Parashat Vayetze Rabbi Meir Sendor At the beginning of this week’s parashah, Yaakov Avinu, on his way out of the Land of Canaan, fleeing his brother Esav and anxious about his future, has his Ladder dream in which HaShem promises…
Couples Therapy
Parashat Toldot 5777 Rabbi Meir Sendor From the large, high-perched porch of Livnot U’lehibanot in Tzfat you get a dramatic, sweeping view west, across the deep valley, of Mount Meron (1208m), Mount Neriah (1123m), Mount Bar Yochai (1151m) and Mount…
Fight Fire with Fire – of the Heart
Parashat Hayye Sarah 5777 Rabbi Meir Sendor For the last three days disastrous fires have been raging throughout the Land of Israel. The long dry spell and the strong winds we have been experiencing have created dangerous conditions, and what…
It’s All in the Details
Lekh Lekha 5777 Rabbi Meir Sendor This week we visited Agamon ha-Hula, the nature preserve in northern Israel that is one of the premier birding spots of the world. Israel’s location puts it at the pivotal center of the migration…
Flex Time
Parashat Noach 5777 Rabbi Meir Sendor Part of our absorption process as new Olim is taking Ulpan. As I mentioned in the post on Parashat Shoftim, we are taking a course called אולפן תעסוקתי – employment Ulpan, for those entering…
The Power to Bless
Parashat Bereshit 5777 Rabbi Meir Sendor The hakafot for Shemini Atzeret-Simchat Torah at the colorful Beit HaKnesset Abuhav are especially lively. It’s an Eidot ha-Mizrach congregation, one of the most dynamic in Tzfat, presided over by the warm, charismatic Chief…
They’re Playing Our Song
Parashat Ha’azinu 5777 Rabbi Meir Sendor The prophetic song Ha’azinu, that HaShem commands Moshe to train us to commit to memory and recite, is an uncanny epitome of the patterns of all Jewish history. The purpose of memorizing it is…
On the Move
Parshat VaYelekh 5777 In his sefer Pri Etz Hayyim, a codification of kabbalistic halakhot and minhagim, R. Hayyim Vital says that it is a sign of spiritual health and wholeness to weep during these Ten Days of Repentance (Rosh HaShanah…
