Should you get a promotion this year? A larger budget and expense account? Bigger challenges? Win the lottery? We’ve been trumpeting the shofar every morning in synagogue to help us prepare for Rosh HaShanah (Jewish New Year which begins this year on Monday evening September 6, 2021). The day is Read more
What is the hidden message that the clouds of Elul whisper to us at the end of the summer? Summer in the Galilee is almost over. I know, because on my way to synagogue this morning the sky was overcast. All summer long the skies have been clear, sunny and Read more
I took some of our visiting children and grandchildren down to the Jordan River a while ago to cool off from the summer heat. It’s only 8 minutes away and literally right next to where we make our Galilee Green Olive Oil. In the late summer afternoon, nothing feels more Read more
On the 9th day of the Hebrew month of Av (Tisha B’av) both the first and second Temples were destroyed in Jerusalem. The Prophet Isaiah begins his book with a vision of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and what we need to do to repair the damage. But Read more
Join Rabbi Shmuel Veffer for a 30 minute discussion on how the Pesach diet affects our body and soul. Avoiding leavened bread and eating matzah (unleavened bread) is more than a symbolic representation of leaving Egypt and breaking the bonds of slavery. Every commandment affects us spiritually and physically… Read more
Snow is a rarity in Israel, and if it comes, it’s usually only the children in Jerusalem and Judean Hills and Tsfat (Safed) who get ready to make snowmen. But when it comes, it’s not just time to frolic, it’s also time to reflect on what this rare event in Read more
A few years ago I was teaching a class on the weekly Torah Portion about Noah. A student interrupted the lecture and said, “I’m an anthropology major and I’ve studied ancient societies and cultures from all over the world. Virtually all of them have folktales of a deluge or flood Read more
The Torah states that the “First of the Months” (New Year) is at the time of the Exodus in the springtime. However, the Jewish People celebrate the first of the month of Tishrei (seven months later) as Rosh HaShanah – The New Year!! How do we resolve this seeming contradition… Read more
In Biblical Times miracles happened constantly it seems.
Why don’t they happen like that anymore?
We take a deep dive in defining what miracles are according to the Hebrew language, and discuss when we need them, and when we don’t.
The First and Second Temples and the system of “sacrifices” played a key role in achieving “atonement” for “sins.” How does the Torah allow for repentance, forgiveness and atonement for sins when the Temple is destroyed and not yet rebuilt? The English terms for “sin” and “atonement” are not exactly Read more