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(click here for print version) The Jewish Sages gave a spiritual rather than physiological explanation for the disease tsara'at (generally translated as "leprosy") which affected not only the body but also clothing and the walls of houses. According to one source several sins could possible be the cause: R. Shmuel bar Nachmani said in the name of R. Yochanan: Because of seven things the plague of leprosy is incurred, namely, slander, the shedding of blood, a vain oath, incest, arrogance, robbery and envy. (Arakhin 16a) However, most Sages concur that the main cause for tsara'at was slander and gossip. How can we understand the physical impact of our moral and spiritual actions? The Kabbalah teaches that the world you and I live in is a product of our perception of reality. The philosopher Immanuel Kant probed this concept. He asked: Do we see reality or do we see our perception of reality? Kant...

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(click here for print version) Why Eat Kosher?...

(click here for print version) Several years ago, we ran a couple of back-to-back Isralight weekend retreats in Orlando, Florida, which afforded me the opportunity to take a long-overdue vacation with my family in Disney world. For our children, who had just spent the better part of a year dealing with the day to day challenges of living in Israel post-Oslo, and especially watching their father constantly in and out of the army reserves, Disney World must have seemed like a fantasy world, and I was most curious to see how they would respond to the many educational challenges Disney World presented. At the end of our first fun-filled day, as we were making our way out of the park we passed through the shops and gift stores strategically situated at the exit. The Disney company cleverly places all of the toys and treats right near the park exit, and I am sure many a parent, anxious to get back to their...

Secrets Behind The Purim Mask...

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Sometimes, it's that one extra word that makes all the difference. It was only a fraction of a moment of my time in the army, but it was a lesson I never forgot, though to this day I am undecided as to whether I agree with it. I was desperate to get a day off; we were still in basic training, and I had barely been in the army three months, but my folks were landing at the airport the next afternoon, and I was hoping my commanders would give me a break as I had not seen head or hair of any family in the two months since I had joined up. My folks had done me the enormous favor of landing on a Thursday afternoon, which was the best possible day of the week for a tank crewman to get extra leave. Thursday...