The Dog Jumps-הכלב קופץ » Jewisophical

Covenant & Conversation

Nathan — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 04:30:34 +0000

Sometime over the High Holy Days, Rabbi Scheinberg suggested to check out Chief Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks‘ weekly podcast Covenant & Conversation. In general Rabbi Scheinberg’s reading suggestions are spot on and I had no doubt that a podcast referral would also we worthwhile. A simple synopsis of the references in this week’s commentary should [...]

Spinoza vs. Kabbalah – Dr. Daniel Matt @ JTS

Nathan — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 02:05:08 +0000

Monday night at JTS, Dan and I attended a lecture by Dr. Daniel Matt on How the Zohar Reimagines God. Dr. Matt is the lead author on a new translation of the Zohar and a quick internet search demonstrates he is one of the leading scholars in this area. It is important to note that [...]

Spend Time Alone

Nathan — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 01:59:30 +0000

It is very good to have a special room set aside for Torah study and prayer. Such a room is especially beneficial for secluded meditation and conversation with G-d.

The Rebbe said that it is very good even just to sit in such a special room. The atmosphere itself is beneficial, even if you sit [...]

נתן

Nathan — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 02:26:25 +0000

It would appear that the standard verse for my name – נתן is Proverbs 20:27

נר יהוה נשמת אדם חפש כל חדרי בטן A man’s soul is the lamp of Hashem, which searches the chambers of one’s innards

A note in my Tanach says: By means of the soul, G-d searches man’s innermost thoughts and [...]

Recontructionists: Rambam vs. Mordechai Kaplan

Nathan — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 11:31:23 +0000

Pondering the end-times…the topic of Reconstructionism, particularly the removal of the supernatural makes me think of The Jefferson Bible. I have never read it, as I only learned of it recently. Seems like many a person has tried to remove the supernatural before (even though this case it is re: Jesus, but the sentiment it [...]

First Commerce Free Shabbat

Nathan — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 01:28:10 +0000

In an attempt to prevent my soul and life from being comoditized 24-7-365, I have decided to try to not spend a dime on Shabbat. Not a new proposition, there are buy nothing days and other anti-consumerism events. But this one is the original! A reminder to take one day and spend it with your [...]

Christmas Eve Deliveries

Nathan — Mon, 25 Dec 2006 01:31:19 +0000

Katie and I are just back from making some deliveries around Hoboken for some of the less fortunate. I have to admit that I had no idea there was that level of struggling right in my own backyard. On the cusp of 2007, I am going to use this feeling to volunteer even more in [...]

Hanukkah is About Tolerance

Nathan — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 16:29:53 +0000

This is a new one for me! I was always under the impression this was about how we were oppressed, beaten down, and almost rendered extinct, but suddenly a hero appeared and all was not lost.

Jews once again were saved by a miracle.

But in reading last night I read a redux that stepped [...]

Supernatural or Not?

Nathan — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 22:26:52 +0000

I have always had this notion that the supernatural part of religion can be set aside, you don’t have to debate it, it might have happened, it might not, I don’t care either way. Because, the real point, is that some very smart people wrote down the way a society should be run, in a [...]

Not Going To Pretend

Nathan — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 13:53:14 +0000

I was this original, sorry just don’t watch enough TV. Go look at this post and watch the clip. This is all so boring. Fanatics are boring.

Merry Christmas at Wal*Mart

Nathan — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 02:34:49 +0000

Last night on Fox 5 – before you laugh, sometimes it is nice to be infotained – they went over the policy change at Wal*Mart and Macy’s where they are going to start to say Merry Christmas again this year. They had people call or email what they think about this. The Wal*Mart guy said [...]

This Is Boring – Fanatics Are Boring

Nathan — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 14:42:43 +0000

Men wearing pantyhose, dressed in long frocks, and big fur hats. Gay Pride or Shabbat in a Ultra-Orthodox neighborhood? Yeah the irony is thick. G-d, it seems likes people who dress like freaks better. That is good for drag and good for Jews. I admit I have envy over those 6000$ sable hats. I want [...]

