Shabbat Greetings

Shabbat Shuvah is upon us – this once a year Shabbat moment during these ten days of repentance.  This is the moment when we immerse ourselves in deep reflection, examining how…

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Shabbat Greetings

What was it like before the beginning of time? Time did have a beginning, both from the point of view of science and the point of view of religion. What…

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Shabbat Greetings

In his famous song, “My Way,” Frank Sinatra shares: And now the end is here; And so I face that final curtain, my friend I’ll make it clear. I’ll state my…

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Shabbat Greetings

In 1894, President Grover Cleveland followed the examples of Oregon, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York and declared the first Monday of September Labor Day, in celebration of those who…

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Shabbat Greetings

This Torah portion, Ki Tetze (Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19) has the largest concentration of mitzvot  – commandments – of any portion; 74 out of the traditional 613 commandments are found in it. Of…

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Shabbat Greetings

Our journey from slavery in Egypt to freedom in our Promised Land is an essential theme of our Torah. This collective memory shapes our liturgy, in prayers such as Mi…

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Shabbat Greetings

In this week’s Torah portion, Re’eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17), Moses explains to the Jewish People: “See, I give you today a blessing and a curse”. (11:26) But why use the verb “SEE”? Why…

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Shabbat Greetings

We read in this week’s Torah portion, Eikev (Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25), Take care lest you forget Adonai your God and fail to keep [God’s] commandments, rules, and laws that I enjoin…

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Shabbat Greetings

There are a plethora of crime TV shows. In one series, the detectives, after some good sleuthing (and not so great dialogue), were interviewing witnesses and trying to convince various…

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Shabbat Greetings

The Book of Deuteronomy, Devarim (Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22) which we begin reading this week, is written in a different style than the earlier biblical books – not from the perspective of…

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