Joy – A Tale of Two Adars — By Ben
This year Purim won’t be in the month of Adar. Well, it’s not going to be in the first Adar. It’ll be in the second one. Second one? Funny story. […]
Category Archives: Posts by Ben
Mishpatim – Agreeing Before Understanding — By Ben
The phrase Naaseh V’Nishma is considered possibly the most lauded utterance of the Jewish people. Just before the event of the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, God asks the […]
Relationships: The Purpose of Creation — By Ben
Pirkei Avos: Charter 1, Mishneh 2 says… שִׁמְעוֹן הַצַּדִּיק הָיָה מִשְּׁיָרֵי כְנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה. הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, עַל שְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים הָעוֹלָם עוֹמֵד, עַל הַתּוֹרָה וְעַל הָעֲבוֹדָה וְעַל גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים Shimon the […]
Tests and Miracles — By Ben
I have a friend who recently got back from leading a trip to Israel. A tremendously inspirational and committed person, she, like me, is a baal teshuvah. Her dedication to […]
Bo – Coming and Going
Parshas Bo contains the final three plagues of Egypt. The title of the parsha, “Bo” refers specifically to the way God instructs Moses to approach Pharaoh as he warns him […]
Being Equal To God — By Ben
When I was a kid, I remember watching a news special detailing how something called a T cell can get taken over by a virus which uses it to replicate […]
The Women of the Exodus — By Ben
I don’t think there is a more packed parsha than the first reading of the second book of the Torah. Shemos contains like the whole first half of the movie […]
Vayechi – End of Days — By Ben
With parsha Vayechi, we end the book of Bereishis (aka Genesis). It feels just like yesterday we were at Rosh Hashanah closing in on the end of the Torah. As […]
Excuses; A False Security — By Ben
Parsha Vayigash starts in the midst of the cliffhanger from last week. If you’re just joining us, Yoseph after having been sold into slavery by his 10 older brothers, has […]
When Will It Finally Happen? – Mikeitz — By Ben
…וַיְהִ֕י מִקֵּ֖ץ שְׁנָתַ֣יִם יָמִ֑ים The parsha starts out with the phrase, “It happened at the end of two years…” as Yoseph is finally released from his Egyptian prison. From here […]
Six Degrees Of Kosher Bacon 