Hi, … The blessing of the children. It’s one of the most beautiful customs at the Shabbat Friday night meal. It sends a very important message to the child. Because we can imagine how a child might feel at a festive meal. With all those adults!  Talking about “adult stuff”! And there may be important […]

Hi, Sorry we missed you yesterday. A few words about the Sh’ma.  Judaism’s declaration of faith. We read it in this weeks Torah portion. … It’s the Jewish belief in monotheism.  One G-d. “Hear Israel, the Lord our G-d is One”. Of course, it taught the world about G-d. That there is only one. But […]

Hi, I can’t help it. I love weddings! … The veiling of the bride.  Called the “Bedeken”. At a traditional Jewish wedding it takes place before the actual ceremony. The groom is escorted to the bride and veils her. It’s an ancient tradition that goes back over 3500 years! To the marriage of Rebecca and […]

Hi, Here’s a fascinating story that took place in Berlin. It was before anyone could dream of what would happen in Germany. One of the greatest Torah scholars of Eastern Europe was visiting Berlin. And was invited to speak at a yeshiva. The Rabbi spoke to the rabbinical students in Berlin about today’s story. … […]

Hope you’re having a great day! … One more thought about circumcision. Many times in Jewish history, our enemies have tried to outlaw circumcision. The Greeks (Chanukah story) made it a capital offense. Circumcision really upset them. Why? Part of it was their obsession with physical beauty and perfection. They admired the “perfect body.” And […]

Hope you’re having a great day! Adam is placed in the Garden of Eden.  Spiritual Paradise. We’re told that G-d planted trees in the garden. “Trees that were pleasant to look at and good to eat.”  (Genesis: 2:9) It’s interesting. Trees that produce fruit?  That makes sense. Even in the Garden of Eden you need […]