I just returned to the USA from a wonderful visit to Israel. Of course, one of the first places I visited was the Western Wall, the Kotel. The Sages inform us the Divine Presence never left the Western Wall. The Hebrew word for “Divine Presence” is Shechinah Although in reality, God permeates all of time…
We are beginning the book of Exodus this Shabbat, in which Moses is first introduced in the Torah. I think it is important to present the seventh of Maimonides’ principles of belief regarding the prophecy of Moses. Below is my translation of Maimonides, followed by a brief summary of the theme of the principle. Moses…
Not only was Moses a shepherd, but so were Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Even King David was a shepherd. Rabbi Becher asks “Why?” View this video directly on Vimeo.
Each Jew has their own distinct character traits. View this video directly on Vimeo.
The Babylonian empire first laid siege to Jerusalem on the Tenth of Tevet, in about the 5th Century BCE, cutting it off from the outside world. This not only laid the groundwork for the destruction of the Temple but also caused horrific suffering for the besieged population of Jerusalem, thousands of whom died from starvation…
Rabbi Becher wonders were our Biblical leaders frail scholars? View this video directly on Vimeo.
Rabbi Becher describes his Thanksgiving weekend, which he spent at the Agudath Yisrael Convention in Connecticut. View this video directly on Vimeo.
As the weather gets colder one of the things that I have been thinking of is chapped skin. Yes, my hands get very rough and chapped. I use a hand cream on them, but, when I put on my tie I can actually feel the fabric catching on my skin! I cannot help thinking that…
I did a lot of traveling over summer – I was in Israel, Vietnam, Thailand, Sicily and Southern Italy. It was incredibly helpful and convenient to my phone with me. I was able to be in contact with the other people in the group with whom I was traveling; I was able to be in…
Prayer as an Encounter with G-d View this video directly on Vimeo.