A New Revelation?-- Thoughts for Shavuoth

On Shavuoth, we commemorate the awesome Revelation at Mount Sinai, when the Almighty presented the Ten Commandments to the people of Israel.  All of the Israelite men, women and children experienced that solemn moment, marking an everlasting covenant between God and the Israelite nation.

 

Let us imagine that God would invite us to a second Revelation at Sinai, asking all the Jews of the world to attend.

 

Happy are You, O Israel: Thoughts on Yom Ha-Atsma'ut

Between 2005 and 2009, researchers at the Gallup World Poll surveyed thousands of respondents in 155 countries to find out the "happiness" levels in each country. They asked people to reflect on their overall satisfaction with their lives. Do they feel free? Are they making a living? Do they feel intellectually engaged? Are they relatively free of pain? Do they feel that they are respected by others?

Thoughts for Shavuoth 5770

My wife and I recently had dinner in a fine New York kasher restaurant. At a nearby table, a father and daughter (about 12 or 13 years old) were seated together. How nice, I thought, that this father wanted quality time with his daughter, and took her out to a special dinner. However, the father soon received a call on his cell phone, and he was on the phone for the entire time that we were in the restaurant. The "quality time" with his daughter was not of a very high quality. She was picking away at her dinner, staring off into space, as her father talked endlessly on his cell phone.

Shalom from Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals

Shalom. I hope you've had a good Purim. Here are a few items for members of the University Network.

1. We have received good submissions to our essay contest. The due date is today. If you are still planning to submit something, you may do so until midnight tonight. You should email a copy to [email protected] and to [email protected], and you should indicate which university you attend and what year you're in. The deadline is firm--no extensions.

Updates for University Network of Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals

Shalom uvrakha. I hope you all had a good Pessah. Best wishes to you as the academic year draws to a close. Here are a few reminders.

1. The next issue of our journal, Conversations, is due out in mid-May. The theme is: Orthodoxy and Diversity. Please make sure that we have your correct mailing address by going to your My Account page on the Institute's website: www.jewishideas.org

Think Carefully, Then Speak: Thoughts for Shabbat April 17, 2010

The Talmud (Gittin 67A) reports a conversation between Rabbi Yehuda haNasi (the great compiler of the Mishna) and his son Rabbi Shimon. The rabbis had established a hierarchy of authorities; in case of disagreements, the opinions of certain sages were considered more authoritative than the opinons of their colleagues. The sage who usually prevailed was Rabbi Yosei. Rabbi Shimon asked his father: why do we rule according to Rabbi Yosei, when some of his colleagues were known to be more incisive?

Rivets, Kashruth and the Jewish Future: Thoughts on Parashat Shemini, April 10, 2010

A while ago, the New York Times ran a story about a significant theory why
the Titanic sunk. That great luxury ship struck an iceberg, letting
ocean water plunge in. The tragedy resulted in the loss of about 1500
lives. The prevailing theory had been that the hull of the ship had
been gashed open by the iceberg. The new theory offers a different
explanation.