Surviving and Leading
Although born in Hungary in 1904, Rabbi Yehoshua (Joshua) Menachem Ehrenberg was living in Cracow when the Nazis began their systematic destruction of European Jewry. The city of Cracow,…
The Tribe of Ephraim
As descendants of the original 12 sons of Israel, the lives and personalities of the descendants of Jacob significantly impacted on the history and behavior of the future tribe members…
Not To Be Mixed
Like oil and water, certain things are not meant to be mixed together. According to Jewish law, it is forbidden to mix-breed different species of cattle, sow one’s field with mixed seed,…
Tales of The Phoenix
Mythological creatures are generally shrugged off today as figments of overactive imaginations. Nevertheless, a fair number of these fantasy creatures are noted by the sages of the…
The Village of Moses
Immigration scams in which those wishing to emigrate are promised guidance and assistance for a “small fee” are, sadly, not new. Such incidents have been going on for hundreds of years.…
Controlling Urban Sprawl
Urban sprawl is one of the prominent contemporary environmental concerns. It is, understandably, a modern issue that started at the time of the industrial revolution. Oddly enough,…
How To Be Holy
God instructs Moses to tell the Jewish people: “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God, am holy” (Leviticus 19:2). How does one make oneself holy? The remaining 35 verses of…
A Question of Theft
Most cases of theft are black and white but not all. For instance, is it a problem to use a neighbor’s wireless router (bandwidth) without permission? Questions of contested ownership…
My Chicken Doesn’t Moo
Poultry has an interesting status in the world of Jewish law. It is the paradigm of rabbinic jurisdiction, underscoring the fact that the sages of the Talmud have the authority to…
Tales of The Phoenix
Mythological creatures are generally shrugged off today as figments of overactive imaginations. Nevertheless, a fair number of these fantasy creatures are noted by the sages of the…