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May 24, 2013

Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb: When I didn't so 'humbly disagree'

Caroline B. Glick: Thank you, Hafez al-Assad

Diana West: From the Brooklyn Bridge to London
Morgan Housel: Why spotting bubbles is so much harder than you think

Environmental Nutrition editors: NuVal labeling to the rescue?

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Memorial Day: Jews Serving and KIA in War on Terror; Liberace Bio-Pic; Jew Wins "Survivor"; Shalom, Dr. Brothers; More

The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen: HIDE THESE FROZEN TREATS FROM THE KIDDIES!: Sangria pops; Irish cream pudding pops; mango Lassi pops

May 22, 2013

John Thorne: They launched the 'Arab Spring' but now yearn for the good old days of a strongman

John Rosemond: 'Disciplinary math' adds up to parental successl

Warren Richey: Are prayers before public meetings OK? Supreme Court to decide
Rick Montgomery: Use of ADHD drugs as study aid raises concern on campuses

Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D.: 6 convincing reasons you should keep carbs in your diet

Eoin O'Carroll: Scientists examine nothing, find something

The Kosher Gourmet by Carole Kotkin: This soup is made from one of the great pleasures of spring: A wonderful pairing of rosy color and earthy tang

May 20, 2013

Richard A. Serrano: Is Meir Kahane's assassin now a changed man?

Hannan Adely: Town raises Palestinian flag at City Hall

Melissa Healy: Genetic copies of living people from embryos no longer science fiction
Morgan Housel: When smart investors do stupid things

Sharon Saloman, M.S., R.D.: Hunger games: Eat more, weigh less, without starving

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Jews Inducted into Rock Hall of Fame; Anton Yelchin co-stars in New "Trek" film; Kutcher (but not Kunis) visits Israel; Jewish TV Star Praises Jewish Rap Star

The Kosher Gourmet by Cathy Pollak: WARNING: This WALNUT CAKE WITH PRALINE FROSTING, perfect for afternoon coffee, is addicting

May 13, 2013

Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Why the giving of the document that would permanently change the world could only be done in desolation

David G. Savage: Church-state, literally? Supreme Court weighing public school graduation in a church

Emily Alpert: Recession dragged down birth rates for less-educated women
Morgan Housel: The deep downside of home ownership

Peter Teffer: Will Dutch police soon be stalking cybercriminals on your computer?

Heidi McIndoo, M.S., R.D.: Meatless 'meat' can have its own set of problems

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Celebrate! This must-try appetizer is delicate yet has depth of flavor: Corn-Leek Cakes with Caviar, Smoked Salmon and Creme Fraiche

May 10, 2013

Rabbi Berel Wein: Be all that you should be

Caroline B. Glick: The dirty little secret about Israel's Arabs

Mona Charen: Hawking's Moral Calculus: The man and the movement he embraces
Morgan Housel: The biggest retirement myth ever told

Sandi Doughton: Eyes may provide new insight into brain problems

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : The Great Gatsby's Jewish Ties; Jews in the "Time 100 list" List; People's Most Beautiful Women

The Kosher Gourmet by Linda Gassenheimer: A sweet-hot meal: Pear salsa spices up salmon

May 8, 2013

Peter Ford: Why China is welcoming both Israel's Netanyahu and Palestinians' Abbas

Warren Richey: Obama administration quietly backs out of appeal over new contraceptive mandate

Fred Weir: At Kerry-Putin meeting, US-Russia relations thaw --- a tad
Amanda Paulson: Study reveals sad truths about community colleges

Harvard Health Letters: Evidence weak that zinc, echinacea are beneficial

The Kosher Gourmet by Leela Cyd Ross : Almost too pretty to eat, this colorful salad with Sicilian inspiration will tickle the taste buds and delight your visual sensibility

May 6, 2013

Edmund Sanders and Patrick J. McDonnell: Think Israel's objective in Syria is to weaken Assad or embolden the rebels? Think again

Brian Bennett: Israeli airstrikes may show weakness in Syrian defense

Michael Ollove: Millions of ex-felons, parolees and those on probation are about to be entitled to tax-payer paid health coverage
Karen Kaplan: Most men can skip PSA test for prostate cancer, urologists say

