Looking for Comfort when our Dreams Don’t Come True B”H Rabbi Daniela Szuster At the beginning of this week’s parashah, parashat Vaetchanan, Moses fervently prayed to God that he be granted the privilege of entering the Promised land: “I pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying, “O Lord GOD, You who let Your servant
Happiness During Sad Times By Rabbi Rami Pavolotzky This Shabbat is a special one, called Shabbat Chazon, literally the Shabbat of the vision. It takes its name from the Haftarah that is read during Shabbat morning services, from the words of rebuke and doom coming from the prophet Isaiah (1:1-27). Shabbat Chazon falls always on
Finding Good in People Rabbi Rami Pavolotzky This week we read parashat Balak. As the Israelites traveled to Canaan, their reputation preceded them, and the Moabites were well aware of the miracles that had accompanied Israel’s exodus from Egypt. Balak, the king of Moab, was scared of the Israelites and hence tried to engage the
It Heals and Comforts to Sing a Song as a Community B” H Rabbi Daniela Szuster Most of the Tanach, the Hebrew Bible, is written in prose, with the exception of a few passages which are written as songs. For example, we have the Song of the Sea in the book of Exodus (15:1- 16:21),
Spies or Scouts? By Rabbi Rami Pavolotzky The parasha for this week, Shlach Lecha, opens with the famous story of the twelve spies, also known as the twelve scouts… Wait a minute! Spies or scouts? It is certainly not the same thing! I will try to explain why we call them both and what the
We should not give up; life gives us a second chance! B”H Rabbi Daniela Szuster In this week’s parashah, parashat B’haalotcha, it is written that in the second year after the exodus from the land of Egypt, God reminded the people of Israel about the celebration of Pesach. The Torah tells us that the people