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Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I take a look at the symbolism of Simchat Torah and how it can be a paradigm for our lives.

Send us Fan Mail A short reflection on Shabbat Shuva, the Shabbat between Rosh Hashanna and Yom Kippur

Send us Fan Mail My Shanna Tova thoughts

Send us Fan Mail A short High Holiday thought

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I explore why a simple produce tithe turned into a whole megillah of Jewish history.

Send us Fan Mail In this episode I speak about the interesting ritual of bikkurim and the text reminding us where we have been and where we are now.

Send us Fan Mail This is my Parashat Shoftim discussion with the congregation during Shabbat morning service

Send us Fan Mail A Shabbat reflection on tzedek, tzedek tirdof - justice, justice you shall pursue

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Send us Fan Mail A short thought on Parashat Eikev.  Justice and love - and how they are so closely dependent upon each other.

Send us Fan Mail The Torah drops a line that sounds impossible to reconcile: Moses tells Israel that God didn’t choose them because they were numerous, “for you are the fewest of all peoples.” But wait, aren’t Abraham’s descendants promised to be like the stars and the sand? And weren’t the Israelites so many in Egypt that Pharaoh panicked and enslaved them? We take that tension seriously, because it’s not just a textual problem, it’s a blueprint for Jewish identity.  We walk through how classic commentators tackle the contradiction, including readings that depend on timing, on being “small” relative to empires, and on Rashi’s striking idea that love is more demanding when it attaches to the few. From there, we zoom out to the bigger theme: humility isn’t pretending we don’t matter. It’s refusing to let impact turn into ego. A message meant for the whole world doesn’t require a majority, it requires persistence and a willingness to carry meaning when it’s unpopular.  Then we test that idea against history and the present. Crusades, inquisitions, forced conversions, and genocidal regimes should have ended the Jewish story by any rational measure, yet empires vanish and Jewish life keeps rebuilding. We also talk about modern antisemitism in America and Israel, the strange convergence of hate from opposite directions, and an unexpected post October 7 reality where some secular Jews leaned in more strongly to Jewish identity and connection to Israel. If you’re searching for language to hold fear and faith at the same time, this conversation aims to give it to you.  If this resonates, subscribe for more, share it with a friend who likes Torah, Jewish history, and big questions, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show. What part of the “fewest of all peoples” idea do you most agree or disagree with?

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Send us Fan Mail Shabbat Hazon is the Shabbat before Tisha B'av and gets its name from the prophet Isaiah who 'saw' (Hazon) the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. I offer a couple of thoughts about how we can commemorate this moment in Jewish history.

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