On The Wisdom Daily this week (Sept. 28 – Oct.2), we published posts about the rewards of embracing change with open arms, the temporary rituals that build a lasting faith, the beautiful Hubble Telescope discovery caused by ancient devastation, the stepdad whose parenting was honored at just the right moment… and more. Did you grow wiser this week? We hope The Wisdom Daily played a part. Can You Learn to Love Navigating Transitions? – Rachel Barenblat As the parent of a toddler, I learned that transitions are hard.?Toddlers don’t have a......
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Spirituality & Faith, Wisdom Warehouse |
September 08, 2015
A Pope, a Rabbi, Mercy and Rosh Hashanah
I know my headline sounds like an old Borscht Belt routine. My post today is anything but. It’s simply a brief expression of gratitude to a great spiritual teacher for a new policy that not only speeds and eases the annulment process for Catholics, but reminds me of a core teaching in my own tradition about the meaning of mercy – one that’s central to the High Holiday season in which we find ourselves. Pope Francis declared that this “Year of Mercy” would be marked by many efforts to live the teaching......
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On The Wisdom Daily this week (August 10 – 14), we discussed how a pop star’s thoughts on love sparked wisdom on why love should change us, the fallout from the $70,000 minimum wage mandate employed by one CEO, the emerging reports about ISIS and more. Did you grow wiser this week? We hope The Wisdom Daily played a part. A Reflection on Unconditional Love Inspired by Taylor Swift – Irwin Kula Taylor?Swift was quoted in the September issue of Vanity Fair about the one thing she demands in a mate.......
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Relationships & Family, Wisdom Warehouse |
August 11, 2015
A Reflection on Unconditional Love Inspired by Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift, the 25 year-old pop superstar, was quoted in the September issue of Vanity Fair about the one thing she demands in a mate. “If I found someone who would never try to change me, that would be the only person I could fall in love with,” Swift said. “Because, you know I was in love with my life.” At the risk of challenging celebrity wisdom and the ire of Ms. Swift’s millions of followers, I want to tweak Ms. Swift’s requirements for a mate. I imagine what she meant in......
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News & Politics, Wisdom Warehouse |
June 29, 2015
I Am an Orthodox Rabbi Who Doesn’t Perform Gay Marriages, But I Celebrate Supreme Court Decision
This opinion piece appeared on washingtonpost.com on June 26, 2015. The Supreme Court made history on Friday, that much is clear. What may be less clear, especially for those who do not support same-sex marriage, is that the 5-to-4 majority opinion written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, merits celebration even by those who don’t agree with the conclusion reached. And to be totally transparent, I write those words as an Orthodox rabbi who does not officiate at same-sex marriages. So why am I celebrating today? Didn’t my side lose? Didn’t the court strike......
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From Odyssey Networks’ Faith on the Record series: Today, our U.S. Supreme Court struck down bans on same-sex marriage in a historic ruling. In all candor, as an Orthodox rabbi, I don’t perform same-sex wedding ceremonies. Yet I applaud this decision with a full heart. “The institution of marriage was celebrated today and re-energized today it is a profound statement about freedom of expression and freedom of religion.” Watch my video for more insight and discussion. Odyssey Networks tells the stories of faith in action changing the world for......
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From Odyssey Networks’ Faith on the Record series: For the first time in the world, a nation has voted as a people to recognize the right of same-sex couples to marry in their country. While the majority in Ireland identify as Catholic, a majority of voters there are clearly comfortable disagreeing with the church on who should have access to marriage rights under the law. “What’s happening now is not a breaking with faith, but a profound engagement with faith, that has the capacity to allow people to use the traditions......
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This week, New York Times opinion columnist and, in my opinion, all-around smart guy David Brooks published an uncharacteristic piece – one which invites a response, simply because leaving his as the last word on the topic could lead people to hurt each other when they really don’t need to. His “Leaving and Cleaving” op-ed is about people recalibrating relationships, romantic or otherwise. But it omits a fundamental tenet of the enlightened conservatism Brooks typically articulates so eloquently in his column, forgetting a central principle of the personal ethics he regularly advocates.......
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In 2012, after much pre-show debate about the wisdom of mixing God with the Grammys, LL Cool J opened the Grammys with a prayer that seared heart and soul as he offered comfort in the face of Whitney Houston’s tragic death the day before. The emotional highlight of this year’s Grammys was also a religious moment. Whether you were one of the 27 million people who watched or not, by now you have surely heard about the group wedding in which 34 couples gay and straight and of various ages and ethnicities......
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