I consider myself very fortunate that due to quirk in the calendar, I do not need to write about Parashat Tzav this week. This is the Shabbat that precedes the holiday of Purim (which, in fact, begins immediately at the end of Shabbat this year), and so is the Shabbat known as Shabbat Zakhor, the Shabbat of "Remember!" It is so called because of the first word of the special passage we read as a maftir, Deut. 25:17-19: Read more...

This week is called "Shabbat Hagadol," "the great Sabbath." Some attribute the name to a custom of having the rabbi teach a long lesson on this Shabbat before Passover on the intricacies of the laws of Passover so that lay Jews would be reminded of the rules that they had not needed to know since a year ago. For my wife, this would be much too late, because she begins preparing the house for Pesah right after Purim! Read more...

"Real men don't eat quiche," proclaims one bumper sticker. "Would you kill flipper for a tuna sandwich?" inquires another. Both messages assert a connection between what we eat and who we are. Our community and our character are reflected in our choices of food. Vegetarians, macrobiotics, those who limit their cholesterol intake, those who won't eat red meat, all are asserting that we are, indeed, what we eat. While concerns of physical health remain the predominant factor in guiding contemporary people's diet, the link between eating and identity remain strong. Read more...

This week, we celebrate the holiday of Purim.  A time of prizes, noisemakers, costumes and treats, Purim invites us to celebrate the absurd and laugh at ourselves.  As we read the story from the Purim Megillah (scroll), we drown out the name of Haman, the evil man of Sushan who sought to destroy the Jewish people.  Dressing in costume, eating the three cornered hamentaschen cookies, making noise, and celebrating beyond comprehension all draw our attention to the fun and frivolity of the day.  And, of all of our holidays, it is about Purim that the Midrash on the book of Read more...

The rabbis of the Talmud and Midrash were very sensitive readers of Torah.  After all, they studied these sacred words day and night, always seeking new interpretations, novel implications of our special love relationship with God.  In the process of their studies, they uncovered nuances and insights that can continue to guide us, their descendents, on a path of righteous and holy living. Read more...