Category Archives: Uncategorized

“Ani HaShem Lo Shaniti”  (I am God, I do not change) Malachi 3:6. Not only is God eternal, we don’t add to or detract from Him by our mitzvah observance or lack of it. Nonetheless, each of us is called … Continue reading →

“Asher natan l’sechvi bina l’havchin beyn yom u’veyn laylaw……” Who grants the rooster the faculty to distinguish between light and darkness… I try to say these first lines of the daily prayers from the floor to which I’d just fallen. … Continue reading →

Perhaps the most enduring, certainly the cruelest and most evil False God we serve is ourself. I’m not referring to the trivial case of seeking full license to pursue our pleasures–a sober look from almost anyone self-doomed to indulgence quickly … Continue reading →

We probably don’t know each other personally. While there’s a very good chance that I would like you–I’m a pretty social guy–at this point I really don’t care about your self-image or if your Jewish practice provides you a full … Continue reading →

Ki Ani HaShem Lo Shaniti (Malachi 3:6), “Because I am God, I do not change”. Among the very final words of the official prophetic era, a close reading (diyyuk) implies that absolutely everything except The Creator is subject to change. … Continue reading →

Simchat Torah (in Israel–in the diaspora where the holidays last two days rather than one, it’s the following day) is the climax of a month of intense holidays, beginning with Rosh HaShanna, running through Yom Kippur and Sukkot. The overall … Continue reading →

There’s very little whimsy in your average Israeli. They tend to speak plainly and directly and brook very little nonsense. This isn’t to say that Israeli’s lack a sense of humor, but the humor around here doesn’t at all resemble … Continue reading →