Latest Posts
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The Snake in the Garden
When we attribute evil to Adonai, we are speaking, I believe, about free will. We choose between acting out of yetzer hara, the “evil inclination,” and yetzer hatov, the good inclination. In what direction, and to what, will we dedicate… Continue reading
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Random Thoughts: The Scream and Dodecaphony
I wish those who enthusiastically anticipate the apocalypse would recall how COVID-19 affected their lives. They should visit Kyiv or any city in Ukraine; La Guaira, Venezuela; Gaza; Sudan; Somalia; or the other places in the States struck by, and… Continue reading
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Taking A Breath With Gratitude
The Torah and the Siddur challenge us to consider the sacredness of language. We can neither trivialize nor debase words. To do so undermines both dialogue between the Divine and humanity and the holiness of our humanity—both our own and… Continue reading
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When Is Justice Reduced to Retribution and Barbarism?
Legal scholars and Supreme Court justices have debated the question “Does the imposition and carrying out of the death penalty constitute cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth and Constitutional law?” Continue reading
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The Journey
Humanity was created to be moral beings in our relationship to nature as its caretakers, to our fellow human beings in respecting their dignity and being responsible for them, and to God in fulfilling our obligations. We serve the Divine… Continue reading
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The Knowledge Check
A knowledge check (test) given by Professor Charles W. Kingsfield, Jr of The Paper Chase fame. Dry, irreverent humor. Continue reading
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When Character and Substance Matter
Those living in the States should feel unease about the trade war with Canada. This is not merely about what affects their and Canadian’s cost of living. The Trumpian policies weaken the States’ credibility as a democracy. What exactly is… Continue reading
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Tinkering Cabbie, Mayor, Spy: Catching A Hand in the Cookie Jar (A Fable)
A fable about political corruption. Continue reading
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Cave Dwellers
The Chauvet cave paintings delineate the sensibilities and ethos of an un-fragmented culture, a community of people united in common survival of spirit and body. These naturalistic, animalistic cave images invoke a worldview that mirrors the evolution of the seasons,… Continue reading
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76 Minutes: The Aftermath and Trying to Find Some Good
In 76 minutes, the world changed. There were more minutes to come. A reflection on September 11 (911) and its aftermath. Continue reading
