I am embarrassed by how clueless some of my rabbinical colleagues are. I sometimes really wonder whether some of these rabbis study the same Torah and Talmud that I do. The Jerusalem Post reported on August 21 that the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) an association of Orthodox rabbis, has called on Israel to...
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צֶדֶק צֶדֶק תִּרְדּף לְמַעַן תִּחְיֶה וְיָרַשְׁתָּ אֶת-הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר-יְי אֱ-להֶיךָ נתֵן לָךְ Justice, only justice shall you pursue, that you may live, and inherit the land which the Lord your God gives you. …Deuternomy 16:20 Justice is what God wants from us more than anything. This week’s Torah reading, Shoftim, commands us to pursue...
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Does God care what you eat? For a Jew, the answer is yes. This week’s Torah reading, Re’eh, contains five verses that are basis for our entire system kashrut, the dietary laws. Volumes of Talmud and chapters of law codes have been written working out the details given in these few general verses. The...
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The news out of Lebanon is depressing. More than 3,300 Hizbollah rockets have hit northern Israel since July 12. After over a month of intense fighting we do not seem to have dealt Hizbollah any kind of fatal blow. They still have thousands of rockets left. Dozens are still falling every day. Israeli troops...
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Teachings on Peace, and Prayer for PeaceBy Rabbi Dr. Barry LeffCongregation B’nai Israel (photo from Toledo Blade) On August 7 there was an interfaith prayer service for peace held at Christ the King church in Toledo. Bishop Blair of the Catholic Diocese of Toledo was the host of the event; various Toledo religious leaders...
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Judaism is a religion that has traditionally defined our relationship with God through our efforts to do God’s will by obeying His commandments. There are 613 commandments that the Jewish people are communally obligated to fulfill – 248 positive commandments, things we are enjoined to do, like honoring our parents or giving to charity,...
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