Emes Ve-Emunah: Travel Day

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Travel Day

I'm on my way to Israel. My wife and I will be spending Yom Kippur and Sukkos in Ramat Bet Shemesh (Aleph) with our son and his family. I'll be posting from there beginning tomorrow. I will be davening at Massas Mordechai (on Dolev) for Shachris most mornings - including Shabbos and Yom Tov (the 'Magen Avraham' minyan located in the 'Shtiebel Aleph' auxilary bet medrash). If you're in the neighborhood at that hour come on over and say hi.

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.