Reticence vs. Impetuosity

The real contrast here, though, is the difference between Aaron and his two sons. They were, it seems, opposites. Aaron was over-cautious and had to be persuaded by Moses even to begin. Nadav and Avihu were not cautious enough. So keen were they to put their own stamp on the role of priesthood that their impetuosity was their downfall.

The Growth Of Our Nation

Hashem in His infinite wisdom created the holidays for His children.

Lessons in Law of Attraction

I was in a place of bittul – of nothingness. I woke up each morning in a daze, not knowing what to do with myself. Life seemed eerily silent except for some annoying noise I heard every morning that I couldn’t place.

A V’nahafoch Hu Pesach

Did I mention that my daughter-in-law has seemingly unlimited excess energy, and is one of the best cooks and bakers I know?

Why The Religious Did Not Embrace Political Zionism

The real motivator for the British was to win over the Jews, and Zionism seemed like a promising card to play.

Don’t Wait For Rosh Hashanah

From a Jewish calendrical perspective, Rosh Hashanah, the Ten Days of Repentance, and Yom Kippur embody a fresh start perspective with change embedded in the framework of the new year.

A Moment Of Hesitation

There are times when each of us has to decide, not just “What shall I do?” but “What kind of person shall I be?”

The Sickle And The Grim Reaper

Israeli archaeologist Dr. Shmuel Yeivin (1896-1982) writes that some scholars have proposed that “chermesh” is a “sickle” while “magal” is a larger “scythe.”

On This Night We Are All Redeemed

It's written that only in happiness can we be redeemed. We leave the bad behind and in peace we will be led to salvation.

Nachat For Hashem

It took approximately two weeks, but finally a doctor checked him out. He was given permission to sit down for guard duty, and he didn’t take part in various physical exercises and marches. There was no way that he could train other soldiers with this medical issue.

Setting The Stage

Rav Yeruchum continues to say that before the geula, Hashem will take away anything that anyone could possibly think of relying on. This is in order for us to realize that the only thing that we can rely on is Hashem.

A Place For Failure

Perhaps one of the goals of the requirement to bring these sacrifices is to create psychological safety for sin and failure. The institution of sacrifices balances the normalization of failure with responsibility and accountability.

Leadership In Judaism

Politics involves difficult judgments. A leader must balance competing claims and will sometimes get it wrong.

Love And Pain

The opposite ends of love and joy, to pain and sorrow are great. We tend to live somewhere in the middle between great joy and great pain.

Against All Odds

Against all odds, again – since my husband was not religious – I got my wish. Miracle number one.

Geula Or Galus: Your Choice

Yes, in recent months many people have received large sums of money from various government programs and it seems that this may continue for some time. But how long can this last?

Vision and Details: Parshat Mishpatim

So the Torah is a unique combination of nomos and narrative, history and law, the formative experiences of a nation and the way that nation sought to live its collective life so as never to forget the lessons it learned along the way. It brings together vision and detail in a way that has never been surpassed.

Animal Sounds (Part II)

Rabbi Pappenheim traces “yehgeh” to the root hey-gimmel, which primarily refers to diligence and consistency, making its derivative “yehgeh” refer to a lion consistently crying.

Days To Come

Since last year around the time of Passover, when all the country closed down for the first time, there was a feeling in the air that something big was going to happen. Many thought perhaps the redemption finally came and we will all be redeemed.

A Check On Her Resume

Chava shook her head as if to show she understood, while wondering where this monologue would lead. Was this woman also here for a job interview?!

What Motivates Our Decisions?

Who could ever know if learning with disciples was preferable to pursuing self-growth and attaining spiritual perfection at the feet of the generation’s most respected saint?

How Leaders Fail

There are times when you need someone with the courage to stand against the crowd, others when you need a peacemaker.

Animal Sounds (Part I)

An apocryphal Midrash describes the colorful sounds made by the animals etched on King Solomon’s throne. Most of these words do not appear in the Bible.

Clear Sailing Ahead

As Jews, no matter what we are experiencing and going through, it’s the Torah and all it entails that keeps us alive and riveted no matter what is happening around us.

Silver Linings

Our lives have effectively been upended for many long and fearful months, and the toll in lives lost and disrupted is staggering indeed... And it is sadly not yet over.

Of Priests And Prophets

The Priest was “holy” and therefore set apart from the people. He had to eat his food in a state of purity, and had to avoid contact with the dead.

Fake Faces

Rabbi Shlomo Pappenheim of Breslau (1740-1814) writes that “masveh” and “suto” are related to “stav” (autumn or fall) and refer to soft, spongy fabrics worn to insulate oneself from cold weather.

Choices

When I think of Queen Esther I usually feel sad for her. Everyone was saved and she had to stay with Achashverosh.

Learning To Let Go

I finally got it ( I think). It wasn’t enough to know that Hashem runs the world. I have to let go and leave it up to Him.

The Home We Build Together

That, I believe, is what the Sages meant when they said, “Call them not ‘your children’ but ‘your builders’” (Brachot 64a). People have to become builders if they are to grow from childhood to adulthood.

Headlines

Latest News Stories


Recommended Today

Sponsored Posts


Printed from: https://www.jewishpress.com/judaism/jewish-columns/rabbi-lord-jonathan-sacks/reticence-vs-impetuosity/2021/04/08/

Scan this QR code to visit this page online: