Thoughts to Ponder : Daring Observations about the Jewish Tradition

by Lopes Cardozo, Nathan T.

• ISBN13: 9789657108406
• ISBN10: 9657108403
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-08-01
• Publisher: Independent Pub Group

Summary

Thoughts to Ponder is a collection of short, and often unusual, observations about the complexities of human existence and religious meaning. Rabbi Cardozo masterfully weaves together the intriguing perspectives of renowned Western and religious thinkers spanning the ages as he deals with subjects that range from "Jewish Identity, Jewish Leadership and Rebellion" and "The Therapy of Sport" to "Religious Stringencies: Good or Bad?" The Ba'al Shem Tov, Rav Avraham Yitschak Kook, Emanuel Kant and Charles Darwin are just some of the legendary figures who appear in this eclectic work.

Author Biography

Nathan Lopes Cardozo is Dean of the David Cardozo Academy for Jewish Studies and Human Dignity.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 11
Education and Leadership
Jewish Identity, Jewish Leadership and Rebellion	p. 15
Weariness and Gentile Advice	p. 18
Tolerance and Personal Conscience	p. 22
Tolerance and Dialogue	p. 26
Alan M. Dershowitz, Klotz Kashes and The Chozrim Beshe'ela Movement	p. 29
Educating Towards Enjoyment	p. 33
When Times Change, Methods for Jewish Education Change	p. 35
Jewish Family and Society
Krepelach and Bissli: The Revelation of a Language	p. 41
Boredom	p. 44
More on Boredom	p. 47
Thoughts on Dolls and Other Toys	p. 49
Grandparents and Grandchildren: The Secret of Redemption	p. 52
Asterix and Obelix: A Serious Rabbinic View	p. 56
The Therapy of Sport	p. 60
Some Perspectives on Mortality	p. 62
Religious and Secular Morality	p. 65
Satisfaction and the Art of Being	p. 69
A Fairy Tale
King Democratio: A Modern Midrash	p. 75
Man, God and the Torah
Who is God and What Are the Consequences?	p. 83
The Holiness of Man	p. 87
Freud and Belief in God	p. 89
Human Autonomy and Divine Commandment I	p. 92
Human Autonomy and Divine Commandment II	p. 95
Freedom of Will and Determinism: A Daring Midrash	p. 98
The Chosen People: An Arrogant Claim?	p. 101
The Quest for Denial	p. 106
The Mystery of Revelation	p. 109
Johann Sebastian Bach, Spinoza and Halacha	p. 111
Holidays and Customs
Mitzvot, Minhagim and Their Dangers	p. 117
Chumrot-Religious Stringencies: Good or Bad?	p. 119
Rosh Hashana and The Day After	p. 122
Rosh Hashana and the Cities of Refuge	p. 125
Yom Kippur: A Day Like Purim	p. 128
Yom Kippur and Arthur Schopenhauer	p. 132
Sukkot: Twin Towers and the Paradox of Life	p. 135
Chanuka: The Religious Equilibrium of the Menora	p. 138
Pesach: Judaism's Main Purpose is to Complicate Life	p. 140
Pesach: To Roast or to Boil-That is the Question	p. 142
Shavuot: Torah and Combustibility	p. 146
Shavuot: Revelation and Learning	p. 149
The Mystery of the Second Day Yom Tov	p. 152
Tisha B'Av: A Forestaste and the Eye of a Needle	p. 156
Israel and the Jewish State
The Holocaust: Divine Retribution?	p. 161
The Danger of Holiness and the Future of Israel	p. 164
The Palestinians' Claim to the Land of Israel: A Serious Warning	p. 167
Concerning the New Millennium: A Jewish Child and a Wave of the Hand	p. 170
Rabbi Yaacov Emden, Bilaam and Jeshu	p. 174
The Birth of Amalek: The Making of an Enemy	p. 177
The Power of Prayer
Prayer, Chazanut and the Cantor	p. 183
There is No Mashiach Without a Song	p. 185
Camp David and the City of David	p. 188
Glossary	p. 191
Thoughts in which Jewish Festivals and Parashat Hashavua Appear	p. 194
Biographical Details of Famous Jewish Thinkers and Rabbis Throughout The Ages Noted in This Work	p. 195
Biographical Details of Western Thinkers Noted in This Work	p. 197
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