Rabbi's Message

People often say, “Your body is a temple.” But they rarely finish the sentence. Whose temple? Is it your temple or G-d’s? By instinct, we treat our body as our own. It is the instrument of our will. If I want to ski, I send my body hurtling down a slope. If I want to eat, I feed it. If I want to read, I make it sit still for hours. My body obeys. It is a loyal servant, and I am responsible to care for it — to keep it clean, clothed, and healthy. But that is a shallow way to l

What is your morning routine? For billions of people around the world, it involves a familiar sequence of activities: exercising, showering, drinking coffee, eating breakfast, checking social media, and rushing off to work. Then there is the Jewish way to start the day. Jews begin with Torah study and prayer. The first words out of our mouths are a thank you: Thank You, G-d, for returning my soul to me. We thank G-d for our sight, our strength, our ability to walk, to dress,

Jealousy is a corrosive force. It compels you to measure your intrinsic value against other people’s achievements. We know, intellectually, that G-d made each of us unique. My face, my voice, and my thoughts are not identical to anyone else’s. I stand out; no one is exactly like me. But there is a flipside to that uniqueness. Because I am unlike anyone else, I am also woefully inept at replicating what others do. I cannot explain things exactly like my neighbour. I cannot wri

On March 4, 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his first inaugural address. America was in the grip of the Great Depression. Economic activity had stalled. Banks were afraid to lend. Businesses were afraid to expand. The economy had seized up—not from a lack of resources, but from paralysis. Roosevelt identified the real enemy as a “nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror,” and then uttered the words that became iconic: “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.

When the Jews left Egypt, they were a nation of slaves. They had no soldiers, no tanks, and no armies. Yet, the Torah doesn’t say the slaves left Egypt, or even that the Jews left Egypt. The Torah says that the army left Egypt. What did Jews know of armies? They were slaves, not soldiers. When attacked by enemies in the desert, Jews had to draft an army each time. Moses told Joshua to choose men to defend against Amalek. G-d told Moses to draft fighters to fight against Midia

21 Tevet     January 10, 2026   He spoke truth to power, orchestrated ten plagues, struck Egypt’s firstborn, freed the slaves, split the sea, and drew bread from heaven. Who am I describing? You know the answer. Moses. But G-d did not choose Moses because he performed miracles. Moses performed miracles because G-d chose him. So why was Moses chosen? What quality marked him as leadership material? Moses was the most empathetic Jew on earth. He could not sleep peacefully while

How do you define crisis? Webster Dictionary defines it as an unstable or crucial time, or state of affairs, in which a decisive change is coming, especially one with the distinct possibility of a highly undesirable outcome. We usually define crisis as an impending doom. For example, discovering that your spouse wants a divorce, the impending death of a loved one, the shattering news of a life-threatening illness, the loss of employment amid significant financial debt are all

What a tearful and joyful reunion it was between Jacob and his long-lost son, Joseph, when Jacob arrived in Egypt. It was a dramatic moment, twenty-two years in the making. But this was just the first in a series of deeply emotional discoveries. At least Jacob knew what to expect when he met up with Joseph. He knew who Joseph was and had heard that Joseph remained true to his Jewish faith and upbringing. The next series of meetings was a genuine surprise for the elderly fathe

Several days ago, I was on the phone with two of my daughters. It was the older one’s birthday, and she was blessing her younger sister. I interrupted her and suggested that she bless her sister with the best big sister possible. She laughed and said, “Tatty, that is my job, not a blessing.” Wow, I was blown away. She is absolutely right. There are some things we can control and some that we can’t. We take responsibility for what we can and pray to G-d for the rest. We can’t

In the aftermath of the horrific attack that stole so many Jewish lives on Bondi Beach, it is natural for us to be fearful. Our fears and insecurities are real, and we should not dismiss or shunt them aside. We must confront our fear and work through it. But we can’t let our fear govern our behavior. May have wondered why Chabad insists on outdoor Menorah Lightings in this climate. Shouldn’t we retreat behind closed doors and reinforced barricades? Should we not do a better j

