Hazzan Azi Schwarz: Bring Them Home

Musical Treats

Last week, Rabbi Barenblat wrote about habits and grooves. Pharaoh had hardened his heart so many times that it “just stayed that way”. Exodus teaches us to examine our habits closely, like shoes—the shoes that God told Moses to remove “because of holy ground”. Habits—the right ones—need to be cultivated, such as little acts of kindness. Please follow the link to her blog below to read this article:

Cantor Lori Reisman: Let There Be Peace

Musical Treats

Rabbi Sacks addresses the challenging issue of child sacrifice and God’s unfathomable demand of Abraham, to sacrifice his son Isaac.  He brings up the overarching themes in the Torah: God owns the land of Israel, and everything in the world belongs to God.  Thus, God has the right to demand the return of God’s property.  Was Isaac “property”?  According to customs of ancient times, children were considered the property of their parents…