Now that Covid-19 has imposed social distancing on us, many establishments that rely on physical attendance have a problem. Among them are shuls. According to a story on Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA), “The pandemic’s first High Holiday season has synagogues…
American society is on the move. More than one in five US adults, 22% of the population, has relocated or knows someone likely to do so as a consequence of Covid-19’s socioeconomic impact, according to a recent study. Silicon Valley…
Talk show after talk show, comedian after comedian, everyone’s trying to be funny, to make us laugh. But they really needn’t go a long way to do that. All they have to do is find a topical issue, invite a…
Entire neighborhoods are engulfed in fire; thousands have been evacuated from their homes in California. A historic and unusual summer thunderstorm and rare massive lightning strikes combined with record-breaking heat ignited devastating fires across the Golden State. Death Valley reported…
When we talk about egoism being the bane of our generation, we need to understand what it means. After all, where would we be without it? We wouldn’t have industry, modern medicine, or communication. We wouldn’t be able to travel,…
There has indeed been an upsurge of violence recently in America. For instance, murders in Chicago and New York are currently 50 percent higher now than what they were at this time last year, and then there are also the…
Kabbalist Yehuda Ashlag (Baal HaSulam), who wrote the Sulam (Ladder) commentary to The Zohar, wrote four introductions to The Zohar in order to provide us with a sturdy foundation for approaching the book. Without thoroughly understanding the concepts that Baal HaSulam describes in these introductions, it is…
The ego was great as long as it served us. The desire for power, knowledge, and wealth drove civilization to innovate, create, and challenge its own limits. Thanks to the ego, we now live longer, lead easier lives, and engage…
Should we cancel people and their ideas if we do not agree with them? This has become the dilemma of our era. The so-called “cancel culture” which consists in removing support for public figures for their opinions or actions is…
A few weeks ago, I warned that the spreading unruliness and violence were only going to worsen unless they were treated correctly. After some of the countrywide George Floyd protests became violent came more localized incidents, but they were just…
Covid-19 has crippled every conceivable aspect of civilization. Yet, some aspects suffered such a blow that in all likelihood, we are witnessing their premortem spasms. One such aspect is higher education. After decades of accelerated ethical and political decadence, and…
We are nearing the end of the summer and Covid-19 isn’t letting up. Wherever restrictions are eased, it erupts stronger than before, infecting younger and younger people, and with strains up to ten times more contagious. As temperatures begin to…