Most people know we are in the middle of the eight-day festival of Chanukah, but tonight is also the beginning of the new month of Tevet. The hebrew calendar is unique in that we have a solar year (365 days), but a lunar month (approximately 29.5 days from new moon to new moon). The english […]
Naftali’s Blessing
As we mentioned earlier, Yavne’el is one of the biblical border towns of the tribe of Naftali mentioned in the Book of Joshua (Josh 19:32). On his deathbed, the Patriarch Jacob blessed his son Naftali to be an ‘אילה שלוחה’ – ‘a deer let loose’ (Gen 49:21). Our sages explain that this means the land designated […]
When 50 percent is 100 percent
The Jewish people are asked to contribute a “half-shekel” toward building the sanctuary in this week’s Torah portion Ki Tisa. There are a number of explanations of why a “half” shekel was mandated by God and not a full shekel. I’d like to suggest an answer based on an event that happened this past Shabbat. […]
10th of Tevet – Fasting over Jerusalem Today
Some thoughts on how to relate to the fast day of the 10th of Tevet which commemorates the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem at the time of the first temple.
Businessman’s Guide to Prayer
You are not alone if you find prayer, especially in a minyan, difficult. Not everyone is naturally spiritual. In this lively lecture presented to a group of visiting businessmen to Jerusalem, Rabbi Veffer shares practical tips on how to make prayer meaningful and relevant in terms that a business person can relate to. Left Click […]
What’s With All the Eating?
Someone once summarized all of Jewish history in less than 10 words… They tried to kill us, we won, let’s eat! If spirituality is supposed to be the opposite of materialism, why to we have so much emphasis on eating meals on Shabbat and Jewish Festivals… not to mention Bris’s and Weddings? In this short […]
Is Religion a Crutch?
Is religion a crutch for weak? Only for people who can’t stand on their own two feet in life? Or is it something to lean on… Those are the questions Adrienne Gold challenged me with in this lively 13 minute audio interview. Listen to how in reality, even the most successful people in the world […]
The Jerusalem Conspiracy
Beautiful Rachel Stein returns to the Middle East to track down the terrorist who murdered her fiancee. Unwittingly she becomes entangled in a diabolical scheme which could be the most dangerous and fateful conspiracy in the history of the State of Israel. Rachel is a prime suspect in the Israeli Government’s race against time to […]