This Shabbat, March 17, is a day of unusual pageantry. We begin the Book of Leviticus. It is (additionally) both Rosh Chodesh Nisan, inaugurating the month in which we celebrate Passover… and Shabbat Ha-Chodesh –...
The most misunderstood among the Seder’s four children is the “Rasha.” How self-defeating to deem such a child “wicked!” The Rasha’s “offending” question, “What does this ritual mean to YOU?” is entirely appropriate. All...
“I was wrong. I am sorry. Please forgive me.” These are rare words indeed, but I heard them pronounced clearly by a woman I once worked for, and whom I...
We were walking down the long airport corridor on the way to the boarding gate. Somehow, it seems that whenever my wife and I have a flight to catch,...
We eat maror, the bitter herb, as one of the indispensable elements of the Passover Seder. As unpleasant as the experience might be, we must actually be sure to taste the bitterness. The rabbis teach,...
“Maalin Ba-Kodesh, V’Ein Moridin – In matters of sanctity, we increase, and do not decrease.” This principle has numerous applications. Most famous is Hillel’s ruling (Shabbat 21A) that we increase the number of candles each...
David Ben-Gurion mused: “In Israel, in order to be a realist, you have to believe in miracles.” Jews have many opportunities to recognize and celebrate miracles. On Chanukah, we recall the miraculous Hasmonean victory and...
Yiddish, in many sectors of the Jewish community, is a dying language. This is a pity because of the many pearls of wisdom that are contained in Yiddish stories and...
