The other day I had the good fortune to strike up a conversation with an Israeli man. He was as secular as they come. He lived most of his adult life in Japan and then in a small city in…
Shabbat is a time of peace and transcendence. It's a time when the profanity of the week evaporates and palpable holiness envelopes the day. One who is sensitive can sense that time is fundamentally different on Shabbat. It might operate…
Depression is really the combination of stagnation and despair. You’re in a place of pain and it seems your situation is inescapable. And because the demon of depression is more of an existential angst as opposed to a purely mental…
Early on in my life, I was compelled to develop the ability to take criticism semi-graciously. Why? Because growing up I was always surrounded by a lot of women, and there is something about the nature of a woman which…
Generally, we look at the Torah as a commentary to life. But what is just as true, but not as widely recognized, that our life serves as commentary to the Torah. We can read the Torah many times over, understand…
I went today to Rav Chaim's funeral. I was amongst over 750,000 people there. My left leg has been hurting me but I was determined to go. I walked miles to get to the funeral. At a certain point, I…
Passover is the formation and creation of the Jewish people. In effect, we celebrate our birth as a nation. I had a very interesting encounter recently that gave a whole new meaning to my Passover. I was dead asleep on…
I have a love for the drama of ideas; and nothing moves me, transforms me, and defines me like the study of wisdom. Rav Noach said that what pleasure is to the body is what wisdom is to the soul.…
"It was meant to be" or "there is a reason for everything" are not expressions that are suppose to make you passive. On the contrary, they make you introspective and active, and let you know that no matter how much…
Relationships are beautiful connections we establish, internalize, and ultimately become; they are, par excellence, the most expansive and life-enhancing endeavor a human being can ever undertake. I am not trying to be dramatic or romantic, but it is what it…
This is a very interesting article: https://www.theatlantic.com/.../social-media.../629369/. It was written by Jonathan Haidt, a world-renown psychologist who has a professorship at NYU. His article, which he is developing its thesis into a forthcoming book, ventures to supply an explanation of…
I took out my son and daughter today. I guess I was being too aware of my kid's actions, and this woman commented to me about the importance of letting kids just run wild. She shared lots of gems about…
At the end of the prayers in the synagogue today, we all said a prayer for the welfare of the people in Ukraine. The mood of many people here in Israel is of somberness. I personally work with a guy…
At the beginning of the 20th century, Christians comprised 20% of the population in the Middle East. Today, they comprise 4% of the population. That's actually the definition of ethnic cleansing. And to be totally transparent, Israel is actually guilty…
When you scan the news, there are certain recurring themes: the gyrations of the stock market, covid policy debate, midterm elections, etc. Tucked away in the top corner of the page is news about the possible invasion of Ukraine by…
This past week we read the Torah portion of the giving of the 10 commandments. When you look at some of the commandments, they seem simplistic and elementary. Some of the most primitive civilizations enacted these laws (e.g. do not…
Facebook has this feature called memories which shows me my previous posts, some dating back many years when I was altogether in a different stage of my life. At times it’s a heartwarming trip down memory lane. At other times…
I raised money for a dear friend of mine who was getting married and had no support. Here is what I wrote to the people who contributed. I wanted to thank everybody for their kindness in helping my friend with…
Usually, for lunch, I eat 2 yogurts with crackers. I don’t like the time I need to invest in preparing/eating, and not to mention the encumbered feeling of the digestion process, and I wouldn't mind shedding some pounds. So I…
Shortly before I got married, I remember riding in an Uber and the driver was sharing his wisdom about women and marriage. He said many things to me. One of the things that made an impression on me was about…
Life is a series of battles and not a war. I think this is one of the most important things to know about life or just serving G-d in general. If life is a war, then if you fall just…
I had a friend who posted this today: "Why do people always give God credit for all their hard work?" I think it's an important question and here is my response: Hey ______, That's a very deep question. Just to…
For me, the greatest love story is the story of Yaacov and Rachel. It’s on my mind because this is the Torah portion of the week. When you read the story, you get a feel for how much Yaacov loved…
Can you teach someone to understand you? I thought about this for many years and after all this time - I think the answer is no - I don’t believe you can. It doesn't mean someone can't come to understand…
One of the most beautiful things about life is meeting people. I met a guy tonight and asked him what brought him to Israel. He said all his life he was an agnostic - he didn't believe in anything at…
In light of everything going on in the world, I’ve been thinking a lot about the jarring dissonance and incompatibility of a cruel world and a loving G-d. The topic is mind-boggling because it defies understanding. On the one hand,…
