Drashes & Articles

Sar Shalom is very proud to share the following articles written by our members.

Here you will find midrashim (from the Hebrew word “midrash” meaning to study, investigate, and explain) posted by members of the Sar Shalom family. In addition to the teaching of Rabbi Modrecai, we support the premise of Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” If you would like to share a midrash with others, please click here to submit your article for consideration. Toda raba!

Rosh Chodesh – A Holiday For Women

“Thus says HaShem / Elohim: The gate of the inner court that faces east shall be shut on the six working days, but on the Sabbath day it shall be opened, and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened.” Ezekiel 46:1 Rosh […]

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Shoftim

The annual cycle of Torah readings is so arranged that parshas SHOFTIM, “Judges”, is always read on the first Shabbos of the month of Elul, season of compassion and repentance, when all hearts yearn to come back to the Source. The opening words of the […]

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Family Guide to 40 Days of Teshuvah

Return to the L-rd, so that He might have mercy on you! The first day of the Hebrew month Elul begins the 40 days of teshuvah ultimately culminating with the High Holiday of Yom Kippur. This month is known as the month of mercy; the month when HaShem […]

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And You Shall Choose Life

“See: I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse.” (Deut. 11:26). Moses asks us to see and understand the most important fact about our existential condition: that we are free. Each of us is placed within a unique matrix of circumstances that […]

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Music on Shabbat?

A Special Article by Rabbi Mordecai Griffin The Issue: Sar Shalom Synagogue is an observant (modern orthodox) shul yet we willingly embrace instrumental music on Shabbat and Yom Tov. Traditional orthodox synagogues do not permit music on Shabbat. Why is our halacha different from theirs? […]

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Righteousness: A foreign concept?

By Emet Collins Righteousness. This word is not used much today, but is often used in scripture, and in different forms. We are told Avraham, Isaac, Jacob, Noah, Moses, Joseph, etc. were all righteous. Why? Did they do something that made them righteous or did […]

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Vayishlach Bar Mitzvah drash by Mordecai Wenzel

The following drash on parasha Vayishlach was brought by Mr. Macus Wenzel for his adult Bar Mitzvah on Shabbas morning, 14 Kislev, 5775 (12/06/14) I was excited to learn that this was my portion. This story has been with me since I was very young. […]

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Chayai Sarah Bat Mitzvah drash by Tirzah Ferris

The following drash on parasha Chayai Sarah was brought by Ms. Emily Ferris for her adult Bat Mitzvah on Shabbas morning, 22 Cheshvan, 5775 (11/15/14) Berishit 23:2 says: “Sarah died in Kiriath arba (that is Hebron) in the land of Canaan; and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah […]

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A New Perspective on Acts 15

Acts 15: A square peg in a round hole? There is SO much wrapped up in Acts 15, it’s really quite a challenge to even pick a starting point! But here we go… From antiquity to today (and it is rampant today) church leaders have […]

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Why Did Yeshua Come?

When asked “why did Yeshua come?” most would probably say something like, “to die to bear my sins so that I may live” or another way to say it is, “to free us from our indebtedness.” You might have even thought the very same thing […]

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