Rabbi Shabbat Greetings

October 23, 2020 This week’s Torah portion, Noach (Genesis 6:9-11:32,) provokes many questions. Was EVERYTHING on the Earth that “corrupt” that it needed to be eradicated? By a flood, no…

October 16, 2020 A popular joke: One Yom Kippur the rabbi was warning the congregation about the fragility of life.  “One day everyone in this congregation is going to die,”…

October 9, 2020 There are two, fundamental stories that one can tell about the nature of time: In the first, most common in the ancient world, time is envisioned as…

October 2, 2020 These are tough times for everyone. Only a few days ago, we recited “who shall live and who shall die. This year we really feel our vulnerability…

September 25, 2020 The Shabbat between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur is so special, it has its own name – Shabbat Shuvah, the Sabbath of Return. This is the Shabbat…

September 11, 2020 Yes, America is still engaged in conflicts, fighting terrorism throughout the war as well as racial injustice here at home. Our economy is struggling in the midst…

September 4, 2020 At the beginning of our Coronavirus lockdown, there was one question I was asked more than any other: What about prayer? Just when we needed it the…

August 28, 2020 This week’s Torah portion, Ki Teitzei (Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19) has the largest number of commandments found in a weekly portion – 72 mitzvot (commandments). One of them reads, “When you build a…

August 21, 2020 This week’s Torah portion, Shoftim (Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9), records that before going out to battle, the Israelite troops would gather together to hear from their leaders. The generals would give…

August 14, 2020  Moses, having  restating the details of the covenant and its broad guiding principles, now turns to the details, which occupy the greater part of the book of…