Thought of the Week

“What makes Abrahamic monotheism different is that it believes there is an answer to the question, why. Neither the universe nor human life is meaningless, an accident, a mere happenstance. As Freud, Einstein, and Wittgenstein all said, religious faith is faith in the meaningfulness of life.” -The Great Partnership from Rabbi Jonathan Sacks Every great…

Hindsight is always twenty-twenty. Many have been asked in their old age, what is important to them? Most people have shared, family, friendship, and service. In addition, most who have been asked if they would have lived their lives differently answer, “Yes, I wouldn’t work so much, I would spend more time with my loved…

Individual rights versus communal rights is a topic that has been on my mind lately. The one that challenges me quite a bit personally is forcing people with mental health challenges to take medication. On the one hand, when someone who has challenges is medicated, they make better decisions, especially when it comes to societal…

Leadership, morality, ethics and beliefs are not always transmitted to the next generation by example. We can be great leaders, we can be moral, and we can be ethical; however, if we don’t spend time with our children and we aren’t present for the next generation, it isn’t a given that they will continue our…

For most of my life I have put people on pedestals, only to knock them off when they behaved as humans do. Additionally, I have watched how dangerous it is to be a leader who assumes the role and puts themselves on a pedestal. I have spent many years soul searching to understand why I…

In the Torah portion of the week, we discuss the revolt of Korach against Moses. Korach was upset that he didn’t have a grander leadership role, and he also accused Moses of nepotism because Moses gave his brother and nephews priestly roles. Korah sought out others who had grievances as well to join him in…

The Torah shares a wild story of ten men, all of status, humility, and integrity. These men are respected by all as devout and faithful to God, and are chosen to check out the promised land of Israel and report back on their findings. Instead of returning and reporting positively or accurately, they report with…

This is a very sensitive topic, yet I think it’s really important to discuss, and even more important, to take the needed action. I’m a part of a mental health community striving to help people help themselves, and I believe we have failed miserably when it comes to treating suicide. Suicide has such a strong…

Power of thought—or, the power over thoughts—has the ability to turn a bad situation into a good one. We truly don’t have control over our circumstances, yet we do have ultimate control over how we respond. I was speaking with a friend last night who told me about a year of major challenges he’s faced.…

I received a text this week from someone I love who is very important to me. Based upon the nature of the text, I immediately came to the conclusion that this person was upset with me, disappointed in me, and didn’t like me. All sorts of negative stories were circulating in my head, when in…