In Response to In Response to the Elephant in the Room
A woman wrote an “editorial” in the “Women’s section” of Ami magazine on the topic of what not to say or do to her now that she has lost a child. I felt it needed a response.
Be Careful What You Say
From the time Moses is born until the end of the Torah, he is mentioned in each and every Parsha. Except this one. Why is that?
The Arizal, the Groom and the Payback
The Arizal (Isaac ben Solomon Luria Ashkenazi 1534– July 25, 1572) was in Tzefas, Israel, when a student came to him. “I want to learn Torah.” said the student. But when the Arizal questioned him, he learned that the student had never studied Torah before as he was a morano and had hidden his Jewish identity since…
G-d Hears (Almost) Everyone
In this week’s parsha, G-d says that we should afflict neither the widows nor the orphans, and then G-d says that His anger will blaze against anyone who does. But there is a catch.
Are You Listening
Yisro (Jethro), the high priest of the land of Midian, and father-in-law to Moses, heard something. Actually, the entire world heard the same thing. But there was a big difference between the two:
Manna From Heaven
Around three million Jews are in the desert. It is just over a week after their exodus from Egypt. And they are hungry. Very hungry. The way they satiate themselves becomes a paradigm for future generations of Jews.
Saying “Sorry” While You Still Can
In this week’s parsha, “Va’eira”, G-d hardens the heart of Pharaoh, and Pharaoh refuses to let the Jews leave. Is G-d playing “fair” with Pharaoh?
Letter to Ami Magazine – “Bird Brains”
The letter below appeared in issue #549 of Ami Magazine: To the Editor: In issue #548, Rabbi Avi Shafran introduces readers to the group called “Birds Aren’t Real”, which he admits is a satire of “conspiracy theory” groups. He then goes on to lump all “conspiracy theory” groups with BAR – except for “real” sinister…
Letter to Ami Magazine – “Bird Brains”
To the Editor: In issue #548, Rabbi Avi Shafran introduces readers to the group called “Birds Aren’t Real”, which he admits is a satire of “conspiracy theory” groups. He then goes on to lump all “conspiracy theory” groups with BAR – except for “real” sinister plots, such as “Watergate”. This is disingenuous. While many of…
Sorry Yoda, There is “Try”
The fictional character Yoda is known for the quote “Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.” In the beginning of this week’s parsha we see examples of two people who disagreed.