Rabbi Guzik - A Bisl Torah

During the Yamim Noraim, the Days of Awe, we face the Unatanetokef prayer: The stanzas that ask us to confront who will live and who will die. As each page of the mahzor comes closer to its recitation, I find myself...

Over the High Holy Days, a rebbe walked through the marketplace and overheard banter between a merchant and his customer. The customer was clearly frustrated. He was disappointed with the price the merchant offered for the product. “C’mon! I know...

In this season of change, we speak often about wanting others to change: Pointing out what others are doing incorrectly, ruminating on the ways others should improve or be better, and even posting on social media or making public comments...

Sorry, slight update below: Don’t be satisfied. My instruction might sound odd in comparison to Ben Zoma’s wisdom in Pirke Avot: “Ben Zoma said: Who is rich? The one who rejoices in his lot.” Doesn’t that mean be satisfied with...

During the Hebrew month of Elul, God is said to be waiting for us in the “field.” This means that God is closer, more accessible, and eager for us to be nearby. Before the High Holy Days, we speak about...

I don’t have a knack for keeping plants alive. Often, I add too much water, or most of the time, forget to water the plant until it is just too late. Sometimes, I pretend the plant will grow in environments...

This week, I turned 44. When people wished me a happy birthday, my first inclination was to respond with a shrug: “It’s not a big birthday.” But their returned reaction reflects what I truly feel: “Each birthday is a big...

We are approaching Elul, the formal period in the Jewish calendar devoted to repentance and repair of the heart. There are different iterations of Rabbi Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev’s relationship to change. One story shares that Rabbi Levi Yitzhak would...

On a recent trip, I learned a bit about our flight attendant’s story. She explained that she commutes back and forth, from Atlanta to the airline’s home base in Chicago. Impressed by her commitment, I asked if she always wanted to be a flight attendant. She laughed and said, “Ask any flight attendant. This job finds you. And I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”

At the beginning of Deuteronomy, Moses begins his series of diatribes to the Jewish people. He begins to recount the events and experiences that he and the people endured together.