Articles with the tag: beshalach

Anatomy of a Miracle

This week’s class is dedicated to the Yarhtzeit of Ruchel Yitta bas Zeissa

Beshallach Squared

Beshalach Squared

Oasis of Transformation

The Jewish Astronaut

This week’s Biblical portion tells the story of the world’s first Jewish launch. Taking off from Goshen Station, Egypt, these trained Hebrew astronauts forged under the taskmaster’s whip were tough, tenacious and excited about their historic mission. Their flight from slavery lead through a parted Sea, a smoking mountain, a desolate desert, a Promised Land, and from there onto all points on the horizon.
Many things have gone awry on this mission. Historians, sociologists and Rabbis continue to debate where and why we failed. But I’m the kind of Jew who likes to see the glass half full. So let me tell you what went right.

However, before I do so, let me relate another journey. I, along with several…

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A Little Attention, a Lot More Time

What is the single most important thing we can spend on our loved ones? Time. The only commodity we cannot reproduce or recreate, we squander away on television, hobbies, sports, politics, and vacations. It often seems to me, that we would rather be busy with almost any other activity, so long as we don’t have to spend some quiet quality time with our own children. Imagine your family dynamic, if you would just spend on your children half the amount of money for soon-to-be-forgotten toys and double the amount of time that you currently do.

Everyone needs, and deserves, attention. But regarding our own flseh and blood, they deserve it a little bit more. This lesson is actually brought to…

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Life Is a What?!

I’m no cartographer, but I figure I can read an ancient Biblical map as well as the next fellow. In fact, this past week I didn’t even need a map, and yet my sense of direction is such that I was able to I drive my family all the way from Florida to Montreal to New York and back home again. (It’s probably irrelevant to mention that I got lost in Montreal looking for the Synagogue where my niece was getting married…but after all, the cop did give me bad directions!)

Irrespective of this minor detail, I did manage to accumulate 3,600 miles in ten days, with more than 1,600 of those in just over 26 hours. Of course, we…

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If You Can’t Sing

Who says I can’t sing? Maybe it doesn’t sound too pretty and sometimes I sing off key, but I sure make up for it in volume. Then again, perhaps that’s the problem. I’m just too loud. But I have a sneaking suspicion that that’s 3not the issue.

The first indication that Chazzanus was not my calling in life came from Rabbi Feder. A diminutive man, he had taught most of the boys in our neighborhood their Bar Mitzvah lessons. Lucky for him my older brother Shaya had a natural ear and voice to match. Unlucky for me, as it only further emphasized my musical shortcomings.

Nonetheless, on the day of entrance into Jewish adulthood I proudly took to the Bimah…

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The Gender of Song

There are two species of song in the human experience. One is the song of gratitude expressed by a mother who is inspired by her newborn baby. Her boundless joy bursts forth with praise to the Almighty for her precious gift. Ironically, all the pain and discomfort of the last several months is suddenly forgotten. Nonetheless, because her happiness was paid for with blood, her song is referred to by the Sages as the Shira Chadasha; a song composed in the weaker, or feminine gender.

The father’s song is different. True, he rejoices with his newborn child, but he sheds no blood. His chant is therefore called the Shir Chadash; an expression of thanks that is Rabbinically characterized as a…

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One Small Step

Madonna is doing it. Even more impressive, your unaffiliated, previously disinterested Jewish neighbor is doing it. We’re talking of course about Kaballah, mysticism, the hidden secrets, old-age Judaism garbed in new-age terminology and the latest fad to capture the imagination of those seeking greater spirituality and inspiration.

Us Chassidim should have no qualms about embracing this new found excitement in the esoteric. Indeed, we are now celebrating the 300th anniversary since the birth of the Baal Shem Tov and his Chassidic teachings. That’s three centuries of living and learning Jewish metaphysical theology.

So put on your seat belt, hang on tight and let us explore this week’s Biblical portion according to the Book of Splendor, otherwise known to the novice…

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Trust Me

They taught me many things in Rabbinical school, but one subject never fully elaborated was the concept of rabbinic authority. No professor ever sat me down and said, “Remember, as a Rabbi you are the living embodiment of Torah. Your halachic opinion is in effect the word of G-d filtered through the ages. Your word represents the Divine will.”

It was just as well that my congregation was not informed on this point. Did they not believe in me? Of course they did. They just didn’t trust me.

But Rabbis have been dealing with this problem since the beginning of time. Even Moses with his ‘big stick’ couldn’t make more progress. After whipping up the wind, parting the waters, leading…

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The Great Seal & an Eternal Song

Close your eyes and try to picture the Great Seal of the United States. What should appear on your mental screen is the image of an eagle. But the official seal did not always look this way. At one time it resembled what would later become the American flag, a mixture of stars and stripes. Even earlier than that, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin concerned themselves with the design of this important symbol.Their proposal was a scene (are you ready for this?) from this week’s Torah portion! “Which one?” you ask. Well…

There they stood. Moses, Aharon, Miriam, and all the other Hebrews. Poised on the shore of the Red Sea, they were ready to embark upon the road to…

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