VAYAKHEL: ASSEMBLIES By: Suri Davis   There are numerous times throughout this torah portion where the term Chacham Lev Ladaat/wise of the heart, to know.  The term is jam packed with deep meaning of the world reality. We think of wisdom stemming from our minds and not our hearts.  A wise heart is a deep…

A BISSEL TORAH: KI TISAH: THE REMEDY BEFORE THE ILLNESS By: Suri Davis   This week’s torah portion starts with counting of the Jews.  There was a fear, perhaps, that counting them by head would encourage an evil eye to cast down on the Jews, so G-d commanded that each Jew give a half shekel…

PARSHAT YITRO: WHERE IS SHE…MOSHIACH??? By: Suri Davis   How would you feel, if every time your kids came home, they asked for more and more and more.  Wouldn’t it be nice for them to come and look at you and just say thank you. Henry Ford said, had I asked the people what they…

A BISSEL TORAH: VAERAH: ROSH CHODESH SHVAT By: Suri Davis   The coordination of Rosh Chodesh Shvat/month of Jewish month of Shvat coming in between the two torah portions which set forth the 10 plagues that Egypt suffered to encourage them to do the right thing and permit the Jews to leave to serve G-d…

BSD VAYECHI: THE EDUCATION PETITION By: Suri Stern When I was in Stern College many moons ago, I volunteered in the N.Y.U. Emergency Room.  One evening a young woman, very young, came in with her bleeding baby.  I tried to ask her questions regarding her baby, and she couldn’t understand me, because she spoke only…

A BISSEL TORAH:  PARSHAT VAYIGASH:  APPROACHING WITH CONFIDENCE By:  Suri Davis In last week’s torah portion, Joseph was told that the sons of Jacob had an additional brother and Joseph demanded that, if they wanted more food, they had to bring Benjamin.  Jacob refused, until it was clear that they would all starve, unless Jacob…

A BISSEL TORAH: MIKETZ: THE MODERN LAMENTATION By: Suri Davis A couple of weeks ago, in the New York Times Book Review section, the cover had a review of five books written about Judaism in America.  The reviewer was Gal Beckerman, and the article, entitled, LAMENTATIONS, was riveting. On the heels of increasing anti-semitism in…

By: Suri Davis   Jewish History, Chabad.org Alexander in Jerusalem (313 BCE) On Kislev 21 of the year 3448 from creation (313 BCE), there occurred the historic meeting between Shimon HaTzaddik and Alexander (‘the Great”) of Macedonia. The Samarians, bitter enemies of the Jews, had convinced Alexander that the Jews’ refusal to place his image in…

A BISSEL TORAH, VAYETZEI: GRATITUDE By: Suri Davis   Birth & Passing of R. Dovber of Lubavitch (1773; 1827) Kislev 9 is both the birthday and day of passing of Rabbi DovBer of Lubavitch, son of and successor to the founder of Chabad Chassidism, Rabbi Schneur Zalman·of Liadi. Rabbi DovBer was known for his unique style of…

CHAYEI SARA: PITTSBURGH ON MY MIND By: Suri Davis   Why is this Torah portion named the life of Sarah, when it actually describes life after Sarah dies?  The Lubavitcher sichahs on this parshah elucidate that after Sarah died, her values lived on as revealed in this week’s torah portion. First, her son Isaac, the…