Kimberly Lankford: How to track down a lost life insurance policy

Dream of Mars exploration achievable, experts say

The Kosher Gourmet by Susan M. Selasky: EGGPLANT WRAPS are an easy, sumptuous and scrumptious meal

May 3, 2013

Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Human Courage and the Unavoidable, Disturbing Text

Steven Emerson: Attorney General Fights CAIR in Court, Lauds it in Public

Mediterranean diet helps beat dementia: study
Harvard Health Letters: When to be screened for a hearing problem

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Iron Man's Jewish Connections; Marc Maron's New TV Show; Martin Landau Grows Up with Israel; Shalom, Allan Arbus

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: A sweet surprise for Mother's Day dessert

May 1, 2013

Jonathan Rosenblum: An Improbable Journey to Orthodoxy

Jonathan Tobin: Blame Obama, Not Israel for Syria Push

Kids, kittens the Same? With employee perks at struggling Internet pioneer Yahoo! it's hard to tell
Halena M. Gazelka, M.D.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: What you need to know about implanted pain relief devices

Sandy Kleffman: Artificial kidney offers hope to patients tethered to a dialysis machine

Jessica Shugart: When it comes to math, MRIs may be better than IQs

The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: The celebrated chef on how high-maintenance ASPARAGUS RISOTTO need not be

April 29, 2013

Roy Gutman: Poland's new Jewish museum celebrates life, doesn't revisit Holocaust

Mark Clayton: Terrorism in America: Is US missing a chance to learn from failed plots?

Kim Murphy: Boston Bomber's 'Svengali' Revealed
Morgan Housel: He's rich, smart and old: Listen to him

Thomas Salinas, D.D.S.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: The safety of amalgam fillings

Harvard Health Letters: Tomatoes and stroke protection

Pete Spotts: Tiny satellites + cellphones = cheaper 'eyes in the sky' for NASA

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Swing into spring with lemon cream pie

April 26, 2013

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: The world is a mirror

Caroline B. Glick: Time to confront Obama

Clifford D. May: Defense in the Age of Jihadist Terrorism
Kimberly Lankford: New strategies ease pain of paying for long-term care insurance

Howard LeWine, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Too much ibuprofen?

Sharon Palmer, R.D.: How to feel your best -- with plenty of energy, a healthy weight and optimal mental and physical function -- without driving yourself batty

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom: Jewish Major Leaguers, 2013; New Movies and Comedy Show; Shalom, 'Lumpy' (Leave it to Beaver)

The Kosher Gourmet by Emily Ho : A bright and cheerful salad to herald the warmer months ahead

April 24, 2013

Steven Emerson: Boston Bomber Exposes Islamist Secret

Morgan Housel Admit it: No one has any idea what's going on
Harvard Health Letters: Can you get headaches from headache medication?

Kerri-Ann Jennings, M.S., R.D.: How to easily get more Omega-3s in your diet

Melissa Healy: Pot in a pill: All the pain relief without the smoke

The Kosher Gourmet by Susan Russo: Chipotle Chili Butternut Squash Soup is bold, zesty, hot

April 22, 2013

Ken Dilanian: Counterterrorism's future is unclear

US man departing country arrested on terror charges
Barbara Williams: An unorthodox but growing treatment in a 9-year-old's battle against cancer

P.J. Skerrett, M.D.: How to recognize a good whole grain product

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom: Teen actor Jonah Bobo in New Flick: Hunky James Wolk on Mad Men; Erich Segal's Daughter Writes Prize-Winning Jewish Novel


Jewish World Review

Is it not refreshing that Tiger Woods' career has crashed and burned so dramatically?

By Rabbi Yonason Goldson





Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright

http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | Along with athletic prowess and screen presence, forgiveness is rapidly becoming a marketable commodity. Before much longer, the rich and famous may find themselves advised by their agents to commit acts of moral turpitude in order to schedule press conferences seeking public absolution.


