In Jewish consciousness, there’s an idea that the three festivals—Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot—correspond to the three Patriarchs. Tonight is Sukkot, the holiday corresponding to Yaakov (Jacob).The Mitzvah of Sukkah is an unlike almost all others in that we do it with our entire body. We eat matzah with our mouths, light Shabbos candles with our […]
What is the first recorded moment in history in which one human being forgave another? When Joseph forgave his brothers. (Don’t mistake forgiveness with appeasement of anger, a concept found in ancient Greek literature.)From Judaism, a new form of morality was born. Most other systems are ethics of shame; when a person does wrong (s)he is, as […]
Look at a list of NBA champions and you’ll see that basketball’s history has been dominated by elite, very tall, Centers. Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain dominated the ’60s. They were followed by Kareem in the ’70s and ’80s, Hakeem Olajuwon in the ’90s, and Shaquille O’Neal in the 2000s. But that’s no longer the case. What happened? How can a league be dominated […]
“It is especially important not to use aspirin during the last 3 months of pregnancy,” is the warning on every bottle of aspirin. Why not? “because it may cause problems in the unborn child.” A fetus is obviously more sensitive to the effects of chemicals than a fully developed person. Partly, of course, because of its […]
What if there’s only enough penicillin for one person but there are a few people in the hospital who need it? What criterion should the doctor use in making a decision? The answer is found in this week’s Parsha.You are standing today, all of you, before G-d: the heads of your tribes, your elders, and […]
This week’s Parsha opens with the mitzvah to bring the first fruits (bikurim) to Jerusalem. (Practically speaking, because we no longer have the Temple, we can no longer fulfill this mitzvah.) Back in the day, the bringing of the bikurim was done with grandeur. A procession of people would come with their fruits, led by musicians and […]
We no longer can identify who the biological decendants of the ancient Egyptians are and therefore the commandment in the verse below no longer applies. Nonetheless, its underlying lessons are as applicable as ever.]…Do not despise the Egyptian, for you were a stranger in his land. (Deuteronomy 23:8)In addition to enslaving the Jews for over two […]
When the Jewish people would come into the Land is Israel, they are told not to engage in one of the most common activities of the gentile nations of the time—witchcraft.Whoever does these things is an abomination to G-d…Walk with a pure heart with HaShem, your G-d. (Deut. 18: 12-13)Although we don’t find too many Jews today being […]
For a seven-day period you will celebrate before Hashem, your G-d… for Hashem, your G-d, will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, and you will have nothing but joy. (Deut. 6:15)Are the words “you will have nothing but joy” a mitzvah? Rashi says no, rather they are a promise […]
You will eat and be satiated and bless G-d, for the Land that He gave you.(ibid. 8:10).When we eat a meal with bread, we recite special blessings afterward, the source of which is found in the verse above. Two questions: (1) Does G-d really need my blessing? (2) Many world religions have blessings connected to […]
Do not add to the word which I command you, nor diminish from it, to observe the commandments of the Lord your G-d which I command you. Your eyes have seen what G-d did at Baal Peor…(Deuteronomy 4:2-3)The verse above warns us not to add or subtract mitzvot. From an academic perspective, this is obvious and […]
A long while back, I noticed a new face in shul; I introduced myself and asked where he was from. He had recently moved from Memphis; I asked him what made him decide to move. “My life was like a country song.” I looked puzzled. “I lost my job, my girlfriend broke up with me, […]
Rabbi O’s Weekly Parsha: Devarim (Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22)An Uncluttered MindThis week’s Parsha contains part of Moses’ parting words said during the last five weeks of his life. It begins with his giving rebuke to the nation, and we can learn from the way he does it.The Jews of that generation made a number of poor choices, decisions that […]
The first three-point shooting contest was in 1986 at the NBA All-Star game in Dallas; eight all-stars were selected for the competition. The Celtics’ Larry Bird was known as a trash talker. When he walked into the locker room as one of the competitors he asked, “which one of you guys is going to finish […]
In the last month, we have seen the tearing down of statues of many famous historical figures. Much can be said about how we remember people with problematic pasts or what modern ethics we can impose upon historical figures. We can also use this as an opportunity to discuss the role of statues and monuments […]
