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Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis

News and updates about Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis

UK Chief Rabbi: Assisted dying bill is 'profoundly disquieting'

Rabbi Mirvis joins Catholic and Anglican leaders in joint statement opposing Assisted Dying Bill on its second reading in UK parliament.

UK Chief Rabbi: Assisted dying bill is 'profoundly disquieting'

Office of the UK Chief Rabbi

Jewish history in a nutshell.

Two blessings that appear beside one another in Hashem's words to Avraham are a synopsis of what keeps happening to the Jewish people.

Jewish history in a nutshell.

Office of the UK Chief Rabbi

How responsible was Noah for the flood?

In Isaiah, the flood is called "the waters of Noah." What does that imply?

How responsible was Noah for the flood?

Office of the UK Chief Rabbi

How inaccuracy was the undoing of Eve

A puzzling story that's been told for millennia, there is much to question in the tale of Adam and Eve.

How inaccuracy was the undoing of Eve

Office of the UK Chief Rabbi

Shmini Atzeret: The conclusion we’ve been waiting for

In Temple times there was a fascinating halakha relating to visitation to Jerusalem, one which has a message beyond its content.

Shmini Atzeret: The conclusion we’ve been waiting for

Office of the UK Chief Rabbi

Succot: Fast asleep with your eyes wide open!

We might have our eyes open and be walking around, but if we aren’t contributing to the world around us, there’s no value to our lives.

Succot: Fast asleep with your eyes wide open!

Office of the UK Chief Rabbi

What Creation can teach us about New Year's Resolutions

When Hashem created the world, He embedded clues for how to start, continue and finish a project-clues that we can use in the New Year.

What Creation can teach us about New Year's Resolutions

Office of the UK Chief Rabbi

Shoftim: We are separate but always together

We are individuals in our own right and at the same time we are part of our nation.

Shoftim: We are separate but always together

Office of the UK Chief Rabbi

Re’eh: What we have always had is new every day!

How we should relate to the mitzvot on every day of our lives - how lucky we are!

Re’eh: What we have always had is new every day!

Office of the UK Chief Rabbi

Va'etchanan: Climate Change and Moshe Rabbeinu

A very current message about climate change can be derived from the actions of Moshe Rabbeinu.

Va'etchanan: Climate Change and Moshe Rabbeinu

Office of the UK Chief Rabbi

Can one ever graduate from Jewish education?

In the book of Dvarim, Moshe reminds the Israelites that they stayed at Mount Sinai for a long time and left it enriched with Torah.

Can one ever graduate from Jewish education?

Office of the Chief Rabbi

Matot-Massei: Pack this in your bags – it doesn’t weigh anything

When travelling, the most important thing to take with us doesn’t weight anything at all.

Matot-Massei: Pack this in your bags – it doesn’t weigh anything

Office of the Chief Rabbi

Pinchas and the best invitation ever

In this parasha, an invitation arrives from Hashem Himself in order to enable us to have a life changing experience. Be sure to RSVP.

Pinchas and the best invitation ever

Office of the Chief Rabbi

From where can the Jewish people derive comfort and consolation?

Once we recognise where we have gone wrong, we can begin to put our national house in order to guarantee a bright and successful future.

From where can the Jewish people derive comfort and consolation?

Office of the Chief Rabbi

Something extraordinary happened in our living room!

A Flame Lily inspires this week's D'var Torah about why it's so good to connect.

Something extraordinary happened in our living room!

Office of the Chief Rabbi

Sometimes blind people see more

Does a blind person say the daily morning blessing:thanking G-d "“Who opens the eyes of the blind.”?

Sometimes blind people see more

Office of the Chief Rabbi

Beha’alotcha: Exacerbating Jewish suffering?

When struck by one of your own, the consequences are more severe. That surely is a major lesson of Jewish history.

Beha’alotcha: Exacerbating Jewish suffering?

Office of the Chief Rabbi

60 armed warriors surrounded King Solomon’s bed every night!

