If you’ve never heard of the Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, don’t feel bad, he’s not the Rembrandt of this generation. But this past weekend, he created a work for art elites from all over the world who converged on Miami for Art Basel, a global platform connecting collectors, galleries, and artists. Cattelan went to a […]
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Messages from 2019
After Jacob married Leah, she had three sons. When she gave birth to her forth, she called him Yehuda (Judah), which is derived from the Hebrew word “thanks.”And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “This time, I will thank G-d. Therefore, she named him Yehuda… (Gen. 29:35).Leah was a prophetess and knew […]
Finally, after much hardship, Isaac and Rebecca were expecting a child. Just as Isaac had been transmitting Abraham’s teachings, ideas so profound that they would eventually lead to the creation of the Jewish people. The expectation was that Isaac and Rebecca’s child would be the next one to carry the torch. As such, Rebecca was […]
Abraham had a faithful assistant, Eliezer, who was so competent and trustworthy that he was put in charge of every aspect of Abraham’s household and possessions, and was the only one Abraham could trust to find a spouse for Isaac. Eliezer asks for Divine assistance in this endeavor.And he said, “G-d of my master Abraham, […]
Imagine a high school Physics student winning a national competition enabling him to work alongside Arthur Ashkin, last year’s winner of the Noble Prize in Fphysics. Ashkin tells him that he wants to slow down the electric current in a circuit but then instructs him to increase the voltage in the circuit. This student knows one of […]
Perhaps the most significant existential question ever asked has been, what am I doing here; what significance does my life have? Even if you don’t want to confront this question, it will pursue you throughout life. Did you ever look up from your desk and say, “what am I doing? Does my life have any purpose? […]
Rabbi O’s Weekly: Noach (Genesis 6:9-11:32)Lessons from the Ark and Broken Windows Although the story of Noah and the Ark is one of the most famous in the Bible, for many their first exposure to it was as a child. Most people don’t think it’s important enough to go back and view it as an adult. But this […]
Disclaimer: The essay below presents a Jewish perspective on the age-old subject of marriage. Although that word has become shrouded in controversy affecting politics, religion, economics, psychology, and sociology, since time immemorial Judaism has addressed this topic. The goal here is to show depth and understanding into some of the ancient wisdom as it relates […]
Rabbi O’s Weekly Parsha: V’zot HaBracha[This Sunday night begins the final days of the holiday season (Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur,Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, Simchat Torah. As such, I have included two different essays; the first is on Ecclesiastes, second from the weekly Parsha, which will be read in Simchat Torah. Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) is a biblical book setting forth King […]
One of the most basic foundations of Judaism is expressed in this week’s Parsha. It is the idea that G-d’s judgements are just. The Rock [G-d] — perfect is His work, for all His paths are justice… (32:4)This concept is mentioned in the Jewish mourning process when the mourners are required to recite the verse above at […]
The last mitzvah in the Torah is that every one of us should write-or commission someone to write-a Sefer Torah, a Torah scroll. The purpose is not nostalgia; the Torah scroll is to be used (not only) to learn from, but it will also serve as the primary text Jewish people should be taught. One might […]
Behold, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil…(Deut. 30:15)Doing good is a choice, but it is not limited to acts of beneficence, it also means that you see the good in your life. Health, family, friendships, sustenance and so many other blessings that many people overlook. We choose whether we […]
Imagine a society whose entire economy revolved around agriculture; what would you do when, after months of hard work, you saw a tiny bud sprouting from your fig tree? It’s not enough just to be happy, we Jews are enjoined to connect with other farmers who have first fruits and travel with them to Jerusalem. […]
An eye-opening article in The Atlantic (September, 2017), Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation, profiles post-Millennials – teens who grew up from an early age with smartphones and tablets constantly present in their lives. It notes how smartphones have led teens to live a more isolated life than any previous generation. Instead of having to worry about teens staying out […]
If someone informed you that you missed a lecture about organic chemistry, you probably wouldn’t have thought you missed anything because the subject matter doesn’t interest you (i.e. if you are like most people). However, if an iconic actor, athlete, or politician, was giving a sold out talk your city and you were not able […]
