In Memoriam
My remarks from the memorial service of Donna Jones, secretary of Block Yeshiva High School for the last 18 years:
Among the most extraordinary figures in Jewish history were the sage Rabbi Meir and his wife, Bruriah.
Rabbi Meir returned home one evening and was surprised when his wife met him with the following question:
“Some time ago a man came and left a precious object in my care,” she said. Now he has come and asked for it to be returned. Should we return it or not?”
He answered her: “My dear, I don’t understand the question. Obviously, whoever receives a deposit in trust must return it when the owner asks for it back.”
Beruriah took his hand and led him to the bed in the next room, then drew pulled back the sheet to show him the lifeless bodies of their two sons, who had died suddenly from a plague.
Rabbi Meir began to weep, but Bruriah said to him: “Did you not tell me that we must return a deposit to its owner?” she said. “Our children were never our own possessions. They were entrusted to us, and now their Owner has taken them back” (Midrash Proverbs 37: 76-29).
And so it is for us here today. The Almighty gave a most precious gift into our trust. But now He has taken Donna back.
We always want to speak well of those who have passed on, but in the case of Donna we don’t have to exaggerate, we don’t have to embellish, we don’t have edit or omit or revise.
In a world of constant complaints, Donna always had a smile. In a world of constant criticism, Donna always had a compliment. In a world where it has become fashionable to be a cynic, Donna saw the best in everything and everyone. In a world plagued by faithlessness, Donna was fiercely loyal to the core.
She was a constant source of strength to every member of our faculty, reminding us of the priceless contribution we give our students daily when so many found fault, encouraging us to persevere while so many were trying to pull the rug out from under our feet. Donna was our angel, our gift from G-d for every moment that we had her.
The sages tell us that the truly righteous make the transition from this world to the next effortlessly and easily, without anguish, for their souls are so lofty they can barely be contained within their worldly bonds. Donna slipped away far too soon for us, but her spirit was truly a spirit that belonged in Heaven.
Donna, you did more than touch us, more than reassure us, more than reaffirm our mission. You became part of us, part of each and every member of our faculty, part of each and every student. We won’t merely remember you; you will live on in all of us, for as long as we are able to carry on in the work that you valued so much, and of which you were so much a part.
Spiritual Impressionism
Exile has defined most of the history of Jewish people, always as a response to our failure to value our relationship with the Almighty. When we turn our backs on Him (or on one another), He responds by allowing us to experience the consequences of separation through the loneliness of exile.
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Legal Larceny
Some people have found a new way to turn fool’s gold into the genuine article.
In an effort to popularize its new one-dollar coins, the United States Mint has offered to mail coin orders to buyers free of shipping charges. Enterprising “travel hackers” quickly figured out that they could buy the coins, rack up frequent-flier points on their credit cards, then deposit the coins to their bank accounts to pay off their credit card bills. Officials began catching on when they noticed repeat orders adding up to as much as $600,000 worth of coins; they got another clue when banks reported receiving deposits of coins still in their Mint wrappers.
“We’ve used them to go on trips around the world,” Jane Liaw told NPR, saying that she and her husband are planning trips to Greece and Turkey, “all on miles and points.”
Email of the Week
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An Israeli is on vacation and is visiting a zoo in the Englandwhen he sees a little girl leaning into the lion’s cage.Suddenly, the lion grabs her by the cuff of her jacket and tries to pull her inside to slaughter her, under the eyes of her screaming parents.
The Israeli runs to the cage and hits the lion square on the nose with a powerful punch. Whimpering from the pain the lion jumps back letting go of the girl, and the Israeli brings her to her terrified parents, who thank him endlessly. A reporter has watched the whole event. The reporter says to the Israeli: ‘Sir, this was the most gallant and brave thing I’ve seen a man do in my whole life.’ The Israeli replies, ‘Why, it was nothing, really. The lion was behind bars. I just saw this little kid in danger and acted as I felt right.’ The reporter says, ‘Well, I’ll make sure this won’t go unnoticed. I’m a journalist, and tomorrow’s paper will have this story on the front page. So, what do you do for a living and what political affiliation do you have?’ The Israeli replies, “I serve in the Israeli army and I vote for the Likud.” The journalist leaves. The following morning the Israeli buys the paper to see news of his actions, and reads, on the front page: RIGHT-WING ISRAELI ASSAULTS AFRICAN IMMIGRANT AND STEALS HIS LUNCH Hat tip: Steve Glassman |
Jewish Life and Learning
A new sight posing questions and investigating answers relating to all manner of Jewish thought, law, and tradition.
