Entries for April 2013

This week, Israeli newspapers were rife with explicit threats of war. This wouldn’t have been surprising had they referred to conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, or with Hezbollah and/or Hamas, or, of course, with Iran. &nbs... Continue Reading »

The “Golden Rule” isn’t in the Torah.  Hillel the Elder’s (110 BCE – 10 CE) great statement: “What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor; that is the whole Torah, while the rest is commentary thereof; go and learn it” is recorded in the Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 31a.  Yet, Hillel’s advice may be the most pragmatic application we have of the famous maxim that is in the Torah (in this week’s Parashah): “Love your Neighbor as Yourself.”  [Leviticus 19:18). ...

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Clinical psychologist Dr. Susan Silk has a “Ring Theory” of Kvetching (complaining). She summarizes it as: “Comfort in -- Dumping out.”* According to Dr. Silk’s theory, we should draw a circle and place at its center the name of the person most affected by any situation about which we might kvetch.  We should then write in concentric circles the names of everyone to whom we might kvetch, ranked by how close they are to the person in the center.  This results in a “kvetching order.” ...

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Thank you to all who graciously commented on last week’s “Letter to my Grandson.”  Thank G-d, Noam ben Reuven Yigdal v’Yehudit Tovah (aka Evan) and his mother are doing fine.  A few hours ago at our home, Noam entered into the covenant of Abraham.  In fulfillment of the Torah commandment, this occurred on the eighth day -- “b’yom haSh’mini” of his life.  “Sh’mini” (“Eighth”) is the name of this week’s Torah portion.  The reference is actually to the eighth day of the priestly ordination ceremony, not to circumcision.  Nevertheless, in light of this special day in my and my grandson’s life, and the “coincidence” of “Sh’mini” being this week’s Torah portion, I’ll take the opportunity to share some thoughts on the circumcision controversy.  “Intactivist” critics of circumcision ... 

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