Monthly Archives: January 2014

This week’s parsha, Terumah, begins with God telling Moshe to collect the donations the people will make in order to build the Mishkan, the sanctuary. וְיִקְחוּ־לִי תְּרוּמָה מֵאֵת כָּל־אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִדְּבֶנּוּ לִבּוֹ, And take for me Terumah (donations raised to a … Continue reading →

While I do usually spend daily effort and attention to Talmud (oral Torah) and Tanach (written Torah), what really appeals to me at this point in my life is generally described as Kabbalah, our “mystical” tradition. No, I have no … Continue reading →

Although it flies in the face of orthodox empiricism, the mystical insights of our tradition suggest there really is no such thing as simple and direct cause-and-effect. Rather, we view everything that happens in the realm of our awareness to … Continue reading →

The phrase Tikkun Olam has become perhaps the central Jewish observance of those who have left other observance and mitzvot behind.  To be sure, it’s a very important description of our work as humans, and more specifically as Jews, in … Continue reading →

In everyday experience, as explained by the simplest physics, heat is really wasted energy, lost in resistance or friction.  What we  perceive as great, even heroic, effort is often just wasted effort. Despite certain appearances, in reality the rules and … Continue reading →

Rather than discussing cosmology or theology, as one might think a commentary on the Creation of the Universe in Parshat Bereishit would start, Rashi begins his teachings on the entire Torah quoting an opinion that the Torah really should have begun with … Continue reading →