Oh Goodness
“He [Rabbi Akiva] said:... The world is judged with goodness, and everything depends on the abundance of good deeds” (Pirkei Avot/Ethics of the Fathers 3:19). God judges the world with…
My Kids’ Inheritance
There’s a cute bumper sticker that says “I’m spending my kids’ inheritance.” If you were to ask whether the great Jewish scholars would approve of such an attitude, you might be surprised…
Words of Protest
Today is the World Day of Social Justice, a perfect topic for Jewish Treats, as Jewish law often addresses issues of social justice. There are halachot (laws) that dictate giving tzedakah…
Cheer Up The Lonely
The most frequently cited reason for the destruction of the Second Temple is Sin'at Chinam, best translated as senseless hatred. The in-fighting among the Jews of Judea, not only weakened…
Eat and Save
“Eat your peas. There are children starving in Africa.” “No dessert, until you eat all the food on your plate.” “Waste not, want not.” Today, June 5, 2013, is the United Nations…
What’s Mine Is Whose
On September 17, 2011, Zuccotti Park, in downtown Manhattan, became the center of what would become an international protest movement. Occupy Wall Street was organized as a statement…
Kedoshim 5760 – 2000
"The Revolutionary Idea of Holiness" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald In this coming week's parasha, Parashat K'doshim, we encounter that magical and revolutionary word which the Torah has…
Jewish Boxing Days?
In many countries, especially those associated with the United Kingdom, December 26th is known as Boxing Day. There are divergent views as to the source of this day and the origin of the…
Cheer Up The Lonely
The most frequently cited cause for the destruction of the Second Temple is Sinat Chinam, best translated as senseless hatred. The in-fighting among the Jews of Judea, not only weakened…
Oh Goodness
“He [Rabbi Akiva] said: … The world is judged with goodness, and everything depends on the abundance of good deeds” (Pirkei Avot/Ethics of the Fathers 3:19). God judges the world with…