Tzvi Freeman

Keep the good work the world needs people like you Reply

I am very appreciative of the Kabbalah inspiration.
I am not of the Jewish faith but have great respect. Reply

Toda Raba Thank you very much, Rabbi! Reply

persist Tzvi, your words have helped shape and encourage me through both challenging and delightful times. The light in your words illuminates me over and over again. I just want to encourage you to press on during times when the voice that reaches to G-d grows less than strong. There are few men that have ever influenced my thinking like you and Rabbi Shmulik Greenberg that you so kindly 'wired' me to, years ago. May G bless you and keep you. My sincere prayers are with you and may our G-d give you abundant strength to march forward, especially in times challenge - much love and light to you... Reply

Access to Judaism Rabbi Freeman,
If we are all in the same boat together, we need to address access to Judaism for all Jews. There are Jews with developmental disabilities living in group homes with little or no access to Judaism. If family members die off, the Jewish community cannot even secure contact with these individuals because of HIPPA restrictions. There are questions in terms of these folks getting access to a Jewish burial. These are individuals who do not fit in with recent so-called "Jewish Inclusion" programming. This is a huge issue that we ignore. Great article. I enjoyed it. Reply

chabad is fantastic it s food for soul. Reply

Ari and Yom Kippur Connect cartoon Perfect for my Hebrew High class. Finally something that speaks their language! Thx so much for creating Reply

Today's Daily Dose message Rabbi Freeman,

I would have written the ending of today's Daily Dose message a little differently. I would have said:

"But that life force is G-d as He has constricted a portion of his energy within each creature and thing which He has made."

Shabbat Shalom and Shana Tova Tikateyvu! Reply

Gratefulness Thanks for the post on Gratefulness and the Holey Bagel. Straightforward insights into the prayers. Reply

To darren middle
There is no contradiction. The founding principle of the Jewish culture has nothing to with marrying others. Actually, it has nothing to do with gentiles. It is a self-absorbed culture. Reply

contra diction Just read "Why Do Jews Exclude Other People?" question reply. The questioner does not accept the exclusion of non Jews marrying Jews (and the implied extensions of this), dislikes the distinction I imagine. The answer is that the Jewish people must survive. So the founding principle of a culture is crushed to preserve the culture. So the real question is how to avoid the question? Reply

re: Evolution-How Old are You? Judging by this list on AMAZON you have written a lot of books! I plan on reading some especially the KABBALISTIC SCI-FI! Sounds up my alley. Reply

To enable creation We are created to enable creation To Be under rules of Truth and Love. Do believe in Your self You can...even to Learn if You do not Know How To Be Forth. Do not continue taking as there is very little left. Reply

Patrileneal descent Since Judaism is a religion, it cannot be genetically "traced." I have both Sephardic and Ashkenazi blood, and am also the descendant of a woman who converted to Habad in Jerusalem. So, yes, I also share genetic markers with non-Jews. (I also have the "Jewish" Crohn's gene). There is no such thing as being "more" Jewish, by any standard. My Mother was a Jew, therefore I am a Jew (in my case, my Father was also a Rav, but I was raised that religion is through the maternal line). It is that simple. But people born non-Jews can become Jews, and people born Jews can choose to ignore or deny it. Thank God that Israel has less and less division between Sephardic and Ashkenazi, for it is a silly division. And Thank God that we do not use blood tests to define who is a Jew. Reply

TO Rabbi Freeman Greetings Rabbi,

Was your beautiful post "We are One" based on any piece of Torah in particular? I know for your Daily Doses you say "Based on the wisdom of the Rebbe" but for this article you did not. I am making a web page in an attempt to unite yiddin and am using your article as the foundation and basis for everything. Skoach! Reply

Religion and Science ... The relationship between religion and science is indeed most important in our days, even if very little concern is shown about it in the general, and even less of it goes deep enough, in order to facilitate a better understanding. Recently, I myself have, after long long years of meditation on that issue, published the related paper :

"Difference between Science and Religion ? A Superficial, yet Tragi-Comic Misunderstanding ..."

In case you may find it appropriate to give it a reading, you are, needless to say, most welcome to comment on it. It is posted on a website which I am glad to let you know elsewhere.

By the way, for many years by now, I have been in close contact with a study group in Johannesburg, South Africa, run by a Lubavitch rabbi, where more fundamental issues of life are the subjects of concern, and the teachings of The Rebbe are the guiding lights.

In case it may be of interest, I could email my c.v. to an email address which allows longer texts than this place. Reply

Faith - big vs small vs Truth Faith/Truth knows no size. It just is. Being. Who can ever understand even a small part of the Divine Thoughts? Reply

God Love Tzi, this is superb piece of divine writing, in every day language.

Condensing it, here is the essence

"perhaps there is more to the miracle of life than survival. Perhaps life has a more profound meaning, as a work of art has more meaning than strokes of color upon canvas. Perhaps, as art provides a window upon the soul of the artist, life provides a window upon the soul of G‑d. Only that the core essence of G‑d cannot be known except through the window of paradox, of an insane union of opposites becoming one, while all the time remaining opposites."

Miha Ahronovitz Reply

Patrilineal descent First, thanks for your scholarly responses. I want to preface my final remark with something I find quite interesting and I feel strengthens my points on patrilineal descent; It is only through the Jewish male Y chromosome ( I hope I have that right) that it can be determined how much actual "Jewish" lineage existis in that particiular family. It is an on line lecture and he ends by saying (I'm paraphrasing) " Alot of you of Ashkenazic descent will not be pleased with what I'm about to say. The evidence thus far indicates the vast majority of Ashkenazic Jewry descend from a Middle Eastern male and a gentile female...So by the standard of normative Judaism, most Askhenazim, would not considered even to be Jewish..." I believe that Hashem through science is pointing us towards the truth. Only through the Father's genetics can Jewish lineage be charted. Please don't denigrate science here because Israel has used it in the case of Ethiopian Jewry. Thank You. Reply

Thankyou I am not Jewish but try to follow Jewish law as a Christian. I have learned more here in a few days then I have learned in church. Because of your wisdom and perspective my family is stronger. I would also like to say on a side note to kosher dietary laws I think a good reason for it might be the health aspect. I lost 20 pounds on it, I feel great! Though I have to confess I do cheat on taco night:( Reply