Articles in Bereishit
Vayetze: Are you Content?
A Reason to live
Are you content with life? You make a living, enjoy a circle of close-knit friends and are loved by family; does this suffice to contend?
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Toldot: On Being a Mentch
Fill Me Up – I’m Famished
Would you find it distasteful if I barged into your home while you were cooking stew, peeked into your pot and demanded, as Esau did of Jacob, “Pour some of that red stuff down my throat; I’m exhausted!” (1)
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Chayei Sarah: Finding Sacred Space
The Quest
Human beings are full of aspirations and regrets, ambitions and failures, cravings and discipline, obsessions and the ability to control them. We are fractured beings with fragments that pull us in every direction. This is because we are unable to focus; every time we set our sights on a …
Vayera: The Importance of Objectivity
What Really Happened?
Back in the early part of this decade when the war of terror was in full swing I would frequently ask visitors from Israel if the situation was as bad as the media made it sound. They were never surprised by my questions; they knew that as a …
Lech Lecha: The Jewish Flu
The Shot
Would you knowingly invite a friend to your home if s/he had the flu? As a parent I am always grateful when invited guests beg off because they have the sniffles. I have children at home and would never expose them to a communicable disease; not even the common …
Noach: Tolerate or Love
Tolerate or Love
Which is the better model, to tolerate or love? Tolerant people respect everyone’s right and wish to do as they please, loving people get involved in the lives of their beloved. They will be right up there in your face, but with love. The others will watch you …
Vayechi: Leave No Word Unspoken
Eternal Regret
A common regret expressed by bereaved family members are the words that were left unspoken. I remember one man, whose father passed away at a younger age than most, who regretted not having expressed his love for his father more frequently. I recall another whose loved one passed away …
Vayigash: O’ The Circuitous Trail Of Love
A Perplexing Concealment
Joseph was sold by his brothers into slavery. Unbeknownst to them the sale worked to his advantage when remarkable circumstances led to his appointment as viceroy of Egypt. Under Joseph’s guidance Egypt collected vast storehouses of foods and was well prepared when a terrible famine struck the region. …
