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Parental Controls – My “Hashkafa” and What Works for Our Family
Introduction I grew up in the age of BBSes … bulletin board systems. Back in my day, it took about 20 minutes on a 2400 baud modem to download a single 640×480 pixel image in 256 colors. I remember the first time I did it – it was a vivid picture of a parrot and it was amazing to see it on the computer screen. Back then, some BBSes had adult sections and most required age... more»Israel Separate Beaches
Introduction to Israel’s Separate Beaches In the Untied States, we go to the beach before Memorial Day, after Labor Day, on a weekday morning, or a weekday evening and one can usually find a beach to themselves. In Israel, you have some better options for any day of the year – separate beaches for men and women. Most split the hours or days when the beach is open to men and when... more»After the Holocaust – Why Didn’t Jews Just Return to Europe? . . . and Yad V’Shem
A question in the back of my mind At Yad V’Shem, Israel’s primary holocaust museum in Jerusalem, I picked up a copy of “The Jews are Coming Back“, a book about the return of Jews to their countries of origin after World War II. How do you answer a person that says, “Jews should have gone back where they came from!” As an American, it’s actually hard... more»Albert Einstein Biography – Who was he and how Jewish was he?
Who is Einstein? I just finished Walter Isaacson’s biography of Albert Einstein. I sought out the biography to better understanding various quotes which have been circulating as of late. There are the witty quotes about relativity of time and sitting with a pretty woman and there is the 1914 letter to his first wife:, ”A. You will see to it (1) that my clothes and linen are kept... more»Israel: Nahal HaKibbutzim Water Hike in Beit Shean
This was easily one of my favorite days on my last trip to Israel. We were based out of Jerusalem and it was a very hot week so were looking for something to do for a day trip but keep cool. After quite a lot of Googling and speaking to friends who made aliyah I found Nahal HaKibbutzim in Beit Shean, a two hour drive from Yerushalayim. It’s “off the beaten path” even for... more»Yeshiva Week Break – Kosher Hotel – Rocking Horse Ranch
One of the perks of being frum is that your kids are on a different schedule than the rest of the country. That means they typically have off from school the third week in January and you can go on vacation in the “down season” for everyone else. Some places take advantage of this. Through a little googling, this year we found Rocking Horse Ranch. Apologies for not finding the... more»Jewish Belief
Free Will to Believe in G_d
The Question To Atheists Atheists fascinate me. In my most secular days, I was an agnostic because... more»Book Review: The Great Partnership, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks; Part I – Philosophy
Relationships are Meaning One summer day in my childhood I returned from swimming with my... more»Considering the Existence of a Creator – Part I: Gerbils
Introduction Many people today have everything they need, but yet, are depressed because . . .... more»Where Did Earth’s Water Come From? Talmud & Science
The Question: Earth’s Water Came From Where? MinuteEarth / MinutePhysics are great YouTube... more»Hamas Supporter Conversations with this Jew
In issues of political contention, I often have hard times making decisions. There’s... more»Parental Controls – My “Hashkafa” and What Works for Our Family
Introduction I grew up in the age of BBSes … bulletin board systems. Back in my day, it... more»Peace in Israel – Quick Thoughts
A few days before writing of this article, the United Nations renewed and strengthened it’s... more»Insular vs. Involved in Secular Society
Looking From the Outside, In From the outside world, Orthodox Jews tend to look sort of . . .... more»Unchosen: Hidden Lives of Hasidic Rebels – From the Re-chosen
Maybe one day I will get to reading books as they come out – while I was about 60 years too... more»How to Become Rich – It’s Easy . . . and why are there poor people, anyway?
It is often hard to get caught up in the physicality that surrounds us. People tend to think that... more»Mikveh, Relationships, and Using Man’s Desires to Serve the Creator
Articles that begin with discussions about mikveh’s (ritual baths) are usually written from a... more»Folly of Faith, Folly of Reason – Isaac Asimov & Judaism
In this article, I attempt to make a few points: a) Point of view on topics beyond the dimensions... more»Women of the Wall: Part II – Jews for Kant
Historian View of Judaism as Fossil In the past, I wrote about why Torah observant Jews give no... more»Women of the Wall – “But I want”
As readers have pointed out various nitpicks with the article, italics and crossouts represent... more»Iyov (Job): Why is the world the way it is? – Complete Outline
The outline is below, but it’s easier to read if you pop it out into full screen view –... more»Approach of Torah Jews to the Modern State of Israel & Army Service
Synopsis I write this article after a gathering of 300,000 – 600,000 Jews in one place to... more»Six Days of Creation – Broad Philosophical Answer
This is a continuation in the series on Rav Meiselman’s book on Torah and Science and the... more»Why Don’t Bad Things Happen to Bad People?
