From: http://www.jewishclarity.com/ It is important to recognize from the outset the limitations of what is possible to accomplish in a discussion on the Holocaust. The most that we can hope to achieve is an intellectual framework of essential principles, not an emotional resolution. Our goal should be
Read more →Scientists are discovering what believers have always known It was during residency training at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Texas, when I had my first patient with terminal cancer in both lungs. I advised him on what therapy was available and what little I thought it would
Read more →The First Commandment…(or is it?) Emunah (Belief) Many people were introduced to the Ten Commandments via Charlton Heston’s famous movie of the same name. The truth be told, this is one of those times where the book is a ‘heckuva’ lot better than the movie. The Torah
Read more →Intro: In the physical world that G-d created, children acquire their parents’ genetic material. Looks, age, longevity and other factors are programmed into us as a mixture of our parents. Our spiritual makeup is also affected by our parents and ancestors. We inherit spiritual potential from our ancestors
Read more →An introduction to the Torah, the Jewish guide to living. “I call heaven and earth to witness on you this day, that I have set before you life and death… choose life that you may live…” (Deuteronomy 30:19) Where do you go to seek answers about life?
Read more →I have recently found myself either teaching or having a conversation with someone and the topic of Divine authorship of the Torah has come up. For me, writing is a great way to clarify my understanding of a topic, so I’ve chosen this week to present one
Read more →Author: Rabbi Asher Resnick By any critical standard, the Torah ranks as one of the greatest works of literature and moral instruction ever written. If the Torah’s author was a human being, he must have been one of the greatest geniuses, moral systematizers and literary artists that
Read more →Author: JEWISH NOBEL WINNERS 0.2% OF WORLD POPULATION 14.1 Million Jews Literature 1910 – Paul Heyse1927 – Henri Bergson1958 – Boris Pasternak1966 – Shmuel Yosef Agnon1966 – Nelly Sachs1976 – Saul Bellow1978 – Isaac Bashevis Singer1981 – Elias Canetti1987 – Joseph Brodsky1991 – Nadine Gordimer World Peace
Read more →The closing paragraphs are famous, but few have read Mark Twain’s complete article. It’s long but fascinating. Print and read. Harper’s Magazine, March, 1898 Some months ago I published a magazine article descriptive of a remarkable scene in the Imperial Parliament in Vienna. Since then I have
Read more →Author: Rabbi Asher Resnick Introduction Mashal with the seven gold chariots coming out of the ground. The only specific area besides Torah where study is required of all Jews is history.Remember the days of old, understand the meaning of each generation. Ask your father and he shall instruct
Read more →Table of Contents Topic Page__ The First Premise Evidence Versus Faith 2 National Revelation How Do We Know the Torah is True?? 4 Man or God? Psychological Evidence 10 Can a Rational Person Believe that God Spoke at Sinai 20 Science Inquires Torah and Science; FAQ
Read more →Dear Rabbi Mechanic, You spoke at my school today (YUHSB). As you were walking down I asked u a question which u said u couldn’t really answer on the spot and would have to think about more. So here goes: A lot of what you were saying
Read more →Hi Rabbi, I had a question about the Mass Revelation argument.In the Gospel of Mathew, he writes that Jesus was publicly executed, at which point the parochet ripped down the middle from top to bottom, darknessfell over the entire land, a rock-shattering earthquake occurred and thedead rose from
Read more →Rav Yaakov Weinberg zt”l would say the following thoughts in a shmues virtually every year (during a certain tekufa) on Parshas Korach. He would also mention these ideas quite often in chaburas as well.He felt that they were extremely fundamental. There was one particular year when he
Read more →In order to examine the claimed national revelation at Mt. Sinai, we need to establish clear principles of history. How can we know that any claimed historical event actually occurred? What is the difference, in other words, between what we all relate to as history (i.e. true
Read more →1. Read the following sources: Exodus chap 19, 20 (all) (with Rashi on 19:9,10), Deut. 4:25-39 Deuteronomy 4:9-13, 5:1-4, 5:19-30, 6:20-22,7:17-19, 8:1-3, 8:11-16, 10:21, 11:1- 8, 29:1-8 Deuteronomy 13:2-6, 18:15-22 Kuzari – selected sections Rambam – Ch. 8 (also 7, 9, and 10 if time) Yesodei haTorah Intro.
Read more →Let’s begin with a story: There was once a Chassidic Rebbe who was the head of a large community. He had three different sons, one who was the eldest, another the biggest scholar, and the third the most charismatic. Everyone always understood that whenever the Rebbe would
Read more →1-5 : Rebbe Story – The only reasonable way for G-d to establish a national religion is to give the entire nation clear evidence of the authenticity of the claimed prophet. 6-7 : Incredibly, only Judaism amongst all world religions is based on this type of a
Read more →Our Universe –space, matter, energy and time — Where did it all come from? We see that the Universe is in the midst of a process. In other words, it is different today than it was yesterday, and it will be different tomorrow than it is today.
Read more →Introduction to Torah Study I. Life is for pleasure Tell your class: “It is a principle of Jewish understanding that G-d created us because He wanted to give us pleasure. Illustration: When you have children you’ll see, or if you already have children you know that all
Read more →Part I: Classical Presentation Thesis: Since we are able to conceive of and discuss the concept of a perfect, infinite G-d, He must exist. Premise: Human beings can only conceive of or discuss something if they have had either direct experience with it, or with its component parts. In
Read more →1. Empirical evidence refers to evidence that is so clear as to be self-evident. Is it possible for there to be an Empirical Proof for G-d – ie., this type of empirically clear evidence for G-d’s existence? The Rosh HaYeshiva explains that if a person would actually
Read more →Author: Scientists are discovering what believers have always known It was during residency training at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Texas, when I had my first patient with terminal cancer in both lungs. I advised him on what therapy was available and what little I thought it
Read more →Author: Jeanie Davis People Who Are Prayed for Fare Better Nov. 6, 2001 — Here’s more evidence that — in medicine, as in all of life — prayer seems to work in mysterious ways. In one recent study, women at an in vitro fertilization clinic had higher
Read more →Author: Jonathan Rosenblum Here’s an interesting fact just in. Bnei Brak, Israel’s most religious city, also has the highest average life expectancy: 81.1 years for women and 77.4 years for men. What makes that finding even more curious is that Bnei Brak also happens to be Israel’s
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