Rabbi's Blog

Turn the Lights On!

This week, in a remarkable development, thousands of terrorists’ pagers and radios exploded in Lebanon and Syria.  The ingenuity of the undertaking and the immense planning involved is staggering.

Think of it this way: For months and possibly years, these devices were considered critical and “productive” to the sinister efforts of these villains. But, lurking beneath the surface – possibly in plain sight if disassembled – was dangerous explosive material.

Sometimes we need to look beneath the surface, or simply turn the lights on.

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This Shabbat marks the eighteenth of Elul, the birthday of the Baal Shem Tov (founder of the Chassidic movement) and the birthday of the Alter Rebbe (R… Read More »

Umberto Eco once wrote, “The real hero is always a hero by mistake; he dreams of being an honest coward like everybody else.”

We’ve all heard stories of people that accidentally saved the day. Whether it’s Curious George getting up to mischief or someone trying to steal a car and seeing a baby in the heat – they were just in the right place at the right time.  They did not intend to be heroes. Yet Divine Providence brought them to such acclaim.

Are such people deserving of credit? What if they put forth no effort whatsoever? What if they were trying to do something else and inadvertently did something heroic? What if they intended harm, but instead the act was one of unexpected valor?

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This week&rsquo… Read More »

Mrs. Eva Schloss, stepsister of Anne Frank and a survivor of Auschwitz-Birkenau, was once asked what is her response is to those that deny that the Holocaust ever happened.

Her response was curt and to the point: “The Nazis took many photos.”

The Nazi regime was very organized and also quite obsessed with documentation.  They went to great lengths to record the atrocities they carried out, whether for their own pleasure or paranoia.

I found this response outstanding. She did not say, ‘Well, I was there so it must have happened.’ This, of course is true as well.  But there is an even better source of testament to the genocide.

The Nazis provided the evidence for their own incrimination.

In a tragic reru… Read More »

Do you use product reviews to help you determine if a product is worth purchasing?

They might be worthless.

A recent study suggests that many product reviews are AI-generated fake reviews. It’s gotten so bad, that it’s difficult to determine the authentic reviews. The star rating system is becoming more and more useless, due to Artificial Intelligence.

Makes me wonder: Are these reviews intelligent or are they artificial?

The only way to really evaluate a product or app, might be to test it out myself.

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In the parsha of Re’eh that we read this week, the Torah warns us not to fall prey to the imagination and trickery of a false prophet – even if s/he performs miracles.

You shall not heed the words of that prop…Read More »

No matter what other news is in the headlines, what’s going on in Israel still takes center stage. As we continue to pray for a swift end to the suffering and the immediate release of the hostages, we often wonder why the world is so preoccupied with Israel. And, why does a piece of land play such a central role for the Jewish people? Is it worth fighting for a piece of land?

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In this week’s Torah portion, Eikev, we are taught to thank G-d for the food He gives us: “And you will eat and be sated, and you shall bless the L-rd, your G-d, for the good land He has given you.” The Grace After Meals is a central part of Jewish life. We say blessings before we eat, asking G-d permission to partake of His bounty. And, we … Read More »

When Rabbi Akiva was taken out for execution, it was the time for the recital of Shema, and while they combed his flesh with iron combs, he was accepting upon himself the kingship of Heaven by reciting the Shema. His disciples said to him: Our teacher, even to this point? He said to them: All my days I have been troubled by this verse, ‘You shall love the L-rd, your G-d… with all your soul’, which I interpret, ‘even if He takes your soul.’  I said: When shall I have the opportunity of fulfilling this? Now that I have the opportunity shall I not fulfill it?

On Tisha B’Av we read about the cruel murder of the Ten Martyrs, including Rabbi Akiva. As the above quote from the Talmud indicates, he was eag… Read More »

Parenting is a very rewarding privilege. But it’s also challenging.

Sometimes, when my son wants something that is not healthy for him, I need to say no. The way he sees it, I am spitefully harming him. The way I – and hopefully mature adults – see it, I am lovingly and responsibly helping him.

