This week's parasha, Vayetze, is the parasha of Exile. At the beginning of the parasha, Jacob leaves Israel. At the end he returns. In the intervening 22 years he works, marries, has his children and becomes extraordinarily wealthy. One could say, that it is in the parasha of Vayetze that he becomes a mensch. It is here that he reaches the peak of his life's accomplishments.

But Vayetze is unique in another way. It is the only...Read more...

My mother, sister and I, together with all our family, have been absolutely overwhelmed by the huge level of support that we have received from you, our community, over this past week and a half. Your calls, texts and emails have helped soften the pain of our father's unexpected passing. (Although our father was 92, he was regaining muscle strength after a serious fall and the week before his passing began walking again. Until the end he was...Read more...

If someone said you were dirt, you would no doubt be rightfully offended. And yet in this week's parasha that is precisely what we the Jewish People are compared to. 

The verse states: "Who can count you - you are like dirt O Jacob". 

This is supposed to be a blessing? 

Surely there are better similes to describe the great number of Jews than comparing them to dirt! Indeed, when Abraham is blessed by...Read more...

Each and every Jew, man and woman, is a shaliach - G-d’s personal emissary. With this great privilege comes the great responsibility to ensure that:

1) each of us become vehicles for G-d’s Word. Every single Jew has a portion in Torah, as we read in our prayers (in the blessings before the morning Shema), “Give us OUR portion in Your Torah”, Each of us, through applying our souls and minds...Read more...

The parasha, Acharei Mot, which commences with the untimely deaths of Aaron's two sons, Nadav and Avihu, is usually read in conjunction with Kedoshim - literally "You shall be holy" which has profound bearing on the Jewish attitude towards the vagaries of life.

The deaths of Aaron's two sons could not have occurred at a more inopportune time. Rosh Chodesh Nissan was a day which had been planned as one of great celebration. The...Read more...

I  wrote this piece some 30 years ago and it's as relevant today (perhaps more so) than when it was first written. If you have time, please print it out, read it and share your thoughts with me. BZ. 

The preparation for Pesach, more frenzied than that for all other festivals combined, finds its culmination as family and guests gather around the seder-table. Tranquility and calm replace the mad rush of the previous...Read more...

Haman attempted to destroy the Jewish People through promising the Persian King Achashverosh the sum of 10,000 talents of silver.

The Talmud explains that whenever we find the word "King" in the Megillah it refers not only to Achashverosh, but also to G-d, the ultimate King of Kings. Indeed the very name Achashverosh refers to G-d. "Achar" means after, whereas "Rosh" means beginning. Hence, Achashverosh...Read more...

May the Light be With You Always ~RBZ Chanukah 5775 

Please listen

As anyone going to a Jewish bookstore will attest, there is a plethora of Jewish books available in English today. What many may not realize is that translations of...Read more...

Yud Tes Kislev - 19th Kislev - is a foundation day in the history of the Chassidic movement which revolutionised the Jewish world in the eighteenth century. But how does it relate to you and me on a daily basis? 

The founder of the Chassidic movement was Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov. Although the Baal Shem Tov was tragically orphaned at the age of five, his father Rabbi Eliezer left him two...Read more...

And G-d said to Avram: "Go outside and count the stars.. if you can count them, so will be your descendants."

The normative meaning of this verse is that G-d blessed Abraham with being the father of a numerically superior nation.

The problem, of course, is that throughout history Jews have always been numerically insignificant. The Arabs, on the other hand, who are also the recipients...Read more...

We struggle with anger, impulsiveness, negative thoughts, faulty decision making, procrastination and many similar character faults. The road is difficult, full of failures and regressions. We resolve to become better - but more often than not, revert to our old ways.

How can we overcome the sense of futility?  How do we maintain our self-esteem in the face of our failings?

Clearly...Read more...

As you may be aware, there are times during the year when we pray for rain and there are times that we don’t.

Generally speaking, we commence praying for rain at Maariv on Dec 4 - THIS evening.

When praying the weekday Amida (Shmoneh Esreh) please insert the words “v’ten tal u’matar l’vracha” ותן טל ומטר לברכה in the blessing of Barech Aleinu. You will find it in the...Read more...

The Quest for Self Improvement

As the last month of the Jewish year, Elul is traditionally a time of introspection and stocktaking -- a time to review one's deeds and spiritual progress over the past year and prepare for the upcoming "Days of Awe" of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. 

As the month of Divine Mercy and Forgiveness it is a most opportune time for teshuvah ("return" to G-d), prayer, charity, and increased...Read more...

The Rebbetzen and I are currently in New York. As everywhere in the Jewish World, not a conversation goes by where the situation in Israel is not discussed. And here, as everywhere, there is deep concern at the level of anti-semitism unprecedented since before WWII.

In response to 9/11, the US embarked on wars in Afghanistan and Iraq resulting in the loss of tens of thousands of innocent civilians. When NATO bombed Yugoslavia, leading...Read more...