חלק גדול מהתגובות שלנו לדברים שמתרחשים נקבע על פי הציפיות שהיו לנו מהאירועים או מהאנשים הנוגעים בדבר. כשיש לנו ציפיות גדולות להצלחה, למוסריות ולהתנהגות אלטרואיסטית מהמנהיגים שלנו, בין אם הם פוליטיים או דתיים, לאומיים... READ MORE →
One of the more popular and populist social and electoral issues here in Israel and in the rest of the Western world as well, is rectifying the seeming inequality of the distribution of wealth. The upper five percent of the population, in terms of wealth worldwide, control close to eighty percent of the wealth of the societies that they inhabit. In order to correct this seemingly unfair... READ MORE →
One of the tragic consequences of war is that thousands and perhaps even millions of civilians are displaced, uprooted from their homes and lives and have involuntarily acquired the unwanted distinction of becoming refugees. Yet, in most instances regarding refugees after the wars of the twentieth century, these refugees eventually found new homes and new lives – many times better homes and... READ MORE →
Though every election in Israel is full of surprises, because we are a restless and constantly dissatisfied people there is a pattern that has emerged from all of the previous nineteen elections that have bedeviled us over the past sixty-six years. The pattern includes constant fragmentation of existing parties as personal ambition and rigid ideology overtake practical and achievable goals. ... READ MORE →
What can one say about Europe? I imagine that if one wants to be bitterly truthful then one could easily say that Hitler has in effect triumphed. He branded the Jews as the root of all troubles and proclaimed that the “final” and only solution to the “Jewish problem” was to eradicate all Jews from the face of the earth. And as we all know, he followed through on his genocidal program. ... READ MORE →
One of the most clichéd and oft-used words that mark election campaigns, such as the one we are now beginning to undergo here in Israel, is “change.” One of the basic human drives is to achieve change for the better in one's personal life and in the national life of the country where one resides. Barack Obama was elected president of the United States on the promise of change. Whether... READ MORE →
אחת המילים השכיחות ביותר בקלישאות שנשמעות במערכות בחירות, כמו זאת שאנחנו נמצאים בפתחה כאן, בישראל, היא "שינוי". אחד הדחפים הבסיסיים ביותר של האדם הוא לחולל שינוי לטובה בחייו האישיים וגם בחיים הלאומיים של הארץ שבה הוא... READ MORE →
I have always attempted to be a pragmatist, a realist, if you will. The advantage of being such a realist is that one is rarely truly shocked or surprised by the events of life as they unfold. The highs of life are not really that high and the lows are not really that low. It becomes a matter of perspective, of patience, and above all, a matter of faith. It is the high expectations that we... READ MORE →
יעקב אבינו התמודד עם הרבה אתגרים קשים בחייו הארוכים ורבי התהפוכות. פרשת השבוע עוסקת באחד מהאתגרים הקשים שיכולים לעמוד בפנים כל אדם – הניתוק הגופני והרגשי ממשפחתו ומסביבתו המוכרת. וכמו כדי להוסיף למורכבות של האתגר... READ MORE →
The horrific murders of people at prayer that recently occurred in Jerusalem raises many more questions than answers. The responses to it were varied. CNN saw in it that Israeli police killed two Palestinians. Israeli politicians made their usual vapid comments, promises and revenge statements, all of which in the past have led nowhere. Learned rabbis and savants have attempted the futile task of... READ MORE →
