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On Nov. 18, 1995, Itzhak Perlman, the violinist, came on stage to give a concert at Lincoln Center in New York City. Anyone who has ever been to a Perlman concert, knows that getting on stage is no small achievement for him, having been stricken with polio as a child, with braces on both legs and walking with the aid of two crutches. more
Chanukah, the time of year when it’s actually acceptable to eat foods prepared in oil, gamble and expect gifts every night for eight nights. Let’s be honest, how many of us really take the time to learn about the history, interesting and unknown facts and folklore of Chanukah. more
Last Thursday the United Nations completed the journey it began in November 1974 when it invited a mass-murderer born and raised in Egypt to speak to its General Assembly. At the time, Yasser Arafat said he brought with him an olive branch of peace, and a gun. To the day he died, Arafat turned down every opportunity to use the olive branch, but never skipped a chance to use the gun. more
The subject of the life’s journey of Joseph, Yosef Hatzaddik, is the subject of weekly Torah readings till the end of December, which includes the festival of Chanukah. more
Chanukah, the time of year when it’s actually acceptable to eat foods prepared in oil, gamble and expect gifts every night for eight nights. more
I recently overheard two fathers of teenagers comparing their approaches to their sons’ shul attendance on Sundays and other “days off.” One of them came to me afterwards to discuss his related concerns about “texting on Shabbos.” With a little insight from Parshat Vayishlach, perhaps there is a simple answer to both questions. I accept that I may be hopelessly naïve. But the stand I propose at the end of this will not be, if followed, what turns your children away from Judaism. Much bigger issues bring about such a result. Having said that, let us see how we can find parenting-inspiration from our forefather Yaakov. more
Cold; so cold it cuts through the rags that were once clothes, straight to the bone. There was a time this cold so occupied your very being, you could concentrate on nothing else. But that was long ago. Darkness; so dark it sometimes seems more than the mere absence of light; it seems almost tangible. You vaguely recall a time when you were obsessed with determining exactly where you were, pacing in the darkness to examine your environs. You figured out you were in some sort of a concrete cell, perhaps six feet square, but not much more than that. You used to wonder what color the walls were, never having been allowed to see them, but that curiosity has long ago been replaced with more basic needs. more
Rabbi Aryeh Pinchas Strickoff, author of the recently published work, “Inside Chanukah: Fascinating and Intriguing Insights on Chanukah, Its Miracles, and its History” [Feldheim 2012] perhaps said it best in his perceptive opening preface: “Jewish holidays serve a much loftier purpose than simply marking special moments in time or commemorating historical events, though those functions are no doubt important...." more
As I write this column, on Cyber Monday, people are at home, work, in cars or public transportation, on their desk tops, laptops, smart phones or tablets checking out amazing deals on things they can’t live without, have to replace, want to buy as gifts, for the thrill of a bargain or just simply want. more
Jacob sent angels ahead of him to his brother Esau, to the land of Seir, the field of Edom. And he commanded them, saying, “So shall you say to my master to Esau, ‘Thus said your servant Jacob, I have sojourned with Laban, and I have tarried until now. And I have acquired oxen and donkeys, flocks, man-servants, and maidservants, and I have sent to tell [this] to my master, to find favor in your eyes.’” The angels returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother, to Esau, and he is also coming toward you, and four hundred men are with him.” (Sefer Bereishit 32:4-7, this and all Tanach and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) more
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