Jethro’s Tell
Great leaders are often those who are able to accept criticism. It seems to be, the higher one’s position of leadership, the fewer suggestions people are willing to make. Imagine how…
Two Pillars of Five
Jewish law, and thus Jewish life, rests on two pillars, the mitzvot between a person and God and the mitzvot between one person and another. These two pillars of law are laid out in the…
Yonah of Geronah
It is a fact of history that students have frequently been at the center of radical movements, often under the influence of a teacher or mentor. This was the case of Rabbi Yonah of…
What’s in the Book – The Twelve Prophets – Habakuk
The Book of Habakuk has only three chapters. Habakuk cried out to God to witness the perversions of justice. “How long, O God, shall I cry out, and You will not hear? Shall I shout to…
What’s in the Book – the Twelve Prophets – Nahum
The prophet Nahum’s prophecy focuses on the fate of the great Assyrian city of Nineveh. God’s anger, as described by Nahum, was at the point of erupting. The fury of God, predicts Nahum,…
The Source of Leadership
Great leaders can move mountains...or at least, masses of people. Ezra the Scribe was just such a leader, and it was his charisma and wisdom that inspired the Jews to leave their…
The Blessings of the Amidah: Accept Our Prayers
The nineteen blessings of the Amidah make up the core of the Jewish prayer service. The seventeenth blessing begins the final section of the Amidah, the section in which we express our…
Into The Fire
It is written in the Book of Daniel (Chapter 3) that Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon and a committed idolater, had a statue that was 60 cubits (90-120 feet) high and six cubits (9-12…
Two Pillars of Five
Jewish law, and thus Jewish life, rests on two pillars, the mitzvot between a person and God and the mitzvot between one person and another. These two pillars of law are laid out in the…
Mitzvah With A Shovel
The Jewish customs surrounding death, burial and mourning are intended to provide both respect for the departed and comfort for the mourners. One such custom that may seem startling or…