Torah Corner

The Torah blog of Rabbi Yosef A. Cohen, MD of the Fleetwood Synagogue

Below you can find links to blog posts covering a range of topics. Rabbi Cohen writes about the parsha, chagim, and halacha, as well as a range of medical questions and how these topics overlap. 

There are also posts available on YUTorah by both Rabbis Cohen and Dayan.

The top of the page displays the most recent posts, while the categories section below can connect you to summaries and posts on a particular topic. 

Recent Posts

  • The Fleetwood Synagogue SoundCloud Page

    In addition to the various blog posts directly on the Torah Corner here on the Fleetwood Synagogue website, there are a large number of audio files on the Fleetwood SoundCloud page. These are audio only, without written commentary beyond the file name. The entire page is embedded below, although only a […]

  • Complex Emotions During Sefirat HaOmer

    There is a way of understanding the mourning of Sefirat HaOmer that resonates with me. Rabbi Akiva’s students died from the end of Pesach until Lag BaOmer, and on Lag BaOmer, they stopped dying, which is why we celebrate. This is based on the Derashot of Ri Ibn Shuib, who […]

  • Yizkor: Coming Together in Mourning

    Last night at 2 a.m., my daughter Tova woke me up, tears streaming down her face. She was terrified, convinced that animals were coming to get her. I held her hand and asked where the animals were coming from. She said they were coming through the front door. Together, we […]

  • The Merit that Saved Us From The Sea

    The miracle of the parting of the Red Sea was indeed a remarkable event. The Torah highlights that the Jews were walking ביבשה בתוך הים, on dry land within the sea. Some Rishonim note that as the Jews were crossing, the sea began to revert to its natural state even […]

  • The Celebration of Seder Night

    Over the past few weeks, I’ve been reflecting on the unique way we celebrate Pesach. On Purim, we celebrate our deliverance from those who sought to annihilate us. On Chanukah, we celebrate our religious freedom, allowing us to serve God without Greek interference. Both of these holidays commemorate victories achieved […]

  • Maintaining Enthusiasm

    I feel compelled to start with a brief digression. I missed you all last week, and my children especially missed being in shul the past few weeks. Nowhere else have we found a place where kids gather around the Bimah during Kiryat HaTorah or come up together to sing. Where […]

  • Moshe the Individual; Esther the Leader

    No where else is a four and a half letter word asked to accomplish so much. The first word of the third sefer of Chummush is ויקרא, with a small א. Midrashim followed by the Rishonim offer a number of insights into both the reasoning for the little א and […]

  • Taanit Esther Message

    How can we celebrate Purim while our people are engaged in war in Israel and we face anti-Semitism around the world?

  • A Note on Shomer Shabbas Residency

    There is much discussion regarding the attitude religious medical students should have when considering ranking shomer shabbas residencies. There are two components to keeping shabbas. One is the prohibition from doing certain actions (basically, the 39 melachos) and two is the obligation to celebrate shabbas (rest, make kiddush, not fast […]

  • The Evolution of God’s Presence

    Allow me to engage your creative side for a few moments. Come, join me, as we picture the magnificence of the Beit HaMikdash. Lets assume it is Erev Pesach. We travel together from distant lands to come eat the Karbon Pesach in Yerushalyim. After long travels, we finally reach the […]

Categories of the Posts of the Torah Corner

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