We are a people of words. We say that G-d creates the world with words, and we don’t just take those words at face value. We interpret them; and in doing so, we add more words. It is for these reasons that all of this year’s High Holiday sermons will revolve around the concept of Read More …

We’ve now reached the Avodah section of our service. In Pirke Avot, Ethics of our Fathers, we read that “the world stands on 3 things: Torah, Avodah, and Gemilut Chasadim” – or to put it in English: wisdom, work, and acts of loving-kindness. Avodah is translated as “work,” but there’s more to it than that. Read More …

Throughout this year’s high holidays, my sermons have connected the major Jewish lifecycle events with the High Holidays.  On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, when the world was born and we read of Isaac’s birth, I spoke about birth and children.  On the second day, with the binding of Isaac as our Torah reading, Read More …

On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, we read about the birth of Isaac and the birth of the world, thus my sermon was about birth.  On the second day of Rosh Hashanah, inspired by the Torah reading of the binding of Isaac, I sermonized about adolescence, the Bar Mitzvah, and the power of choices.  Read More …

Intro The Talmud teaches that Rosh Hashanah is the Day of Judgment.  But how can we be judged on the first day of the year? Wouldn’t it make more sense to be judged on the last day of every year?  How can we be judged for things we haven’t done yet? In yesterday’s Torah portion, Read More …

Intro Shana tova and welcome.  Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the Yamim Nora’im, the Days of Awe, also known as the High Holy Days or High Holidays.  This 10-day period is meant to be introspective – thinking about the past year, and planning how we can make this coming year better for ourselves and Read More …

Intro Shana tova and welcome. What does the Torah have to say about Rosh Hashanah? Interestingly, not very much!  All it says is the first day of the 7th month is a holy day. Work is prohibited, special offerings are to be brought to the Temple, and it’s a day of sounding, though the meaning Read More …