There are two very significant points for me in this week’s Parshah לֶךְ-לְךָ Lech Lecha. First comes from an amazing shiur of Rabbi Sacks, the former Chief Rabbi of Great Britain. He argues that if we look closer at the text of the previous Parshah: וַיִּקַּח תֶּרַח אֶת-אַבְרָם בְּנוֹ, וְאֶת-לוֹט בֶּן-הָרָן בֶּן-בְּנוֹ, וְאֵת שָׂרַי כַּלָּתוֹ, אֵשֶׁת אַבְרָם בְּנוֹ;…
Author: Blogging Across the Nation
Parshat ha Shavuah Verses – Noach
וְנֹחַ, מָצָא חֵן בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD (Genesis 6:8) אֵלֶּה, תּוֹלְדֹת נֹחַ–נֹחַ אִישׁ צַדִּיק תָּמִים הָיָה, בְּדֹרֹתָיו: אֶת-הָאֱלֹהִים, הִתְהַלֶּךְ-נֹחַ These are the generations of Noah. Noah was in his generations a man righteous and whole-hearted; Noah walked with God (Genesis 6:9) Did you ever notice that…
Sounds of Pain
I live in a big city. So big that when I leave work, there is no place on the sidewalks for us, pedestrians, running to the subway, bus, or train out of this mayhem. We walk and run on the road risking to end up under a car. It is so big that when I…
Parshat ha Shavuah Verses – Beresheet
I have decided to try writing a few lines about each parsha – פָּרָשָׁה. I guess, we shall see where it takes me. Of course, I am not making any promises – so bli neder. Again, this is not poetry, just words coming out to offer my view on things. Here we are in the week of…
Cold. In and Out.
Today is one of those beautiful windy and cold days when my heart does not know whether to be joyful before the upcoming Simchat Torah or to be crying over people lost recently and long time ago. This kind of weather usually makes me sink down into my dark thoughts. Last night I was dreaming about my loved…
Sweet Smells of Autumn
What is happening now in New York is called Indian Summer in the US and Бабье лето in Russia It is really the perfect weather for Sukkot. This year it came so late that I was worried about sitting in a cold and wet sukkah. However, Gd gave us a miracle of this warmth that somehow allows…
At the Crossroads
I was listening to this song the other day Is this how our lives go? The road to eternity is long – I will yet come back. What we do here on earth in our lifetimes, does it really make an effect on eternity? Do we really meet the souls we loved here somewhere in the…
Baking for Sukkot
The sounds of hammers working around my neighborhood are getting more urgent as the last sukkot are being erected. The smells of etrogim permeate the air. The work in the kitchen is no less hectic for many women who are fortunate to have their own homes, but on Sukkot get to work five times as hard providing…
New Year, New Life, New Cooking Adventures
This was the first Rosh haShana ever that I have not made or eaten any meat during the holiday. I cooked myself, and I have sat at the tables of my friends, where meat was served, even my favorite lamb, but I wasn’t moved to try it. Is this a good development in my life?…
A Private Beit Midrash?
Right in the middle of ימים נוראים – Yomim Noraim I find myself thinking about a dilemma: on the one hand, I am totally excited to organize a beit midrash at my house and give the people an opportunity to learn in a non-threatening environment. On the other hand – this is something I am not able to share…
Some more of Jewish Food History Trivia before The High Holidays
It is always fun for me to flip through my cookbooks before a major Holiday. I love to look for stories behind the recipes, origins of foods we eat and their transitions throughout times and continents. Here, I am just going to post some fun facts about my favourite foods: Dates: First mentioned in Exodus 3:8…
The Year 5777 is Coming!
Sunday, יום ראשון , October 2 Jews all over the world will celebrate The New Year – רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה. This year’s number is quite unique – 5777. Number 7 was always kind of magic in the Jewish world – 7 days of the week, 7 days before the brit milah, 7 branches of the Menora as it…
Noshing Across the Nation 