יום רביעי, כ׳ אלול תשפ״וWednesday, September 2, 2026
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It’s heartening to see the once virid foliage turn crackly and dull, but this is requisite needed for its overall survival.
Leaves represent the cycles of life and how where we seem to be can be deceiving, and how we are all connected.
By Keshet Starr
As a kid who grew up in a place without seasons, watching the leaves fall in autumn is still magical. And yet, the beauty of the changing colors masks the harder elements of the cold winter to come.
The question to be asked is this: how many leaves do we need to add to the table to accommodate the guests coming for the Shabbat meal?
By Hillel Fuld
Just as leaves blow in the wind and are impossible to retrieve, so to, a word. Once it’s out there, it’s impossible to get it back. But this concept doesn’t stop with words.
...our relationship with G-d is anything but impersonal. Like a marriage, it takes body and soul, words and actions, commitments, failures, and fixing.
By Rabbanit Dr. Adena Berkowitz
A beautiful imagery developed from Chabad thought envisions G-d being in the field and this is our opportunity to come closer to Hashem, so to speak, panim el panim, face to face.
Call out to Hashem when He is found, call Him when He is close. He is not just approachable, to every Jew He is dodi, My beloved.
Enigmatically and somewhat controversially, Rambam interprets the nature of this loving relationship to depend on intellectual understanding of G-d and His works: according to the level of knowledge, so can be the love.
The gematria of dodi is 24. The gematria of Hashem’s name is 26. To reach a level of G-dliness we must add two – oneself and Hashem, in a mutually caring and giving relationship.
She is not only my mother-in-law, but also, the first Jewish mother I've ever known, so I'm a convert. Yes, it's different from having a non-Jewish mother, but in a wonderful way.
By Eli Lebowicz
We actually had a baby earlier this year and my in-laws lived with us for a month afterwards, because I needed more comedy material. And boy did that work.
The Gemara is reminding us of the potency of this unique relationship and that it must be treated with care.
The stereotype of the meddling, overbearing shvigger can cause tension even before the relationship has a chance to develop. For many, the fear of not meeting expectations or navigating potential conflicts is significant.
As we saw in the recent Olympics relay races, the baton is passed forward and the passer steps away; so too when a man or woman marries, parents have to let go of their biological baton.
By Jordana Baruchov Grreenfield
In essence, shira connects to the soul by expressing, reflecting, and amplifying the deepest aspects of our human experience, making it a powerful medium for both personal and spiritual connection.
I’d been singing Birkat HaMazon since childhood. I never had stopped to consider how it sounded to others. Which is the best way to sing of all. Now I sing all the time. On or off tune, I don’t know or care.
By Akiva Kra
Song clearly can reflect deep emotions and also can represent unbound joy. However, not every time is meant to have singing.
My name is Shira. But it’s not Shira. It’s actually Tzivya Chaya Liba. I didn’t like that name very much, and I have a feeling my parents didn’t either.
A song is the pen of the heart. It expresses the deepest parts of our hearts and souls, that which cannot be expressed through the medium of finite syllables.
It seems like forshpayz specifically refers to cold appetizers. In contrast, smorgasbord can include hot, cold, and a broader array of eats.
By Maayan Zik
Of course, I was generally aware of appetizers, but had no idea it held such a special space in the hearts of Eastern European Jews.
Jewish culture is just like the melting pot of America. We come in all colors, stripes, and flavors, and we are all lovable. The initial taste might be foreign at first, but when you really sit down to enjoy the meal together, you will grow to love it, too.
Picture this: It’s Sunday morning, you’ve just grabbed bagels and lox from your favorite appetizing shop. That smoked salmon? Forshpayz. Cream cheese schmear? Forshpayz. Whitefish salad? Forshpayz. This isn’t just any starter; it’s a whole production number.
It’s not just my stomach that craves forshpayz all year long; it’s my neshama.
Boker tov is not merely a salutation to others wishing them a “good morning,” it is also a mandate for myself to set a proper mindset to start my day.
By Nachum Segal
Kudos to those who give better impressions of themselves and our people by regularly adhering to these practices.
Let us all pray to Hashem for many more boker tov's when all our enemies will be destroyed.
By Martin Bodek
Reminds me of a famous Nathan Birnbaum vort: “The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending, and having the two as close together as possible.”
