A couple was traveling together. And the wife says to her husband, who was driving… “Did you notice that couple we just passed? How close they were sitting to each other? That’s how we used to sit”! The husband’s response? “I haven’t moved”! …It’s something to think about right after Thanksgiving. We might (should?) be […]

Here’s a great story just in time for Thanksgiving. It’s about Rabbi Israel Salanter, a leading Torah scholar of the 19th century. … One day, he went to a very elegant restaurant, to meet someone. He was seated. And asked the waiter for a glass of water. He waited a while, but the man didn’t […]

… The Jews finally leave Egypt. The sea splits. The Jews are saved. And the Egyptians drown. (Exodus, 13:17-15:22) We’ll come back to it. … But things don’t go so smoothly after that. There’s nothing to drink. The water is bitter. And the Jews complain to Moshe. “Where’s the water”! Moshe turns to G-d. And […]

Hi, Hope all is well. Something happened yesterday that ended up being quiet funny. At the CTN Center we have a mail chute outside that opens into a small shelf. Someone noticed a metal object sitting on the shelf. It must have been dropped through the mail slot. And she got scared. Very scared! (In […]

I always appreciate feedback from Torah Minute readers. And quiet a few were inspired by the stories about Rabbi Manis Mandel. … The world is very far from the ideals of Rabbi Mandel. In some very obvious ways. Like terrorism, violence and just plain lack of respect. And the next day, my wife told me […]

Hi, Hope all is well. We were in New York for my niece’s wedding. I find myself saying all the things my aunts and uncles used to say to me. “I can’t believe it! You were just born yesterday”! … I read an appreciation of a very special Rabbi and Jewish educator who passed away […]

Hi, Happy Chanukah! … I love getting feedback from Torah Minute readers. One raised an issue with something I wrote about my “davening at the airport” experience. I had said that I thought to myself, “let’s make this fast”. Here’s what he said. “When it comes to morning prayers, “do it quick” should never enter […]

Hi, I’ve returned from Rabbi Deutsch’s son’s wedding. It was beautiful! … I had an interesting experience on my way home. Davening (morning prayers) in the airport! The ideal time for morning prayers starts with sunrise and continues for a few hours. (There’s a little “wiggle room’ to start earlier when necessary.) It’s best to […]

The Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded recently. It went to John Mather of the NASA Space Flight Center. His research is credited for confirming the Big Bang Theory. And here’s what Stephen Hawking said about Mather’s research. “The discovery of the century, if not of all time”! … What does this have to do […]

Hi, Hope you had a meaningful Rosh Hashanah! I would like to share something from CTN’s User Friendly Prayer Service. Maybe it can help us all make this year a more meaningful one. … The nervous pilot gets on the public address system. “Unfortunately, both of our engines our failing. I’ll try my best to […]