SETTING GOALS AND SCORING GOALS At the time of writing, England is still in the Euros and the quarterfinal match against Ukraine will be played in Italy on Shabbat afternoon. Perhaps some extra devotion may be evident in the Shabbat morning prayers this week! For those nations already eliminated, the post mortem has begun. Why...
BALAK’S OWN GOAL With England through to the next round of the Euros, due to play Germany, next Tuesday, I am reminded of an occasion, a few years ago, when an English team playing a German team placed football fans in a moral dilemma. In 2012, Chelsea were in the finals of the Champions League,...
FINDING YOUR VOICE Twice in the bible, we are told that the Children of Israel sang a song (to G-d.) The first time was after they had crossed the Red Sea on dry land: אָ֣ז יָשִֽׁיר־מֹשֶׁה֩ וּבְנֵ֨י יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶת־הַשִּׁירָ֤ה הַזֹּאת֙ “Then Moses and the Children of Israel sang this song.” In this week’s parasha, forty...
TURNING JUDAISM OUTWARDS This coming Sunday, 3rd Tammuz, marks the yahrzeit of one the greatest Torah teachers and leaders of the twentieth century: Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the 7th Lubavitche Rebbe, who died in 1994. He taught a Judaism that saw the good in every human being and inspired his followers to reach out to...
BRINGING OUT THE BEST IN OTHERS In this week’s parasha we read of the mission to spy out the land of Israel. From the outset, Moses is concerned. G-d had promised that He would take His people to a ‘land flowing with milk and honey,’but the spies might be overwhelmed at the challenges they would...
CAN OUR CHILDREN HEAR THIS? This week’s sidra, parashat Naso, is the longest in the book. Why? Because for twelve days, the Princes of the tribes brought their gifts to dedicate the Tabernacle. Each gift was exactly the same but the Torah spells out each one, in full detail, twelve times. With the Tabernacle dedicated,...
CAN OUR CHILDREN HEAR THIS? This week’s sidra, parashat Naso, is the longest in the book. Why? Because for twelve days, the Princes of the tribes brought their gifts to dedicate the Tabernacle. Each gift was exactly the same but the Torah spells out each one, in full detail, twelve times. With the Tabernacle dedicated,...
STARS, SOIL AND SAND Shalom friends At the time I am writing this message, Israel is being bombarded with rockets. Our hearts go out to the families who have been bereaved; to the many who have been wounded and lost their homes; and the even more who are being traumatised by the events. May G-d...
AM YISRAEL CHAI In the 1960s, Jews in the Western world had become aware of the struggle faced by Jewish people in the Soviet Union living under communist oppression. The campaign for Soviet Jewry was initially spearheaded by students and was then taken up by the mainstream community. In April 1965, the student leader, Jacob...
CREATING HOLINESS This week’s parasha deals with the three different types of holiness we find in Judaism: holiness of the person, holiness in time, and holiness in space. The first two portions of the sidra outline the special responsibilities on the Cohen. Whom may he marry? Under what circumstances may he go to the cemetery?...
