Anything is possible in the world of spirit. Except…
The Mistake Not To Make In 2017
The mistake not to make in 2017 is the mistake of thinking we know what’s going to happen, or, more precisely, that it makes any difference whether we know what’s going to happen or not. This should not even be possible for a Chassid. Kabbalah is, if it is learned badly, gnostic, platonic, and reductionist; […]
Understanding "The Pianist" & Jewish Opinion on Trump
If you’re Jewish and confused by other Jews’ response to Trump, whether the support he has from the religious and particularly the religious Israeli Jews or the powerful, loud opposition he faced from the non-religious American Jewish community, it will pay to remember The Pianist. The story: A talented Jewish pianist from Warsaw is saved from […]
Why Unity Is Impractical And You Can, Too
On The Mysteries Of King Solomon And Koheles
I write this in my Sukkah, wearing my intellectual sleeping cap and bunny slippers, as the birds chirp all around on this glorious first morning of Chol Hamoed. Why, oh why, would Jews choose to read Koheles, Ecclesiastes, most nihilistic of all twenty-four scriptures, during a festival of joy? Granted, it is not my custom; Chabad […]
Love and Fear in Elul (part 1)
Bear with me: Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush helped me understand a mind-bending discourse on love and fear.