My daughter may wish to swim alone in the pool.  From her viewpoint, I’m downright nasty when I say no.  In truth, it would be hateful and reckless for me to permit any young girl, let alone my daughter, to swim alone.

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In this week’s parsha, Devarim, we read the beginning of Moshe’s month-long rebuke of the Jewish people at the conclusion of his life.

He chastises them that, “You said, &lsquo… Read More »

This week we learned of the dramatic deaths of several enemies of the Jewish people. These terrorists had the blood of many innocent people on their hands, and the fact that they were eliminated in diverse locations with unique (possibly forever-unkown) methods is testament to the remarkable efforts of Israeli (and other?) intelligence, defense, and security services.

Israel has been clear that eliminating terrorists saves lives – for all human beings. Israel does not profess to carry out revenge killings, though its enemies do.

However, in this week’s parsha we find a fascinating and perhaps perplexing instruction from G-d. The Almighty tells Moshe that he will pass soon. But, Hashem requires of him one final act.

“Tak…Read More »

The wildfires in Oregon and Idaho have disrupted life for many of us.  With evacuation orders, highways closed, and the terrible haze in the air – we are all affected in various ways, some more than others. Fire has the wild ability to spread uncontrollably. But, it needs fuel.

It reminds me of a conversation I once had with my son while camping.

We had a campfire going, but it was modest. At my son’s suggestion that we throw in an entire bottle of lighter fluid to make the fire really big, I countered that it would indeed make it big, but there would be two problems. Firstly, it would be very dangerous. Since it is highly flammable it would create such a large fire that we may not be able to control.  Secondly, it w… Read More »

The Houthis have apparently managed to hit Tel Aviv. In a tragic strike today, at least one was killed and multiple were injured by a drone. Their message is obvious. Jews are not safe anywhere. Not in Paris and not in Tel Aviv. Not in Brooklyn and not in Auckland.

Israel will certainly find the proper response.

But, how does this influence my life?

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In this week’s Parsha of Balak, the non-Jewish prophet Bilaam attempts to curse the Jewish people, but eventually blesses them instead.  He was hired by Balam, king of Moav to “come and curse this people for me, for they are too powerful for me.”

Bilaam’s ultimate prophecy is the prophecy of the “end of days,” the time of the final redemption. … Read More »

I spent this past Tuesday with tens of thousands of Jews who had gathered in New York in observance of the 30th yarzheit of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneersohn of Righteous Memory.

It was truly surreal to see Jews from all walks of life and from the four corners of the world wait for several hours in the hot sun to spend a couple moments of prayer at the Rebbe’s gravesite.

It reminded me of the comment of a non-Jew witnessing the event some years prior.  As I was walking down the block then, a police officer stopped me.  He said, “Sir, I’ve been stationed here for a few hours now and I’m still trying to understand what’s going on. I already asked someone and was told that people are… Read More »

The Midrash on this week’s Torah portion of Korach tells us a fascinating motivation for Korach’s rebellion against Moshe and Aharon.  We know that Korach’s mutiny ended in disaster, with the earth swallowing him and his closest associates (and fire consuming his outer circle). But what caused a man – who the Talmud calls clever – to rebel against the likes of Moshe? After all, wasn’t Korach present during the Exodus from Egypt, Revelation at Sinai and the many other miraculous events that proved Moshe was a divinely chosen leader? How could a clever man be so foolish?

The Midrash states that Korach was spurred by the law of the Red Heifer.

The Torah teaches that if a person becomes ritually impure… Read More »

When my kids ask if they can jump in the canal for a swim, I remind them that despite its pleasant and refreshing looks, it flows very quickly. “But, look at that duck,” they exclaim in reply, “It’s swimming the other direction. The current can’t be so strong!”

Gently, I explain that ducks live in the water and are capable of swimming upstream.

For us humans, that’s much harder.

Or, is it?

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In this week’s parsha of Shelach we discover that ten of the twelve scouts that were sent by the Jewish people into Israel came back with a negative report. The unfortunate developments that ensued caused the entry into the Holy Land to be delayed by almost forty years. Only two scouts – Yehoshu… Read More »