Category Archives: Inspiration

Mother’s Day Special: Lessons in Gratitude and Appreciation

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:21:02 — 37.1MB)

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Unfortunately and ironically, we often appreciate the least the people to whom we owe the most. If a total stranger gave you $235,000 – the amount it costs parents to raise a child to the age of 18 – you would be eternally indebted to him/her. But our parents contribution to us extends far beyond the financial. Who woke up for us as babies; cleaned our messes; worried for us; attended PTA, soccer games and graduations? Our parents did so much for us – we ought to be eternally indebted to them as well.

Why, Pray Tell? The Centrality of Prayer in Jewish Practice and Harnessing it’s Unlimited Power

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Moses prayed 515 times to God that He rescind His decree of banning Moses from entering Israel. After this relentless prayer assault Moses ceased praying. Why would Moses stop after 515 and not continue and what does that teach us about the effectiveness of prayer?

*Shalom Cypress, April 15, 2015

Jewish Life Cycles: From Pre-Conception to Post-Mortem and Beyond

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What is foretold about man even before conception, and what is significant about that?

The Talmud declares that a child studies the entire Torah in utero and as it enters the world an angel strikes it’s mouth and the child forgets it all. What can this possibly mean?

What is the nature of the oath administered to a fetus upon entry to the world?

Why do we have a mitzvah to circumcise young boys?

What happens after we die?

These are but some of the very interesting elements of the Jewish timeline of Pre-Life – Life – Post-Life. In this class we dig in and investigate the various points of interest in a Jewish life and outline the meaning behind the practices associated with these milestones.

TORCH Bar and Bat Mitzvah Program – 2015