When demand far outstrips supply, or when someone obtains a monopoly over goods that the public needs or wants, or when tragedies strike and people are forced to obtain certain goods and services to survive - in all of these circumstances greed takes over and the prices for these items are suddenly overly inflated. The Talmud calls this phenomenon hafkaat shearim - the "removal" of ordinary fair... READ MORE →
The Jewish people in this new year of 5766 are about to observe two fast days on consecutive Thursdays. The first Thursday, the day after Rosh Hashana, is the day of Tzom Gedalya. It commemorates the tragic assassination about twenty five hundred years ago of Gedalya ben Achikam, the provisional governor of Judah by fellow Jews. But the fast day really is also intended to set the tone for the... READ MORE →
Last Saturday night two different gatherings took place in my Jerusalem neighborhood. One was a rally for "peace" sponsored by the Geneva initiative and led by Yossi Beilin. This group met outside of the house of Prime Minister, barely two blocks from my residence. The Prime Minister was not home since he was busy meeting with his Security Cabinet, planning a response to the barrage of Kassam... READ MORE →
The Ashkenazic Jewish world begins its recitation of selichot - the penitential prayers of the season of the High Holy Days this coming Saturday night. Our Sephardic brethren have already been reciting their version of selichot for some weeks already, since the onset of the month of Elul. All of these prayers center about the continued recitation of the thirteen attributes of the Almighty as... READ MORE →
The current discussion and division of judicial and governmental opinion regarding the abandoned synagogues of Gush Katif is a painful reminder of the fate of other synagogue buildings the world over. It should be obvious to all, that for synagogue buildings to serve their intended purpose, there must be living Jews present in them to use the facility. Otherwise the synagogue building remains... READ MORE →
I was in the United States when the disaster of Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans and its southeast Gulf Coast. It seems that natural disasters are regular events in the lives of millions of human beings. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis and hurricanes are all regular visitors, if not permanent residents on our planet. The overwhelming forces of nature make mockery of humankind's... READ MORE →
The distressing events of the past two weeks here in Israel have left us all in a state of sadness and depression. No matter what one's opinion is regarding the government's policies, the events and pictures of the evictions from Gaza are burned into our minds in a tragic manner. Yet, in a perverse and perplexing sense, I believe these events present the religious community here in Israel, if not... READ MORE →
The seven weeks that stretch from Tisha B'Av until Rosh Hashana are the seven weeks of comfort - <i>shiva d'nechemta.</i> The haftorot that are read on the Sabbath during these seven weeks are all taken from the book of the prophet Isaiah and predict better times ahead for Israel and humankind generally. The Hebrew word nechama, which is usually translated as comfort or condolence, has a deeper... READ MORE →
The Tisha B'Av season carries with it many sad and bitter memories for the Jewish people. The destruction of both the first and second Temples occurred on that date and these events are the primary reasons for the commemoration of the day as being one of fasting and mourning. However, over the long centuries of Jewish exile other tragic events occurred during the Tisha B'Av season and their... READ MORE →
Throughout the ages, Jewish leadership has almost always been defined in terms of knowledge, intelligence, vision and personal integrity. The paradigm of Jewish leadership was established by our first national leader, Moshe, and traces its line through the other biblical leaders and later through the great men of the Mishna and the Talmud. Through the long night of the Jewish exile, the leaders... READ MORE →
