Remembering Through Little Things

Being in a job where a lot of paper is used – books, handouts, lesson preparations, photocopies – I often felt that too much of it was wasted.
Some colleagues suggested having a special waste basket for paper so that it coud be recycled. For years this was deemed impossible since it would mean more work [...]

Today’s Jewish Thinkers

I am currently reading Rabbi Marc Angel’s Maimonides, Spinoza, and Us: Towards an Intellectually Vibrant Judaism.
In this book, Rabbi Marc D. Angel discusses major themes in the writings of Maimonides and Spinoza as a means of exploring how modern people can deal with religion in an intellectually honest and meaningful way.
After Stéphane Moses last week, [...]

What Are You Reading?

I have just read a book of interviews between the French rabbi and radio host Victor Malka and the Jewish philosopher Stéphane Moses (1931-2007).

Stéphane Moses was born in Berlin. His family fled Nazi-Germany in 1936 to settle in Morocco and then France where he studied German and philosophy. He became a university professor and taught [...]

Vayera

לְמַעַן אֲשֶׁר יְצַוֶּה אֶת-בָּנָיו וְאֶת-בֵּיתוֹ אַחֲרָיו, וְשָׁמְרוּ דֶּרֶךְ יְהוָה, לַעֲשׂוֹת צְדָקָה וּמִשְׁפָּט

… that he may instruct his children and those after them to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is just and right…

In Judaism it is not enough to believe the right things, what matters is to do the right thing. Faith [...]

Lekh Lekha

When we reach the story of Abraham, we have the feeling that we are approaching a completely new dimension in the relationship between God and man.
When God addresses Abraham and tells him to leave his land, He is addressing an individual, a man with a destiny – not just with a mission. This idea of [...]

Noach

כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה אֱלֹהִים, אֶת-נֹחַ

as God commanded Noach.

We usually have the feeling that Noach isn’t as great as the other men mentioned in the Torah. Although he is described “a just man and perfect in his generations” (Bereshit 10:9), the degree of his righteousness is much discussed in the different Midrashim. Some of the [...]

Haveil Havalim

The latest edition of Haveil Havalim – otherwise known as The Post-Chagim Edition – is up at Ima on and off the Bima. Thanks Phyllis for your hard work and for including a post of mine.

Bereshit

וַיִּיצֶר יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים אֶת-הָאָדָם, עָפָר מִן-הָאֲדָמָה, וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו, נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים; וַיְהִי הָאָדָם, לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה.

Then the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
This week’s parshah reminds us that, among the whole of creation, only man is a combination [...]

Must Read

I mentioned last week that I had received the latest volume of Conversations, the journal of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals. Now I made it my Shabbat Reading yesterday (in betwwen bouts of migraine) and found it incredible.

- How Not to Make Halakhic Rulings by Daniel Sperber can be read on their [...]

Reading List and New Year Challenge

I have just received The new issue of Conversations, the journal of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals. This issue deals with Orthodoxy: Family and Gender Issues. I had not realized the journal had been released so it was a nice surprise to find it when I came back from work today.

A few days [...]