What is the first recorded moment in history in which one human being forgave another? When Joseph forgave his brothers. (Don’t mistake forgiveness with appeasement of anger, a concept found in ancient Greek literature.)From Judaism, a new form of morality was born. Most other systems are ethics of shame; when a person does wrong (s)he is, as […]
Look at a list of NBA champions and you’ll see that basketball’s history has been dominated by elite, very tall, Centers. Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain dominated the ’60s. They were followed by Kareem in the ’70s and ’80s, Hakeem Olajuwon in the ’90s, and Shaquille O’Neal in the 2000s. But that’s no longer the case. What happened? How can a league be dominated […]
“It is especially important not to use aspirin during the last 3 months of pregnancy,” is the warning on every bottle of aspirin. Why not? “because it may cause problems in the unborn child.” A fetus is obviously more sensitive to the effects of chemicals than a fully developed person. Partly, of course, because of its […]
What if there’s only enough penicillin for one person but there are a few people in the hospital who need it? What criterion should the doctor use in making a decision? The answer is found in this week’s Parsha.You are standing today, all of you, before G-d: the heads of your tribes, your elders, and […]
This week’s Parsha opens with the mitzvah to bring the first fruits (bikurim) to Jerusalem. (Practically speaking, because we no longer have the Temple, we can no longer fulfill this mitzvah.) Back in the day, the bringing of the bikurim was done with grandeur. A procession of people would come with their fruits, led by musicians and […]
