The following essay was published this weekend in the Jerusalem Post and in digital form on their site. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are serious days when we are asked to place God at the center of our lives, repent, and ask for forgiveness. However, no matter how much we try, most of us know […]
The Future of a Marriage – The Good News File
Experiencing low points in life is par for the course. Contending with these and the accompanying negative emotions and moods can be challenging and difficult. The correct perspective of what we have, our reality, and the true power we hold to alter and improve the direction of our lives is a sure tool in facing life.
The Future of a Marriage: The Problem of the Black Dot
The Future of a Marriage – Part 3: The Problem of the Black Dot Words spoken at the festive meal (“Sheva Berachot”) on the occasion of the marriage of our grandson and his bride, Lakewood, USA, 24th of June. Here is a piece of advice that may help you in your future lives. It […]
Tisha B’Av and Victimhood
Tisha B’Av, the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, is often misunderstood—for Tisha B’Av is frequently perceived as a day of victimization, the date both Temples were destroyed and the Jewish People was transformed into a nation of eternal victims. If this was true, there would be no purpose to Tisha B’Av. If […]
The Future of a Marriage – The Blessing of Marital Dialogue
The Future of a Marriage – Part 2: The Blessing of Marital Dialogue * In memory of my dear friend Rabbi Dr. Sholom Gold z”l of Yerushalayim Words spoken at the festive meal (“Sheva Berachot”) on the occasion of the marriage of our grandson and his bride, Lakewood, USA, 24th of June. As I wrote […]
The Future of a Marriage – The Art of Speaking
Words spoken at the festive meal (“Sheva Berachot”) on the occasion of the marriage of our grandson and his bride, Lakewood, USA, 24th of June. My dear grandchildren, Chatan (groom) and Kalla (bride), Yaacov Shlomo and Chava, Mazal tov! Oma and I were 20 and 21 years old when we married. This was only […]
The Meaning of Life, Depression and The Red Heifer
Parashat Chukat Depression is one of the worst conditions a human being may suffer. There are several reasons for the occurrence of depression. One that is very common results from feeling that life is meaningless. Combined with the fact that nobody can escape death, some people experience life as very painful. They do not suffer […]
The Holiness of Words
Man alone was endowed with the gift of words and the ability to connect thereby with his Creator. Language can comprise grandeur, while it can also be emptied of its value and essence. How we choose to live our lives affects how we express ourselves and the language we use. The debasing of language today stems from and represents unfortunate moral and ethical decay.
Hallelujah: Do You Live The Divine Song?
Shavuot 5783/2023 Hallelujah: Do You Live The Divine Song? (Inspired by Leonard Cohen) Now I have heard of a secret chord That Moshe learned and it pleased the Lord, And he brought it down in human words, But its essence stayed up in the Heavenly Court. Above it is fire, Below it are letters, The […]
Contemplating Childbirth and Divine Revelation
Contemplating Childbirth and Divine Revelation: Have you ever thought about these? When a child is born, the first question that should come to mind is: When he or she grows up, what should we tell them about the importance of their birth and the purpose of their life? After all, what right do we have […]
Yom HaAtzma’ut: The Blessing and the Danger – Lest We forget
There is no logic to the State of Israel and it is no foundation for commonplace,
Nor is it habit, or routine.
Israel is a marvel and unique – we must never forget its Jewish and religious basis.
Israel Plagued, Its Destiny and the Call of Our Prophets
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 […]
Megillat Esther: Attaining the Level of Non-Acquaintance
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] […]
Panic: The Visible and Invisible
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.
God, Me and the Struggle to Teach Real Torah
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!
The Art of Smiling – Fearing my Kippah (2)
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!
Birth and Death – The Ultimate Paradox
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 […]
Chanukah: The Art of Balancing
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 […]
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.
Goethe, Herman Wouk and Walter Kaufmann and the Art of Reading the Torah Correctly
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 […]