What Do We Know About Creation?

The problem with evolution is that it traces existence back to a primitive state but then gets stuck, because sooner of later you have to deal with the fact that before there was something there was nothing. And how do you get something from nothing? Next week, we’ll do a series on creation, or as…
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Q&A: Forgiving vs. Fixing – Part I

 Q: onionsoupmix asked, “The child produced from an adulterous union has to die before teshuva is fully accepted. Why isn’t G-d more flexible?”   A: Thanks for the tough questions. They’re always the best. You ask why G-d cannot be more forgiving in the instance where a child is born illegitimate. For starters, here’s an…
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Why Is Torah Law So Restrictive of Contact Between the Genders?

Question: I understand that Torah law forbids all physical contact between a man and a woman — or even for them to be alone in a room together — unless they are first-degree relatives or married to each other. This applies to any man and any woman, regardless of their ages or whether or not…
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Random thoughts on Morality and War

A.  Morality is meant to save lives and bring peace. One does not die for ones morality – Self sacrifice should be reserved for religious issues. B.  Morality should make you stronger not weaker, it should work for you not against you. C.  The only excuse for war is self defense, the only purpose of war…
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On Serving

Here’s a “class quote.”   Serving “Sometimes we feel a sense of injustice, that we give to our husband or children more than we get in return. “In reality, we were created to give, to serve. This is what life is all about from beginning to end. We are here to serve G-d. When you…
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Response to “Unsure”

Dear “Unsure”, You are torturing yourself unnecessarily. As a fifteen year-old, why would you expect to ‘know for sure’ all the truths of Torah? How are you supposed to ‘know’ who created the world?! You don’t how an airplane flies or how an antibiotic works. You’ve never seen a germ or a virus, and probably…
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All I Got Was Words

Speaking of words… here’s a really old classic.   All I Got Was Words by: unknown   When I was young and fancy free My folks had no fine clothes for me All I got was words: Gott vet geben! Gott tsu dankn! Zoll mir nur leben un sein gezund.   When I was wont…
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There’s Nothin’ To It… Part III:
Nothing is Everything

Roses are red Violets are blue But beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.   Round is round Square is square But beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.   Why? What is beauty? What makes it so different? (I know… we’re talking about intimacy. I’m getting to it…) Beauty is the result…
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There’s Nothin’ To It… Part II:
Sophistication – Disintegration

Holiness is a state of harmony; oneness. Duality is unholy. Divisiveness is evil. Fragmentation is dead. Holiness has a cadence. So does life. The parts of life all flow together in harmony creating a seamless and therefore pleasant experience. Sophistication has brought ruin to life. Because we are sophisticated we think physical contact between man…
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There’s Nothin’ To It… Part I: Men Fear Nothing

Women have many fears. Men fear nothing. This is not to imply that men are fearless – not so! Men have one great fear, and what they fear is nothing – because man comes from nothing. Man was created from nothing (dust) and will return to nothing (dust.) Thus, man’s primal memory is of nothingness….
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On Happiness

Here’s a thought that came up in a conversation one night after our broadcast Bais Chana class: The simple truths in life are what brings happiness. This means focusing on simple realities: life is good, being a Jew is good, having my family is good, etc. This enables you to be happy. However we need…
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Toxic Thought

“Have you ever stopped to think – and forgot to start again?” Have you ever had someone ask you a question and you try to answer but they don’t seem to be available to your response? Sometimes, people ask philosophical questions but before you can give the answer you first have to help them think….
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Pet Peeves: Just Words?

Example: Government leaders who say, “We have the right to defend our citizens.” Is it really a ‘right’? Or do they mean ‘responsibility’? Every government is obligated to defend its citizens from threats domestic or foreign. Should a government feel that they are incapable of such defense, they must resign and let someone else govern. Is it…
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How do I know Torah is True?

Dear “Unsure”,You are torturing yourself unnecessarily. As a fifteen year-old, why would you expect to ‘know for sure’ all the truths of Torah? How are you supposed to ‘know’ who created the world?!You don’t how an airplane flies or how an antibiotic works. You’ve never seen a germ or a virus, and probably don’t know…
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What is God’s part in my day to day life?

I recall a particular afternoon some years ago, in the early 1960s, when thirty Jewish scientists from various Eastern universities attended one of the Rebbe’s Shabbat afternoon gatherings (called farbrengens.) The scientists sat among the Chassidim and listened while the Rebbe spoke in Yiddish, which they did’nt understand. During the break for singing, one of…
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