Tuesday, May 13th 2025   |

Commentaries

Person in the Parsha: Emor

May 09, 2025

By RABBI TZVI HERSH WEINREB

“BECOMING A KOHEN“

In every group, there is one person who stands out as special. In childhood, it is often the kid with the greatest athletic prowess. Later in...

Person in the Parsha: Tazria-Metzora

April 25, 2025

By RABBI TZVI HERSH WEINREB

“PINKUS THE PEDDLER“

He was a character straight out of the novels of Charles Dickens. Scholars have long found Dickens’ attitude toward Jews problematic. The character Fagin in the novel Oliver Twist is...

Person in the Parsha: Shemini (After Pesach)

April 11, 2025

By TZVI HERSH WEINREB

“AND AARON WAS SILENT”

He was an old man, and in many ways came from a very different world than I. And yet he taught me more than anyone else ever did. One of...

Person in the Parsha: Pesach

April 04, 2025

By RABBI TZVI HERSH WEINREB

“Imagine That!”“

There was a time when I would only go out of my way to listen to speakers who were older and more experienced than I. Recently, however, I have changed my...

Person in the Parsha: Vayikra

March 28, 2025

By RABBI TZVI HERSH WEINREB

“SACRIFICIAL ETHICS“

Last week, we finished the Chumash of Shemos and learned about the construction of the Mishkan. Much effort and very much cooperation was involved in that difficult but necessary and important...

Person in the Parsha: Pikudei

March 21, 2025

By RABBI TZVI HERSH WEINREB

“A SPECIAL SPIRITUALITY”

Classes that I lead on this week’s Torah portion, Parashat Pikudei(Exodus 38:21-40:38), often evoke questions about the essential nature of religion and spirituality. My students generally...

Person in the Parsha: Vayakhel

March 14, 2025

By RABBI TZVI HERSH WEINREB

“Snowballs and Sacred Moments”

This week’s Torah portion, Vayakhel, (Exodus 35:1-38:20) begins on a familiar note. After all, it was just last week, on Purim, that we read Queen...

Person in the Parsha: Ki Tisa

March 07, 2025

By RABBI TZVI HERSH WEINREB 

“THE MASKED MAN”

As a person who likes to see the connections between the Jewish calendar of holiday celebrations and the weekly Torah reading, I have long been perplexed by the proximity of...

Person in the Parsha: Tetzevah and Zachor

February 28, 2025

By RABBI TZVI HERSH WEINREB

“SELF-ESTEEM, JEWISH PRIDE… AMALEK”

This column is a product of my experience with two of my mentors, one who passed away relatively recently and the other who passed away long before I was...

Person in the Parsha: Terumah

February 21, 2025

By RABBI TZVI HERSH WEINREB

“A PLACE FOR RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE”

It was at a post-graduate seminar many years ago that I first became aware of the distinction many make between “religion” and “spirituality.” The members of the seminar...