How is a legacy conveyed from generation to the next? VaYikra 23:42-43 commands Jewry to dwell in Succoth during the holiday so that subsequent generations know that this how G-D accommodated the generation of the Exodus when departing Egypt. Rashi identifies this as referring to the Clouds Of Glory, a representation of G-d’s sheltering Bene Yisrael during the sojourn from Egypt to Eretz Yisrael. Rabbi Ya’akov ben Asher the Ba’al HaTurim ZTVK’L notes that scripture allude to the…

This Shabbaath brings together three concepts, Shabby, Yom Kippur and Shemita, the Sabbatical year. If three events converge, the notion of there being a common thread between them looms very large. As

Shabbath this week is all but overtaken by Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur obtained its nature of atonement because it was on the 10th of Tishrei 2449 when Moshe our Teacher A’H returned from Mt. Sinai with the Second set of Tablets evidencing G-D’s forgiveness and reconciliation with Bene…

I have noticed that the Day of Judgment has brought up several posts about suffering and G-d’s judgment. It is a fundamental truth of the Torah that all of G-d’s actions are perfect. The world has been influenced by the made up nonsense the conservative “rabbis” spill out in their popular books. Their philosophy has nothing to do will Judaism. Who in their right mind would believe in a G-d that was cruel or haphazard?

Here is short excerpt on the…

Forgiveness

By Jay Litvin

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"These were the days before Yom Kippur. I was lonely and couldn't figure out why. The loneliness had been there for months.

Things were…

G-d is Compassion. He looks at our efforts to rectify our ways during The Days of Awe. Even if it seems that while we are taking a hard look at ourselves and attempting to make changes, that He might be distant, He is really never closer than when we seek to correct what we have messed up, because that is when we need Him the most.

If He really was distant from us, then how can He say:

Isa 1:18…

When people are loving, brave, truthful, charitable, God is present. - Harold Kushner

For many of us, our spiritual awakening began when we first heard our Higher Power might be our group. We learned that God may exist in the connections between people in our group just as well as within each individual. As we members exchange care and help with each other, as each struggles to achieve complete honesty and…

The Haftarot for Shabbat Shuva (the Shabbat between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur are Hoshea 14:2-10, Michah 7:18-20 and Yoel 2:15-27. The texts of Michah and Yoel follows on the same page.

"Return, O Israel, to the…

What really struck a cord with me at that time was the analogy of Homer Simpson. Homer, like us, despite his failings and evident flaws as a human being tried his best to do what was good. He

may have failed miserably but he tried his best. And THAT, in my

opinion, makes Homer a good person. Why, I…

I am Jewish - remember those words my children....

I have 4 children & only 1 is following Judaism but let me back up some - I was adopted @ birth [my birth name was Sarah Marie Eichelberger] by a Christian family, thus I was raised as such. I never knew, though had strong feelings, that I was Jewish. I found this out late in life and ever since then have paid a heavy price for returning to the long and thrown aside heritage of my fathers.

My birth families have…

The Torah (Shulchan Aruch) advises us to approach Rosh HaShanah with absolute confidence that HaShem will find us meritorious. Therefore, we trust that we will emerge from the day in great happiness and joy.

However, Rosh HaShanah is a day of judgement. All of our deeds are weighed and our fate is decided for “life or death.” We know that we have not always done our best. If so, why are we advised to assume a confident attitude?

The following parable sheds light on this…

This Sabbath is the final one of 5767. What should be the thought guiding the transition from year to another?

The Rabbis teach (Talmud Megila 31b)the Rebuke found in Devarim 28:15-69 is read just before the start of the New Year so as to engender "The [outgoing]year with its misfortunes be consumed so that the coming years’ potential for blessing remain untainted and thereby the coming year’s potential for blessing be fully…

As the awesome day of Judgment approaches we need to examine and ask ourselves some fundamental questions. Real repentance may not necessarily be limited to how we acting in our local context but may also include some global changes. Rav Israel Salanter defined a "broken heart" mentioned in psalms as "being unsure of one's service to the Creator". We always need to stay open to the possibility that we are fundamentally missing what Hashem really wants from us. Here is a list…