The underlying theme of the conflict between the Jews and the Greeks is the clash between two diametrically opposed worldviews. [In the Jewish view of reality, everything in the physical world is a reflection of the spiritual. A physical conflict is a superficial manifestation of a deeper spiritual conflict.] There are, of course, many points…
Scared of being killed by the enemy and also scared of having to kill the enemy. Life is full of contradictions. Rabbi Becher helps sort it out for us. View this video directly on VIMEO
Chanukah begins in a short time so here is a little historical introduction to the Chanukah festival, to which we will hopefully add some spiritual insights in the coming weeks. Approximately 200 years before the events of Chanukah, hundreds of thousands of Jews returned from the Babylonian exile to the Land of Israel. In time,…
As we enter the month of Kislev, and the weather turns colder, we start thinking about Chanukah, menorahs, latkes and donuts. Some of us, of the more nerdy variety, start to think of Philo Judeaus, the Septuagint, Alexandria and Greek tragedies. One aspect of the Greek opposition to Torah was their objection to the idea…
Your spiritual level is determined by your destination, and not by your current location. View this video directly on VIMEO
With the long winter nights now starting so early, I have started to think about day and night and their significance in Jewish thought. We know that in secular law, the calendar day starts and ends at midnight, however, in Jewish tradition the day starts the evening beforehand. So for example, Shabbat, starts Friday evening…
A child MUST be educated according to the needs of the child. Rabbi Becher explains the disaster that ensued when this rule wasn’t followed for Esau… View this video directly on VIMEO
The Jewish community and the entire world recently lost living Torahs, Rav Dovid Feinstein and Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks. This week’s Torah reading Chayei Sarah discusses the first ever Jewish burial and Avaraham’s care for his deceased wife, Sarah. I believe that it is appropriate to discuss the mitzvah of burial and respect for the…
The Jewish world – no, the ENTIRE world – has lost two great individuals this week: Rabbi Dovid Feinstein and Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sachs. Rabbi Becher speaks of the greatness of both men so that we can properly understand our loss. View this video directly on VIMEO
Rabbi Becher quotes source after source exhorting us to pray for the welfare of our government, for without a government, one man would swallow the other alive! View this video directly on VIMEO