Messiah
War or Peace: Why Does the Torah Command Us to Wage War?
A young man sought spiritual perfection so he set out to find a guru. After traveling to Tibet, he spent weeks climbing a lonely mountain, finally arriving at the peak where a wizened old man sat on the rough stone, his legs crossed, his...
Where are We in the Messianic Process?
Many people believe that Judaism is not ‘Messianic’, and that observant Jews are only concerned about performing commandments. But one of the commandments, as enumerated by Maimonides, is to anticipate that the Messiah will arrive at any...
Marching to the Messiah: An Invitation from Moses to You
Shortly after I got married I introduced a friend to my mother-in-law. Hearing the loaded term, my mother-in-law flinched, not wanting the title with all of its negative connotations. Noticing her reaction, I reframed my introduction:...
Put the Brakes on the Messiah: There are Trees to Plant
Picture this: You are out in your garden planting a tree when a big ruckus begins at the end of the block. Your neighbor comes running up, out of breath, “The Messiah is here and he is coming down the street,” he says. You begin to wipe...
What Samson and a Modern-Day Nazirite Have to do with Redemption
It is not common for someone to take a nazirite vow in modern times. The most notable exception was Rabbi David Cohen who, like Samson, became a nazirite for life. And both of these nazirites have a role in redemption. Every week, the...
Sing for Jerusalem and Bring the Messiah
The Talmud (Sanhedrin 94a) states that God was ready to appoint King Hezekiah as the Messiah but decided against it because he didn't sing after Hashem did miracles for him. The Talmud is referring to the incident described in (II Kings...
Jacob’s deathbed vision of Shiloh; a glimpse of Messiah
Before dying, Jacob blesses his sons in a burst of prophetic vision, blessing Judah as the father of the Davidic dynasty by saying, “The scepter shall not depart from Yehuda, Nor the ruler's staff from between his feet; So that tribute...
Two Sticks, One Kingdom
The Torah portion of Vayigash (Genesis 44:18-47:27) completes the story of Joseph’s slavery in Egypt. The story culminates in a dramatic meeting between Judah and Joseph, ending in revelation and reconciliation. Jacob’s household...
Noah Didn’t Wait for the Storm to Pass, He Taught Us to Dance in the Rain
Noah was confronted with a monstrous storm, one that the world could not avoid. If we ponder the Torah carefully, we can glean lessons of spiritual growth from Noah’s actions in how he brought us all to a new world. The whole world...
