The Third Partner
Our sages teach that there are three partners in the creation of a child: the mother, the father, and G‑d Himself.
View ArticleMommy’s Here
It was Friday night, and my baby had had a long day. It began with his 2-year-old sister shouting some gibberish, and then jumping on his finger. It only got more confusing from there. His gums hurt....
View ArticleA Special Synagogue
When I came into synagogue one Shabbat day, admittedly a little late, a friend rushed over and told me about another synagogue that needed me more. I put my prayer book down as fast as I'd picked it...
View ArticleHealing Through Speech
Things were going well. Or so I thought, until I hit rock bottom. Feelings of depression and anxiety, and my father’s battle with cancer, left me raw, vulnerable and exposed.
View ArticleA Rabbi With a Disability Shares: Are You Cool or Quiet? That Depends!
In my teenage mind, there were only two categories of people: the “cool” ones and the “quiet” ones.
View ArticleLenny’s Gift - The story of a man who lived in the hospital
Kingsbrook Hospital is where Lenny has lived since childhood. It’s his hospital-home. “You know, Chani, I’m here for always,” he says, neither sad nor mad about it. I intuit that his family chose...
View ArticleHow I Found My Place in the Jewish Community Despite My Disability
For decades, the status of Jews with disabilities was not discussed. The reasons are complex.
View ArticleSeven Things You Should Know About Parents of Children with Disabilities
When you meet a mother or father of an older child or teen with disabilities, they may seem burned-out. Here’s why.
View ArticleNo Longer Hidden Away
After more than 60 years, I still have a strong image of the phantom classroom in the basement of my Boro Park public school. I don’t recall how I knew that this classroom existed. I never really saw...
View ArticleLand and See
If Moses would have crossed the Jordan, that would have been the end: the end of the struggle, the end of history . . .
View ArticleAvoid the Happiness Cops
I'm all for happiness, but to be fully human means to be able to acknowledge and express the full range of emotions which G‑d gave us.
View ArticleMind or Heart?
Actually there are two hearts: the outer heart, forever chasing whatever looks good to it and barking at whatever looks like a threat; and an inner heart, where the fire of the soul burns in serene...
View ArticleI Feel Like a Hypocrite!
How can I exclaim, “love G-d with all your heart” when I don’t really feel that way?
View ArticleThe Healer - I finally learned what it means to be a doctor
Leon Friedman was a Holocaust survivor who wrestled with his memories, suffered depression, and what some would call "survivor's guilt." I saw him frequently for one problem or another; sometimes I...
View ArticleIf G-d Knows Best, What's the Point of Prayer?
Think of prayer as G-d talking to Himself -- through you
View ArticleSin (Not the Perfume) - The Body-Soul Chronicles, Part II
"Listen soul, how 'bout you just sleep this one out while I..."
View ArticleDid G-d Create Evil?
Here's the paradox: Goodness exists because G-d desired it; evil exists because G-d doesn't want it...
View ArticleThe Ultimate Seduction
I love the beginning of a relationship. It's a blast. I go out to exciting places and eat wonderful dinners.Then comes the boring stuff...
View Article“My Name is . . . and I am a Human Being” - The Jewish idea of perfection
Imagine asking a Jew, “Did you ever eat on Yom Kippur?” and he answers, “I felt hungry in my stomach.”
View ArticleHow to Be a Father
It’s the first dialogue there is between a father and his son in the Torah. It starts like this: Isaac to Abraham: “My father?” Abraham to Isaac: “Here I am, my son.”
View ArticleAre You Lovable?
What makes a person loveable? Being "loveable" is relatively easy to achieve during the dating process but becomes much more difficult a few weeks after the marriage...
View ArticleWhat Does G-d Need Us For?
If G-d is perfect, why did He create us? A perfect being isn't missing anything, so why would He need us?
View ArticleAre You Listening? - Vaetchanan
Here's an experiment to try the next time you meet someone—it could be an annoying telemarketer over the phone or a neighbor in the local grocery store...
View ArticleWill My Grandchildren Be Jewish?
I have yet to meet a Jew who doesn't proudly claim, "My grandfather was a rabbi." It seems that three generations ago everyone was a rabbi!
View ArticleJews, Time and Freedom - How Torah liberated humankind from the bondage of fate
Once upon a time, time was round. Then somehow we straightened it out, put an arrow on the end and took it for a ride. Now let me tell you how it happened . . .
