Hold on Tight! by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine Golus is difficult. Literally translated, Golus means exile. But the connotation is far deeper. Golus is a state of being in which things aren’t as they are supposed to be. It is a state of distance and lack of clarity between us and Hashem. The Jewish people are more »
Jewish Conversion by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine If I were to ask you, “What was the most inspirational religious experience you have ever had?” you might respond with recollections of Kol Nidrei, or the Pesach Seder of your youth. Perhaps you would recall the experience of prayer you had in an emotionally laden moment, or the feeling more »
Beyond the Polls by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine One of the most crucial and fascinating aspects of the Mishkan was the center pole which went “from one end of the Mishkan structure to the other.” The Talmud (Shabbos 98b) tells us that it required a miracle for this center pole to work. What exactly was the more »
The Gold, the Calf, and the Holiday of G-d The story of the golden calf is well known. After the revelation at Sinai, Moshe ascended the mountain to learn the details of the law. He told the people that he would return after 40 days. They counted inclusively, counting the day of Moshe’s ascent. When more »
L’Chayim: To Life!! by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine The Aron, or Ark, of the Sanctuary was fashioned in a most sophisticated way. In addition to the crown and ornaments adorning its top, the Aron was fashioned of three different boxes. The inner box was made of gold, the middle box was made of wood, and the more »
Did You Get the Message? by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine Parshas Mishpatim follows the Revelation at Sinai. One would expect the Torah to follow the great revelation with a mitzvah that is relevant to all times and places, a mitzvah we can focus on and get “hyped” about. Instead the Torah begins the Torah Portion with more »
Are You An Angel? by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine One of the greatest moments in Jewish history is when the Jewish people were redeemed from Egypt. Yet, in this week’s parsha, just as the Torah is about to describe the dramatic redemption process, the Torah digresses to genealogy. When the suspense is greatest, the story about more »
The Lad Who Cried Wolf by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine Moshe was born into difficult times. Pharoh had issued a decree to kill all the baby boys. Upon birth, Moshe had to be hidden so that the Egyptian search parties wouldn’t find and kill him. After awhile, his parents felt that they could no longer hide more »
May the Best Loser, Win! by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine Moshe descended from Mount Sinai in disappointment. He had been away for just 40 days, and somehow the people had fashioned a golden calf. As he reached the bottom of the mountain and encountered Yehoshua. Yehoshuawas waiting loyally for Moshe’s return and was unaware of what more »
Harvesting the Light of the Menorah by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine The Parsha of Terumah is a heartwarming Parsha describing the building of the Mishkan/ Sanctuary in the desert, an edifice described as the love palace for the relationship between Hashem and the Jewish people. Ultimately the power of the Mishkan would be that its lofty more »