By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — Our sages taught that the entire point of lighting a Chanukah Menorah is pirsumei nisa, “to publicize the miracle of Chanukah.” To accomplish this they instructed that the Menorah be lit at dusk, the time people returned from work in ancient times, and placed outside the front door […]
The significance of that menorah in the window Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — The ancient Near East has always been a good-old-boy’s club. Testosterum was (and still is) always in the air and especially in religion and culture; women, especially, lived politically marginal lives. That part of the world has hardly changed. Just look in the Middle East today;
Alexandra Salome, queen of Ancient Judea Read More »
Jewish ReligionAllen Miliefsky of San Diego forwarded the link for this Chanukah gem by the Fountainheads. Happy Chanukah to all our readers!
Fountainheads ‘light up the night’ Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — The other day, I watched an interview with the Jewish Reggae singer Matisyahu, shortly after he had shaven his beard! I could just imagine what some of his Hassidic fans were saying to one another after they heard the news, “Matisyahu! Please
More than a shave, Matsiyahu’s shorn beard represents a change in outlook Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — After Joseph is thrown into jail in Egypt he meets Pharaoh’s former cupbearer and baker. Each had offended his master. Their sleep was interrupted by disturbing dreams as they agonized over their fate Joseph noticed their torment and asked them: “Why do you appear downcast today?” They answered:
The symbolism of the baker and cupbearer, Joseph’s cellmates Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO — When we light the menorah we instill the light of Yiddishkeit into the hearts of those outside and of those inside, as the following true story, heard from Yichel and Baila Lederman, illustrates: The German Invasion of Poland began on September 1, 1939. Jews fled from the city
Who’s your daddy? A Holocaust story Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California– Stephen Hawking in the beginning of his book, A Brief History of Time, relates a story he believes originated with the scientist-philosopher Bertrand Russell, who once fielded an interesting question asked by an elderly woman after finishing a lecture he gave on astronomy: “He described how the
Reflections on ‘the God Particle’ Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — The Torah tells us: “Now Dinah, the daughter whom Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the daughters of the land. Shechem, son of Hamor, the Hivite, chief of the country, saw her, and took her and lay with her by force.” (Gen. 23:1-2) The story
Treatment of Dinah in the Bible–and since–absolutely shameful Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Recently this question was posed to me: God warns us explicitly not to follow in the ways of the other nations. How does this apply to our custom to give gifts on Chanukah, which seems to have been taken from the very not-Jewish tradition of
Is gift-giving on Chanukah permitted? Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO –Although Laban promised his daughter, Rachel, to Jacob in marriage, he tricked Jacob into marrying her older sister, Leah, instead. When Jacob complains to Laban about his deceit, Laban replies, “It is not the practice in our place to marry off the younger before the older. Wait until the
The seven days and seven blessings for a bride and groom Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO — Mort Blumberg* (*name changed) once gave me a call concerning an upcoming heart bypass surgery he was slated to undergo. He asked me what religious things he could do for a successful operation. After ‘prescribing’ him the standard regimen of prayer, recitation of Psalms etc., I told him
Fixing the spiritual heart can help the physical one Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Rabbi Dow Marmur TORONTO, Canada–Women are reviving Judaism. I’ve been part of the Reform Jewish movement since 1957 when I enrolled in a rabbinic college in England. Though in theory Reform Judaism was fully committed to gender equality, there was still little of it in practice other than that, unlike in Orthodox synagogues, women
Women reviving Judaism Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO –Last Wednesday was “Stump the Rabbi Day” at our Torah School at Tifereth Israel Synagogue. I meet with most classes once a month and this month, instead of a prepared lesson, I let them ask whatever questions were on their minds. They took the opportunity seriously and asked questions
Oh, God hears you all right! Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — One of Erich Fromm’s most penetrating insights pertains to his distinction between authoritarian vs. humanistic religion. Fromm’s You Shall Be as Gods: A Radical Interpretation of the Old Testament and Its Tradition is one of the most remarkable books I have ever read on the early
Healing our dysfunctional images of God Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi