A guest post by Rabbi Aaron Fink (my father), Dean of Ateres Bais Yaakov in Monsey NY. Part of a weekly Dvar Torah (Torah “Thought”) series.
Parshas Vayakheil Pikudei
Mirror Worlds
As we conclude sefer Shmos we are provided with a full accounting of the donations to the Mishkan. Moshe Rabbeinu answers the call of his critics [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Torah’
Our Symbiotic Existence | A Guest Post
When Kesher is Not a Knot | A Guest Post
A guest post by Rabbi Aaron Fink (my father), Dean of Ateres Bais Yaakov in Monsey NY. Part of a weekly Dvar Torah (Torah “Thought”) series.
Parshas Ki Seesa
A Kesher Shel Kayama
We find in Parshas Ki Seesa the catastrophic sin of the eigel hazahav, which tragically placed Klal Yisrael at the precipice of destruction. Moshe Rabbeinu [...]
The Sweet Smell of Simcha | A Guest Post
A guest post by Rabbi Aaron Fink (my father), Dean of Ateres Bais Yaakov in Monsey NY. Part of a weekly Dvar Torah (Torah “Thought”) series.
Parshas Titzavah – Parshas Zachor
Pitom Hakitores
The Mizbeach Hazahav is mentioned in this week’s parsha as the final utensil Hashem Yisborach instructed Klal Yisrael to fashion for the Mishkan. Upon it, [...]
Happiness is a Preservative | A Guest Post
A guest post by Rabbi Aaron Fink (my father), Dean of Ateres Bais Yaakov in Monsey NY. Part of a weekly Dvar Torah (Torah “Thought”) series.
Parshas Teruamah
Keeping it Fresh
Parshas Terumah is filled with the beauty and grandeur of the mishkan v’keilav. The home for the Shechina was to be built of the finest materials in [...]
The Triple Threat | A Guest Post
A guest post by Rabbi Aaron Fink (my father), Dean of Ateres Bais Yaakov in Monsey NY. Part of a weekly Dvar Torah (Torah “Thought”) series.
Parshas Yisro
Achdus, Emunah and Simcha
The raison-d’être of maaseh braisheis and the essential tachlis of Klal Yisrael is defined in parshas Yisro with the experience of Matan Torah. No other event [...]
Make a Difference, Just Do It | A Guest Post
A guest post by Rabbi Aaron Fink (my father), Dean of Ateres Bais Yaakov in Monsey NY. Part of a weekly Dvar Torah (Torah “Thought”) series.
Parshas B’shalach
Lasting Inspirations
The inspiration of Krias Yam Suf was short lived. Almost immediately following the parting of the sea, Bnai Yisrael challenges Moshe (and Hashem Yisborach) with a litany of [...]
Borrowing For Success | A Guest Post
A guest post by Rabbi Aaron Fink (my father), Dean of Ateres Bais Yaakov in Monsey NY. Part of a weekly Dvar Torah (Torah “Thought”) series.
Parshas Bo
Borrowed Success and a Shared future
The process of Geulas Mitzrayim is filled with the Hashgacha of the yad Hashem each step of the way. It reaches its climax [...]
The Fifth Cup | A Guest Post
A guest post by Rabbi Aaron Fink (my father), Dean of Ateres Bais Yaakov in Monsey NY. Part of a weekly Dvar Torah (Torah “Thought”) series.
Parshas Va’era
V’heiveisi
The national celebration of Klal Yisrael’s first taste of freedom and our unlimited spiritual potential is commemorated each year at the Seder table. Punctuating the ritual are four cups [...]
Words Are Cheap (Without a Track Record) | Drasha Vaera 2009
Special thanks to community member Elizabeth Danziger, founder of Worktalk Communications Consulting, for assisting in transforming this sermon from 2009 into an essay for this year.
Words Are Cheap
Vaera 2009
This week’s Parsha is Vaera. The Parsha begins with a command from GD to Moshe. (Exodus 6:2) And God spoke unto Moses, and said unto him: ‘I [...]
“The Thief” Part II | Why Not Be A Thief?
A Guest Post By The Thief
Introduction here. Part I here.
Now you know what my life as a thief was like, why I stole and how great it felt. Part II is about my transition from thief to non-thief. My learning of Judaism which caused me to no longer be a thief did not follow a [...]
The Grass Is NOT Always Greener on the Other Side | A Guest Post
A guest post by Rabbi Aaron Fink (my father), Dean of Ateres Bais Yaakov in Monsey NY. Part of a weekly Dvar Torah (Torah “Thought”) series.
The Fall into Exile
The drama of the parsha seems to reach its climax with Yosef’s revelation to his brothers. In reality, however, a message and pattern of events much more [...]
