Queen Esther was the ultimate diplomat and leader.   She didn’t think about her position. She was ready to be killed. After all, one who came to the king unannounced was liable to die! But she didn’t hesitate. She had no thoughts about her career trajectory or her spotlight of fame. She lived and breathed […]

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The Talmud teaches us that when the month of Adar (in which Purim falls) begins, we increase our joy (Ta’anit 29). Words of our sages are not empty slogans but practical life lessons. So, what is the deeper meaning of this well-worn statement? To understand its meaning we have to see the source of this […]

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“I would love to do that. But I can’t. I’m being held hostage. Not by force. No, oddly enough, it’s by choice.”   October 7th is the day that we Jews living in America were pulled out of being held hostage. We were shaken out of our sense of fake security and thrust into our […]

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The Torah portion this week begins with Moses assembling the entire community. At this great assembly, he conveyed the commandment for the building of the sanctuary. Our sages explain that the building of the sanctuary was an atonement for the sin of the golden calf, and that the donation of gold for the sanctuary was […]

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