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Synchronicity and Its Meaning for Experiential Faith (Part 1)

A Bridge Across Time?

You have probably heard of this story before. Every time I come across this citation, it makes me pause and wonder. American presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy were both tragically assassinated during their terms in office. Despite the difference in time, both of these men share a number of unusual circumstances-or more precisely, coincidences. Consider the following.

- Lincoln’s name has 7 letters
- Kennedy’s name has 7 letters

- In Lincoln’s & Kennedy’s names the vowels & ...

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Categories: Bible, biblical history, biblical theology, Contrarian wisdom, Current Events, ethics, good and evil, Heart-Centered Judaism, Jewish and Jungian ideas, Jewish History, Jewish Prayer and Meditation, Jewish symbolism, science and religion, The Future of Judaism, Theology and Philosophy

What Inspired the Rabbis to say, “Thank God for not making me a woman!”? (Part 2)

A Greek Should be Thankful for Three Things . . .

At this point one could ask: What sort of teachings might have inspired Rabbi Judah to formulate these three blessings? There may be two possible sources: Greek or early Christian writings. Of the two choices, I believe the Greek influence is more dominant. However, as we shall soon see, the liturgical texts found in the Cairo Geniza suggest that the early medieval liturgical scholars may have had Christianity in mind, ...

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Categories: American Jewish Issues, Bible, biblical history, biblical theology, Contrarian wisdom, Israel, Jewish History, Jewish Prayer and Meditation, Jewish sexual ethics, New Testament and Jewish scholarship, Talmud, Zohar, and Midrash, The Future of Judaism

What Inspired the Rabbis to say, “Thank God for not making me a woman!”? (Part 1)

As we have pointed out in other postings, a strong case can be made that one of the most serious “deadly sins” of history is the sin of misogyny. Every faith grapples with this problem in one form or another. In Judaism, there is a well known blessing men say every day upon getting up in the morning:

“Blessed are you, Lord, our God, ruler the universe who has not created me a woman.”

The Original Rabbinical Source of the Blessing

The origin ...

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Categories: American Jewish Issues, Bible, biblical history, biblical theology, Contrarian wisdom, ethics, Halacha, Interfaith Dialogue, Jewish sexual ethics, Judaism and Feminism, New Testament and Jewish scholarship, Talmud, Zohar, and Midrash, The Future of Judaism

A Pre-Shabbat Meditation: “When Shift Happens . . .”

Byline: March 5th, 2010 — 5:45 PM

Life’s Unexpected Upheavals

With all the economic upheaval and uncertainty we face these days, it is important to not lose faith in the possibilities of today’s momentous hour. Nobody can afford the luxury of a negative thought—whether we like it or not, we are on a journey. Where exactly the road is taking us, is anyone’s guess, but the boundaries that have for decades been intact are in a state of movement. When I think ...

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Categories: Bible, biblical theology, Contrarian wisdom, Current Events, ethics, Heart-Centered Judaism, Jewish and Jungian ideas, Jewish symbolism, The Future of Judaism, Theology and Philosophy

Can a Golem be counted as part of a minyan?

Childhood Memories

As a child, I used to love reading the golem stories attributed to Rabbi Judah Lowe, a.k.a., the famous “Maharal of Prague” (1525-1609). Since my father came from Czechoslovakia, I grew up hearing many family tales about the golem. These stories were especially delightful since my father was a naturally talented storyteller. The golem was something like a medieval super-hero who protected the Jewish community from pogroms in its time. It is interesting to note, that despite the numerous ...

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Categories: Anti-Semitism, Bible, biblical history, ethics, good and evil, Jewish Folklore, Jewish History, Jewish Law & Technology, Jewish medical ethics, Judaism and Feminism, science and religion, Talmud, Zohar, and Midrash, The Future of Judaism, Theology and Philosophy

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