Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

Holy Math: Why the Number 8 Changes Everything

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Holy Math: Why the Number 8 Changes Everything."

The "Eighth Day" is our sacred mandate to stop escaping the physical world and start sanctifying it, merging the raw materials of our lives with the fire of the Divine. From the act of circumcision and the inauguration of ancient Tabernacle to the miraculous oil of Chanukah, we see that the number eight is the heartbeat of Jewish resilience and the ultimate key to rededication. Even in our darkest modern moments, like the transition from the agony of October 7 to the unified defiance of October 8, we prove that pain can be transmuted into a powerful, holy purpose. This is the secret of our existence: taking every cry, every coin, and every breath to build a home for G-d right here in the thick of human experience.

(AI generated image via ChatGPT)

Holy Math: Why the Number 8 Changes Everything

The Old Country

The Old Country

Why We Suffer: Meaning in a Broken World

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Why We Suffer: Meaning in a Broken World." 

This piece explores the Jewish understanding of suffering as a transformative and sacred process rather than meaningless torment. It describes pain—whether physical, emotional, or spiritual—as a forge that refines the soul, strengthens faith, and deepens compassion. Through trust in G‑d, humility, and acts of kindness, suffering becomes a path toward self-awareness, connection, and redemption. Ultimately, Judaism teaches that even in darkness, pain holds the potential to illuminate the world and draw us closer to the Divine.

(AI generated image via ChatGPT)

Why We Suffer: Meaning in a Broken World

Echoes Across Realities: The Soul’s Journey

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Echoes Across Realities: The Soul's Journey."

The concept of multiple realities, embraced by both scientific theory and imaginative storytelling, proposes that countless alternate histories unfold from pivotal moments, each yielding distinct outcomes. Personal experiences, such as vivid and inexplicable dreams, invite us to consider the existence of parallel worlds and deeper spiritual dimensions where our souls may journey. These experiences underscore how our free will—our choices to act for good or evil—intertwines with billions of others in a complex tapestry of cause and effect that only G‑d can fully comprehend and graciously guide. Ultimately, our actions carry profound significance, influencing not only this reality but countless others, revealing that the truths shaping our lives and the universe are far more expansive than we may realize.

(AI generated image via Gemini)

Echoes Across Realities: The Soul’s Journey

Passover with Chabad

Passover with Chabad

Queen Esther's Legacy of Faith

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Queen Esther's Legacy of Faith."

At its core, the story of Esther unveils a timeless truth: no matter the trials we endure, our ultimate refuge lies in our faith in G-d, the transcendent force above nature itself, who wields the power to weave miracles into the fabric of our lives. 

In The Garden of Emunah, Rabbi Shalom Arush illuminates three ascending tiers of this sacred faith: first, the recognition that every event flows from Hashem’s divine providence; second, the belief that all He ordains is for our ultimate good; and third, the understanding that each divine act carries a purpose, urging us to seek the messages He imparts. Our very existence is a quest—a passionate pursuit to uncover Hashem in the rhythm of our daily lives and forge an intimate, enduring bond with Him. This we achieve through an unwavering awareness that G-d is ever-present, guiding every step, and even in life’s darkest trials, He sends us a tikkun—a soul correction—to elevate us to loftier spiritual heights.

(AI generated image via Gemini)

Queen Esther's Legacy of Faith

Life is Full of Oohs and Ahs

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Life is Full of Oohs and Ahs."

These are collectively the ah-ha moments in life when we realize that oohs are often really ahs, and the ahs are frequently really oohs. As we head towards Rosh Hashanah, this is a good lesson that if we can take a step back to see the consequences of our actions, we need not be surprised by the iced bucket of water in the sauna anymore. We can work to make every moment ultimately meaningful and spiritual ahs in our precious pursuit of life and good.

(AI generated image vai Designer)

Life is Full of Oohs and Ahs

U.S. Secret Service Circles The Wagons

 
Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "U.S. Secret Service Circles The Wagons."

Last week was a devastating disappointment for me (and presumably for the vast majority of our country) when a 20-year-old, high school graduate attempted to assassinate the former (and likely future) president, Donald Trump. I was shocked not only by the obvious failures of today's Secret Service but even more so by the reaction of their leadership.

Aside from Trump who was almost assassinated, and the innocent civilians killed and wounded, and our heart and prayers go out to all of them, I cannot help but wonder what damage all this has done to the trust and respectability of our nation in the eyes of our allies and the fear and deterrence before the ongoing threats from our adversaries.

(AI generated image via Designer)

U.S. Secret Service Circles The Wagons

Reincarnation: Try, Try Again

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Reincarnation: Try, Try Again."

One of the great issues in dealing with life is what happens when we die. Is it "game over" and we are gone for good, or as Jews we believe that while our bodies die, our souls live on in eternity with Hashem. However, another scenario to deal with is if we still have imperfections that we need to work on, does G-d bring us back again through the reincarnation of our souls ("Gilgul Neshamot") to continue the process of learning, growth, and perfecting ourselves?

(AI generated image via Designer)

Reincarnation: Try, Try Again

It’s All in Your Perspective

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "It's All in Your Perspective."

Learning is a lifelong pursuit. None of us know everything. Here are five lessons about perspective in life that I wanted to share, and I hope you appreciate their wisdom as much as I do.

