One of the things that I like about the internet is that amongst the commerce, the blogs, news, corporate and organizational sites on the web are sites where just by clicking a link, you can give tzedakah (a Hebrew word meaning righteouness, the word we use instead of charity) while online. Of course, there are many sites where you can use a credit card and give money to a favorite recipient, but what I am speaking of are sites where you can contribute to others for free without having to do anything more than just click.

There are many such sites for many many causes. Some people have made lists of the sites. For example:

Click to Cure Cancer (See the list at the bottom of the page.)
Help Others for Free (Listed by catagory.)
Care 2 Click to Donate

Go and give tzedakah!

This week’s parashah includes the Torah’s first and shortest healing prayer – El na, refah na la – said by Moses on behalf of Miriam.

While surfing the internet, I found an interesting drash on this prayer by Rabbi Arnold D. Samlan. It is posted at Learn Torah With, a commentary done for a few years by Torah Aura publishers. (By the way, this article is 4 years old, but still relevant [after all, Torah is thousands of years old].)

May your study be sweet.

Shavuah tov. I hope that you had a wonderful shabbat and a nice shavuot. The tikkun leyl shavuot I attended was wonderful and enjoyable and it was nice to be at services the next morning.

Today, my congregation had shabbat morning services and a wonderful young man became bar mitzvah. It wasn’t an easy process for him, and he did well with much pride. Seeing kids who understand what it is really about acheive this milestone gives me joy.

One more piece of personal, catch-up news, a dear college friend is visiting this weekend and it is great to spend time together!

Wishing you a wonderful week!

Happy Shavuot!

Shavuot begins tonight, our ancient pilgramage festival & holiday celebrating one of G-d’s greatest gifts to us – the Torah.

Here are some excellent Shavuot (also called Shavuos) links:
My Jewish Learning articles on Shavuot
Why we read the book of Ruth on Shavuot
Shavuot Checklist
URJ on Shavuot
JTS on Shavuot
The many names for Shavuot

Go, study, learn, celebrate and enjoy!

Good evening.

Over dinner tonight I read part of the latest issue of The Forward and I found myself agreeing with two brief yet well-written editorials:

The Gift of the Law on what to think about this Shavuot.

The Same War on the wars in Iraq and Chechnya.

You will need to make a free online subscription to the Forward to read the artilces, but I believe it is well worthwhile.

Go and Study!
Go and Grow!

The horrible violence in Rafah is heartbreaking. I’ve been feeling like I want to react to it since the incursion began, but other than the usual things said (and said in many places all over the web) I only have one thing to add. I continue to find the loss of life to violence, hatred, close-mindedness and ego here, thorughout the US, Gaza, West Bank, Israel, Iraq, Sudan, Afgahnistan and so many other places so sad.

Tearfully.

I’m adding a feature which I enjoy looking at on other’s blogs – some links to what I am currently reading. This list will be (by no means) exhaustive, as I am usually reading many many books at one time. I will post ones which discuss a topic I think is especially important, or a book which is particularly moving or a book which conveys something I think enough of to share. Feedback, as always, is welcome. You’ll find the information in the column on the left in the section marked Currently Reading.

Shalom haverim, (greetins, friends)

This week I have selected a Torah commentary by Rav Kook, former cheif rabbi of Israel and a man with an imense character and influence on learning in the pre-state and early days of the State of Israel. The commentary linked to this week is called The Signs of Jacob and speaks of our personal and communal relationships to Torah.

Go, and Study!
Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom

In a post yesterday I wrote about an Arab editor/publisher who called upon Arafat to resign.

Today, an King Abdullah of Jordan has called upon Arafat to resign for the sake of the Palestinan people. Read about it in Ma’ariv. The call is getting stronger.
I doubt he will respond, but it is telling of the state of affairs amongst the Palestinians.

Steven Weiss of The Forward newspaper and of Protocols has started a new Forward blog called Fiddish.