By Rabbi David Stern This week brings us to the great Torah portion known as Lech Lecha, and its fundamental paradox — that Judaism, so ostensibly rooted in family and…

One of the classical principles of scriptural interpretation is that the written Torah is especially efficient — every word is precise and instructive. Any section which appears to be extraneous…

By Rabbi Be Sternman In Pirkei Avot (5:22), Ben Bag Bag is famous for being quoted: “Turn it (Torah) over and turn it over again, for everything is in it.”…

By Rabbi Dan Lewin Three key powers rest within the soul: emunah (deep faith), bitachon (trust) and simcha (happiness). Each flows from the former: Faith leads to trust; without faith,…

Minutes turn to hours, hours to days, days to weeks and then months. It all starts to seem a blur. But, in our home, two 24-hour periods of time stand…

By Rabbi Dan Lewin The theme of this month of Elul, often called the “month of accounting,” is teshuvah. Just like a business that requires periodic review and analysis, we…

By Rabbi Ben Sternman In this week’s Torah portion, Ki Tavo, there is a beautiful passage that reminds us to be grateful for the gifts that God gives us. It’s…

By Rabbi Ari Sunshine If one were looking for bang for the buck in a Torah portion when it comes to mitzvot, commandments, one need look no further than this…

This week we enter a new month, Elul, the period of preparation for the High Holy Days. Its theme is reflection, repentance and renewal — a return to our most…

It is Jewish custom to read Psalm 27 from the start of Elul all the way through Sukkot, every day, every year, the same 14 verses, the same 149 Hebrew…