The Bread of Affliction, a Poor Translation — By Ben
On Seder night, as we begin the Maggid (story telling) section, the matzah is broken and lifted as the leader proclaims, “Ha Lachma onya”, this is the bread of our […]
Category Archives: Posts by Ben
Purim: Permission to Defend — By Ben
Not more than a couple of weeks ago, I was wasting time on Facebook, when I came across something that stopped me cold. A friend had posted “Man Shot in […]
ChatGPT & A.I. – Will Rabbis Soon Be Obsolete? — By Ben
As you may or may not know, I have a side business of working with bar/bat mitzvah students to write d’var Torahs and speeches for their big day. (Cough – […]
What Thoughts and Prayers are Worth — By Ben
There is a cycle in this country. A tragedy strikes a community and after an increasingly short grieving period, both sides of the political divide make some sort of comment. […]
Refusing Greatness at the Burning Bush — By Ben
I was recently working with a Bar Mitzvah student on a speech for Shemos, when we started discussing Moses and God at the burning bush. God calls on Moses to […]
Money, Drugs, and Trust in God — By Ben
Bitachon, best translated as trusting in God, is a Jewish philosophy that has changed my life. To keep focus on the attribute, I regularly return to the classical Jewish work […]
All I Want for Chanukah is to get Married — By Ben
It was just before Chanukah two years ago that I proposed to my wife. I had planned to pop the question during Chanukah, but after getting the finished ring from […]
Is Peace in the Family an Act of Futility?
There’s no doubt that family can be a major source of anxiety, frustration, and worry. Parents may be quick to offer unsolicited advice, siblings can hold long standing grudges, and […]
Anger – You Resolve, God Tests — By Ben
I don’t consider myself an angry person. That being said, when I was child, I do remember kicking a hole in my wall. Which I lied to my parents about […]
When Pain Makes it Impossible to Pray to God — By Ben
Just the other day my best friends had a bris for their son and my wife and I were honored with the ritual of kvater. If you’re not familiar, the […]
Six Degrees Of Kosher Bacon 