Sabbath Prayers: Birkat Ha’banim/Blessing the Children
On Friday nights, it is traditional for parents to give special blessings to their children. There are different blessings for boys and girls, but they share the same concluding verses:…
But Mom, You Promised
Parenting is no easy task. From a very early age, children demand and seek gifts and concessions from their parents. And particularly in our overly-materialistic society, children want a…
The Blessings of the Amidah: Requesting Forgiveness
The nineteen blessings of the Amidah make up the core of the Jewish prayer service. If we want God to accept our repentance, as mentioned in the fifth blessing, we begin the process…
The Blessings of the Amidah: Requesting Forgiveness
The nineteen blessings of the Amidah make up the core of the Jewish prayer service. If we want God to accept our repentance, as mentioned in the fifth blessing, we begin the process…
Gad, the Son of Jacob
The patriarch Jacob loved his wife Rachel, but it was his wife Leah who initially made him a father (since Rachel was unable to conceive for many years). When Rachel presented her…
The Morning Blessings-Blessings #3: Freedom
Every morning, a set of 15 blessings are recited to express our thanks to God for all the things that we, as healthy human beings, are capable of doing. Ba’ruch Ah’tah Ah’doh’nai…
The Company You Keep
Immediately following the morning blessings, there is a short prayer that asks God for protection from “arrogant people and arrogance itself, from a bad person, a bad companion, a bad…
The Blessings Over Food: She’ha’kol/The Other Foods
The she’ha’kol blessing encompasses all things that do not grow from the ground: water, meat, fish, eggs, dairy, processed foods such as candy and most drinks. Ba’ruch Ah’tah Ah’doh’nai…
The Thirty-Six
How many truly righteous people do you know? People who not only dedicate themselves to living religious lives but who really strive to serve God, and succeed. The true inner…
Lech Lecha 5770-2009
"Go for Yourself " by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this week's parasha, parashat Lech Lecha, the Almighty says to Abram (Genesis 12:1): "Lech l'cha may'ar'tzeh'chah, oo'mee'mo'lahd't'cha,…