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Truths You Can Use

A Jewish wedding ceremony is deeply symbolic. Its most famous customs comes at the end. A glass is placed on the ground. The groom raises his foot and smashes it. Everybody yells mazal tov (Congratulations and Good Luck). Various explanations have been given for this practice. Among the most common is the idea that the…

“The most important challenge is not learning how to live after death. It’s learning how to live after birth.” Steven Carr Reuben Cats don’t ponder it. Elephants don’t wonder about it. People, however, fret it about it. Why are we here? What are we to do with our lives? We ask these questions of life…

Even though I’m only 33, I know that people today work harder than ever. During my childhood, my dad had a highly-professional job and still made it home by 5:00 pm. Today my own life and those of my friends and congregants suggest that this is a rare occurrence. Has technology simply meant that we…

Which is the more American holiday–Thanksgiving or July 4th? I used to say July 4th. America is about independence. It is about the free spirit of adventure and progress that built our country. My view hasn’t changed. Yet, my understanding of July 4th has. Today we do not only celebrate independence. We need also, if…

A young disciple once asked his rabbi: “Do you believe God created everything for a purpose?” “Of course,” the rabbi answered. “Then why,” the student asked, “did God create atheists?” The rabbi paused and stroked his beard. He then spoke softly and intensely. “Sometimes we who believe, believe too much. We see the cruelty, the…

When his mother died, Mark began to go through her belonging. Knowing she was meticulously organized, he was not surprised to find a stack of daily planners. They covered the years 1948-1997. He began to look through them and saw a clear pattern. Every day had a list. Most items on the list had lines…

Are you special? A Massachusetts English teacher recently made headlines when answered this question with a resounding “No!” Speaking to graduates at an elite high school, David McCullough countered the words of Mr. Rogers and, for the younger generation, the friendly green dinosaur Barney. He said to the graduates, “You are not special. You are…

A classic joke by comic Emo Phillips captures our frustration with prayer. “When I was a kid,” he writes, “I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realized that the Lord doesn’t work that way so I stole one and asked Him to forgive me.” Emo was right. Prayer doesn’t work…

Jewish tradition tells the story of a wise man who met with a king. The king challenged the man with a riddle. He said, “In my hands is a small bird. Is it alive or dead?” The wise man paused and looked down. He thought to himself, “If I say it is alive, he will…
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