October 3, 2023
Published by Rabbi Yosef A. Cohen, MD at October 3, 2023
Categories

Yom Kippur: Remembering Why

נעילה Now is the time. Over the last month we have spent a significant amount of time preparing for this final moment. We have reached the climax of the יום כיפור service. We fasted all day, prayed all day in preparation for the last תפילה we will now say together […]
Do you like it?0
Read more
October 3, 2023
Published by Rabbi Yosef A. Cohen, MD at October 3, 2023
Categories

The Prayer of Rosh Hashana

Tfilat Hannah: A Model of Thanksgiving I’ve always been struck by the profound impact of a particular prayer on Rosh Hashanah, one that we don’t actually recite ourselves but rather find in the haftarah portion – the prayer of Hannah, תפלת חנה. Hannah’s story is a testament to unwavering faith […]
Do you like it?0
Read more
October 3, 2023
Published by Rabbi Yosef A. Cohen, MD at October 3, 2023
Categories

The Shavout Experience

The Shavout Experience, the Yahadut Experience, the Fleetwood Experience As has been discussed in various forums within our Shul, Shavuot is a captivating holiday because it doesn’t impose any specific religious commandment. During Pesach, we eat matzah, and during Sukkot, we sit in the Sukkah and shake the arba’at ha-minim. […]
Do you like it?0
Read more
April 25, 2023
Published by Rabbi Yosef A. Cohen, MD at April 25, 2023
Categories

Internal Pesach, External Sukkot

There is a puzzling distinction between Pesach and Sukkot. Pesach has a very clear reason for celebration, it commemorates the time we left Mitzrayim. Sukkot, while the Torah does provide a reason, the timing is not particularly clear. And yet, Pesach seems to be, externally at least, a much more […]
Do you like it?0
Read more
April 25, 2023
Published by Rabbi Yosef A. Cohen, MD at April 25, 2023
Categories

Matza, An Expression of Talmud Torah

Lomdus, the analytical explanation of Talmudic principles is a fascinating intellectual endeavor, that often allows for understanding and appreciating certain halachic principles. For example, as we’ve discussed in the past, there are two components of the mitzvat Talmud torah. One, the מצווה חיובית, that is the obligatory requirement to engage […]
Do you like it?0
Read more
April 25, 2023
Published by Rabbi Yosef A. Cohen, MD at April 25, 2023
Categories

Parshat Zachor

Three prominent enemies of the Jewish people appear throughout the Torah but only one bears the title of eternal enemy of the Jewish people. The מצרים enslaved us for hundreds of years. They drowned our babies and tormented our people. And yet, of them the Torah tells us לא תתעב […]
Do you like it?0
Read more
April 10, 2023
Published by Rabbi Yosef A. Cohen, MD at April 10, 2023
Categories

The Anticlimactic Seder

The miracles were wonderous events that God performed for us. But they are not the point of the story. Now that He has redeemed us we must prepare to begin the next stage. We must discuss the technical details of the Seder so we understand the laws of how the celebration must be made. This is what we are entrusted to teach our children.
Do you like it?0
Read more
12