Are you ready for some Judgment?! High Holidays part 2 — By Ben
Continuing along in the High Holiday series, I wanted to talk about what Rosh Hashana is about. We know it’s the Jewish New Year. But it starts at the beginning […]
Category Archives: Posts by Ben
Ugh. Not High Holidays services again. — By Ben
The vast majority of Jews in America don’t attend prayer services (aka davening) very often. But there are two days that if anyone has any shred of religious connection will […]
The Sin of Gossip. Yes, it’s a big deal. — By Ben
There’s no denying that we love to gossip. From magazines to twitter feeds, gossip is an industry unto itself. On the personal level, we’ve probably all talked about someone we know in […]
What’s the motto with the Jewish people? — By Ben
It’s hard to resist a good motto or slogan. They are pearls of wisdom expressible in tweet or bumper sticker length. Simplicity paired with profundity. People, businesses, universities, and even states and countries […]
5 Levels of Pleasure. My Take. — By Ben
The founder of Aish HaTorah, Rabbi Noach Weinberg had an incredible understanding of the human condition. I’ve listened to his lectures, learned from his students, and studied at his yeshiva in […]
The time even Moses asked “Where’s God?” — By Ben
There isn’t a single person alive who from time to time hasn’t asked, “Where could God possibly be?” It is a harrowing question that drives some to atheism and others to tortured […]
Tishah B’Av, The worst bad day. — By Ben
Shakespearian actors and Jews have few things in common. 1) Both groups feel at home in New York. 2) Both groups pour over their source material, analyzing every letter, as if […]
If I’m supposed to rest on Shabbat, why can’t I drive? — By Ben
The question in the title was the contradiction that proved to me, for much of my life, that observant Judaism was backwards. If Shabbat is about rest, why can’t I rest the way I […]
The Ethics of the Fathers. Aka, Pirkei Avos. 1.1 — By Ben
If you’ve never heard of Pirkei Avos before then you’ve probably not been reading this blog much. Because Marc and I’ve been refering to it all the time. But to catch […]
Does Judaism believe we’re all wretched sinners? — By Ben
There’s been a bit of controversy this past week with the Supreme Court’s decision and, though I’m not commenting on that issue, it has stirred up a lot of debates […]
Six Degrees Of Kosher Bacon 