Be'halot'cha 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! Years ago my 6 year old son was late for dinner. After frantically calling the neighbors in the building with kids his age, I finally ...

Naso 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! Once, while visiting people in the hospital, I met a man who was especially happy to see me. He told me, "You are the first rabbi ...

Bamidbar 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! Saturday evening, May 26th, begins the two day holiday of Shavuot (or Shavuos in the Ashkenazic pronunciation). (Yizkor is on Monday, ...

Behar-Bechukotai 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! In about two weeks (starting Saturday night, May 26th) is Shavuos, the holiday celebrating the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai. In ...

Emor 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! A woman once asked a perplexing question to Rabbi Ya'akov Weinberg, of blessed memory, who was the Rosh HaYeshiva (Dean) of Yeshivat ...

Acharei Mot-Kedoshim 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! Last week I wrote about the Torah laws governing speech and about the importance of judging someone favorably even though ...

Tazria-Metzora 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! What common everyday occurrence kills 3 people with one action? The Talmud (Arakin 15b) tells us that Loshon Hora -- derogatory or ...

Shmini 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! Imagine the scene -- a young man intently gazes into the eyes of a beautiful young woman and with great feeling says, "I love ...

Pesach (seventh day) 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! Are you happy with who you are? Wish you could change, but don't know how? Wondering how does one make real changes? The formula is ...

Pesach 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! An elderly American was waiting in line for Passport Control at Charles de Gaulle Airport. While fumbling for his passport, the ...

Tzav 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! Have you seen the one-minute movie "Google Exodus -- What if Moses had Facebook?" See it ... as well as read great articles ...

Vayikra 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! Many Jewish holidays have been humorously described as: "They wanted to kill us. We won. Let's eat." If you'd like to have ...

Vayakhel-Pekudei 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! Fourteen years ago my close friend and tzaddik, Jerry Burstyn, passed from this world. This coming week is his yahrzeit, the ...

Ki Tisa 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! Did you ever wonder how prayer works? If God is all-knowing, all-powerful and good -- then He knows what I need and will give it to ...

Tetzeveh 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! Purim is coming up next week -- Wednesday night, March 7th, through all day Thursday. Purim is the holiday that reminds us that God ...

Trumah 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! Were you ever interested in Kabbalah, mysticism? If there is a God, people would love to have a spiritual connection, a feeling of awe ...

Mishpatim 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! When do we stop blaming others for our failures and start taking responsibility for our own lives? My friend, Sunny Goldstein, told ...

Yitro 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! Can you imagine celebrating a New Year for trees? Jews do -- and have for thousands of years. Wednesday, February 8th is Tu B'Shevat ...

Beshalach 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! It's time for the annual Super Bowl joke! During the game, a man turns to the lady on his left and says, "You and I are sitting ...

Bo 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! Would you like to try an experiment? Think of the following words and conjure an image -- Ultra-Reform Jew. Got the image? ...

Va'eira 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! Four elderly ladies were sitting in silence around a card table at the Jewish retirement home. One lady sighs, "Oy". The ...

Shmot 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! Have you ever wanted to pour out your heart to the Almighty -- express your pain, cry out for help? A young man was in the hospital. ...

Vayechi 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! Are you a success in life? An Aish teacher (a real estate lawyer by day) was stuck in traffic with the zillionaire tycoon who headed ...

Vayigash 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! What can you do to ensure that you have a portion in the World to Come? A wagon driver, a simple man, once asked the Chofetz Chaim, ...

Mikeitz 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! What do you think the chances are of getting back a bag you left in the back seat of a taxi -- with $80,000 in it? Probably you ...

Vayeshev 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! Hanukah is coming soon -- the first night is Tuesday, December 20th. It's a wonderful family holiday. After we light the candles, we ...

Vayishlach 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! How do you know if you are a good person and if your actions are moral? Last week I shared with you the first part of Rabbi Nechemia ...

Vayetzei 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! How do you know if you're a good person? Virtually, everyone thinks that what they do is right. If you don't believe me, just try to ...

Toldot 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! Rabbi Eliezer Silver, a leader in rescue efforts during the Holocaust, visited Europe after the war to help Jews. One of his missions ...

Chayei Sarah 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! Rabbi Michael Shudrich, the Chief Rabbi of Poland, told me the following story: Two young anti-Semitic skinheads got married after ...

Vayeira 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! Have you ever fantasized on being a hero by saving someone's life? Ever imagined running into a burning building to save a child or ...

Lech Lecha 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! Did you ever hear the old joke, "Do you know the difference between a Jewish pessimist and a Jewish optimist? The Jewish ...

Noach 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! If you had one prayer that you wanted the Almighty to fulfill, what would it be? Would it be wealth, fame, success? Judging by the ...

Sukkot 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! Judaism has something for everyone. If you like to drink, we have Purim. If you like asceticism or self-denial we have Yom Kippur. If ...

Bereishit 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! How do people see you? Do you like the way they treat you or respond to you? Life is like a mirror. The people you see reflect back ...

Yom Kippur 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! Yom Kippur begins Friday evening, October 7th. The story is told of a house painter who deeply regretted stealing from his clients by ...

Ha'azinu 5772

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! If Rosh Hashana (which begins Wednesday evening, September 28th) is when we get inscribed in the Book of Life and Yom Kippur is the ...

Nitzavim-Vayelech 5771

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! Did you ever have a heartfelt belief, something that you were sure in your bones was true ... and then read something and have your ...

Ki Tavo 5771

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! What is the value of integrity? When I first moved to Miami 20 years ago I needed a car. I negotiated a price of $13,000 out the door ...

KiTetzei 5771

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! Did you ever try to do a good deed, get frustrated in your efforts and think to say, "No good deed goes unpunished"? If we ...

Shoftim 5771

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! What is courage? The year is 1929. It's Friday, August 23rd. The Grand Mufti is preaching to a packed crowd of worshippers on the ...

Re'eh 5771

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! Shortly, it will be Rosh Chodesh Elul (August 30th and 31st), the beginning of the Hebrew month of Elul. This means that there is one ...

Ekev 5771

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! Next year is the 75th anniversary of the destruction of the Zeppelin airship Hindenburg. It was one of the greatest tragedies of the ...

V'etchanan 5771

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! The story is told of a man who came to his rabbi with a request. "Make me a Cohen!" The rabbi was puzzled because a person ...

Devarim 5771

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! What is the saddest day of a person's life? Most likely it is the death of one of his closest relatives -- father, mother, brother, ...

Masay 5771

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! We intuitively believe in free will. That is why we hold others responsible for their actions -- and why we hold ourselves responsible ...

Matot 5771

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! There are two ways to gain wisdom about life -- study revealed wisdom (the Torah) or look at life and distill the wisdom (philosophy, ...

Pinchas 5771

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! The story is told of Napoleon walking through the streets of Paris one Tisha B'av (the 9th day of the Hebrew month of Av, a day of ...

Balak 5771

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! Two 18 year olds met with a rabbi regarding their upcoming marriage. The rabbi greeted them warmly and excitedly asked, "Do you ...

Chukat 5771

by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

GOOD MORNING! In this day and age, most Jews do not keep Kosher. Why not? Is it because we are more knowledgeable than our forebearers the past ...