We all have thoughts on the old nature vs. nurture argument. While it can be valuable when discussing temperament or other aspects of personality, most of us understand that a large component of who we are derives from the people we know. It is why parenthood is such an awesome responsibility. A large part of who we are is because of our home environment.
Money of course means much more than coins and paper. The math is the easy part, even without a lot of change on hand to demonstrate. What is much more difficult to understand when it comes to money are the ways in which those nickels and dimes add up to salaries for work and the value of things. And this conversation is as old as the Torah.
Before the global pandemic, most people in developed nations didn’t think much about plagues. Clean water, sewage infrastructure, refrigeration, and decent basic medical care ensured that the scourges of the Bible and Middle Ages seemed like a distant memory. Because of that, the extended passages in Leviticus about Biblical leprosy often struck a modern reader as antiquated, bizarre, or completely irrelevant. We now recognize that humanity may never escape periodic plagues
Sometimes our physical forms determine the challenges or advantages we face in the world, and there’s not much we can do about it. At the same time, often it’s the size of our hearts and the height of our intentions that make the difference.
Before the global pandemic, most people in developed nations didn’t think much about plagues. Clean water, sewage infrastructure, refrigeration, and decent basic medical care ensured that the scourges of the Bible and Middle Ages seemed like a distant memory. Because of that, the extended passages in Leviticus about Biblical leprosy often struck a modern reader as antiquated, bizarre, or completely irrelevant. We now recognize that humanity may never escape periodic plagues
When something comes from the heart, the meaning is one of love and connection, not necessarily about following certain rules. In other words, Parshat Emor teaches us the distinction between the offerings we make that must fit a need and those that fulfill a more abstract purpose.
What a few weeks it has been! Fields of tents, broken windows, paint splattered walls, peaceful protests, violent riots, political speech, and violent hate-speech. It is safe to say that our national attention has been fixated on Columbia, NYU, Yale, Arizona State, USC, Cal Poly Humboldt, and a dozen more schools. Here in Portland, the PSU library was occupied, windows were smashed, walls were tagged, and classes were cancelled.
