David Cardozo Academy

Machon Ohr Aaron and Betsy Spijer

Tolerance and Dialogue

In a previous essay on Tolerance,  attention was drawn to the fact that personal conscience is of prime value and that one should not confuse tolerance with apathy. For this reason, Orthodoxy’s refusal to compromise on its own principles so as to appease the Reform and Conservative movements should only be honored and respected. Even unity cannot always be the final arbiter.

Satisfaction and the Art of Being

“And the time of threshing shall reach until the vintage and the vintage shall reach the sowing time. You shall eat your bread to satiety and you shall dwell in your land without worry.” (Vayikra 26:5)

Dershowitz, Klotz Kashes & Chozrim B’she’ela

Lately, the State of Israel is experiencing a new phenomenon. As is well known, the Ba’al Teshuva movement, which includes thousands of secular Jews who have turned to Judaism, has made a major impact on Israeli society. Many young people who were once involved in extreme secularity felt that they had to re-connect with their own heritage and found their way back to Torah and Tradition. This gave rise to a great amount of highly successful institutions such as Aish haTorah, Ohr Somayach, Machon Meir and Neve Yerushalaim.

Shavuoth and Combustibility

One of the most challenging aspects of religious life is how to relate to the concept of revelation. The uncompromising claim by Judaism that the Torah is not a book which was written by man but the result of a revelation of God’s will to man requires a formidable amount of faith in the face of so much skepticism and secularity.

Palestinian’s Claim to Israel

In Tractate Sanhedrin (91a), we read about a most relevant story which took place in the days of Alexander of Macedonia, known as Alexander the Great (4th century before the common era.) Just after Moshe’ death, when Yehoshua entered the land of Israel together with his people, there were seven tribes, hostile to the Jews, occupying the land.

The Holocaust: Divine Retribution?

For some years now there has been a major debate among religious thinkers if the Holocaust should be seen as a divine punishment. Pointing to the Torah’s warnings (Vayikra 26, Devarim 28) that the divine curses would come true if a widespread violation of the laws of the Torah would occur, some thinkers maintain that the Holocaust is clearly the result of the Jewish people transgressing the laws of the Torah.

There is no Mashiach Without a Song

When joining synagogues around the world for prayer, one is often confronted with a lack of religious enthusiasm. In many synagogues, services are heavy and often a little depressing. It is not always the lack of concentration by the worshippers which makes synagogue services unattractive but the absence of song and smile.

Changes in Jewish Education

As has been constantly stressed by our sages, the contents of the Torah are not open to innovations through which people try to update the Torah to sound more progressive. While progress is no doubt a matter of great value without which society can not function, one is reminded of G.K. Chesterton’s famous observation that many people believe that progress is “leaving things behind us, which has utterly obscured the real idea of growth which means leaving things inside us.” (The Romance of Rhyme, Fancies versus Fads, 1923)

Succoth and the Twin Towers


When contemplating the festival of Succoth, we are confronted with a remarkable paradox. As is well known, the Succah visualizes our life span in the world. For what is a Succah? It is a frail structure in which we need to dwell for seven days. Many commentators remind us that these seven days represent man’s average life span which is about seventy years. This is well stated by King David when he wrote: “The span of his years is seventy and with strength eighty years.” (Tehilim 90:10) Indeed under favorable circumstances, we may prolong our stay in this world into our eighth day which is symbolized by Shemini Chag Atzereth, (a separate festival immediately following the seven days of Succoth).

Yom Kippur: A Day Like Purim

The Ba’ale Ha-Kabbalah discovered mystical associations between Purim and Yom Kippurim, the only difference in Hebrew spelling between the two names being an initial kaf in Kippurim. Yom Kippurim then, would signify “a day like Purim.” This is no doubt a strange association. To suggest that Yom Kippur is like Purim is a most unusual way of looking to this awesome day. What is the possible meaning behind this observation?

Rosh Hashana

The Torah reading of the second day of Rosh Hashana is the well-known story of Akedath Yitschak (the offering of Isaac by Avraham). Many explanations have been given as to why this portion should be read on Rosh Hashana. (See: Sefer HaToda’ah by Rabbi Eliyiahu Kitov for an overview. Book of Our Heritage, Feldheim, NY pp: 30-33) There is, however, a problem.

Introduction to God

Introducing God Introducing God is one of the most difficult things to do. It is like presenting a three-dimensional reality on a flat surface. Still God is the most captivating figure in human history and His track record is most unusual. His deeds are unprecedented, yet very disturbing. He is to be loved but often irritates. He is above all human limitation but He gets angry and outright emotional. He is beyond criticism but is judged by the strictest criteria of justice. Religious people and thinkers believe that He is the only One who really has it all together and knows what He is doing.

The Chosen People?

The Art of Moral Irritation – One of the most disturbing claims ever made by any group of people is the one Jews make when, quoting the Bible, they insist upon being called the “Chosen People.” For nearly four thousand years, Jews have upheld the belief that they are God’s elect, the “apple of His eye,” His most beloved and favored nation. This claim sounds like prejudice of the highest order, making the vast majority of mankind into second-class citizens.

Now is the time to write the Song of our lives

 (Devarim 31:19)

With the above verse God commands Moshe to write down all the words of the Torah and make the Children of Israel contemplate these very words and use them as their guide to learning the art of authentic Jewish living. Commentators and philosophers have however wondered why the contents of the Torah are called a Song. Why not call it what it is: Words? Should it not have said: “Now, write these Words for yourselves and teach them to the Children of Israel?”