You Rule
November 17, 2005
Man\’s quest for a perfect form of government started at the dawn of civilization and is still far from conclusion.
Rabbi Haim Ovadia
Bird’s-Eye View
April 14, 2005
The message is a universal one and it is directed to all mankind. How much better would the world be if we looked at people and thought first of what we have in common with us instead of analyzing how they differ from and are therefore inferior to us?
Divine Protection
January 13, 2005
As the train pulled into the Iraqi border police station, the lanky Jewish boy at the window became more and more nervous. The bulging package under his robes felt heavy like lead.
Biblical Logotherapy
June 24, 2004
Torah: parah aduma, which is the ritual of purifying a person who has come into contact with a dead body. During the ritual of parah aduma, the Kohen slaughters a red cow that has never born a yoke and then burns the carcass along with cedar, hyssop and a crimson substance until it has been reduced to ashes. The ashes are then mixed with water and sprinkled on the person who has come in contact with death, thus rendering him pure.
Monsieur Le Peh Ra
April 22, 2004
This is the story of Peh Ra. All his life, Peh Ra felt like a cattle owner, walking among his animals and marking them with a red-hot branding iron. Peh Ra had a nice collection of branding irons. Some people he branded \”losers,\” others were marked \”nerds\” or \”geeks\” and, of course, there were those who fell under special categories.
Cherish and Respect
February 12, 2004
The Ten Commandments are one of the most fascinating documents in the history of mankind. Hundreds of books and thousands of articles and commentaries were written around them. They decorate, in different forms and media, almost every synagogue and public Jewish facility, and recently they were in the center of a fiery debate regarding the separation of church and state. But from all discussions and debates of commentators and scholars throughout the ages, one question stands out: What is the logic behind the division of the commandments on the Tablets of the Law?
A Question of Perspective
December 11, 2003
We are all familiar with Jacob, the refugee who returns to his homeland to the dreaded encounter with his vengeful brother Esau. I believe most of us read the story through Jacob\’s eyes, but is it the only way? What if it were possible to unearth these biblical heroes\’ diaries? What would they say? Here are the events of our parsha as described by the two brothers:
[authorpage]