FROM THE DESK OF RABBI RADER
Words from Sinai:
A Torah Insight for Vayera
Is it a sin to argue with G d? Is it sacrilegious to question the Divine? Well, Abraham did. Not for himself, but on behalf of the people of Sodom, a city G d had decided to destroy because of its people's wickedness. Abraham was the paragon of Chessed, the personification of kindness and compassion. He grappled with the Almighty, attempting to negotiate a stay of execution for those people.
"Will you destroy the righteous with the wicked?" he asks G d. "Will the judge of all the earth not do justice?" "If there are 50 righteous men, will you spare them? 45? 40... 30... 20... 10?" In the end, Abraham cannot find even a Minyan of righteous men in Sodom and he gives up. The next verse reads, "And Abraham went back to his place."
Having failed in his valiant attempt, he acknowledges defeat and retreats to his corner. Another interpretation of these words is that, despite his lack of success in saving the inhabitants of Sodom, Abraham remained undaunted. Figuratively, he returned to his place; meaning that he was undeterred by his lack of success on this occasion and returned to his place ie retained his mind set of arguing for justice on behalf of others.
We, as Abraham’s descendants, have inherited his great attribute of Chessed. May we strive to emulate him in our sense of kindness, compassion and justice.
Shabbat Shalom
Shabbat 8 November 2025 / 17 Cheshvan 5786
Words from Sinai:
A Torah Insight for Shabbat Bereishit
In 1798, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi was imprisoned on false charges that his teachings undermined the imperial authority of the Czar. For 52 days he was held in the notorious Peter-Paul Fortress in Petersburg.
Among the Rabbi's interrogators was a government minister who possessed a broad knowledge of the Bible. On one occasion, he asked the Rabbi to explain the verse (Genesis 3:9): "G-d called out to the man and said to him: 'Where are you?'" “Did G-d not know where Adam was?” asked the minister.
"Do you believe that the Torah is eternal?" asked the Rabbi. "Do you believe that its every word applies to every individual, under all conditions, at all times?"
"Yes," replied the minister.
"'Where are you?'" explained the Rabbi, "is G-d's perpetual call to every person. Where are you in the world? What have you accomplished? You have been allotted a certain number of days, hours, and minutes in which to fulfill your life mission. You have lived so many years and so many days. Where are you? What have you achieved?"
The story of Adam is the story of the prototype human being who ‘blows’ a great opportunity. By not following one simple instruction he forfeits a lifetime in paradise.
Rabbi Shneur Zalman was talking about the amount of time that passes by which could have been used in a positive, constructive manner, time that could have been used for making a stand for what we truly believe in. Such activity left the Rabbi open to the malicious slander which led to his arrest and incarceration. But he was steadfast in his beliefs and eventually vindicated.
Shabbat Shalom
Shabbat 18 October 2025 / 26 Tishrei 5786
Words from Sinai:
KOHELET - The Book of Ecclesiastes, read on Shabbat Succot
In the midst of Succot - the Season of Our Rejoicing - we read the book of Ecclesiastes to remind us of life's true purpose and those things we should really rejoice about.
At the beginning of the seventh chapter we encounter the following statement:
A good name is better than good oil; and the day of death than the day of birth.
In ancient times oil was used to preserve the body from disintegration. King Solomon, the author of Ecclesiastes, is teaching us that a good name - reputation - will preserve a person's memory and the sweetness of their presence far more than precious, aromatic oils.
The Sefer HaIkkarim points out that on the day of a person's birth their physical being has developed to the point where it can sustain life independently but the individual has vast, untapped potential. Depending on the way they live their life, the day of that individual's passing can be a time of great fulfillment when they have fulfilled that potential.
Ecclesiastes guides us towards life's real priorities; which express themselves in the Torah we will celebrate on Simchat Torah.
Shabbat Shalom
10 October 2025 / 18 Tishrei 5786
לזכות רחל אמונה בת מלכה, חיה מושקא בת דבורה, שניאור זלמן בן מרים רייזל, עטיל בת צירעל רייזל ובן ציון בן חיה מושקא לרפואה שלמה בקרוב.