PJC Chanukah Party 2009 Address
As part of the festivities of our Chanukah Party on the beach, I addressed the attended with a speech on Chanukah and this week’s parsha, Miketz.
It was an addendum to my Shabbos drasha, which I hope to publish shortly.
Enjoy the class. Audio is below.
All audio classes are available by clicking podcasts on the top of this [...]
Mesillas Yesharim 12/06/09
We ventured further into Chapter 9 today.
The Ramchal’s insights into laziness, anxiety and rational fear continue to amaze me.
Today contrasted rational fear for one’s safety with imagined fear used to excuse laziness.
Worth a listen, as always…
Audio is below.
All audio classes are available by clicking podcasts on the top of this page. Or just click here.
You can also [...]
The Jewish Home – In Memory of The Holzbergs Formerly of Mumbai | Drasha Vayetze 2009
Special thanks to community member Elizabeth Danziger, founder of Worktalk Communications Consulting, for assisting in transforming this sermon from last year into an essay for this year.
The Jewish Home
Vayetze 5769
This week marks the first anniversary of the terrorist attack on the Chabad House in Mumbai, India. I dedicate this learning to the memory of the [...]
Mesillas Yesharim 11/22/09
Today’s class was another really informative and relevent topic.
We learned about fear, worry and anxiety.
With anxiety affecting tons of us it was interesting to find sources bemoaning the difficulty of dealing with anxiety as well as its debilitating nature.
Very enjoyable class, as always.
Audio is below.
All audio classes are available by clicking podcasts on the top of [...]
Drawing From The Well of Torah | A Guest Post
A guest post by Rabbi Aaron Fink (my father), Dean of Ateres Bais Yaakov on Monsey NY. Part of a weekly Dvar Torah (Torah “Thought”) series.
Well at Home
The tale of Eliezer’s search for a wife for Yizchok is replete with important messages still relevant today. Significantly, the spot where Eliezer stopped to pray is the [...]
KCET Visits PJC and Interviews Me
KCET (the local PBS affiliate) has been working on a city-wide project. It is called Departures and it focuses on the people and places that make the neighborhoods of Los Angeles. For the last six weeks they have been working on Venice. Today they came to the Pacific Jewish Center Shul on the Beach to [...]
When It Hurts Not To Give | A Guest Post
A guest post by Rabbi Aaron Fink (my father), Dean of Ateres Bais Yaakov on Monsey NY. Part of a weekly Dvar Torah (Torah “Thought”) series.
Chessed L’Avraham
The beginning of Parshas Vayera describes the hospitality uniquely associated with the home of Avraham Avinu and Sarah Imeinu. The psukim are filled with practical lessons in the “how [...]
Prayer in Judaism | Connections 11/2/09
Prayer is something so basic to all faiths and religions. Jewish ideas of prayer are decidedly different from other cultures. It is very important to learn about the Jewish approach to prayer.
I began the class by announcing that this was a topic I longed to discuss for a very long time. I finally felt that [...]
Mesillas Yesharim 11/1/09
Today, we learned the methods of acquiring zrizus.
Ramchal hearkens back to the methods of acquiring zehirus that we studied earlier and for the benefit of us all, we reviewed them together.
Along with any review comes new insights and understanding. Today was no different.
Audio is below.
All audio classes are available by clicking podcasts on the top of [...]
Our Chance To Shine | A Guest Post
A guest post by Rabbi Aaron Fink (my father), Dean of Ateres Bais Yaakov on Monsey NY. Part of a weekly Dvar Torah (Torah “Thought”) series.
Enlightened
The birth of Klal Yisrael is the story line of Parshas Lech Lecha. Our Mifarshim tell us that maasei avos siman labanim, the lives of our patriarchs and matriarchs set [...]
Truth and Faith | Connections 10/26/09
Two words with very different meanings were discussed tonight.
Truth on the one hand and faith on the other.
In Judaism these are really two phases of life’s various challenges. Our discussion ranged from Abraham to smokers to ferrets.
It was quite an adventure and I invite you listen.
All audio classes are available by clicking podcasts on the top [...]
Mesillas Yesharim 10/25/09
We began today’s class by delving deeper into the ground-breaking concept we studied last week.
Basically, the Ramchal teaches us that we can use our physical actions to arouse spiritual and emotional change.
We discussed a number of applications for the concept.
Then we began the next chapter.
Audio is below.
All audio classes are available by clicking podcasts on the [...]
Seasons of Change | A Guest Post
A guest post by Rabbi Aaron Fink (my father), Dean of Ateres Bais Yaakov on Monsey NY. Part of a weekly Dvar Torah (Torah “Thought”) series.
Seasons of Change
Another year, another season. The new year welcomes us all with a cornucopia of autumn color, a lingering reminder of summer past and potential to be realized. With [...]
