Torah portion Tazria
As a parent and grandparent, I see the birth of a child as miraculous. In fact, the doctors gave one of my children a zero percent chance of surviving a pre-mature cesarean delivery. After intense prayer, he survived, and the staff of the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit referred
ego
We will soon celebrate Passover and commemorate the redemption of the Jewish people from ancient Egyptian slavery. This was actual backbreaking toil that also broke the spirit of the Jewish people. When it became too much to endure, they cried out to God, and their prayers were answered. The Jewish
Passove
This Friday evening, the holiday of Passover begins with families across the globe gathering for the reading of the Haggadah and the eating of traditional Passover foods. Haggadah means “telling” in Hebrew and is a written guide to the “Seder” (order) of the retelling of the redemption of the Jewish
Ezekiel 37
The moment the Jewish people started to leave Egypt was monumental because they were transformed instantaneously from slaves to free men. Although the Exodus began on the first day, it was not complete until the seventh day when the Jews crossed the Red Sea and were out of danger. There
Torah portion of Achare
In this week’s Torah portion of Acharei, chapter 16 of Leviticus describes the Yom Kippur service. Yom Kippur was an extraordinary opportunity to discover a deep personal relationship with God. Yom Kippur was the only day the Kohen Gadol (high priest) would enter the innermost chamber of the Temple
Torah portion Kedoshim
One of the most spiritual statements in Judaism is in this week’s Torah portion, Kedoshim. With the words, “Be holy, because I, the Lord your God, am holy” (Leviticus 19:2), we are instructed to emulate God by rising above our animal and material desires and connect to the
Emor
When I was young, I always associated the title “priest” with Catholic priests who were forbidden to marry. This surprised me because the Torah teaches that a Kohen, Jewish priest, may marry, and the Kohen Gadol, high priest, must be married to serve on Yom Kippur. Depending on their status,
messianic
One summer, my colleague Rabbi Michael Skobac joined me in visiting a messianic conference in New Mexico. Our hope was to dialogue with willing Jews who had accepted Christianity, One encounter stands out in my mind. During a cordial conversation with someone I already knew, one of the leaders of
weekly parsha
The prophet Isaiah says that self-indulging individuals can arrogantly conclude that nothing exists except themselves. These individuals proclaim, “I am, and there is nothing besides me” (Isaiah 47:8). This is also the root cause of disrespect towards others and the downfall of many civilizations. The Torah repeatedly warns the
Torah portion Behar
In this week’s Torah portion of Behar (Leviticus 25:1-26:2) we are instructed to count seven Sabbatical years (7x7=49) and proclaim and sanctify the 50th year. During this jubilee year, all slaves (indentured servants) are freed, the land reverts to its original owner, and agricultural restrictions allow
Torah portion Bechukotai
Jeremiah's New Covenant - Is There a Conspiracy to Hide the Truth? Growing up, I had to learn like most people that there are consequences for our actions. If you treat someone nicely, they will respond in kind. If you are mean to someone, they will avoid you.
Torah portion Numbers
I write to you this week from Israel. In this week’s Torah portion of Bamidbar, the Jewish people are commanded, while in the desert, to count a specific part of the Jewish population as they prepare for the possibility of war. This act of counting is why this portion
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