View ArticleIs G-d in the Consequences?
A friend says she doesn't believe G‑d "causes" the consequence, because, she says, "we have free will."
View ArticleWhat's this "Jewish soul" Thing? Aren't We All One?
I have always felt that the essence of spirituality is that, underneath it all, we are all one. Isn't it absurd to characterize a soul as "Jewish"? Why put souls in boxes?
View ArticleAlef Bet - Who placed the intimate secret of the cosmos on a plush toy...
And this little boy? When he awakens, what will he see? Undoubtedly he will marvel at neat rows of colored squiggles and wonder what they are doing in his crib. He is far too young to realize what he...
View ArticleIs Diversity Good for the Jews?
Can you see a time when all Jews will follow the same customs?
View ArticleAre We Supposed to be Afraid of G‑d? (II)
The difference between love and respect is that when I love, I am preoccupied with my feelings toward you; when I respect, I am focusing on your presence rather than mine . . .
View ArticleIs There a Cure for Jealousy?
I am struggling with jealousy in many areas in my life and in my relationships. Any words of advice for me?
View ArticleBeyond Punishment & Repair
At first, there was punishment. Then came a time when there were no prophets to provide due warning. The suffering that occurred then is called "tikun"—healing, repair. But what is it today?
View ArticleWhy Do Rabbis Discourage Conversions?
My Jewish friends are mostly indifferent or even hostile towards their own religion, while I love Judaism and strongly desire to become a Jew. Then this rabbi tells me that “Judaism is not for you”?!
View ArticleAre We Supposed to be Afraid of G‑d? (I)
What’s all this business about being “G-d-fearing”? What are we supposed to be scared of?
View ArticleThe (GPS) Road to Harmony
What's so special about being special, anyway? I mean, if I just listened to my GPS, life would be perfect
View ArticleWhy Do Observant Jews Have Such a Tranquil life?
I'm not sure what exposure you have had to observant Jews, but judging by your question, it seems to have been from a distance...
View ArticleEvolution and Its Moral Consequences
It's more than a question of which theory or theology is more convincing. Beliefs have consequences
View ArticleCan You See the Rainbow?
Think about it: our behavior is our feedback to G‑d, our response to His gift of life, as clouds are earth's feedback (in the form of vapor) to the warmth of the sun...
View ArticleIf It's There, Why Can't We See It? - A young Rebbe's insightful question
Why tell us that G‑d only reveals Himself to "a righteous Jew who decides at the age of 99 to circumcise himself"? What is the relevance of such a message to the average individual?
View ArticleHow Do We Know Whom To Believe?
When we find a teacher inspiring and compelling, when we are enthused by people who seem spiritual and pious, how can we be sure that they are not charismatic charlatans preying on our vulnerability...
View ArticleWhy is My Family Insulted by My Kosher Diet?
My sister says that I am being "holier-than-thou" and my parents say that I am tearing the family apart. What can I do?
View ArticleWhat if I'm not in the mood?
Isn't it better to do less of the obligations but with a fuller heart, than to fulfill them with an unenthusiastic heart?
View ArticleTime For a Change of Scenery?
My life is at a standstill. I'm thinking of moving to a different city, or maybe changing my career...
View ArticleHow a Quarter of a Second Can Change Your Life
You feel it coming. The urge is there and you just can't stop yourself. Or can you?
View ArticleAre Women Second-Class Citizens in Traditional Judaism?
How can you honestly claim that Orthodox Judaism has any respect for women, with all the religious manipulation on the part of men that keeps them content as second-class citizens within a third-world...
View ArticleWhat's the Story with Reincarnation?
What's the story with reincarnation? Who is reincarnated, and why?
View ArticleWhy Was Miriam Punished So Harshly?
I’ve been reading the biblical story where Miriam speaks ill about her brother Moses, and her punishment seems completely disproportionate to her “crime.”
View ArticleRemember the Story of Miriam Every Day
Miriam’s self-sacrifice and determination serve as an ever-present inspiration.
View ArticlePower Versus Influence
The Korach rebellion was an unholy alliance of individuals and groups unhappy with Moses’ leadership.
View ArticleThe Daughters of Zelophehad
“Why should our father’s name be eliminated from his family because he had no sons? Give us a landholding among our father’s brothers!”
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