LIVING WITH PURPOSE

How often do you feel completely alone in the world? Are there moments in your life when you think that no one really understands your predicament? Are there times when you are not sure anymore If anyone genuinely cares about you? No doubt in a world filled with a wide range of life’s constant pressures, both socially and professionally, are our relationships with others tried and tested. Our friendships and loyalties to others are not in a static mode. It is not surprising therefore that there are going to be times when we are let down by those we felt were closest to us. There is such a moment which is most powerfully depicted in this week’s Torah portion. It is the story of Joseph

How do you deal with people who hate you? Do you engage them or do you walk away? Should one look to compromise or should one seek a just settlement? If love is the most powerful force in the universe, then hate must be its most destructive. Love is the creator of life, hate destroys it. Human beings are at their most optimal state when they are infused with love. So how does someone who is filled with love deal with someone who is filled with hate? Is it a level playing field? One of the most suspenseful scenes in the biblical narrative is the moment when Jacob is forced to meet his brother Esau. Jacob is fully cognizant of his brothers animosity towards him. Filled with trepidation,

How do we play the game when there are no rules? What methods do we employ without sacrificing our integrity? Who is the true opponent in the game of life? As human beings we can get used to most things. However, there is one thing that inherently challenges us most most profoundly. It is; uncertainty. We all like to see the road ahead of us. We want to know what to expect in the future. It is not the challenges in our lives that make us truly afraid, it is the unknown nature and timing of those challenges that profoundly unsettles us. If there ever was a man experiencing the loneliness that accompanies this state of being, it was Jacob our forefather, alone on the mountain top, as we find

How do we achieve a healthy balance in a polarised world? What are the forces behind polarisation? Are human beings naturally disposed towards an extreme or are we naturally inclined towards living a balanced life? The mystics explain that all human attributes are an expression of a corresponding divine energy. In total there are ten unique attributes belonging to three general energy types. Type one is identified as being on the “right”. Type two on the “left”. Type three is in the “centre”. Each of these three energy types were embodied by one of our three patriarchs. Abraham embodied the “right”. Issac the “left”. And Jacob the “center”. Our sages refer to our patriarch Jacob as b

"For everything there is a time: A time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace. A time to be silent and a time to speak. A time to weep and a time to laugh” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). So goes the verse from the wisest of all man; King Solomon. The challenge for us today is; what time is it now?The Jewish world has been thrust into a state of shock as a result of events in Pittsburgh last Saturday. A cold blooded malicious act of murder perpetrated against the most innocent of victims, including a holocaust survivor, whilst performing the most sacred of acts. And this to happen in the USA! A country that has served as the greatest bastion for freedom of religion. A country t