וַתַּעַל  שִׁכְבַת  הַטָּל  וְהִנֵּה  עַל  פְּנֵי  הַמִּדְבָּר  דַּק  מְחֻסְפָּס  דַּק  כַּכְּפֹר  עַל הָאָרֶץ The  layer  of  dew  lifted,  and  behold,  on  the  surface of  the  desert, a  fine,  substance  as  fine  as  frost  on  the  ground  —  Exodus 16:14 If  you  had  to  pick  one  item  to  symbolize  Shabbat,  the  day  of  rest,  which  item  would you [...]

אַךְ בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן תַּשְׁבִּיתוּ שְּׂאֹר מִבָּתֵּיכֶם … but on the preceding day you shall clear away all leaven from your houses — Ex. 12:15 וְהָיָה לְאוֹת עַל יָדְכָה וּלְטוֹטָפֹת בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ כִּי בְּחֹזֶק יָד הוֹצִיאָנוּ ה’ מִמִּצְרָיִם And it shall be for a sign upon your hand and for ornaments between your eyes, for with a [...]

וַיְמָרְרוּ  אֶת  חַיֵּיהֶם  בַּעֲבֹדָה  קָשָׁה  בְּחֹמֶר  וּבִלְבֵנִים  וּבְכָל  עֲבֹדָה  בַּשָּׂדֶה And  they  embittered  their  lives  with  hard  labor,  with  clay  and  with  bricks and  with  all  kinds  of  labor  in  the  fields  —  Exodus 1:14 Moses, Museums and Menorahs. I must make a confession.  As we read the Torah portion every week, year after year, it [...]

One fine summer day Family Goldstein visit the zoo and are taken to the wolves’ enclosure. There they witness an incredible sight; the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy – a wolf and a lamb side by side in the enclosure together! Mr Goldstein calls over one of the staff: “How long have you had a wolf [...]

וַיְהִי בְהַקְשֹׁתָהּ בְּלִדְתָּהּ …  וַיְהִי בְּצֵאת נַפְשָׁהּ כִּי מֵתָה …  וַתָּמָת רָחֵל וַתִּקָּבֵר בְּדֶרֶךְ אֶפְרָתָה הִוא בֵּית לָחֶם It came to pass when she had such difficulty giving birth … her soul departed … and she was buried on the road to Ephrat, which is Beit Lechem.  And Jacob built a monument on her grave, [...]

וַיִּפְגַּע בַּמָּקוֹם וַיָּלֶן שָׁם כִּי בָא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ And he arrived at the place and lodged there because the sun had set עוֹדֶנּוּ מְדַבֵּר עִמָּם וְרָחֵל בָּאָה עִם הַצֹּאן אֲשֶׁר לְאָבִיהָ כִּי רֹעָה הִוא While he was still talking with them, Rachel arrived with the sheep — Genesis 28:11, 29:9 Coincidence. Time and again as we read the stories of the Patriarchs [...]

וַיִּגְדְּלוּ הַנְּעָרִים וַיְהִי עֵשָׂו אִישׁ יֹדֵעַ צַיִד אִישׁ שָׂדֶה וְיַעֲקֹב אִישׁ תָּם יֹשֵׁב אֹהָלִים And the youths grew up, and Esau was a man who knew how to hunt, a man of the field … whereas Jacob was a simple man, dwelling in tents. — Genesis 25:27 Who knew how to hunt: [He knew how] to trap and [...]

This week’s parsha discusses the very first Jewish marriage – that of  Yitzchak and Rivka (Isaac & Rebecca). In fact one of the blessings we give a bride until today – Achotenu, at hayi le’alfei revava – is a quote from today’s parsha. We read in the parsha how Sarah passes away and Avraham begins to search [...]

This week’s Torah reading contains one of the most powerful, poignant and emotive moments in the entire Torah. וַיאמֶר קַח נָא אֶת בִּנְךָ אֶת יְחִידְךָ אֲשֶׁר אָהַבְתָּ אֶת יִצְחָק וְלֶךְ לְךָ אֶל אֶרֶץ הַמּרִיָּה וְהַעֲלֵהוּ שָׁם לְעלָה … And He said, “Please take your son, your only one, whom you love – Isaac, and go [...]

“We are the 99%” – Slogan of the Occupy Wall Street movement. Forget the politicians, the corporate hierarchies and the lobbyists – the buzz word now is “grassroots,” as ordinary people, law-abiding citizens make a stand against those who run the world as we know it. Born in the Financial District of New York this [...]

אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת נֹח, נֹחַ אִישׁ צַדִּיק תָּמִים הָיָה בְּדֹרֹתָיו, אֶת הָאֱלֹקִים הִתְהַלֶּךְ נֹחַ Noah was a righteous man, he was perfect in his generations; Noach walked with G-d – Genesis 6:9 It is a well-known fact that those people who want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it… anyone who [...]

Selichot – The Penitential Prayers G‑d replied (to King David): “When suffering will befall the Jews because of their sins, they should gather before me in complete unity. Together they shall confess their sins and recite the order of the Selichot, and I will answer their prayers” — Midrash. In the Shulchan Aruch we are [...]

The Gift that Keeps on Giving וְ ה הִנֵּה הֵבֵאתִי אֶת רֵאשִׁית פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה עַתָּ אֲשֶׁר נָתַתָּה לִּי הֹ וְהִנַּחְתּוֹ לִפְנֵי ה אֱלֹקיךָ And now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the ground which you, O L-rd, have given to me.” Then, you shall lay it before the L-rd, your G-d – [...]

.. Even if the television or other equipment is broken and currently unable to receive a signal, it is regarded as capable of being repaired so it can receive a signal and you must hold a licence for it. – Television Licensing laws, Ireland “You shall not keep in your house two different ephah measures, [...]

וְלא תִקַּח שׁחַד כִּי הַשּׁחַד יְעַוֵּר עֵינֵי חֲכָמִים וִיסַלֵּף דִּבְרֵי צַדִּיקִם. … you shall not take a bribe, for bribery blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts just words – Deut 16:19   There was once a highly respected judge who had served in the courts for many decades who went deaf in his senior [...]