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09/02/2026

A Taste of Torah....Nitzavim

This weeks Torah portion begins, "You are standing firmly today, all of you together, before Hashem - your G-d..." Moshe is addressing us then - just before his passing - as well as now, on the eve of our transition into a New Year. His message is simple, yet profound: if we are to withstand the challenges and difficulties of life - individually and communally - we must stand together.

The question is, since we have so many backgrounds and even more opinions, how is that possible? The answer is found later in the verse, "before your G-d". If we simply realize that we are all children of the same G-d, we can appreciate that we have much in common with each other. History has shown us, time and again, that our enemies don't make distinctions between the different ideologies that divide us. They see us, perhaps as Hashem sees us, as One People, with one overriding set of values.

The nations of the world have (at least subconsciously) high expectations of the Jewish People. That is why we are (sometimes to our consternation) always judged by a higher standard than anyone else. Maybe now is the time to embrace our uniqueness, strive to be who we are, and stop trying to become them.

There are certain Divine, transcendent Torah values that we all subscribe to. If we can focus on those common values, we can affect a unity that we - and our Father in Heaven - can be proud of. Let G-d sort out the differences.

At the very end of Nitzavim, we have the famous verse, "Choose life!" As we approach the days when it is determined, "who will live, and who will..." our Father...our King... is telling us, "Stand together before Me - so I can bless all of you with a happy, healthy, peaceful and prosperous New Year.

09/02/2026

Just a Thought....Rosh Hashana....again?

This year we will be celebrating Rosh Hashana for the 5787th time. The very first Rosh Hashana was experienced by only two people, Adam and Eve. They encountered a world unique unto them - the world has never been the same again.

Each of us functions in a world unique unto us. No one else has exactly the same circumstances, talents or challenges that I do. The message of Rosh Hashana is that each of us must make our own unique world a little bit better. That is specifically why we are here.

As we make our final preparations for Rosh Hashana, it is of utmost importance to define what we're doing, and why we're doing it. Each year/day we must re-dedicate ourselves to the purpose for which we were created in the first place. Hashem certainly did not create this universe for us to simply survive, and enjoy (or suffer) life.

We are, indeed, here to partner with Hashem, even in the mundane, and complete the process of creation - by transforming the world into a more G-dly place, filled with goodness and light, as defined in our Holy Torah.

Let us embrace our role in the world, and join with Hashem in making (at least) our own little corner of the world the best it can be, by being a source of light and inspiration to our family, friends and to all within our sphere of influence.

08/26/2026

A Taste of Torah...Ki Tavo

In this week's Parsha, Ki Tavo, we have some of the Torah's most fundamental lessons, relevant to our lives in general, and particularly before Rosh Hashana. In two different contexts, the Torah tells us about the correlation between gratitude and joy.

At the beginning of the Parsha, Moshe tells the Jewish People that when they enter the Promised Land, conquer and settle it, they will work the fields and harvest its produce. The people are instructed to bring of their first fruit to the Kohen (priest) and express their appreciation that this fruit - in this land - didn't happen by itself. There is a history here - going back to Yaakov and Lavan. We ended up in Egypt, were oppressed, and cried out to G-d. He responded to our prayers, liberated us from bo***ge, sustained us through the wilderness for forty years - and finally brought us to this holy land.

The Torah goes on to instruct us to be happy with all the goodness - that Hashem has bestowed upon us, and our families... True happiness comes with the appreciation that Hashem has blessed our efforts; it's not just our intelligence and hard work that are responsible for our success.

Later in the Parsha, the Torah enumerates the blessings that we will enjoy if we live in accordance with Hashem's directives for us. But then it goes on to say that some horrific things will happen to us if we disregard Hashem and His commandments. Unfortunately, all of those things have come to pass throughout the course of our history. When you look a little closer, you see that these curses will befall the Jewish people for one specific reason, "Because you didn't serve Hashem, your G-d, with joy and gladness of heart - when you had an abundance of everything".

One could ask, "As long as I am behaving appropriately, what is the difference if I am happy or not? The answer is a simple one: If you want to be the last generation involved in Judaism, do whatever you want. However, if you want your children and grandchildren to remain with the program, you must exhibit joy and enthusiasm in your performance of the Mitzvot. We must appreciate, and demonstrate, that we are fortunate to have a Father in heaven, who cares about us, provides for us, and instructs us how to live a moral and meaningful life. All we have to do is look around - at the rest of the world - to see how special and unique is the Jewish People - thanks to Hashem and His Torah.

