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Machon Ohr Aaron and Betsy Spijer

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  • מאמרים בעברית

Israel Plagued, Its Destiny and the Call of Our Prophets

Flag of Israel and Old City

Throughout the centuries, historians, philosophers and anthropologists have struggled with the concept called “Israel.” While attempting to place Israel within the confines of conventional history, they experienced constant academic and philosophical frustration. Any suggested definitions eventually broke down due to serious inconsistencies. Was Israel a nation, a religion, or perhaps a mysterious entity that would […]

Filed Under: Jewish Thought and Philosophy

Megillat Esther: Attaining the Level of Non-Acquaintance

Scroll of Esther

Attaining the Level of Non-Acquaintance—Pseudo-Dionysius, the Areopagite   The most discussed topic in philosophy of the Middle Ages is, without doubt, God’s existence. Many great philosophers such as Rambam (Maimonides, 1138-1204) and the Christian thinker Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) invest a lot of time in clarifying the concepts of “omnipotence,” “divine excellence” and other such terminologies.[1] […]

Filed Under: Jewish Holidays, Jewish Thought and Philosophy

Panic: The Visible and Invisible

Horizin through filter

Genuine religiosity is demanding – it requires a sensitivity to the physical human condition as well as the hidden, divine dimension. Living in a manner that combines the visible and the invisible, and more so, harmonizing the two as equal components of our lives, is a tremendous challenge. It is too easy to make a selection – as many individuals and even religions do – between the visible and invisible, preferring one over the other. However, living the one with an imbalance regarding the other is not what Judaism teaches.

Filed Under: Jewish Thought and Philosophy

God, Me and the Struggle to Teach Real Torah

Open Bible - Navi (Prophets)

Despite my many years of experience (and successes), I have felt that something crucial has been missing – which I identified recently: Am I merely conveying knowledge, or do I stand before my students as someone who is entirely imbued with the significance, import and sanctity of the words I utter?
God requires of His prophets and those who speak His words to be true and just, and to live His words with every fiber of their beings!

Filed Under: Jewish Thought and Philosophy

The Art of Smiling – Fearing my Kippah (2)

children smiling

A kippah – and every other aspect of dress required by the Halakhah – pose a tremendous challenge! I am constantly aware of how I am to strive to achieve and implement the values that my kippah requires of me – both when I stand before God, and also in the way I face the world. Facing my fellow, my conduct, and even the countenance I assume are spheres that my kippah relates to!

Filed Under: Jewish Thought and Philosophy

Birth and Death – The Ultimate Paradox

Smiling baby

Giving birth to a child creates a paradox. On the one hand, it is the greatest joy we can imagine. The first commandment given to humankind is to be fruitful and multiply (Bereshit 1:28). Procreation is an expression of the highest form of creativity; just as God is the Creator of the Universe, so the […]

Filed Under: Jewish Thought and Philosophy, Life Cycle Events

Chanukah: The Art of Balancing

Menora

The menorah of Chanukah, sometimes called the chanukiah, has its roots in the menorah of the Temple. While there are many halakhot (laws) regarding the appearance and structure of the biblical menorah, Rashi, the great French commentator, points to a most remarkable halachic feature. Regarding the instruction to arrange the lamps so that they will […]

Filed Under: Jewish Holidays, Jewish Thought and Philosophy

It is time to stop eating “Kosher”

“Kosher” is a term that has gained rather wide prevalence, primarily in the context of “kosher food” – food that has been prepared in accordance with Jewish dietary law (“kashrut”). Are these dietary laws sufficient to deem food kosher and fit for consumption? There may be other concerns significances of what “kosher” means that will influence our thoughts and behavior. “Kosher” is, in fact, a matter of holiness – which requires us to advance, progress and improve ourselves.

“Kosher” is a term that has gained fame in the context of “kosher food” prepared in accordance with Jewish dietary law. (“kashrut”). Yet “kosher” is a matter of holiness – which requires us to advance, progress and improve ourselves.

Filed Under: Halacha, Jewish Thought and Philosophy

Goethe, Herman Wouk and Walter Kaufmann and the Art of Reading the Torah Correctly

Open bible

As mentioned in our last essay (here) the Torah is not a text to be read as a book—rather, it is to be seen as a divine “notebook” containing succinct summaries of a greater lecture or series of lectures. Moshe first heard the lecture in its “sum total” when God delivered a series of lectures […]

Filed Under: Biblical Criticism, Jewish Thought and Philosophy

An Answer to an Unasked Question is Irrelevant

Question mark

The text of the Torah can be quite misleading when read in a vacuum. The casual reader may encounter what he deems to be errors, stylistic inconsistencies, grammar and linguistic anomalies, and more.

