Torah Thought

In the Haber household there were five questions at the seder. The fifth was the result of my grandfather’s insistence on running his matzah under cold water. Why did Zaidie run his matzah under the tap? He said he liked it better that way. It was easier on his teeth,...

Every week my family and I are blessed to have anywhere between five and 20 guests for Shabbos. These guests come from various backgrounds and levels of observance and everyone knows that they are always welcome to come and enjoy a Shabbos meal. Recently, we had a...

It’s difficult to learn accurate history from the rabbis of the Mishnah and Talmud. “The early Rabbis did not save any historical sources besides the Bible for the biblical or post-biblical periods,” states Hebrew University Professor Moshe Herr. A perfect example of...

Sez who? Sez God, that’s who. That pretty well sums up parshat Mishpatim, the extensive list of laws we read this Shabbat, many of which flesh out instructions that were delivered in the Ten Commandments, the culmination of the previous Torah portion. For example, if...

“Now, when Pharaoh let the people go, God did not guide them by the road towards the Philistines, although that was the shortest; for He said, ‘The people may change their minds when they see war before them, and turn back to Egypt.’ So God made them go round by way...

The two consecutive Parshiyot in the Book of Exodus (Sefer Shemot) of Varea and Bo serve as the most dramatic setting for a contest between two contenders for the divine title. Moses represents the unseen God of Freedom of the enslaved Israelites. In opposition stands...

You remember the old story, right? The evil Syrian Greeks sought to destroy Judaism by outlawing the practice of the mitzvot. The valiant Maccabeean freedom fighters fought back and won a great victory, recapturing Jerusalem and rededicating the holy temple....

The story of the Maccabees has inspired generations of Jews for thousands of years. From the Jews of ancient Israel to the soldiers of the IDF, the incredible bravery and achievements of this small band of guerilla warriors has given hope to the down-trodden and...

We all know the official story of Thanksgiving: the months of hunger prior to the first harvest, the helpful Native Americans, the Pilgrims grateful to have escaped starvation, the beginning of an American tradition. In recent years, we have heard, with increasing...

Noah was not destined to be the father of the Jewish people or founder of our faith. Though the most righteous one in his corrupt generation, he failed to reach out and save human lives besides those of his own family. Thus, the rabbis who were aware of Noah’s...

Listening closely to the reading from the second Torah scroll this past Rosh Hashanah, you would have come across a puzzling reference: “On the first day of the seventh month” (Numbers 29:1)… If this is the New Year, then why isn’t it the first month? Why the seventh...

Albert Einstein once said, “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.” As Jews, we find it soothing to come together for annual gatherings. Everywhere we turn we have gatherings. What we need, however, is a constant reminder about why...

This is the last Shabbat sermon delivered by Rabbi Arthur Steinberg at Temple Sinai on May 25, 2012: This Sunday, May 27th, is the date of the third of our three Pilgrimage Festivals, Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks, which marked the occasion of our ancestors traveling to...

This past weekend, the Jewish world celebrated the least known of the Shelosh Regalim, the three pilgrimage festivals; the festival of Shavuot. Pesach is well-known because of the elaborate set of home rituals called a seder. And most Jews have at least some...

Every year during my childhood my family would have Passover Seder at my aunt’s house on the first night. At the end of the seder I vividly remember hearing people say things like, “Thank G-d that is over, so now we can go on with our normal lives,” and, “Well, we’ll...