Like many children, when I was growing up I had a chore chart. I received monetary compensation for doing small jobs around the house like making my bed, getting the mail, and putting away my laundry. One special responsibility of mine was taking care of our family pet.
If you take a toy to the potty with you, there’s a chance it will fall in. The lessons that stick with us are the ones in which we can experience (and be reminded of) real consequences. This too is Torah.
D'var from Friday, August 19th - Rabbi Daniel Isaak and d'var from Saturday, August 20th - Rabbi Daniel Isaak. Recorded and edited by Ed Kraus.
On my father’s side of the family, I come from a line of what I like to call “creative in the kitchen” people. My Nana was an excellent cook and baker, and my Uncle Larry is an executive chef who loves recipe development. There are certain dishes that played starring roles in family meals for as long as I can remember.
The Shema and V’ahavta, which appear in this week’s parshah, are two of the most well-known passages of the Torah. These lessons of listening and loving are also two of the most important things we teach our children.
Tisha B'Av means the 9th day of the Hebrew month of Av. On that day, we commemorate and remember the destruction of the first and second Temples. Over the centuries, people hostile to the Jews maliciously chose that day to inflict further tragedies upon us. For example, the tradition records that we were expelled from Spain on the 9th of Av in 1492.
One of my favorite scenes in Fiddler on the Roof is when Tevye and Golde sing their duet “Do You Love Me?” It’s a moment of pure honesty when Tevye questions the state of their marriage after all these years. This kind of emotional check-in is natural; it’s a part of continuing to build a relationship and partnership together.
