The world through the lens of Torah
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Vietnamese Deputy Premier Tran Luu Quang Attend Signing of Israel-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement in Jeruslem on July 25,2023 It’s not all bad news in Israel While the world (and Israeli) press have been focused on the hyperbolic claims of “imminent collapse of democracy” and “civil war” in Israel, life here […]
The photo above popped up on my Facebook feed from three years ago. I was astonished to realize it is even MORE true today, in both Israel and the USA (as well as many other parts of the worlds) A few weeks ago, I discussed the “shared values” between the USA and Israel that were […]
This week Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited with USA President Joe Biden in the Oval Office. This honor is usually reserved for the Prime Minister of a newly elected government of Israel who is the true political leader of the State of Israel. The President of Israel is a ceremonial position that is supposed to […]
Last week we learned in the Torah portion Balak, about how the Midianites seduced the Jewish men and caused them to sin with the women of Moab and worship their idol Peor. In the end, the Princess of the Midianites, Cozbi, had relations with Zimri, head of the Tribe of Shimon in front of the […]
Shalom from Tiberias, Tiveryah, Rakkath, Hammath! Recently I wished my FB Friends “Shabbat Shalom from Tiberias, Israel!” Pretty quickly I received a message in reply, “Good Shabbos to RAKKAH, Israel… the more Rakkah is used, more people will acknowledge the truth and use this REAL NAME [for Tiberias] = RAKKAH, Israel.” (sic) Well I appreciate […]
Our Matriarch Leah not only taught us about “Thanksgiving” but she understood that the essence of the of the mission of the 12 tribes would depend on “acknowledging that everything comes from God — there is no other power or source of blessing other than God. There is no real word in Hebrew for “thank.” […]
This week’s Torah portion begins the book of Exodus (Shemot) The book of Genesis details the beginnings of the Family of Israel. In Exodus, we will be forged into the Nation of Israel, after passing through the iron furnace of Egyptian slavery. At the “burning bush” the Almighty reaches out to Moshe and explains to […]
The Torah Model for Marriage This is a presentation of the Jewish approach to marriage and sexuality, highlighting the benefits of entering into a monogamous heterosexual relationship for life, without having premarital relations.
We have a saying… “More than the Jewish People have kept the Shabbat, the Shabbat has kept the Jews…” Every week, in an unbroken chain for over 3,300 years, Torah Observant Jews around the world have been keeping Shabbat. It is a beautiful experience to take a day off, and sanctify the Shabbat by reciting […]
Freedom from physical slavery is the first exodus. Then comes freedom from psychological enslavement. Passover shows us how to break lose from our mental chains.
