The Torah portion Tzav is about gratitude. While the Book of Leviticus is the shortest book of the Torah, it mainly speaks to the priests in a language and setting we may have difficulty understanding. We read about ritual observances of an ancient...

So many lessons in Vayikra, “and God called,” the first word. First the lesson in form, the alef in the word Vayikra, “and God called” is writ small in every scroll. Not only does God call with a silent letter (the alef is silent), God calls...

“Mah tovu ohalecha Yaakov, mishk’notecha Yisrael.”  How lovely are your tents [people of] Jacob; your sanctuaries [people of] Israel. I often have used this prayer to teach my young students that when visiting a friend’s beautiful synagogue...

Before Moshe relays to the Children of Israel the Divine command to build the Mishkan, the Tabernacle where God can dwell among them, he relays to Israel the mitzvah to keep Shabbat. This is in keeping with God’s commands to Moshe, as we saw in Parshat...

This week, we celebrate Purim. The holiday is a remembrance of a dark tale, filled with trickery, deception, and plots of murder and revenge. The themes of the story are heavy and important. But the celebration of Purim is surrounded by a gauzy cloud...

When I was a kid, my friends and I read a book series called Captain Underpants. In the story, two kids unwittingly transform their school principal into a superhero. By day, Mr. Krupp is a grumpy, intimidating authority figure. By night, he is a superhero...

A job for which I am highly unqualified is music supervisor. Music supervisors choose what songs will accompany a given scene in film or television. You have to know a wide array of musical styles and genres (I don’t), and be good at knowing just what...

This week’s Torah portion, Vaera, describes the first seven of the 10 plagues that God wrought upon Egypt so that Pharaoh would heed Moses’ pleas to let our people go. After each request from Moses and Aaron, Pharaoh refuses. A plague is brought upon...

Shmot is a portion of opposites. It begins with the names of Jacob’s sons who traveled to Egypt. The 11 brothers are listed by name. Furthermore, we read that the number of souls who made this journey totaled 70. Memory is crucial to the Jewish people....

One of the main themes of Sefer Bereishit is the struggle between brothers. Cain and Hevel (Abel), Yitzchak and Yishmael, Esav and Yaakov, and Yosef and his brothers. Last week’s Parsha provides the culmination of the entire Book, with Yehudah refusing...

What we do and what we say matters; once we do or say something, there is often no turning back. One of life’s most important lessons is to think before we speak or act.  In reflecting on this week’s Torah portion, one cannot help but wonder how...

There is an old story of a grandparent who was walking on the beach with a grandchild. They were enjoying a wonderful time together when, all of a sudden, a huge wave came onto the beach, sweeping the grandchild away. The panicky, fearful grandparent...