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October 7, 2024 – 10:40 pm | Comments Off on The Power of Confession52 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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Articles in Free Choice

Our Inherent Need to Matter

June 15, 2024 – 11:38 pm | Comments Off on Our Inherent Need to Matter298 views
baren-desert

Would you rather earn a meager salary or be a kept man or woman and live in luxury? Most people like to live in luxury, but not at the price of their self-image and soul.
Reflecting on our early history, G-d lovingly proclaimed to Jeremiah (2:2), “Go and call out in …

Full of Hot Air

July 15, 2023 – 11:10 pm | Comments Off on Full of Hot Air764 views
hot air

This week we discover that Jews are full of hot air. The story of the spies is recounted by Moses in the first portion of the book of Deuteronomy. He relates the negative report that the spies brought back from Israel and the fact that Jews believed this report and …

The Morning After

July 8, 2023 – 11:06 pm | Comments Off on The Morning After724 views
morning after

It’s not about what happens during the fight; it’s about what happens the morning after. When we get hot under the collar, we sometimes say regrettable things that lead to arguments. It is regrettable, but it is not pre-calculated. It is what happens the morning after that really counts. Do …

Your List of Flaws

June 18, 2023 – 12:08 am | Comments Off on Your List of Flaws627 views
list-of-flaws

You have a list of flaws. Sorry for outing you, but it’s not a big secret. We all have strengths and flaws.
I challenge you to sit down and list all your strengths and flaws. Let’s be honest; you have both. Now, set the list of strengths aside. I don’t need …

Heroic Struggles of Ordinary People

June 10, 2023 – 11:55 pm | Comments Off on Heroic Struggles of Ordinary People588 views
Heroic struggles

Heroic struggles are for ordinary people. Extraordinary people have no struggles. They are brilliant and gifted. Their hearts aflame with love; they are humble, kind, generous, and pious. They melt with ecstasy at the mention of G-d, and they tremble with fear at the specter of sin. They follow all …

Because I Said So

April 14, 2023 – 12:37 pm | Comments Off on Because I Said So583 views
because-i-said-so

Because I said so, was a common refrain when I was young. We knew that we were more competent than all adults combined, and we constantly challenged our elders when we were instructed to do something. When the explanation was above our pay grades, their response was often, “Because I …

Do We Have Free Choice

January 29, 2023 – 12:56 am | Comments Off on Do We Have Free Choice2,167 views
free-choice

Beshalach: Do We Have Free Choice
If G-d knows what we will choose before we choose it, do we have free choice? In our Torah portion we learn that G-d told our ancestors not to save Mana from one day to the next and to trust Him to provide. Some Jews …

Why Ten Plagues?

January 15, 2023 – 3:02 pm | Comments Off on Why Ten Plagues?822 views
ten plagues innerstream.org

This week we are introduced to the ten plagues. Seven plagues appear in our Torah portion and the last three appear in next week’s Torah portion. Have you ever noticed that there are ten plagues, ten commandments, and G-d Created the world with ten utterances? What is the common link?

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