Monthly Archives: January 2013

This is another from the series of Mussar workshops I assist.  Unfortunately, it was already printed before I had the privilege to read Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo’s recent article which, with the synchronicity which always accompanies Torah, talks about responsibility. Had I … Continue reading →

There might be valid reasons why there is today such distrust of rabbinic authorities.  Not everyone in a black hat knows what they’re talking about.  True Gadolim (Great Ones, Spiritual Masters) are few and far between.  In our current culture … Continue reading →

At a shiur last night with my friend and colleague, Rabbi Avi Rosenfeld, we talked about Tu B’Shvat, the 15th of Shvat, because Rosh Chodesh Shvat, the new month of Shvat arrives with Shabbat in just a few minutes here … Continue reading →

The Meor Eynayim, a classic Torah commentary by R’Menachem Nachum of Chernobyl, founder (18th century) of the Chernobler school of Chassidut, included a very short paragraph in his discussion of yesterday’s weekly parsha (Torah reading), שמות, Sh’mot, (Exodus).  At first … Continue reading →

One of the most insidious trends in Judaism, and I think it has analogs in other religions as well, is called דעת תורה, Das Torah.  It literally means “knowledge of (from within) the Torah”, but the idea is that one … Continue reading →

This is another in the series from Mussar workshops I’ve been assisting with.  The Middah for December’s meeting was חסד, Chesed, often translated as Loving Kindness. Before presenting that, I want to clarify an idea about the middot/sefirot as they … Continue reading →