It was my playful and rebellious voice that kept me smiling when thinking about 'Daf Yomi' having a Bat Mitzvah. Nonetheless, this was true! Tens of thousands of men completed, only three weeks ago, the twelfth cycle of learning all of the Babylonian Talmud. One double-sided page a day for seven and a half years. Two thousand seven hundred and eleven dapim (double-sided pages). Read more...

 As I read this week’s Torah portion, Shoftim, one word keeps resonating: Judges.  Sure, it is the first  word of the parashah: “Shoftim v’shotrim titein leach –  You shall appoint judges and officials  in all your gates that God has given you for your tribes, and they should govern  the nation with righteous judgement.”  In all honesty, judges and the judicial system have been on my mind all week, ever since hearing the news of the swearing in ceremony for Elana Kagen, the newest Supreme Court Appointee.  Read more...

How shall we know what God wants of us? After all, if we do not have a clear message from God, and if we cannot be confident in the ways of discerning God's will that we do have, the very foundation of Judaism as a religion founded on God's word is undermined. So how can we know God's will on any specific question? Read more...

We are justly proud of the ability of our economy to provide so much comfort and so many fundamentals to our own people and to those around the world. The power of American enterprise, with its abundance and its energy, is remarkable by any standard. What used to be affordable only by nobility and the wealthy is now within reach of the average American. Owning a car is no longer a symbol of opulence, and just about everybody has a television set in their own home. Read more...

Ours is a culture forever in search of heroes. We demand the constant creation of new images on which to project our highest ideals and expectations, looking to politicians, celebrities; millionaires or athletes to not only excel in the professional life, but to shine in their personal conduct as well. Small wonder that our hopes and dreams are so often shattered—to succeed professionally often requires such a tremendous focus on personal goals and glory that the qualities of true heroism (compassion, selflessness, vision) are snuffed out early on. Read more...