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It is a rabbinic dictum not to attempt to weigh the value of one mitzvah against the other. Rather than saying that this mitzvah is more important than another, we are to recognize that all mitzvot are grounded in our brit (covenant) with the Holy One and derive their authority out of our chosen response to God’s will. Read more...

"See, this day, I set before you blessing and curse: blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I enjoin upon you this day; and curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God..." (Deuteronomy 11:26-28)   Read more...

Next to the Jewish day school our children attend is a 7-11. When I pick the kids up from school, I park nearby and walk in to get them. Each Monday after school, I take my kids to the 7-11 for a snack on the way back to the car. There's a homeless man who sits in front of the store, and I routinely give the kids change to give him as we walk by. My daughter, Hannah always runs up and gives him the change with a big smile, and he comments to me on her great personality. After a while, I asked his name, and now as soon as we approach the 7-11, the kids ask for change to give Edward. Read more...

Social pressure to conform is a steady and soul-deadening force. With relentless enticements, cultures seek ways to impose similarity of worldview, of behavior, even of thought upon their members. Even contemporary society, with its laudable commitment to individuality, imposes subtle mandates through the media, through the movies, through advertisements and in countless other ways. Small wonder, then, that the truly free soul is rare. Read more...

We leave well before day break and as we speed toward dawn I keep asking myself how it is that I'm now the parent of a college student...I who can still remember vividly the details of my own freshman year so many years ago. Read more...