Rabbi’s Torah Commentary

Endings and beginnings – Tonight (Friday night), we will observe the annual ritual of completing the reading cycle from the past year and beginning it for the next. There is no downtime in studying Torah, and in truth, by reading both pieces tonight, the cycle never really ends; it simply renews. We are one year […]

“We interrupt this Torah cycle for this special message for this holiday …” You shall dwell in huts seven days (Exodus 23:42) We find ourselves amid the holiday of Sukkot. As the Earth prepares to sleep for the winter, we harvest our last bounty of the season from its soil. We store it as best […]

We are who we are, only because of those who came before us. How much smarter do our parents become as we get older? My father has been gone 30 plus years. I am amazed at how much smarter he is now than he was when he died. Our ancestors are our backbone; our living […]

It’s time for the Jewish High Holidays. It’s time for that “kheshbon hanefesh – our annual gut-check.” It’s time to figure out if we’ve done everything we can do to make the world a better place. Have we built a world of justice and dignity for ourselves and our neighbors? Torah commands us to pursue […]

We have to remember that if a hole exists under your seat in the rowboat, I am going to sink. Faith depends on my knowing that we are mutually dependent. The day I dismiss your dignity; I sink with you. This week the Torah’s message is simple. God says (through Moses), “You are all standing […]

“Amen.” “AMEN!” “amen.” “Amen?” How does one say that word? I guess, in part, it depends on what preceded it. Perhaps the bigger question revolves around what one intends in saying this universal word of affirmation. When someone says a prayer, and you answer, “amen.” What are your intentions? I am sure that it comes […]

I hate war. Yes, hate is a strong word, but truthfully, the only thing I hate more than war are war-mongers: people who thrive on the conflict for the sake of their own search for power over others. As I read the beginning of this week’s Torah portion, I knew that I had to respond. […]

I am struggling. I read the Bible, and I scratch my head. What part of this stuff don’t people get? In pretty explicit language, this week’s Torah portion instructs us to appoint judges and police officers who are not buyable and who will maintain order in the best interest of all of society – including […]

I love it when Torah says controversial things. Of course, it can say lots of things, and we can make it controversial or not. That said, I read this text to spark controversy. From Deuteronomy 15:7-10: “If, however, there is a needy person among you, in any of your settlements in the land that Adonai […]

I remember reading J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” series. I envisioned how Gandalf, Frodo, or Gollum might appear. Who might they resemble? The imagery describing Saruman, Nazguls, Orcs, and Elves might have been more intriguing than even the well-written plot of the book series. Aragorn was a handsome but ruddy, sturdy, and strident […]