Ne’ilah: Goldberg’s Pencils (delivered by Rabbi J.B. Sacks on September 25, 2023) A reporter traveled across the country in search of interesting stories. She arrived at a small town in the Midwest. At first, it seemed like every other town she had visited. However, one thing was different: No...
Light In The Darkness by Student Rabbi Maayan Lev Though the holiday itself does not start until the night of December 18, Hanukkah has officially begun! How do I know? Because my favorite radio station, KOST 103.5, has started playing solely Christmas music, which they will continue doing until shortly...
Hiddur Mitzvah: Color and Spice–and Everything Nice The extensive descriptions of the sanctuary in the Tanakh (the Jewish Bible),[1] and the descriptions of the appointment of the priests and their vestments is filled with color, artistic skill, and an emphasis on beauty. The ancient Sages spoke of hiddur mitzvah,[2]...
by Maayan Lev As a child, Sukkot was a very big holiday in my family. In fact, it may have been the biggest holiday of the year for us. This is because we had dinner in the sukkah together every night, usually inviting a different family to join us each...
What Am I Afraid Of?–Psalm 27 and the Use of the Month of Elul One of the ways that our tradition invites us to prepare for the High Holy Days is to recite and reflect upon Psalm 27 twice a day for the High Holy Day season, which leads into...
From the Rabbi’s Study Let’s Place Our Bets Carefully The man sitting on the park bench facing the synagogue was a picture of dejection. His shabby clothes looked as if he had slept in them, and his tired face was covered by a heavy growth. Overcome by pity for...
From the Rabbi’s Study Taking a Look at Ourselves The story is told about a gung-ho drill sergeant who always demanded the highest and best from his soldiers. One day he stared in pained disbelief at a sloppy squad of new recruits wearing their uniforms for the first time. For...
Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford¹ a major figure in the development of Jehovah’s Witnesses, preached the motto they quickly adopted: “Millions now living will never die.” One observer remarked, “Yes, but the tragedy is that millions now living are already dead but do not know it.” In line with this observer,...
