Psalms
The Sacred Duty of Caring for the Ill
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz The most wonderful thing happened to me this morning. My wife got sick. I don’t mean to say that it is wonderful that my wife got sick. What I mean is that I got a chance to take care of my wife. She woke up with...
The Unexpected Role of Ancestry in Jewish Monarchy
By Rabbi Tuly Weisz In Psalm 39, David writes that he generally guards his mouth and refrains from questioning God, no matter what troubles befall him. But at some point, staying silent becomes too difficult to bear and he feels compelled...
The Dilemma of Faith
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz When I sit down at my Shabbat dinner table and I am blessed to have my four children around me, something strange happens. I look at them but I don’t see them. I look at my 20-year-old daughter and see one...
Know Who is Really Speaking to You
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz When I moved to Israel I was thirty years old. I was no spring chicken, but I really wanted to serve in the IDF. The only option was a four-month program called “Shlav bet” (second stage). I was only a bit...
Pray to God… With Your Body
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz “Abba (Dad), what does it mean that we were created in God’s image? Does God look like me? Is he this tall and does he have brown hair?” Studying Torah with my son is the best, but it is also challenging....
Are Religious Jews Crazy?
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz In 1991, I moved to Israel and my journey back to God began. I was, what they call in Jewish circles, a baal teshuva (master of return). I moved to Sde Eliyahu, a religious kibbutz, and due to the hot climate of...
Riding a Bike God-Style
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz I recently visited a friend who has a four-year-old son. His son had just learned to ride a bicycle without training wheels. My friend had spent hours running behind his son, holding the bike up. Then, without...
When is a Sinner Happy?
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz I often write about my personal experiences as a father. But I try to learn from everyone and remember the good lessons I learn from others. One such lesson I learned from a friend of mine who lives in Tel Aviv....
The Joy of Building a Home in Israel
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz The construction of my house was an epic saga I am passionate about telling. I was the contractor for my house in Gush Etzion, and when the builder was short on workers I showed up to help pour the foundation. I...
The Sabbath, a Day of Waste?
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz Psalm 29 (The Israel Bible, pp. 1503-1504) is special in a deep way. Even though it is only 11 verses, it contains the name of God 18 times. 18 is an auspicious number in Judaism. The gematria (numerical value)...