1310 essays
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Essays on the weekly Torah portion, the holidays and Jewish thought.
Parsha Behar-Bechukosai – The Ultimate Paradox The ultimate challenge is to fuse heightened spirituality with everyday life. BECHUKOSAI BECHUKOSAI Parsha Behar-Bechukosai – Trees of the Future Moshiach will enable us to change the subtext of our lives by revealing the inner core of our souls. Moshiach will empower us to change the context of life by opening our eyes to see the whole picture. Moshiach will also change the nature of the text of our lives itself by instilling more soul and v Parsha Behar-Bechukosai – Two Tiered Evaluation Self-Discovery is an exciting experience because it reveals a surprising subterranean dimension of our personality. However, the ideal is that we don’t give up our familiar, conscious, and external identities. BECHUKOSAI BECHUKOSAI Parsha Behar-Bechukosai – Unveil Your Eyes! Vanquishing evil takes four forms: First, doing Teshuvah with passion and love. Second, resisting evil. Third, study the teachings of Torah that deal with evil. The fourth level is to study the inner dimension of Torah which transcends evil. BECHUKOSAI BECHUKOSAI Parsha Behar-Bechukosai – What Is the Question? Judaism loves the right questions. Questions that demoralize are to be rejected. Questions that inspire us to actin are commendable. Questions that get us excited and generate joy and enthusiasm are the most desirable. BECHUKOSAI BECHUKOSAI Parsha Behar-Bechukosai – Whose Life Is It? Never before have we witnessed the incredible miracles of medicine to preserve and prolong life. Yet, never before have we seen such erosion of life’s intrinsic value. Our challenge today is to allow light and life to prevail over darkness. BECHUKOSAI BECHUKOSAI Parsha Emor – Anticipation Much, if not most, of life is spent waiting for something. Judaism wants us to utilize waiting for the right thing. Of all things the thing we should be eagerly anticipating is when the world will become sane and universal peace will reign. This is the belief in and anticipation for Moshiach and the Parsha Emor – Buy a Ticket Life in so many ways is like buying winning a lottery. The odds are totally against winning if you don’t buy a ticket… L Parsha Emor – Celebrating Giving Charity is both objective and subjective. It is objective because its main goal is to help the needy regardless of the donor’s attitude. It is subjective because it changes the donor as well. The degree to which giving affects the donor is commensurate with the degree of joy one invests in giving. Parsha Emor – “Before I Speak, I’d Like to Say a Few Words” We should never be hesitant to repeat our words. The second time we say something may be the first time it was heard and penetrated. Parsha Emor – Counting the Omer A mature way of living is to discern between things that are just a means to an end and those that represent the end. When we realize what the end during the period of preparation, it too assumes the glow of the end. Parsha Emor – Crossing the Bridge We see now, paradoxically, more selfishness and more selflessness. We are crossing the bridge into the Messianic Age that links Galus to Geulah. We therefore witness elements of both. Our challenge is to look forward. Parsha Emor – Every Day a Mitzvah Time is more than just something we pass through, it is a creation of G-d. The objective of Torah is to refine and elevate all of G-d’s creations including time. Parsha Emor – Double Talk People respect those who respect themselves. Much of anti-Jewish sentiment can be traced to the phenomenon of Jews trying to hide their identity. Parsha Emor – High Fiving There can be no greater way of getting something than by giving. It is the difference between acquiring something that is enduring as opposed to that which is transitory. Giving also bestows true ownership on what we possess. Parsha Emor – Jump Higher There is a myth that we have to jump over obstacles. In truth, we have to keep on skipping, jumping and dancing even when the obstacles have long been surmounted. Parsha Emor – How Old Are You? A 70 year old person is really only 18 if we subtract the time we are unproductive. We can remedy this lacuna if we harness all of our activities, even rest and sleep, towards a higher goal, of serving G-d and preparing for Moshiach. Parsha Emor – Lag B’omer-Removing Barriers Lag B’Omer is the Holiday of unity and love. Lag B’Omer is the Holiday that removes the barrier between the revealed and esoteric parts of Torah. When one achieves the latter it facilitates the former. Parsha Emor – Know Your Place According to the Talmud, a wise person is one who knows his place. We have to use our minds to the fullest even as we recognize the limits of our intellect. Parsha Emor – My Father Was a Kohain… Being a biological Kohain is mostly hereditary. Being a Kohain in the spiritual sense is in reach of every Jew.