Shavuos — a Time to Deepen the Relationship
On Tuesday night, we will revisit the time when the entire nation heard the Voice of G-d, on the holiday of Shavuos. Our Sages teach that the Jewish holidays are not merely commemoration of past events, but a time on the calendar when the same spiritual energies come...
Congregation Flight 27
I had a unique experience this past Sunday night, one that was shared by thousands throughout the world. Early Monday morning (Israel time), El Al Flight 27 departed Ben Gurion airport destined for Newark, NJ. A technical problem was soon discovered -- according to...
Haste Makes Waste
"Hey, I sent you an e-mail about the proposal two hours ago. Have you had a chance to review it?" In today's world, people expect instant results, and that means doing things without thought or consideration. But as they say, "haste makes...
True Advantage
The Torah (Lev. 25:14) terms the laws of cheating in business, specifically overcharging and the like, Ona'ah. The Talmud calls this "Ona'as Mamon" - financial cheating. A few verses later (25:17) the Torah introduces the laws of "Ona'as Devarim," hurtful speech....
In the Name of Religion…
Our Torah portion this week contains what, at first reading, could seem to be a draconian or even primitive decree: "eye for eye, tooth for tooth" [Leviticus 24:20]. Yet nowhere in Jewish tradition is this understood according to how it might be read without...
Partners in Crime
It surprised me to learn that most, if not all, things that bother me about others are those deficiencies which I bear an element of, myself. When people arrive late for appointments, for example, it really gets to me sometimes... and it's not as if I have always been...
