Pardon My French
Pardon my French, but one etymological root of the word “forgive” comes from the old French, meaning, to pass over an offense without retribution or punishment. I have been suggesting the last few weeks that there is a parallel process in asking for and granting forgiveness. Both processes require us to be vulnerable and, paradoxically, […]
Show Me Forgiveness
I ended last week’s blog with a reflection on seeking forgiveness: “I am no longer the person for whom doing that would be possible.” One reader asked: “Is that really possible?” Maimonedes at one point suggests that the true repentant change their name. The person known as so and so, who did or did […]
Tis the Forgiveness Season
I need to apologize in advance. I have not read the book that I am about to comment on—I just glanced at the table of contents. I should not, of course, judge a book by its table of contents—hence the apology. My thought process that led me to this book was as follows: If […]
Blog Counting Again
We are counting. Again. In the spring we count the 50 days between Passover and Shavuot. At this time of year we count 40 days from the New Moon of Elul until Yom Kippur. There is an interesting paradox to be discovered here. The counting in the spring (Sefirat ha-Omer) is an actual count—we say […]
Can I Ask?
“Would she talk about what happened?” “No, never and if you can believe it, my uncle even less than that!” Growing up in Queens, NY most of my friends ‘parents were from Europe. They had come to the states after the war. Either one or both parents had numbers branded on their arms. As […]
Honoring a Mystery
A month ago I received an email from a woman I knew when I was a boy. She was my older sister’s best friend. She lives in Israel—close to my sister as neighbor and close in the friendship they have for nearly a half century. Mirel is her first name. It took me a minute […]
It Takes a Billion
It takes a billion ‘events’ for anything to come about. These words have been used to describe what synchronicity is as distinct from coincidence. The true number is more than a billion—saying a billion is just a way to get the thought process engaged in a very large number of events. One of the […]
Compromise without Concession
In English, compromise is defined as two parties that come to agreement by making concessions. The key word is concession. The Hebrew word for compromise is Pesher (Peh-Shin-Reish). When we compare this Hebrew root word with other similar roots the connotation is to create a connection. A bridge in Hebrew is Gesher (Gimmel-Shin-Reish) and a […]
Summer Clouds
Last week’s blog about memory generated a good deal of commentary. Memories continue to be a focus for me as I clear out closets and go through boxes, especially those in the garage, as we prepare for our move to a new home. I want to thank Amy Karpas who forwarded this week Jonathan Safran […]
Bowing to Memory
There is a story about a young boy in Denver who, this past year, fell from his skateboard and banged his head so severely that he became amnestic for a period of months. He did not recognize any of his family members. One day during prayers in synagogue he bowed down at the customary […]