Many Jews will no doubt be aware of Ellen Frankel through her influential The Five Books of Miriam: A Woman’s Commentary on the Torah, published in 1996. In her latest book she uses her expertise to propel a foray into…
Torah Thoughts – Pinchas – Numbers.25.10-30.1 – “Love in Any Language is for the Good”
The English word “righteous” carries with it both positive and negative connotations. According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary it can mean “acting in accordance with moral law,” i.e., being a good citizen. And it can mean “arising from an outraged sense of…
Torah Thoughts – Balak Numbers 22:2-25:9 – “A Room with a View”
Every Shabbat morning, our services at CSS begin with a joyous rendition of a line from this week’s Torah portion: Mah Tovu Ohalecha Ya’akov Mish’ki’no’techa Yisrael, How beautiful your tents O Jacob, your dwelling places O Israel(Numbers 24:5). Usually sung…
Torah Thoughts – Chukat – Numbers 19:1-22:1 – “A Coney Island”
In the second season of Netflix’s Russian Doll, Nadia, the red headed protagonist whose grandmother is a Hungarian Jew, says the following about her family of origin: “In our house, a Coney Island is the thing that would’ve made everything…
Torah Thoughts – Korach – Numbers 16:1-18:32 – “Being a Servant Leader”
When Moses is confronted by an angry rebellion in this week’s Torah portion, Korach, he does the unthinkable, he prostrates himself on the ground in front of his detractors. He did so, as the 18th Century Kabbalist, Or HaChaim, writes.…
Torah Thoughts – Sh’lach – Numbers.13.1-15.41 – “Leading Questions”
Eleven years ago, or so, two search parties, AKA merger committees, looked across Sheridan Drive and asked some very key questions: Are the people there nice? Do we share values with one another? Could we work together if our communities…
Torah Thoughts – Beha’alotcha – Numbers 8:1-12:16 – “A Sanctuary Filled with Memory”
This Shabbat, we return to the Torah portion my daughter Jarah read at her Bat Mitzvah last year. Coming back to this moment of Biblical time, I am flooded with memories from that important memory in our family life. Grandparents,…
Torah Thoughts – Naso – Numbers.4.21-7.89 – “A Prayer for the Road”
At the amazing wedding of Shiri Kester and Colton Rogers officiated by Cantor Barbara Ostfeld, the grandfather of the bride was invited up to offer one of the seven blessings. A 96-year-old Holocaust survivor who lives in Los Angeles, he…
Rabbi Alex CSS High Holiday Sermons 2012 – 2022
Torah Thoughts – Bamidbar – Numbers.1.1-4.20 – “Trying to Find Our Way Out”
This week’s Torah portion Bamidbar, begins with the words: “God spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai.” Isn’t this obvious? We have been in the Sinai wilderness since we left Egypt in Exodus 15, over a book and a…