How goodly are your tents, O Ya’akov, your dwelling places, O Yisra’el. As for me, through Your abundant kindness I will enter Your House; I will prostrate myself toward Your Holy Sanctuary in awe of You. O Hashem, I love the House where You dwell, and the place where Your glory resides. I shall prostrate … Continue reading Mah Tovu by Roni Bernstein
Mishlei (Proverbs) 31 is a fixture of our Erev Shabbat services. Placed in the midst of the songs and prayers of the evening, Eishet Ḥayil is a beautiful interlude during which men sing to their wives, declaring her before all present as precious, industrious, respected, virtuous, righteous, and praiseworthy. To truly understand all the implications … Continue reading Eishet Ḥayil – Start at the Beginning by Roni Bernstein
We’ve all seen movies about Mashiaḥ. We’ve all seen paintings depicting Mashiaḥ. The actors and images seldom look Jewish and are always classically handsome. It’s all so subtle and pervasive that we don’t realize how these images affect the way we picture Yeshua – and how we relate to Him. Think of the portrayals of … Continue reading Beyond Recognition by Roni Bernstein
Elul, the month before Tishrei, is known as the month of preparation. Our season of introspection/preparation begins after Shavuot, continues through the Three Weeks, and concludes on Yom Kippur. During Elul our preparations intensify; reading Tehillim (Psalm) 27 (l’David) is part of our daily life from Rosh Ḥodesh Elul to Shmini Atzeret. There is much … Continue reading L’David by Roni Bernstein
As we approach the month of Elul we traditionally get ready to search our hearts and to turn to our G-d. When we look at the word "Elul," it is similar to the root of the verb "search" in Aramaic. The Rabbis usually connect "Elul" to the idea of searching our hearts and preparing ourselves … Continue reading The Search by Diana Levine
Almost two weeks ago I reached a milestone in my life. I celebrated my 40th birthday. I use the term "celebrated" loosely, because my birthday dinner was a frantic trip to the McDonald's drive-thru so that I could make it to the PTSO meeting at the elementary school where my son was having his chorus … Continue reading When Reality Doesn’t Live Up to Expectation by Jennifer Caracelo
We are commanded to rid our homes of ḥametz for Pesaḥ. Somewhere during the physical activity of searching, gathering, and burning the ḥametz in our homes, we are drawn to inspect our own lives to find the ḥametz within. But what exactly would be our “ḥametz?” Many of us have heard teachings which equate ḥametz … Continue reading Chametz by Roni Bernstein
