Quite some time has gone by since we celebrated the holiday of Sukkot. Frankly, there is much about that holiday that I have already forgotten. But one memory remains etched in my mind, one biblical … more

It is commonly assumed that parents know their children better than anyone else knows them. Many mothers will insist that their acquaintance with their children began even before they were born. … more

The opening verses in this week’s parsha, Chayei Sara, inform us of the death of Sara: The span of Sara’s life came to one hundred and twenty-seven years. She died in Kiryat Arba … more

I’ve set two goals for myself in writing this year’s series of “columns. One is to focus on a person who is barely mentioned in the parsha . The other is to discuss the parameters … more

I try to focus these weekly columns on individuals who are barely mentioned in the weekly Torah portion. They often play an important but insufficiently appreciated role. Thus, for example, last … more

The French poet Baudelaire once remarked that the devil’s greatest success is his ability to convince us that he does not exist. Whereas Judaism does not believe in the devil quite as … more

The day after Simchat Torah is Shabbat Bereshit, when we begin a new cycle of Torah readings. Until now, we have been consumed by the range of emotions evoked by Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, and … more

I magine a very important project in which you were once involved. It could have been at work, in school, or in your personal life. You gave it your all. You used all the resources at your command, … more

It was advertised as a symposium at a major psychology conference, a discussion about memory and forgetfulness, but it turned out to be one of the most intense and instructive days that I ever … more

It is a question that I learned never to ask. I first learned this lesson in my training as a psychotherapist, long ago. I was seeing a gentleman for a number of problems, including his marital … more