Articles tagged with: commitment
Shavuot: Torah and Golf
The Parallels
A number of my friends are avid golfers. Over coffee one day they tried to explain to me some aspects of the game’s attraction. At first I didn’t get it but as I listened to them I noticed that at times their voices carried almost spiritual undertones. Suddenly, I …
Naso: Commitment Spawns Enthusiasm
Completely Invested
Reb Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the third Rebbe of Chabad, (1) once related that his grandfather, Reb Schneur Zalman, offered to bless him with the intellectual gift that would make Torah study come easily to him. Reb Menachem Mendel refused saying that he wanted to invest his energies and acquire …
Matot Masei: The Anchored Journey
The Journey
This conversation occurs in every Jewish home and I’m sure yours is no exception.Wife: Honey, I think its time we take another step in our Jewish growth, what do you think it should be?Husband: Are you sure this is the right time? I mean we just sent the kids …
Ki Tavo: Making it Relevant
Returning to Earth
Does a falling tree produce a sound if no one is around to hear it? Jewish philosophers never respond to such questions with a simple yes or no. Instead we reply, in perfect Talmudic cadence, if a tree falls and no one is around to hear it, does …
Re’e: Infinitesimal Spec
Greater than Life
Do you ever get the feeling that you are, but an infinitesimal spec, swallowed by the vastness of the universe and beyond? That cosmic forces arrayed along your path lead you to a destiny greater than your imagination? That life as you know it barely scratches the surface?
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Tazria Mitzorah: Circumcision – The Mark of Truth
Eight Days
A baby is born, Mazal Tov, now the mad rush begins. Whom do you call first? Parents before siblings, siblings before friends and friends before colleagues. Every call brings new questions: what is the baby’s, weight, size, eye color and, of course, gender. Is it a boy or a …
Yitro: The Confident Approach
Cold Feet
Many years ago, I found myself in a plane high above the Grand Canyon. I was on my way to accept a job as head counselor of a West Coast summer day camp when I began to doubt myself. Was this job right for me? Was I good enough? …
Miketz: Who Are We?
The Lost Child
When I was younger my father often talked of the proverbial child who never got to school on time. If it wasn’t his pants, it was his hat. If it wasn’t his hat, it was his socks. If it wasn’t his clothing, it was his homework. There was …