However, we should also appreciate the true story that we read in the Tanakh of the adventures of Esther and her adoptive father, Mordechai.
Read MoreWhile the original Mishkan was built once and then completed, we can participate in its building and rebuilding every day: living lives of prayer, Shabbat, and mitzvot as people of humility, faith and character. Thus may we draw near to God that God may, in mercy, draw near to us.
Read MoreI love maps because I like to know where I am in the big picture of things. Tracing where I’ve been, the trails I’ve taken, then locating my present position, is the only way I know to navigate the road ahead. This is a good life practice for individuals, as well as for communities.
Read MoreLeaders like to count heads. The US government has conducted a census every ten years since 1790, and even the theocracy established in Israel ages earlier required a census. The Torah’s guidelines for this census are surprisingly relevant to creating healthy communities today.
Read MoreWhenever I have something meaty to explain to someone, I always try to deliver what I call a sandwich, interspersing it with the bread of affirmation and compassion. Not everyone needs or appreciates a nice verbal sandwich, but for me, it’s like a verbal hug of affirmation and encouragement.
Read MoreMessiah our High Priest doesn’t simply go instead of us as some might posit, but rather ahead of us as our advocate. Therefore, we can follow him into the throne room of grace, confident that we will receive grace and mercy in our time of need.
Read MoreWhen Israel was building the Mishkan, God instructed them to bring him a donation as their hearts moved them. It comes from our hearts! We build a home for Hashem in our hearts through study, prayer, and good deeds.
Read MoreI often find myself caught up with grand events, perhaps the world of politics or global conflict. Then I begin to wonder how God is going to respond to a growing crisis. Yet God is not just the God of big things. He is also the God of the details.
Read MoreThis past week, while rummaging through old family papers, I found a document that revealed some painful details about my mother’s family and their escape from Germany to Palestine in 1934. It is a deposition given by my late grandmother 65 years ago, detailing the family trauma under the Nazis for a German reparations commission.
Read MoreThe righteous are almost exactly like everyone else, except for one key difference. And this difference is what defines us. In the Bible, it is what separates the heroes from ordinary men and women.
Speaking of heroes—let’s talk about Moses.
