One of the strangest dialogues in the entire Torah occurs in Va’Era, this week’s portion. At the behest of G-d, Moshe shares with the Jewish people that their redemption is at hand. …
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By Rabbi Binny Freedman
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1/15/15
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This Shomot-week column by Rabbi Freedman was previously published. His fresh columns will resume next week.
There is a puzzling story in this week’s portion, Shemot, which occurs just …
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By Rabbi Binny Freedman
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1/7/15
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Is forgiveness a virtue? Should we automatically forgive those who have wronged us? What if they do not necessarily deserve it? And how do we avoid the inevitable feelings of anger and …
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By Rabbi Binny Freedman
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12/31/14
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Yosef is sworn to bury Yaakov in the land of Canaan at the very beginning of the Torah portion (47:29-30). After he blesses his sons and gives them his final messages, Yaakov instructs all of his …
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Rabbi Avi Billet
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12/31/14
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The word terem or b’terem (just before) appears in the Torah close to 20 times, sometimes serving as a dramatic preposition enhancing a narrative tale, setting the stage for the …
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By Rabbi Avi Billet
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12/23/14
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There is an oft repeated quote, attributed to Albert Einstein: “The definition of insanity is to perform the same experiment over and over again, expecting different results”
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By Rabbi Binny Freedman
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12/23/14
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We are well aware of the ages of Yosef and Yaakov in their journeys through Egypt. Yosef was 17 when he was sold, 30 when he stood before Pharaoh, and 39 when his brothers came to Egypt looking …
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By Rabbi Avi Billet
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12/17/14
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It must have been an incredible moment; carefully brushing away the layers of dirt, the small team of volunteers responsible for this section of the dig had found something. After 2,000 years, …
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By Rabbi Binny Freedman
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12/17/14
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Many years ago, I recall sitting with a newly married couple in their late thirties, who were struggling with making their marriage work after many years on the New York singles scene. Before I …
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By Rabbi Binny Freedman
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12/11/14
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After discovering questions that never bothered me before, and using learning skills acquired in classes taught by the late Rabbi Mordechai Breuer, a new approach to the dreams that Yosef …
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By Rabbi Avi Billet
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12/10/14
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