Messages from April 2021

Rabbi O’s Weekly Parsha: Emor (Leviticus 21-24) How to Shake it Off

April 30, 2021
Leviticus
Emor

You are about to walk into a meeting; what are you thinking? Most likely, how do you look, what will you say, will it go over well? There’s nothing wrong with these thoughts but they are all centered around you and they might lead to fear. What if I flop? Will I get another chance? […]

Rabbi O’s Weekly Parsha: Achrei Mot-Kedoshim (Leviticus 16-20)Our Natural Habitat

April 23, 2021
Leviticus
Achrei Mot, Kedoshim

The authors of Pandemics and the Great Evolutionary Mismatch discuss a scientific conundrum inherent in social distancing. Although social distancing is effective in slowing the spread of the disease, history and neuroscience have shown that in times of crisis, people do best when they have social interactions as a support system. When you remove that option, people have […]

Rabbi O’s Weekly Parsha: Tazria-Metzora (Leviticus 12-15)Creating Possibilities

April 16, 2021
Leviticus
Metzora, Tazria

This week’s Parsha continues discussing the harmful effects of lashon hara, senseless negative speech. Many people don’t take speech seriously, speaking 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 in the Talmud is that negative talk has the […]

Rabbi O’s Weekly Parsha: Shmini (Leviticus 9-11)Suicide Bridge What would you do?

April 9, 2021
Leviticus
Shmini

You are about to walk across a bridge and you see a man frantically running toward you. You ask “what’s going on?” He answers, “my life has no hope; I am going to jump off the bridge!” This exact incident happened about 150 years ago to one of the most prominent Rabbis of that time. […]

The Final Days of Passover 5781-2021The Freedom Challenge—Are You In?

April 2, 2021

Here’s the challenge: It’s 1922 and you are a Rabbi in oppressive, human rights violating, Communist Russia. What words of wisdom or encouragement would you give to your flock on Passover? How could you talk about freedom when some of their basic human rights were being denied? R’ Moshe Feinstein was in this situation 99 […]