Blog
Sermons & Divrei Torah
A collection of the Rabbi’s inspirational and insightful sermons given at the Malverne Jewish Center.
Yom Kippur: Hope, Despair And A Shining Sun
Like many of the quotes and poems that make their way into use, a poem attributed to an anonymous person in a concentration camp, or in hiding, became somewhat of an urban legend, and has often been taken out of context, as well as
Shema: Listening, Hearing and the Shofar
Usually, we think of “The Shema” as the verses we chant or sing from the book of Devarim, Deuteronomy, and in that context, it’s a bold theological statement. It is an idea which goes to the heart of what it means to be a
A Time For fixing, A Time for Finishing
As I sit in my home, I hear things calling to me. Often, they’re coated in chocolate, but not always. More often, they’re unfinished projects, clutter, things that need new homes. I walk by, and they taunt me. I think, “It will take me
Shoftim: Can Destruction be Just?
The spotted lantern fly, what do we do? Sefer HaChinuchfinds an even deeper teaching embedded in the principle of bal taschit. He (I assume it’s a he) wrote that the purpose of the mitzvah of bal tashchit is to teach us to love that
VaEtchanan: Until His Final Breath
While reading this week’s Torah portion, VaEtchanan, I was struck by the “white space” in between verses 40 and 41. It seemed as though the Torah simply dropped one subject and picked up another with no segue. But since I know there’s a reason
Parasha Vayakhel: A Mirror of the Holy Whole
This creation of glorious Sanctuary comes into being by each of us offering the very best of ourselves. What parent or teacher could want anything more from our children? So, too, with G!d and Moshe. And central to this holy task is the inclusion
Ki Tavo: Entering the Land and a New Age
This midrash speaks to me. Just as the people of Israel were about to embark on the next mega steps of their lives in the Holy Land, and Moses was intoning to them that they have “a heart to know, eyes to see, and
Tetzaveh: Geometric Shapes, Inner Spaces, and Shared Remembrance
Two geometrical shapes jumped off the pages in this technicolor parasha, Tetzaveh: frames of gold and pomegranates. What often happens when we read and study the richly textured layers of Torah is that, a word, a phrase, a character, an incident, even a geometric
M’tzora: If Walls Could Talk
Many of us still remember our parents saying, “just wait until you’re older!” I thought they were talking about being able to do more things. Now that I am older, I think they were talking about things we would understand, things we could only
Terumah: Bringing The Gifts Of Your Life
One day, I was perusing my dear friend Karen’s bookshelves because I was always interested in what new finds she had acquired. She commented to me that she had stopped purchasing new books, and instead was beginning to focus on integrating what she already
Bo: Telling Our Story, Enhancing our Senses
As we age, we become increasingly aware that our days are “numbered;” that our lives will end, and that our bodies and minds have an “expiration date.” Our perspectives on life, illness, joy, art, and relationships change. We may see a longer, more expansive
Blessing My Bended Knees-A Poem
This past week, I participated in a Ritualwell class with Alden Solovy on "Writing From One Word of Torah." I distilled 3 stream-of-consciousness prompts on the word "Baruch/Berekh," the root of which can mean "blessing' and "knee, into this poem.
The Eshet Hayil In Our Lives
An email from My Jewish Learning about “A Woman of Valor” prompted me to pivot the next evening’s planned adult learning session to looking at these 22 verses from Mishlei, the Book of Proverbs. These verses comprise a song called Eshet Chayil...
Live Long and Prosper?
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korha has a point; at what point does life become wearying? When does the joy go out of our lives, and when does a long life become a too-long life? Or from the perspective of a younger person, like Rabbi Yehuda
Ending Hanukkah, A Ritual
when a lit candle is used to light other candles, that first candle’s flame doesn’t diminish; rather each flame becomes whole unto itself.
Sukkah and the Olympics, How Does The Wind Blow?
How can reading something in the Talmud, from 2,000 years ago, give us insight into how we look at things today.