Syndication
The Polymath
God of Judgment, God of LoveEvery year at this time, for at least the past decade, I have struggled with the theology of atonement, the liturgy of repentance and the challenge of tshuvah, return. When I was a child, and into my teens and 20s, the imagery was effective; I didn’t think there actually was a Book of Life up there in the sky, but I appreciated the metaphor. I felt myself judged on Yom Kippur, impelled to repent of various sins and shortcomings.
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Kabbalah: Ten Years After MadonnaKabbalah is so… last decade. I still remember the flush of excitement, confusion, appreciation and concern that I felt in 1998 when I first read that Madonna was going to The Kabbalah Centre, and that her new tour design featured kabbalistic imagery. Then came Demi and Ashton and Britney and Roseanne, and a whole decade of references on celebrity Web sites and articles in reputable mainstream magazines. By now, Kabbalah seems like old news.
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Behind a Veil of WordsA few years ago I was sitting on an airplane, and a woman next to me was reading “The Da Vinci Code.” At some point we got to talking, and I mentioned that I study Kabbalah. She was very interested and, after peppering me with questions for several minutes, said, conclusively, “Well, I definitely believe that this” — she waved her hand dismissively — “is not all there is.”
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More in The Polymath
- The Virtues of the Unaffiliated
- People Of the Chapbook: Jewish Poets as Jewish Teachers
- Thinking Green: It’s Not Just a Virtue — It’s Your Jewish Duty
- How I Finally Learned To Stop Worrying and Love (Okay, Like) Christmas
- As Winter Falls, a Time To Learn From the Orthodox
- Memo to Michael Steinhardt: ‘Duh.’
- The New Atheism: What’s a Liberal, Spiritual Jew To Do?
- As Israel’s Labor Party Declines, a Rival Emerges on the Left
- Emanuel’s Record on Israel Is More Dovish Than the Headlines Suggest
- Finally, an Arrest in Bombing of Paris Shul
- At UJC Assembly, Speeches About Iran and Fears About the Economy
- Turkey Trouble: Turmoil in Kosher Industry Affects Thanksgiving Meal
- Former Aipac Staffer Looks for New Start
- Watching Blue America Celebrate
Noam Neusner - An Intolerable Spot for a Museum
Buzzy Gordon - A Two-State Solution May Have To Wait
Leonard Fein - A Melting Pot President
David Biale - Advice on the Arab-Israeli Front: Try Pursuing Peace, Just Don’t Fail
Aaron David Miller - The Progressive Politics We Need
Ralph Seliger
