LIVING WITH PURPOSE

Do you believe people can really change? Have you ever tried to rid yourself of a character flaw? Do you think that you fully appreciate your weaknesses? The High Holidays are upon us. They come and go each year. We try to anticipate a New Year which will engender a fresh start in our lives. However, immediately afterwards, reality returns in all its glory. We seem to revert back to our original state. One of the most intriguing Chassidic sages, Reb Zusha of Anipoli (1718-18

Do you feel like you’re lost? Can you even be lost without realising it? What are we searching for? Life began a long time ago. It began in a place called home. It started well. We felt like we belonged. We were loved and accepted. We were encouraged and respected. We did venture out from time to time, but we always knew we could come home again. As time went on, we traveled further away from home. Each time, losing our sense of direction a little more. Until we could not fin

Are you feeling more vulnerable this year? Are you more exposed to forces beyond your control? Does anything make sense to you? It’s like a thick cloud has descended upon us. Little visibility of the future. It’s hard to make a plan. It all seems surreal. We’re supposed to come together this time of the year. To celebrate with our friends and family, with our people. Yet as if this was premeditated, precisely now, we are being compelled to be separate, alone. What’s going on?

As human beings, we all have a deeply embedded desire for certainty and control. Without these we would feel profoundly disorientated. For many millennia mankind has strived to achieve dominion over the forces of nature. We believe that by finding ways to diminish uncertainty in the future, we will feel more secure about our lives in the present. The mystics were diametrically opposed to this way of thinking. It is told about the Baal Shem Tov that he did not have any savings

A few years ago I traveled to the United Arab Emirates in order to facilitate a Jewish marriage. I must confess that I was a little apprehensive. My colleagues in Dubai advised that I wear a baseball cap in order to avoid attracting unnecessary attention. As I approached immigration, I handed over my UK passport. As the Emirati official opened it up, I realised that my photo revealed a large black Kippah. Without saying a word, he looked straight up at me. I tried my best to