These and Those

Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem

Tag Archives: control

Week 16: “Emotional Education”

Posted on December 24, 2011 by Derek Kwait

(X-posted from my home blog, Yinzer in Yerushalayim) Nearly all of Pardes went to Hevron in the West Bank Sunday. It spent the rest of the week needing therapy. I think I faired better than most, however, because I went into it knowing what to expect and I got it in spades: It is by Continue Reading »

Sarai’s Pain and Our Own – Parshat Lech Lecha

Posted on November 6, 2011 by The Director of Digital Media

Guest Post: Dvar Torah by Pardes Alumnus Rabbi Peter Stein The Torah is a book that explores what it means to be human.  The Book of Genesis, especially, presents story after story that delves into the pain and joy and messiness of the human condition. In this week’s parshah, we read about Sarai, our ancestor, and Continue Reading »

Jerusalem Day

Posted on June 4, 2011 by Pious Antic

Yom Yerushalayim, which was observed this week, celebrates the reunification of the old city of Jerusalem under Jewish control in 1967, after 19 years in which the city was divided between Jewish and Arab control. Unsurprisingly, given the historical, political and moral complexity of the events it commemorates, Yom Yerushalayim is not a universally beloved Continue Reading »

[PEP Student] Sanctify within the Permitted

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Tamara Frankel

Dear Friends, I’d like to start today’s dvar Torah with a bit of a provocative riddle: What do a prostitute, Shabbat and a nazir (religious ascetic or monk) have in common? [I knew that would get your attention that way….. Now follow along with me and I’ll help you solve the riddle.] This week we Continue Reading »

Zen Judaism

Posted on January 24, 2011 by Michael

The root of the Hebrew word for love—AHAVA—is Hav; to give. To give one’s mind to Gd in a gesture of mutual love is to receive Gd in every moment; to live a life of contemplation, to silence the ego thoughts and desires in order to receive Gd waving to us at all times eternally. Continue Reading »

Family and Destiny

Posted on December 31, 2010 by Michael

My parents and brother are here now in Israel. It is awesome to be here together with them for the first time. We’ve had the opportunity to travel around Israel, especially to the south, enjoying beautiful hikes and the sunny Eilat beach. Next time you come to Israel, I definitely recommend that you hike some Continue Reading »

Physicality and Sensuality

Posted on December 9, 2010 by Michael

I think there is a general misunderstanding about the difference between physicality and sensuality. The physical world is extremely holy. The elements fire, water, air, earth are absolutely mysterious in Origin, as they come directly from the creation of Gd’s word. It is the improper orientation towards physicality that is sensuality, in other words being Continue Reading »

[PEP Student] Happy Channukah!

Posted on December 5, 2010 by Tamara Frankel

Dear Friends, Happy Channukah! I’m very excited to be celebrating in the illuminated (and unseasonably warm) city of Jerusalem this year. The ‘holiday season’ here is NOTHING like what it is in Toronto. I mean, the local bus has a sign that says “Channukah Sameach” (“Happy Channukah”) on it. Enough said. Before I share what Continue Reading »

פטישיזם

Posted on November 25, 2010 by Jean

Now Joseph was well built and handsome. After a time, his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph and said, ‘Lie with me.’ But he refused… On such a day, he came into the house to do his work. None of the household being there inside, she caught hold of him by his garment and Continue Reading »

חשך

Posted on November 10, 2010 by Jean

When God began to create… darkness was over the surface of the deep… God said ‘Let there be light…’ God separated light from darkness. (Genesis 1:1) Rav Meir suggested that water and darkness are realms of the Divine. They were contracted to make a place where humans could thrive. The darkness is “an entity to Continue Reading »