by Rabbi Pesach Wolicki | f 19, 2023 | God, Va'eira
God spoke to Moses, and He said to him: I am the Lord (YHVH). I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty (El Shaddai), but with My name “the Lord,” (YHVH) I did not make myself known to them. – Exodus 6:2-3 The opening verses of the Torah portion of...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 12, 2023 | God, Holiness, Psalms
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz In 1991, I moved to Israel and my journey back to God began. I was, what they call in Jewish circles, a baal teshuva (master of return). I moved to Sde Eliyahu, a religious kibbutz, and due to the hot climate of the Jordan Valley and the...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 10, 2023 | Fear of God, God, Humility, Justice, Kindness and Compassion, Leadership, Shemot
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz “You’re a lot shorter in person than I expected.” That is the phrase that actors hear most often. It is the flip side of the “larger than life” perception of famous people. Science fiction stories about time machines always portray the...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 9, 2023 | God, Happiness and Joy, Hebrew Language, Psalms, Repentance, Temple
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz I often write about my personal experiences as a father. But I try to learn from everyone and remember the good lessons I learn from others. One such lesson I learned from a friend of mine who lives in Tel Aviv. From a very young age, her...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 5, 2023 | God, Israel, Kindness and Compassion, Psalms, Temple
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz The construction of my house was an epic saga I am passionate about telling. I was the contractor for my house in Gush Etzion, and when the builder was short on workers I showed up to help pour the foundation. I loved my house. Israel is...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 4, 2023 | God, Psalms, Shabbat
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz Psalm 29 (The Israel Bible, pp. 1503-1504) is special in a deep way. Even though it is only 11 verses, it contains the name of God 18 times. 18 is an auspicious number in Judaism. The gematria (numerical value) of 18 equals chai (חי), meaning...
