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 [...]

“Though summer still lingered and the days were bright and sunny, change was in the air. One could already smell the scent of Elul; a wind of teshuva was blowing. Everyone grew more serious, more thoughtful… All awaited the call of the shofar, the first blast that would announce the opening of the gates of [...]

וְהָיָה עֵקֶב תִּשְׁמְעוּן אֵת הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים הָאֵלֶּה וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אתָם וְשָׁמַר ה’ אֱלהֶיךָ לְךָ אֶת הַבְּרִית וְאֶת הַחֶסֶד אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבתֶיךָ: And it will be, because you will heed these ordinances and keep and perform them, that the Lord, your God, will keep for you the covenant and the kindness that He swore to your forefathers.   It can be [...]

Black Tefillin, Blue Numbers And you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for ornaments between your eyes – Deut: 6,8. There is a well known saying, “Never judge anyone until you have walked a mile in their shoes.” Less well known is the humorous conclusion to that sentence: [...]

Parshat Devarim is the beginning of the longest sermon in Jewish history – Moses’ final speech to the Jewish people took 36 days. In this address he reminds them of previous downfalls and prepares them for a new life in the Promised Land, a land he himself was not permitted to enter. I would like [...]

Lashon Hara (Gossip) kills three; the one who said it, the one who listened to it and the one about whom it was said –  Tractate Arachin 15b To Tweet or not to Tweet … that is the (new) question. By now most of you are well aware of what Twitter is and how it [...]