“Oh, Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes-Benz?” — Janis Joplin Why don’t we always get what we want from God, and why does God even allow...

A great deal of the Book of Deuteronomy is a recapitulation of the Hebrews’ journey into freedom through the speeches of Moses.

This Saturday night begins the holy day of Tisha b’Av, the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av…the saddest day in the Jewish calendar.

Although there are 54 Torah portions, there are only 50 or 51 Shabbats per year, and that doesn’t count those Shabbats that have special...

This week’s Torah reading of Pinchas (Num. 25:10-30:1) begins with a teaching about a value that is not only a requirement for Jewish...

“It’s not selling out, it’s called making lots of money”---Mick Jagger This week’s Torah portion of Balak (Num. 22:2-25:9) is in some...

“This is the decree [chukat] of the Torah” (Numbers 19:2). Isn’t it amazing how, as we get older, our parents seem to become wise? It is...

(The following teaching is in honor of the marriage of Shahab and Jessica Shaolian, may they always be blessed with all that is good in...

As I am the father of twin sons, this week’s Torah portion of Toldot, where we learn of the birth of twins Jacob and Esau, has a special...

“Sarah’s lifetime was one hundred years, twenty years, and seven years; the years of Sarah’s life. Sarah died” (Genesis 23:1) “Now these...

Chevre As we all know, these are challenging times on many levels. On the one hand, it is difficult for people to stay connected to any...