07 Feb Is Vegetarianism Dangerous?
I. Vegetarianism and Values I was not the only observer surprised by the outcry against the killing of Harambe the gorilla in order to save a child who had wandered into...
Shabbos Times for Apr 27, 2024 | 19 Nisan, 5784 | | Candle Lighting Time: 7:30 PM | Havdalah (72 min): 9:00 PM
24 Jan Riding Home From the Inaugural Ball
The news reported that Jared and Ivanka Kushner received rabbinic permission to ride in a car back from the inaugural ball on Friday night. Many people have questioned this decision. We do...
17 Jan Postal Service in Halachah
I. Sending Mail The way we deliver mail has changed over the years. We now send letters primarily through e-mail and have major and minor purchases delivered. I thought it would...
10 Jan Is Anger Good?
I. Anger Is Bad Anger is a destructive force. It does not just cloud judgment, which would imply reliance on instinct. Anger overwhelms judgment, taking you in directions to which your...
03 Jan IS GREED GOOD?
I. Self-Interest and Capitalism The theoretical basis for Capitalism is self-interest, another term for greed. Those who devalue greed, who view the accumulation of wealth as a vice, necessarily see Capitalism...
28 Dec Chanukah and Self-Doubt
What is Chanukah?, famously asks the Talmud (Shabbos 21b). What led the Sages to establish this holiday? The response has led to many essays attempting to understand what seems to...
20 Dec Chanukah and Mesorah
Some years, my busy season intersects with Chanukah and I cannot get home from work until very late. On those nights, my family lights the Chanukah menorah, fulfilling the mitzvah...
06 Dec Conversion Annulments
Over the past few years we have witnessed a disturbing questioning of the validity of long-standing conversions to Judaism. This is a very sensitive topic because many converts — nearly...
29 Nov May A Jew Register in a National Muslim Registry
With the emotional and political turmoil in the aftermath of the recent presidential election, there is talk of a national registry of Muslims. It is not clear to me whether...
23 Nov Is Every Day Thanksgiving?
Thanking God should be a normal part of a religious life. We are beneficiaries of so many divine gifts—from the time we wake up each morning with our full physical...