“You’re not you when you’re hungry.”  The extremely relatable Snickers campaign illustrates in a variety of ways all the dangerous side effects of hunger. From turning into a gremlin, becoming a cranky Joe Pesci at a party, tackling...

Let’s start at the end of the Parsha. When Yitzchak finishes burying his father Avraham, he travels to a place called Beer Lechai Roee. This is not where we would expect. Though the patriarchs traveled around the land of Canaan, they generally lived...

The Jewish people seem to me to be more fractured and divided than at any time in my life, and sadly, the divide appears to be deepening and testing our faith. This is profoundly disturbing, but in our long history, we have known many moments that have...

This summer I read a novel entitled Finding Grace. Long after I finished the book, I thought about the word “grace” and what it means in a Jewish context. My Christian friends use the word and in a Jewish circle, I am told it is a “Christian”...

In this week’s Torah portion, God tells Abram to leave for an unknown land, promising that in return God will make of him a great nation, bless him and more. In doing so, Abram becomes the first Jew, and the history of our faith and our people...

One of my favorite transitions in the Jewish calendar is the transition from VeZot HaBeracha to Bereishit. When we finish the Torah, and begin it again anew. VeZot HaBeracha is the culmination of the Torah, the completion of its story. It is burdened...

Oct. 7, 2023, was a day none of us will ever forget. That Shabbat morning, I was supposed to have an aliyah at shul honoring some work I had done. Instead, news of the attack began to trickle in, and services were moved to the shelter. As the hours...

Aside from everything being pumpkin spice flavored, it’s hard to tell when the seasons change just by looking at our grocery store shelves. I can buy watermelons in February, apples in June, and strawberries in December if I wanted. Those out of season...

I read newspapers and magazines backwards – last page first. Even if I am not actually reading, I flip to the end first. I have also been known to look at the end of a novel before I am finished. (It is hard for me to close my eyes not knowing what...

The final Mitzvah of the entire Torah appears in our Parsha, but it is slightly hidden. At the end of Parshat Vayelech, God tells Moshe: “And now write for yourselves this song and teach it to the Children of Israel to place it in their mouths;...

This week’s parashah, Ki Tavo, contains quite a number of curses and blessings. The Torah paints a striking picture of the Israelites, divided by tribe, standing on the tops of Mounts Ebal and Gerizim, facing one another. The Levites call out blessings...