Introduction Really, the title should be “Why don’t Bad Things Always Happen to Bad... more»Six Days of Creation – A Modern Reconciliation with Science
This is the last in a thread of posts which began with a review of R’Meiselman’s book... more»Why I Choose to Be an Orthodox Jew – The Alternatives [Part 2/3]
In a first post, I wrote I chose to be an Orthodox Jew, focusing mainly on belief in a Creator.... more»Shavuous Learning, Keeping Customs & Love of Mitzvos
My Shavuous Experiences Shavuous is one of the three regalim, three pilgrimage festivals, along... more»When I considered the Existence of a Creator – Part II: Salesmen
This post is a continuation of Considering the Existence of a Creator: Part I – Gerbils. Who... more»Shabbat.com – Find a Place for Shabbos
What is Shabbos (Shabbat)? Torah observant Jews spend 1/7 of their lives disconnected from active... more»Why I Choose to Be an Orthodox Jew – Positive and It Fits [Part 3/3]
In part 1 I discussed living for meaning and how that brings one to go towards an infinite purpose... more»Rationalist Friend Brings Depth to the “Folly of Reason”
Introduction In the article, Folly of Faith, Folly of Reason, one of the things I argued based on... more»Religion & The Paradox of Choice – What is Holy (Kadosh)? – Part I
The Paradox of Choice To be “holy,” in the langauge of the Torah is... more»Slifkin v. Meiselman – Making Sense of the Controversy
This is part 2 in a series on Rav Meiselman’s latest book. For the full book review, see... more»Introduction & Why This Blog
Intro Rav Zev Leff came to speak in my town, and during a portion of his talk, I was daydreaming... more»Unbroken Chain – Direct Link from Sinai through Genealogy
The Claim of the Unbroken Chain One of the claims to the authenticity of the Torah is that there is... more»Siyum HaShas: Media Covers 90,000 Jews at Giant’s Stadium
(Click on the Pictures for Larger Images) What is a “Siyum HaShas” (Completion of... more»Unbroken Chain Slides – Passover Seder & Jewish Claim to Truth
Jewish Timeline I wrote an earlier article showing the unbroken chain from the Exodus in Egypt... more»Belief – Jewish Basics – Know What to Answer Yourself CD Series
The following audio lectures are available from Ani Maamin, run by Rabbi Dovid Sapirman. These... more»Children? Marriage? Why? A Positive Recitation
Why We Should Marry and Why Marriage is Only for Man and Woman Together What’s the purpose of... more»Women in Judaism, Part II: Woman ≠ Man (so I learned)
This post is a continuation of “Women in Judaism, PART I: Woman = Man (so I was... more»Free Will to Believe in G_d – Atheists Revenge
After asking to a group of atheists, “Assuming with live in a world with free will, what... more»Women in Judaism, Part I: Woman = Man (so I was taught)
“Feminist beginnings”, or “Orthodox Judaism’s Oppression” I grew up... more»Meaning of Words – My Conversation with an Athiest Scoffer
Character Traits of the Arguing Athiest Recently, I stumbled upon a message group filed with mostly... more»Agunah – Why Require a Man to Give a Get for a Jewish Divorce?
Okay, short answer: Because our Maker said so. Shorter answer: I don’t know. We can... more»Mountain Family by Tzirel Berger & When Christians Convert to Judaism
I realize I have a diverse reading audience – this article is really intended for a Jewish... more»Trophy Wives: Men Never Change – Flood to PR China, It’s All the Same
New Rich Matchmaking in China The New York Times provides more fodder for discussion in... more»Why I Choose to Be an Orthodox Jew – What to Live For [Part 1/3]
In article 1 (below) I discuss living for meaning and how that brings one to go towards an infinite... more»Seeing the Physical World or Seeing Past the Physical
Rabbi Elozar Ben Pedas’s Complaint and Reward Rabbi Elozar ben Pedas was extremely poor. On... more»Torah Thoughts
When I considered the Existence of a Creator – Part II: Salesmen
This post is a continuation of Considering the Existence of a Creator: Part I – Gerbils. Who... more»Les Miserables, Lord of the Rings … and Torah?
