Sermons
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Three books are opened on Rosh Hashanah. The fully righteous are written and sealed immediately for life. The fully wicked are written and sealed immediately for death. And those in the middle have their judgment suspended until Yom Kippur. If they merit, they are sealed for life. If they do not merit, they are sealed…
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There are sad stories, and there are happy stories and there are Jewish stories. As every student of drama and literature knows, tragedies end in a funeral; comedies end with a wedding. Everyone attending a Shakespearean tragedy or comedy knows how it will end before the curtain rises. And the same is true for someone…
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When I was a teenager, whenever my friends did something slightly edgy, we would say to one another, “what you just did is illegal in 5 states.” Well, times have changed and federalism is fun, and I can now add to the list of every-day joyful activities in our community that are illegal in certain jurisdictions.…
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When David Ben Gurion made his first state visit to the United States as prime minister of Israel he gave a speech about the power of Jewish memory. How many Americans, he asked, know what day the Mayflower set sail for North America? How many Americans know what food was eaten on the Mayflower? And…
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Where can God be found? Perhaps the most comprehensive and famous answer given to that question was formulated by the 20th century Jewish philosopher, Uncle Moishy, who declared, “Hashem is here. Hashem is there. Hashem is truly everywhere.” And yet, Sefer Devarim introduces a spiritual innovation that transformed Jewish life. Even though “Hashem is truly…
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About eighteen months ago a small boutique bakery opened steps away from the shul where I worked at the time. I thought it would be a perfect win-win opportunity if the bakery would agree to kosher supervision and so even before the bakery opened for business, I sought out the owner, introduced myself as the…
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If you were approached without warning and asked to name “the most important mitzvah” what would you answer? This morning I want to suggest that the most important mitzvah is the one you do not yet observe. There are many ways to classify mitzvot. There are commands and prohibitions. There are time-bound mitzvot which can…
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This week was my first “holiday” week at Ohev Sholom. Because the “holiday” in question was Tisha b’Av, I didn’t have to worry about cooking a big holiday meal, but preparing for Tisha b’Av was stll a major focus of the week. And, in the midst of my preparations for Tisha b’Av, I had stolen…
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One of the techniques used by television writers to build excitement as a TV series reaches its grand finale is to bring back characters from earlier episodes for cameo appearances in the final episode. This resolves plot lines, brings closure to narrative arcs, and rewards the loyalty of viewers who can appreciate seeing a character…
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One of my favorite rabbinic jokes is particularly appropriate for a Shabbat such as this one. I first shared it publicly ten years ago, I shared it again a few weeks ago, and I’m going to share it here this morning: There was once a new rabbi who, in the excitement and business of moving…
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Rabbi David Wolkenfeld 