Thought of
the week.

The war in Ukraine is at the top of all our minds, and at least for myself, I’m thinking of the financial implications that uncertainty brings. Truthfully, this brings me a bit of shame; there are people hiding and fearing for their lives, and I’m worried about the economy and…

I had a really nice conversation with a thoughtful young man today, and I asked him if he believed in God, to which he answered yes. I then asked if he prayed, and he said he used to and that it felt good to pray, yet he felt he either…

Morality; how do you define it and what would be the basic tenets for creating a moral and just society? Personally, I choose to put God at the top of my list. Yet, even if you don’t, I see each and every one of us as part of God, created…

My daughter asked me a question this week that was extremely thought provoking and thoughtful. She asked, “if God is truly infinite and all-knowing, firstly, how do we as humans have freedom of choice? Secondly, and let’s assume we can answer question one— if we are a sum of our…

Morality, in Jonathan Haidt’s phrase, both binds and blinds. It binds us to others in a bond of reciprocal altruism. But it also blinds us to the humanity of those who stand outside that bond. It unites and divides. It divides because it unites. Morality turns the “I” of self…

I’d suggest that the Ten Commandments are somewhat universal for every monotheistic religion, and have the basic tenets that make up a just and moral society. To me, the final commandment at first seems a little out of place, yet upon further and deeper thought, it’s probably the most important…

The Torah describes two types of enemies, one of which we are commanded to eradicate and never forget, the other we must tell the story of, yet we must find compassion for their suffering. The first enemy is Amalek, and the second enemy are the Egyptians. The Egyptians were drowning…

Forget the story of freedom and you will eventually lose freedom itself. The Jewish people have been storytellers from the earliest of times. In fact, Moses instructed the Jewish people during their exodus from Egypt to make sure they told the story to their children and their children’s children, forever…

Are you capable of becoming a thief? For that matter, are you capable of breaking your own moral code? As someone in recovery who has the privilege of working with others in recovery, the answer to the above question is a resounding yes. I have known amazing people who would…

How do we honor other religions? How do we honor holidays we don’t celebrate? And for that matter, how do we treat others when they embarrass us? I have shared this story recently, yet due to the holiday of Christmas tomorrow, I find it so apropo to share it now,…