On Righteousness: The Portion Vayeira

in the fourth verse of genesis chapter nineteen we are told that the entire populace, both young and old, sought to commit immoral acts upon strangers who had been taken in by abraham’s nephew, lot. “when they had not yet retired, and the people of the city, the people of sodom, surrounded the house, bothContinue reading “On Righteousness: The Portion Vayeira”

In Passing

my father just passed. in his nineties, he took his last breath, at home, in a room with his loving wife, some of his children, a grandson and his caretaker. he apparently decided it was his time to go. while it was sad to see a loved one passing, there was a consensus that heContinue reading “In Passing”

3-D Righteousness: Lech Lecha

the phrase “3-D chess” connotes a higher intellect. the original star trek television series’ introduced 3-D chess as a futuristic recreational activity. the fact that mr. spock took his time to play it logically implied that the game was for those with great intellect and reason. the term “3-D chess” has two components. first, thereContinue reading “3-D Righteousness: Lech Lecha”

Who Do You Think You Are?

my brother and i got into a fight and stopped talking. while i have no recollection as to what started the conflict, i remember its end; my brother asked “who do you think you are?” i confessed to him that i was a horrible person. he was disarmed. he believed that my offending actions wereContinue reading “Who Do You Think You Are?”

A Ten Commandments’ Hero?

unwillingness to accept ignorance is a horrible human trait. we should all be able to accept the fact that we are not all knowing. the world contains much enlightening information that could either prove us wrong or supplement our understanding. as such, we need courage to either open up our smart phones and “google” toContinue reading “A Ten Commandments’ Hero?”

The City of Babel? The Torah Portion Noah

the city? yes, the city. while the “tower of babel” story is referred to as the “tower of babel”, the torah portion also references the “city of babel”. why is the “city of babel” also included? the reason is that cities play a unique role in the torah. in the “city and tower of babel”Continue reading “The City of Babel? The Torah Portion Noah”

Philo & The Ten Commandments

philo, the jewish author and philosopher from antiquity, composed an essay “the decalogue” on the ten commandments. philo’s writings are valued by both jews and christians as his writings cover theological matters during the roman occupation of the holy land. some of the writings were around the time when jesus lived. philo’ss writings offer muchContinue reading “Philo & The Ten Commandments”

“In His Image” Day?

the list goes on forever, there is “taco” day, “hamburger” day and “donut” day. today, this friday, according to some, is being offered up as “jihad” day. with no rules and regulations concerning “day” claiming, the ten commandments project has chosen to declare today as today “in his image” day. “in his image” day pertainsContinue reading ““In His Image” Day?”

The Jewish Apocrypha & The Ten Commandments: The Book of the Maccabees, Volume 1

in antiquity, beyond the torah, how were the ten commandments received? the jewish apocryphal texts may offer some insight. while these texts are not part of the hebrew bible canon- the tanach- the torah, neveim, and ketuvim- these writing existed either prior to or shortly after the bible’s formalization. some of these writing address theContinue reading “The Jewish Apocrypha & The Ten Commandments: The Book of the Maccabees, Volume 1”

When You Can`t Say Something Nice…You Write

before the horrible news came out about hamas’ invasion of israel, i had been reading the first book of the maccabees. the ancient text, which is not part of the hebrew bible, details the judean-greeek conflict. the book chronicles enemies of the jews taking advantage of religious observance and commencing attacks on the sabbath. maccabeesContinue reading “When You Can`t Say Something Nice…You Write”