We need reminders. In Judaism we have many ceremonies, but they are not empty rituals, they are reminders. Constantly, we are reminded to remember the period of slavery and the exodus from Egypt. And constantly, we are reminded why we were freed and what kind of lives should we live. …
If we look at all the possible violent and dangerous situations we might face, it is like looking at the text book of hundreds of pages, still unwrapped the night before the test; there is no possible way we can cover it all.
I recall my dear friend Rabbi Mordechai Ganzweig, may the memory of the righteous be a blessing. I was a young man when we had this conversation. He warned me about the problems associated with teaching, of being a teacher, the dangers, the economic hardships, the lack of recognition and …
We are born grabbing. We find it adorable when we put out our finger and the baby grabs our finger with his little fist. Soon the baby is grabbing everything and putting it into his mouth. This can be dangerous. Too much grabbing is dangerous. As we get older one …
I am a born fighter. I will fight for my rights, I will fight for what is right. As my father and my grandfather before me I stand for what is right. But sometimes we are nervous. The moment before the fight is the worst. I have fought many full …
In life we rarely see the hidden costs of the work of others, only our own. Years ago I was a youth counselor for seriously disturbed children from broken homes and dangerous neighborhoods. One of my tasks was called “Travel Training”, I was to take these young people and teach …
In this day and age of social media people have few secrets. If you go out for a steak dinner, we all know about it. If you spend lots of money it is there for all to see. Even if you are not doing anything wrong it is important that you not make an impression of doing wrong. Appearances matter as it leads to discontent.
