Judiasm → Toviya Slager

Judiasm

I studied for two years in Yeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh (KBY) in Israel and received my rabbinical ordination from Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS), the flagship institutions for Modern Orthodox rabbinical education. I served in several rabbinic capacities including, rabbinical intern at the Young Israel of Plainview and head gabbai at SHENK Shul in Manhattan.

I have also delivered lectures and classes on a range of Jewish topics in different cities across the country, such as Manhattan, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Highland Park. I enjoy engaging with diverse audiences while sharing my insights and perspectives on Judaism.

In the blog section of this page, you can find a selection of the sermons I have delivered, as well as articles I have written on Jewish ethics, history, philosophy, law, and spirituality. I hope you enjoy reading them and feel free to leave your comments and feedback.

Delivering lecture at Yeshiva University (2022)

Attending REITS's first Learn-a-Thon as Semicha representative (2022)

Blog Articles

Rosh Hashana - Shofar as the Cycle of Religiosity

September 23, 2022

Thesis: We have the ability to coronate Hashem in both our state of completeness as well as when we are broken. Question: Why only use the Shofar and not the trumpets? Answer: the shofar symbolizes our natural cycle through life and demonstrates that we can coronate Hashem in whatever state we are in. I, and I assume many people in this room, watched parts...

Chukkas: Thanfulness as a Cure

July 7, 2022

Good Shabbos everyone! This is what they call being tossed into the deep end. So thank you all for having bared with me. In Parshas Chukas the Jews are finally travelling to the land of Israel and again, as we’ve seen many times, they start complaining. וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר הָעָ֗ם בֵּֽאלֹהִים֮ וּבְמֹשֶׁה֒ לָמָ֤ה הֶֽעֱלִיתֻ֙נוּ֙ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם לָמ֖וּת בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר כִּ֣י אֵ֥ין לֶ֙חֶם֙...

Behaloscha: Difficulty of Transition

June 17, 2022

Good Shabbos! Thank you to Rabbi Weissman for inviting me, to the board and to the entire community. Both Sarah and I have felt the extremely warm welcome that the Plainview community is known for. I’ve already met a number of you, but we – speaking for both Sarah and myself – would love to meet everyone here. We will do our best to come and find you, but if we don’t get...

Tazriaya-Metzorah: Sympathize With All Suffering

April 18, 2022

Thesis: We have an obligation to sympathize with all suffering – even deserved punishment. Question: Why would the Torah want us to daven for the metzorah when they deserved their punishment? Answer: Our view of punishment should be that it is needed, but we also need to feel bad for the suffering the perpetrator is experiencing. Two chassidim pass away and go...

Va'era: Hitting the Frog - Intentional Blindness

January 1, 2022

Thesis: We ignore important details that are in front of us all too often. Question: How could the Egyptians keep hitting the frog? How could the Jews ignore Moshe? Answer: They were intentionally blind to the obvious facts in front of them. In 1979, Johann Wolfgang wrote a famous ballad called The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. It was famously filmed in Disney’s Fantasia...

Vzos Habracha: Cycle of Humanity from Birth to Perfection

June 28, 2018

Vzot HaBracha is a very peculiar parsha in that it isn’t read on a shabbat. Simchat Torah was instituted on Shemini Atzeret since Chazal said the day is for “Venismecha Bach – Bach u’Vetoratcha”, rejoicing with Hashem and the Torah. However, there may be another idea that can be taken from finishing the Torah now. Shemini Atzeret marks the last chag before a long...

Shabbatai Zevi: The Rise and Fall of a Pseudo-Messiah

May 25, 2016

This essay was written for my senior year high school IB Diploma Thesis. Powered By EmbedPress

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