Hi, Hope all is well. And that you’re enjoying what’s left of the summer. … We recently spent a few days in beautiful Door County. And one of the things I love to do there? Go jogging along Lake Michigan. It’s absolutely breathtaking. (I don’t mean the jogging!  I mean the view!) And I started […]

Hi, Hope all is well. Summer is here! And I hope you get out for some exercise. … I was jogging through a park recently and started thinking. About what? Isn’t it obvious? The Garden of Eden! … Adam is placed in the Garden of Eden. Spiritual Paradise. We’re told that G-d planted trees in […]

Hope you’re having a great day! Adam and Eve are sent out of the Garden of Eden. And we’re about to finish the story too. But before we do, there’s one very important point. One very Jewish point. You may have heard of the concept of “Original Sin.” That as a result of the sin […]

Hope you’re having a great day. And that today’s lesson won’t apply to you personally! .. The Talmud warns us to never enter a home unannounced. Even our own. And even the room of a child. Especially a teenager! It’s not derech eretz. Not proper etiquette. A person may be startled, caught off guard. Not […]

Hope you’re having a great day. As we saw yesterday, G-d created Eve.  And we had our first couple. But G-d didn’t just create Eve. He brought her to Adam! (2:22) And it’s not like they wouldn’t have found each other. There weren’t a whole lot of eligible singles around! It’s a very powerful image. […]

Hope you’re having a great day. … Mazal Tov! The first shidduch.  The first match! Eve is created. And who was the Matchmaker? G-d Himself. … The story has many lessons. G-d took Adam’s side and made it into a woman. But why didn’t G-d just create a man and a woman at the same […]

Hope you’re having a great day! Here’s a little quiz. What’s the first thing G-d says to Adam, the first human being? And no peeking! Many people would say, “I know that one!” “Don’t eat the apple.”  (Actually, since Jewish tradition does not identify the forbidden fruit as an apple, we should probably say that […]

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 […]

Hope you’re having a great day. We just returned from New York where my wife spent the Shiva mourning period for my father-in-law, of blessed memory. Thanks to all that sent condolences.  We really appreciated it! And may we only share happy news.   We’re about to begin the “Garden of Eden” story. I wanted […]

Hope you’re having a great day. One last thought before we start the “Garden of Eden” story. Yesterday we discussed the Torah’s second description of the creation of man. The story is introduced with a very interesting verse. “On the day that G-d made earth end heaven.” Earth and heaven? That doesn’t sound right! Almost […]