On Pesach we celebrate the emancipation of the Children of Israel from slavery in Egypt. Less then two months after the Children of Israel left Egypt they stood at the foot of mount Sinai to receive the Torah from God. The Torah is a book of Laws that govern our…
Why I No Longer Celebrate Xmas
My grandparents moved to the UK from mainland Europe in the 1930s. Upon setting up home they made a conscious decision that their children should be British first – being Jewish came a distant second. Thus, my mother and her siblings were brought up celebrating Xmas with all its trimmings….
Life Is One Big Game
According to the following Midrash, victory is the theme of Sukkot: The divine judgment on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is comparable to a civil dispute being judged in a court of law. And the first day of Sukkot is akin to the end of the court case when the…
The Legitimacy of Difference
Many refer to Sukkot as the festival of Jewish unity. The Midrash (Agadah Leviticus 23) tells us that the "Four Species" (the citron, palm branch, myrtle and willow) that Jews shake on Sukkot represent four disparate types of Jews. Holding the "Four Species" together symbolizes the unity of all Jews….
A Sukkot Meditation
As a teacher, rabbi and writer I am fortunate to be able to interact positively with many people. Often people come to speak with me or join a class that I give with a passionate craving for spiritual knowledge and inspiration. Unbeknown to them their desire to learn and to…
Praying towards Contentment
How often do we think about other people? Do we really take an interest in anyone other than ourselves? Everything around us – the media, the economy, our jobs – encourages us to be selfish and egocentric. Yes indeed, the world we live in can sometimes be a very dark…
Relax For The Sake Of It
It’s a new fad. Many spas and health clubs have them – they are called “relaxation rooms”. Many of us live a stress filled existence where the only relaxation we get is when we are sleeping. Even when we are on vacation we have access to our cell phone, e-mail…
What is Shabbat?
While waiting to board the plane in Ben Gurion Airport about twelve years ago I got talking to a businessman who was standing in line in front of me. During the course of our conversation he said to me, “I want to tell you something very strange. Something I experience…
You Have Made Us Proud
We Jews have tremendous coping power. This week, this was yet again put to the test.The pain and suffering that the “Massacre of the Children” caused is beyond belief. Like all of us, I was deeply pained that once again our people are being slaughtered by Arab-Islamic Jew-hating murderers. Amongst…
Abraham’s Anti Terror Strategy
The recent cowardly attack on Jordan and recent arrests in Australia has once again brought the following question into sharp focus: how can we avoid the looming devastation international terrorism would like to bring upon us? Many experts are pessimistic, seemingly resigned to the idea that the worst is yet…