General Wisdom

“…according to the measure of what a person lacks in general wisdom, he will lack a hundredfold when it comes to Torah wisdom, because the Torah and general wisdom are closely linked together.” Rabbi Elijah ben Shlomo Zalman Kremer (The Vilna Gaon) as quoted by Rav Baruch of Shklov is his book “A Hebrew Translation of Euclid”

In Peaces

One who takes leave from his friend should not say “go in peace” (lech BE-shalom), but “Go to peace” (lech LE-shalom). Jethro told Moses, “Go to peace” – Moses went and succeeded in his mission. David told his son Absalom, “Go in peace” – Absalom went and was hanged. When taking leave of the deceased, however, one should say “Go in peace” The Talmud, Berachot 64a

Why do we use one for the dead and one of the living? For those still living we say” go to peace” the implication being that it will not be easy, that while alive we must always be wary and actively seek peace with the understanding that the way may not always be clear and we will often fail. While in death the physical hardships of life are over and while the soul can continue to grow, its path is not encumbered by material hardships, therefore “go in peace” your physical labor is done, now go peacefully on your way.

One's Purpose

"To fulfill ones purpose is not to be a slave…" - Jim Butcher, Cold Days

Steeped in History

“All Jews who are at all conscious of their identity as Jews, are steeped in history.” Isaiah Berlin

An Argument for Faith

Whatever begins to exist has a cause. The universe began to exist. Therefore, the universe has a cause. - Kalam cosmological argument for God

Disparaging Faith

In trying to disparage 'faith', [Richard] Dawkins and his allies constantly confuse 'evidence' with 'proof'; those of us who believe in God do so without proof but not without evidence. As the Oxford theologian (and biophysicist) Alister McGrath has observed: "Our beliefs may be shown to be justifiable, without thereby demonstrating that they are proven." - Mehdi Hasan

On Super Storm Sandy

I'm a little late getting to the party on this one, but I wanted this for posterity. Happy that as the winter begins to take hold, we're all recovering the best we can...

Veteran meteorologist Stu Ostro of the Weather Channel, (capital letters in the second paragraph are his):

"History is being written as an extreme weather event continues to unfold, one which will occupy a place in the annals of weather history as one of the most extraordinary to have affected the United States.

 "REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE OFFICIAL DESIGNATION IS NOW OR AT/AFTER LANDFALL -- HURRICANE (INCLUDING IF "ONLY" A CATEGORY ONE), TROPICAL STORM, POST-TROPICAL, EXTRATROPICAL, WHATEVER -- OR WHAT TYPE OF WARNINGS ARE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER, PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM NEED TO HEED THE THREAT IT POSES WITH UTMOST URGENCY.

"A meteorologically mind-boggling combination of ingredients is coming together: one of the largest expanses of tropical storm force winds on record with a tropical or subtropical cyclone in the Atlantic or for that matter anywhere else in the world; a track of the center making a sharp left turn in direction of movement toward New Jersey in a way that is unprecedented in the historical database, as it gets blocked from moving out to sea by a pattern that includes an exceptionally strong ridge of high pressure aloft near Greenland; a 'warm-core' tropical cyclone embedded within a larger, nor'easter-like circulation; and eventually tropical moisture and arctic air combining to produce heavy snow in interior high elevations. This is an extraordinary situation, and I am not prone to hyperbole.''