One of my favorite kabalistic principles is that pleasure in this world is a result of creating unity in one's life. Therefore, certain foods are pleasing to our palates because there's a unity within the flavors. Similarly, certain combinations of musical notes sound pleasant to our ears when they are put together harmoniously. The same thing can be said about color combinations in visual arts, and unity, of course, is pleasing when we achieve it in our relationships.
May 2010
May 20th, 2010
Do You Really Believe that Not Eating Pork Brings You Closer to God?
Dear Jew in the City,
I don't mean to sound disrespectful, but do you really think that just because you abstain from eating pork and the animal is killed in a certain fashion that brings you real closeness to God? Jesus said that nothing from the outside can make you "unclean," only your inner thoughts and actions.
Sincerely,
Tim
Continue reading Do You Really Believe that Not Eating Pork Brings You Closer to God?
May 18th, 2010
The Chosen (Last) People
The idea that the Jewish nation considers itself to be the "chosen people" is something that rubs many people the wrong way. Such a term smacks of elitism and supremacy. Do we Jews really believe that we have some innate quality that makes us a "master race?"
May 5th, 2010
Gratitude Without Attitude
My parents made me a big bat mitzvah – like black-tie-affair-on-a-yacht-cruising-around-Manhattan-harbor-with-a-hundred-and-fifty-of-our-closest-family-and-friends big. But they weren’t just the people that planned the party and paid for it. They saw me through all my years of Hebrew school and bat mitzvah lessons. They helped me write my speeches and made me practice them. And although we had our fights like all parents and teenagers do, they were (and are) pretty terrific people who taught me values, imbued me with self-esteem, and sacrificed for many years to give my sisters and me every opportunity in life.
