THE RIGHT PLACE FOR A LECHAYIM! Nadav and Avihu, the two older sons of Aaron, tragically lose their lives in...
Thoughts of the Week
by Dayan Ivan Binstock
Tzav – Pesach

WHY IS TODAY CALLED SHABBAT HAGADOL – ‘THE GREAT SHABBAT?’ The first reference to this name is found in Siddur...
Vayakhel-Pekudei

PRECIOUS METALS Last Friday night, at the end of the shul service, we had a magical moment. Two boys, Benjy...
Vayishlach

This coming Sunday marks the Shloshim of Rabbi Lord Sacks, Moreh Morenu HaRav, R. Ya’akov Zvi ben R. David Arieh,...
Chayei Sarah

SWEETS FROM THE CHIEF RABBI Last Sunday morning, I had the honour to represent Chief Rabbi Mirvis at the Cenotaph....
Lech Lecha

ABRAHAM’S PATH TO G-D Jewish history begins with G-d’s call to Abraham at the beginning of this week’s sidra, telling...
Vezot Haberachah

THE BELOVED ONES “Of Benjamin he said: May G-d’s beloved dwell securely by Him” (Deuteronomy 33:12) The Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni)...
Rosh Hashanah

FROM THE INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW KOREN MACHZOR The ten days that begin on Rosh HaShanah and culminate in Yom...
Nitzavim Vayelech

THE FOURTEENTH PRINCIPLE OF FAITH The thirteen principles of the Jewish faith were enumerated by Moses Maimonides (1135-1204) in his...
Va’etchanan

IS IT SAFE TO COME TO SHUL ON SHABBAT? We have been back at shul for a few weeks now,...
Mattot Massei

TRANSFORMATIONS One of England’s transformational personalities is choirmaster, Gareth Malone. Whether it is Military Wives or Hospital Staff or simply...
Chukat – Balak

HEALING FROM THE SERPENT AND COVID The first of this week’s parashot describes how the Israelites are punished by G-d...
Shelach Lecha

JOURNEYING FROM LOCKDOWN On the face of it, the episode of the spies was a tragedy. The Children of Israel...
Beha’alotecha

A JEWISH WHISTLE BLOWER’S CHARTER Hardly a week goes by without the news media broadcasting or publishing a story about...
Behar Bechukotai

VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE BARRIERS The first of the two sidrot for this Shabbat, discusses the sale of houses and how...
Acharei Mot-Kedoshim

STAY HOME, SAVE A LIFE Time and again in this coronavirus pandemic, our political leaders have said that social distancing...
Tazria-Metzora

PRAYING FOR THOSE WHO ARE UNWELL The Torah goes into great detail in this week’s portion describing an affliction knows...
Pesach – Shemini

THE RIGHT PLACE FOR A LECHAYIM! One stark contrast between our Seder nights and our currently home-based synagogue services is...
Beshallach

CLEAR VISION One of the key parts of the magnificent Song of the Sea that we sing this Shabbat, is...
Vayishlach

THE QUESTIONS ESAU ASKS US Occasionally, a biblical passage will leap off the page indicating that it has a relevance...
Chayei Sarah

LIVING THE GOOD LIFE The first verse of our parsha seems unnecessarily repetitive in its use of the word, ‘years.’:...
Lech Lecha

ABRAHAM AND HIS DISCIPLES When Abram and Sarai come to the land of Canaan, they didn’t come by themselves. They...
Chol Hamoed Succot

THOUGHTS ON VEZOT HABERACHAH MOSES’ HANDOVER “Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses...
Ha’azinu – Succot

THOUGHTS ON SUKKOT SUKKOT – THE DUAL FESTIVAL More than any other festival, Sukkot represents the dual character of Jewish...
Rosh Hashanah

FROM THE INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW KOREN MACHZOR The ten days that begin on Rosh HaShana and culminate in Yom...
Va’etchanan

TAKING RISKS The temptation to get that perfect selfie can have tragic consequences. More than 250 people have lost their...
Mattot-Masei

FLATTERY The recent announcement that the US Justice Department is reinstating the death penalty after a sixteen-year break has reopened...
Shelach Lecha

CATCH 22? The recent TV adaptation of Catch 22 is receiving good reviews. Joseph Heller, in his original 1961 novel,...
Beha’alotecha

THE SEVEN BOOKS OF MOSES This week, we are into Beha’alotcha, the third sidra of the fourth book of the...
Bechukkotai

HOW HIGH? The late Rabbi Dr. Louis Rabinowitz (1906-1984, Chief Rabbi of South Africa,) was once arriving in Israel and...
Acharei Mot

WHAT MAKES AN ITEM SPECIAL? This week witnessed the beginning of the enthronement of Naruhito as the new Emperor of...
Shabbat Shira

Some trees only grow in warm climates like the Mediterranean; the olive tree is one of them. Scientists and archeologists...
THE MEANING OF YISRAEL

THE MEANING OF YISRAEL When Jacob wrestles with the angel, his name became changed from Jacob to Israel ki sarita...
Chayei Sara

PARSHA PALINDROME Rashi comments at the beginning of the sidra that Sarah’s age on death, expressed as one hundred years...
Lech Lecha

ABRAHAM’S PATH TO G-D Jewish history begins with G-d’s call to Abraham at the beginning of this week’s sidra, telling...
Repentence

The month of September seems to be totally overwhelming! Kids back to School, a new academic year at JFS, the...