First Week in Israel

Technically, this is my second week. I arrived, exhausted after a long layover in Europe and a few hours that took me to get to Tzfat from Ben Gurion, Thursday. Having been met by my friend, a jewelry designer, whom I didn’t see since 1994, I was clearly ready to crash, but happy to see…

חֻקַּת – Laws

Reading this Parshah, everyone always speaks about the red heifer – פָּרָה אֲדֻמָּה I want to talk about the people leading the nation, and their tragedies. This is a Parshah, where both Miriam and Aaron die and Moses makes that tragic mistake that costs him his entrance to Eretz Yisrael. א  וַיָּבֹאוּ בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּל-הָעֵדָה מִדְבַּר-צִן, בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן, וַיֵּשֶׁב…

GO!

Here we go again – the call of Gd – go! Where and why? All of us though, somehow hear this call, but do not head it like our father Abraham did. As promised, I am bringing new takes on the Torah to you this year. Today, the d’var comes from Howard Markose, another teacher I…

Parshat ha Shavuah Verses – Ki Tavo /כִּי-תָבוֹא

We are commanded to bring the first fruits of our labor “unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to cause His name to dwell there” and speak to our Gd: י  וְעַתָּה, הִנֵּה הֵבֵאתִי אֶת-רֵאשִׁית פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה, אֲשֶׁר-נָתַתָּה לִּי, יְהוָה; וְהִנַּחְתּוֹ, לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתָ, לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ. 10 And now, behold, I have…

Parshat ha Shavuah Verses – Bo

“Go!”, He said. “Don’t ask for reasons, do as I say” Your people will leave this cursed place And you will be the leader. Now and forever. כב  וַיֵּט מֹשֶׁה אֶת-יָדוֹ, עַל-הַשָּׁמָיִם; וַיְהִי חֹשֶׁךְ-אֲפֵלָה בְּכָל-אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים. 22 And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the…

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?…