(Source Photo: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-holding-a-lantern-7789180/)
October 2, 2022
Can Love Be Blind?
(Source Photo: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-holding-a-lantern-7789180/)
September 24, 2022
The Hypocrisy of False Repentance
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
The Hypocrisy of False Repentance
September 4, 2022
Finding Truth in a Topsy-Turvy World
In terms of seeing the world and life clearly, you have a choice of how to live. You can choose to endlessly chase meaningless material things and the next physical high, or you can live your life with a deeper understanding that this world is just a corridor to the future world, where the “breath of life” from G-d returns to Him for everlasting revelation and reckoning.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Finding Truth in a Topsy-Turvy World
May 7, 2022
Playing The Odds
Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Playing The Odds."The stranger told me: Precisely fifty years ago, the doctor told me the exact same thing about having a one in a hundred chance of paralysis if they operated. So, what did I do? I went to see the Rabbi (Avigdor Miller) and ask his advice, and the Rabbi says to me: "A Jew doesn’t take odds like that!"
I thought to myself while Jews don’t take those wild odds (1 in a 100 of paralysis), why do they play the odds with their souls by pretending to be religious on the outside, but on the inside and away from human eyes doing evil? Surely, we all know that G-d sees everything and that a faithful judgment awaits us all. And it all made sense not to play the odds not only with our physical health, but also with our spiritual wellbeing.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Playing The Odds
June 2, 2021
What Children Learn
What children experience at home is what they learn to become.
Sure people can change their thinking and actions.
But any negative voices of the past may still echo in theirs heads.
That is until people tell them "hush, be quiet!"
And they replace old voices and experiences with new thinking about themselves and what they are capable of positively doing with their lives and in their relationships with others.
We all need to know what we value about ourselves and our lives and then make sure that we do those things.
So at the end of days, we can answer for our lives in an affirmative way! ;-)
(Credit Photo: Etsy)
What Children Learn
April 30, 2021
Mount Meron and Hating The "Baseless"
We are all reeling from the devastating deaths of 45 Jews on Lag B'Omer at Mount Meron (and many others critically injured) from a stampede during the bonfire celebration near the grave of the holy Kabbalist, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. Last night, we were glued to the new as the body count kept going up. I couldn't help thinking to myself that this is something that happens in the masses of people that gather in India or Saudi Arabia, not in the tiny State of Israel. But lo' and behold, tragedy can strike anywhere, anytime. Life is completely tenuous!So can we draw conclusions that in those days there was baseless hate and so too in our times. I think, while we don't know G-d's ways, certainly from experience and observation, we do know that there is not only baseless hate, but also plenty of "hate the baseless". And what I mean by that is that one type of Jew thinks they are better than another whose beliefs, faith, and observance we denigrate and deem baseless, without support and they without real merit...We are forever driven towards a "Better than thou" attitude and lifestyle. To the religious catcalls of "get out of our neighborhood slut" or the throwing of Shabbat rocks at passing cars. This all has got to stop!
Mount Meron and Hating The "Baseless"
April 28, 2021
The Feeling of Shaming
In this life, it's having your head ripped around your body.
Then in the next life, it's got to be a soul bared and stretched across the heavens and for all eternity.
Punishment is revelation and the mark it undoubtedly leaves behind.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
The Feeling of Shaming
October 29, 2020
Someone's Always Watching
Whether someone is peering at you from upstairs or around the corner.
Or there is a surveillance camera.
Or someone is recording you on their smartphone.
You are never really alone.
And even IF, and that's a big if, that no one person is watching.
Remember that G-d above still sees everything! ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Someone's Always Watching
September 28, 2020
The Yom Kippur Bank Account
Instead of worrying about accumulating earthly and material treasures: money, houses, cars, exotic travel, and more, we would be well advised to pay attention to our Heavenly treasure that we should be accumulating. Whether tomorrow, when our judgement will be sealed on Yom Kippur or when we, G-d forbid, die and are called for an accounting before our Maker, we should have plenty in the spiritual bank to speak well for us.
However, even if we are a little blind to our own accounting, certainly, just like we don’t want to be physically poor or bankrupt in this world, we definitely don’t want to be coming spiritually empty at Yom Kippur or when we arrive in the world to come. Put in more than you take out! Much more if you can! That’s what every parent should teach their child about their bank or brokerage savings account, building healthy relationships with others, and most importantly, how to live our lives towards our Father in Heaven and the King of the Universe.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
The Yom Kippur Bank Account