Rabbi Guzik - A Bisl Torah

A friend’s child remarked that he would be saddened to see his mother cry at his Bar Mitzvah. When she cries, he feels her emotions. She and I both tried to explain that tears are good. Good tears. But we...

Lashon Haron, evil speech, is often compared to a traveling salesperson selling tales. While we may think about the internal ramifications of evil speech—how gossip damages the souls of the person speaking and the person listening, we may not think...

I have been both the recipient of and deliverer of the words, “But it’s true!” A phrase attached to a litany of gossip regarding another human being. Just because the information may be fact, not fallacy, we think we’re in...

As Passover winds down, we look back at the annual retelling of the story of our people. Mark Gerson in his “The Telling” explains why we use the framing of “retelling” and “reliving” when conveying the exodus from Egypt. He...

This week, you likely belted out the words Dayeinu. Some of you hit another with a green scallion. (Email me if you need an explanation!) Others politely sang each refrain, reminiscing about days of religious school past. Dayeinu does not mean “It’s...

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?...