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Truths You Can Use

Tomorrow evening the Jewish community begins the holiday of Passover. We tell the story of the journey from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land. The hero of that journey is Moses. In Jewish tradition Moses is the greatest prophet the Jewish people ever had. He is the law-giver, teacher and scribe of…

Two thousand years ago the Jewish sages taught that we have at least three names during our lifetime — the name our parents give us, the name our friends call us, and the name we earn for ourselves in the world. The Name Our Parents Give Us Parents choose names for a variety of reasons.…

President Obama lands today in Israel. It is his first visit as President. His relationship with Israelis has had its ups and downs. He intrigued and inspired many Israelis during the 2008 campaign. One merchant interviewed recently in the New York Times recalled selling thousands of kaepas (small skullcaps worn by religiously observant Jews) inscribed…

In a recent talk Rabbi Harold Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People, pointed out a unique feature of the Hebrew language. It contains two words for the one English word “why.” The two Hebrew words are maduah and lamah. Why do we need two words? Because each conveys a different attitude.…

Chutzpah is a Yiddish word with no exact English translation. The closest English equivalent would be “audacity” or “boldness.” But chutzpah also contains an element of passion, social concern and self-confidence. Someone with chutzpah knows what he believes, and knows that he is right. Chutzpah Makes a Pope Impossible Perhaps the embrace of chutzpah has…

Passover is the most celebrated Jewish holiday in America. For many the most memorable part of it is the food. Yet, Passover is also a teaching tool. We  highlight and expound upon important parts of the Exodus story.   Fortunately, in his monumental work on the Jewish holidays, Abraham Bloch summarized them. Each is rooted…

The new pope, Francis, faces enormous challenges. As a rabbi, I can’t offer specific advice on doctrine or practice It would not only be audacious, but meaningless for me to suggest liturgical or clerical reforms that might help the church fulfill its mission.  What I can do is reference a Christian writer from whom I have…

In her new and controversial book Lean In, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg argues that women face a variety of unique challenges in achieving professional success. One of them is self-imposed, yet reinforced by the larger culture. It is the hesitancy to “lean in,” to not let internal barriers–like feeling the false need to choose between…

On the evening of March 25, people around the world will begin the Passover holiday. They will sit down for a Passover meal known as a seder, with small book known as a hagaddah, describing the rituals and blessing of the meal, and telling the great story of the journey from slavery in Egypt to…

The most repeated commandment in the entire Old Testament is “You shall not oppress the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” It is recited in daily Jewish prayer, and describes lesson of the Israelite experience of slavery in Egypt. Does God Ask the Impossible? If we think deeply about it, however,…
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