Hi, I’m sure you’ve done it. Played Jewish geography! You meet another Jew for the first time? And before you know it, you’re related! Or at least know someone that they know. Sometimes you meet a fellow Jew.  They look familiar. You know you’ve seen them before.  But you just can’t place it. If all […]

Hi, I’m in the Shavuot mode! The holiday that starts Sunday evening and goes through Tuesday. It commemorates the most important event in the history of the world. The giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai! It taught the world that G-d cares about how we live our lives. And that there are absolute rights […]

Hi, The Torah is amazing! Sometimes it seems “so ancient”.  So “old fashioned. We might say, “We can pass over that one.  Those days are over!” But if we have patience? We’ll discover tremendous lessons.  Very relevant lessons. … You can’t really get around it.  The Torah is thousands of years old. It couldn’t talk […]

Hi, Happy Chanukah! What better time could there be to get back to the Torah Minute? After all, Torah is what Chanukah is all about. … We’ve all heard the story. The Greeks tried to destroy Judaism.  And impose Greek culture on the Jews. Torah scrolls were burned.  And Torah study became a capital offense. […]

Hi, The Book of Exodus continues. And what a change of subject matter! Straight from the Revelation at Mount Sinai and the building of the Altar? To civil law! Like the laws of damages and personal injury. Laws against gossip.  The obligation to return lost objects. Being truthful.  Consideration for the stranger. And even helping […]

Hi, How’s this for an understatement? The Revelation at Mount Sinai was awe inspiring! Imagine having an encounter with the Creator of the universe! … Try this. Imagine that you had the following opportunity. You could have a private audience with any three people in history. The three that you consider to be the greatest […]

Hi, Hope all is well. And that you had a nice Passover.  And had enough to eat! … We had started the “Ten Commandments”. How one tablet was about our obligations to G-d. Like not worshiping idols.  And observing Shabbat. What we might call “theology” or “ritual observance”. And the other tablet? Obligations to other […]

Hi, There is no Pope in Judaism. I’m sure you didn’t need me for that! But there’s more to it. What a Pope represents doesn’t exist in Judaism. … The closest we may have ever come? Was probably the High Priest in the Temple.  The Kohain Gadol. He preformed the special Yom Kippur service. What […]

Hi, Happy birthday! Today we become a People. The Jewish People finally arrive at Mount Sinai. We receive the Torah.  And are given our mission. G-d tells Moshe to speak to the “house of Israel”. (Exodus, 19:3) … The Talmud tells us, who is the “house of Israel”? The Jewish women. G-d tells Moshe to […]

Hi, Hope you enjoyed Purim! … The Jews are in the desert.  And they keep Moshe busy. Day and night! They come to him to judge disputes.  To answer questions.  (Exodus, 18:13-27) … Moshe’s father in law, Jethro, is concerned about Moshe’s welfare. (There are such fathers in law!) He tells Moshe, “What you are […]