Category Archives: Uncategorized

One of the most difficult aspects for outsiders to accept about Torah and Torah-based Judaism is that nothing is arbitrary. Of course, that’s not to say that every word every “orthodox” rabbi in history has ever said is absolutely and … Continue reading →

The mystical, kabbalistic component of our tradition describes twinned but mirror-opposite trends in the universe. On the one hand, the primal, essential unity, the pure essence of אור אין סוף (Ohr Eyn Sof), Infinite Light, evolves from unity to duality … Continue reading →

There are many arenas which are vulnerable to the bigotry of low expectations. Not the least of these is our minimizing the opportunities and expectations the Torah provides for us. I’ve had long-standing conversations over many years with friends, students … Continue reading →

Although, on a Kabbalistic level we say that Evil is “merely” an obscuring of God, on a practical, existential level, Evil does exist and, indeed, our mandate, spiritual and practical, our ultimate morality, is to overcome and destroy it in its … Continue reading →

When every living being cared only for its own desires, וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הָאָרֶץ וְהִנֵּה נִשְׁחָתָה כִּי־הִשְׁחִית כָּל־בָּשָׂר אֶת־דַּרְכּוֹ עַל־הָאָ, “And God saw the earth and it was corrupt, because all flesh (every living being) corrupted its way upon the earth” (Bereishit … Continue reading →

My father, o”h, used to delight in making repairs around our house. He also delighted in training me, from a very young age, to help him. We became very close through working together. He started by giving me simple tasks, such … Continue reading →

“Jewish guilt” is such a common trait that it’s a well-used (too well-used) cliché in American comedy. Woody Allen created his entire career with variations on this theme. It’s so endemic you’d think it was actually grounded in our belief … Continue reading →

I remember close to thirty years ago, when I was much better at getting to daily minyan every morning. The day before Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, a close friend, both of whose parents were holocaust survivors, suggested we skip, … Continue reading →

The symbolism of seven pervades Sukkot. בַּסֻּכֹּת תֵּשְׁבוּ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים, “You shall dwell in Sukkot for seven days”. The ארבעת המינים (Arbat HaMinim), four species: lulav, etrog, aravot and hadassim actualize as seven separate objects (1 lulav, 1 etrog, 3 hadassim … Continue reading →

I often mention Rabbi Shloime Twerski zt”l in my writing and in my teaching. Unfortunately, there is very little Torah that he wrote down in his lifetime that survives. This is an article I first saw in the Intermountain Jewish … Continue reading →