The Good News about Bad News

Imagine this scenario: You are invited to a party by a friend, and as you arrive, you are greeted with big smiles and gracious hospitality. There is a beautiful spread of food and an elegant selection of wines. The other guests begin to arrive, all dressed in their best attire, and the music starts up. Everything looks perfect. There’s just one problem; you don’t know what the party is for. So you ask your friend: “What are we celebrating?” He replies: “I lost my job!” Read more…

‘Human Becomings’

While this week’s Torah portion dealt with the completion of the Tabernacle, the Haftorah takes us to the time when the Temple was finally completed. It was a joyous occasion when the Temple was inaugurated by King Solomon. This reading describes what took place at the dedication celebration Read more…

Bearing the Burden Together

Sometimes it feels as though the load we have been given to carry is too much to bear. We say, “God, I can’t carry this alone!” To which He always replies, “And you don’t have to.” As the saying goes, “If God’s will brought you to it, His grace will see you through it!” Read more…

It’s All in How You See It

Jewish tradition gives us a fascinating insight into the construction of the washbasin used in holy service in the Tabernacle by the priests who would wash their hands and feet before serving God.

As God had commanded, the washbasin was made out of copper. But where in the world would the children of Israel get copper in the middle of the desert?

The answer: “from the mirrors of the women.” Read more…

Gifts of the Heart

Most of us have been blessed with gifts from the people in our lives. Some have been expensive and others simple. Some we genuinely enjoy; others we pretended we liked. But the gifts we will always remember are the ones that were given from a place of deep love – even if it was nothing more than a handmade piece of “art” from a child in our lives. Those gifts are priceless. Read more…

The Whole of the Parts

Which is more important – the whole or its parts?

We all know that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, but it is equally true that the value of the whole is completely determined by the value of its parts. So which is more important? Read more…

More Important than Knowledge

Albert Einstein made famous the idea that “imagination is more important than knowledge.” Knowledge can tell us what to do and how to do it, but imagination drives us to acquire more knowledge and apply it in new and creative ways. Knowledge without imagination is stagnant, limited, and eventually, old. Read more…

The One True God

To us modern-day folk, it seems ridiculous that anyone could ever believe that an idol could be more powerful than God. Read more…

Buried Treasure

There is an old Hasidic tale about a poor God-fearing Jew who lived in the city of Prague. Read more…

In the Right Time

How is it possible that just after witnessing the great miracles of the Exodus, the children of Israel turn to idolatry? Read more…