No, Too, Is an Answer

No, Too, Is an Answer  A man slipped on the escalator and started sliding to the bottom. Halfway down he collided with a woman, knocking her over. Together the two continued to the bottom. When they reached the main floor, the woman, still rather dazed, continued to sit on the...

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Jewish Simplicity

Jewish Simplicity A lion can actually capture, kill, and eat a field mouse. However, it turns out that the energy to do that is greater than the caloric content of the mouse. So, if a lion spent the whole day hunting and eating field mice… it would slowly starve itself...

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How to Experience G!d

How to Experience G!d It is important to realize that G!d is to be experienced. It is equally important to understand that G!d cannot be captured in any one thing, nor reduced to a single moment or phenomenon. We sometimes think we can contain G!d in a thing, and thereby...

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The Chutzpah of the Book of Ruth

    The Chutzpah of the Book of Ruth (A Shavuot Teaching led by Rabbi Sacks on May 26, 2023)   Consider: What do you think is the theme of the Book of Ruth? Ideas: chesed (lovingkindness), conversion to or reaffirmation of Judaism, loyalty. What we don’t point out is...

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Jerusalem: A Singular City in the Plural

As we approach Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day, this year May 18 [sundown]-May 19), recalling the time when we regained access to the Old City of Jerusalem, during the Six-Day War. We’ll be celebrating with a special Jerusalem Shabbat on May 21-22, with a special liturgy for the occasion on Friday...

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Building a Sukkah As a Metaphor for Change

by Maayan Lev As a child, Sukkot was a very big holiday in my family. In fact, it may have been the biggest holiday of the year for us. This is because we had dinner in the sukkah together every night, usually inviting a different family to join us each...

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