fbpx

A Moment in Time: “A Little Perspective”

[additional-authors]
February 28, 2024

Dear all,

Last night I finished putting together this awesome Lego mosaic of our family. (I bought the kit and uploaded a photo to create a Lego picture, one tiny tile at a time).

As you can see from this video, up close it looks like a bunch of Lego bricks. But when you step back, it’s pretty extraordinary how the pixels transform into ZEMR (Zach, Eli, Maya, Ron.)

It gives me pause. How often do we make conclusions without stepping back to understand an entire situation? How often do we make judgements without looking from other angles?

In Pirkei Avot, Rabbi Hillel taught, “Do not judge another until you have been in that person’s place.”

And so – before we make a judgement, we should get a little perspective.

It takes a moment in time to look once. It takes another moment in time to look again. Let’s not forget that second moment in time.

With love and shalom,

Rabbi Zach Shapiro

Did you enjoy this article?
You'll love our roundtable.

Editor's Picks

Latest Articles

Print Issue: Miller Time | November 7, 2025

He’s only been a congressman for two years, but Max Miller, proud Jew and proud American, is already making waves. The Journal talked to Miller to understand why he’s been called “the best problem-solving member you’ve never heard of!”

The Rise of Jewish Self-Defense Organizations

There has been a lot of recent discussion about the need for Jewish self-defense. Several books and op-eds have been published advocating for American Jews to start waking up and taking this issue a lot more seriously.

Spice of Life: A Perfect Pumpkin Flan

Flan was popular in medieval Spain and Sephardic cooks were known for their simple, elegant desserts, transforming eggs, sugar and milk into something silky and soothing.

A Problem-Solving Politician for the Future

He’s only been a congressman for two years, but Max Miller, proud Jew and proud American, is already making waves. The Journal talked to Miller to understand why he’s been called “the best problem-solving member you’ve never heard of.”

Let’s Just Say It: Anti-Zionism Is Racism

Because a core part of modern Jewish identity is a connection to Israel, anti-Zionism inherently targets Jews as an ethnoreligious group, another form of racism and bigotry.

Now What? That Is the Question

These convictions are the tools I need to protect myself against the raging wind, to carry truth securely on my shoulders and to maintain my sense of direction.

More news and opinions than at a
Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.