Articles by Lazer Gurkow
Re’e: The Missing Festival
The festival of Sukkot falls on the fifteenth of Tishrei, two weeks into the new Jewish year. Accordingly, the Torah tells us, in Exodus 34:22, to celebrate Sukkot at the turn of the year. However, there is a discrepancy. Eleven chapters earlier, Exodus 23:16 told us to celebrate Sukkot at …
Ekev: Do You Have A Boat?
Jackie Mason claims a Jew only buys a boat to show it to others. In fact, if the boat is missing an engine the Jew wouldn’t even know it. Because a Jew doesn’t need a boat. He buys a boat, to show it to you.
King David and the Baal Shem …
Vaetchanan: The Link
The link between past and present is critical to Judaism. Without a past, we don’t have a present, and won’t have a future. Judaism exists today only because every past generation chose to absorb its predecessors’ teachings and transmit it to their successors. Had only two or three successive generations …
Devarim: Too Clever
Sometimes we are too clever for our own good. One such time occurred in the second century when Rome decreed that Jews in Israel may not study the Torah on pain of death. Yet, the Talmud relates that Rabbi Akiva continued to offer public Torah lectures.
When questioned by Papus Ben …
Matos Masei: Marijuana and Knives
Marijuana and knives, what’s the connection?
Knives
In his book, The Better Angels of Our Nature,[1] Steven Pinker writes that he always had a difficult time with the rule of etiquette that doesn’t permit using a knife to shovel food onto the fork. He writes that after working without success to coax …
Pinchas: Passover and Marijuana
What can possibly be the connection between Passover and marijuana? Well on Passover we ask questions, and when you are high on Marijuana, well let’s just the say the questions don’t seem to matter anymore. . . This may sound facetious but bear with me. I am being serious.
Canada recently …
Balak: Weed is Now Legal
Canada has recently legalised weed, so we must ask, what is the Jewish perspective on weed?
Marijuana, or weed as it is known in the vernacular, is a derivative of the cannabis plant. On the surface, plants are kosher. The only thing to avoid when eating plants, are bugs, and by …
Chukat: Live or Die
What do you think Judaism advocates, that we live for G-d or that we die for G-d?
Throughout history there have been two classic Jewish views. One was to place physical survival above spiritual; to live at all costs even the violation of our sacred Torah principles and cherished Jewish traditions. …
