 |
|
February 13, 2012
Binyamin Rose: Back to the Bunker: How a life-risking act by a Christian family during the Holocaust saved a family and built a thriving community a world away
Menachem Wecker: Business Schools Teach Real Estate Despite Troubled Housing Market
February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
|
| |
Jewish World Review
Shimmering paradoxes
By Rabbi Hillel Goldberg
The beauty — and necessity — of contradiction
http://www.JewishWorlRreview.com |
"WHEN a child is born and comes into the world, all are rapturous with joy - and the child itself is crying and wailing. When someone dies and his life-spirit leaves the world, all are mourning and grieving - but that living spirit itself exults and rejoices. It has gone from a world of darkness to a world of light . . ."
- Rabbi Aryeh Levine, from A Tzaddik in Our Time (1972)GOALS should not be high. They should be impossible. Sir Alexander Korda was born Sandor Keller in 1892 in Turkeve, Hungry, poor, unknown. His goals were to belong to the most important nation, to become rich, marry the most beautiful woman and be world famous. In 1945, after having been knighted, he said: "I've done all those things. I became a British subject, I founded my own film company, I owned a yacht, Winston Churchill is my close friend, I married Merle, I was knighted. . . . Now . . . now I've no more dreams left. . . . If you accomplish all your ambitions, there is nothing left."
- from The Great Escape: ?Nine Jews Who Fled Hitler and Changed the World (2006)
JEWISH law conspires to shorten its periods of mourning. On the day of the funeral, if one arrives late from the cemetery and sits shiva for just a fraction of the day, it counts as the whole day. On the last day of shiva, Jewish law applies the rule, "a part of the day is like the whole day"; one gets up from shiva not at the end of the day, but in the early morning. If a loss occurs just before a major Jewish holiday, the holiday interrupts and cancels the shiva from that point onward. If, for example, a loss occurs a day before Shavuos, one sits shiva for one day only. Likewise, if a death occurs a week before Shavuos, then the second stage of mourning, "thirty days," is also interrupted and canceled by the holiday. One's thirty-day period is reduced to a week. All this is on the one hand. On the other hand, it is common during shiva to feel as if one is still holding on to the departed. A shiva is a connection. The spirit of the deceased hovers, is almost palpable. This is heightened by the articulation of memories of the deceased by the visitors who console the mourners. For many, one doesn't want the shiva to end, even though one dreads it. So it is with the sheloshim ("thirty days") period, and all more so the final parting, when the year of mourning for parents ends. It should never have come, yet it is hard to let go of. THE most exalted character trait is humility. Should I humble others, degrade them and speak ill of them? It's good for them to be humble, no? If the lowest character trait is vainglory, shouldn't I derogate and dishonor others? I'm helping them improve their character! Rabbi Israel Salanter (1810-1883) said the reverse is true. I must apply the highest character trait only to myself. I strive for humility, but must apply just the opposite to others. I must strive to increase their reputation. He calls this an ethical principle, "a trait and its opposite." It posits that all character traits are equivocal. I should diminish my acquisitions, but increase the acquisitions of others. I should see my limitations, but others' greatness. I should flee from honor, but give honor to others. A trait and its opposite.
- from Tevunah (1861) THE Elder of Novorodock (1849-1919) said: The secular Jews say to the religious Jews: "You've decided to take the next world and to abandon the pleasures of this world. You opt for spirituality over physicality. We opt for physicality over spirituality. We'll take this world, you take the next." Secular Jews have it backwards. Do we, the religious Jews, have a portion in the next world, the eternal world with G-d? Maybe, maybe not. Who knows? How can we evaluate our service of G-d? Only G-d knows if it's pure enough to merit eternal reward. But the pleasures of this world? On this, there is no doubt. The pleasures in this world - via mitzvos (fulfilling our religious duties) - are ours alone. Absent mitzvos, there is no true pleasure in this world. THE body is governed by natural law; the soul is ruled by a higher law. Not so, said Rabbi Yechezkel Levinstein (1885-1974). He survived the Nazis, the Communists and the Japanese through perilous escapes, reaching Shanghai, where he shepherded students in the Mir Yeshiva during WW II, as they learned the fate of their families. "We feared we would not survive. We were fugitives, constantly dreading exile to Siberia or worse, not knowing the dangers each tomorrow would bring. Yet, we have survived - and none of us show any sign of infirmity or debilitating aftereffects. "To survive this one needs to be made of iron, but in truth even iron would melt from such hardship. We have clearly been shown that the body is above natural law. "Not true for the soul. "The Sages state that the soul is as easily destroyed as glass. Should one take his mind off spiritual matters, they flee at once. Just as fine crystal cannot be left unattended for fear that it will shatter, so too the soul needs to be protected lest we lose the spiritual accomplishments we have so painstakingly created." The body is superhuman, not the soul.
- from Reb Chatzkel (2007)
'I told you a million times, don't exaggerate!
-Avi Shulman
Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Rabbi Hillel Goldberg is executive editor of the Intermountain Jewish News. To comment, please click here.
© 2009, Rabbi Hillel Goldberg
|
