Person in the Parsha: TSAV (Shabbat Zachor – Erev Purim)

March 06, 2014

By RABBI TZVI HERSH WEINREB

“GRATITUDE NOT SOLITUDE“

Loyal readers of this column know that I am addicted to books. Not just “holy” books, and not just Jewish books. All books.

Included in my “addiction” is my fondness...

Person in the Parsha: VAYIKRA

March 06, 2014

By RABBI TZVI HERSH WEINREB

“COURTESY AND CONFIDENTIALITY“

“There is no such thing as privacy anymore.” “There are no secrets anymore.” These are two complaints that are heard frequently nowadays.

We live in a world of cell phones and...

Person in the Parsha: PIKUDEI (Shabbat Shekalim)

February 20, 2014

By RABBI TZVI HERSH WEINREB

“ABOVE SUSPICION“

I have written and lectured extensively on the topic of Jewish leadership. I have frequently indicated that I consider Moses our teacher, Moshe Rabbeinu, a role model for those who would...

Person in the Parsha: VAYAKHEL

February 14, 2014

By RABBI TZVI HERSH WEINREB

“CULTURE, COUNTER-CULTURE AND CREATIVITY“

It was quite a few years ago that I spent almost every Sunday afternoon in one of the great museums of the city in which my family then lived....

Person in the Parsha: KI TISA

February 07, 2014

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 the one hand, every birthday is cause...

Person in the Parsha: TETZAVEH

January 30, 2014

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 taking a course on human...

Person in the Parsha: TERUMAH (Rosh Chodesh Adar I)

January 24, 2014

By RABBI TZVI HERSH WEINREB

“A TALE OF TWO GRANDFATHERS“

Those who knew him used many different words to describe him. Some called him stubborn. Others called him staunch. Still others used the word steadfast. I am his...

Person in the Parsha: MISHPATIM

January 17, 2014

By RABBI TZVI HERSH WEINREB

“CAREERS“

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” That was once the standard question to ask an eight- or nine-year-old when trying to make conversation with him or...

Person in the Parsha: YITRO

January 10, 2014

By RABBI TZVI HERSH WEINREB

“ANSWERS AND QUESTIONS“

The world has one persistent belief about Jewish behavior which may indeed be true. It is the belief that Jews always answer a question by asking another question.

This tendency...

Person in the Parsha: BESHALACH (Shabbat Shira)

January 03, 2014

By RABBI TZVI HERSH WEINREB

“TRANSITIONS“

Every human being following Adam and Eve has had this experience, yet none of us can ever recall what it felt like. I refer to the first event in our lives—our birth....