Our Purim story is filled with irony.

The Prime Minister, who plotted to kill the Jews, falls victim to his own scheme.

...And the Persian Jews, who were doomed to destruction.

My video this week is a little longer than usual.

The theme will be familiar to most of you as we read about THE GOLDEN CALF.

My take is that the desert Israelites were not guilty of unfaithfulness.

We can rarely enter a public building these days without a sign or plaque dedicated to a generous donor. From stretches of highway to public benches, similar dedications are conveyed.

And yet, for all the ways we honor generosity, donation-giving has decreased significantly over the last decades.

We can rarely enter a public building these days without a sign or plaque dedicated to a generous donor. From stretches of highway to public benches, similar dedications are conveyed.

And yet, for all the ways we honor generosity, donation-giving has decreased significantly over the last decades.

I have rarely subscribed to the theory that revenge is sweet.

After some initial gratification, we realize that revenge and retribution contribute little to our future lives.

There are some people in the world, who believe they have cornered the market on wisdom and expertise.

I am not one of them.

This Sabbath we will celebrate Shabbat Shira/The Sabbath of the Song. The Torah reading includes B'nai Yisrael's triumphant song, led by Moses and Miriam.

Several days ago, yet another anti-Israel demonstration in New York brought assault upon the Jewish community.

This time, the primary target seemed to be a shocking and illogical choice.

Hello Everyone,

With this week's Torah portion VAERA we begin the story of Israel's liberation and Egypt's downfall. The Egyptian people suffer from a series of crippling plagues, which cause suffering throughout the nation.

Hello Everyone and Happy New Year,

This Shabbat we are introduced to three of the most remarkable women in the annuls of history..

No hyperbole here-so tune in for the details.

Rabbi Klayman is on vacation this week. Please feel free to reference to Sefaria.org for the parsha, translation, and commentary.

Outside of the fortunate few, who enjoy life in a silver spoon, most of us encounter hardship and pain as an inevitable feature of living.

Can we withstand our respective hardships and emerge with any sense of optimism?

Over the past two months we in the Jewish community have mourned the loss of so many to the terrorists of Hamas.

Aside from the obvious loses and challenges, we feel betrayed and abandoned by those with whom we have stood in solidarity in the ongoing struggle for equal rights and dignity for all.

Hanukkah begins Thursday night. We celebrate the victory of the FEW against the MANY.

As Israel, like the ancient Maccabees, fights to preserve its nation and spirit, the theme of FEW against MANY takes on added significance.

Please excuse my obsession this month with the Biblical Dinah. She is barely mentioned in the Torah, yet I am now devoting a second video to her.

Dinah's centrality to the Genesis stories is illustrated more by her absence than by her presence-and no rationalization for such absence will satisfy me.

As I have suggested, the Torah narratives often omit intent. We are left to scrutinize the text, often verse by verse, to best appreciate the Torah's message.

In this week's portion Vayetze, ONE verse challenges us moderns to accept the Torah's culture.