Life’s a Journey, Torah’s a Guide

Is Divergence Destiny?

by Rabbi Ken Brodkin | November 29, 2019 | Genesis, Kislev, Toldot | 0 Comments

This past week was Thanksgiving. It makes you think back to that original Thanksgiving dinner of Pilgrims and Indians. It is one of those moments in history I wish I could have seen. This small band of Pilgrims miraculously surviving the first winter with the aid of...

She Was Sarah

by Rabbi Ken Brodkin | November 22, 2019 | Chayei Sarah, Cheshvan, Genesis | 4 Comments

Last winter, I took a trip with my son Shaya to Phoenix to visit a Yeshiva. It was a short day and a half trip with little time to do all we needed to accomplish. Our flight was delayed and when we arrived, we were delayed at the car rental place for an...

Avram the Ivri

by Rabbi Ken Brodkin | November 14, 2019 | Cheshvan, Genesis, Lech Lecha | 0 Comments

For all you Mesopotamian history buffs, Genesis 14 is the chapter for you! We start to delve into the war of four kings versus the five kings, and there is just a wealth of trivia nuggets from the Euphrates to the Jordan Valley, from Ur Kasdim to Egypt! We have the...

The Genesis of Family

by Rabbi Ken Brodkin | November 7, 2019 | Cheshvan, Genesis, Noach | 0 Comments

Recently, I came across an advertisement challenging religion. The ad depicted a person extending their hand to an individual in need, helping to lift them up. The ad remarked, “you don’t need G-d”. It went on to say, just be a person who helps others and follows the...

Finding Dawn

by Rabbi Ken Brodkin | September 23, 2019 | Elul, Posts | 2 Comments

Did you ever have an experience where you up late in the darkness of night tossing and turning in anxiety? Perhaps about a financial problem or a conflict with your boss or co-worker? Then you wake up to the first rays of light. Suddenly, your mind is fills...

An Elul Reflection

by Rabbi Ken Brodkin | September 9, 2019 | Elul, Holiday | 2 Comments

Ladies and gentlemen, we have hit the jackpot. Whichever political party you love or hate – life here in the US is pretty amazing. There is economic bounty, political freedom and only four years until you get to vote your least favorite politician out of office....

The Place G-d Will Show You – Re’eh

by Rabbi Ken Brodkin | September 5, 2019 | Holiday | 2 Comments

Ever feel that you don’t know where your destiny lies? You’re not alone. Ever since Avraham, the Jewish people have been on a vulnerable journey to a destination that’s often unknown. *** This past April, four days before Pesach, I arrived in Israel. I went to the...

Not By Bread

by Rabbi Ken Brodkin | August 27, 2019 | Holiday | 6 Comments

Meaning of Time Recently, my wife was diagnosed with an intracranial tumor. Though benign, this large tumor exerted pressure on her optic nerve, and she experienced significant loss of vision over a period of several months. For a long time, we were in the dark...

Eicha – Thread of Hope

by Rabbi Ken Brodkin | August 11, 2019 | Posts | 0 Comments

A Moral Crisis A young woman recently asked her father, upon his retirement, if he had fulfilled his life dreams. Her father remarked that his greatest accomplishments were not his business success. Rather, it was the moral choices that he made: standing aside his...

Speak No Evil

by Rabbi Ken Brodkin | August 7, 2019 | Posts | 0 Comments

The Roots of Destruction For much of the world, summer is associated with baseball, beaches and BBQs. For us Jews, we think about national crises and existential challenges. Our rabbis say that it all comes down to speech. As the Gemara teaches, the Second Temple was...

I’m Rabbi Ken Brodkin—welcome to Torah Journey. Explore this website for insights into the Torah, the Weekly Parsha, Jewish Holidays & Seasons and more! Each insight here is designed with YOU in mind. While the wisdom of the Bible and Judaism are amazing, it’s not always easy to understand the Torah much less apply it to our modern lives. My goal is to help you access, appreciate and apply the timeless wisdom of Judaism to your life. The posts here are meant to make you think—but they are also written to be understood. So please explore and enjoy these pieces, and remember, “life’s a journey, Torah’s a guide”.