by Rabbi Altonaga | Mar 7, 2024 | Rabbi Michael Altonaga, Shabbos, Vayakel, Weekly Parsha
If you found out on Sunday that Monday was actually a stat holiday, would you be disappointed in the extra time off? If you were waiting in a long line to get into an amusement park, would you be sad if the manager came out and had you skip the line so you could get...
by Rabbi Altonaga | Feb 9, 2024 | Mishpatim, Rabbi Michael Altonaga, Weekly Parsha
It’s the year 1950. You board a train in the frigid Russian winter headed to an important meeting you have in Poland. One of your gloves falls off your hand to the tracks below. You could get off the train to get your glove, missing the meeting and...
by Rabbi Altonaga | Jan 12, 2024 | Rabbi Michael Altonaga, Vayera, Weekly Parsha
Seven of the plagues in Egypt happen in this weeks Torah portion, and you have to imagine that the Egyptians are pretty used to the pattern by plague seven. Every month, Moshe would request that Pharaoh let the Jews go, then Pharaoh would say “no,” then another...
by Rabbi Altonaga | Dec 15, 2023 | Chanukah, Mikeitz, Rabbi Michael Altonaga
When times are dark, why does it feel like no light ever existed? Depression seems to blot out all glimmers of happiness and makes you feel like that is all that ever was or will be. In our Torah portion Pharoh tells Joseph of his ominous dream: Then Pharaoh...
by Rabbi Altonaga | Nov 17, 2023 | Rabbi Michael Altonaga, Toldos, Weekly Parsha
In this week’s Torah portion, Isaac travels to Gerar (a city in the region known as Gaza) and encountered the Philistines (a no longer extant people, likely of Greek origin, who lived in the area. Not to be confused with another group of people who more recently gave...
