Dvar Torah given at Ohr Kodesh Congregation, September 28, 2015 Do you know the minimum size of a sukkah? What is the smallest a sukkah could be and still be kosher? What I find interesting about this question is that for many halakhot with physical parameters some of the minimum requirements are quite well known. What you need for a kosher lulav and etrog, how much matzah we have to eat or what constitutes the basic components of mishloah manot.

Dvar Torah given at Kehilat Hadar, September 23, 2015 Throughout the liturgy of Yom Kippur we have recited line after line asking God to hear us, answer us. We ask in plural: משענה לרבקה בלכתה לדרוש הוא יעננו May the one who answered Rebecca when she went seeking answer us and in first person: ה׳ שמע בקולי- תהיינה אזנך קשובות לקול תחנוני God hear my voice, may your ears pay attention to the voice of my supplication. Over and over we cry out:

Dvar Torah given at Kehilat Hadar, March 21, 2015 I’ve long been fascinated with the grammatical construction of “passive to avoid taking responsibility.” Perhaps there’s an actual technical name for this phenomena, but you should all be familiar with it: “It spilled….” of course it didn’t someone knocked it over! Or “it fell,” and its popular cousin, “it got dropped” Really? by who?

Dvar Torah given at Kehilat Hadar October 4, 2014  This drash starts in a bar. I know that’s a bit unconventional for Yom Kippur, but please bear with me. Last year, I met Tim, my spouse at a midtown bar for afterwork drinks with his colleagues. It was also a goodbye party for someone who was leaving. At some point, champagne was brought out, poured into flutes and distributed to all as part of his goodbye toast. Of the 30 or so people there, who had their pick off the bar’s menu, no one had ordered champagne. Who would? Yet, because it was a toast, we all put down our beers, whiskey, cocktails to pick up flutes of fizzy wine. Toasting is an odd ritual when you  think about it.