Sefirat ha-Omer is the mitzvah that frames the season we are in right now, between Pesach and Shavuot. While the action of the mitzvah is fairly straightforward – we count each day and week from the day after Pesach until…
To Number Our Days
Parashat Emor 5777 Meir Sendor As Lag BaOmer approaches an electricity builds up here in the Galil. This day signifies the end of the plague that decimated the students of Rabbi Akiva as related in the Gemara Yevamot 62b. Throughout…
Fine China
Parashat Shemini 5777 Meir Sendor On Isru Chag we visited the Kotel with my father-in-law, who would be returning to the States shortly. As often happens when you’re out and about in Israel, we ran into friends of ours and…
Group Dynamics
Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei 5777 Meir Sendor A young guest at our Shabbat table recently asked whether I still go to minyan regularly during the week, seeing as I’m no longer serving as a community Rabbi. It was not an innocent question.…
Go Deep
Parshat Beshallach 5777 Meir Sendor The other day I was teaching an introductory class in Jewish meditation in the ‘”Inspiration Room” on the top floor of Livnot U’Lehibanot. The participants were young adults, new to the workforce, taking some time…
It’s Not Business, It’s Personal
Parashat Vayishlach 5777 Rabbi Meir Sendor This week’s parashah opens with Yaakov Avinu’s anxious preparations to meet his twin brother Esav after years of estrangement. Fearing Esav’s murderous resentment, Yaakov prays poignantly and movingly to HaShem for help. The commentators…