In this world of utter confusion, it is extremely important for us - and our children - to know who we are and what are our values. If we're not sure - now is the time to find out. Be thankful - be happy!

08/26/2026

Just a Thought..... Elul Comes Alive

Next Monday, August 31st, is also the 18th day of Elul, which marks the birth date of two of the greatest luminaries in recent Jewish history. Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov, founder of the Chassidic Movement, was born in 1698. And Rabbi Shneur Zalman, the founder of Chabad, also known as the Alter Rebbe, was born in 1745.

Their birth date is affectionately known as Chai Elul, because each of them, by virtue of his teachings, continues to bring illumination and positive energy into the month of Elul, and into all of our lives - here and now. We can't even begin to imagine what the Jewish world would look like without the impact of their contributions to our people.

Among the lessons they taught us is that we are very fortunate to be Jewish, with the unique ability to connect to our Father in Heaven through His Torah and Mitzvot.

That connection is something we should cherish and embrace.

As we enter the final days of the year, we should take full advantage of the freedoms we enjoy, to live meaningful Jewish lives, with joy and enthusiasm.

08/19/2026

A Taste of Torah...Ki Tetze

This weeks Torah portion begins, "If/when you go out to war upon your enemies...". By using the singular of "you", the Torah is telling us that each one of us must be engaged in some sort of battle. The question is - against whom or what? One dimension of the answer can be found at the very end of the Parsha, when the Torah tells us to "wipe out the memory of Amalek". After the Jewish People left Egypt, they were attacked by the Amalekites, in spite of all the wonderful and wondrous things that G-d had done for them.

Even though the nation of Amalek no longer exists, our sages tell us that what they really (spiritually) wanted to accomplish was to instill doubt and apathy in the Jewish People. Every Jew, throughout the ages, to one degree or another, is afflicted with doubt and apathy - the "Amalek Effect" - and the Torah tells us that rather succumb, we must identify, and wage war against, this spiritual enemy. We must be strong and proud of our heritage and our Jewish values.

We live at a time when fundamental Jewish values are under assault, and too many of us have no idea how to respond to the issues of the day. We are woefully under-educated and, therefore, not committed to the basic principles of Judaism, which have sustained us through 3500 years.

The Torah, therefore, gives us instructions as to how to wage this war - when it says in the first verse, "When you 'go out' to war" - meaning that if we are to be successful, we must leave our comfort zone and upgrade our level of knowledge and observance.

As we approach the coming New Year, it is appropriate for us, individually and collectively, to step back and assess our own level of dedication to everything that made the Jewish People so special - through the best of times, and even through the worst of times.

The final, powerful and empowering, verse concludes with the words "Do not forget"!

08/14/2026

A Taste of Torah....Shoftim

This Shabbos we read Parshas Shoftim, which begins by instructing us to appoint judges and set up a judicial system, including law enforcement. The ultimate function of this system is to define the Torah's value system in practical terms, and to encourage adherence thereto. The question is, now that judges and law enforcement are part of our culture, what is the Torah telling you and me?

When we look closely at the words, we see that the Torah actually says, "You (singular) shall assign judges and officers in all your gates". The lesson is that each of us has gateways to our souls. These are the senses through which we internalize external stimuli, which affect the way we perceive and respond to the world. Hashem is telling us, especially as we approach Rosh Hashana, be judicious about what you look at, be selective about what you listen to, and sanctify yourself by what you consume.

The whole purpose of our creation is to refine the world, and that begins with the self. As alluded to in last week's Parsha, we are all children of Hashem, and everything we do is a reflection of Him. Just as we take pride in the good behavior of our children, so do we bring Nachas and pleasure to our Father in Heaven when we act in accordance with His directives. If we follow this guidance, we have a good chance of fulfilling the next imperative in the Parsha, "Justice, justice you shall pursue". The only way we can truly achieve justice is by submitting our will to the will of Hashem, by setting aside our own agendas and biases. As we judge others, so will G-d judge us on our Day of Judgement.

08/06/2026

A Taste of Torah....Re'eh

This week we read another blockbuster Parsha, filled with a variety of Mitzvot, 55 to be exact. As significant as every verse is, the first one stands out as constantly relevant. The Torah says, "See! I am giving you today a blessing and a curse". The next two verses go on to associate blessings with listening to the directives of Hashem, and the curses if we decide to go in a different direction - away from G-d.

We live in a world in which - without the guidance of the Torah - it is difficult to discern what is a blessing - and what is a curse. Just look at the world around us - the confusion is staggering. So many of us have lost our way, because we are not tethered to - or grounded in - our Jewish faith.

