Parshat Nitzavim-Vayeilech: Some Toys Teach You Lessons Forever
By Rabbi Larry Pinsker
Conversations with grown children often bring unexpected, quirky memories.
Case in hand: A quarter century ago, our family was joined by a...
Parshat Ki Tavo: Entering the New Year With Gratitude
By Rabbi Jerry Seidler
Just the other day, I visited a cancer patient at the hospital where I work as a chaplain. I asked her...
Parshat Ki Teitzei: Being a Successful and Supportive Community
Rebecca Reisner
This week’s parshah is Ki Teitzei. This parshah talks about 74 of the 613 mitzvot of the Torah. Some of these are about...
Parshat Shoftim: Not Just a Game
By Rabbi John Franken
In his memoir, former world tennis No. 1 Andre Agassi recounts a match from his childhood as if it were yesterday....
Parshat Bamidbar: Preserve and Adapt Mitzvot
On Sunday, we will celebrate Rosh Chodesh Sivan. Back in the time before the fourth century C.E, we did not have such a fixed...
Parshat Bamidbar: Feeling Counted and Included
This week’s Torah portion is Bamidbar. This Torah portion is about a census and how they counted the different tribes for the army.
In the...
Parshat Behar-Bechukotai: The Meaning of 1776 in Jewish History
In just three years, the United States will observe the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. In my view, the American Revolution not only...
Parshat Emor: Recognizing Animal Lives
My son argued that we should eat fewer animal products. While being a vegan was better for the world, people’s health and the animals,...
Parshat Achrei Mot-Kedoshim: Loving the Stranger as Yourself
This week is a double portion: Achrei Mot and Kedoshim. In Kedoshim, the Torah demands that we overcome self-interest and instead engage in empathy...
Parashat Tazria-Metzora: Celebrating a New Moon
It’s a new month — the month of lyar — when we will celebrate Israel’s 75th birthday. In this Haftarah, the Prophet Isaiah explains...
