elected politicians mostly dictate to their populace. ideological driven politicians take their time in office to engage in radical totalitarianism. with either of these “do it because i said so” is often heard. in the most shocking moment, one politician admitted “congress “[has] to pass the bill so you can find out what’s in it.”Continue reading “Why Today’s Leaders Fail: Va’etchanan”
Category Archives: moses
Why Do We Compare? Chukat-Balak
apples to oranges? are two seminal events within torah portion chukat-balak connected? we are often told that moses was barred from entering the promised land as as result of him defiantly striking a rock to deliver water to the children of israel. is this a message from chukak-balak? in this same portion, we are toldContinue reading “Why Do We Compare? Chukat-Balak”
The Big Kahuna Or Kehuna (כְּהֻנָּֽה)?
the torah portion korach- beginning at numbers 16- utilizes the word, כְּהֻנָּֽה, kehuna. hawaiian contains a similar word- kahuna. beyond sounding alike, their meanings bare similarity; in hebrew, kehuna refers to priesthood while the kahuna in hawaiian refers to a wise man or shaman. for some, being a kahuna is not enough. thus, we haveContinue reading “The Big Kahuna Or Kehuna (כְּהֻנָּֽה)?”
The Most Important Word; Shlach
one word in the english language terrifies most individuals- accountability. acceptance of failure, fret over more labor to be done, and the feeling of being trapped are among the emotions that cause us to wake up in a pool of sweat. these emotions come with accountability. the shlach torah portion takes us to an existentialContinue reading “The Most Important Word; Shlach”
Kushner’s Book Was Not A Disappointment: A Ten Commandments’ Tale
comedy great mel brooks made a movie entitled “life stinks”. if author harold kushner made a movie, perhaps he would entitle it “life stinks, get over it.” rabbi kushner’s “overcoming life’s disappointments”, in my opinion, is superior to his #1 bestseller “why bad things happen to good people”. in “overcoming life’s disappointments”, moses’ life isContinue reading “Kushner’s Book Was Not A Disappointment: A Ten Commandments’ Tale”
From Moses to Moses to Moses? A Ten Commandments’ Tale
And there was no other prophet who arose in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, deuteronomy 34:10 while there has been no one like moses, over a thousand years passed and there emerged the great intellect of moses ben maimon. the saying “from moses to moses” was pronounced. maimonides’ contribution toContinue reading “From Moses to Moses to Moses? A Ten Commandments’ Tale”
Foundation to Transformation: Awakening Yourself: A Ten Commandments’ Tale
in a lecture on the book of exodus, professor richard elliott friedman notes how moses transformed from a man with communication problems to an individual, who in the book of deuteronomy, was able to become an eloquent speaker. how? transformation often comes with foundation. moses, at the time of his burning bush encounter with theContinue reading “Foundation to Transformation: Awakening Yourself: A Ten Commandments’ Tale”
Unintended Success? Shemot 4:14-16: A Ten Commandments’ Tale
I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have. Thomas Jefferson the torah’s multiple themes include both family relations and nation building. brotherhood also weighs heavy as a theme. brotherhood’s disastrous inception via cain and abel created a psychic wound on the master of the universe’s creation. despite amazing adviceContinue reading “Unintended Success? Shemot 4:14-16: A Ten Commandments’ Tale”
The Moses Accords? A Ten Commandments’ Tale
from all appearances, the abraham accords have been a success. arab nations and israel have been able to work, cooperate and build a flourishing middle east. sharing abraham’s values which include monotheism and hospitality leads to truth. while islam and judaism are different religions, two tid-bits are revealing. muslim’s practicing halal, not able to getContinue reading “The Moses Accords? A Ten Commandments’ Tale”
Who Needs Doublets When There Are Triplicates: A Ten Commandments’ Tale
the torah studied as literature risks the danger of missing the big picture. noah’s story is proof. a prestigious college’s lecture on noah, which i took in, focused on the argument that torah contains two flood stories. this ties in with the greater theory of that there are multiple authors of the torah. while thereContinue reading “Who Needs Doublets When There Are Triplicates: A Ten Commandments’ Tale”
The Ten Commandments Project 