Jewish Congregation Adass Yisroel, Berlin (Public Corporation)
We will read this week about Moshe Rabeinu's (having spent his youth at Pharaoh's protected castle,) first encounters with the "outside world“: „He went out on the second day, and behold, two Hebrew men were quarrelling, and he said to the wicked one, "Why are you going to strike your friend?" The man replied: "Who made …
Continue reading "Parshat Shemot: The consequences of Sinat Chinam – senseless hatred"
The second Pasuk of Vayechi reads: וַיִּקְרְב֣וּ יְמֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ לָמוּת֒ וַיִּקְרָ֣א ׀ לִבְנ֣וֹ לְיוֹסֵ֗ף וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ אִם־נָ֨א מָצָ֤אתִי חֵן֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ שִֽׂים־נָ֥א יָדְךָ֖ תַּ֣חַת יְרֵכִ֑י וְעָשִׂ֤יתָ עִמָּדִי֙ חֶ֣סֶד וֶאֱמֶ֔ת אַל־נָ֥א תִקְבְּרֵ֖נִי בְּמִצְרָֽיִם׃ (Bereshit 47,29) "When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, "If I have now found favour in your …
וַיֶּאְסֹ֤ר יוֹסֵף֙ מֶרְכַּבְתּ֔וֹ וַיַּ֛עַל לִקְרַֽאת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל אָבִ֖יו גֹּ֑שְׁנָה וַיֵּרָ֣א אֵלָ֗יו וַיִּפֹּל֙ עַל־צַוָּארָ֔יו וַיֵּ֥בְךְּ עַל־צַוָּארָ֖יו עֽוֹד׃ (Bereshit 46, 29) And Yosef harnessed his chariot, and he went up to meet his father, to Goshen, and he appeared to him, and he fell on his neck, and he wept on his neck for a long time. Rashi explains that …
Continue reading "Shabbat Vayigash – In control of our desires…"
For many years, I have been trying to understand the rationale behind celebrating Chanukah. Surely, it was a big event at the time. Restoring our holiest place to its glory. It was (and is still, even as we now have only one wall!) the place many feel closest to G-d. (In fact, even non-Jews experience …
Continue reading "Miracles and Faith – Thoughts on Hanukkah"
On Sunday night, we will light the first candle of Chanukah B"H. I have a special relationship with Chanukah. It elevates me sometimes more than other Holydays. I am not sure why, but perhaps because: On Chanukah we celebrate the phenomena of "hidden miracles" in our lives. The victory in the war against the Greek suppressors …
Continue reading "Shabbat Kodesh Vayeshev and Chanukah 5782"
וַיִּירָ֧א יַעֲקֹ֛ב מְאֹ֖ד וַיֵּ֣צֶר ל֑וֹ וַיַּ֜חַץ אֶת־הָעָ֣ם אֲשֶׁר־אִתּ֗וֹ וְאֶת־הַצֹּ֧אן וְאֶת־הַבָּקָ֛ר וְהַגְּמַלִּ֖ים לִשְׁנֵ֥י מַחֲנֽוֹת׃ We will read this week that upon learning that Eisav is coming towards him with 400 "people" with him "Yaakov became very frightened and was distressed; so he divided the people who were with him and the flocks and the cattle and the camels into two camps. [And …
וְעַתָּ֗ה לְכָ֛ה נִכְרְתָ֥ה בְרִ֖ית אֲנִ֣י וָאָ֑תָּה וְהָיָ֥ה לְעֵ֖ד בֵּינִ֥י וּבֵינֶֽךָ׃וַיִּקַּ֥ח יַעֲקֹ֖ב אָ֑בֶן וַיְרִימֶ֖הָ מַצֵּבָֽה׃וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יַעֲקֹ֤ב לְאֶחָיו֙ לִקְט֣וּ אֲבָנִ֔ים וַיִּקְח֥וּ אֲבָנִ֖ים וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ־גָ֑ל וַיֹּ֥אכְלוּ שָׁ֖ם עַל־הַגָּֽל׃ וַיִּקְרָא־ל֣וֹ לָבָ֔ן יְגַ֖ר שָׂהֲדוּתָ֑א וְיַֽעֲקֹ֔ב קָ֥רָא ל֖וֹ גַּלְעֵֽד׃ Lavan is chasing his son in law, Yaakov Avinu, as he was leaving Padan Aram going back to the holy land. However, when …
On November 9, 1938, the Community Centre Adass Yisroel the Rabbinical Seminary of Berlin were occupied and locked off-limits by the secret state police. Any access was prevented. Only the caretaker was allowed to enter the house occasionally in exceptional cases and under Gestapo control for the purpose of maintenance and heating. It is thanks …
The term “Freudian slip" is named after the Jewish-Viennese psychologist Professor Sigmund Freud. In fact, the idea might have been discovered more than a century earlier by revered Gaon Rabbi Eliyahu of Vilnius.: Here it is: We all know (and will read this week) that Rivka Imeinu instructed Yaakov to pretend to be Esav - in order …
The second narrative of Parshat Chayei Sarah deals with one if not the most important mission Avraham Avinu had to achieve; Finding a suitable wife for his son Yitzchak. After all, he knew this son is the link to the chain which will eventually become "Am Yisrael". So one can imagine the significance of finding him the …
Continue reading "Weekly Torah Portion – Parshat Chaye Sarah"