During both the morning and afternoon prayer service, a relatively brief collection of solemn entreaties entitled Tachanun is recited. These prayers were initially offered during a particularly difficult time in Jewish history and address the need of individuals to both mourn a loss and seek mercy from God that one’s troubles will cease shortly.
Because Tachanun revolves around suffering, we do not recite it when prayers are held [...]
Archive for November, 2007
When Not Praying is Holy
Posted in Ideas, halacha, tagged joy, mourning, tachanun, wedding on Sunday, November 11, 2007 | 1 Comment »
Enjoy Life – And That’s a Command
Posted in Ideas, Torah Portions, tagged Garden of Eden, joy, Judaism and Food, Meshech Chochmah on Friday, November 9, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
Let’s do a little experiment. If I were to ask you to name the first mitzvah in the Torah relating to food, what would be your answer? If you are like the vast majority of others of whom I have asked this question, your answer will be God’s command to Adam in the Garden of Eden [...]
Unexpected Inspiration
Posted in Ideas, Torah Portions, tagged Abraham, Jewish Denominations, Chayai Sarah, Ba'al Teshuva on Wednesday, November 7, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
Unfortunately, I’m not one for technology. Only recently did I even learn how to text message someone — and that achievement was hard earned. The first time I tried to text message someone, I thought I would test out my skills first with my wife; that way, if I made a mistake, the embarrassment would [...]
Child’s Play
Posted in Book Recommendations, Ideas, People on Tuesday, November 6, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
Thanks to my friend Zack Miller, I began learning the book A Student’s Obligations this week (for those in Jerusalem and interested in joining this class, a part of Shir Hadash’s Yeshiva, it meets Sundays and Tuesdays at 10:30 AM).
This is quite a powerful book. It was written by the Rabbi of the Warsaw Ghetto, The [...]
When Being a Zero Makes You a Ten
Posted in Ideas, Organizations, tagged Environment and Judaism, JNF on Monday, November 5, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
Here’s a new environmental initiative by the JNF: www.jnf.org/goneutral
Even if one doesn’t end up planting any trees as a result of this plan, its basic principles are worth incorporating into our lives.
Surround Yourself with Art & Beauty
Posted in Ideas, People, tagged Art and Judaism, Beauty, Cardozo, Music and Judaism on Thursday, November 1, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
Here’s an interesting essay from Rabbi Natan Lopes Cardozo on the importance of art and music in Jewish life:
A problem in some religious circles is the neglect of recognizing the importance of natural beauty and the need to appreciate its profound impact on life. There is increasing evidence that many devoted religious communities with their [...]
In Memory of My Grandfather: A Giant Lost
Posted in 7, tagged Eulogy, honigman, loss, mourning on Thursday, November 1, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
My grandfather, Milton Jack Miller, passed away earlier this year. Below is the eulogy I delivered at his funeral.
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Most people are mere footnotes of history; my grandfather was a chapter title. When born almost 95 years ago in 1912, he faced an uncertain, trying world. His world then was full with finding a way out [...]
