Author Archives: Harry Zeitlin

We begin the descent into the Egyptian exile as Yosef’s brothers travel to Egypt to buy food in order to survive the famine which encompasses Canaan. From a peak as the honored and privileged family of Yosef who saved Egypt and … Continue reading →

Every year the dominant theme of Chanukah is the light we add to the world, especially in its darkest days. Every rabbi, myself included, gives the same speeches/lessons year after year. While we point out that the paragraph, Al HaNissim, … Continue reading →

Parshat VaYeshev, our upcoming Torah portion, begins with the oft-told lesson that just because Ya’akov desired to sit back, l’shev, and enjoy his life after years of challenge and struggle, he was, instead, visited with even more pain-filled years. His beloved sons quarrel and … Continue reading →

There is a Hebrew proverb, עין סומכים על הנס, Eyn Somchim al HaNes, which literally says don’t rely on a miracle. But, approaching Chanukah where we celebrate at least two miracles, and in at least two ways (we both recite הלל … Continue reading →

Our nusach, liturgy, both weekday, Shabbat, Chaggim (Festivals) and the Yomim Noraim (High Holy Days), includes many acrostics (prayers/praises based on the Aleph-Bet (the Hebrew alphabet)). Although not included in the liturgy, the longest of the Psalms, 119, is an acrostic composed of … Continue reading →

וַיַּרְא יַעֲקֹב אֶת־פְּנֵי לָבָן וְהִנֵּה אֵינֶנּוּ עִמּוֹ כִּתְמוֹל שִׁלְשׁוֹם, “And Yaacov saw the face of Lavan and, behold, it wasn’t as it appeared to him yesterday or the day before (Bereishit 31:2)”. This immediately follows the rather difficult section where Yaakov … Continue reading →

For those who were shocked at the various European votes to recognize “Palestine” as an independent country as well as revelations of planned EU sanctions against Israel for insufficient appeasement, all following so closely on the heels of the savage … Continue reading →

I fear that some people who have anticipated my sharing “words of wisdom” from Israel might be disappointed, but my overwhelming feeling here is one of humility. I’m in a city where Torah knowledge flows in abundance and there are … Continue reading →

As anyone who’s read very many of these article knows, I strongly advocate developing evolved, both time-and-place-appropriate practices in our faith. While I don’t know what these emerging changes will look like, I do know what they shouldn’t look like. … Continue reading →

Two disclaimers. First, I cannot avoid experiencing Israel against the background of seven years of memories living here a quarter century ago. Secondly, it’s late at night and I risk exhaustion, and perhaps coherence, in order to not lose these thoughts before … Continue reading →