Off the Pulpit: Chutzpah

February 18, 2022

By RABBI DAVID WOLPE

When the Israelites came to the red sea, it did not part. Even Moses’ entreaties to God could not get the seat to split. The Rabbis recount that one man, Nachshon Ben Amminadav, boldly leapt into...

Person in the Parsha: Ki Tisa

February 11, 2022

By RABBI TZVI HERSH WEINREB

“LITTLE DID I KNOW” 

Birthdays are important, and the older one gets, the more important he becomes. With age, birthdays begin to stimulate ambiguous feelings.

On...

Off the Pulpit: What Are the Jews?

February 11, 2022

By RABBI DAVID WOLPE

Although the Nazis branded Jews an inferior race, Jews are not exactly a race. After all, one can convert to Judaism and one cannot convert to be of a different race. Yet they have some characteristics...

Person in the Parsha: Tetzaveh

February 04, 2022

By RABBI TZVI HERSH WEINREB

“CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN“ 

My interest in the relationship between a person and his or her clothing goes back to my early days in graduate school. I was...

Off the Pulpit: The True Desciple

February 04, 2022

By RABBI DAVID WOLPE

There is an old story about two students who studied with the same great Rabbi. After the Rabbi died, they separated and did not see each other for many years. One of them meticulously followed all he...

Person in the Parsha: Terumah

January 28, 2022

By RABBI TZVI HERSH WEIREB

“THE MISSING TZEDAKAH BOX”

It was a cold winter, all over the world. It was the year 1991, and it was the time of the great Gulf War. Scud...

Off the Pulpit: He wouldn’t lie!

January 28, 2022

By RABBI DAVID WOLPE

Once R. Levi Yizkhak of Berditchev, known as “the lover of Israel,” saw a man smoking on Yom Kippur. He said, “You must not have realized that today is Yom Kippur.” “No,” the man responded, “I know it...

Person in the Parsha: Mishpatim

January 21, 2022

By RABBI TZVI HERSH WEINREB

“DEEDS DONE IN DOUBT“

My wife and I moved to the Jewish community of Baltimore almost fifty years ago. The fond memories we have of the time we spent there begin with our...

Off the Pulpit: Eternity in Every Instant

January 20, 2022

By RABBI DAVID WOLPE

Heschel used to tell the story of the boy in cheder who was reading the story of the Akedah, the binding of Isaac. Year after year they read the story, yet each time this boy was frightened...

Person in the Parsha: Yitro

January 14, 2022

By RABBI TZVI HERSH WEINREB

“THE MATERNAL INFLUENCE” 

When I was young, I was an avid reader of novels. As I’ve grown older, I have found myself more interested in good biographies. I...