Living Judaism

Two Very Different Kinds of Humor – Purim 2010

“A joke is a very serious thing.” – Winston Churchill

The Jewish genius for finding humor in just about every situation is a wonderful thing, but we seem to take it to an extreme when it comes to Purim. After all, attempted genocide is hardly a laughing matter, especially for a people with a history like ours. Yet Purim, which celebrates the Jews’ deliverance from a genocidal plot in ancient Persia, happens to be the Jewish holiday most associated with humor and irony. And while it no-doubt ends well for the Jews, one would think that even a narrowly averted holocaust should at best be a cause for thanksgiving, not laughter. read more

It’s What We Know That’s The Problem

“If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it.” -  Albert Einstein

Three years ago, on Friday January 12^th 2007, the Washington Post conducted a social experiment: World famous violin virtuoso Joshua Bell spent 45 minutes on a Washington Metro platform during the morning commute playing six intricate Bach compositions on a $3.5 million violin. By the time he was finished, a total of six people had stopped to listen and he had earned a whopping $32 from the few passers-by who were moved enough to toss some coins into his case. * read more

Recession Proof Your Soul

“Open for me an opening as big as the eye of a needle and I will open up for you an opening as wide as a grand hall.” (Yalkut Shimoni)

Times are rough. Some of us have lost much of our wealth, and even if we have been fortunate enough to escape the carnage, many of our closest friends and relatives have not. The suffering is real, and we must have compassion for all those who are experiencing pain.

The sense of fear and insecurity gripping our society is clear and unmistakable, but is its cause as obvious as we might assume? After all, what is the link between our bank account and our peace of mind? Why should declining asset values necessarily lead to a decline in the level of our happiness or our sense of security? read more