Joseph and Jacob remained behind while his brothers traveled to Shechem to tend to Jacob’s flock. Jacob, anxious about the welfare of his children, instructed Joseph to inquire after them. “Go now, see to the welfare of your brothers and the welfare of the flock.” Joseph agreed immediately (Genesis 37:13–14). Joseph’s compliance is surprising given the context. He was well aware of the animosity his brothers harbored toward him, as they had already experienced several hostile

9 Kislev November 29, 2025 In this week’s Torah portion, we read Jacob’s heartfelt supplication to the Almighty. In his prayer, he declared, “I have been humbled by all Your kindnesses and by all Your truth” (Genesis 32:11). The phrase “all Your kindnesses” is readily understood, for G-d had indeed bestowed numerous mercies upon him. However, the phrase “all Your truth” requires examination. Can truth be pluralized? Is there such a thing as a half-truth, or is truth

In this week’s Torah portion, Vayetze, Jacob makes two pivotal journeys. In the first, he is entirely solitary. In the second, he is surrounded by a large family. Yet, in both instances, he is vulnerable, exposed, and seemingly alone. The first journey took Jacob from his parents’ home in Canaan to Haran, where his uncle Laban lived. Jacob had just outwitted his brother, Esau, securing the blessings his father had intended for the firstborn. When their mother overheard Esau p

Rebecca’s painful pregnancy led her to consult a prophet, who revealed she carried twin ‘giants’ (ge’im) as the Torah describes them. From these two, the sages prophesied, would emerge two brilliant gems: Rebbe and Antoninus (Talmud, Avodah Zarah 11a). Antoninus was a Roman emperor in the late second century, often mentioned in the Talmud due to his friendship with Rabbi Yehudah, who later became known simply as ‘Rebbe.’ As chief rabbi and prince of the Jewish people under Ro

This week’s Torah portion recounts the first courtship and marriage in the Torah—that of Isaac and Rebecca. The negotiations were conducted between Betuel, Rebecca’s father, and Eliezer, Abraham’s trusted servant. Only after the families reached an agreement did the couple meet. A tragic event followed these negotiations: Betuel, Rebecca’s father, suddenly died in his sleep. Eliezer believed the deal was concluded and went to bed, expecting to depart the next morning with Reb

The people of Sodom were known for their cruelty. They barred wayfarers from entering their city. If anyone dared to host a visitor overnight, both the visitor and the host faced punishment. In one shocking incident, they tortured and murdered a young girl simply for feeding a passerby. If a poor person entered their oasis seeking alms, they wouldn’t just turn him away; they would harass and torture him first. Yet, when G-d informed Abraham that He intended to destroy Sodom a

3 Cheshvan October 25, 2025 The nineteen sixties will forever be associated with the hippie movement; the thrust to break free of the shackles of morality. The argument that all pleasure is healthy and that puritanical restraint is toxic is a product of the sixties. It was a time of unrestrained hedonism and the unraveling of decorum. With it came the unbuckling of societal order and the social structure. The theory was that if a little

A man once petitioned Rabbi Nosson of Breslov for a blessing to find his match. He complained that he had been seeking the right woman for many years and had still not found her. Rabbi Nosson discerned that he was slipping into despair, so he encouraged him, saying, Have hope, young man, remember that Jacob our patriarch was eighty-four by the time he was married. The man retorted that he can’t be compared to Jacob. Jacob was a holy man and could be expected to endure. Plus,

As I write this on Thursday morning, it appears that the hostage exchange will at least begin before Monday evening, the commencement of the Shemini Atzeret / Simchat Torah holiday. It is hoped that all the living hostages will have been returned by then in a single wave. The bodies of the deceased hostages are slated to follow, and we pray they are all released promptly. This is the most joyful news since this terrible ordeal began on Simchat Torah two years ago. It is horri

11 Tishrei October 3, 2025 When you think of the Sukkah, you think of walls and sechach—a foliage roof. Yet, the name...