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Steven Saks

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Sep 24, 2026, 7:15 PM

Replace Your Yom Kippur Mindset with a Sukkot One:

According to Talmudic tradition (Ta’anit 30b), the second set of tablets was given on the tenth of Tishrei, the day we now observe as Yom Kippur. God’s willingness to forgive the people for the sin of the Golden Calf,...

Sep 24, 2026, 12:50 AM

Be Your Best Self- It’s Easier Than You Think

We begin every Amidah by invoking the merit of Yaakov Avinu (Jacob, our Patriarch). Yet, according to the pshat (plain read of the text) Jacob is a gonnif (thief). The conventional wisdom is that if Jacob had not stolen...

Sep 11, 2026, 7:00 PM

Life is short but not futile: Rosh Hashana 5787

Early one June morning, I received a text message from my friend Howard’s wife, Sandy, asking if we could speak as soon as possible. The news was far worse than I had anticipated. My friend Howard, at the age...

Jul 4, 2026, 9:57 AM

America 250: Revolution and Evolution

Pinchas 5786 The midterms are not too far off on the political horizon which means we will hear a lot about a desire for “change.” Sefer Bemidbar (The Book of Numbers) contains two diametrically opposed methods of effecting change,...

Jun 30, 2026, 3:37 AM

Coping with Loss and Betrayal

Chukat/ Balak 5786 Two weeks ago, we read of Moses pleading with God in order to save the people that he had liberated. Yet, now we read of Moses cursing those very same people, referring to them as “rebels” because...

Jun 18, 2026, 4:28 AM

An open letter to President Trump

Dear President Trump, You yourself have been highly critical and correctly so, of the previous failed attempts to appease Iran. Unfortunately, it appears that the proposed memorandum of understanding between your administration and Iran is yet another attempt at appeasing...

Jun 1, 2026, 7:08 PM

Don’t Allow Your Blessings to Become Curses: Naso

We consider talent and ability to be a blessing and it certainly is. But such gifts can also be a curse as the 19th century sage, Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin points out. Samson, (whose birth story is narrated...

May 15, 2026, 10:35 PM

Exemplifying Strong Leadership: In Praise of Congresswoman Gillen

Power may be intoxicating but it’s also a burden as Sefer B’midbar (The Book of Numbers) illustrates. Moses found himself tested time and time again as he led the people through the wilderness. Despite receiving the ancient equivalent of Door...

Mar 24, 2026, 5:36 AM

When Words Fail Us: Vayikra 5786

The idea of animal sacrifice seems primitive and antiquated. I recently listened to a lecture by Rabbi Alex Israel, entitled “Understanding Korbanot” which makes the ancient sacrificial procedures much more relatable. I would like to share some of his...

Mar 12, 2026, 7:46 PM

We are not alone

Sometimes it appears that the world has gone crazy. In recent years, people who otherwise appear to be sensible and compassionate ignore, excuse, justify and even celebrate the slandering and physical attacks on Jews and the Jewish state. It...

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About Me

Rabbi of Sons of Israel, Woodmere NY. Vice President of Morasha Rabbinical Fellowship (affiliated with the Union for Traditional Judaism). Served as president of the Rabbinical Association of Delaware.