You shall not have in your pouch alternate weights, larger and smaller…You must have completely honest weights and completely honest measures, if you are to endure long on the soil that Adonay your God is giving you. For everyone who does those things, everyone who deals dishonestly is abhorrent to Adonay your God.
Read moreNow, if you obey Adonay your God,to observe faithfully all the commandments…Adonay your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. All these blessings will come upon you and take affect only if you heed the word of Adonay your God.
Read moreWrestling with our Restlessness There is a joke about a child who was sitting next to her father one day in church. The preacher droned on and on without end. Finally the child leaned over to her father and whispered: ‘Daddy, if we give him the money now, will he let us go?” Because
Read morePaying the Price Oberlin College in Ohio is recognized as one of the premier universities in the United States. Aside from academics, its student body zealously responds to any cultural, ethnic, gender or racial bias on campus or beyond. With one exception, apparently… Last winter, Joy Karega, a respected Oberlin assistant...
Read moreIn the new Conservative Movement Prayer Book Lev Shalem, there is a section devoted to the Sukkot ritual of Ushpizin. Ushpizin is an Aramaic word meaning guests. Each night while eating in the Sukkah, we have traditionally invited one of the biblical patriarchs to symbolically join us; connecting past and present. In Lev Shalem, the...
Read moreLast night I attended the opening reception for Great Neck’s newly renovated Library. As you would imagine, the reception was attended by local officials and library supporters (financial and otherwise) as well as by members of the general community. The evening included an impressive musical performance, a brief history of the...
Read moreWe all know the expression: The ends justifies the means. At times we have invoked that idiom with great wisdom and foresight. Too often however, we quote the expression to rationalize our egregious behavior-both individual and collective. We can justify terrorism, government sponsored mass killing /imprisonment, income tax evasion and...
Read moreIn the course of our every day lives, scenarios arise unexpectedly. As we, or our children get sick, we need to cancel anticipated plans to make an immediate doctor’s appointment. Something malfunctions in our house and we require expedient service. A situation arises at work, which we must address-even as it throws our...
Read moreAs with most of you, I grew up in two worlds: An American world and a Jewish world. Thanksgiving in my family was an coveted celebration of our American freedoms. Aside from the food and football (and I do not minimize the latter!), my family was always appreciative of the life we lived in America.
Read moreFor the few television shows I enjoy, the season-ending cliffhanger is not my cup of tea. There is enough mystery and anxiety in real life; who needs agita from fantasy? I prefer a nice and neat resolution; whether happy or sad. As we know, life can certainly be a mystery. There
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