Category: Parasha
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Shimini Atzeret 5786: Objects of Sanctity and Implements of a Mitzvah
Two years ago, I prepared a whimsical and informative Dvar Torah for Shimini Atzeret which I printed before yom tov, brought to shul, and have never delivered. Last year I spoke about the impossible task of…
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Ha’azinu 5786: Everyday Holines
In recent days I may have shared with a few of you how much I appreciate the first coffee after Yom Kippur and several of you sent me very sweet notes on Friday morning hoping that…
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YK 5786: Praying with Sinners and Praying for Sinners
Many years ago my father in law shared a helpful mnemonic for remembering the six fast days of the Jewish calendar. They are, the black and the white, the man and the woman, and long and…
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RH2 5786: And God Remembered Noah
Why was Noah instructed to build an Ark? This seems like an obvious question but there is a profound dispute between Rashi and Ramban, our greatest medieval commentaries about precisely this question. After giving Noah exact…
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RH1 5786: The Holiday of Failure
One of the ways that technology has addled my brain is that I find it nearly impossible to do household tasks unless I’m listening to a podcast. This is often very annoying for members of my…
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Re’eh 5785: Transcendence and Joy
Rabbi Berel Wein, who died last Shabbat at the age of 91, was one of the longest serving rabbis of our time; his career spanned over sixty years. In addition to decades of service as a…
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Ekev 5785: A Second Telling of a Second Chance
Einstein is frequently credited with the observation that the very definition of insanity is doing the same thing again and again and expecting different results. The authoritative collection of Einstein quotes published by Princeton University Press…
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Devarim 5785: Why Do We Fast?
There are a handful of Talmudic passages that have become popular Jewish song lyrics. Which of course causes me to ponder all of those lines in the Talmud that have not become Jewish song lyrics. As…
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Pinhas 5785: Audacious Humility
Imposing limits is a Divine power. One of the names of God, Shadai, is understood to refer to God’s role in creation as the One who said “dai” – “enough” to hem in the waters above…
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Korach 5785: Fighting Fire with Almond Branches
The week before last I made visits to two different shivah homes and officiated at a funeral. That sort of schedule is not typical but neither is it very unusual and I think most rabbis have…
Rabbi David Wolkenfeld 