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Essays on the weekly Torah portion, the holidays and Jewish thought.
Holidays Purim – Purim, Redemption and Transcendence TRANSCENDENCE Judaism is all about knowledge. We are enjoined to know G-d, to study Torah, to ask questions and to find answers.… Holidays Purim – L’chaim On Purim the sounds of the “L’chaim-to life” will reverberate throughout the Jewish world. The Rebbe once explained that the word… Holidays Purim – Purim the Greatest Holiday The myth is that Purim is a minor, minor holiday; a fun time. It certainly is not a serious or major Holiday. It has even been… Holidays Purim – Sleepless in Shushan (2) Purim is known for the miracles that are cloaked within nature. G-d did not reveal His power then in the manner of Passover with… Holidays Purim – The Miracle of Purim When we analyze the story of Purim we come to the conclusion that it was a rather natural event. A New York Times reporter who… Holidays Purim – The Elephant Hat A Purim Parady Holidays Purim – The Misfortune of Purim The Talmud makes an observation. Wherever the Torah uses the word vayehi-and it was it is an expression of misfortune or pain. It… Holidays Purim – To Drink or Not to Drink Purim and Shemini: The joyous Festival of Purim occurs, in some years in the week that we read the parsha of Shemini. (Leap Years,… Holidays Purim – Transformation As we enter into the joyous month of Adar, it is appropriate for us to reflect on the concept of joy as it pertains to this month… Holidays Purim – What’s the Point? Hamantashen are the staple of Purim, yet as Purim itself has been relegated, incorrectly, to the status of a minor holiday, so too… Holidays Purim – Who Comes to Whom? By Divine providence, the sixteenth of Adar, the first day after Shushan Purim, introduced a revolutionary phenomenon. That is… Parsha Rei – Accessing the Blessings for the New Year Unity and harmony in a relationship brings blessing. The path to unity is by making sure that our internal animal is tamed/kosher. Parsha Rei – Erasing for the Purpose of Writing Destroying a relationship is a terrible thing. Restoring a relationship is a wonderful thing. Creating a totally new and incomparably good relationship is Divine, Parsha Rei – Flying High Humans always dreamt about flying. Flying we can, but it should not be an escape from the earth, but to see the world from a higher perch. Parsha Rei – Coping with Tragedy Human nature impels us to ask why there is tragedy. Torah teaches us to ask what we should do to prevent tragedy and heal those who have suffered. Parsha Rei – Climbing the Ladder Two people are on a ladder; one is on the top rung and one is on the bottom rung. Which one is closer to the top? The answer depends on which direction they are going. Parsha Rei – Give Again and Again Doing good for selfish reasons is acceptable if one’s primary interest is the welfare of others. Parsha Rei – Give with Joy There is materialistic selfishness and selflessness. There is also a form of spiritual selfishness and selflessness. Assisting others even before we generate positive feelings in giving is spiritual selflessness. Parsha Rei – Intermingling Joy There are two types of joy: limited and unbounded. The joy of Simchas Torah is unlimited and enables us to break out of our constraining boundaries. Parsha Rei – Jewish Giving Tzedakah is the paradigm for all Mitzvos. Tzedakah is unique because it involves the totality of the person. Tzedekah liberates the world because it fulfills our very raison d'etre.