Here is a riddle of my own, uncreative choosing:

What do the holiday of Shavuot, the encounter at Mt. Sinai and the making of Gefilte Fish share in common?

I know that many of us wish for our children to be happy. However, we often speak about HAPPINESS as a feeling, rather than as an ongoing behavior. Happiness as a feeling can be temporary and fleeting. In contrast, happiness as a behavior endures even when moments of unhappiness overcome us.

9/11 changed our lives in drastic ways.

Yet, amidst the pain, tragedy, and anguish, we forged a new definition of a value that binds the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia with our Torah portion Behar.

When it comes to fulfilling dreams, we as a society have broken physical and emotional barriers, which once impeded or limited our success.

Unfortunately, there is one barrier we have yet to break.

Regarding the student demonstrations on campuses throughout America:
I support the exercise of free speech.

However, I do not support:
Verbal and physical assaults on Jews, in the false name of free speech...

To the demonstrators at Columbia and on other campuses, who abuse our freedoms:

If you want to learn something about the genuine character of the Jewish people, read this Sabbath's Torah portion Aharay Mot.

This coming Shabbat is called Shabbat Hagadol, The Great/Awesome Sabbath.

Shabbat Hagadol always precedes Passover as the vision in our Haftorah connects with Passover and with our eternal responsibility as Jews.

This week's Torah portion Tazria details, in somewhat grotesque fashion, a temporary skin disease, which demanded quarantine for the afflicted individual.

Skeptics and nay-sayers are apt to dismiss the Torah as an anachronistic document long out of touch with modernity.

I beg to differ.

In navigating through our day, how often must we devote time to disputing with some company or service provider we patronize?

Although the process is often agonizing, we have a right to demand honesty and clarity in all our dealings.

For the past two videos, I highlighted themes in the Book of Esther.

In this week's video I focus more on the global and idealistic appeal of the Book.

In contemporary times, Queen Vashti has made a deserved comeback.

Although sexism and sexual harassment still exist, many of us continue to fight for equality of all people.

Our Purim story is filled with irony.

The Prime Minister, who plotted to kill the Jews, falls victim to his own scheme.

...And the Persian Jews, who were doomed to destruction.

My video this week is a little longer than usual.

The theme will be familiar to most of you as we read about THE GOLDEN CALF.

My take is that the desert Israelites were not guilty of unfaithfulness.

We can rarely enter a public building these days without a sign or plaque dedicated to a generous donor. From stretches of highway to public benches, similar dedications are conveyed.

And yet, for all the ways we honor generosity, donation-giving has decreased significantly over the last decades.

We can rarely enter a public building these days without a sign or plaque dedicated to a generous donor. From stretches of highway to public benches, similar dedications are conveyed.

And yet, for all the ways we honor generosity, donation-giving has decreased significantly over the last decades.

I have rarely subscribed to the theory that revenge is sweet.

After some initial gratification, we realize that revenge and retribution contribute little to our future lives.

There are some people in the world, who believe they have cornered the market on wisdom and expertise.

I am not one of them.

This Sabbath we will celebrate Shabbat Shira/The Sabbath of the Song. The Torah reading includes B'nai Yisrael's triumphant song, led by Moses and Miriam.