These days, some people who for years have chanted “my body, my choice,” are insisting that the government should mandate what you put into your body. Others, who argued against the exclusive rights we each have to our bodies, are crossing now to the other camp. Whether you are on one side or the other...
Quick! What’s the name of the person most blameworthy for your biggest failure? Hint: You’ll find it printed on your driving license. Nobody is without regrets about opportunities squandered, lesser paths chosen, or challenges spurned. One of the reasons that New Year makes us feel good is that we see it as a chance for...
Hidden codes embedded in Scripture! Bible codes predict terrorist attacks! Sensationalistic headlines like these have been seen for years. Melodramatic books with extravagant claims appeared in the mid-1990s often written by authors with little Hebrew knowledge. So frequently am I asked about this that I’m devoting this Thought Tool to the topic. While in yeshiva,...
When I was seven, my parents signed me up for swimming lessons which I dutifully attended. For the first three days, the teacher discussed buoyancy, backstroke, and breathing. We never even got into the water. The next weekend my parents took us to a pool. My father, eager to see what I had learned, asked...
Most people may know that the Passover holyday recalls Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. But did you know though that amazingly, one incident came close to jeopardizing the whole enterprise? Just before Moses and Aaron confront Pharaoh, God threatens Moses for neglecting to circumcise his son. Had Moses’ wife, Tziporah, not intervened, God would have terminated...
She responded to his warmth, she basked in his company. They shared a sense of humor and agreed on life goals. But every time she thought he would propose, something sidelined him. A new work assignment, a friend going through a rough time…all seemingly reasonable reasons for him to pay her less attention, but somehow...
Why are some countries rich while others are poor? Why do some countries attract immigrants while others lose citizens who flee in large numbers? Why do some countries enjoy relative tranquility while others are seething cauldrons of violence? Posh and politically correct universities shrink from discussing these contentious questions because they fear the answer might...
We love the feedback we are getting from students of our Scrolling through Scripture course. After watching Lesson 5, Paul asked about the five Hebrew words for counting that were mentioned. We sent him a link to this Thought Tool from the past and thought that many of you would enjoy it as well. Psst!...
Most human activities can be located along an imaginary line anchored at one end by “Spiritual” and at the other by “Physical.” We’d put praying near the spiritual end; reading and music would be its neighbors. As the source of both sensual pleasure and new life, sex might be mid-spectrum, while eating and other bodily...