Since October 7/Simchat Torah, there has been no good morning, there has been only waking to realize that we are still in this endless nightmare of grief, pain, and uncertainty.
The real-life edition of sardines is even more challenging. Sometimes it feels impossible. Where is Hashem in the world?
My father, who is a big sardine consumer, is currently in Israel as a new-ish oleh. Because sardine cans are nonperishable and highly unappealing to most of us, whenever he visits, he is usually able to dig up an old can in the back of the pantry that was probably leftover from the last time he was here.
By Rabbanit Dr. Adena Berkowitz
Packed with protein, Omega 3-a, Vitamin D, iron, calcium. B-12, magnesium, zinc. Improves bone, brain, eyes, heart health and eases inflammation.
How have we contributed to a more equitable world? Will we produce in ways that will benefit the diversity of mankind?
It seems that Eastern European Jews ate canned sardines out of necessity and certainly not as a delicacy. In Mediterranean cuisine, eating fresh sardines is an indulgence.
By Anat Coleman
Jewish tradition recognizes that there are appropriate times to cry and intentionally carves out times for emotional reflection and preparation, emphasizing that life isn't solely about constant happiness but involves growth through allowing and experiencing a full range of emotions.
By Solly Hess
If we measure strength in holding back tears, we’ve got it wrong.
Maybe you just have to realize that whatever pain you’re going through in your life right now is existentially rooted to an original pain: the removal of Hashem’s direct presence in the world through the destruction of the Temples.
Crying is a powerful tool. It is an emotion that Hashem gave us to elevate pain, happiness, sadness, tefillos. May we all be zoche to have our tefillos answered.
After our meeting, a searing pain gripped me, cutting deep into my soul. The reality of his absence and the passage of time hit me with a force that left me struggling to breathe.
The destructions and subsequent exiles are part of G-d’s divine scheme. His plans are positive and purposeful though we may not understand them now.
By Ariela Davis
During the Three Weeks, we need to look at our division which led to the destruction of the second Beit HaMikdash, and for which the third Beit HaMikdash is not yet rebuilt.
It's always tempting to play the victim card when something we've worked hard on is ruined. However, throwing a pity party or dwelling on the offender’s punishment is not the Jewish way.
Ceaseless, persistent negative speech, lashon hara, can cripple, devastate, and destroy a person’s future and is the verbal equivalent of a barrage of missiles that demolishes a building.
It is a day when being part of the klal will supersede being an individual; it is a day of contradictions, an awkward fusion of happy birthday wishes and the start of the saddest time period of the year.
I often tell my kids when they choose to take a gray path that they were born to stand out and to be unique.
By Keshet Starr
A person is always complicated, layered, and ultimately unknowable – we never know exactly what someone has been through, and what has led them to the choices they have made.
One of my fondest memories in sleepaway camp was when it became dark and cloudy out. While some were bummed that the gray sky cancelled their swimming or sports play plans, I looked forward to the downpour and what came after.
By Hillel Fuld
Most things in this world are indeed gray. And then there are indeed things that are black and white, like a war between good and evil.
The secret is to use that regret to strive for more. To learn from mistakes. To make sure that when confronted with a similar situation, the best path will be clear.
By Sara Blau
There is a healthy regret that is one of the three steps of teshuva. There is a regret that can be transformed into an engine, a desire and decision to improve the relationship and do better next time.
Healthy regret arises from a conscious evaluation of a past misstep. It compels us to learn and grow.
By dvora
With maturation, and a greater understanding of her pain and suffering, I realized that she taught me and others so much.
Regret, or charata, is crucial in the process of teshuva. The Alter Rebbe offers a profound insight, linking the word charata with charita (engraving). This suggests that acknowledging our regrets helps engrave lessons learned, preventing repetition of past mistakes.
By Solly Hess
Anyone who has been involved in chinuch, either as an educator or a parent, knows that adding playfulness, whimsy, and fun are the secret, critical ingredients to a love of learning.
Playfulness can turn the harshness of reality into something that is more manageable. It helps us to relax and regulate our nervous system which makes for better processing and coping.
When I close my eyes, thirty years ago at Camp Stone feels like yesterday, the lessons from holding candles by the lake on Tisha B’Av and hiding from the Greeks at late night capture the flag, will be part of me forever. Playing is learning, posting is not.
