Faith
It is having confidence in your purpose more that a crutch upon which to lean.
Faith is not a religious thing. You either have trust and confidence in the essence of existence or you do not. Contrary to popular belief, a side effect of faith in your Creator is faith in your own self. It makes sense: if you have faith in your Creator you have faith in your Creator’s creation, you, and every other creation in existence as well. This is why faith is so important: believing in a Higher Power means you believe in your power here on earth embedded within you by the Higher Power, to transform matter into spirit and earth into heaven. Faith is humility, and it allows you to be the best you could ever be.
Are You Sure You Don’t Have Faith?
Faith is not what most people think it is. True faith is not the absence of reason. It’s neither simple nor childish. So, what is it?
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Chanukah: Oil
Contrary to most other Jewish holidays, Chanukah focuses on the miracle of the oil as opposed to the battles involved. The spiritual dimensions of oil are discussed in light of this.
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A Rabbi Admits That Faith Is Challenging
Rabbi Jacobson recalls an interview with a cynical radio interviewer who tried to antagonize him about faith.
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Bridging Modernity And Faith
This talk was given by Rabbi Simon Jacobson in Hale, England on November 22, 2015.
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Respectful Honesty, Even When it Hurts
Balancing sensitivity, respect, and blunt honesty, is not simple, but it is important and can be done.
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Vayeitzei: Balance
The Torah chapters from the beginning of Genesis outline the story of our life’s mission and from here we can learn much about ourselves…
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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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Chukat-Balak: What Can I Do About the Ongoing Killings in Israel?
This essay responds to the pervasive question: “What can I do about the deteriorating situation in Israel?” and offers an opportunity to sing together…
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Re’eh: The Kabbalah of Duality
Part II of the series asks important questions about how we reconcile faith and modernity and discusses how spirituality is relevant in contemporary times..
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Eikev: Orthodoxy Vs. The World Part II
Part II of a two part essay discusses the theme of how to reconcile faith with modernity. Noah Feldman’s experience captures the dissonance between the two
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