Never Mirror the Darkness We Oppose

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Never Mirror the Darkness We Oppose."

In that instant, I recognized that our conflict transcends a mere battle for survival and a defense of democracy and civilization against terrorism and barbarism. It is also a profound struggle for our very essence. In confronting terrorists and their sympathizers, we must remain vigilant that in asserting our beliefs and defending ourselves, we do not succumb to their level. I desire to contribute constructively, but I refuse to emulate the hateful and reprehensible behavior they exhibit.

(AI generated image via Gemini)

Never Mirror the Darkness We Oppose

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

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

L'Chaim for Body and Soul

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "L'Chaim for Body and Soul."

Everything that happens in this world has not only a physical dimension but a spiritual one as well. Our very existence is a combination of body and soul, so naturally they work together in tandem. And our physical well-being must be matched by our spiritual alignment with God.

(AI generated image from Craiyon)

L'Chaim for Body and Soul

When Politics Gets Personal

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "When Politics Gets Personal."

Not unlike the deep political divide in Israel over Judicial Reform, this week’s U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down college affirmative action following their prior ruling overturning Roe v. Wade has once again brought to the forefront the huge political divide in this country. Further, the polarization and bitterness between the right and left from the 2020 election are still simmering as we approach the next presidential election in 2024. Underneath all the day-to-day niceties, there seems to be a latent powder keg in our electorate, especially if the next election is a repeat between Trump and Biden.

In this context, I must admit that I had a run-in with someone this week who sits on the other side of the political spectrum from me. And maybe, as they say, it's best not to talk too much about religion or politics, just for the reasons I am about to convey.

(Credit Photo: John Hain via https://pixabay.com/illustrations/fingerprinting-blaming-division-2203448/)

When Politics Gets Personal

Looking Beyond the Superficial

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Looking Beyond the Superficial."

We are all much more than our physical manifestations in this world, and looks can definitely be deceiving. The most important thing in dealing with ourselves and others is to look beyond the superficial and see each person for who they really are, and G-d’s holy spirit has an outsized role in realizing the potential of who we can be.

(Credit Photo: Activedia via https://pixabay.com/photos/spiritualism-awakening-meditation-4552237/)

Looking Beyond the Superficial

Kosher in Body and Soul

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Kosher in Body and Soul."

The essence of keeping kosher is not that we just keep the dietary kosher laws and eat only that which G-d commanded is permissible to us, but more so that we feed our spiritual soul with G-d’s manifestation to us and ultimately that we live kosher lives through His wisdom and the performance of good deeds.

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Kosher in Body and Soul

The Worst Curse

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "The Worst Curse."

While space is the “final frontier,” Shatner is correct in his fear of the cold and emptiness that extends around countless stars and solar systems, where we have yet to discover any real life other than our own. Even on our own living planet here on Earth, everything for us as individuals is impermanent and can so easily be lost. What we think we’ve built as a fortress of money, power, and prestige can literally be snuffed out in a blink of an eye, and it is beyond our control to stop it except to continue to mend our own flaws and try to do good in life. In truth, we need to be constantly grateful for everything that we have and for as long as we have it, because in life, there are no guarantees of what is to come.

(Credit Photo: Kindel Media via https://www.pexels.com/photo/an-elderly-man-behind-the-glass-window-8172602/)

The Worst Curse

Monsters and Humans

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Monsters and Humans."

Ultimately, the litmus test is whether there is a human in that being. If there is that spark of G-d, that soul, that inner conscience weighing right and wrong, that fear and love of G-d and his creations driving decision-making, then there is still hope for that person as well as for mankind.

However, if we are dealing with those who are sadistic animals in human form, then we must be as soldiers of Hashem, taking a firm stand and decisive action, because true evil does not remain dormant for long.

(Source Photo: Aneesh Ans; https://www.pexels.com/photo/painted-face-of-person-portrait-photo-1211966/)

Monsters and Humans

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?

Finding Truth in a Topsy-Turvy World

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "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

Madness and The Soul

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Madness and The Soul."

Whereas normally the soul guides and directs the body, in the case of mental illness, the soul becomes imprisoned in the body and mind that is sick. When this happens, a person reverts to their wholly animalistic nature, and hence, what we are seeing is like a car without a driver, accelerating and careening dangerously until, usually, a horrible accident and end.

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Madness and The Soul

Help The Handicapped

Seeing this wheelchair was a reminder to me to:

• Always try to help the handicapped. 

Life is tough on everybody, but when you have a disability, it can be even harder. 

It doesn't take much to see or ask if there is anything you can do to help someone. 

Just the gesture alone can go a long way to making people feel valued, cared about, and that they are not alone out there. 

We all need help sometimes, so why not help others?  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Dossy Blumenthal)

Help The Handicapped

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

The Power of Giving to Overcome Abuse

Please see my new article in The Time of Israel called "The Power of Giving to Overcome Abuse."

