Posts by Asher Gottesman

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 in the image of God,…

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 experiences, surroundings, and external influences,…

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 interest into the “we” of…

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 one. The commandment is essentially…

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 in the sea and the…

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 and ever. Why though? And…

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 lie, cheat, steal, and cross…

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, and to share the additional…

When is it okay to lie? Or for that matter, is it ever really okay to lie? In the Torah, we see that Joseph’s brothers lied to him when asking for forgiveness. They told him that their father’s dying wish was for Joseph to forgive his brothers for the horrible misdeed of selling him into…

Where do you think the essence of forgiveness comes from? And to add to that question, do you believe people can truly change? Changing is one of the hardest things in the world. Yet, I believe it’s possible and it happens all the time; the key is really knowing oneself and knowing what needs to…