King Solomon's kingdom saw forty years of peace, but who, or what, were his mightiest warriors?

60 armed warriors surrounded King Solomon’s bed every night!

Office of the Chief Rabbi

Count each day to make each day count!

“Teach us to number our days in order that we should become wise hearted,” said the Psalmist, a message fitting for the period of the Omer.

Count each day to make each day count!

Office of the Chief Rabbi

Shemini: The surprising value of self-doubt

If you think that you’re not good enough, perhaps that’s the very reason why you’re the best person for the job.

Shemini: The surprising value of self-doubt

Vayikra: Adding salt to bread helps us to improve our characters

The effect of salt on food differs inherently from that of yeast, sugar or honey.

Vayikra: Adding salt to bread helps us to improve our characters

Office of the Chief Rabbi

Ki Tissa and Zoom: There's nothing like the real thing

When one misses something, one comes to appreciate it all the more.

Ki Tissa and Zoom: There's nothing like the real thing

Office of the Chief Rabbi

Beshalach: Why should our children and grandchildren do mitzvot?

The Chief Rabbi’s D’var Torah for Parshat Beshalach

Beshalach: Why should our children and grandchildren do mitzvot?

Office of the Chief Rabbi

A lesson about nitpicking

The Chief Rabbi’s weekly insight for Parshat Bo: Moses knew that some people always find what is wrong instead of appreciating the good.

A lesson about nitpicking

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Va’eira: The impact of Covid-19 on our senior citizens

The Chief Rabbis’ insight for Parshat Va’eira in light of Psalm 71: "Do not cast us aside when we are old and our strength has failed.".

Va’eira: The impact of Covid-19 on our senior citizens

Office of the Chief Rabbi

Shemot: What does our name mean to others?

The Chief Rabbi’s weekly insight for Parshat Shemot.

Shemot: What does our name mean to others?

Our Covid-19 journey – how should we respond to its uncertainty?

The Chief Rabbi’s weekly insight for Parshat Vayechi.

Our Covid-19 journey – how should we respond to its uncertainty?

Office of the Chief Rabbi

A Fast on a Friday? Asarah B’Tevet this year

Treating the root cause, not the symptoms.The Chief Rabbi’s D’var Torah for Asarah b’Tevet and Parshat Vayigash.

A Fast on a Friday? Asarah B’Tevet this year

Office of the Chief Rabbi

By sharing, we receive more than we give

How Pharaoh knoew that Joseph was someone who’s word he could rely on.

By sharing, we receive more than we give

Office of the Chief Rabbi

Hanukkah and Vayeshev: We can always climb higher!

The way in which we light the Hanukkah candles teaches us how to achieve our full potential.

Hanukkah and Vayeshev: We can always climb higher!

Office of the Chief Rabbi

Vayishlach: The hidden challenge facing the Jewish people

What are the three greatest challenges facing the Jewish people?

Vayishlach: The hidden challenge facing the Jewish people

Office of the Chief Rabbi

Make the journey count as much as the destination

It’s important to prepare for where we’re going and in doing so, derive meaning from the journey.

Make the journey count as much as the destination

Jacob and the Pandemic

Why are our voices today more powerful than ever before?

Jacob and the Pandemic

Office of the Chief Rabbi

Chayei Sara: Is the title misleading?

A tribute to Rabbi Lord Sacks z”l.

Chayei Sara: Is the title misleading?

Office of the Chief Rabbi

The greatest leaders

The greatest leaders, just like great parents and teachers are all defined by one thing.

The greatest leaders

Office of the Chief Rabbi:

What is the saddest verse in the Torah?

A D׳var Torah on the 25th anniversary of the assassination of Yitzchak Rabin.

What is the saddest verse in the Torah?

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Strong foundations

D’var Torah for Parshat Noach. Don't just look at the height of the building you are constructing, look down at its foundations.

Strong foundations

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Words Create Worlds – the danger of cancel culture

Speech can create a world and speech can destroy a world.

