This is the age of vicarious virtue: all of us prefer to continue living our lives in much the same way we always have, and all of us want our leaders to adhere to the standard of our words. In that way, we get to enjoy our own laxity while still claiming credit for the morality of our ideals. Our mouths toot one thing and our deeds blare a different, more gaudy, tune. Read more...

In the traditional world that I grew up in we were taught early on to choose a rabbinic authority to whom we could pose our halachic questions. My first Rav to assume this position was the Rav of my school. He was the most immediate and accessible, therefore seemed to be the obvious choice. He lead me through my early teens. My second Rav was an important chaplain in the Israeli army and the father of the object of a major crush of mine. Read more...

One of the most famous of ancient Israel’s symbols of God’s presence is the bush that was aflame yet would not be consumed.  That startling image has been taken both as a representation of a living faith and of the unquenchable spirit of the Jewish people.  The burning bush has become the logo for countless Jewish institutions (such as the Jewish Theological Seminary, for example) and adorns innumerable Torah mantles in synagogues all over the world. Read more...

When I first came to Congregation Eilat, in Mission Viejo, California, fresh out of Rabbinical School, many of my congregants were struck by how young I seemed. How, they wondered, could this kid be our rabbi? Others responded by trying to help me in the areas of my deficiencies, one of which is my lack of knowledge of the Yiddish language. One congregant in particular made it his business to teach me important Yiddish expressions. He was certain that these phrases captured the essence of Jewish wisdom and could spell the difference between a successful rabbinate and a disaster. Read more...

What does it mean to serve God? Often, when we think of religious people, we think of those who have a zealous attachment to God, a strong sense of what God wants from them and from humanity. Unfortunately, their energy and devotion can sometimes translate into imposing their preferences on the rest of the world, as though their religious passion is the only possible measure of right and wrong. Matters a few define as “spiritual”, or issues of death and afterlife, rise high on their agendas, and force their way into public discourse intrusively and excessively. Read more...