O’ Say Can You See

At the end of Parshat VaYelech, Moses calls the Torah a ’song’ and commands the Jewish people to remember this song.  The next week’s parsha, Ha’azinu, is clearly a song as well, and many commentators suggest that it is to serve as a paradigm for the entire Torah.  The question is why – Why is [...]

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The Kosher Bookworm

Below is the recent review of my book, The Accidental Zionist, that appeared in the Long Island Jewish Star.  To order the book, visit your local Judaica store, or shop online at Amazon.com.
The Kosher Bookworm: “The Accidental Zionist” by Rabbi Ian Pear
In Alan Jay Gerber, Atlantic Beach, Exclusive, Feature, Hashkafah, Israel, Kosher Bookworm, Opinion, Review, Yeshiva [...]

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Lag B’Omer – When Hatred is Love

According to the Talmud, Rabbi Akiva presided over 24,000 students until a terrible plague decimated nearly all of them (only 5 survived) in the 2nd Century CE.  “Why did these students die?” asks the Talmud.    The answer: “Because they did not show honor to one another.”
There are many questions one may ask about this story, [...]

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Why Inner City Schools Need Kohanim

A couple of Friday nights ago we had the privilege of having over to our home for Shabbat dinner a distinguished group of U.S. educators visiting Israel as part of the American-Israeli Friendship League Mission Program.   As usual, we went around the table and had everyone introduce themselves.  In addition to telling us a little [...]

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When Lions Roar – The Connection Between the Holy and the Ethical

I apologize for the length of this post.  Feel free to split it up into two or three reads.
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Why do we take three steps back and then three steps forward before praying the silent ‘amida’ prayer?
There are a number of answers to this question, such as: This ‘coreography’ is to remind us of the actions [...]

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Jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge straight into Israel

“… and he shall dwell alone, isolated outside the camp will be his residence …” (Leviticus 13:46)
Thus we are told is the punishment for the person afflicted with Tzara’at, the spiritual disease often likened to leprosy and brought on by — according to our Sages — the sin of speaking ill of other people.
Rashi notes that this [...]

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All We Have to Fear is Fear Itself

The Torah uses two phrases to describe how God took the Jews out of Egypt — with a mighty hand (Yad Chazakah) and an outstretched arm (zarua natuah).  Why both expressions?
Rav Kook answers as follows.  The mighty hand was employed to weaken Pharoah and force him into letting the Jews go.  But that alone was insufficient [...]

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An Earth Day Special

For an interesting take on disposal of hazardous waste — 2,000 years ago! — check out the Talmud’s Bava Kama Tractate 30A.  There, you will see the discussion held by a series of Rabbis of how to best dispose of dangerous materials, in those times things like thorns and shards of glass.  The accepted practice [...]

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Love & Halacha

I just started rereading Erich Fromm’s The Art of Loving and came across a beautiful insight that I believe not only sheds light on love but — forgive my lack of romance — halacha as well.  He writes that loving another is perhaps the best way to penetrate the secrets of another person and genuinely attain [...]

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If You Really Fear God, Be Happy

When describing the joy I experience on Shabbat to the uninitiated, I often am met with a great deal of skepticism.  After all, once they learn about the myriad of laws associated with the day, the response more often than not is one of dismay at the restrictive nature of the day rather than appreciation [...]

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