In Israel people borrow money from banks differently than they do elsewhere in the world. It is called a Heter Iska where any loan is structured so that the lender becomes an investor rather than as a usurer. This provision is to avoid transgressing the law, found in this weeks’…
Shabbat must belongs to all
Recently major cosmetics company Il-Makiage made news by deciding to close all of its stores in Israel on the Shabbat. This was somewhat of a controversial move because Shabbat has long been a contentious issue in Israel. Religious people keep the Shabbat by not going to work, not driving, going…
Can we truly love?
The Torah commands us to love our fellow man with the same intensity that we love ourselves. A commandment to love another person seems unrealistic. Love is something you either feel or you don’t. So to be commanded to love another just as we love ourselves is bordering on asking…
Misplaced Morality, Israel Watch Out
A former Shin Bet officer told me that he left the service because he found administering the harsh interrogation techniques needed to gain life saving intelligence from detainees difficult. It would be inappropriate for me to divulge the exact interrogation practices he described but suffice to say, that besides for…
The Ghost in my Synagogue
In Colorado there are plenty of opportunities for spooky experiences—in fact a local bed and breakfast offers a luxurious mountain experience in its haunted house. Personally I have a healthy dose of skepticism towards ghost stories. But I do believe in the paranormal. In fact Judaism believes that ghosts exist…
Israel needs a constitution
There are worrying signs that Israeli society may be tilting towards a damaging inner fight between the religious and secular segments of society. This is occurring not only on the level of national politics where there has been contentious discussion about secular civil marriage and conversion reform, but perhaps more…
Are Americans becoming too envious and losing their morals?
The great Jewish philosopher Maimonides wrote that a person who has suffered misfortune feels less miserable when confronted by a person in a more calamitous situation than themselves. Similarly when a dejected person sees someone who is more privileged than them their sense of despondency is increased. People who are…
A guide to a good marriage
Sheindy (my wife) has a simple philosophy for increased productivity: “People should first do the necessary and essential chores they do not enjoy and only then go on to do the more pleasurable jobs.” She maintains that having something to look forward to when one is done infuses the chores…
An Economic Prediction from the Story of Purim
The story of Purim contains a universal truth that is especially relevant today: intense hubris is always followed by a downturn and intense contrition precedes an upturn. The trends found in the story of Purim should be familiar to us especially this year. At the beginning of the Purim story…
The Good thing about Negative Passions
If we had a foolproof way of overcoming destructive temptations and passions, life would be much simpler and more pious for all of us. One of the biggest challenges humans encounter is overcoming emotional urges that lead us down destructive paths. When confronted by forbidden temptation, one may become gripped…