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Steven Saks

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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...

Feb 13, 2026, 7:20 PM

The sequel: Parshat Mishpatim

Often, an original book or movie is better than the sequel. Last year (on TV), I caught the end of Beverly Hills Cop, starring Eddie Murphy. I had not seen it in years, and I had forgotten how funny a...

Feb 2, 2026, 4:30 AM

Don’t Forget to Look Upwards: Beshalach 5786

In quick succession, the Israelites find themselves on the winning side of two distinct battles. In the first conflict, the newly freed people weren’t even required to fight. Trapped between the approaching Egyptian army and the sea, Moses reassured...

Jan 12, 2026, 3:52 PM

Man Up! Shemot 5786

As the adopted grandson of Pharaoh saw the Hebrew slave being beaten, we are told that “he turned this way and that way” before striking the taskmaster. The plain read of the text is that Moses was checking to...

Dec 26, 2025, 6:37 PM

Surviving and Thriving in Exile; Vayigash 5786

Why was it necessary for Bnei Yisrael, the Children of Israel to experience enslavement and a brutal exile? Ironically, the experience of exile saved Bnei Yisrael. Being a minority, makes one more aware of one's identity. I experienced this phenomenon...

Dec 23, 2025, 5:01 PM

A Response to the Chanukah Massacre at Bondi Beach: Miketz 5786

Terrorism is about more than injuring and killing people, it’s about creating a fear that forces people to alter their lives for the worse. Days after the October 7 attacks, Nassau County executive, Bruce Blakeman invited the county's rabbis...

Dec 20, 2025, 5:51 AM

When God Throws the Ball Back at You: Vayeshev 5786

If you were wrongly imprisoned. you would do everything to clear your name and win your freedom. Yet, according to the Midrash Tanchuma, Joseph erred in asking the wine butler to mention him to Pharaoh in hopes of gaining...

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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.