We will sit down to the Seder this year while our people suffer. Israel faces simultaneous attacks by Hamas, Hezbollah, Yemen, Iraq, and Iran. More than a hundred Jews are still in captivity. Antisemitism is rampant and acceptable again in coffee shops, public squares, public schools, and college campuses.
The saga …
Evil Inclination
In this week’s Parsha we read of the dialogue between Eve and the serpent. Jewish sources tell us that the serpent’s spirit is the archetypal Yetzer Hara, evil inclination, that exists within every Jew. It therefore follows that an analysis of the serpent’s words will familiarize us with our …
Why be Jewish?
As a rabbi I am often asked why it is important to be Jewish. A plethora of answers are offered, but only one is intellectually honest. Some argue that Judaism is a religion of ethics. Others say that it encourages free thinking and open dialogue. Others invoke Judaism’s …
Gold Dust
A
story is told of a man who went abroad in search of his livelihood. He
booked passage on a ship, embarked and was sadly shipwrecked on an
Island. To his amazement he found that the island streets were littered
with gold. He pulled out his rucksack and filled it with as many …
Two Types
There are two types of people; the first sees tragedy, the other sees opportunity.
If their homes go up in flames, the first would reflect on the beautiful home that was, the second would contemplate the even more beautiful home that can soon be.
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The Sukkah Paradox
For eight days I abandon the comforts of home and move into a backyard hut, a temporary shelter called a Sukah. My Sukkah is buffeted by wind and chilled by the cold, yet as I sit inside, I am happy. I lift my eyes and behold the panorama …
The Debate
Modern society has long debated the merit of corporal punishment. Generations of children were raised with physical discipline, but current popular psychology argues against it. Today, the rod must be spared, even when children stubbornly refuse to comply, lest the children be spoiled.
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To Tell or Not To Tell
On the first day of school, hoping to impress the class with his experience, my brother’s teacher listed the many schools where he had taught over the previous decade. One boy , dully impressed, but not quite in the way the teacher had hoped, wondered, …
Father and Son
After a long and agonizing separation, Jacob and Joseph were finally reunited at the ancient gates of Egypt. What did the loving father do at that moment? Did he embrace his son and release his pent-up tears? No, he recited the Shema, proclaiming his faith in G-d.
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