The idea behind play therapy is, some feelings are too intense for a child to express in words, but a child’s play can reveal and articulate a world of complex emotions – to one who knows how to observe.
When it comes to sports, it’s key for adults to emphasize life skills learned from the game, rather than focusing on winning and losing.
Today, I love trying to recreate those moments with my husband and daughters and make new memories that will surely last a lifetime.
Grilling with our family alongside others of various stripes, brothers and sisters all, filled me with a rush of pride and sense of belonging that Fourth of July celebrations never quite did.
In the Talmud, foods are class-based. You just do not read of rabbis stating that they drink the common beverage, date beer, but only if it is of the single origin variety, brewed locally in Neharda'ah.
I have a rule though: once you flavor and layer your hamburger with whatever you want, you cannot put it down. Otherwise, you risk ruining the sandwich by making the bread soggy with all the juices that come out.
Most importantly, the backyard barbeque is a way for us to just get together and have fun eating and schmoozing.
By Chaim Saiman
It is hard to imagine the study of Torah without debate and machloket – indeed what would the Talmud look like shorn of the multiplicity of debates and disagreements that propel its dialogue forward?
To think of the Sanhedrin as merely an institutional feature of enforcing Jewish law would be to miss the central role Jewish legal institutions – whether it be the Sanhedrin of old or the modern day beit din – play in the ethics of Jewish law.
As a number of traditional sources point out, such legislation of the details of biblical law was not decided solely upon the basis of decoding the text or Talmudic logic.
Instead of the lofty goal of creating a Sanhedrin with the intent of creating consensus and unity, we could start the other way around. Start off with achdus, and a global movement to increase ahavas Yisrael among our people.
The Greek term Sanhedrin reflects a new name given to the zekeinim we know from the Torah. So Sanhedrin represents Jewish ability to determine law and justice, even as it is subjugated under an outside imperial culture.
Popsicles came in varying colors and flavors. Vanilla white, lime green, chocolate, banana yellow, cherry red, etc. Yet they are all labeled as popsicles.
By Jordana Baruchov Grreenfield
The process of making a popsicle – mixing ingredients, freezing them, and transforming a liquid into a solid – parallels one of the most popular and treasured themes in Judaism: the power and privilege of transformation via teshuva.
As the environment in galus heats up, we have a choice to make. Is my strength going to come from inside, or will I allow my environment to change my trust in Hashem?
By Nachum Segal
Maybe the popsicle is the same or even better in taste and flavor in 2024, but for me, the frozen treat of yesteryear simply has a whole host of accompanying ingredients that make the memories even tastier.
I looked for other ways to support Israel and one of those ways became buying Israeli products. I've been looking for those watermelon popsicles with candy seeds but to no avail. If you do come across them, please let me know.
Morahs are our children’s guides as they develop their first experiences outside the home. It is not surprising, therefore, that but my morah said it has to be done this way… is one of the most sacred instructions in our home.
By Adina Broder
Educators need to teach from the heart in order to have the greatest impact on their students. This requires teaching with sincerity, patience and empathy, which creates a nurturing environment in which students feel safe to question, explore and create.
Morah, rooted in the same shoresh as Yirah – fear, they say. But as I pondered over the cholent this past Shabbos, I concluded that it's more about awe, a reverence beyond measure.
By Eli Lebowicz
If you don’t think being a teacher is tough, try to remember what life was like during the beginning of Covid when kids were home or doing Zoom school and we were all struggling.
Next time you are about to act, whether it be a kiddush or (chas v’shalom) a chillul Hashem, remember who you are, a morah.
By Rabbanit Dr. Adena Berkowitz
For us, as we count down the days to Shavuot and the plethora of dairy we will be indulging in, let’s use our milchig food as a symbol to reconnect ourselves to Torah – and of course to Eretz HaKodesh, a land filled with milk and honey.
Funny enough, the data shows that using the term milchig isn't just Ashkenormative but it's Litve-normative!
There are numerous explanations for why we eat a dairy meal on this holiday. One of the reasons that underscores this connection is that just as milk spoils in fancy vessels but is preserved well in cheaper ones, the Torah is best preserved in a humble and accepting individual.
By David Curwin
While the average Israeli won’t know the word milchig, they will know the English cognate milky. It’s the name of a very popular chocolate dairy pudding.
August 28, 2026 
