Shabbat Shalom. I hope this finds you all well. In life, there are some things where you can go in a lot of directions – for instance: what you want to have for dinner, what color you want to paint the living room, where you want to go on vacation, and who you want to vote for. Then there are those boilerplate things that are yes-or-no, black-and-white, and right-or-wrong like…don’t steal, rob, trespass, or lie, don’t put your hands on someone without their permission, and don’t murder. They’re both simple and profoundly powerful. In this week’s parsha of Ki Tavo (Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8), Moses tells the people that after they cross the Jordan, half the tribes are to assemble on Mount Gerizim while the other half take their place on Mount Ebal. Moses then tells them that anyone who breaks the commandments will be cursed, to which the people are to […]

The Art of Menschlichkeit Shabbat Shalom! I hope this finds you all well. When I was a young boy, one of the first things my grandfather ever taught me was to hold open the door for women, the elderly, the disabled, and anyone who was carrying a lot of items in their hands. As I got older, my parents expanded this list: shoveling the driveways and walkways and raking the yards of elderly neighbors, walking the dogs for folks in the neighborhood who were on vacation or recovering from surgery, and delivering food to those who were sitting shiva. When I asked my folks why I was supposed to do these things, they responded, “We’re teaching you menschlichkeit.” And what is menschlichkeit? Simply put, it is the art of being a proper gentleman or lady. Menschlikeit is a middah – deeply held Jewish value. Minschlikeit did not come to us […]

Shabbat Shalom! I hope this finds you well. A month ago, the United States Army celebrated a cherished milestone: the 250th birthday of the Chaplain Corps. For 250 years, Chaplains, uniformed clergy – Jewish, Protestant, Catholic, LDS, Muslim, Buddhist, and Hindu have been there with our troops, from the bitter cold and heavy snows of Valley Forge and Bastogne, to the desert heat of Iraq and Kuwait, through the pounding surf of Omaha Beach, to the jungles of Vietnam, and from the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc and Afghanistan to the concrete labyrinths of Baghdad to Ramadi. No matter the danger, no matter when or where, and no matter the cost, U.S. Army Chaplains have put their lives on the line for the last 250 years to care for the spiritual and emotional well-being of our Soldiers and their families. But Chaplaincy doesn’t belong just to the military alone. Go […]

Shabbat Shalom! I hope this finds you all well. Oftentimes when we read Torah, we say “That’s cool, but what they’re talking about took place thousands of years ago. It can’t possibly relate to our lives here and now.” But other times, it might as well have been written five minutes ago. Case in point – in this week’s parasha of Re’eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17) we receive the following mitzvah (commandment): “You will consecrate to Adonai your God all male first-born in your herd and in your flock: you must not work your first-born.” (Deuteronomy 15:19). In other words, the first-born male cattle and sheep in one’s possession are meant to be offered up as sacrifices to God and therefore can serve no other role, function, or purpose (ex: shearing their wool, using them to plow the fields, etc.). At first glance, this falls under the “um cool, what does this […]