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The Power of Confession

October 7, 2024 – 10:40 pm | Comments Off on The Power of Confession51 views

Jokes about confession abound, but confession is no laughing matter. Judaism takes confession seriously, especially on Yom Kippur. In Judaism, confession is an intensely private affair. It is only between you and G-d. No one else is invited or permitted to overhear your confession. We must confess silently. The public …

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Rosh Hashanah »

Are We A Religion of No?

September 30, 2024 – 1:03 pm | Comments Off on Are We A Religion of No?
religion-of-no

One of the famous passages of the Rosh Hashanah liturgy is, “I remember the kindness of your youth, the love of your nuptials, you followed me into the desert, a land that is not planted” (Jereimah 2:2).

This is our way of invoking the trust and devotion to G-d we demonstrated during our national infancy. G-d remembered it many centuries later when He talked to Jeremiah, and we invoke that memory today. It is our way of saying that though we might not consistently demonstrate our love for and trust in G-d, it is in our DNA; seared into us from our youth. Read the full story »

It Is Time for Your Spiritual ECG

September 25, 2024 – 11:31 am | Comments Off on It Is Time for Your Spiritual ECG
ECG

After several bouts of dizziness and lightheadedness, I was booked for an ECG and given a Holter Monitor to wear for 72 hours. This was my first experience with an ultrasound of my heart, and I had all kinds of questions. I hope I wasn’t a nuisance that morning, but …

Are You A Parasite?

September 14, 2024 – 11:21 pm | Comments Off on Are You A Parasite?
parasites

Parasites live inside or on organisms of other species and feed off them. This is why parasitism is the ultimate insult. It means that you don’t provide for yourself, let alone contribute to others. You steal from others for your very existence.
In a sense, we are all parasitic. Every living …

Cancelling Cancel Culture

September 7, 2024 – 10:18 pm | Comments Off on Cancelling Cancel Culture
cancel-culture

We are told not to judge a book by its cover, but most of us do. In their inimitable way, our sages tell us, “Don’t look at the cask; look at the wine. Aged casks can be filled with new wine, and new casks can be filled with aged wine” …

Have You Changed?

August 31, 2024 – 11:17 pm | Comments Off on Have You Changed?
Crabapple-Tree

We have a large crabapple tree in our backyard; it has been there for decades. Over the years, its beautiful branches have served as climbing apparatus for many young hands and feet, and its wonderful leaves have provided pleasant shade for many a gathering or a book reader.
Its spring blossoms …

When Good people Do Nothing

August 25, 2024 – 8:58 pm | Comments Off on When Good people Do Nothing
triumph

On Wednesday, August 21, more than a hundred Jewish institutions across Canada received bomb threats. More emails went on the next day. Thank G-d, the threats were empty. The police responded with alacrity and determined that the buildings were safe. The police continue to investigate to identify the IP address …

Count Your Blessings

August 15, 2024 – 8:27 pm | Comments Off on Count Your Blessings
one-hundred-blessings

Eikev: Protect A Nation
It is natural for Jews to bless G-d. We are raised from childhood to see G-d’s hand behind everything that happens in life. So, when good things happen, we thank G-d, when bad things happen, we pray to G-d. We bless G-d before we eat, and after, …

Finding G-d

August 14, 2024 – 5:54 pm | Comments Off on Finding G-d
baren-desert

This week we marked the anniversary of the destruction of the first and the second Holy Temples in Jerusalem. This is without question the saddest day in the Jewish calendar. On this day, on the ninth of Av, we reflect on our exile and the many troubles we experienced. We …

Be An Unselfish Star

August 3, 2024 – 11:09 pm | Comments Off on Be An Unselfish Star
Star

Shortly before his passing, Moses translated the Torah into all the extant languages of his time. The Torah could now be read and understood in Egyptian, Hittite, Assyrian, Aramaic, etc. This was considered a good thing. Many years later, the Greek King Ptolemy commissioned seventy-two Jewish sages to translate the …