This week’s Parsha introduces us to an anti-Semite named Balak. He hired the wicked Bilaam to destroy the Jews; Bilaam agreed and even attempted to do so but was unsuccessful. At one point, Bilaam uttered a remarkable statement; something we would not have expected to come from the mouth of such a malicious person.Let me […]
Is common sense all one really needs in life (and Judaism)? That’s what Annie Oakley said in one of Broadway’s most beloved musicals,Annie Get Your Gun.Folks like us could never fussWith schools and books and learnin’Still we’ve gone from A to Z Doin’ what comes naturally You don’t have to know how to read or […]
We are introduced to the mitzvah of tzitzis at the end of this week’s Parsha.Speak to the children of Israel and you shall say to them that they shall make for themselves fringes on the corners of their garments, throughout their generations…and when you see it, you will remember all of G-d’s the commandments…and you shall not wander after […]
Miriam (Moses’ sister) spoke negatively about Moses to Aaron, their brother. As a result, she broke out intzaras, a form of leprosy that existed only in biblical times; it emerged when a person spokelashon hara, negative talk-non beneficial criticism. Moses prayed for Miriam, but the prayer was just five words.Moses cried out to G-d, saying, “Please, […]
The Mishkan (Tabernacle) was the portable place of worship for the Jews in the wilderness and the precursor to the Temple (Beit Hamikdash) that King Solomon would build hundreds of years later in Jerusalem. After its completion, there was a seven-day ceremony in which the clergy was installed into their sacred office. At the end of each […]
The two-day festival ofShavuot begins tonight. The Bible describes it as an agricultural celebration but most people know it as the as the Jewish holiday that commemorates the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai. It took seven weeks for this nascent nation to travel from Egypt to Mount Sinai. The name Shavuot, […]
When the cycle for the weekly Torah readings was established centuries ago, this week’s Parsha was designated specifically to be read this Shabbos. I.e. the reading is from the first few chapters of the Torah’s fourth book, Numbers and always proceeds the holiday of Shavuos. What connection is there between this week’s Parsha and Shavuos, the festival commemorating the […]
The 26th chapter of Leviticus sets out with stunning clarity the terms of Jewish life for following the Almighty’s directives. On one hand, there is an idyllic picture of the blessing of Divine favor. How? If Israel follows G-d’s decrees and keeps His commands, there will be rain, the earth will yield its fruit, there will […]
A great deal of this week’s Parsha deals with matters pertaining toKohanim, the decedents of Aaron. “Priests” is usually the English translation but there’s no appropriate terminology to describe this unique group of people whose task it is to perform the service in Jerusalem’s ancient Temple as well as being teachers for the Jewish people. […]
Do not take revenge… (Leviticus 19:18)The paradox of vengefulness is that it makes men dependent upon those who have harmed them, believing that their release from pain will come only when their tormentors suffer. (Laura Hillenbrand, Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption)Which one of us hasn’t had inner thoughts of vengeance at […]
This week’s Parsha continues discussing the harmful effects oflashon hara, senseless negative speech. Many people don’t take speech seriously; they freely speak about others without regard for their feelings or the potential damage it can cause. King Solomon wrote, Life and death are in the hands of the tongue. One explanation given in the Talmud is that […]
When enumerating the non-kosher birds, the Torah mentions a bird called da’ah. The Talmud points out that, later on (Deuteronomy 14:12), when the Torah repeats the list of kosher birds, it refers to it as a ra’ah. The Talmud (Chulin 63a) takes note of the Etymological significance of “ra’ah” because it is the root of the Hebrew verb […]
Imagine yourself as the leader of an enslaved nation. You have much power on your side and you know you will be able to overpower the reigning monarch who has enslaved your nation for centuries. The time of liberation has finally come and you, the leader of this persecuted nation, will be the one to […]
This Shabbos, the Shabbos before Passover, is referred to as Shabbos HaGadol. The word “Gadol” in Hebrew means “expansive”. It means to transcend your usual way of being. On Passover we see G-d breaking the rules of nature, thereby demonstrating that He actually runs the world. The message for us is to do the same: Be […]
Rabbi O’s Weekly Parsha: Vayikra (Leviticus 1-5) And G-d called to Moses (Leviticus 1:1) If you drive by a construction site, you can’t help but notice that it looks more like an advertising billboard than a work in progress. A banner promoting Company A , who is doing the actual construction of the building, is outside. Next to it is a […]