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A record number of Americans are unhappy with the candidates and the harsh tenor of the campaign. Judaism provides us with a model which can foster civil and productive disagreement. Though we think of the “Good Old Days” as a period belonging to the past, Judaism teaches us that we have the ability to create “New Good Old Days” in the future.
The services are long and the liturgy is repetitive. Though it is easy to wind up mumbling through our prayers we can easily find ways to improve our prayers which in turn will help us to improve ourselves and our relationships with others. Many rabbis followed the lead of Noah by failing to address the “Iran Deal” over the High Holidays. While Noah was a righteous man he is not the biblical figure who should serve as our role model. Shockingly, these rabbis can learn from Howard Stern.
I was recently posed the question by the Jewish Voice, “How do we keep kashrut holy, yet allow it to evolve with the times?” In order to answer this question we will go back to the beginning, literally by looking at Genesis.
The Torah commands us not to stand on the blood of our fellow. This is understood to mean that we if we have the ability to help another who is in trouble we are commanded to do so. During the riots over the death of Freddie Grey we witnessed people violating and fulfilling this commandment. What can we learn from this tragedy and how can it help us to fulfill the commandment to “Love your fellow as you love yourself?”
As the 2016 race for the White House heats up some of the presidential hopefuls are being criticized for a lack of transparency. They can learn an important message by studying the leadership of Moses.
Was Jordan right to hang two terrorists in retaliation for the murder of one of their captured soldiers? The sixth commandment is often translated as, “Thou shalt not kill.” Is that an accurate translation? Is killing permitted in certain circumstances and if so, when?
After Charlie Hebdo, the satirical French magazine’s offices were attacked by terrorists and 12 people were killed, Charlie Hebdo published a cover with a heading over a weeping Mohammad saying, “All is forgiven.” A journalist for Charlie Hebdo who worked on the piece explains that the cover is a call to forgive the terrorists who killed her colleagues. Should they be forgiven? It has been suggested that Louis Head should be charged with inciting a riot for the provocative comments he made after learning that the police officer who killed his step son, Michael Brown would not be indicted by a Ferguson, Missouri grand jury. Obviously, charging Brown’s step father would further inflame an already volatile situation. Both the Pharaoh of the Exodus and the Pharaoh of Joseph’s time were confronted with the challenge of balancing the need for justice against the need for peace but in very different ways.
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Rabbi Steven SaksEnjoy these sermons from Rabbi Steven Saks. Archives
December 2017
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