Torah Thoughts Tzav 5778 The Hebrew word Mitzvah is typically translated as either “good deed” or “commandment.” I would like to suggest an alternative, “obligation.” For me, good deed is too light hearted and misses the compulsory quality conveyed…
Torah Thoughts Vayikrah
Occasionally, people from the Christian world will ask me if I have been “called” to be a rabbi. This question makes me uncomfortable. Ministers often have a “come to God” moment where they feel God has literally…
Torah Thoughts Vayakhel/Pikudei 5778
Navigating the Desert at Night The desert can be a dangerous place, especially at night. I should know because of a harrowing experience I had back in my first trip to Israel in 1989. We were spending the…
Torah Thoughts Ki Tisa 5778
(Exodus 30:11 – 34:35) “The Lesson of Hamantaschen” The hamantaschen is the fortune cookie of Jewish deserts. Originally a German delicacy from the middle ages it was adapted by the Jews to be used on the holiday of Purim. Like…
Torah Thoughts Tetzaveh
(Exodus 27:20 – 30:10) Purim is on the Way This week’s Torah portion, Tetzaveh, goes into elaborate detail about what the High Priest would wear when performing his duties in the tabernacle. Aaron, and his sons, had a…
Torah Thoughts Terumah (Exodus 25:1 – 27:19)
Kindness Matters “Kindness matters,” is what the new sign on my door reads. It was put there by my wife Ashirah on her mission to bring kindness to the world. Underneath the motto are slips of paper to…
Torah Thoughts Mishpatim 5778 (Exodus 21:1 – 24:18)
We Have Your Back In looking over the long list of rules contained within this week’s Torah portion, Mishpatim, it would be easy to miss, what I would call the most important one of all: “you shall not taunt…
Torah Thoughts Yitro 5778
The Importance of a Backup Plan As this weekend is the Super Bowl, I think it would be important to remind everyone I am indeed from Philadelphia. Like with our Buffalo teams, Philadelphia has a long beleaguered history of…
Torah Thoughts Beshalach 5778
Marching in Joy Who knew marching could be so much fun? This past Sunday afternoon, Ashirah, the kids and I, went down to Niagara Square to participate in the Buffalo’s Women’s March. We gathered by City Hall, heard a…
Torah Thoughts – Bo 5778
The name of this week’s Torah portion is Bo, meaning either to come or to go. It is God’s command to Moses to confront Pharaoh and once again to ask for our people’s freedom. Bo is one of my favorite…