Having a hero is part of natural human development. In childhood, these heroes are often movie stars and athletes. Many of us find our heroes among the people with whom we have daily contact, … more

There are many words in the English language that originally had great power but were watered down over the years to the point of meaninglessness. One such word is “survivor.” Another … more

I invite you to imagine yourself as Adam or Eve. Put yourself in their shoes. Remember that, as the very first humans, they had a unique perspective on every aspect of a newly created world. … more

Fear and trembling — those have been our primary religious emotions during the Yamim Nora’im, the Days of Awe when, facing divine judgment, we felt vulnerable, insecure, and anxious … more

How does the poet get started on the process of writing a poem, or the songwriter as he sets about composing a song? My wife’s grandfather was the renowned Hasidic rebbe, Rabbi Shaul … more

Sometimes even the corniest of old jokes has a profound lesson to teach us.   “How many psychologists does it take to change a light bulb?” “Just one. But it has to … more

There is quite a bit of sadness attached to this Sabbath, the last of the year. Sure, we look forward to a new year with new blessings and new opportunities. But we cannot escape the fact that … more

There was a time when the literary treasures of the Jewish people were accessible only to those with a reading knowledge of Hebrew. This is no longer the case. I must confess that when this … more

For many of us, the first pieces of wisdom we learned were from nursery rhymes and schoolyard jingles. Sometimes these childish lessons had value, but more often they were off the mark and had … more

I love metaphors. An apt metaphor can help stimulate boundless creativity and can lead to a deeper and richer understanding of the concept being studied. Take, for example, the metaphor … more