Building Off Failure
Today, October 13, is marked as the “International Day for Failure,” a day meant to encourage people to “celebrate our shortcomings and failures, share our experiences and promote the…
Terrific Trees
In honor of the New Year of Trees (Tu b'Shevat), Jewish Treats presents some thoughts on trees and nature as found in the Bible.1) In the second chapter of Genesis, humankind is…
Our Cherubs
This time of year, late January, the fat little cupids that line the store aisles are frequently referred to as cherubs. There is, most certainly, a fascinating history as to how a Roman…
Hell
Judaism subscribes to the belief in an after-life and reward and punishment, but is there a concept of Hell in Judaism?Hell as commonly depicted--fire, brimstone, devils with…
Terrific Trees
In honor of the New Year of Trees (Tu b'Shevat), Jewish Treats presents some thoughts on trees and nature as found in the Bible. 1) In the second chapter of Genesis, humankind…
Serach’s Seranade
When perusing the list of the generations of Jacob found in Genesis 46, one gets a strange sense that there was a powerful genetic predisposition in Jacob's family for male children.…
Precious Creation
While there are many appropriate themes with which the Torah could have begun (Abraham, Mt. Sinai, etc.), it begins instead with a day-by-day description of the creation of the world,…
Fully Present
In Hebrew, one word can say so much. For instance, hineni. This seemingly simple phrase is understood as a powerful statement of a person’s state of mind. Literally, it is translated:…
“Snakes, Why Did it Have to Be Snakes?”
Ophidiophobia is the fear of snakes. This is one of the most common phobias, and, in fact, it is so common and apparently instinctual that scientists have even taken to studying why this…
Just This Once?
Children notoriously like to test the limits. “If I try to take a cookie, will mom really punish me?” “If I draw on this wall, will dad really be upset?” The job of the parent is to stay…