Beginning Afresh This week we will recount the dramatic story about the aftermath of the golden calf saga and the process of conciliation and forgiveness. "Zeh Yitenu" ("this they shall give") says the Torah as it prescribes how each Jewish male had to give a half shekel coin as

How to increase your love How do we increase our love towards another person? How do we enrich our relationships between spouses, family members and friends? It comes down to one action. By giving to them. It is interesting that the construction of the portable sanctuary, the Mishkan, occupies nearly half

From our earliest history as a people and as a nation, we have been defined by the concept of Terumah. Terumah refers to the offerings or contributions that we have made, whether to our own internal communities or to the society's in which we have lived. We have always punched

A lesson in Empathy While slavery is widely seen as abhorrent today, the Torah (Parashat Mishaptim), some three thousand years ago, already contained an ethical code towards the treatment of slaves. The Jerusalem Talmud relates that prior to leaving Egypt, G-d commanded Moses to teach the Jewish nation concerning

Delivering our message effectively It is startling. We will read this week in Shule how the Jewish nation receives the Torah at Mount Sinai. Yet the very first word uttered by G-d to his people, Anochi - I - is an Egyptian one. Why would G-d use employ a foreign language?

How can we restore ourselves during times of immense pressure and stress? When G-d created the universe, He consulted the angels: “Should I bestow upon the human race the gift of music?” The elitist angels unanimously replied with a resounding “no.” “The human race will not appreciate the sublime

Hey! He took my parking spot! My emotions were put to the test this week. I had found the perfect parking spot right in front of the hospital. As I was reversing in, another car pulled into it directly behind me. I was first in line for that spot

Last week we saw the chilling footage of the Arthurs Road Synagogue in Sea Point, Cape Town, burning to the ground. This is a tremendous tragedy for the Cape Town Jewish community and Jewish communities all over the world. When one of us are hurt, all of us feel the

On Chanukah we light all the candles via another candle, called the Shamash. On one hand, we can look upon the Shamash with pity. It lights all the others and yet, it is never counted with the rest. It never acquires the status as one of the flames of the