Messages from January 2024

Rabbi O’s Weekly Parsha: Rabbi O’s Weekly Parsha: Beshalach

January 26, 2024
Exodous
Beshalach

(Exodus 13:17-17:16) Here’s an obvious grammatical mistake: ‘and the Egyptians was chasing them’. Rashi comes to the rescue and explains that the ‘mistake’ was intentional because it brings home the point that they pursued the Jews after they left Egypt ‘with one desire like one man.’ They were unified in their desire to capture the […]

Rabbi O’s Weekly Parsha: Bo (Exodus 10:1-13:16)

January 19, 2024
Exodous
Bo

Killing Your Options Syrian Jews have a custom to sing a Hebrew poem at a brit milah (circumcision).People worry about their wealth being, but not about their days fleeing (Odam doeg al ibud domov v’einu doeg al ibud yomov)Money will not help their yearning; the days that pass will not be returning. (Damov einum ozrim, yomav einum chozrim).Life is about making […]

Rabbi O’s Weekly Parsha: Vaeira (Exodus 6:2-9:35)

January 12, 2024
Exodous
Vaera

The Solution to Your Problem isn’t Complicated–It’s DifficultThe sinking of the Titanic on her maiden voyage was a great nautical catastrophe but the real tragedy is that it could have been avoided. One of the most foolish mistakes was that the ship’s radio operators received 21 warnings of ice, all of which were ignored. The Titanic serves a metaphor […]

Rabbi O’s Weekly Parsha: Shemos (Exodus 1:1-6:1)

January 5, 2024
Exodous
Shemot

To Thine Self Be True (Derech Eretz kadmah l’Torah) Imagine a U.S. army General telling a soldier on kitchen duty he would like to speak with him after dinner about an important covert mission. Would this soldier need permission from his Sergeant? Whether it is the head football coach changing a play or a CEO overruling a […]