A BISSEL TORAH: OPPORTUNITY AND REBIRTH By:  Suri Davis   There are two broad topics in this week’s torah portion, one is the impurity of a woman who has given birth and the impurity of a man with leprosy, which is a result of gossip.   Rambam/Maimonides states that man is differentiated from animal because…

A BISSEL TORAH: VAYIKRAH: REMEMBER By: Suri Davis     The Shabbos before Purim, we are commanded to remember.  We are to remember that when we were weak and vulnerable in the desert after our Exodus from Egypt, Amalek came and started battle with us.  After millennia there is merit in remembering the past?  …

A Bissel Torah: Pikudei: Oxtail Stew By: Suri Davis   One of my fond remnants of the days Cedarhurst had William Sonoma, is my 13 quart copper pot.  It’s huge. I store it in my basement pantry.  I bring it up for soups and stews.   My children and I enjoy oxtail stew on cold…

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…