By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO –This month’s Midrash Shabbat teacher at Tifereth Israel Synagogue will be Sarah Shulman. A student at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles and a triathlete, Sarah is also my AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) Intern. Many people who read the publicity for this weekend were [...]
By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — There is a story that I have told many times based on a verse in parashat B’har: “But the land must not be sold beyond reclaim, for the land is Mine; you are but strangers resident with me.” This verse teaches us that humans do not own the [...]
By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — The Torah says in parashat Emor: “You shall have one standard for the stranger and citizen alike: for I the Lord am your God.” As I hope you know, I think hachnasat orchim, welcoming visitors, is one of the most important mitzvot that members of a congregation can [...]
By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — There are many times when I feel that I am living in Israel when I drive from the synagogue to my home. It is not because of the scenery or landscape, but rather because of the all-way stop signs at the intersection of Tommy and Wing Span Drives. [...]
By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — Call me old-fashioned or sexist, but I think that the entire dust up of President Obama calling California attorney general Kamala Harris the “best-looking attorney general in the country” is a tempest in a teapot. I understand the importance of de-emphasizing appearance in a world in which physical [...]
By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — Believe it or not, I watch a lot of cooking shows. (No, I don’t cook much, but I do enjoy eating!) One of the most common ingredients chefs use is “kosher salt.” I never fail to be amused when they use it to season pork! Salt is kosher [...]
By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — After receiving last week’s D’var Torah about hamantaschen, my son, Rabbi Adam Rosenthal, emailed me noting that I was already avoiding dealing with the text of Leviticus, which is primarily concerned with the laws of animal sacrifices, in my weekly column. Since I am on a streak, why [...]
By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — As Pesach approaches, we need to clean the chametz out of our lives. There is some leftover Hamantaschen business in my life that I need to dispose of. Right before Purim I wrote an article about Hamantaschen. I explained the origins of the triangular cookie, but said I [...]
By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO – Can you imagine over 12,000 Jews and non-Jews gathered together in the same place for the same purpose? I would not have thought it possible, except I just returned from the AIPAC 2013 Policy Conference in Washington, D.C. and saw it myself. The last time I attended a Policy [...]
By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — Nothing in Jewish life is easy. What could be complicated about a triangular shaped pastry with filling inside? Hamantaschen, the preferred perennial Purim treat, seem simple enough at face value. But a little research proves that this holiday delicacy has a vast and perplexing history. First of all, [...]