Usually, by about 3:00 a.m. my mind starts to race, and my sleep goes from fluid to restless. It’s as if my brain thinks the best time to have an epiphany or take stock of my life is sometime in the wee hours, when all I really want to do is sleep.
Two days ago, Bibi Netanyahu managed to form a new right-wing governing coalition for Israel. Within this coalition are individuals such as Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, both of whom hold racist ideologies and whose policies, if implemented, risk alienating Israelis, Palestinians, and important ally nations.
Just because we as humans have the power of rational thought doesn’t mean we should abandon our instincts. Sometimes it’s those deeply rooted feelings that provide us with the direction we need in the moment.
This time of year is dangerous for someone with gluten intolerance. Each time I walk into the workroom in our administrative office suite, there’s a box of Sesame Donuts staring up at me, doing its best to tempt me into bad behavior. So far, I have resisted, yet one could be forgiven for assuming that Hanukkah is all about the fried foods.
When we feel we’ve been wronged or excluded or treated unfairly, it’s easy to grasp at anything, including a lie. If this is truly the case, then the way to prevent deception is not through preaching honesty, but by preaching justice.
There’s a Jewish belief that changing a name can change someone’s fortune, as though that name change represents a break from the past or from a difficult destiny. The origins of this belief are scattered throughout the Bible.
Preparing to go into this moment with his brother, Jacob in his dream state recognizes the need to find his own humility. It’s a valuable lesson both brothers learn. You don’t have to make someone else feel small in order to build yourself up.
