by Rabbi Altonaga | May 31, 2024 | Bechukosai, Rabbi Michael Altonaga, Weekly Parsha
How much can one person accomplish? Hollywood is filled with movies of one individual who saves the world through pure strength of will and heroics. This hero may have a supporting character or two (often primarily for comedic effect or to...
by Rabbi Gotlib | May 22, 2024 | Behar, Rabbi Gotlib, Weekly Parsha
The first mitzvah we learn about in this week’s parsha is shmittah – the idea that every seven years, the land of Israel should rest from farming. Interestingly, this parsha also begins with an unusual formulation; “וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר הֹ’ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה בְּהַ֥ר סִינַ֖י...
by Rabbi Shaps | May 17, 2024 | Omer, Rabbi Zischa Shaps, Weekly Parsha
We are at the halfway mark of the Omer period. As we count the days until Shavuos, it is worth asking why we call it the counting of the Omer. On the second day of Pesach an offering from the new barley crop was brought in the Beis Hamikdosh. This offering was known...
by Rabbi Altonaga | May 9, 2024 | Kedoshim, Lauren Shaps, Weekly Parsha
Passover is behind us, but this week’s parsha gives us the opportunity to reflect on a question that may have come up at our Seder. Why did the birth of our nation take place after being in Egypt for over 200 years? Rabbi Shalom Rosner, in his collection of...
by Rabbi Altonaga | May 3, 2024 | Acharei Mos, Rabbi Michael Altonaga, Weekly Parsha
There is an interesting TikTok phenomenon going on right now of people asking/answering the following question: If your daughter was alone in the wilderness, would you rather that she encounter a bear or an unknown man? It seems like a straightforward question, but...
by Rabbi Gotlib | Apr 25, 2024 | Pesach, Rabbi Gotlib
Is it a coincidence that the Hebrew word for evil is ra and that Ra just so happens to be the most powerful of the Egyptian gods (the very one that pharaohs were often said to be incarnations of)? Many academic scholars argue that it is not! Indeed, the fact that...
by Rabbi Shaps | Apr 18, 2024 | Metzora, Pesach, Rabbi Zischa Shaps, Weekly Parsha
This past Saturday night, Israel was bombarded by a combination of more than 300 Cruise Missiles, Ballistic Missiles and Attack Drones. More than 99% of them were intercepted by a combination of Israeli and allied forces. When I first heard about it, it was after the...
by Rabbi Gotlib | Apr 11, 2024 | Rabbi Gotlib, Tazria, Weekly Parsha
Parshat Tazria deals with the mysterious ailment of tzaraat. Though often translated into English as something similar to leprosy, it is unclear what this skin-whitening condition actually is. One thing, though, is clear. The cause of tzaraat is...
by Rabbi Altonaga | Apr 4, 2024 | Kosher, Rabbi Michael Altonaga, Shemini, Weekly Parsha
There was this ring tone on phones when I was a kid called the “mosquito.” It was designed to be such a high pitch that adults couldn’t hear it, only kids could. It was a great way to send messages to other kids that you didn’t want adults in the room...
by Rabbi Shaps | Mar 21, 2024 | Purim, Rabbi Zischa Shaps
The recent motion that was passed in the House of Commons stopping arms supplies to Israel and reinstating funding for UNWRA, is certainly very alarming. We are motivated to strengthen our efforts to increase awareness of the truth about Hamas and of the Jewish...
