Rosh Hashanah – Is ‘King’ a Demotion for G-d?
If Hashem is already God of all Creation, why is Rosh Hashanah so obsessed with crowning Him King? Isn’t “King” actually a demotion?
Tag Archives: rosh hashana
Rosh Hashanah in the Hospital: Why My Mother Wants Another Year
This Rosh Hashanah, my mom will be in the hospital recovering from a bone marrow transplant. When I asked why she wants another year of life, she didn’t say for family milestones — she said, “I want to be nicer.”
That’s the heart of Rosh Hashanah: not just asking for life, but asking for the chance to become better.
Rosh Hashanah – The Work You’ve Already Done
Rosh Hashanah is a difficult holiday to wrap our heads around. At the forefront there is the notion of being inscribed in the Book of Life and God’s judgement. And […]
Nitzavim – No More Excuses on Rosh Hashanah
As we approach the high holidays, the final parshas of the Torah are often overlooked in place of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur ideas. But there’s a reason we read […]
Rosh Hashana – Call of the Shofar — By Ben
With Rosh Hashana fast approaching we can all get ready for hours of sitting and standing, letting our minds wander, counting how many pages are left in the service, and […]
Rosh Hashana – Five Years’ Difference — By Ben
It was 2012 Exactly five years ago this Rosh Hashana. I’m at the Aish Explanatory High Holiday service in the Crowne Plaza Hotel. The Rabbi is marching around the bimah, […]
Ki Seitzei – Love, Kindness, and Death Sentences — By Ben
We all know the Torah is a book of love, caring, and kindness. And you really feel the love when the Torah commands us to sentence people to death. And […]
Can You be Commanded to Love God? — By Ben
The month preceding Rosh Hashana is Elul. The rabbis say that the name Elul is an acronym for Ani l’dodi, u’dodi li or I am for my beloved, and my […]
The Structure of Prayer — By Ben
Now that we’re in the month of Elul, Rosh Hashana is just around the corner. This time last year I did a blog post outlining the core of the prayer […]
Choosing Life and the Book of Life. High Holidays Part 3 — By Ben
To finish off my series on Rosh Hashana, I wanted to put front and center the seemingly ominous threat made to every Jew to bolster attendance at High Holiday services. Supposedly, […]
Six Degrees Of Kosher Bacon 