Many Jews have a strong negative reaction if people bring up other genocides in a discussion about the Holocaust. This can lead to non-Jews getting a bad impression – they may think Jews are obsessed with the Holocaust, or that Jews are unable to see other people’s suffering as comparable to theirs. That impression...
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The other day, a friend of mine shared some advice he received from a rabbi: “If your wife is giving you crap, you shouldn’t fight or complain, you should just accept it. It’s happening because God wants you to receive that crap. Do whatever she tells you.” Now if you are in a healthy...
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Every time a I write a post that is critical of Israel — like my most recent one on “Where were the rabbis for human rights in Egypt” — I have one or two people “unsubscribe” from my mailing list. As often as I’m critical of Israel, it’s a wonder I have any subscribers...
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In the midst of a whole bunch of stuff about different kinds of ritual impurity, this week’s Torah reading has a commandment which stands out like a beacon from amongst all the descriptions of emissions and skin disease: “And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.” That’s all it...
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Is it possible for a human being to understand Divine justice? In this week’s Torah reading, Aaron’s sons, Nadav and Avihu, are killed by God for a seemingly minor infraction. The Torah tells us that each of them took his incense pan, put fire and incense in it, and offered aish zarah, strange fire,...
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