Category
jewish
Humbling Wisdom
Propelled by curiosity, I asked, \”By the way are you Jewish?\”
\”Not at all,\” he answered. \”I was born Presbyterian, and now I am a Baptist. Maybe one day I will become Jewish. What do you think of that?\”
Deciding it would be best not to answer, I acted Jewish and responded with a totally different question: \”How do you know so much about Judaism and Chanukah?\”
With total seriousness he said, \”You can\’t claim to be a religious Christian without knowing Judaism. All religious wisdom starts with Judaism.\”
Silence on Israel Is Not Golden
For Avi Davis, truth is a blazing light threatening to blind the unprepared.
There are no moderating factors or gradations, just a division between those who can handle its assault and those who can\’t.
In contrast to Davis\’ unitary absolutism, traditional Jewish wisdom tends to frame things in twos and threes. So we read in Pirke Avot 1:18, the teaching of Rabban Simeon ben Gamaliel, that \”the world is established on three principles: truth, justice and peace.\”
A Letter to My Sons
Work is one of the strongest Jewish values. God provides the ultimate example: He worked a six-day week to create the universe. And when the Tabernacle was built, every person contributed according to his skills and talents. The Talmud reminds us that, \”No labor, however humble, is dishonoring.\”
What I Have Learned From the Clinton Affair
have learned from the Clinton affair how unprepared our technologically sophisticated society is to deal with moral issues, and specifically how to transmit moral wisdom to our children.