Words Create Worlds – the danger of cancel culture

Office of the Chief Rabbi

What do Abraham and an etrog have in common?

The Chief Rabbi’s D’var Torah for Sukkot: Abraham the Patriarch symbolizes the fruit that never falls off the tree.

What do Abraham and an etrog have in common?

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We will get through this together

We will be praying from the depths of our hearts and at the same time, God is calling upon us to do the most we can.

We will get through this together

Office of the Chief Rabbi:

Our Covid-19 responsibility this Rosh Hashannah

Cases of Covid-19 are on the rise, primarily due to irresponsibility, the responsibility that we have towards ourselves and others. Opinion.

Our Covid-19 responsibility this Rosh Hashannah

What is the significance of every single letter of the Torah?

The UK Chief Rabbi brings the explanation of the Lubavitcher Rebbe for the mitzva of writing just one letter of a Sefer Torah.

What is the significance of every single letter of the Torah?

Why are stones so important in our tradition?

The Hebrew word "even" means "stone" but it also is a composite of the words for father and son.

Why are stones so important in our tradition?

Parents should never be jealous of their children.

Only one fruit's blessing goes up a step on the ladder when it is made into juice. What does that have to do with marriage?

 Parents should never be jealous of their children.

The sacrificial right in the parsha and our coronavirus times

A verse that tells us what to do, if, for some technical or practical reason, like distancing, those who are needy can’t get to our homes.

The sacrificial right in the parsha and our coronavirus times

A change in the order provides a major lesson for all time!

The first paragraph of the Shema is in the singular. The second paragraph is in the plural, The order of the mitzvot is switched. Why?

A change in the order provides a major lesson for all time!

How can we pass on our Judaism to the generations to come?

After the Torah tells us to educate our children in the Shema prayer, it does not tell us how - or does it?

How can we pass on our Judaism to the generations to come?

What is the greatest blessing ever given to the Jewish people?

if you look at our numbers throughout the ages you will be unable to count us. That is a message to remember on Tisha B'Av.

What is the greatest blessing ever given to the Jewish people?

Which legendary person’s Yartzeit is commemorated on Wednesday?

Tthe first day of the fifth month, is Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av, which will be on Wednesday of this week and is mentioned in Parashat Mas'ei.

Which legendary person’s Yartzeit is commemorated on Wednesday?

Some of the greatest blessings are wrapped up in a curse

Please God, answer all of our prayers - for the good.

Some of the greatest blessings are wrapped up in a curse

Shlach: When did an entire nation suffer from low self-esteem?

The great medieval commentator Ibn Ezra says that the entire nation of Israel carried with them through the wilderness a slave mentality.

Shlach: When did an entire nation suffer from low self-esteem?

What does the Torah say about good parenting?

The Torah's thoughts on childrearing are all to be found in the name of this week's (Diaspora) Torah reading.

What does the Torah say about good parenting?

How to enhance your Shavuot during the coronavirus pandemic

Rabbi Lord Sacks and Chief Rabbi Mirviis present: A life of vertical & horizontal responsibility: Shavuot during the Coronavirus Pandemic

 How to enhance your Shavuot during the coronavirus pandemic

Will people be proud to be connected to you?

We have an opportunity now to set an example, to show how despite difficulty, we are acting responsibly, for ourselves and our societies.

Will people be proud to be connected to you?

Where in the Torah do you find an example of purposeful isolation?

Where in the Torah do you find an example of purposeful isolation?

What the salt on our table can teach us about our unpredictable world

What the salt on our table can teach us about our unpredictable world

Should chefs share recipes?

Should chefs share recipes?

What does Hashem’s back look like?

What does Hashem’s back look like?

D’var Torah: Tetzaveh & Purim

D’var Torah: Tetzaveh & Purim

Our kindness is directly linked to the sanctity of Hashem!

Our kindness is directly linked to the sanctity of Hashem!