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Shlomo Riskin

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Jun 14, 2018, 5:59 PM

Korach and the abandonment of God’s mission [Parshat Korach]

Why didn’t the Israelites rise up against the rebels who dared defy Moses, the selfless man of God who gave up a luxurious and carefree life as Prince of Egypt in order to liberate a slave people from tyranny? Reading...

May 24, 2018, 5:34 PM

Who was the target audience for the Ten Commandments? [Parshat Naso]

Our Biblical portion this week speaks of the ongoing voice of the Divine, which continues to be heard from within the Sanctuary (Mishkan) on a continual basis after the Divine Revelation, which has just been heard by the entire...

Mar 29, 2018, 4:38 PM

The greatest challenge of Seder night [Passover 5778]

The Passover Seder we will soon be celebrating is an evening dedicated first and foremost to the relationship between the generations, to parents communicating to their children the agony and the ecstasy of Egyptian enslavement and exodus – that...

Mar 22, 2018, 1:03 PM

The still, small voice of God’s unconditional love [Shabbat Hagadol]

Elijah's cave on Mount Carmel, March 2017. (Deror Avi/Wikipedia)

Expect revelation not in the big production of Mount Sinai, but in a still small voice

Mar 8, 2018, 1:37 PM

The Jewish value of sanctifying intimacy [Parshat Vayak’hel / Pekudei]

The Sanctuary and all of its furnishings are described in exquisite detail in this week’s Torah portion, Vayak’hel-Pekudei, with one exception: the Ki’ur, the large wash basin in which the priests sanctified themselves by washing their hands and feet...

Mar 2, 2018, 5:28 PM

Out of many, one [Parshat Ki Tissa]

Suddenly, I felt myself awakened during a flight by a rather startling question. Someone wanted to see my tzitzit (ritual fringes). Still half asleep, I partially unbuttoned my shirt, showing the aggressive inquisitor the tzitzit. I thought that perhaps...

Feb 22, 2018, 5:28 PM

Creating a world free of Amalek [Shabbat Zachor]

Each year on Shabbat Zachor, the Sabbath that precedes the festival of Purim, we read from a selection in the Book of Deuteronomy about the need to remember the vicious attack on the most vulnerable of the Jews by...

Feb 15, 2018, 12:49 PM

Who are the true guardians of Judaism? [Parshat Terumah]

Concerning the construction of the Holy Ark and the cherubs, two technical textual questions are raised by the Midrash and many biblical commentaries. First of all, throughout our Torah portion, Terumah, the various parts of the Sanctuary are commanded...

Feb 8, 2018, 2:44 PM

Transforming fate into destiny [Parshat Mishpatim]

At Sinai, the Jewish nation entered into its second covenant with God, a pact based not on the family-nation of the descendants of Abraham . An individual is not asked whether they wish to be born into a specific family...

Feb 1, 2018, 1:05 PM

Religious coercion and religious commitment [Parshat Yitro]

When you keep Shabbat with love, you also accept with love those who decide not to do the same

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About Me

A leading voice in the Modern Orthodox world, Rabbi Shlomo Riskin is an educator, social activist and author who serves as Founder and Chancellor of the Ohr Torah Stone network of pioneering men's and women's institutions. He is also Chief Rabbi of Efrat, Israel, and the founding rabbi of Lincoln Square Synagogue in New York City. He earned semicha from Rabbi Soloveitchik at Yeshiva University, and a PhD from NYU. (Photo credit: Chaim Snow)