Sexual indiscretion has become so much a part of our society that many wonder why the latest scandal surrounding Tiger Woods has generated more than a passing interest. After all, the peccadillos of former President Clinton, former vice-presidential candidate John Edwards, and former New York governor Elliot Spitzer — among many, many others — should have left us jaded to the culture of infidelity in which we live. We may find refreshing, therefore, that Tiger Woods' career has crashed and burned so dramatically. Apparently, many Americans still care about morality.


Ironically, the scandals not only continue but increase in frequency and magnitude. Given that fame and power seem the common-denominators in a litany of ruined families and careers, should we not expect that the powerful and the famous might learn from the failures of their predecessors? Assuming that an average amount of intelligence is required to attain public prominance, why are so few apparently able to avoid repeating the mistakes of others?


Perhaps the answer can be found by turning the clock back two and a half centuries. According to Jewish tradition, Rabbi Israel Ba'al Shem Tov, founder of the Chassidic movement, reported that before his birth, his soul was paired with another pure and righteous soul with whom he studied the secrets of Torah wisdom prior to being sent forth into the physical world. After birth, his pre-natal learning partner was blessed with anonymity, whereas he, the Ba'al Shem Tov, was "condemned to fame."


Few people today would consider anonymity a blessing or fame a curse. Then again, many celebrities do recognize the curse of fame, even if they continue to pursue it as a drug addict pursues his next fix.


Notoriety carries with it the public scrutiny of every word and action and the loss of a private life — a steep price to pay for the superficial rewards of fame. How much better to live a quiet existence and enjoy the genuine rewards of family, community, and a life lived well.


Jewish philosophy therefore stresses the importance of modesty. Commonly misunderstood as a precept applying to women's clothing with the intent of preventing sexual arousal in men, the Jewish concept of modesty is in truth a code of personal conduct designed to preserve personal privacy. In truth, the concept of modesty applies to both men and women, and it extends to all manner of public and private behavior far beyond either attire or sexuality.


The popular cliche "don't judge a book by its cover" accurately reflects the spirit of Jewish modesty. In our physical world, outward appearance often belies inner nature. To admire a great book for its cover is to miss its greatness entirely. Similarly, by valuing only the blandishments of material existence, by pursing the transient pleasure of physical indulgence at the expense of genuine relationships, we find ourselves relentlessly seeking a satisfaction that perpetually eludes us. By coveting the egoistic gratification of public adulation at the cost of inner meaning, we leave ourselves with only the most two-dimensional and unfulfilling rewards of a life half-lived.


The acceleration of technology has rendered us far more vulnerable to the curse of superficiality. The so-called information age has created the illusion that we are well-informed, when in fact we are so inundated by headlines that we rarely plumb the depth of any single story. Instant access to everything has left us impatient and unwilling to exert the effort to acquire anything that requires time and discipline. We don't want to work for what is truly valuable, so we value only that which demands little work.


At the same time, we can't escape the awareness that something profoundly important has been lost. And so we are no longer surprised when our heroes fail us. Beneath the surface, we don't expect anything more from them. Despite the virtue of forgiveness, however, our reluctance to forgive may be the most revealing symptom that there remains some small hope for our society. With privilege comes responsibility, and we feel passionately that those who shirk responsibility deserve to forfeit their privileges.


Perhaps enough such incidents will finally produce a much needed paradigm shift, returning us to our senses so that we reject the fantasy world of celebrity and the allure of power. A life of modesty focuses our attention on the rewards that come with a rich inner life of enduring values and true purpose, a life all the richer for its privacy, its quiet dignity, and the contentment that, once lost, can never be recaptured by making public apologies for having abused the narcotics of power and fame.

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JWR contributor Rabbi Yonason Goldson teaches at Block Yeshiva High School in St. Louis, MO, where he also writes and lectures. He is author of Dawn to Destiny: Exploring Jewish History and its Hidden Wisdom, an overview of Jewish philosophy and history from Creation through the compilation of the Talmud, now available from Judaica Press. Visit him at http://torahideals.wordpress.com .






© 2010, Rabbi Yonason Goldson