Good listeners may be as rare, perhaps rarer, than good talkers. Most of us, in our friendships, seem to want more to tell than be told. We see, we use friends as an audience - and friends in their turn often do the same with...
Each individual piece of the orchestra played at its own pace voicing its own music. Not one piece copied another. There was not a sound to be heard other than the soft movements of the members of the orchestra. The symphony was silent. It had...
“To man belongs the arrangements of his heart, but from God comes the response of speech.” (Proverbs 16:1) The Vilna Gaon explains that a human being must simply prepare his heart to pray and then turn to God for help in finding the proper words. This...
It happened, as I knew it would. We received a hate filled comment to one of our blogs. How sad that such a thing is expected! How frightening that such things are so common that we can laugh and shrug them off! Then again, I prefer...
John, Doctor Subtilis, of the village of Duns in Berwickshire, Scotland, (1266-1308) developed the notion of “Haecceity” as a way of giving expression to the uniqueness or the indivisible “thisness” of a person. His followers were called “Dun’s Men” from where we get the notion...
I need help understanding Moshe’s prayer at the end of Beha’alotecha: “Moshe cried out to God, saying, “Please, God, heal her now!” Rashi offers two explanations for this concise prayer: 1) Moshe did not want Israel to criticize him for spending too long in...
Someone asked me why we insert; "May You forever not remove Your love from us" in the blessing immediately preceding the evening Shema. The question implies the possibility that God would "remove His love from us". I answered that I believe this is not a request...
I love asking people if they feel that God loves them. Most respond, "Yes!" I then ask the more challenging question: "How do you know?" That's when it becomes interesting. I invite you to join me in raising a toast to God, Who made it very...
We pray for people who are ill in every Amidah, and with countless prayers and psalms. What do we mean when we ask for healing? Do the different definitions change the focus of the prayer? For example: Isaiah 58:8: "Your healing will speedily sprout." This image...
Master of the Universe The Midrash describes an interesting question and answer between a student and his rabbi on the topic of prayer: “Why are so many prayers unsuccessful?” asked the student. The rabbi answered; “Because people do not know to Whom they pray.” It makes sense...
“Ha’tov ki lo kalu rachamecha, v’ha’merachem ki lo tamu chasadecha” “The Good One because Your compassion never finishes, and The Compassionate One because Your goodness never stops” God is called Good, because of His Compassion, and Compassionate because of His Goodness- shouldn’t it be the opposite? You...
He is a gifted musician. She is a master horsewoman. They live in a very hot part of Florida. The musician cannot play his piano nor can the rider ride her horse. The swimmer may not swim. The sages considered these activities dangerous. The musician would...