Sermons
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It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it…
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Recently Apple admitted that iPhone software updates caused the phone to intentionally operate at a slower speed in order to preserve the lifespan of the phone’s aging battery. This admission launched a renewed look into something that is referred to as planned obsolescence. Planned obsolescence is an artificial and intentional limited lifespan in order to increase…
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How do we know whom to trust? How should we make decisions under pressure? When and how should we be strong and when and how should we be flexible? What arguments are convincing to others and what arguments do we find compelling? These questions are at the heart of many of our dilemmas as human beings who must…
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In 1954, Senator Lyndon Johnson added a few lines to the Federal Tax code that was signed into law by President Eisenhower. The so-called “Johnson Amendment” forbade any 501(c)3 non-profit organization or religious organization from endorsing a candidate in any election or endorsing or condemning any specific piece of legislation. The motivation of the amendment…
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In Parashat VaYigash the story of Yosef and the story of Yehudah and the story of Yaakov all reach a climax. As these strands of the story are closer and closer breaded together, each of these heroes has the opportunity to interact with or confront Pharaoh and they take very different tacks. When Yosef reveals his…
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Many years ago, when I was a college student spending Hannukah at my mother’s apartment, we gathered ogether with some of her closest friends to light candles. One of them, who could have been an Upper West Side Jew ordered from Central-Casting turned to me, just before we lit candles and said, “when you think…
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Our parashah this morning tells of Yosef ’s rise as the favored son of the patriarch Jacob, the owner of his own coat of many colors and the teller of dreams that appear to be delusions of grandeur. Yosef then finds himself at the bottom of a bit, left to die by his own brothers. He then…
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During the first year that I learned at Yeshivat Hamivtar, I took advantage of the pre-dinner break each day to exercise. Usually I went jogging alone along the security path that wended its way over and through the hills that surrounded Efrat, but I was convinced to join my classmates on a few occasions who played soccer…
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We used to tell visitors that the only kosher restaurant in Princeton was our kitchen. As such, we developed a tradition of hosting the graduating seniors and their parents for a BBQ dinner the evening prior to graduation. The kosher dining hall was already closed at that time of year; the students and their parents needed someplace to…
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When our eldest child Noam was 6 months old or so, a professional mentor of mine saw him and said, “Oh what a cute baby! It’s so great when they are at an age when it is still impossible to be angry at them.” I had no idea what she meant. Eleven years later I understand.…
- 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 