June 28th, 2010
Dear Allison,
There are 613 Mitzvot which is a lot of rules to follow (although not all apply at this time). What happens if you break a mitzvah, e.g. you ate a bacon sandwhich? Would that mean that there's no point in you following that specific mitzvah any more because you've already disobeyed it and God gives you marks out of 613? Or are you allowed to break them, but you have to try to not break them in the future and God looks at what you did for the majority of the time? And also - are the Mitzvot supposed to benefit you in this life or after you die?...Hope that's not too many questions!
Thank you,
Lucy
Continue reading How Many Chances Do You Get When it Comes to a Mitzvah?
Posted in Philosophy, Q&A | Comments (3) »
February 21st, 2010
Remember back in gym class when two students would get to choose the teams? Just the sound of the teacher announcing who was captain would fill my heart with dread. We'd line up in front of them and wait to hear our names called. They always started with the most sought out teammates and ended with me. On a good day, I'd get second to last.
Continue reading Gym Class
Posted in Articles, Philosophy | Comments (6) »
February 2nd, 2010
When I was a kid, I assumed that my grandparents had been old forever. When I was a kid, I never understood why people lied about being twenty-nine. Why make up such an old age if you're trying to sound young?
Continue reading Birthday Musings
Tags: birthday, Death, life, purpose
Posted in Articles, Personal Growth, Philosophy | Comments (3) »
January 12th, 2010
I have recently become an expert - nay, a master - of white rice preparation. How, you ask? I don't know exactly, but my white rice of late has had the perfect balance of oil, salt, moistness, and fluff. It is everything I ever hoped for and dreamed for in a calorie-heavy, nutrition-light accompaniment to the delicious (and likewise unhealthy) sweet and sour meatballs I make many a Shabbos.
Continue reading Grains of Time (and Rice)
Tags: mindfulness, time
Posted in Articles, Inspiration, Philosophy | Comments (2) »
December 18th, 2009
They call it "Teeter," and it's just one of the many things that makes my new Eris Droid (not Motorola - it didn't look as much like an iPhone), one of the coolest gadgets I've gotten my hands on in a while.
Continue reading My Google Droid and the Miracle of Chanukah
Posted in Articles, Holidays, Philosophy | Comments (3) »
November 11th, 2009
Dear Jew in the City,
You know how there's an idea in Christianity that we Jews are going to Hell for not believing in Jesus? What's a good way to debate missionaries on this issue using the Bible?
Sincerely, Jew in the Bible Belt.
Continue reading How Do I Debate Missionaries Who Think I'm Going to Hell?
Tags: answering, Christians, hell, Jews, missionaries
Posted in Philosophy, Q&A | Comments (6) »
October 21st, 2009
My son is one of the happiest babies I've ever met. The pediatrician says he's one of the happiest babies she's ever met too, and she's met a lot of babies. He spends the whole day smiling and laughing, and if you bounce him or squeeze him, he squeals on demand. Oh, and did I mention that his BFI (baby-fat-index) is the perfect ratio for squishing and cuddling?
Continue reading Crying it Out
Tags: why bad things happen to good people
Posted in Articles, God, Philosophy | Comments (4) »
