Rabbi Guzik - A Bisl Torah

These past few days in the sukkah have been nothing short of magical. The food, company, sweet smells of the outdoors, and special time allotted to reconnect with familiar faces and engage with friends anew. The challenge is transposing life...

Jewish law advises that one should build a sukkah immediately at the end of Yom Kippur. Why? It is meritorious to go from one mitzvah to another. On Yom Kippur we spend thoughtful moments taking an account of our soul....

Over the Days of Awe, so many of us return to the synagogue, seeking something. In response, Rabbi Harold Kushner writes the following: “It may well be the case that the word “religion” is related to the word “ligament,” from...

In just a few days, many of us will sit in synagogue, trying to achieve…something. Inspiration, a change of heart, motivation to conquer the year’s challenges and trials. Instead of waiting for something to happen, let’s start preparing…right now. Enjoy...

It is the season for change. As I was thinking about growth and improvement, I realized something shouldn’t diminish in the process: sense of self. Of all facets of life, being true to my values and morals and honest with...

In this season of searching for truths and wondering why and how, enjoy this beautiful musing from Gilda Radner: I wanted a perfect ending, So I sat down to write the book with the ending in place before there even...

It is hard to admit that “confessional” stands at the heart of the High Holy Day season. But throughout the liturgy, we beat our chests, publicly state our misgivings and pray that God has enough compassion this year to guide...

This week’s Bisl Torah is featured in the Jewish Journal. There is clearly a right and wrong way of expressing an apology. So many of us experience the latter. A mistake is made, and the following dialogue is used: I...

This week, Rabbi Sherman and I are serving as Rabbis-in-Residence at Camp Ramah in Ojai, CA. Please enjoy the words that Rabbi Sherman wrote and sent to the families of Ramah campers. Shabbat shalom! While I cannot count the number...

We just came back from a short trip to San Francisco. We visited many San Francisco landmarks and the tour guides often quipped the same refrain, “We learned our lesson after the quake.” Sometimes it was the 1906 earthquake; other...