Shoftim
Humble righteousness is the difference between being a judge and being judgmental.
Appointing judges and officers to uphold the law is critical to making this world a Divine home. There is wrong and right and the righteous of every generation shall apply the right principles to guide the people down the right path. The dark arts and the dark hearts are not for the people of light. The laws of kings are followed by the laws of the cities of refuge. Law and order is especially essential in times of war: peace is always the first option; do not destroy indiscriminately; do not cut down anything productive. Conclude with communal responsibility, especially in no-man’s-land.
Exposing Abuse
What are our obligations as parents, teachers, writers, website editors, or just plain adult citizens, when it comes to abuse?
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Shoftim: A True Relationship
The Jewish month of Elul teaches an important lesson in relationships; one must create total unity whilst retaining their individuality.
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Crime and Punishment
The Sanhedrin must decide the willfulness of the criminal’s deed based on the evidence presented before them, not their knowledge of the essence of humanity.
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The Month of the Bride
The month of Elul is a month in which the love between the divine Groom and His bride Israel is at its height.
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The Military Method
A soldier enters the fray of battle to the tune of a joyous march, not with tears. It is by the power of his joy that he is victorious even in the most dangerous and challenging endeavors.
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Twenty-Three Judges
“A judge who judges with absolute truthfulness,” say our sages, “becomes like a partner with G-d in creation.”
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Two Witnesses
Both nature and the mitzvah-performing person are witnesses to the truth of G-d. Yet they differ greatly in the manner and function of their witnessing.
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The Bottom Line
A Chassidic story demonstrating the entire point of Chabad Chassidism: not to renounce and denigrate the material world, but rather to elevate it by infusing it with an awareness of the divine.
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My Father’s Siddur
It didn’t take long before she found her father’s siddur under layers and layers of dust, and after she cleaned it off, she held it close to her heart.
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Unanimous Verdict
What is the Torah’s position on the contentious issue of the death penalty?
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Olympic Thoughts
Sports are all consuming in today’s society, but what can we learn from this about reality and illusion?
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Shoftim: Katrina And Gaza
Rabbi Jacobson’s answer to a question about the link between the Israeli evacuation from Gaza with the catastrophic devastation of by Hurricane Katrina.
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Shoftim: Elul Whispers
Elul is the month of love and compassion. As we enter the month we ask how we understand this in light of the reality around us filled with terror and war?
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Are You Concerned About the Future?
Spiritual perspective: The economy is just the latest of challenges facing us all. Many people have been laid off from work, many are suffering deep financial losses.
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Are You Concerned About the Future?
Spiritual perspective: The economy is just the latest of challenges facing us all. Many people have been laid off from work, many are suffering deep financial losses.
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A True Relationship
In this month of Elul we have the opportunity to create, mend and renew relationships. May we use the month well, and may we all be blessed with experiencing “I am to my beloved and my beloved to me.”
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An Open Letter to the Muslim World
With atrocities being perpetrated by Muslims in the name of Allah — mass beheadings, rapes and murders of women and children, the killings of thousands of innocent people — why do we not hear any voice of protest from any of you?
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Am I Unlovable? Elul Secrets to Finding Love
Whether you are in need of love or are filled with love, learn how Elul opens for us up the wellsprings of love which run endlessly deep.
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Who Controls Your Mind?
Do you control what enters your mind and your heart? Who or what stimulates your senses? Who then controls my mind and senses if not I? Discover what connects you with the world around you, and to control what enters your psyche.
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