All in all, we need to maintain a flexible mindset and avoid approaching the world with rigid thinking, because when we do that, we miss out on so much that can enrich our minds, touch our hearts, and uplift our souls.

(Source Photo: https://pixabay.com/photos/wormhole-time-travel-portal-vortex-2514312/)

It’s All in Your Perspective

Great Job 5th Graders!

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Great Job 5th Graders!

Rising To Great Heights

When we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us...

We can truly reach great heights!  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Rebecca and Itzchak)

Rising To Great Heights

A “Sign” of Good Synagogue Character

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "A 'Sign' of Good Synagogue Character."

I was literally sitting in the synagogue and crying, watching the speaker sign and listening to the voice from the interpreter. I really believe that all our synagogues, schools, work places, and organizations need to better incorporate diversity and disability into the environment, and not just by paying meaningless lip-service to it, but by enabling everyone to come, feel welcome, participate, and be together as all children of G-d naturally should be.

Finally, it was beautiful to have the synagogue let someone who was deaf have the pulpit and the ability to speak to us. It would be so awesome for everyone’s voice to be heard. We take our abilities (such as speaking, hearing, and being mobile) for granted. So let’s design the community with all the people in mind and give everyone a true voice. In the end, it’s not just what they say, but some things are communicated more than words.

(Source Photo: RODNAE Productions; https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-on-heart-sign-done-by-woman-10029313/)

A “Sign” of Good Synagogue Character

Can Love Be Blind?

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Can Love Be Blind?"

As long as in this material world, the body hides the soul of the person, then love can never be fully blind because people cannot see the true brightness of the soul inside or realize the primacy of people's spiritual inner selves without getting distracted by the physical aspects of the person, including attraction (which as we all know fades over time) and, of course, class, race, and ethnicity. Yes, physical/chemical attraction is an important part of intimate relationships, but at the end of the day, it's what's inside that counts, not only in this world, but for our eternal being and purpose.

(Source Photo: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-holding-a-lantern-7789180/)

Can Love Be Blind?

Leadership With Heart

 
Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Leadership With Heart."

“Leadership with Heart“—you’ll see this as my byline for my Times of Israel blog, and which I also use daily under my signature line in my professional emails. To me, it represents my goal of becoming a leader and doing it with a “lev tahor” (pure heart), represented as much as possible to others through good thoughts, words, and deeds.

In terms of impact, I was pleasantly surprised recently when at least three different people came up to me after I did or said something, and they responded with something like, “Oh, I get it. That’s what ‘Leadership with Heart’ means in your tagline.” I can’t tell you how happy that made me to hear that. I wasn’t just saying it, but acting it, and others noticed it positively.

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Leadership With Heart

1,000 Days of Duolingo

Wow, thank you Hashem!

1,000 days trying to learn Hebrew. 

I still have such a long way to go. 

But as they say, it's the journey.  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

1,000 Days of Duolingo

Measuring Success Like G-d

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Measuring Success Like G-d."

Never more than today are we living lives of total excess. This week, we saw a Mercedes-Benz 1995 car sell for a record-breaking $142 million. Last month in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, authorities seized a Russian oligarch’s $793 million mega yacht. And this last year, Morgan Stanley predicted that Elon Musk may eventually become the world’s first trillionaire.

In a world where marketing, sales, advertising, branding, and the media all seek to convince us that life is essentially about “things,” self-satisfaction, the next high, and happiness, we can easily forget how transient and valueless all that really is. Inside each of us though there is a deeper, true voice that seeks a life of real meaning, purpose and immortality, where faith, compassion, giving, and self-sacrifice is the true measure of our character and the ultimate gauge of life success.

(Source Photo: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/smiley-emoticon-greed-822993/)

Measuring Success Like G-d

Teaching Our Children To Be Good Jews

 

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Teaching Our Children To Be Good Jews."

What happened to genuine faith in G-d, belief in the holy Torah, our duty to abide by the 613 commandments, and generally doing right in this world by our fellow man and before G-d Almighty? Maybe I’m being too literal here but being a “good Jew” has got to mean something important. We are keeping alive the tradition of our parents, grandparents and great grandparents, spanning back thousands of years to our Forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to G-d delivering us from Egyptian servitude, and His giving to us the Torah on Mount Sinai, and to His bringing us to Israel, the Land of Milk and Honey, and keeping us from being wiped away by one great empire after another. Being a Jew means being part of an important important and yes, “chosen” for a special mission of being a “light unto the nations” and that means action on our part: thinking, saying, and doing what’s right all the time!

We are tested daily to do what’s right, even when it’s not convenient, easy, enjoyable, or popular. What is a Jew? We need to really ask ourselves that question. It’s not trivial and neither should the answer be. Our lives in this world and the next are depending on how we live up to the high bar that is set for us each and every day of our lives that Hashem mercifully grants to us.

(Photo: My dear parents Fred and Gerda Blumenthal at my Bar Mitzvah)

Teaching Our Children To Be Good Jews

Read, Read, Read

The joys of learning.

Sitting and reading.

Mental calisthenics.

It takes discipline. 

Got to work those neurons!  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Michelle Blumenthal)

Read, Read, Read