The Meaning of Sound
What does sound mean to you? Sound plays many roles. It is a vehicle for communication, music, and even distraction, but at its root sound is the simple indicator of life.
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Read the full story »Life Cycle: Invitation
Welcome to Innerstream’s “Life Cycle” section, where essays are posted on the Jewish milestones in the cycle of life.
If you would like to explore any of these essays please click on one of the links provided below. These links are also available in the menu on the left side of your screen. The …
Life Cycle: Marriage
Adam and Eve
On the sixth of
creation G-d created man. As soon as Adam was created, G-d immediately
remarked that “It is not good for man to sit alone”(Genesis 2: 18) and
proceeded to create Eve.
Immediately
following the birth of Eve, the Torah gives us our first insight into
marriage; “A man shall therefore leave …
Life Cycle: Circumcision
Entering the Ranks
The Hebrew word for Circumcision is Brit Milah (the Covenant of
Circumcision). When we circumcise our children we are in effect
fulfilling their personal covenant with G-d.
Through the Brit they are allowed entry into the ranks of our nation.
At this moment they connect with the millions of Jewish souls that …
Life Cycle: Childhood
Innocence of Youth
The magical age
of childhood is one of purity and innocence. The simple trust that a
child places in his parents, the simple faith a child places in G-d is
the essence of holiness and beauty. It is precisely this innocence that
serves as a foundation for adulthood and life.
The child’s
perception is …
Life Cycle: Birth
Bringing
a child into the world is the greatest blessing that G-d has bestowed
upon mankind. When we give birth, we form a partnership with G-d in the
act of creation.
In birth we
become a part of creation ex-nihilo, creating something out of nothing.
A fetus that simply did not exist before has suddenly …
Life Cycle: Bar/Bat Mitzvah
Held Accountable
The Hebrew words “ar/Bat Mitzvah mean “one who is held accountable for the
Mitzvos”. The Bar Mitzvah ceremony celebrates the official entry of a
child into the religious ranks of adulthood.
According to Torah, children are not required to observe the
commandments of Torah until they reach the religious age of maturity.
For a …
Life Cycle: Honoring Parents
When Parents Honor Parents
The positive
flow of love and warmth in every household is crucial to the proper
upbringing of children. Children that are confident in their parents’
love will love their parents in return and seek to please them at every
opportunity.
When a household
is well balanced with love and respect the children …
Life Cycle: Death and Mourning
Life In Preperation
The Torah
maintains that life in this world is only a corridor that leads to a
better and higher world. The Mishna offers the following advice;
“Prepare yourself in this corridor so that you will be worthy of living
in the world to come”. (Ethics of our Fathers)
According to
Jewish thought, life in …
Parsha Insights »
Bechukotai: Active Listening
Sight
Do you practice Active Listening?
I remember standing on a cliff high above the Pacific Ocean in Central California, gazing down at the blue waters, shimmering waves and bright sunlight. I was transfixed, utterly and completely absorbed by the scene. Having lost all critical thought, I was aware of only one …
Yearly Cycle »
Purim: A Nation United
The die was cast. King Achashverosh granted Haman a genocidal license against the Jewish nation. Mordechai was one of the first to learn of the plot and he appealed to Queen Esther for help. Esther explained that it was dangerous even for her to enter the king’s chambers unbidden. Mordechai …
Concepts »
Giving Is The Secret To Happiness
Giving is the secret to happiness. People who think they can be happy from taking or even receiving quickly learn how wrong they are. Do you think Vladimir Putin will be happier if he takes Ukraine? Well, ask him if taking the Crimea made him happy. If he were happy …
Rabbi’s Desk »
What Can We Do?
These past two days have been the most difficult for our people in the last fifty years. It was Simchat Torah, a time for rejoicing, yet it was a time of horror. Nearly a thousand members of our family were brutally murdered, more than a hundred were taken hostage, and …