Magic Eye
This was my first encounter with random-dot autostereograms, what many of us are more familiar with as Magic Eye® images. And every time I came across another one I tried again, staring without focusing, looking for a picture that refused to emerge.
Leiby Kletzky and the Three Weeks
For Leiby’s parents, we offer no explanations, no platitudes, no philosophy. We can only try to imagine their pain and, in some small way, let them know that we mourn and weep together with them. Their sorrow is our sorrow. Their grief is our grief.
Diminishing Returns — Pirkei Avos 4:12
Why do we think that adding a second spigot to the water urn will double our reservoir?
Mistaking Identity
Consider the Egalia preschool in Stockholm, Sweden, where staff avoid such culturally loaded words as “him” and “her,” addressing the children as “friends” rather than “boys and girls.” According to the AP, “breaking down gender roles is a core mission in [Sweden's] national curriculum,” and many preschools have hired “gender pedagogues” to devise strategies for eliminating “stereotypes.”
Perspectives
Dawn to Destiny:
Exploring Jewish History and its Hidden Wisdom
By Rabbi Yonason Goldson
A comprehensive overview of Jewish History from Creation through the redaction of the Talmud, illuminating the intricacies and complexities of Torah tradition and philosophy according to the sages and classical commentaries, spanning the length and breadth of Jewish experience to resolve many of history’s most perplexing episodes, offering profound insights and showing their relevance to life in the modern world.
How did the sin of Adam transform mankind and the world? How were the prophecies of Noah fulfilled through the rise of the Greek Empire? Why did lifespans shrink so dramatically after the Flood? How did the builders of the Tower of Babel believe they could wage war against G-d? Why did the Torah have to be given in both written and oral form? What was King David’s transgression regarding his involvement with BasSheva? Why did some Jews oppose the construction of the Second Temple? How can we trust the transmission of Torah if our scholars engaged in such fierce disagreements? These and many other questions are answered in this unique volume.
An invaluable resource for scholars and laymen. A priceless tool for education and outreach. With approbations from HaRav Dovid Cohen and HaRav Zev Leff.
FOR EXCERPTS CLICK HERE.
FOR ORDERING INFORMATION CLICK HERE.
Mission Statement for the Jewish People — from the extraordinary wisdom of Rav Shraga Feivel Mendelovitz, founder of Torah education in America.
Why Jews are Liberals — the origins of ideological confusion, and a follow-up piece exploring the practical applications.
The End of the Age of Reason — the sages’ vision of a future that is at our doorstep, and a follow-up piece in response to, and including, some colorful comments.
Israel: History, Politics, and Ideology — Answers to the attacks of apologists and antagonists.
Defining “Objective” History — How can we determine the accuracy of historical records? How do we resolve contradictions in history?
Evolution Forum — Is it possible to have a civil debate on the subject?
The Language of Confusion — 60 years after 1984, Orwell’s prophetic dystopia remains more relevant than ever.
The Final Battlefield – The current economic crisis foretold a thousand years ago and the climax of the ultimate ideological war. Also, variations on a theme inspired by Pink Floyd and this recipe for the only truly secure investment.
The Fallacy of Moral Relativism — How I taught a class of cynical teenagers the illogic of unrestricted personal freedom.
Hurricane Season– With meteorologists predicting more hurricanes on the scale of Gustav, Ike, and Katrina, these thoughts on the Pacific Rim Tsunami are worth another look.
Talking the to the Wall Department — My efforts to engage an ideologue in civil discourse. Draw your own conclusions, and feel free to weigh in … respectfully.
Insights into the weeky Torah Portion
Donate to Block Yeshiva High School — I know of no finer educational institution in the world that prepares students to become materially and spiritually successful adults. Our graduates are the greatest evidence of our commitment to excellence.
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS– I am often available as a scholar-in-residence, chazzan-in-residence, or lecturer. For lecture topics and samples of weekend programming click here. Inquiries may be directed to the email below:
Contact me at torahideals [at] att.net.
