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” […]
Tag Archives: parsha
Masei – 42 – Douglas Adams was on to Something — By Ben
Fans of the hilarious and farcical sci-fi series The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy are well aware of the significance of the number 42. If you’re not familiar with the books, […]
Change of Perspective — By Ben
Balak is a fascinating Torah portion. Centering around Bilaam, the only non-Jewish prophet said to be on the level of Moses, this is the only place in all of the […]
What Chance Do We Have? — By Ben
Once again we’re at the chilling parsha, Shelach. If you’re not familiar, the Jews are literarily (and figuratively) at the finish line. After coming out of slavery, crossing the sea, and […]
Connection from Conformity? — By Ben
I’ve now been praying exclusively with a minyan for almost a year. The concretized service, ideally, is conducted with a quorum of 10 men and is done three times a […]
Better Than “Live Long and Prosper” — By Ben
“…You can spin a dreidel with Captain Kirk and Mister Spock, both Jewish!” The memorable line from the legendary Adam Sandler ballad, The Hanukkah Song reminds us that Judaism has […]
Messages from God — By Ben
I don’t know how many times I had glanced between my wall clock and my microwave’s time display not realizing there was a growing disparity between the two. Knowing I […]
Acharei Mos – Does Judaism believe in Satan? — By Ben
This week’s parsha details a bizarre ritual the Jews were to perform on Yom Kippur. Basically they took two identical goats, one to be sacrificed by the Kohen Gadol (high […]
Yom Ha’atzmaut – A Divisive Celebration — By Ben
Unfortunately, there are many things that divide the Jewish people. Food, prayer styles, politics. Pretty much the only thing we agree on is the comic genius of Mel Brooks. But […]
Vayakhel – The Jewish Meyers Briggs Test – By Ben
As we make our way through the Mishkan parshas, the Torah may not seem as engaging as earlier chapters. But if you look closely, say at the… terumah offering or […]
Six Degrees Of Kosher Bacon 