ב"ה
Vayakhel 5768 - February 29, 2008
Living
Jerusalem of my Soul
We had come to a slight clearing in the buildings. We could all see it ahead of us, cast in lights, calling to us...
We had come to a slight clearing in the buildings. We could all see it ahead of us, cast in lights, calling to us...
The Squire’s Due Recompense
"I know he is critically ill and the doctors have just about despaired of his life. For every Jewish family he helps, I promise him one month of life and health."
"I know he is critically ill and the doctors have just about despaired of his life. For every Jewish family he helps, I promise him one month of life and health."
Chassidic Thought
I'm a Failure!
In our world of inverted values, a person may have abandoned his third wife, be estranged from his children, have no friends and his dog ran away from him, but he's called "successful" because he makes a lot of money...
In our world of inverted values, a person may have abandoned his third wife, be estranged from his children, have no friends and his dog ran away from him, but he's called "successful" because he makes a lot of money...
What Is My Mission in Life?
I've been told that each one of us has a specific, individual mission in life. How do I know what mine is?
I've been told that each one of us has a specific, individual mission in life. How do I know what mine is?
Parshah
The Parshah in a Nutshell
The Jewish nation donates the necessary materials to the Tabernacle, and Moses has to tell them to stop giving. Moses reiterates the laws of Sabbath observance. The Tabernacle and its vessels are built by a team of artisans.
The Jewish nation donates the necessary materials to the Tabernacle, and Moses has to tell them to stop giving. Moses reiterates the laws of Sabbath observance. The Tabernacle and its vessels are built by a team of artisans.
Community, Individuality, and Why It's Frustrating to Have a Brain
Vayak'hel and Pekudei: why they are joined (some years), why they are separated (other years), why Vayak'hel comes first, why Vayak'hel took Pekudei's name and Pekudei took Vayak'hel's, not to mention the fact that both Parshahs appear to be almost entirely superfluous
Vayak'hel and Pekudei: why they are joined (some years), why they are separated (other years), why Vayak'hel comes first, why Vayak'hel took Pekudei's name and Pekudei took Vayak'hel's, not to mention the fact that both Parshahs appear to be almost entirely superfluous
The Antidote
Moses' first act after receiving Divine pardon for the Golden Calf sin was to gather the Israeites and speak to them regading the observance of the Shabbat. Couldn't Moses have found something more ennobling to tell them at that moment?
Moses' first act after receiving Divine pardon for the Golden Calf sin was to gather the Israeites and speak to them regading the observance of the Shabbat. Couldn't Moses have found something more ennobling to tell them at that moment?
My Grandma's Selective Memory
She built in America what architects of the land said could not be supported. But then, looking at blueprints, it can be hard to see passion.
She built in America what architects of the land said could not be supported. But then, looking at blueprints, it can be hard to see passion.
The Jewish Woman
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
What others think of us is relevant only if it reflects what we stand for and the way we honor their dignity. The secret is that we attain the favor of others precisely when we free ourselves of kowtowing to public opinion . . .
What others think of us is relevant only if it reflects what we stand for and the way we honor their dignity. The secret is that we attain the favor of others precisely when we free ourselves of kowtowing to public opinion . . .
The Shul
"How lucky you are to have this, to be part of this." It took a German woman to point it out to me, a granddaughter of Holocaust survivors
"How lucky you are to have this, to be part of this." It took a German woman to point it out to me, a granddaughter of Holocaust survivors
Why Am I Not Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?
My agility with first and second-grade schoolwork preserved my young children's belief (so sadly short-lived) that my husband and I knew just about everything in the world. Ah, those were the days...
My agility with first and second-grade schoolwork preserved my young children's belief (so sadly short-lived) that my husband and I knew just about everything in the world. Ah, those were the days...
G-d wants the heart
— Talmud, Sanhedrin 106b
Print Magazine
It’s G-d’s world. Everything He gives is good, the sweetest good.
But it is often a good far too great for us to understand. We imagine it is not good, because that’s the only way to make sense of it with our small minds.
Yet the truth is, He gives us all the good we can handle. If we could take more, He would g...
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