When I light Shabbos candles each week, I bring the extra soul of Shabbos into my heart and home. But there is a prayer attached to lighting candles that asks G-d to bless all our close ones, family and friends. You send messages of light and soul out to others and ask that they…
Category: Lenore Davis
Alzheimers: Moved
“Who are you?” Mrs. Q asked? “I am your attorney, Lenore Davis,” I replied. I had been her attorney for 20 years. She was a genteel 75 year old woman, with a fascinating story as a Holocaust survivor. Every few years she would come to me to update her estate plan. She would update…
A Bissel Torah: Lech Licha: …But If I Am Only For Myself, What Am I?
The Rabbis teach us: If I am not for myself, who will be? And if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, then when. In this week’s parshah/torah portion, we learn that Abraham is commanded to “go to himself.” What does that mean to go to one’s self? …
A Bissel Torah: Noach: A Lot on My Mind
In today’s Tanya portion, we see that everything is bashert. Even anger. Those who carry anger, are likened to idolaters, because there should be no anger when there is faith in G-d. But we see that the Torah teaches us that there were times that Moshe was angry, what is the lesson we learn? …
A Bissel Torah: Bereishit: A Paradigm for Parenting
Why did G-d create man with parents? If He created Adam and Eve from dust, then why not all humans from dust? Parenting is an important paradigm for humans. Children learn from having parents about role modelling, the depth of selfless love and open handed giving. Parents learn about G-d, and his infinite love…
A Bissel Torah: Simchat Torah
Where are we? We have just completed Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur? At our Kol Nidre service on Yom Kippur, we ask G-d’s permission to pray with sinners/avaryanim. All are welcome to repent. After Yom Kippur, we are all alike, we are clean of sin, have a clean slate and are joyous in the…
A Bissel Torah: Haazinu
When I was in T.A.G. Elementary school, we were asked to learn Haazinu by heart. And we did. Until last week, I didn’t understand what was so important about Haazinu that it had to be memorized. The answer is in last week’s Parshah/torah portion, Deuteronomy 31:16, After Moses’ death, the Jews will sin, and…
THE DEBATE: A DISASTER, YOM KIPPUR AND “LOCKER ROOM TALK”
Maimonides tells us that what separates man from animal is that man talks/adam medaber. It means that man is rational. He can think out his thoughts in a rational fashion, filter out what needn’t be said, and use tact for what is said. In last night’s debate between presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton,…
A Bissel Torah: Vayelech
This parshah discusses preparations for Moses’ death. Last week we discussed how parshat Nitzavim set forth the emotional distress Moses was in at facing the fact that he would not bring the Jews into Israel, their destiny. He was distraught because he foresaw that the Jews would continue to sin, and he would not be…
A Bissel Torah: Ki Tavo
The parshah almost appears to be a repetition of parshat Bechukotai, if you follow G-d’s commandments, you will be rewarded, and if you don’t follow G-d’s commandments, then you will be punished. A recurring theme in any religion. Let’s review some interesting points up close. For forty years, the Jews were in the…