Parashat Terumah 5781 by Meir Sendor The Gemara Bekhorot (8b) records the battle of wits between the brilliant Rabbi Yehoshua ben Hananiah and the sages of Athens. Among the tests of wisdom is the following exchange: תלמוד בבלי מסכת בכורות…
Why do Angels Sing?
Parashat Yitro 5781 by Meir Sendor In Torah tradition angels are understood to be messengers facilitating God’s Will in the world. But they also have their own divine service of praise to perform – to sing. There are a number…
Only One
Parashat Vayechi 5781 by Meir Sendor Every day in prayer, morning and evening, we declare the Oneness of God in the Shema. Yet as familiar as this mitzvah may be, the awareness it challenges us to attain is extraordinary. As…
Identity Politics
Parashat Miketz 5781 by Meir Sendor One of the underlying themes of this week’s parashah is identity. Yosef, a prisoner at the very bottom of the social pyramid of Egypt, jumps suddenly to the top, gets a nickname, adopts Egyptian…
Don’t Say Water, Water
Parashat VaYetze 5781 by Meir Sendor בראשית פרק לב פסוק ב פסוק ג וְיַעֲקֹ֖ב הָלַ֣ךְ לְדַרְכּ֑וֹ וַיִּפְגְּעוּ־ב֖וֹ מַלְאֲכֵ֥י אֱלֹהִֽים: וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יַעֲקֹב֙ כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר רָאָ֔ם מַחֲנֵ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים זֶ֑ה וַיִּקְרָ֛א שֵֽׁם־הַמָּק֥וֹם הַה֖וּא מַֽחֲנָֽיִם: Yaakov went on his way, and angels of…
Truth to Power
Parashat Toldot 5781 by Meir Sendor Yitzhak Avinu, in Kabbalah, is associated with the Sefirah Din, divine Judgment, the quality that discerns reality and accords to every person and every creature what they really deserve. Yet in this week’s parashah,…
Wider than the Sky
Parashat Hayye Sarah 5781 by Meir Sendor This week’s parashah features the spiritual apotheosis of Avraham Avinu. He reached this level after navigating ten essential trials in his life, as it says in the Mishnah Avot: משנה מסכת אבות פרק…
Life Cycle
Our schedule for our upcoming new classes for the year can be found here. Classes start next week online! Hol HaMoed Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret 5781 by Meir Sendor One of the recurring symbols of Chag HaSukkot is the circle.…
Shake and Wake
Sukkot 5781 Meir Sendor The mitzvah of the Four Species on Sukkot is to take one Lulav, three branches of myrtle leaves and two branches of willow leaves bound together in your dominant hand, and the Etrog in your other…
Choose Life
Parashat Nitzavim/ VaYelekh 5780 Meir Sendor You would think this would be an easy choice: דברים פרק ל (יט) העדתי בכם היום את השמים ואת הארץ החיים והמות נתתי לפניך הברכה והקללה ובחרת בחיים למען תחיה אתה וזרעך: I…
