According to a recent survey, about 86% of Americans say they believe in G-d, while 9 out of 10 Americans claimed to “engage in prayer regularly.” Judaism maintains that human beings have a natural desire to seek a relationship with G-d and to connect with a reality beyond the purely physical. The statistics indicate that this is true even in a nation where wealth and comfort abound. We are drawn ...
Read MoreRabbi Mordechai Becher explains why the "eyes" of G-d and our Eyes are focused on the Land of Israel View this video directly on Vimeo.
Read MoreThis week's Torah portion takes its name from the unusual word used to describe our reward for following G-d's commandments. So what's the story behind that word? View this video directly on VIMEO
Read MoreThe Jews have never accepted the fact that the Temples were destroyed; they never accepted the fact that they were exiled from their land and in fact are still in exile. That is why the Jews are still in mourning - still sitting shiva - because we refuse to accept the situation; because we refuse to forget. View this video directly on Vimeo.
Read MoreLet’s not repeat the sin of the spies. View this video directly on Vimeo.
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The fast of the Ninth of Av, Tisha B’Av, is the most famous and the most stringent of all the fasts relating to the destruction of the Temple and the Exile. The very first tragedy to occur on this day took place soon after the Exodus from Egypt. The Jewish people sent spies to the Land of Israel, in preparation for its conquest. When the spies returned with a discouraging ...
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Despite the dreadful, heartbreaking nature of Tisha B’Av, an element of happiness is concealed within it. Tisha B’Av is called a mo’ed, meaning festival, and certain prayers associated with sadness that are omitted on happy occasions are, in fact, not said on this day. What is the source of the joy that lightens our mourning on Tisha B’Av? Some commentaries explain that it springs from the knowledge that eventually, at ...
Read MoreOn the first Tisha B'Av, the Jews in the desert did not believe in themselves. Rabbi Mordechai Becher says we will reach the time of Redemption when the Jews believe in themselves as much as G-d Himself believes in us! View this video directly on Vimeo.
Read MoreWhy was Joshua chosen to succeed Moses? View this video directly on Vimeo.
Read MoreIn the midst of the attempt of Balak and Bilam to destroy the Jewish people, the angel of G-d reminds them not to hurt animals. Rabbi Becher wonders why and why now? View this video directly on Vimeo.
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The Seventeenth of Tammuz, this coming Sunday, occurs exactly three weeks before Tisha B’Av and is the next most significant fast day. The Mishnah states: Five things happened to our ancestors on the 17th of Tammuz — The First Tablets were broken, the daily offering ceased, the walls of Jerusalem were breached, the evil Apostomus burnt a Torah scroll, and an idol was set up in the Sanctuary. The first calamity to ...
Read MoreWhy wasn’t Moshe allowed to enter the Promised Land? View this video directly on Vimeo
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The Torah reading for this week begins with an intricate series of laws regarding purity, impurity and purification. This involved many details which appear to some to be, excessive, a complaint commonly heard about Jewish law in general. I would like to explain one idea behind all this detail: consistency. Consistency is much more difficult to achieve than one might expect. Imagine someone waking up one morning and making a firm ...
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