Rabbi Guzik - A Bisl Torah

The Torah provides a discerning definition of a leader. In Parashat Pinchas, we learn about the qualities necessary of Moses’ successor. Rabbi Zalman Posner explains the Torah does not delineate someone with great homiletical skills or even of a certain...

On a recent mini-vacation, Rabbi Sherman and I drove up the coast, eventually hitting the Carmel Valley. We purposely did not make major plans to stop along the way. Whatever pulled us, we decided in the moment if we should...

In the shift towards self-care, many have turned inward, asking, “What do I need?” This is whether we are regaining a sense of who we are or trying to find ourselves for the first time. However, we often confuse our...

These past few weeks, I have watched commencement ceremonies at both universities and high schools. The featured content is either the commencement address or valedictorian speech. Sadly, the audience holds its breath from start to finish, wondering if the seemingly...

Rav Aryeh Levin told a story about Rav Kook, the first Chief Rabbi of Eretz Yisrael. Rav Kook wholeheartedly welcomed Rav Levin to Israel and was surprised during their meeting when Rav Levin bent down to pick a flower. Rav...

At the beach, we were surprised to find a man with a handheld metal detector. He was determined to find something of value. We watched; as he tossed a few coins into his pouch, a piece of foil was tucked...

There is a tradition to stay up late on Shavuot: studying and pouring over the texts of our tradition. The ritual is said to have come from the hevruta between Rabbi Yosef Caro and Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz. They and a few other great...

I’ve noticed a few schools encouraging the graduating class to create a time capsule. A newspaper headlining a major moment of that year may be included. Perhaps a trendy piece of clothing or something representing an inside joke. But what...

In my work with couples, I find that often, the greatest gift given is carving out time to make space for each other. This doesn’t necessarily mean putting date night on the calendar, although that is also important. Carving out...

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...