For a seven-day period you will celebrate before Hashem, your G-d… for Hashem, your G-d, will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, and you will have nothing but joy.(Deut. 6:15)Are the words “you will have nothing but joy” a commandment? Rashi says no, rather they are […]
There seems to be a very fine line between manipulation and persuasion. Manipulation is generally perceived in a negative light whereas persuasion can sometimes be viewed in a positive, or at least neutral, way. However, both involve convincing someone of something. Ultimately, what is the difference between manipulation and persuasion? Manipulation involves deliberately attempting to […]
We begin the Torah’s final book this week, and it begins by citing the places the Jews traveled in the desert since leaving Egypt. Moses uses the opportunity to give veiled words of soft rebuke to the people. The following verse, relating the incident of the spies, is an example, but it’s not clear exactly […]
If someone who had never been exposed to Jews or Judaism encountered a Jew and asked, what’s the holiest day of the year for Jews?”Yom Kippur.””What do you do on that day?””We fast for 25 hours and spend most of that time in the synagogue praying and asking for forgiveness.””Wow, that’s incredible. How do you […]
This week we learn about the laws of inheritance; it’s taught here because of five incredible women, who were the daughters of Tzelafchad. Here’s the claim they presented to Moses.Our father died in the desert. He was not among the members of Korach’s faction, who protested against G-d, but he died because of his own […]
This week’s Parsha introduces us to an anti-Semite named Balak. He hired the wicked Bilaam to destroy the Jews; Bilaam agreed and even attempted to do so but was unsuccessful. At one point, Bilaam uttered a remarkable statement; something we would not have expected to come from the mouth of such a malicious person.Let me […]
One of the greatest pianists of the 20th century was Leon Fleisher, but at the peak of his career he developed a rare hand condition due to his 7-8 hours of practice each day and was no longer able to play with his right hand. “”I was desolate, my life fell apart, and this mysterious debilitating […]
No one needs to be convinced of the futility of senseless arguments, yet the villain of this week’s Parsha, Korach, didn’t seem to understand that; he was the most argumentative and rebellious figure of his day. He incited a mutiny by challenging Moses’ leadership and refused to accept that the highest religious position-kehunah(priesthood)- was granted […]
Although seeing is believing, that’s not necessarily the case in the digital age. For years, the internet has been flooded with fake images, but recently, technology has been improved to create forgeries of videos. A recent famous example is the doctored video of Nancy Pelosi which appears as if she is slurring her words. There […]
Miriam (Moses’ sister) spoke negatively about Moses to Aaron, their brother. As result, she broke out in tzaras, a form of leprosy that existed only in biblical times; it emerged when a person spoke lashon hara, negative talk-non beneficial criticism. Moses prayed for Miriam, but the prayer was just five words.Moses cried out to G-d, saying, “Please, G-d, […]
Imagine a college freshman who is away from home for the first time; the feeling of freedom sets in immediately. He can finally party, drink, and do other activities whenever he likes but he isn’t mature in how he uses his new autonomy (Is this fiction? A May 30, 2013 article in the Harvard Crimson […]
Jews get uncomfortable when hearing concepts like loving G-d. Somehow, it seems like something one would expect to hear in Church, but never in a synagogue. On the other hand, Jews seem quite comfortable uttering remarks linking G-d to cruelty. “How could a loving G-d allow a Holocaust? Where was He when my sister got cancer? […]
This is a time of beginnings. The first day of the Hebrew month Sivan was only a few days ago, the festival of Shavuot begins immediately after Shabbat, and in synagogues throughout the world a new book of the Torah is read, the book of Numbers. The first topic mentioned is the counting of people of the generation of the […]
Two core themes of this week’s Parsha are the Jewish nation’s reward for remaining committed to their mission and also the curses that will befall them if they don’t. Every few centuries Jewish history repeats itself. It goes something like this: We are given freedom in a country or region and we prosper. We set […]
Imagine the following two scenarios: (1) You decides to sell land that had been in your family for generations and sometime later you came to realize it was a major immense mistake. Your family falls into poverty, which leads to a downward social and economic spiral, one which can lead to what sociologists call intergenerational […]