Parasha Insights

This week's Torah portion is Vaetchanan and Shabbat Nachamu, which has in it the Ten Commandments and the Shma prayer.

Of all the moments in Jewish history, none is more sacred than the giving of the Ten Commandments. It was the moment Heaven touched earth,

when G-d revealed His will to humanity. Yet the Torah records something surprising. The greatest moral code ever given was not written on gold, silver,

or parchment. It was engraved on two ordinary stones.

Why stone?

Because everything else changes. Stone endures. Civilizations rise and fall, cultures redefine morality, governments rewrite laws, but the Torah remains as solid and unchanging as the rock upon which it was engraved.

Then the Midrash tells us something astonish… Read More »

Morris had passed away. His attorney gathered the family to read his last will.

"To my beloved wife Esther, I leave our home, 150 acres of land, and one million dollars.

To my son Barry, I leave my Lexus and my new Jaguar.

To my daughter Shirley, I leave my yacht and $250,000.

And to my brother-in-law Aaron, who always insisted that health is better than wealth... I leave my treadmill."

The opening verse in Torah portion Devarim is a highlight reel of the Jewish people's darkest moments, the times they doubted G-d, complained against Him, and betrayed His trust.

Yet notice how Moses delivers his rebuke. Instead of listing their sins explicitly, he simply mentions a series of place names:

"In the wilderness... i… Read More »

It is funny, but it raises a serious question.

Why do compliments make us feel so good, while criticism can hurt so much?

And what happens when the criticism is directed not only at us personally, but at the Jewish people and Israel?

This Shabbat we read the portions of Matot and Masei and conclude the book of Bamidbar.

The Jewish people stood at one of the greatest moments in their history.

After forty years in the wilderness, they were finally preparing to enter the Promised Land.

But before crossing the Jordan River, the tribes of Reuven and Gad, who possessed enormous flocks, approached Moshe with an unexpected request.

The fertile land on the eastern side of the Jordan was ideal for their livestock, and they asked permis… Read More »

This Shabbat is unlike any other.

As America celebrates its 250th birthday, the Jewish people begin the solemn period of the Three Weeks, beginning with the Fast of the Seventeenth of Tammuz—the day Jerusalem's walls were breached, leading to the destruction of both Holy Temples.

One day celebrates the birth of a nation.

The other reminds us never to forget our eternal home.

No nation has given the Jewish people greater freedom, opportunity, and security than the United States of America. Millions of Jews arrived on these shores with little more than hope, and America welcomed them with liberty and dignity. For that, we owe this great country a profound debt of gratitude.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe often spoke about America's … Read More »

There was once a rabbi who dedicated his life to teaching the importance of loving children.

One day, he saw children playing near freshly poured concrete outside his home. Their little footprints were damaging the work, and he became upset and began reprimanding them.

A congregant was surprised and asked, “Rabbi, how can this be? You have spent your entire life teaching love and patience with children.”

The rabbi smiled and replied: “You must understand, I love children in the abstract, but not always in the concrete.”

We laugh because the story reveals a deep truth: it is easy to love an ideal. The real test is when life becomes complicated.

This week’s Parshah,  Chukat and B… Read More »

Four Catholic mothers and a Jewish mother were having coffee together.

The first said, “My son is a priest. People call him ‘Father.’”

The second said, “My son is a bishop. They call him ‘Your Grace.’”

The third said, “My son is a cardinal. They call him ‘Your Eminence.’”

The fourth smiled and said, “My son is the Pope. People call him ‘Your Holiness.’”

They all turned to the Jewish mother.

She replied, “My son is argumentative, confrontational, self-centered, impossible, and irrational. When he walks into a room, people say, ‘Oh my G-d!’”

The joke is funny because it contains a deeper truth. Jews have never… Read More »

A man once turned to a couple and said, “You two are very negative.”

They replied, “Yes! But remember, two negatives make a positive.”

We laugh, but there is a deeper truth. Every relationship has its own language. The challenge is not only to love, but also to know how the other person receives love.

A famous marriage counselor, Dr. Gary Chapman, discovered that people express and experience love in five different ways:

Words of affirmation.
Quality time.
Giving gifts.
Acts of service.
Physical touch.

Two people may truly love each other, yet still feel distant because they are speaking different languages.

The fascinating truth is that the Torah revealed this idea thousands of year… Read More »

One Yom Kippur, in the middle of Musaf, the rabbi suddenly fell to the floor beside the bimah and cried:

“O G-d! Before You, I am nothing!”

The chazzan was so inspired that he immediately threw himself to the ground and cried:

“O G-d! Before You, I am nothing!”

A moment later, Saul Blumenthal jumped from the back row, prostrated himself in the aisle, and shouted:

“O G-d! Before You, I am nothing!”

The chazzan nudged the rabbi and whispered:

“Look who thinks he's nothing.”

The joke is funny because it exposes a painful truth: sometimes even humility can become a source of pride.

A man was promoted to Vice President of his company. The title went straight to his head. He bragged… Read More »

 For thousands of years, the world mocked the idea of Shabbat.

Empires worshiped power.

Civilizations worshiped money.

Kings worshiped conquest.

Modern society worships speed.

And the Jew?

The Jew closed his store on the busiest day of the week.

Turned off the world.

Lit two candles.

And declared:

“There is something greater than business.

Greater than technology.

Greater than ambition.

Greater even than man himself.”

Now, in a stunning twist of history, the most powerful nation on earth is publicly speaking the language of Shabbat.

President Donald Trump’s proclamation of “Shabbat 250” is far more than a political announcement. It feels almost prophetic.

In honor of 250 years… Read More »

An 80-year-old Jewish man goes to the doctor for a check-up. The doctor is amazed at what good shape the guy is in and asks, "How do you stay in such great physical condition?"

I am Jewish, and I am a golfer," says the old guy, "and that's why I'm in such good shape. I’m up well before daylight and out golfing up and down the fairways. Afterwards, I have a glass of schnapps, and all is well.

"Well," says the doctor, "I’m sure that helps, but there’s got to be more to it. Something in the genes. How old was your father when he died?"

"Who said my father is dead?" The doctor is amazed. "You mean you're 80 years old, and your father is s… Read More »