There is a golden rule known to every preacher: always start your sermons with a question. A good question captivates and has the audience craving a resolution. If a clever answer is given to a profound question, the sermon can be considered to have been successful. Questions are the greatest…
Matisyahu: A Deconstructionist Rabbi
Matisyahu is now an international phenomenon; he is a reggae singer with a difference. Instead of dreadlocks he sports a trilby. His beard is predicated on the Kabbalists’ theosophy instead of Rastafarian tradition and his clothing places him in an Ultra Orthodox Jewish enclave rather than a black ghetto. Now…
Moshiach: it’s In Our Hands Now
Amongst other things, the Torah teaches us the six hundred and thirteen ordinances that God commanded us. Many of the Torah’s laws are dependent on the existence of our Holy Temple. Consequently nearly half of these six hundred and thirteen ordinances have not been applicable for the last two thousand…
Judaism: in the Home or in the Synagogue?
How often have you heard people say, “I am a Jew at heart although I do not go to Shul much?” What should the role of a synagogue be in the life of a Jew? Historically, the synagogue only became a permanent institution in Jewish communities after the destruction of…
It’s All About The Mission
A student of mine recently started to become religious and decided to go to Israel and study in a Yeshiva (rabbinic college). When I questioned his motives he told me that since all rabbis and religious people he had ever met were such incredibly good and kind people he was…
Should We Pray For Ariel Sharon
With the incapacitation of its Prime Minister, Israel is undergoing uncertain times. In common with synagogues all over the world, when the seriousness of Ariel Sharon’s condition became known, we sent out an e-mail calling for a prayer gathering and urging those who could not attend to pray independently for…
The Art Of Disagreement
Having just moved from Britain to Colorado in the United States surprisingly my wife and I are undergoing a culture shock. We have been disarmed by the friendliness of people and, compared to the UK, how inexpensive petrol (gas) is. We are also repeatedly surprised by how many regular products…
God’s Response to Reality TV
Millions of people all over the country tune in on a daily basis to watch a group of ordinary people living their lives. Big Brother fervour had grabbed the nation once again. But hang on, what is so attractive about watching ordinary people doing ordinary things? How is it that…
Make A Real Relationship
Life is all about relationships. We have work-related relationships, we have acquaintances, we have friendships, familial and intimate relationships. Maimonides, one of Judaism’s greatest scholars, wrote that man is a social animal. We have no choice but to interrelate with other people. It is relationships with others that allow us…
For Conflict Resolution
The history of the ego is a deeply unpleasant one. Millions have sacrificed their lives for it, it has shattered families and broken hearts, it has been the main cause of war, famine, poverty and murder. Like it or loathe it however, egos are a fact of life, they have…