by Rabbi Altonaga | May 24, 2023 | Rabbi Michael Altonaga, Shavuos
Shavuos. The most important holiday that nobody has ever heard of. Shavuos has a bit of middle child syndrome going on. It’s between the much longer holidays of Passover and Succos, and it certainly gets less fanfare than Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. There...
by Rabbi Altonaga | Apr 28, 2023 | Acharei Mos Kedoshim, Rabbi Michael Altonaga, Weekly Parsha
“Love your fellow as yourself” this is the fundamental principle of the Torah. Rabbi Akiva This is one of the most famous mitzvos in the Torah and, according to Sages like Rabbi Akiva and Hillel the Elder, the most all encompassing concept that speaks to...
by Rabbi Altonaga | Mar 10, 2023 | Rabbi Michael Altonaga, Weekly Parsha
Nothing is certain but death and taxes. If you thought this idiom applied to you but not your ancestors, look no further than this week’s Torah portion to see otherwise. This they shall give, everyone who goes through the counting: half a shekel according to the...
by Rabbi Altonaga | Mar 3, 2023 | Purim, Rabbi Michael Altonaga
Ah Purim. There is nothing quite like seeing the most respectable members of your community dressed up like ninjas and pirates. But why? I understand having a fun thing for kids to do to get them excited for the holiday, but why are Torah scholars, who work so hard to...
by Rabbi Altonaga | Feb 9, 2023 | Rabbi Michael Altonaga, Weekly Parsha
What is the single most important event in Jewish history? The event that changed the character of everything we carried out from that day forward? The event that gave birth to the most published book in human history? The Revelation at Sinai. It was the only time...
by Rabbi Altonaga | Jan 13, 2023 | Rabbi Michael Altonaga, Weekly Parsha
In the Torah portion this week, there is a line that chills me to the bone. It is an ominous literary moment that turns everything on its head and sets the stage for the horrors that are to come. The reading starts with some innocuous genealogical details and then out...
