Category Archives: Jewish Philosophy

Eavesdropping on God and the Devil

Posted on October 14, 2019 by

Eavesdropping isn’t exactly a sin, but it’s certainly impolite. And yet I couldn’t help it. Much. I was getting some coffee in the break room. Outside, in the hallway, God was having an argument with the Devil. I tried not … Continue reading →

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What Is Humanity?

Posted on July 1, 2019 by

Back in the 1960s, the great rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote Who Is Man? based on lectures he gave at Stanford University. But to ask “who is man?” assumes that we’ve’ previously answered the question “what is man?” If humans are … Continue reading →

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Some Comforting Thoughts

Posted on May 31, 2019 by

Life can be troubling, especially during periods of heated social conflict. Politicians and the media are no help. Most now devote themselves to fomenting hatred and division. Schools are no help. Most now devote themselves to replacing knowledge with superstition. … Continue reading →

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Do WMDs Make Religion Too Risky?

Posted on March 27, 2019 by

On his blog, philosopher Eric Kaplan posed a serious question (paraphrased here): If our weapons can destroy all life on earth, can we still afford to believe in a God who plays favorites? People sometimes claim that God is “… … Continue reading →

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We Don’t Always Need to Talk

Posted on January 19, 2019 by

“We need to talk.” Those words inspire dread. They usually portend something unpleasant. At home, your spouse might be angry because you forgot to take out the trash. At work, your boss might scold you for neglecting to put cover … Continue reading →

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Is There a “Problem of Goodness”?

Posted on January 10, 2019 by

“The problem of evil” has long been a thorn in the side of Judaism and Christianity. It’s a fairly simple argument: Judaism and Christianity say that God is infinitely good and infinitely powerful. If God is infinitely good, then He … Continue reading →

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We Can Have Unity Without Unanimity

Posted on November 24, 2018 by

Winston Churchill (1874-1965) was Prime Minister of England during World War II. He rallied his people to fight back against Nazi Germany even though some of them advocated surrender. Faced with such disagreement, Churchill said something that’s still relevant in … Continue reading →

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