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Weekly D'rash Emor
Everyone desires acceptance. It means that we are included or valued within a group. Sometimes acceptance is based on how we look, a...

Rabbi Howard Silverman
May 13, 20223 min read


Weekly D'rash Kedoshim
This past Shabbat, I began a series on virtues that concretize what it means to draw closer to God. It is vitally important that we...

Rabbi Howard Silverman
May 4, 20222 min read


Weekly D'rash Tazria HaChodesh
This week our Torah portion (Leviticus 12:1–13:59) describes situations in which people are “clean” or “unclean.” In Hebrew, the words...

Rabbi Howard Silverman
Mar 31, 20222 min read


Weekly D'rash Sh'mini Parah
We could say that in our Torah portion this week "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times" for Aaron. In Leviticus 9, we read...

Rabbi Howard Silverman
Mar 23, 20222 min read


Weekly D'rash Tsav
Fire is one of the most significant developments in human history. It allowed people to eat different kinds of food and live in parts of...

Rabbi Howard Silverman
Mar 16, 20223 min read


Weekly D'rash Vayikra Zachor
Purim is almost upon us. Next Wednesday night, we will join the rest of the Jewish world in reading the Book of Esther, remembering how...

Rabbi Howard Silverman
Mar 9, 20224 min read


Weekly D'rash P'kudei
Where do you store important documents? We all have certain documents that must be protected. Birth certificates, important financial...

Rabbi Howard Silverman
Mar 3, 20222 min read


Weekly D'rash Vayakhel Shekalim
Our Torah portion for this week begins with a reminder of the command to keep Shabbat. Also, the last thing we read after Moses receives...

Rabbi Howard Silverman
Feb 24, 20223 min read


Weekly D'rash Ki Tissa
This week our Torah portion focuses on the story of the Golden Calf. To get the most out of this narrative, we must go back to Exodus 24...

Rabbi Howard Silverman
Feb 17, 20224 min read


Weekly D'rash T'zaveh
The sense of smell is powerful. It can serve as a warning when you smell dangerous odors. On the other hand, our sense of smell brings...

Rabbi Howard Silverman
Feb 10, 20223 min read


Weekly D'rash Terumah
Our Torah portion for this week describes the instructions for building the Tabernacle. This structure provided the way that God could...

Rabbi Howard Silverman
Feb 3, 20222 min read


Weekly D'rash Mishpatim
This week our Torah portion is filled with a variety of laws that describe a way of life that is moral, ethical, and reflects the...

Rabbi Howard Silverman
Jan 27, 20223 min read


Weekly D'rash Yitro
This week's Torah portion could be considered the centerpiece or cornerstone of the Torah, and perhaps of the entire Tanakh or even the...

Rabbi Howard Silverman
Jan 20, 20223 min read


Weekly D'rash B'shalach
This week our Torah portion is the story of the parting of the Red Sea and Israel's journey to Horeb, which is also known as Mt. Sinai....

Rabbi Howard Silverman
Jan 13, 20223 min read


Weekly D'rash Bo
Recently, I saw a television advertisement for a smartphone company in which a child is given a large lollipop. Then another child...

Rabbi Howard Silverman
Jan 6, 20223 min read


Weekly D'rash Vaeira
Last week we were introduced to Moses and Aaron. As this week's Torah portion unfolds, we can observe more about the partnership between...

Rabbi Howard Silverman
Dec 30, 20213 min read


Weekly D'rash Shemot
This week our Torah portion brings us to the beginning of the book of Exodus. Joseph and his brothers have now died, and several...

Rabbi Howard Silverman
Dec 22, 20213 min read


Weekly D'rash Vaychi
This week our Torah portion brings us to the end of Genesis. Something that struck me this year was the way Joseph and his brothers...

Rabbi Howard Silverman
Dec 15, 20212 min read


Weekly D'rash Vayigash
We like to say that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. Our Torah portion for this week demonstrates this in the life of...

Rabbi Howard Silverman
Dec 8, 20212 min read


Weekly D'rash Mikets Chanukah
This week to commemorate Chanukah, there is a special Haftorah reading which includes the fourth chapter of the prophet Zechariah. This...

Rabbi Howard Silverman
Dec 1, 20212 min read
Weekly D'rash: Insights and commentary on the Torah.
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Rabbi Howard Silverman
Nov 122 min read
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