The Four Days After Yom Kippur
I’m davening maariv, the evening prayer, immediately following the final moments of Yom Kippur. We’ve not broken the fast, we’ve not even done havdalah, but as I’m praying, all I […]
Category Archives: Posts by Ben
Yom Kippur – The Maybe Mindset — By Ben
Yom Kippur is upon us once again. A looooooooong day of fasting, fretting, apologizing… we all know the drill by now. But in all seriousness, Yom Kippur is a tremendously […]
Nitzavim – No More Excuses on Rosh Hashanah
As we approach the high holidays, the final parshas of the Torah are often overlooked in place of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur ideas. But there’s a reason we read […]
Rosh Hashana – Call of the Shofar — By Ben
With Rosh Hashana fast approaching we can all get ready for hours of sitting and standing, letting our minds wander, counting how many pages are left in the service, and […]
The Torah Lets Us Have War Brides? — By Ben
Man does this week’s parsha start with a troubling concept. If you should go to war against your enemies and Hashem your God puts them into your hand, and you […]
Bribes, Bias, and Blindspots — By Ben
We all understand that judges and public officials probably shouldn’t take bribes. As the definitive example of corruption, it tilts the scales of justice towards the rich, clouds judgment, and […]
Why Your New Year’s Resolutions Fail — By Ben
My Rabbi likes to say when writing your New Year’s resolutions, most people can take out last year’s list, cross out the date, and write this year’s instead. U.S. News reports […]
Eikev – Reward in This World? — By Ben
Last week’s parsha Va’eschanan ends, “You are to guard the commandments and the statutes and the laws that I am commanding you today, to fulfill.” (Devarim 7:11) Rashi clarifies on that last […]
Shema – Words to Live By — By Ben
Not long ago I explored the ideas surrounding the Shema, the mantra that distills the essence of Judaism down to a six word slogan. “Shema Yisroel, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad” […]
The Gift of Mourning & Tisha B’Av — By Ben
It’s Wednesday and I’m attending the funeral of my friend Jason’s father. It’s a bright clear sunny day at the Mount Sinai Memorial Park and Mortuary in the Hollywood Hills, […]
Six Degrees Of Kosher Bacon 