She gently took my hand off of her back, looked me in the eye, and said: “Sarah, these laws are like sealed books to us: we comprehend neither their basic meaning nor the purport of their rules and regulations.” We must honor what is being asked of us. Today you must bring your offering of flour to the priest who will make expiation for you; even if your act was beshogeg (accidental).”
Read MoreSince 2007, more than 20 workers committed suicide at the Shenzhen, China factory of the Foxconn Corporation, a partner of Apple and major producer of iPhones worldwide.[1] In an article for Wired Magazine, Joel Johnson asks whether his incessant desire for the latest gadget contributed to these deaths in a factory that China Labor Watch reports provides overtime and employee amenities, yet is known for grueling hours and intense employee pressure.[2] Johnson writes…
Read MoreBal Tashchit: Turning our Learning into Action[1] When I was a child, my grandmother used to cut up used sheets of paper and use the blank sides for a note pad. My husband’s mother can’t throw away food without wincing and blowing it a kiss. Their actions used to seem old fashioned to me—but in …
Read MoreThis week’s Dvar Tzedek was originally published in 2009. Acharei Mot, Kedoshim. After Death, Holy. The mysterious yet evocative sound of the titles of this double parshah uttered together hints at the relationship between darkness and luminescence. It reveals a tension between two dimensions of the human experience: our potential for fallibility and distance from …
Read MoreThis week’s Dvar Tzedek was originally published in 2009. Acharei Mot, Kedoshim. After Death, Holy. The mysterious yet evocative sound of the titles of this double parshah uttered together hints at the relationship between darkness and luminescence. It reveals a tension between two dimensions of the human experience: our potential for fallibility and distance from …
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