Unity in Numbers!
What does a number mean to you? Technically a number is a mathematical object used to count and measure. Yet we use numbers to represent important times in our lives, to role dice in a game or even play a…
Take the Jump
Many of us are familiar with the story of Rabbi Akiva who saw water dripping on the rock face of a well and came to the conclusion that “if water can make an impression on a rock then certainly Torah can make an impression…
The Power of Silence
I once found myself in discussion with a young woman who objected to the perceived inequality of a Jewish wedding. She observed that under the Chuppah, although the groom has a small speaking part, the bride says nothing – which…
All for One
Chag Shavuot is a grand time for the Jewish people. It is the reliving of the Jews receiving their beloved Torah from Hashem. It is arguably the most eventful occurrence in Jewish history. However, with some thought, it doesn’t seem…
I Know What You Did Last Shavuot
I once heard a shiur given by Rav Moshe Aaron Stern zt’l. In his inimitable way, he posed the following question. Hillel the Elder had 80 talmidim. The top of the list was Rav Yonatan ben Uziel, otherwise known as…
Heroes in the Sand
And gave us the Torah, and brought us into the Land of Israel” (Dayeinu, Pesach Hagaddah) There is a famous question, asked year after year at almost every Seder table. Why did the Holy One, Blessed is He, give us…
The Chief Rabbi’s Pesach Message 5779
The two central themes of Pesach – peoplehood and freedom – have the potential to either provide great blessing or pose great danger to our society. The Exodus from Egypt paved the way for the Israelites to become a people.…
Passover Tells Us: Teach Your Children Well
As one nation after another in Africa and the Middle East engages in a fight for freedom, Passover, which begins this week, still has much to teach us about the nature of that fight. The Jewish festival of freedom is…
