What was required for the Jewish people to receive the Torah at Har Sinai (Mount Sinai) over 3,300 years ago, and what has been necessary for us to receive the Torah every year since then at the time of Shavuot? Much of what I will be presenting is based on ideas that I heard from Rav Matis Weinberg, the nephew of my Rosh
Before speaking about our ability to understand hashgacha pratit, the Chafetz Chaim (Sheim Olam – Chapter 3) reaffirms the fundamental principle that: “Every single thing that
The findings of a research project that came to light last week are mind-boggling: Trillions Upon Trillions of Viruses Fall From the Sky Each Day High in the Sierra Nevada mountains of Spain, an international team of researchers set out four buckets to gather a shower of viruses falling from the sky. Scientists have surmised
Maariv had finished at about 6:35 PM. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that there was a father and a son who were waiting to speak with me. At the time I was already conversing with another fellow who had approached me first. After about 10 minutes or so, I turned
The need for continuous and inspired parent-child dialogue is about as deep a Jewish value as you will find. For millennia, we have used such communication as a means of inculcating within our offspring a deep sense of religious connection and understanding, while also keeping them focused on proper behaviors and values. In
Time Magazine’s 2017 Person of the Year were “the silence breakers, the voices that launched a movement.” That movement, well known by its hashtag, #MeToo, continues to hold accountable violators of abuse and exploitation. The movement is several months old and shows no signs of slowing. Just last week, a South
As we move away from Parshas Parah and HaChodesh, we are reminded of the fact that our Sages inform us that of all the laws of the Torah, the only one King Solomon – the wisest of all men – could not comprehend was Parah Adumah (the Red Heifer). Our Sages inform us that the part he could not understand was how can the
Though things have generally gotten back to normal and life for most of us has gone on, the horrific tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School is still very much on our minds, both here in South Florida and in the country overall. As is the case with most events that attract this much media coverage, recent weeks have seen
"The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals." - Melody Beattie Yesterday was New Year’s and, if you are like most people, you took some time to reflect on the outgoing year and set some resolutions for the year ahead. Maybe you decided to make a
The Torah understanding is that Hashem not only created the world – something – from absolutely nothing, but that He continually sustains and supervises it. And not only does He supervise the big events in the world, He also supervises the details in all of our lives. This naturally leads to a classical question which has been discussed throughout the generations –
