This week’s Torah portion, Vayakhel (Exodus 35:1-38:20) and Haftarah (II Kings 11:17-12:17) present an interesting contrast that has to do with altars. Basically, there are some altars that we should build and some that we should tear down. On the one hand, altars are complicated. They’re built a specific way, serve multiple purposes, and at […]
Archives for February 2016
3 Lions 3 Opinions
I saw these lions on display at The Davis Academy Lower School alongside about a dozen others. As I looked at them I was overwhelmed by the different emotions each conveyed. What emotions do you see? I wonder if we see the same. Emmanuel Levinas, the Jewish philosopher, wrote extensively about the power of the […]
Looking back
A few days ago I noticed that it’s been about 1 year since I started this website. This will be my 135th blog post since then. I took a look at the archived posts from February 2015. Here’s what I learned: Ideas matter. As human beings we stumble upon, contemplate, test, and validate ideas. […]
You might say…
You might say… “I have nothing to say.” Or, “I have something to say but I’m unwilling to say it.” Or, “I have something to say but I don’t know how.” Or, “I’m not sure how it will sound.” Or, “It won’t make any sense.” Or, “If I say it, someone might think less, more, or […]
When things change
When someone we know experiences a difficult or unwanted life change many of us find ourselves not knowing what to say or how to be around that person. It could be a co-worker, friend, fellow parent, or even a family member. Are we allowed to say, “How are you?” Or, “What’s new?” Is it tacky […]
The source of trouble
Thank you to Brain Pickings for posting excerpts from Saul Bellows’ 1976 Prize Acceptance Speech. Here’s a quote that resonates: To find the source of trouble we must look into our own heads. Reading and reflecting on it now, it feels obvious to me. For the most part trouble is something we get ourselves into and out […]