A Baal Teshuvah of Whom You Have Never Heard

It’s the season for repentance, so a few words about a Jew who returned to Judaism.  Sir Waldemar Mordechai Wolff Haffkine (1860 – 1930) worked with Louis Pasteur and was the leading pioneer of vaccinations in India.  In fact, in Mumbai today there still exists the Haffkine Institute for vaccine research.  Late in his life, Haffkine become a deeply religious man.   He returned to the observance of the mitzvos and ...

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To Be or Not to Be? The Question of Rosh Hashana

According to Jewish tradition, before God created the first human being, a debate took place in the heavenly court. When the Holy One blessed Be He came to create man, the ministering angels formed into groups, some saying that man should be created, some saying that he should not be created…[the angel of] Kindness voted to create man, because people would perform acts of kindness,[the angel of] Peace voted not to ...

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Is Repentance a Commandment?

“For this mitzvah is not far from you; it is not in heaven that you shall say ‘Who will ascend for us to the heavens...’” (Deuteronomy 30:11) Nachmanides states in his commentary that this verse refers to the positive commandment of repentance. He cites two verses as sources for this mitzvah: Deuteronomy 4:30 “...you shall return to the L-rd your G-d...”, and Deuteronomy 30:1, “And you shall return to your ...

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