SB Right – Large Image List

We are living in a time and culture that promote happiness, satisfaction and indulgence.  Indeed, we are regularly inundated with messages and marketing such as “obey your thirst,” and “just do it.”  In that context it is particularly difficult and onerous to observe a fast and to resist the temptation for food and water for […]

This week, I received an email from one of the many Jewish organizations who have me on their list. The subject line was the usual Rosh Hashana salutation and well wishes. Indeed, the email began in the familiar fashion – “as the year comes to a close, it is natural for each of us to […]

A few summers ago, I had the pleasure of attending a wedding in which the only people I knew were the family of the bride.  At the meal, I found myself sitting at a table of people I had never met.  In an attempt to be friendly to the man seated next to me, I […]

As my family’s summer vacation winds down there are two transitions we must face, one much more difficult than the other. Firstly, we are heading back to real life including work, obligations, responsibilities, etc. This adjustment pales in comparison to the second change, namely leaving Eretz Yisroel, our people’s beloved and precious homeland, the holiest […]

Tolerance is a double edged sword. On the one hand, the Torah encourages us not to judge people, not to be critical of them and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. We are to be welcoming, warm and accept people for who they are without being dismissive. While these attitudes are certainly virtuous […]