The greatest journey one can embark on is when you crack open a book; all the more so with beginning the Torah. The Torah contains within it a whirlwind of ideas and insights, hopes and aspirations. It is in essence…
The next 7 days is Sukkah, a time where Jews literally move out of their houses and make a hut-like structure their homes. The thrust of Sukkah is a time to work on being happy. And we do that by…
I’ve been thinking a lot about what I wanted to personally work on this upcoming year; I have plenty of personal work but nothing really moved me. But I ended up stumbling upon some family videos, some dating 10-20 years…
Yom Kippur, the day that Jews fast and repent, can best be defined by the statement of Socrates that an “unexamined life is not worth living.” On Yom Kippur, we embark on a journey of introspection, and by doing so,…
Who is man? Is he the one who flew an airplane into the Twin Towers? Or is he the one who gave up his life trying to save people? I don’t think this is a mere philosophical musing. How we…
Last night for the first time in my life I went to a wedding of an older couple probably somewhere in their 50s and it was freaking awesome. It was soooooo different than a typical wedding of a younger couple.…
I went to the airport and I had to spend some time in the Arrivals section. It was to my surprise a very beautiful experience. I witnessed countless people reunite after what seemed an extended separation. It’s worthwhile on a…
Any man who is married knows that a woman does more than just provide companionship. She fundamentally bestows a sense of sanity for the man. Men, by nature, are instinctual, tribalistic, ego-driven, competitive to a fault, aggressive - all of…
I think we spend much of our life battling ourselves. Our lower drives push and pull us in ways that harm us and the people around us. And it hurts – sometimes a lot. In that vein, we all have…
I grew up telling myself in my teenage years that I’m going to be so different from my father. Now I’m a father, and in so many ways I’m a spitting image of him. I became what I declared I…
Growing up in a Middle Eastern culture, I was exposed to unhealthy views of women. And then growing up in Western culture, which although it bewilderingly professes women’s rights, I was exposed in some ways to even worse views of…
I have faced various difficulties in my life. Some were just plain difficult. Some were extremely difficult. Some excruciatingly difficult. But nothing has been more painful than when my wife left to LA. For her brother’s wedding. Leaving me with…
It can be a bizarre thing to commemorate Tisha B’av because Jews were exiled from Israel, at a time when Jews are freely living in Israel. It begs the question, why do we need Tisha B’av? The question demonstrates the…
We just entered the month of Av, the month in the Hebrew calendar where historically Jews have faced tragedy. It’s a heavy time, and anyone who keeps the laws that were intended for us to feel the pain of our…
My 2-year-old daughter parrots everything her older brother does. And it’s very interesting to me. Whatever her brother is in the mood to play, she plays. So sometimes I see her in a firefighter’s outfit in full gear, with her…
To My Dear Friend, It’s been over a month now that you’re gone and I still can’t believe it. I have to tell you, I admire you. All those years you kept that pain inside of you; you decided to…
Yesterday I was with my family by the port in Herzliya. The beach was packed and there were lots of people. Out of nowhere probably close to 100 American Soldiers started walking in uniform down the port. I'm not sure…
The world has advanced in knowledge and understanding in virtually all branches of education. The access and level of education the common man has today is unprecedented. But the world has patently regressed in all matters of the intellect. The…
Judaism in general and Orthodox Judaism, in particular, has been terrible at expressing its inner depth. We sat on worlds of treasures through the Torah we were given but we didn't know how to convey it, sell it. Rabbi Jonathan…
Possibly the most important trait. It is a trait that when you see it you cry. You look for it in the other person you want to marry. You want to become it. That you don’t need eyes to see…
It is possible that if there is one day that is the most misunderstood in Judaism, it is Yom Kippur. We fast and abstain from the physical not as a philosophy, but as an exercise to help the soul fly.…
Marriage is inexpressibly beautiful. Committing your life to another human being while having them commit their life to you; intertwining your destiny in another while losing yourselves in the essence of each other. That's marriage, and so much more. Notwithstanding,…
The pinnacle of wisdom, the highest form of knowledge man can attain, is not the understanding of the heavens or the insight into the mechanics of the earth; not knowledge of the spiritual systems or the scientific world. But rather,…
Just because you do not feel pain anymore does not mean you are not hurt anymore. That is, out of sight might mean out mind but out of mind does not mean out of heart. The pain you experience never…
I saw a status today that said something along the lines of there are three types of people, the ones who define themselves: 1) by what they have 2) what they do and 3) who they are. This was my…
Depression is the flaw in love and the price we must pay when we love. Part of living on our planet is the temporal, temporary nature of things. We love others, but with time everyone will be gone, and when…
