The limelight often focuses on the great and famous, the celebrities and public leaders. Let us remember to appreciate the many humble, pious souls who have been the mainstay of Jewish life from antiquity to the present...and upon whom the future of Judaism depends.
Rabbi Heschel believed that spirituality was not simply an ethereal experience of the transcendence. Rather, it is a power that makes claims on us. It expects us to work for righteousness.
Well-paid wise men on Pharaoh’s payroll were unreliable interpreters of critical events. The visionary Joseph, willing to speak a potentially unpopular truth to an all-powerful ruler, prevailed.
There is much in Rabbi Sacks' essays to make us think. He tells us in his introduction that spirituality is not the same as religion, though the two are related. Spirituality happens when we open ourselves to something greater than ourselves.
The Jewish Press newspaper has a bi-weekly feature in which several rabbis are asked to respond to questions. Rabbi Marc Angel is one of the respondents, and here are his answers that appeared in recent columns.
Although Disraeli was a Christian, a member of Parliament, a popular author, a confidant of Queen Victoria…his detractors never stopped seeing him as a Jew, an outsider, an interloper. He had to struggle against unceasing political malice and anti-Jewish malevolence. Instead of denying or de-emphasizing his Jewish roots, Disraeli flaunted his Jewishness.
Our Institute has an unwavering commitment to the Torah tradition and to the Jewish people. We promote a vision of Orthodox Judaism that is intellectually sound, spiritually compelling, and emotionally satisfying. Appreciating the amazing diversity within Orthodoxy, the Institute encourages responsible discussion of issues in Jewish law, philosophy, religious world-view, and communal policy.
Rabbi Daniel Bouskila describes customs of Moroccan Jews relating to Succoth. This article originally appeared in the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles.
As we approach the upcoming High Holy Day season, we wish our members and supporters all the best, good health and happiness. This is a good time for us to invest in those institutions and causes that strengthen Jewish life, so that we may build a better and stronger future for our community. Each gift to the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals is a vote for an intellectually vibrant, compassionate, inclusive Orthodox Judaism.
Albert Einstein (1879-1955) was one of humanity’s greatest geniuses, a man whose mind plumbed the depths of universe. But his greatness transcended his being gifted with an extraordinary IQ: he had imagination; he wondered about things; he let his mind drift in new and unexpected pathways.