Diplomacy, Prayer, Action
As every diplomat knows, there is a time to talk, a time to pray and a time to take action. This very lesson is recorded in the Torah when Jacob encounters his murderous brother Esau…
What’s in the Book- the Twelve Prophets – Micah
The Book of Micah contains prophecy directed at both Samaria (Israel) and Jerusalem (Judah) by the prophet Micah, who lived in Judah during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings…
Nice Invitations
“Rabbi Meir used to say: A man should not urge his friend to dine with him when he knows that his friend will not do so. And he should not offer him many gifts when he knows that his…
Hardened Hearts of a Leader
Upon the recent death of North Korea’s Kim Jong-Il, the press rehashed what is known about the repressive regime, certainly causing many to wonder how any leader could cause such harm to…
Humiliation Day
Surf the web and you will find that most days on the calendar have been designated as “holidays.” Many of these holidays are intended to be cute. Others seek to acknowledge different…
Chanukah-What’s The Mitzvah?
Here’s a quiz: What is the primary mitzvah of Chanukah? a) Eating latkes (potato pancakes)b) Giving Chanukah gifts or gelt (money)c) Publicizing the miracle of the oil that lasted 8…
It’s All Good
One ancient and ongoing philosophical question is: If God is perfect, and God created the world, can anything that God created be inherently bad? We all know that there is evil in the…
The Maggid of Mezeritch
It is often noted by commentators on the Torah that whereas Abraham was a charismatic leader, his son, Isaac, was an introvert who spent much of his time studying. This same comparison…
What’s In The Book: Jonah
The Book of Jonah is one of the best known stories in the Bible and is read on Yom Kippur because of its powerful message of repentance: God instructs Jonah to go to the Assyrian city of…
Bankrupt
The concept of forgivable bankruptcy--declaring one’s self legally destitute and thereby being forgiven of one’s major debts, is a recent development in history. Until the mid-1800s (in…