Government
The role of government is to strike a balance between individual rights and the greater good of the community. Yet no political system has been able to perfect this balance.
A civilized nation needs to be built on a foundation of morality and ethics that is timeless and unconditional. At the same time, a nation’s survival is dependent on its constant progress and growth. Since people are bound to have vastly different beliefs, who should define the standards and morality and justice that must rule all people? At what point does a government intervene to keep an individual from harming himself or others? How do we avoid the abuse of power by government leaders? The challenge is to harness our freedom, to channel it for good and righteous purposes.
Toldot: Mixing G-d and Politics
A response to the thousands of emails written about the previous essay which discussed the notions of “conservative” and “liberal” belief in America…
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Korach: Why Do We Need Leaders?
‘Why do we need a leader’ is the precise theme of this week’s Torah portion. Korach challenges Moses to an important question about the need for leaders.
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The Wilderness & the Torah
Teaching from the Alter Rebbe which highlight the significance of receiving the Torah in the desert and how this is a lesson for our daily lives..
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Passover: Our Calling
Rabbi Jacobson responds to a challenging letter which poses the question: How do we respond to the ‘clash of civilizations’ in the Middle East today?
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Ki Teitzei: I Am To My Beloved and My Beloved Is To Me
In the last few centuries different approaches developed to find some way to relieve the tension between faith and modernity. This essay considers this idea
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On the Essence of Leadership
As Moses leads the Song of the Sea after the Jews escape the Egyptians, he demonstrates true leadership, for within Moses the soul of Israel was one.
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Ki Tovo: Tremors
As we prepare for Rosh Hashanah we reflect on what the world has been and imagine into what the new century may challenge us with…
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Ki Teitzei: United Or Ununited States ?
Vital life issues about the nature of the universe and our place in it are answered in the opening verse in this week’s Torah portion…
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Shoftim: Katrina And Gaza
Rabbi Jacobson’s answer to a question about the link between the Israeli evacuation from Gaza with the catastrophic devastation of by Hurricane Katrina.
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Olympic Thoughts
Sports are all consuming in today’s society, but what can we learn from this about reality and illusion?
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