


Email For Prophets
Another day, another hundred emails. One from the Jewish Community Council asked that we write to the Senate leaders to request economic relief for non-profit organizations. I found this to be novel as I had only thought of bailouts being…

Holiness in a Time of Plague
By definition, sacrifices are a pursuit of a holy objective. In this time of pandemic, we are making many sacrifices. I believe that we are expanding holiness through sacrifice to preserve life.In biblical terms, sacrifice was the slaughter…

It is Counting Time
The year of counting people is here. When counting people we should remember that while numbers matter, people matter more. 2020 is the year to learn and relearn that lesson.
The United States Census begins in March, 2020. Every ten years our…

Chop Suey or Jewy?
Chinese food fascinated the first and second-generation Jews coming to America in the 20th century. Chop suey was so exotic that it defied being overtly “trayf.” Moreover, Chinese food appealed because it was generally an inexpensive alternative…

The Ethics of Elections
Responses to the presidential debates often focus on individual performances. The pundits focus on the candidates’ pithiness and well-crafted punch lines. Our conversations recap the body blows and knock downs. I believe something…

Just Mercy
A fair and functioning judicial system reflects how we value human life. Justice reigns when clear standards of jurisprudence balance individual rights with protection for society. Yet, sometimes, justice must bend with changes in civilized…

Dig your well
Torah’s most thought-provoking characters are not always “members of the tribe.” Consider, Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, who was a priest of Midian. Important lessons come from a few verses about this celebrant of another faith.By virtue…

Family Bones
Ancestry.com sends me an email when there is new information to be reviewed relating to my family. Most of it is irrelevant. Once in a while there is a document with helpful information, and the bones of my family surface.
Recently, I explored…

Act Three
If there is a gun in act one, there had better be someone getting shot in act two. And if there’s unexpected gifts of jewelry in act one, there’s going to be a golden calf in act two. Just wait until Act three! In Torah, after nine…