Archive for October, 2006

In all the excitement over the big events that happen in the beginning of this week’s parsha – like “in the beginning” – a lot of times we don’t pay so much attention to what’s at the end of this week’s parsha. In fact poor chapter 5 of the book of Genesis is undoubtedly...
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Parshat Noach is a very popular part of the Bible with kids.  It’s a simple story kids can understand.  Noah saves two of every kind of animal from a great flood.  The ark and the animals make for great artistic opportunities.  I’m sure most parents have pictures their kids drew of the ark, or...
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  Bereshit bara El-him et hashamayim v’et ha’aretz, “in beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”     The Torah tells us that God created the world in six days.  On the first day God said “let there be light” and there was light.  On the second day God created Heaven to separate...
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Today is Shmini Atzeret – a day the Torah tells us is a holiday in its own right, separate but connected to Sukkot. Shmini Atzeret is the 22nd day of Tishrei.  It’s the 22nd day we have had in at least a “semi-holiday” mood.  We’ve gone from two days of Rosh Hashanah to Shabbat...
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(photo of Reb Barry in front of a Gaza settler's home, July 2005) I had an op-ed piece published in the Toledo Blade last Saturday regarding Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon and Gaza; the intro follows, or you can click here to go straight to the piece in the Blade. On a completely unrelated topic,...
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Tonight begins the Festival of Sukkot, one of Judaism’s three harvest festivals.  Sukkot includes one of my favorite commandments: "you shall rejoice seven days before the Lord your God." Every holiday has its theme.  Passover is "zeman cheruteinu," the season of our liberation, Shavuot is "zeman matan Torahteinu," the season of the giving of...
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