Why Moses Couldn’t Enter Israel and Why the Temple Had to Be Destroyed
The destruction of the Temple is one of the greatest tragedies in Jewish history. But what if it was also a spiritual necessity?
Tag Archives: Temple
Terumah – The Day That Annoying Kid Got Left Behind: How Abandonment Taught Me to Build Connection
The day I got left behind wasn’t really about abandonment.
It was about a kid who wanted to be heard — but never stopped to listen.
I’m starting to think that lesson wasn’t just about childhood but about my relationship with God.
Chanukah – Why is this Light Different from all other Light? – By Ben
It is easy to disregard Chanukah. It’s the most secularized holiday. It’s not in the Torah. And its iconic miracle is so overdone, it’s a bit of a joke. However, […]
Tisha B’av – Whose Fault Is It Anyway? — By Ben
This Sunday we observe the “holiday” of Tisha B’Av. I put holiday in quotes because the day is anything but a time for celebration. Regarded as the worst day in […]
The Gift of Mourning & Tisha B’Av — By Ben
It’s Wednesday and I’m attending the funeral of my friend Jason’s father. It’s a bright clear sunny day at the Mount Sinai Memorial Park and Mortuary in the Hollywood Hills, […]
Pesach: Dayenu – Would It Really Have Been Enough? — By Ben
As Pesach approaches we find ourselves in a furious rush. Between cooking, cleaning, switching out dish ware, finishing work before the two days of Yom Tov, and collecting all chometz […]
Vayikra – Sacrifices Shmacrifices — By Ben
This week’s Torah portion starts the book of Vayikra, aka Leviticus. It’s one of the less exciting parts of the Torah, in that it mostly deals with the instructions and […]
Jewish Holidays: Purim (part 1) – by Ben
Purim is just a week away. Growing up, all holidays other than Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Chanukah, and Passover, I knew virtually nothing about. I vaguely remember dressing up for […]
Terumah – Separate and certainly not Equal
This week’s parsha is one of the driest in the 5 books. It reads like a set of Ikea instructions. There’s no story and there’s not even weird Mitzvahs for you […]
Ugh. Not High Holidays services again. — By Ben
The vast majority of Jews in America don’t attend prayer services (aka davening) very often. But there are two days that if anyone has any shred of religious connection will […]
Six Degrees Of Kosher Bacon 