I recently moved up North to SF, which has a similar city-vibe to NY. What I love about here is that people are super nice. It got me thinking how important kindness is, especially to an outsider. And to be…
As a Jew, the Holocaust hangs over our heads as a visceral, perpetual reminder of the vulnerability of our humanity. Just 30 years ago my parents decided to start anew because the mentality of anti-Semitism proliferated and threatened, again. Today,…
It is a beauty of life that our imperfections are what make the beauty in life. Because we are lacking do we have the pleasure of giving and receiving. Because we feel lonely do we experience the love of loving…
Passover is a time where we celebrate our suffering. The most prized possession, the most pronounced expression of who you are are your wounds. It expresses you more eloquently than any poem, defines you better than any words, depicts you…
I had a good friend who analyzed some of my statuses to try to make light of the underlying theme that ran through my writings Below is my response: I’ve never articulated my philosophy, neither in writing nor speech, but…
With time racing and Passover impending, the question arises: what does it mean to be free? Conventionally, freedom is associated with being able to do what you want, being devoid of limitations, becoming free of constrictions, and not be binding…
If I got a million dollars every time a girl told me there are so many good guys out there I would be broke. Ladies ladies, I get it, we guys are arrogant, we'r picky, we don't know what we…
My good friend was telling me how his grandparents were married for almost 70 years, and when his grandfather passed away, she lived on for four more years but in spirit she passed away with him. Her health collapsed, her…
We are all plagued by our own vulnerabilities, insecurities, and sensitivities. No human has found refuge in total certainty; everyman is endangered by a sense of anxiety. As humans we desire to connect and share, to love and to give.…
Life is painful yet deeply beautiful, and yet, even in the pain a discerning heart can see the beauty. We experience frustration when our aspirations outpace our abilities. We are hurt when our love is not returned sincerely. We feel…
The greatest journey of life is life itself. But it is more than just a journey through time and space but even more so - a journey to yourself. We live, we love, we laugh, we cry – and through…
We live in a world where everything that has a beginning will inevitably come to an end. Some things last seconds while others consume centuries to disappear. This immutable law of nature is the law of our lives. Your age…
Sometimes I don't know what is a greater blessing G-d gave: to remember or to forget? Remembering is what makes our humanity. Forgetting is what helps us keep our sanity. Without the gift of remembering we lose the meaning and…
It is a fact of life that a person never gives up hope for something he deeply cares about. To despair, therefore, would not indicate a heartfelt concern but rather a lack of real concern. Consequently, to lose hope is…
What is the difference between love and kindness? Is not kindness simply a manifestation of love and love an expression of kindness? For it is a kindness to love and a loveliness to be kind. 2013
It's been over a week now since the passing of Rav Ovadia Yosef. With almost a million people who went to his funeral, I keep on wondering what was it about him that made him so great. Two things defined…
Frustration is born out of hope. The belief that what is should not be; the hope that what is could be better. Should be better. And with sufficient faith and courage – will be better. I came back from Israel…
The most exhausting emotion is the emotion of missing someone. It's constantly on your mind, tenderly in your heart, manifests through your actions, expressed through your emotions. What's interesting is that missing someone is a sweet yet painful feeling. When…
Unadulterated, true self-certainty, can only be a product of what one thinks of himself, and perforce, what others think of him. When one's certainty arises only from his internal calculus, then it is arrogance. When one's certainty solely arises from…
There are many trials and tribulations, stresses and strains, that leaders will face. The litmus test of a par excellent leader, and an intimate, tender, human being, in my opinion, is your ability to: 1) Listen and take advice from…
The human being is not born free but rather must earn his freedom. That is, to be free is more of a process than a destination, where every action or lack of action advances or retracts us from the goal…
No matter how long one lives, how much one achieves, life will always be too short. The eye never gets enough seeing; the body always desires more feeling; the soul constantly craves meaning; the heart always has more room for…
Life moves on - with or with you - so move on. Live in the ups and don't dwell on the downs. "Then" is the past that is gone, "Now" is the present that you live, "Later" is the future…
Life is a paradox. After almost a year in Israel, I am confused more than ever, yet paradoxically, I have never had so much clarity. If life were to be a symbol, it would be a question following an exclamation…
I spent Shabbat in a family member's house, where, well, to say the least, have a very, very modest living situation; and with 3 kids running around like powere rangers, I felt suffocated the first 5 minutes of being there.…
It's interesting to note the difference between Torah culture vs. the consumer culture. Torah culture emphasizes and has you focus on what you have in life. Consumer culture accentuates and makes you internalize what you are missing in life. The…