Daily Kavanah – Thursday, March 4, 2021
I love live music and especially enjoy the feeling you get when you share that experience with a friend. Saturday, January 25, 2020, [...]
Daily Kavanah – Wednesday, March 3, 2021
There are striking similarities between Purim and Passover and one crucial difference that is instructive. Both holidays are set in the Diaspora—Passover in [...]
Daily Kavanah – Tuesday, March 2, 2021
Last year’s Purim Carnival was held in person on our campus almost exactly one year ago on March 8, 2020. At the time, [...]
Daily Kavanah – Monday, March 1, 2021
“Do not make for yourself any molten gods.” (Exodus 34:17) It's not surprising that this week's Torah portion includes this commandment. After all, [...]
Daily Kavanah – Friday, February 26, 2021
לַיְּהוּדִים הָיְתָה אוֹרָה וְשִׂמְחָה, וְשָׂשֹׂן וִיקָר The Jews had light and gladness, joy and honor. (Esther 8:16) Last night, many of us gathered together [...]
Daily Kavanah – Thursday, February 25, 2021
One day, the villagers noticed that their teacher, Rabbi Natan Tzvi Finkel (b. 1849), also known as the Alter of Slabodka (say that [...]
Daily Kavanah – Wednesday, February 24, 2021
The Divine Presence only dwells in a space where there is joy; the prophets did not experience prophecy whenever they desired. Instead, they [...]
Daily Kavanah – Tuesday, February 23, 2021
When I think about Purim, I have so many happy memories—hilarious costume parades, different flavors of hamantaschen (team poppy seed!), and the many [...]
Daily Kavanah – Monday, February 22, 2021
אוֹר זָרֻעַ לַצַּדִּיק וּלְיִשְׁרֵי-לֵב שִׂמְחָה Light is sown for the righteous, and for the upright of heart, joy! During the Hebrew month of [...]
Daily Kavanah – Friday, February 19, 2021
The Shabbat prior to Purim is always celebrated as Shabbat Zachor, a testament to the unprovoked attack by Amalek upon the Israelites, as recounted [...]