However, prior knowledge – and primarily a basic understanding of what the Torah text truly is and what the goals of its divine author are – are the keys to properly understanding any and every word of the sacred text.

Filed Under: Biblical Criticism, Jewish Thought and Philosophy Tagged With: Biblical criticism, Biblical scholarship, God and the Torah

The Art of Making Winter into a Sukkah

Winter snow bridge over river

Winter – bleak, dreary and cold – often has a negative effect on our moods and even outlooks. The message of Sukkot, The Festival of Tabernacles, must be continued into this period of darkness and, indeed, into our lives.

The Sukkah is a structure that is quite plain and feeble by definition and requirement, and yet it interior and significance are tremendously beautiful and solid. Our lives can be greatly enriched and understood and even assigned deep purpose when we understand the Sukkah.

Filed Under: Jewish Holidays, Jewish Thought and Philosophy, Life Cycle Events

Sukkot, the Desert and the Eternity of the Torah

Desert with sun in horizon

Traveling through a desert is journeying through a lonely place, completely forsaken. There is neither food nor water, nor any other form of sustaining substance. There is only the unbearable sun and its heat. There is no grass and there are no trees. The only signs of life are deadly snakes and scorpions. In a […]

Filed Under: Jewish Holidays, Jewish Thought and Philosophy

Rosh Hashana & Yom Kippur: A Eulogy for a Christian Who Helped my Religiosity

Grace - hands

I was asked to eulogize an acquaintance from my childhood and youth in Holland—the mother of friends of mine. As I prepared the eulogy, I realized how much she and her family, and other devout Christians I knew, had influenced me. Despite the clear and definite differences between our religious outlooks, their sincerity and intent inspire me.

Filed Under: Jewish by Choice, Prayer

Entering Israel’s Army is like Immersing in a Mikve

Serving in the Israel Defense Forces is an act like no other. It is an act that serves the State of Israel and all its citizens, the Jewish People, and all of mankind.
Moreover, the soldiers serving in Israel’s army are entirely enveloped by the army – their entire bodies and beings are involved in this sacred task.

Filed Under: Israel/Zionism, Jewish Thought and Philosophy, Life Cycle Events

The Spiritual Uniqueness of the Israeli Army

Words on my Grandsons Enlisting in the Israeli Defense Forces – the tremendous significance of the Israel Defense Forces surpasses the mere defense of Israel’s citizens. The joy and honor of joining Israel’s army relate to 4,000 years of Jewish history, morals, and ethics, and the universal good.

Filed Under: Israel/Zionism, Miscellaneous, Society

Struggles – Illumination of My Personal Challenges

Hands out of sea against sunrise

A private response to the many who asked for illumination concerning my personal religious struggles Coming from a totally secular background, like I did, has many challenges and drawbacks, and yet, also some great advantages. When I became interested in Judaism, at 14-15 years old, it was not an easy time—neither for my parents, my […]

Filed Under: Jewish by Choice, Jewish Thought and Philosophy

Abraham and the US President and their Irritation with God

Trees & Sky

A God Who is good, yet the existence of evil, is an age-old dilemma. Authentic faith leads to questions and even indignation at perceived injustices. It is the true believer who reacts to realities that seem unjust and that result in suffering – remaining complacent is unacceptable! Simultaneously, one must remember the very little he can fathom about our world.

Filed Under: Jewish Thought and Philosophy

The Brilliance of Judaism When You Do Not Believe

Face looking up

When I met my Dutch atheistic friend, who I discussed previously (The Blessing of the Religious Atheist in Haarlem), in the city of Haarlem several times after I had met him in the synagogue, he became very outspoken. It was clear that his observations were expressed with great sincerity and with an ongoing respect for […]

Filed Under: Jewish Thought and Philosophy

The Blessing of the Religious Atheist in Haarlem

Haarlem, Holland

At the age of 15 when I first experienced observant Judaism, I encountered the anomaly of the observant non-believer. After approaching this person to discuss his views, his perspective enlightened me and accompanies me to this day.

Non-belief does not dictate complete severance from everything that is Jewish and religious – in fact the non-believer has much to gain from Judaism, even as a non-believer!

Filed Under: Jewish Thought and Philosophy

Theism and Atheism: the Twofold of Real Faith Which is One

sun over valley

Approaching the question of the “existence” of God is almost impossible. Western thought and science has successfully analyzed and understood a myriad of aspects of our universe. However, applying these disciplines and proof by empirical evidence when attempting to “prove” anything about the divine proves futile. Were God to be a “thing,” this would not be the case; God is not a “thing.”

Filed Under: Jewish Thought and Philosophy

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