Lech Lecha 5770 Lifelong Learning
Lifelong Learning We are first introduced to Abraham at the conclusion of the book of Noach. We are told very little about him. It is striking, in fact, that…
Can We Talk RH 5770
A rabbi is brought to speak before a congregation that is seeking a new spiritual leader. "What will you be talking about?" the president asks the rabbi as they walk…
RH 5770 — Run As Fast As You Can!
In Pirke Avot – the Ethics of the Fathers – we find the following saying of Ben Azzai: Run as fast as you can to do a minor mitzvah.. for…
The Gift of Life
The Gift of Life One evening a number of years ago my family was sitting at dinner when one of our sons asked my wife and I an intriguing question…
Yom Kippur Morning Sermon 5770/2009
Averting the Severe Decree? On the face of it, unetaneh tokef is a pretty fatalistic prayer. Listen: "As a shepherd herds his flock, and causes them to pass beneath…
Bernie Madoff — Placing a Stumbling Block Before the Blind
Who is he anyhow, an actor?" "No." "A dentist?" "...No, he's a gambler." Gatsby hesitated, then added cooly: "He's the man who fixed the World Series back in 1919."…
The Parting of the Sea
In Parashat Beshallach we come to the climax of the story of the exodus from Egypt. Pharaoh has once again changed his mind about letting the people of Israel…
Martin Luther King and the Prophetic Tradition
Martin Luther King and the Prophetic Tradition This week's parasha begins the Book of Exodus. Tomorrow we will read in the Torah about the enslavement of the Israelites in Egypt…
Terror in Mumbai
A week ago we were witness, via our televisions, to the horror that unfolded in Mumbai, India, over a period of several days, as Muslim radical terrorists attacked Western targets…
Open My Lips So I May Speak Your Praise
Open My Lips So I May Speak Your Praise Adonai Sefatai Tiftach ufi yagid tehilatecha There is a story behind the words that precede our amidah. First, one has…