Sermons
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Who is the subject of Jewish prayer? When the siddur says “we” “us” “our” as in the phrase “our God” “heal us” and “we thank you” who is the subject? It seems that in almost every instance, the first-person-plural voice that is adopted in Jewish prayer reflects Klal Yisrael – the spiritual collective that unites…
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This past Wednesday afternoon I spoke to a group of students who attend a Christian high school that is a sort of Protestant version of the Jewish day schools that many of our children attend. In between their semesters, they had enrolled in a weeklong course exploring the broader context of their own Christian faith.…
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Last Friday afternoon, a short time before Shabbat began, I received a letter and package in the mail that has been a source of encouragement and hope during the past week. Here is the letter: “Since 1927 St. Basil Greek Orthodox Church has been located at 733 South Ashland Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. Previously it was…
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I had a remarkable experience last week, unlike anything I have ever encountered. It was positive and I hope I never have to repeat it. On each morning of Rosh Hashanah, I completed my own tefilot together with the early parking-lot minyan, and then I made the rounds of the other tefilah locations that our…
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Google Calendar has been trolling me for the past six months. Not a week has gone by in which Google Calendar – ostensibly trying to be helpful – has not reminded me of some upcoming event that I had entered into my calendar myself…and which did not occur due to the deadly global pandemic that…
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לַכֹּ֖ל זְמָ֑ן וְעֵ֥ת לְכָל־חֵ֖פֶץ תַּ֥חַת הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to reap that which is planted. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to…
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Torah Tzivah Lanu Moshe. The Torah, and its content, was commanded to us through Moshe our teacher. And, from the day that he was named, early in Parashat Shmot, until the very last verses of the Torah, his leadership and his service of God, and his Ahavat Yisrael, his love for his people, and his…
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The morning of August 11, 2008, began like any other. Sara, pregnant at the time with Hillel and Akiva, had a routine prenatal exam, and I drove to Princeton to spend the day unpacking boxes in our new home. Our landlords had been required to conduct some upgrades so that our home would pass inspection,…
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Many of you know this morning’s Torah portion very well. You know the plagues that were inflicted on the Egyptians. If I say, “dam, tzfarde’ah…” you know what comes next (kinim). If I say “let my people…” you know the end of the clause is “let my people go.” We know Parashat Va’era so well,…
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Shannah Tovah. Just kidding. But a new decade does provide a chance to look back over the past ten years. In the days leading up to Hanukkah ten years ago a group of Yeshiva University students, calling themselves the “Maccabeats” became instant celebrities when a whimsical video of an acapella performance of a Hanukkah parody…
- Parasha
- Acharei Mot
- Acharei Mot-Kedoshim
- Baha'alotcha
- Balak
- Bamidbar
- Behar
- Behar-Behukotai
- Behukotai
- Bereishit
- Beshalach
- Bo
- Chayei Sara
- Devarim
- Eikev
- Emor
- Ha'Azinu
- Hol HaMoed Sukkot
- Hukkat
- Hukkat-Balak
- Kedoshim
- Ki Teitzei
- Ki Tissa
- Kol Nidre
- Korach
- Lekh Lekha
- Ma'asei
- Matot
- Matot Ma'asei
- Miketz
- Mishpatim
- Naso
- Nitzavim
- Nitzavim-Vayeilech
- Noach
- Pekudei
- Pinchas
- Re'eh
- Rosh Hashanah
- Shavuot
- Shekalim
- Shemot
- Shimini Atzeret
- Shlach
- Shmini
- Shoftim
- Tazria
- Tazria Metzora
- Terumah
- Tetzaveh
- Toldot
- Tzav
- Va'Etchanan
- Vaera
- Vayakhel
- Vayakhel-Pekudei
- VaYechi
- Vayeilech
- Vayera
- VaYeshev
- VaYetzei
- VaYigash
- Vayikra
- VaYishlach
- Yitro
- Yom Ha'atzmaut
- Yom Kippur
- Passover
- Shavuot
- Year
Rabbi David Wolkenfeld 