Why We Really Fast on Yom Kippur – Updated
The Torah says Yom Kippur fasting is about afflicting yourself. What if it’s not about atonement, but it’s about stripping everything away to find the voice that’s honestly, deeply you?
Tag Archives: Yetzer Hara
Beha’alosecha: Can Wanting to Relapse Be Worse Than Murder?
We’ve all looked back on bad decisions with rose-colored glasses.
The Israelites did too.
But according to the Or HaChaim, what they did in this week’s parsha may have been one of the most spiritually destructive things a person can do.
Acharei Mos – Does Judaism believe in Satan? (Updated) — By Ben
This article was originally posted 4/26/2018 – A new ending has been added. This week’s parsha details a bizarre ritual the Jews were to perform on Yom Kippur. Basically they […]
Self Help… Self Empowerment… It’s All In The Book – By Marc
When you grow up in the secular world you learn many things that you assume come from this place or that. They are not necessarily Jewish things or Jewish teachings. […]
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 […]
Merirus… From Bitter Lemons To Sweet Lemonade – By Marc
When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. Or a lemon tart… or lemon ice… or…We have all heard that in some way or another. It’s an iconic turn of phrase… a […]
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 […]
Why We Really Fast on Yom Kippur – By Ben
As we approach Yom Kippur tomorrow night, I wanted to relate an extraordinary teaching given by the Rosh Yeshiva of Shapell’s Darche Noam. It was a comprehensive lesson that I’m […]
Ki Seitzei – Love, Kindness, and Death Sentences — By Ben
We all know the Torah is a book of love, caring, and kindness. And you really feel the love when the Torah commands us to sentence people to death. And […]
Praying with Two Hearts — By The Anonymous Blogger
Mishneh 4:21 in Pirkei Avos reads, Rabbi Elazar Ha-Kapar says, Kinah, Taivah, and Kavod drive a man out of the world. Kinah is translated as envy or jealousy. Kavod is the […]
