Equality vs. meritocracy: how do they square with one another? As fair and reasonable people we want everyone to have equal opportunities and benefits, yet when some people put in more effort and/or achieve more than others, shouldn’t they be rewarded for it? The building of the Desert Tab…
There’s a well-known Hebrew phrase used when giving directions to a person wandering towards a destination: Yashar, Yashar Vetishal Shamah. It means, “Go straight, straight and then ask.” While this is functional, it is not always satisfying because we like to have an idea of where we …
The Hebrew word for “glasses” is “mishkafayim;” and the Hebrew word for “philosophy” is “hashkafa.” The reason the two words are related is because how you see the world depends on what your philosophy is. We are fortunate to have the Torah as our heritage and our collective …
As a rule, the Torah says what it means and means what it says. There is one glaring exception to this rule: An eye for an eye. This verse in Exodus 21: 22-25 is interpreted Talmudically to mean “monetary compensation for damages.” The obvious question is, why didn’t the Torah just say…
People love to be the bearer of good news. At home, at the office, on Zoom, or wherever we are; when we have good news to share, we like to do so. Most of the time people meet our good news with warm feelings of congratulations and smiles; but sometimes one of the listeners may not appreciate…
