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 Shaps | Jan 5, 2024 | Rabbi Zischa Shaps, Shemos, Weekly Parsha
What defines someone as “Great”? In the Torah world we refer to a leader as a Gadol. Someone who is great. The word Gadol has a number of meanings. We use it to mean large or big. We use it to mean great and we also use it to refer to an adult as opposed to a child....
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 Gotlib | Dec 7, 2023 | Chanukah, Rabbi Gotlib
In his book Likutei Halachot, Rabbi Nosson of Breslav relates the Hebrew word Chanukah (rededication) to the word chinuch (education). In fact, he teaches that the essence of the holiday of Chanukah, remembering the Maccabean victory over the Greeks and their...
by Rabbi Shaps | Dec 1, 2023 | Israel, Rabbi Zischa Shaps, Weekly Parsha
Rationally, it is hard to understand why the world cares so much about what is happening in Israel. There are bigger conflicts in other parts of the world, but everyone is obsessed with Israel. One tiny little country surround by Arab countries hundreds of times as...
by Rabbi Shaps | Nov 23, 2023 | Rabbi Zischa Shaps, Weekly Parsha
Rationally, it is hard to understand why the world cares so much about what is happening in Israel. There are bigger conflicts in other parts of the world, but everyone is obsessed with Israel. One tiny little country surround by Arab countries hundreds of times as...
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...
by Rabbi Gotlib | Nov 9, 2023 | Chayei Sarah, Rabbi Gotlib, Weekly Parsha
Parshat Chayei Sarah includes the iconic scene of Eliezer, Avraham’s servant, meeting Yitzchak’s future wife, Rivkah. How does Eliezer know that she is the right one for Yitzchak? He asked Hashem for a sign – the woman who is right should not only offer him...
by Rabbi Shaps | Nov 3, 2023 | Vayera, Weekly Parsha
I can’t believe this could ever happen! Most of us have been saying these words again and again over the past few weeks. We couldn’t believe that Hamas could be so depraved as they massacred so many. We can’t believe how people are turning on Israel and defending...
by Rabbi Shaps | Oct 23, 2023 | Uncategorized
As Jews, we find it hard to understand why we are consistently persecuted and vilified. After all, we represent a tiny percentage of the world’s population. Israel is a tiny country and doesn’t even have oil. Why does anyone even care about what we do or say? The end...
