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Parshah Columnists

Guest Columnists
What the Athenian Sages Didn't Understand
There will always be people in our lives who meander from the straight and narrow. How can we set them straight?
Why Sing Sad Songs?
Why this song? Isn’t this the wrong message for the occasion?
Finding Our Song
Life, as we all know, is not a Disney movie, and home is not a Disney resort. With all of its suffering, stresses and tests, however, real life is still one colossal ride.
The Redeeming Power Of Holy Poetry
The Torah-reading of Ha'azinu is referred to as a song: Moses spoke... the words of this song... (Deut. 31:30).
Do You Love to “Hate” Sukkot?
We love to kvetch about the difficulty of planning outdoor meals when the heavens may gift us with rain or snow.
Are We Destined to Stay the Same?
Is there a way to imagine teshuvah as something empowering and encouraging, rather than a beat-down from G‑d?
Could the People Have Stopped Moses' Passing?
G‑d instructed Moses to ascend the mountain “in the middle of the day,” making it clear that they had no power over what would happen.
Our Eternal Covenant
Life Lessons From the Parshah - Haazinu
Torah Insights
Heaven & Earth
The testimony of heaven and earth is more than merely a poetic metaphor. Moses was conveying the profound lesson that in order for the message to endure, the Jew must evoke both heaven and earth.
Find Yourself
Initially, the connection between G‑d and the Jewish people was a contractual one. But then the unexpected happened.
Why Sing Sad Songs?
Why this song? Isn’t this the wrong message for the occasion?
Inner Stream
The Rainmaker
Moses asked for spiritual "rain." G-d responded by offering "dew"
Weekly Torah
Approaching Others
Enduring Testament
For Friday Night
Spirit and Matter
Now, what about us? Does the Torah reveal this aspect of Moses just to impress us with how holy he was, or is there a teaching which is also relevant for our lives?
Living through the Parshah
Hanging On by a Rope
It is not by coincidence that the reading of Haazinu, the portion that is always read in proximity to the High Holy Days, explains our connection to G‑d as that of being bound by rope!
What the Rebbe Taught Me
The Origins of Jewish Music
“If Judaism will be celebrated rather than commemorated,” sang Moses, “and allowed to work its music over you and your families, you will not be able to help but dance to its tune.”
What Do You Think?
Sing, My Children, Sing!
Why is Moses singing on the last day of his life?
Parshah Recovery
Straddling Heaven and Earth
Our spiritual fitness, upon which our recovery depends, does not mean an escape from day-to-day living—but quite the opposite...
Covenant & Conversation
Emotional Intelligence
Emotions matter. They guide our choices. They move us to action. Intellect alone cannot do this
The Spirituality of Song
The last thing Moses did before giving the people his deathbed blessing was to teach them a song.
Let My Teaching Fall Like Rain
There is much we can do of our own accord: we can plow the earth and plant the seeds. But in the end, our success depends on something beyond our control.
A Leader’s Call to Responsibility
The first humans lost paradise when they sought to hide from responsibility. We will only ever regain it if we accept responsibility and become a nation of leaders, each respecting and making space for those not like us.
Beyond Speech
How I Found Purpose With ALS
I could have fallen prey to the "why me?" attitude, sunken into depression and been miserable.
New Year Requests
On the Haftarah: The Great Light Which Comes out of the Darkness
For the Haftarah of Parshat Haazinu, From the Teachings of the Rebbe
By overcoming the darkness, the light is greater than it would have been without the difficulty.
Life's Passages
The Inspiring Story of Rabbi Avner, the Sinner
Ha'azinu
One Yom Kippur, Avner sent guards to the synagogue, ordering the Ramban to appear before him. In his palace, before the eyes of his former teacher and master, Avner slaughtered a pig, roasted it and ate it on this holiest of fast days.
The Ability to Find Yourself
Ha'azinu
The Jewish people’s faith in G‑d transcended structure, order, or limitations.
Weekly Sermonette
Are You an All-Weather Jew?
It is a shame that more of us don’t experience the full flavor of Jewish communal life.
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