by Eliyahu Berkowitz | f 16, 2023 | Good and Evil, Psalms
Have you ever been bothered by the perplexing reality of why the righteous often face hardships while the wicked prosper? This enigma, known as theodicy, has long troubled humanity, from the biblical times of King David and the prophet Jeremiah to the present day. In...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 12, 2023 | Israel, Lech Lecha
In the quiet calm of a spring day in April 1920, nestled between the Alpine peaks and azure blue waters of the Ligurian Sea, an event of monumental significance unfolded. The tranquil Italian town of San Remo was home to a conference that would impact the geopolitical...
by Eliyahu Berkowitz | f 12, 2023 | Jerusalem Day, Psalms, Temple
I try to avoid politics when learning the Bible, but let’s face it, David was a king, a political figure of the first degree. Jerusalem was his capital but, first and foremost, he intended it to be the permanent home of the Temple. Though King David bought the...
by Eliyahu Berkowitz | f 12, 2023 | Psalms
While I was cooking for Shabbat, my teen son came into the kitchen and stood, watching me in silence for several minutes. I knew he had something on his mind but I figured I would let it stew until he was ready to ask. “Abba, if you had a choice to receive $10 million...
by Eliyahu Berkowitz | f 11, 2023 | Psalms
“Abba, did King David really want God to punish his enemies? Is that what we should do?” My ten-year-old boy has the rare gift of asking the obvious questions that are so important and so difficult to answer. This zinger came after reciting Psalm 70: Let those who...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 9, 2023 | Av, Isaiah, Ninth of Av
What if you could travel back in time, not merely to observe, but to rectify the past and reshape the future? The annual observance of Shabbat Chazon, “the Sabbath of Vision,” offers us a symbolic journey of this kind. Far from a mere memorial, it serves as a powerful...
