In this week’s Torah portion, we learn about tzora’as, the malady that serves as a wake-up call and/or retribution for various sins a person has committed. When the afflicted individual notices tell-tale splotches on his skin, he is required to show it to a Kohen (Priest), who upon examination, pronounces the person tamei (impure). The […]
I write these words from somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean, as I return home to New Jersey from a week-long trip to Israel. But am I really returning home? On the one hand the answer is a resounding yes. I long to reunite with my wonderful family back in NJ, can’t wait to get back […]
Does the expression “Don’t cry over spilled milk” sound familiar? This is among the most common refrains in parenting. But at times I wonder, what if the “milk” would have been of great value…would this adage still apply? An interesting incident is recorded in this week’s Torah portion, Bahaloscha. Two years after the Jews had […]
Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees has joined the elite 3,000-hit club, and in doing so has secured his spot in baseball’s Hall of Fame. Baseball, perhaps more than any other sport, is a game of statistics – batting average, on-base percentage, number of home runs, walks, strikeouts… and yes, number of hits. To reach the coveted […]
The story is told that Napoleon was walking through the streets of Paris one Tisha B’Av (the saddest day of the Jewish year; when Jews mourn the destruction of the first and second Temples). As his entourage passed a synagogue he heard wailing and crying coming from within; he sent an aide to inquire as […]
“I have always been fond of the West African proverb: Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far. If I had not carried the big stick, the Organization would not have gotten behind me; and if I had yelled and blustered… I would not have had ten votes.” So wrote American President […]
I ran away from school crying on my very first day of first grade. Why, you ask? Was the teacher a strict disciplinarian? A cruel tyrant who caused innocent children to cry? Actually he was a kind and gentle man. I ran away because he gave me too much recess. HUH?!? Let me explain. My […]
If one were to mention the words “royal wedding,” what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Of course, the recent nuptials of Prince William to Kate Middleton! According to one account, an estimated 2 billion people (yes, billion with a “b”) tuned in for the hoopla, glitz and glamour. Thanks to modern technology, people […]
“Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me.” Rarely is a slogan so well known, yet so profoundly untrue. As recent tragic cases of bullying and cyber-bullying have shown, words, taunts, and names can not only hurt, they can literally kill. In the words of contemporary R&B artist Dave Barnes: […]
This week’s Torah portion, Korach, describes the episode where Korach organized a rebellion against Moses, questioning Moses’ authority and the appointment of Moses’ brother, Aaron, as the High Priest. Even after Korach and his followers were swallowed up by the earth, quashing his rebellion, the legitimacy of Aaron’s appointment as High Priest remained in question. […]