Divrey Torah

For 91 years, Jacob struggled with people, tricking them, struggling to be on top.  Somehow, a night encounter changed him. On his way to seeing his brother Esau after 20 years, and scared that Esau still wants to kill him (Esau is, after all, accompanied by...

Dear friend, Please join us December 5th for a Shabbat morning program of music, Torah study, and friends!  I will lead our adult program of music, contemplation, and Torah study. Tanya will lead our fun and educational childrens' program, including singing, stories, activity, and edible art. Kiddush lunch...

Dear Friends, When Tanya and I lived in Brooklyn, the small corner store at the base of our building had a sign, "Best pizza in town!"  Considering how many places in New York sell pizza, I was impressed to be living right above such a culinary...

Dear Friends, When the Sha’agat Aryeh became rabbi of Melz, the town leaders enacted a new ordinance to enhance Jewish life in his honor. They decreed that instead of begging house to house, beggars would come to a central office and receive a stipend. They scheduled...

Dear Friends, This week in the Torah, Abraham receives a call to start his journey: “Go to yourself, leaving your land, from where you were born, from your parents house.” The fundamental spiritual call is about transformation, re-creating ourselves based on ideals of holiness, not being...

According to the midrash, Noah spent 120 years building the ark, including growing trees to specific measurements (the longest was exactly 450 feet) so they would not have to be cut to size.  The idea was that the other people would see him making the ark,...

According to the midrash, God considered creating a world based on emet, truth; seeing that such a world could not survive, God hurled truth into the earth and created the world based on hesed, generosity, instead. I was struck this week, listening to the discussion of...

We forgive, but do we forget? All of our relationships have baggage.  Emotional baggage is like balls we stuff into a closet: once we open the door, all the balls come pouring out into the room and are awfully hard to put back.  Our spouse hurts...