A Personal Encounter with the Divine
There are moments in life when one is confronted with divine intervention. Thoughts on the loss of a great woman.
Jewish Thought and Philosophy
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Hearing and Seeing
Contemplation about the mitzvot without actually fulfilling them makes one deed-deaf. The profound meaning of a mitzvah may only be understood by experiencing it.
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The Future of the Torah
In one of its most fascinating narratives the Talmud (Shabbath 88a) draws attention to the problem of religious coercion at the time when God planned to give the Torah to the Israelites. The passage reports how God threatened the Jews while standing at Sinai and delivered an ultimatum. Holding an inverted mountain Sinai over their heads, He pronounced: "If you accept the Torah, fine, if not, there will be your grave" Tosafoth (ad loc) in their great commentary on the Talmud sensed a fundamental difficulty with this narrative. Was it not true that the Jews had already accepted the Torah previously when they promised that they would observe the Torah even before knowing what it actually entailed? This is reflected in the famous words: "We shall do and we shall hear"( Shemoth 24:7). This was a clear indication that they were prepared to make an ultimate leap of faith and were fully committed to live by the commandments whatever was demanded from them. So why was there a need to coerce them?
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Some Thoughts on Ruth and Conversion
In Converting to Judaism, Jewish Thought and Philosophy and Shavuot
As long as Judaism is taught as merely a luxury, something extraneous to life, it will be of little importance in the eyes of those who are asked to become Jewish. But when we teach it as being indispensable, it will become life itself and will make waves in the souls of all those we approach.
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The Rabbi Slifkin Case – Part 3
The Inadequacy of Jewish Dogma
Arbitrary Judaism is spreading in Israel. Halacha as the overall expression of Jewish commitment to a very specific lifestyle has nearly ceased to exist in the worldwide Jewish community. Judaism is often seen as an option, a tradition to choose from and to reject what is not to ones liking. One of the main reasons for this is that Halacha is no longer seen as response to the search for meaning in people's lives. The image of Halacha as a rigid tradition has taken the upper hand. It is seen as a desiccated remnant of a once living reality, which was reduced to definitions, codes and catechisms.
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The Rabbi Slifkin Case – Part 2
Rabbinical Tyranny and Freedom of Thought - The primary concern of Judaism is the art of living. To accomplish this goal it is committed to a strong sense of tradition and a determination to realize certain optimal goals. It is this road, which has made Judaism unique and makes it stand out among the community of religions. This unique directness from a historical past into a messianic future, from Mount Sinai to justice for the orphan, widow and stranger and the ultimate abolition of war has saved Judaism from death by ice and death by fire, from freezing in awe of a rigid tradition and from evaporating into utopian reverie.
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The Courage to Admit a Mistake
Nothing is more difficult than admitting a mistake, yet nothing is more human than making one.
In several places, the Torah deals with the need for and the merit of admitting one's mistakes. After all, a life spent making mistakes is not only much more honorable, but the alternative is much worse: The man who makes no mistakes is usually the man who accomplishes nothing. Only those who spend their time in total vanity are faultless. There is no road in between, and there is no escape. To own up to one's errors is greater than merely knowing how to avoid making them. It is wisdom that is gained.
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Why I am proud to be a Jew
In these unusual days in which Jews are once more condemned for being Jews and some of our own brothers try to deny or even abhor their Jewishness, I believe, paradoxically, that the Jewish people will soon experience the most glorious opportunity of all time.
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The inner fire, or “Familiarity breeds contempt”
It is an artform to live as if every moment is new, a challenge, and an encounter with the Divine.
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The Struggle for Faith – Part I
Faith is one of the most difficult attributes to acquire. To have faith in God has become a struggle for many human beings, including those who are desperately looking for it. In modern times with their tendency to secularize nearly anything, the man of faith often feels alone in a world in which religious beliefs are often looked down on.
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Parashat Vayera – The Struggle for Faith – Part II
It is most important to realize that in biblical days and even in the days of the Mishna and the Talmud, hardly anybody doubted the existence of God. That He exists was beyond doubt. It is for this reason that we do not find any discussion in the Tenach, Mishna or Talmud about God's existence. It is only in the Middle ages that Jewish philosophers started to debate this matter.
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The Struggle for Faith – Part III
The question to what extent one can actually trust God and rely on His protection is closely related to the question why He created the world. It should be claimed that one can only rely on His protection and help as long as this does not contradict the very purpose of existence.