SECOND CHANCES
Introduction This year Tisha B’Av (the 9th day of the month of Av) falls on July 22-23. It is the culmination of a Three Week period that we get the expression “dire straights” from. Tisha B’Av (“the Ninth of Av”) is the saddest day in the Jewish year, commemorating the anniversary date of destruction of […]
ETERNITY – לְעוֹלָם
In Psalm 119:89, the psalmist declares: לְעוֹלָם יְהוָה– דְּבָרְךָ, נִצָּב בַּשָּׁמָיִם “Forever, O LORD, Thy word standeth fast in heaven.” This verse, which opens the letter לְ Lamedh stanzas, uses the Hebrew word l’olam (לְעוֹלָם), which means ‘eternity’ to affirm that God’s word is permanently fixed in the heavens, unshaken by time or circumstance. l’olam (לְעוֹלָם) […]
HAMOTZI: WHO BRINGS FORTH
“Blessed Be the One Who Brings Forth Bread.” בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה, יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ, מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם הַמּוֹצִיא לֶחֶם מִן הָאָרֶץ Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who brings forth bread from the earth. HaMotzi (הַמּוֹצִיא) is the Hebrew blessing recited over bread in Judaism before a meal. It translates to “Who brings forth.” It […]
THE AGRICULTURAL CYCLE REVEALS SPIRITUAL PATTERNS
I dedicate this blog post to Michael Hargraves who passed away on Thursday. See epilogue* This past Thursday marked the beginning of both Shavuot and Pentecost—a timing that has been on my mind as I reflect on how Hashem’s appointed times reveal the way, the truth and the tree of life. On Shavuot, Israel stood […]
SUKKOT, JONAH AND THE DAY OF THE LORD
The Book of Jonah does not end with a tidy resolution; it ends with God’s probing question to the reluctant prophet: “Should I not spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle? Jonah 4:10‑11, KJV Jonah […]
THE NY TIMES IS AT IT AGAIN
A total Trump hater recently forwarded me another NYT Trump “hit piece.” I recieve them frequently. This person consumes anything that feeds his hatred of Trump and Bibi. The most recent hit piece was about Trump’s spending. You know Trump’s to blame for our national debt, right? As for budgets deficits and debt, here is […]
THE FLIP SIDE OF INFLATION
Intoduction The flip side of inflation may be that while cash loses purchasing power, assets gain it. We usually think of inflation as a burden because wages lag, savings shrink, and everyday costs rise. But for those holding stocks, real estate, gold, crypto, or other appreciating assets, inflation can create a different effect: it […]
FOOLS LIKE THOMAS FRIEDMAN
Iran systematically misled and exploited the expectations of those who believed it was fully complying with the JCPOA’s spirit and long-term intent, even if it technically adhered to many monitored limits in the early years. From 2016–Mid-2019, the IAEA repeatedly verified that Iran met core JCPOA limits on its declared nuclear activities: – Low-enriched […]
LONELINESS ISN’T JUST SAD
Lord Knows, Loneliness Isn’t Just Sad, It’s Downright Unhealthy. Yesterday a man named Thomas came to my house to test and fill a new propane tank. As he worked, he mentioned that he lost his wife about a year ago and kept her ashes because he didn’t want to bury her by herself. When I […]
COINCIDENCE OR PLAN
Coincidence or Plan: The Mystery of 50 Preface Last night I had the privilege of sitting in an Orthodox rabbi’s class on Kabbalah. He carefully walked us through what Kabbalah is and what it is not, and he did so with a clear pastoral concern for where certain paths can lead. A few years ago […]