Hi, Hope you’re having a great day. … A couple took their eight year old daughter to a trendy restaurant. Hanging on the walls were sports and Hollywood memorabilia. And there was a picture of Clark Kent changing into Superman. Mom says to Dad, “Look at her.  She’s clueless.  She doesn’t know who Superman was.” […]

Hi, … Memory aids. We may use them to remember important things. Like someone’s name, birthday or anniversary. Here’s one we can use to remember our priorities. … The Hebrew school teacher was determined. She was going to get the kids to remember the names of the “Five Books of Moses”. “Who can list all […]

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 […]

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 […]

Hi, … I wanted to talk about something that millions of Jews are probably very tired of. Matzah! Because the message of Matzah is relevant all year round. But first, a story. … There used to be a product sold in Chicago called Mocha Mix. It was Pareve (non dairy) lactose free and fairly low […]

Hi, Today is Tu B’shvat. The fifteenth day in the Jewish month of S’hvat. In Jewish tradition it’s the “New Year of Trees”. It’s customary to make a point of eating fruit on this day. Especially fruit that are associated in the Torah with the Land of Israel. Like grapes, figs, dates and pomegranates. … […]

Hi, I hope you had a meaningful Yom Kippur. …The Holidays are over?  Right? Wrong! The Holiday of Succot starts Wednesday night. I think it’s sad that almost everyone “does Yom Kippur.” But many don’t know about Succot.  They did the fasting and the praying.  But won’t do the celebration. Succot is called, “the time […]

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 follow up to yesterday’s Torah Minute. And it takes place in Vienna in 1927. Sigmund Freud writes the following. “Civilization has little to fear from educated people… In them replacement of religious motives for civilized behavior, by other, secular motives, would proceed unobtrusively.” Not quiet what the Rabbi said in Berlin! Picture […]

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. … […]