January 9, 2025

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Rabbi Neil N. Winkler

Articles by Rabbi Neil N. Winkler

The Lesson of the Sticks

Parshat Vayigash This week’s haftarah from sefer Yechezkel marks the closing of the Geula section of the book—a section that includes chapters 36 and 37.

A Generation of Survivors

Parashat Miketz Shabbat Chanukah Our haftarah this Shabbat, Shabbat Chanukah, is taken from Sefer Zecharya. The navi served his people in the fifth century BCE

Mamlechet Kohanim

The charge of every navi is to bring Hashem’s word to the people. More often than not, the message to be delivered is one meant

A Hope for Today

Parshat Vayishlach Although this week’s parsha describes the long-awaited reunion and rapprochement between Eisav and Yaakov, it also indicates that there seems to have been

Shomer Yisrael

Parshat Vayeitzei The final chapters of the Book of Hoshea from which our haftarah is taken, reflect the basic theme of the entire book, that

Power or Peace?

Parshat Chayei Sarah Over the past years, I have shared with you the contrasting depiction of King David’s final days as described in our haftarah

 A Culture of Compassion

Parshat Vayeira “ … V’Torat chesed al l’shona.” The events we read of in this week’s haftarah—a selection from the fourth perek in Melachim Bet—bear

Uncovering the Remarkable Avraham

 Parshat Lech Lecha The opening pesukim of our haftarah are verses that immediately follow the haftarah of parshat Vaetchanan, the haftarah known as “Nachamu.” And,

Consecrating Time

Shabbat Rosh Chodesh, Parshat Noach As, once again, we read the special Shabbat Rosh Chodesh haftarah, we are reminded that this 66th perek of sefer

Humility Precedes Teshuva

Yom Kippur “Kol makom sheata motzeh gedulato shel HaKadosh Baruch Hu—sham ata motzeh anvatanuto … ” In Masechet Megillah (31a), Rabbi Yochanan teaches us: “Wherever