Rabbi Marc D. Rudolph

How does Judaism help us become more independent in mind and spirit? Traditionally, after a bar mitzvah has completed the recitation of the aliyah, the father of the youngster recites a blessing known as “she-petarani“, after the first major word in the prayer – “Blessed is the One who freed me (she-petarani) from the responsibility…

We are fast approaching the New Year.  The editor of our newsletter, Brad Kolar, assigns us “regular columnists” a topic to write on for each newsletter.  The topic chosen this month is “What Jewish values do you most want to carry with you into the New Year.”  I wondered  about the concept of Jewish values,…

  This week marked a first, I believe, in Naperville history – the placement of a menorah next to the Christmas tree on Naperville’s Riverwalk.  Newspaper reports, ever on the lookout for the sensational or controversial to sell their papers, highlighted the perceived threat of a lawsuit should the Park District not acquiesce to Chabad’s…

Six year old Jacob approached me on the bima following a recent Friday night Family service. “This is what it is all about,” he proclaimed, “this is the way it should be, and this is the way it will always be someday.”  Intrigued, I asked him what he meant.  “Everybody sings together,” he replied, “and…

Tonight is the first night of Chanukah.  I don’t know about you, but all week my thoughts have been turned to the image of the heroic champion striding across the field of battle defeating all.  The victories over the many, coming it were, one after another, is a true miracle. The years of struggle and…

Chaye Sarah 5770 G-d Blessed Abraham BaKol This week’s parasha opens with the death of Sarah and Abraham’s purchase of the cave of Machpelah in which she will be buried.  After mourning and burying his wife, scriptures tells us the Abraham was old, “and G-d blessed Abraham “bah-kol”.  It is conventionally translated as “G-d blessed…

Lifelong Learning   We are first introduced to Abraham at the conclusion of the book of Noach.  We are told very little about him.  It is striking, in fact, that when we are introduced to Noah he is called an “ish tsadik”, a righteous man. But when we are introduced to Avraham there is no…

A rabbi is brought to speak before a congregation that is seeking a new spiritual leader. “What will you be talking about?” the president asks the rabbi as they walk to the synagogue. “Sabbath observance — the need for Jews to make this day truly holy, without shopping, without spending money.” “I wouldn’t do that,”…

In Pirke Avot – the Ethics of the Fathers – we find the following saying of Ben Azzai: Run as fast as you can to do a minor mitzvah.. for one mitzvah leads to another. The Hebrew for “one mitzvah leads to another” is “mitzvah gorreret mitzvah”.  In this pithy statement there is only one…

The Gift of Life One evening a number of years ago my family was sitting at dinner when one of our sons asked my wife and I an intriguing question — “If you and mom never met each other, whose child do you think I would be?” Well obviously, if we never met he would…