From Them I Learned
Our modern media culture likes to “label” successful people: The richest person, the prettiest person, the person of the year, and etc. And because our culture is so influenced by the…
Moving Plans
It is not uncommon to picture the era of the rabbis of the Talmud as a world in which the vast majority of Jews still lived in all Jewish environments. In reality, however, the sages…
Not the Time for Idle Thoughts
The words of the sages compiled in Pirkei Avot/Ethics of the Fathers have multiple layers of meaning. They can be applied to specific types of people at specific times but can also be…
Working for the People
One of Hollywood’s favorite stereotypes is that of the corrupt politician. Inevitably, the character has a flashback, or at least refers to, his/her youthful, idealistic goals. Usually…
Protecting the Torah
“Moses received the Torah from Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua; Joshua to the elders; the elders to the prophets; and the prophets handed it down to the men of the Great Assembly.…
Time for Freedom?
The sages refer to the holiday of Passover as Zman Chay’roo’tay’noo, the time of our freedom. This may seem obvious, since Passover celebrates the redemption of the Jewish people…