Very often religion is presented as offering the secret to ultimate happiness. I have heard religious leaders try to entice people towards a religious lifestyle promising them that through the synagogue or the church they will find happiness and bliss. People are hoping to find a quick and easy formula …
Isaac and Rebecca had two sons: Esau and Jacob. Although they were twins, they were far from identical. Even during Rebecca’s pregnancy their character difference was visible. According to Jewish tradition, when the pregnant Rebecca stood near houses of study and prayer, Jacob struggled to come out, but when she …
One day as I was waiting for a friend, an old woman sits down next to me. Suddenly she jumps out of her seat, turns to me and yells, “I should have never left Mexico!” I look at her and ask, “When did you leave Mexico?” “Thirty years ago!” she …
Abraham spent his whole life teaching the message of the G-d of love and protesting against the idolaters’ cruel practice of sacrificing their children. Why would G-d ask Abraham to sacrifice his son? How would he ever face the world after committing the same crime as idolaters? Imagine the scandalous …
All things are mortal, but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality? ~ Mark Twain When G-d said to Abraham “Go to yourself–Lech Lecha” what was He actually asking Abraham to do? This command seems to be contradicted by the remainder …
In this weeks’ Torah portion we read:The whole earth was of one language and of common purpose. And it came to pass, when they migrated from the east they found a valley in the land of Shinar and settled there. They said to one another…….. “Come let us build a …
Adam and Eve were living a carefree life in the Garden of Eden. They had only one restriction. G-d commanded them not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad. However, forbidden fruits tend to seem more tasty to people. In addition, having a seductive snake around …
Torah teaches that the goal of life and the source of true happiness is holiness. We are holy when we are whole — integrated and harmonious with our inner self, with our nation, with the rest of humanity, with nature and with G-d. This is accomplished through fulfilling the Commandments …
Yom Kippur is all about love and forgiveness. It’s about how we are always inseparably one with G-d. On Yom Kippur we get a glimpse of ourselves, our choices and our relationship to G-d from another perspective — G-d’s perspective. This is the transformational power that makes it into a …
The Kabbalah teaches, “There is no king without a nation.” This point requires deep exploration especially on Rosh Hashanna when we acknowledge G-d as our King. It may make sense that, in the human world, a king is dependent on having subjects who acknowledge his sovereignty. The last Emperor of …