Opinion

For the last number of years, I have uploaded a brief video d’var Torah on the weekly parshah to TorahAnytime.com. The videos are entitled “Instant Inspiration.”

Dedicated in loving memory of my Savta, Mrs. Minnie Staum, Shprintza bas Avraham Yitzchak, whose yahrzeit is 17 Cheshvan. May her memory be for a blessing.

One morning two summers ago, in our bungalow in Camp Dora Golding, my wife made a rather interesting discovery when she went to wake up our (then) six-year-old twins. There were a couple of empty Snapple bottles with a bunch of dead fireflies on the bottom. When she asked the twins to explain, they replied that they made themselves natural night lights.

Shortly before Rosh HaShanah, I read an article entitled, “His Best Friend Was a 250-Pound Warthog – one day it decided to kill him.”

Rabbi Avrohom Yachnes is an insightful, veteran rebbi, with a wealth of stories to boot, which he shares in his inimitable manner. (He is also the author of A Treasure for Life: Commentary and Insights into Sefer Orchos Tzadikim.)

I know the Jewish people have been doing the Simchas Torah dancing thing the same way for thousands of years. But based on some trends I see in America, I was thinking of some new ideas we can introduce into our Simchas Torah celebration.