Issues

Examining the gun control debate from the perspective of classic Judaic sources

Any loss, especially one involving the loss of love, independence, structure or identity, causes a temporary loss of balance—physically, emotionally and spiritually.

We make mistakes. And we pay for them, sometimes quite dearly. Does this mean that we should accept that we have, in effect, "lost" a portion of our life? What about someone serving a life sentence in prison?

The human psyche is home to two contrasting drives: a striving for freedom, and an impulse to submit to authority. Which should be given priority over the other? Or, to otherwise state the question: in what sort of environment would the Torah prefer to see the Jew—as a member of a free society, or as the subject of an authoritarian regime?

I'm all for happiness, but to be fully human means to be able to acknowledge and express the full range of emotions which G‑d gave us.

Kabbalah, psychology, and the real issue behind "gun control vs. people control"

"Peace" is commonly regarded as synonymous with compromise. But what if you compromise the very foundation on which the existence of peace depends?

Remembering the Holocaust, we're faced with the eternal question: Where was G-d? But I believe that 60 years ago G-d was watching and waiting for an answer to an even more important question: Where is man?

Those who refer to the biblical story of Eve as a Divine endorsement of sexism are overlooking a simple truth: a curse is not something that should to be the way it is -- it's something that should not be the way it is...

Twice in the Torah we find a human and an animal conversing: Eve and the serpent, and Balaam and his ass. In both cases, they're talking about the uses and abuses of the Inner Voice

For truth to be upheld, it is fundamental that human beings do not live in intellectual isolation, only hearing views that reinforce their own...

We have our own state; so why do we still mourn our exile on Tishah B'Av?

In effect, democracy is far more dependent on the commonly held belief/value system of the population than it is on the non-establishment of a particular religion.

It seems that what people fear more than anything is not crime, illness or even death. The greatest fear is their own feelings, especially the "big three": loneliness, helplessness and insignificance.

Has the deliberate, laudable avoidance of focusing on others' weaknesses also led to a reluctance to focus on others' strengths -- for fear that it will hurt the self esteem of those who don't have those particular talents or strengths?

Does Jewish unity allow for diversity? The pros and cons of multiculturalism are reflected in the two primary mitzvot of Sukkot -- taking the Four Kinds and dwelling in the sukkah.

Is it a message from G‑d, calling us all to take heed, or are the tragedies that strike our lives just random events?

Every soul journeys down into this world with two suitcases. One is full of challenges; the other, the talents and strengths necessary to withstand those challenges. The first suitcase is opened for you; the second you have to open yourself.

Throughout our lives, we will all experience endless irritations, frustrations and losses. What makes the difference between those who stay down and those who pick themselves up and start rebuilding?

An American Chabad rabbi working in Uruguay to "activate souls," and a well established doctor, self proclaimed atheist from the interior of Argentina, explore their Jewishnesss, establishing a line of communication that not only transcends their differences but feeds off them…

As I watched this gripping video, my recurring thought was how a positive ideal could become absolutely evil if distorted from its proper context or taken to too extreme a measure.

Millions worldwide watched in awe as the lunar module raced through space. People held their breaths at what was seen as the almost impossible mission. But many religious people felt disoriented...

When I was around six years old, I vividly recall – in a type of frozen image, the type that results only from a childhood experience forever etched in our memories – a fistfight that took place in my local synagogue...