We can't outsmart G-d, and we can't take what isn't rightfully ours. In effect, the charity we must give, already belongs to G-d, and we can't keep it or invest it, because at the end of the day, G-d will have what is His. And with this realization, lying back down in bed, I sung the words from Proverbs many times to myself and smiled, thanking G-d for my children who teach their parents and for G-d enabling me to learn new lessons for my soul and how the blessings from G-d are ultimately realized.

In short, while sexual molesters (i.e. monsters) steal from the bodies of their victims and inflicts devastating harm to them physically, mentally, and emotionally, in stark contract are those who give charitably to others, giving of themselves in order to make others that are in need whole again in body, mind, and soul.

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

The Power of Giving to Overcome Abuse

The Surprising Secret To Becoming Your Best

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "The Surprising Secret To Becoming Your Best."

Even while we are each different and should become our best selves, we still all need to make sure we are driving towards good healthy goals.

There is no one-size-fits-all mold for us. Hashem has a destiny in mind for each of us, and we need to find out what that is and work to become it. As parents, we need to see our children for who they are and not who we may want them to be. Truly, it’s a blessing to be able to be ourselves! As long as we and they are doing good in the world and by our Creator, we are each and everyone on solid Jewish ground.

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

The Surprising Secret To Becoming Your Best

Dreaming An Angel

So last night (on the last night of Hanukkah) I had the most amazing dream. 

In the dream, I saw a celestial being come to me.

And it was clearly my mom.

She didn't exactly have a physical body, but more like an angel and the manifestation of the spirit I recognized immediately as my mother. 

I experienced an unbelievable and overwhelming feeling of missing my mom. 

Like the feeling of the last years that I had been holding back suddenly burst forth. 

I started crying hysterically how I had missed her and that I was sorry for any way that I may have failed her (and my dad). 

She stood completely straight and beautiful like an angel, truly. 

And I could feel her love for me and she told me in a soft and genuine voice that "It is okay."

This was not like a regular dream, but completely real in a metaphysical sense, and I not only saw, but also remembered every detail vividly.  

Afterwards, I felt immobilized for about 20 minutes; just feeling all the feeling and still seeing it all in my mind's eye. 

I was shaken from such a life-changing "dream" and still can't really get over it.

It was wonderful to see my mom and know that she is okay and at peace, and everything is okay. 

Thank you G-d for letting me experience this and to connect with my mom once again. 

May it be for a blessing for us. ;-)

(Credit Photo: Janbaby at Pixabay)

Dreaming An Angel

The Plan Amidst The Pain

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "The Plan Amidst The Pain."

In life, not only do we have to be determined and work hard, but G-d throws us curveballs and challenges all along the way that can often make us drop to our knees or throw our arms up in despair. However, we need to be faithful like Jacob and Joseph, knowing that it’s all a part of G-d’s plan and mission for us, and through these we learn and grow and become better versions of ourselves.

Moreover, if we but open our eyes to the miracle of our creation and our sustainment every moment of every day by Hashem, and remember that He put us all here for a purpose, then we can pay the daily price for what G-d puts in front of us and how we choose to handle it.We can do this knowing that it’s all really just a small price to pay in the end for so much that we gain in this world and that we will carry forward to the hereafter. In the end, nothing is free, but the price and the reason is always just what G-d wants it to be.

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

The Plan Amidst The Pain

Strong and Knowledgeable

If you know your own strength and what you can do...

Then you also know what you can't do.

While our dreams and imagination can be "the sky's the limit,"

The reality is we are human and we have to learn, grow, and make progress incrementally.

Still it's a fight every day to get stronger as people and as souls. ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Strong and Knowledgeable

When Hypocrisy Leads To Abuse

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "When Hypocrisy Leads to Abuse."

As many of you, I have been following the news about sexual abuse allegations against Rabbi Chaim Walder and have been horrified and disgusted that this renowned ultra-orthodox Children’s book author and therapist is now accused of abusing the same. Like community Rabbis (e.g. Rabbi Barry Freundel) or Jewish educators (e.g. Stanley Rosenfeld), this phenomenon of using a privileged position to take advantage of women and children is certainly, by this time, not new and remains a stain on the Jewish community, no different than that of the Catholic Church or the Boy Scouts for the abuse by its priest and leaders on those that trusted them and the religious values and ideals they represent.

Truly, these horrible acts of hurting, abusing, and scarring for life women and children (including boys) are regrettably all around us, whether with domestic violence, rape, sexual abuse, and human trafficking. But fortunately now they are at least “out of the closet” where rather than have the community deny the possibility that such evil exists or even circle the wagons to wholly protect the perpetrators (before fully investigating the facts), we now have greater recognition and are working towards accountability of these wrongs, and hopefully, far greater protection for people in the future.

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

When Hypocrisy Leads To Abuse