United Synagogue of Hoboken

Nathan — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 07:52:00 +0000

Late one night working on projects around the building. The Ark and Bima are grand and simply wonderful to look at. The building is called The Star of Israel as it belonged to one part of the now united synagogue. It really is a wonderful old building with creaky stairs, tucked away rooms, and [...]

The Golan Heights

Nathan — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 01:21:00 +0000

Look, I promise I am not obsessed, but a day does not go by with out a story on the news here about Israel, something in the paper about Israel, and of course there is Idan, who is Israeli! If pressed to state a favorite part of Israel I first have to distinguish between northern, [...]

Pope, Khatami & Reason

Nathan — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 01:32:10 +0000

Let’s get to the point. There is a exact nexus between these two men’s recent public comments. It is also the point of the 73 volumes of the Talmud. Reason and debate along with faith make a whole man. Thereby, collective transitivity, make a whole society.

I am, as most of you know, a BS [...]

Jihad and The Pope

Nathan — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 14:24:47 +0000

I was a fan of the last Pope. He was probably a rabid Jew hater, like most people in Poland, but I read almost everything he ever wrote that was published in English. He was an extraordinary thinker but lacked the power to set his servants free from the abuse the Catholic Church heaps onto [...]

Khatami’s Remarks to the National Cathedral

Nathan — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 16:43:04 +0000

Put is all aside, Iran, politics, and your preconceived notions to give the remarks of Former President of Iran Khatami’s remarks at the National Cathedral.

Here, I must call attention to the fact that there is a profound difference between my criticism of modernism and the perspective from which I make my argument, and that [...]

Ephraim Moses Lilien

Nathan — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 22:09:29 +0000

I had never read about or seen the works of Lilien until the above depiction of Abraham caught my eye. I am not certain what made me take note of it at first, but closer inspection and thought makes it obvious. He is Abraham with his hand on his chest looking in amazement at [...]

Wow, Maybe They Are Learning!

Nathan — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 16:46:55 +0000

Arab nations, known for deep, soul searching, terrorism introspection. Yeah right. Well, look-e-here.

“Our extreme joy at their departure made us forget the most important question: What is our next step?” he went on.

I am happy for them, someone finally stated the obvious, the major plot point of Paradise Now is not lost! [...]

What Hope Do We Have

Nathan — Sun, 27 Aug 2006 16:13:10 +0000

Idan and I watched episode 3 of Walking the Bible and a couple things jumped out at me:

If in the face of daily astonishing miracles ranging from the parting of the Sea of Reeds, manna, pillars of clouds, water from a strike of a staff, and most importantly the revelation at Sinai, people were [...]

Vox Clamantis In Deserto

Nathan — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:12:10 +0000

Y-Net has an article about the changes in the ease of coexistence of Arabs and Jews in Haifa. It does not tell us much we cannot surmise: there are some Arabs in Israel that wait for the day they no longer live in Israel. However, response 8 translates a response to the Hebrew version of [...]

Is It Only About Land?

Nathan — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 01:43:18 +0000

I have always wondered if the creation of Israel simply gave the Arabs a more physical and tangible excuse to keep up behavior they had already been up to. Did land become a euphemism for anti-Jewish hatred? I am trying to find more reading on the subject, but a good place to start is a [...]

I Can See Clearly

Nathan — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 01:42:42 +0000

While Mr. Ahmadinejhad is a handsome older gentleman, he scares the crap out of me. I keep seeing this picture of a total and utter wasteland where Tel-Aviv once was (because you know they will not set off a nuclear device in al-Quds for fear of offending you know who) and Jews on ships trying [...]

Are Jews worth less?

Nathan — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 02:18:26 +0000

Another article on how Israel is held to another standard.

Bottom line: Israel is strongly warned to allow – indeed facilitate – the ongoing murder of its citizens so as not to risk the possible death of an Arab/Muslim civilian. And if these critics selection of who should live and who neednt live is not [...]

Guns, Juice, Coffee

Nathan — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 02:26:24 +0000

Cool notes about Israel, from my larger, recent, trip log:

People say Shabbat Shalom as a greeting on Fridays and Saturdays – I know this sounds like a strange thing to comment on, but the first time you hear it you realize: Jews!! Jesus fish are all but non existent (thank G-d) Hotels have synagogues [...]