Being Happy, Even Now

Despite the coronavirus concerns and despite all the hardships that so many people are experiencing, we are still in the month of Adar, the month of joy. It may sound strange to speak of simcha, happiness, at this time, but it makes pragmatic and religious sense.  This is especially true for those who are now homebound.  Will you be a better spouse, parent, sibling, child, caregiver if you are happier? ...

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Confusion and Clarity

This week we will be reading an additional section of the Torah that discusses the process of purifying one who became impure by contact with the dead.  Let us consider the meaning of the concepts of purity and impurity in the Torah.  The Hebrew word for impurity is tumah, which is related to the word timtum, confusion. Every time a person has an experience that appears to demonstrate that we ...

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Night and Day

Daylight saving time has recently begun here in the USA. So it has got me thinking about day and night and their significance in Jewish thought.  We know that in secular law, the calendar day starts and ends at midnight, however, in Jewish tradition the day starts the evening beforehand. So for example, Shabbat, starts Friday evening around sunset and it ends on Saturday night when the stars come out. ...

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