Dear MMAE Family, I have a new favorite commentary on the Torah. This year, our Tuesday lunch-and-learn class has been studying the work known as the Kli Yakar – “The Precious Tool.” It was published by the brilliant Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim of Luntschitz in Prague in the year 1610. I invite all of you to join us on Tuesdays at…
This week’s parsha is Parshas Vaeira. The Kli Yakar’s commentary on this parsha teaches of the four expressions of redemption, four levels of suffering, and four levels of personal growth. How can we bring these ancient lessons from our people’s time in Egypt into our lives? In the video above, Rabbi Shapiro explains how the thought of Pesach during the…
In the video above, Rabbi Shapiro discusses the nature of Heaven and the Garden of Eden and why the cemetery is a metaphor for the afterlife.
Good Yom Tov. I’ll be honest—I didn’t have a drasha until yesterday. Thank God for ChatGPT. Just kidding! Every Disney movie has a moment where they try to make you cry. Who could forget Bambi’s mother getting shot. Or Dumbo’s mom getting locked up. Let’s play with these kids deepest fears right? Well, one that was on the outside less…
I was dreaming last night. It was one of those dreams on the edge of becoming a nightmare but you’re not yet sure. I was late to get on a cruise. I knew that if I didn’t get there in time, the boat would leave without me. I finally arrived with my family and I saw that there was a…
Dear MMAE Family, I hope all of you and your families are happy and healthy. As I mark my 15th year at our shul, I am filled with gratitude for being given the opportunity to be your rabbi. I was once told that the rabbi business is “not a job for a good Jewish boy”. It is certainly a strange…
From the Baltimore Jewish Times: Rabbi Yerachmiel Shapiro has been the spiritual leader of Moses Montefiore Anshe Emunah Congregation in Pikesville since 2010, and he has seen the Modern Orthodox shul evolve over the years under his leadership. Shapiro joined the synagogue clergy after two years leading Congregation Beth Shalom in Red Bank, New Jersey, and quickly discovered that he…
Dear MMAE Family, We all know the part of the seder that speaks of the 4 sons. Let’s call them the 4 children. “The Torah speaks of 4 children. One who is wise, one who is wicked, one who is simple, and one who doesn’t know what to ask.” Where does the Torah speak about these 4 children? You may…
Before anything else is said, it is important to remember that this past year was not a Shana Tova for our people. It was a year of disaster, war, worry, brutality, and growing antizionism and its twin, antisemitism. We strengthen ourselves, stand steadfast in our support of Israel, mourn the needless and wanton ending of so many holy lives, and…
In the aftermath of the attacks of October 7th, Danya and I discussed the possibility of spending Pesach in Israel. Danya has two brothers who live in Israel with their families, and we knew the coming months would be incredibly difficult. If the rest of Danya’s family planned to go to Israel, we felt we should join them, to allow…