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ב"ה

Shoftim 5762 - August 9, 2002

Make Yourself Useful

There's nary a shul bench in Mineola or a park bench in Jerusalem that does not bear the inscription "In memory of ...." Is that what it's about -- memorializing the dead? or is there something more significant at play here?
Parshah
Shoftim in a Nutshell
“Justice”—the very concept is said to be a Jewish contribution to the world. A glance at this week’s Parshah (equality before the law, due process, protection of criminals from vigilante vengeance, curbs on the behavior of kings, rules and ethics in warfare . . . ) shows why.
Shoftim in a Nutshell
“Justice”—the very concept is said to be a Jewish contribution to the world. A glance at this week’s Parshah (equality before the law, due process, protection of criminals from vigilante vengeance, curbs on the behavior of kings, rules and ethics in warfare . . . ) shows why.
Relationships
A Bouquet of Roses

My favorite is a dozen or more long-stemmed, freshly cut red roses. But a bouquet of any assortment will bring a smile to my face. My husband knows of this weakness of mine, and uses it to his advantage.
Story
Fifty-Year-Old Honey

The entire town would be paying attention to the new rabbi’s first ruling. Everyone was sure to wonder: Why is the law of the Torah so opposite to common sense?
The Wild Horse

The dualistic self is not a pleasant experience. To achieve peace, the restless and antic-ridden monkey-mind has to strive for focus; the wild horse must be tamed
When the king is in the city, inside his royal palace, none can enter into his presence except by appointment, and only special people and select individuals... But when he goes out into the field, everyone who so desires is permitted to meet him; he receives them all with a cheerful countenance and shows a smiling face to them all... So, too, by analogy, the month of Elul is when we meet G-d in the field
— Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi
Print Magazine

Due to the limitations of your reality, some of your best friends can enter only incognito.

In fact, the really big ones sometimes sneak in disguised as ugly monsters and vicious enemies. Otherwise, the guards at the gate would never permit them entry.

These are the events optimists call “blessings in disguise.”

Here’...

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