Les Miserables Last year, the Maccabeats, best known for the most popular mainstream Chanukah... more»Dvar Torah for My Son on His Bar MItzvah
The following is adapted from the speech I gave at my son’s Bar Mitzvah. G_d relates to Moshe... more»Charity and the Business of Giving Tzedekah
Introduction to Tzedekah The Torah commands us to give Tzedekah. It’s translated as... more»Men in Marraige and Child Raising – A video explanation
Intro Okay, so this blog already includes articles on mikveh and men and woman in relationships,... more»What are we, that the Creator Should Care About Us?
Guest Post, by Boruch Katina of Passaic, NJ When contemplating the size of the universe and how... more»Mastering a Discipline; Orthodox Surge – New York Times Article
The New York Times has an extremely positive article about Torah observant Jews, starting off with... more»How to Become Rich – It’s Easy . . . and why are there poor people, anyway?
It is often hard to get caught up in the physicality that surrounds us. People tend to think that... more»Who will Die? Forced Ethical Dilemmas in Jewish Law
Forced Ethical Dilemma (Updated Trolley Car Problem) Imagine this scenario: You buy a self driving... more»Why did Purim and the Holocaust end so differently?
The following is adapted largely based on the words of Rabbi Moshe Grylak in Mishpacha magazine,... more»Why Do Christians ‘Pick and Choose’ From the Bible? Homosexuality bad, shellfish good?
The Attack on Christians & A Defense The news as of late about the United States granting legal... more»Always Listen to Your Rebbe
The role of the Rebbe This is one of those anecdotal stories which intersects between Judaism and... more»Reading Torah in Context & Problematic Verses
Introduction Every now and then, an email or meme mocks words from the Torah, preying on the... more»Why Aren’t There 100,000 Jews in the Dominican Republic?
My interest in Jews of the Dominican Republic piqued (or peaked, or maybe peeked) after my visit to... more»Compassion for the Sinner – A Personal Story
Typically I post when I feel I have an answer. On a high level, I’ve written about things... more»Science
Rationalist Friend Brings Depth to the “Folly of Reason”
Introduction In the article, Folly of Faith, Folly of Reason, one of the things I argued based on... more»When I considered the Existence of a Creator – Part II: Salesmen
This post is a continuation of Considering the Existence of a Creator: Part I – Gerbils. Who... more»Slifkin v. Meiselman – Making Sense of the Controversy
This is part 2 in a series on Rav Meiselman’s latest book. For the full book review, see... more»Les Miserables, Lord of the Rings … and Torah?
Les Miserables Last year, the Maccabeats, best known for the most popular mainstream Chanukah... more»Moore’s Law and Creation of Life
Moore’s Law Alexei Sharov at the National Institute on Ageing in Baltimore and his mate... more»Imagining the 10th Dimension
Imagining the 10th Dimension as a Tool to Approach Infinity Imagining the 10th Dimension is... more»What are we, that the Creator Should Care About Us?
Guest Post, by Boruch Katina of Passaic, NJ When contemplating the size of the universe and how... more»Iyov (Job): Why is the world the way it is? – Complete Outline
The outline is below, but it’s easier to read if you pop it out into full screen view –... more»Meiselman – Torah Chazal Science Book Review
The Summary “Torah from Sinai is not only truth, but tells us the whole of truth. Modern... more»Considering the Existence of a Creator – Part I: Gerbils
Introduction Many people today have everything they need, but yet, are depressed because . . .... more»Free Will to Believe in G_d – Atheists Revenge
After asking to a group of atheists, “Assuming with live in a world with free will, what... more»Thinking About Creation – Torah + Modern Physics
Book Review: Thinking About Creation – Eternal Torah and Modern Physics; by Dr. Andrew... more»Six Days of Creation – A Modern Reconciliation with Science
This is the last in a thread of posts which began with a review of R’Meiselman’s book... more»Free Will to Believe in G_d
The Question To Atheists Atheists fascinate me. In my most secular days, I was an agnostic because... more»Folly of Faith, Folly of Reason – Isaac Asimov & Judaism
In this article, I attempt to make a few points: a) Point of view on topics beyond the dimensions... more»Popular Science 1872, 1936 – Nothing New Under the Sun!
Google Books has a plethora of old photographs, books, and magazines available for free viewing.... more»Six Days of Creation – Broad Philosophical Answer
This is a continuation in the series on Rav Meiselman’s book on Torah and Science and the... more»Where Did Earth’s Water Come From? Talmud & Science
The Question: Earth’s Water Came From Where? MinuteEarth / MinutePhysics are great YouTube... more»
Patently Jewish
Torah Observant Jew + Patent Attorney