Hashem describes the Jewish People as a) His children; b) holy and c) treasured. He then goes on to tell us how to actualize those descriptions - by giving us specific behaviors conducive to spiritual development and fulfillment. Among them is the Mitzvah of Kashrut. The Torah tells us which animals are permissible for consumption, and which are not. It also tells us not to eat blood, "...for your benefit, and for your children after you..."

Hashem challenges us on a daily basis to distinguish between the blessings and the curses, for ourselves....and for our children. As we begin each day, we should remind ourselves that we will be encountering many blessing situations and opportunities... and the opposite. Every decision we make should be based on this principle.

Once again, in this Parsha, the Torah reminds us of the correlation between adherence to the Mitzvot and adherence to the Holy Land.

Let holiness abound!

Am Yisrael Chai!

08/06/2026

Just a Thought....Others gods????

The Torah tells us at the beginning of this week's Parsha, Re'eh, how to bring about blessings and curses in our lives:

The curses will occur if we...

1...do not listen to the commandments of G-d,
2. go astray from the way G-d is commanding you today
3. follow other gods
4. with which you are unacquainted.

We can ask at least two questions:

1.What are these 'other gods'? and
2. What is the meaning of 'with which you are unacquainted'?

The answer is that 'other gods' means popular, mistaken ideologies. We Jews have lived in many places over three thousand years of our history. We have encountered many religions, many beliefs, customs and lifestyles. We have actually been at the forefront of all kinds of strange movements, all of which failed in their goals, but succeeded in disconnecting us from our ancestral Jewish heritage.

The Torah is cautioning us not to replace our Jewish faith and tradition with the fads and values of the day. We are abandoning our heritage for ideologies that we know nothing about. We have no idea where they will lead.

In our own generation there are many new norms and new values, and once again we are ignoring our own faith that has a proven track record for over three thousand years. Unfortunately, many of us have been misled by our 'spiritual leaders', who have failed to introduce us to who we really are.

When our ememies come from within, that is truly a curse.

As we read the Parsha once again this year, we are reminded to align ourselves with the will of our Creator, thereby invoking His blessings, for ourselves, our families, our country, our People...and our world.

Let us seize the moment!

07/29/2026

A Taste of Torah....Ekev

This Shabbat we read the Parsha of Ekev, which is always read shortly after Tisha B'Av. As you might have guessed, the question is, what is the connection between the two? Ekev is replete with two themes. The first is the correlation between our behavior as Jews and our physical well-being. The Torah gives us a very clear message - that the physical and spiritual are tightly interwoven. Each of us is a composite of body and soul, and only if the two are functioning in harmony, can there be true inner peace and tranquility.

The second theme is that of remembering. The Torah cautions us to remember our past, and to appreciate the wonders and the kindness that Hashem has bestowed upon us. At the same time, we must understand that our misdeeds have caused us so much misfortune.

These two themes are particularly appropriate shortly after Tisha B'Av. We have just commemorated the greatest tragedies in Jewish history, and one would think that we would have learned from our multitude of painful experiences. The Parsha of Ekev comes along to tell us that, no matter what happens, we must constantly be reminded of our fundamental Jewish values. It is the human condition to adapt to the reality of the day, and disconnect from the traditions of yesterday. One would think that, after all these years, we would connect the dots, recognize our shortcomings, and get our act together.

Perhaps the problem with "getting our act together" is that each one/group says, "act like me", or "you're not acting right". It is quite possible that on Tisha B'Av, or any other special day in the Jewish calendar, we are so focused on going through the motions, and reading all the words - that we are too busy to get the true message of the day. That is why this Parsha is so important, particularly at this time, to encourage us to finally get it right.

The choice is ours.

07/29/2026

Just a Thought...It's all about transformation

Our sages tell us that today, the 15th of Av, also known as Tu b'Av, is one of the happiest days in the Jewish calendar. It commemorates several events in history which involved transformation of a negative situation into a positive. The fact that this day comes just six days after Tisha B'Av indicates that, sometimes, the best way to deal with a negative situation is to immediately get back up and move forward with a positive attitude.

This is certainly the case in Israel, throughout its history, where the reponse to a tragic terror attack is to initiate a creative, productive new project, in memory of the innocent victims. We have much to learn from our fellow Jews, both past and present.

Bad news: The Jewish People has endured much tragedy.

Good news: We are still here - and Hashem has given us another chance to get things right.

Let us seize the moment!

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