We just observed the fast of the Seventeenth of Tamuz, which occurs exactly three weeks before Tishah B’Av and we are now in the middle of the period of mourning known as “The Three Weeks.” The Mishnah states: Five things happened to our ancestors on the Seventeenth of Tamuz: The First Tablets were broken, the…
The Power of a Vow Rabbi Becher discusses the power of speech, and its ability to create and destroy is a theme of the parsha, a theme of the Three Weeks of mourning for the Temple, and an important lesson for those involved in controversy and dispute. View this video directly on VIMEO
This week’s Torah portion discusses the annulment of vows. So when we say Kol Nidrei on Yom Kippur, what types of vows can and can’t we wipe out? View this video directly on VIMEO
One of the shortest, but most optimistic verses in the Torah appears in Parshat Pinchas. Rabbi Becher explains that the sons of Korach give all of us hope. View this video directly on VIMEO
This week our family just celebrated the marriage of our son, Pinchas to his bride, Mari. I would like to wish mazal tov to them and to all of us and you, because every marriage is a celebration for the whole Jewish people. In honor of the wedding below is an excerpt from my book,…
Pinchas’ act of zealotry in Numbers chapter 25 earns him the priesthood. But it also casts new light on a prior scene involving his tribe of Levi and the tribe of Shimon back in Genesis chapter 34. Tune in for details… View this video directly on VIMEO
The Brownstone is gaining traction as the go-to address for savvy young Jewish adults. Its unique space encourages networking, learning, schmoozing and noshing as witnessed by a host of recent events. Each day, the building buzzes with an energy and excitement felt from the ground floor kitchen and dining spaces all the way to the…
I would like to try to explain a very strange statement in the Talmud. A Roman approached the great sage Shammai and said that he would like to convert to Judaism on condition that he is taught the entire Torah while standing on one foot. Shammai promptly ejected the Roman from his house, and frankly,…
How Goodly Are Thy Tents O Jacob Rabbi Becher explains what this beautiful verse says about Jewish homes. View this video directly on VIMEO
Long before Voldemort and Saruman uttered their first fictional curses, the Jewish people faced off against the real-life sorcerer, Balaam. Balaam’s plan to curse the Jews failed when G-d turned his curses into blessings. But do coerced blessings ever take effect? View this video directly on VIMEO