Rabbi Guzik - A Bisl Torah

Why is Passover the most widely celebrated Jewish holiday?  One might point to the dramatic story. Another might suggest the emphasis on family and community gathering. I don’t think anyone would name the food selection as a reason for Passover...

At the Looking Beyond luncheon, an organization dedicated to promoting awareness for children with special needs and disabilities, I heard the story of Jessica Long. Jessica Long was born in Russia, placed in an orphanage by her young mother. At...

What’s the mitzvah of Passover? One commandment is to not eat leavened products. Another is to not see leavened products. But the steps of the Seder allow us to fulfill another mitzvah: to tell the story of the Jewish people....

In the Torah, as the Children of Israel are liberated from Egypt, they face two different kinds of freedom: Physical freedom and spiritual freedom. Physically, no longer wearing chains around their ankles. Spiritually, no longer chained to another’s psychological terror. ...

The Torah begins its description of lighting the lamps in the Tabernacle with the word “T’tzavveh” — “you shall command” or “you shall instruct.” That opening word echoes another familiar word: mitzvah. How do we understand what it means to do a mitzvah?...

The Torah explains that the Israelites should make a sanctuary, a place where God dwells. But just a few verses earlier, the Torah teaches that the same sanctuary should be created with gifts from emotionally motivated hearts. Perhaps after revelation,...

There are mitzvot between human beings and God. There are mitzvot between human beings and each other. Both categories help refine and develop our character. But there is a third, often overlooked category of mitzvot: mitzvot between a person and...

The month of sabbatical has ended. I wrote, read, exercised, and cooked. Among the lessons gleaned during this precious time, one of the greatest was felt the very last day. While it took a good week to get used to...

Rabbi Guzik is on sabbatical. Please enjoy A Bisl Torah from our Rabbinic Intern, Moe Howard. This past Monday marked the end of what has felt like an era, as the body of slain hostage Ran Gvili was finally brought...

Rabbi Guzik is on sabbatical. Please enjoy A Bisl Torah from Rabbi Avi Taff. What does it mean to live in total and complete darkness?  This week’s Torah portion gives us a vivid image. A heavy darkness descends upon Egypt,...