“They shall make fringe on the corner of their garments throughout the generations.. and you shall have the fringe so you will see it and bring to mind all of Adonai’s commandments and will do them, and you will not go around after your heart and after your eyes.. So you will bring to mind […]
Don’t Get the Gimmies!
Ads for every new gadget a man “must have” fill my e-mail as Father’s Day approaches. Last month it was, of course, everything a mother might want. Brides and grads will come next. And just in case e-mail, commercials, and the amazing algorithms that allow “just the right ads” to pop up on my Facebook […]
How Do You Identify?
Jewish identity is a “hot topic” (once again) this week following the release of the podcast and related materials from a March event at Brandeis University focused on Jewish Identity and Education. Data about engagement in Jewish life and the daily choices and reduced religious involvement of Millenials and individuals of all ages across all […]
Strengthening Each Other
“Lo tov – It is not good for a human to be alone.” So we are told in the very first Torah portion, Parshat Beresheet (2:18). G-d determined that Adam needed a partner – an ayzer k’negdo. While these words are often translated as “helpmate, I prefer the more literal translation offered by Biblical scholar […]
Accept the Gift and Use It Well
This week in Parshat B’har we are reminded to allow time for rest, not just for ourselves, but also for our workers and the land. We are told that the land is to rest every seven years. As our ancestors were farmers this also meant that they would be able to have time to pause […]
Making Sacred Time
This week’s parsha, reminds us that we are commanded to make and observe sacred time. Parshat Emor specifically references the need to make time to observe the Shalosh Regalim – the three Pilgrimage festivals of Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot. And these festivals can, indeed, fill us with joy and refresh our souls. Gone are the […]
I Can Teach!
The essence of Torah, according to Rabbi Hillel, is “What is hateful to you, do not do to another. All the rest is commentary; go forth and learn it.” Had I ever been offered the honor to sit and learn with Rabbi Hillel, I might have asked him (if I’d dared to speak) one small […]
Clearing the Air
Our tradition taught us how to deal with many problems before science and psychology caught up. This week’s parsha, Metzora, speaks of house mold. We are taught that the sooner it is found, the easier it is to remediate. Mold spreads quickly and needs careful and specialized attention to remove. Left untreated it poisons all […]
The Gift of Time
No matter how equally I raised my two children, my daughter’s first words focused on people’s names; my son’s first word was “truck.” Over the years each one of them has broadened the horizons of the other, and mine, as well. My son’s conversations are still the language of “stuff” – sports, politics, music, or […]
Sometimes Life Is Just Not Fair
At the start of creation Adam and Eve lived in the perfect, sheltered world of Gan Eden. Yet, having been empowered with free will they chose to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Having acquired this knowledge, some might say it was only appropriate for them to move on from their […]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- …
- 7
- Next Page »