Emes Ve-Emunah: Sukkos in Israel

Sunday, October 05, 2008

Sukkos in Israel

I’m off to Israel. This post will be pretty much my last one before I land. My Internet access there this year will at best be limited. So my posts - if there are any – will be erratic at best. I do hope to do at least some posting during this period.

The available days for posting will in any case be limited to just a few – many of them on Erev Yom Tov or Erev Shabbos. I will however try and post when I can. Please check and see.

I will, God willing, be back in Chicago late on Thursday the 23rd of October and return to my daily posting schedule the next day, Friday October 24th.

If I do not get the chance to post before Yom Kippur – My wish is for all of Klal Yisroel to have a G’mar Chasima Tova. May God bless and seal this year for a good and blessed one - of life, health, happiness, and prosperity.

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My outlook on Judaism is based mostly on the teachings of my primary Rebbe, Rabbi Aaron Soloveichik from whom I received my rabbinic ordination. It is also based on a search for spiritual truth. Among the various sources that put me on the right path, two great philosophic works stand out: “Halakhic Man” and “Lonely Man of Faith” authored by the pre-eminent Jewish philosopher and theologian, Rabbi, Dr. Joseph B. Soloveitchik. Of great significance is Rabbi, Dr. Norman Lamm's conceptualization and models of Torah U’Mada and Dr. Eliezer Berkovits who introduced me to the world of philosophic thought. Among my early influences were two pioneers of American Elementary Torah Chinuch, Rabbis Shmuel Kaufman and Yaakov Levi. The Yeshivos I attended were Yeshivas Telshe for early high school and more significantly, the Hebrew Theological College where for a period of ten years, my Rebbeim included such great Rabbinic figures as Rabbis Mordechai Rogov, Shmaryahu Meltzer, Yaakov Perlow, Herzl Kaplan, and Selig Starr. I also attended Roosevelt University where I received my Bachelor's Degree - majoring in Psychology.