tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56022412011-08-09T04:49:54.020-04:00The rantings and ravings of Bryan Kinzbrunner. Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.comBlogger1611100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-9912470575993447142010-05-02T07:37:00.000-04:002010-05-02T07:37:26.366-04:00

Mind Over Meds In this article from last week's New York TImes Magazine, the author, a psychiatrist, presents his argument for the reintegration of actual psychotherapy in his psychiatric practice.  He argues, I believe correctly, that many tend to diagnose based on a set of assumed problems without exploring the basis for the problems.  What ends up happening is you have many people on

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-46609293238216949782010-04-30T17:12:00.000-04:002010-04-30T17:12:50.422-04:00

In a recent piece by Yitzchak Adlerstein at Cross Currents, he makes the point that the RCA's new decision about not accepting women's ordination has officially made them almost like the Agudah. He states that the the Agudahness of the RCA is in how they came to the decision to deny women's ordination as opposed to the decision itself.  It seems the primary reason for not allowing ordination is

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-87622411380300517042010-04-29T23:17:00.000-04:002010-04-29T23:17:12.244-04:00

New health care law traps some in pricey state plans I guess this means health care reform isn't for everyone.  Surprise, surprise.  I would have thought the federal government's goal was to lower health care cost, even retroactively for people who need it.  I guess not.  In the end, it is all about making bottom line numbers, and clearly government health care specifically for pre-existing

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-69788844904527329922010-04-27T21:25:00.004-04:002010-04-27T21:43:31.030-04:00

I think we will try this one again as a means of getting back into writing online.  Survey: 72% of Millennials 'more spiritual than religious' This articles presents findings from a recent survey indicating the 18-29 yr old crowd tends to find themselves more spiritual than religious.  To me, reading this would be further proof of the ending of the latest religious revival in America.  Of note

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-85767486668910745042009-12-09T21:01:00.001-05:002009-12-09T21:02:50.933-05:00

Your Final Wish Isn’t Always Your Doctor’s Command: by Ann WoolnerIn the continuing sagas of the power of advance directives, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has come out saying they will not uphold a person’s wishes if they run counter to Catholic morals. The alternative is to move the person to a non-Catholic hospital. I think this issue is very fascinating from an ethical standpoint,

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-22265514819524367222009-12-07T18:33:00.003-05:002009-12-07T22:59:10.656-05:00

Petraeus: Obama Said Surge WorkedReally? So now the surge worked? When he was running for President, the tone was different. He must have been wearing shaded glasses until now.U.S. sees homegrown Muslim extremism as rising threat: this may have been the most dangerous year since 9/11, anti-terrorism experts say By Sebastian RotellaThe fifth column begins to rise. This is scary though not

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-38891416241691821822009-12-06T18:19:00.004-05:002010-04-29T08:19:09.634-04:00

Today is the 19th day of Kislev. In the Hasidic world, many dynasties celebrate this day as their new year. I am particularly aware of Chabad celebrating this day. In Chabad tradition, today begins the yearly study of Tanya of the Alter Rebbe, the first Chabad Rebbe.

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-73628429407298082272009-12-06T17:59:00.005-05:002009-12-06T18:19:00.988-05:00

The Ph.D. Problem: On the professionalization of faculty life, doctoral training, and the academy’s self-renewal by Louis Menand In an interesting study which seemingly summarizes current thinking, professor Menand discusses the potential need to reconfigure the PhD academic experience with regard to end goal. If more students could potentially finish in less time, plus find meaningful work in

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-12285055181330458182009-12-05T21:42:00.001-05:002009-12-05T22:05:20.100-05:00

The Fall of Greg Craig, Obama's Top Lawyer - TIME: by Massimo Calabresi and Michael Weisskopf"In this interesting article about the Obama's top lawyer's recent resignation, I noticed an interesting guffaw by the authors. One of the reasons for Greg Craig's marginalization was his insistence on releasing pictures and information about our treatment of terrorists. The intelligence community was

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1636630691896101542009-12-03T13:13:00.005-05:002009-12-05T21:41:31.789-05:00

Rumsfeld to Obama: What Requests For Troops in Afghanistan Are You Talking About? Posted by Dan McLaughlinIt seems Obama misspoke again. This time he accuses Rumsfeld of preventing further build up in Afghanistan. Perhaps Obama needs to worry more about his policies than the "mistakes" of his predecessors.As Predicted, the Senate Republicans Are Improving the Health Care Bill so it PassesPosted

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-15806255000334306212009-12-02T15:49:00.005-05:002009-12-02T19:18:50.032-05:00

Here are some articles from Today's news sources. "An Empire at Risk" in Newsweek - by Niall FergusonIs our real challenge economic decline? Should we be more focused on the economic challenges this country faces than the current new upsurge of troops to Afghanistan? A very fascinating article, looking at how our debt is rising to percentages too high to be sustained with our current GDP."Freedom

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-60326372882973505732009-12-02T15:41:00.004-05:002009-12-02T19:11:24.488-05:00

Why does the whole Tiger Woods fiasco surprise us? Athletes are not role models and we always seem to have to reminded of that simple truth. I find that people forget time and time again that athletes tend to believe anything goes, even if they publicly attest to living moral, truthful lives. That will be the extent of my comments on Tiger Woods, because I don't particularly care about his

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-67218300324996999092009-12-01T22:24:00.002-05:002009-12-01T22:33:12.463-05:00

After another extra long hiatus, I have decided to return to the world of blogging. To start, I want to highlight a couple of articles I read today. The first is an opinion piece entitled "Strong Enough for a 'reset' with Russia? One line which jumped out to me, though secondary to the main thesis of the piece, was the author's report that many in Russia see the current US involvement in

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-20271131605384547292007-02-21T18:33:00.000-05:002007-02-21T21:24:51.299-05:00

In my Monday night Talmud class, we are studying the 4th chapter of ברכות. On 28b, we are told a story about the death of R. Yochanan ben Zaqai. He was on his death bed and his students came to visit. The gemara tells us that when they entered, R. Yochanan ben Zaqai began to cry. When the students engaged his crying, R. Yochanan ben Zaqai explained that he was crying out fear of having to face

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-7341943428775932112007-01-26T16:32:00.000-05:002007-01-26T16:36:49.669-05:00

I just want to share about a new book regarding children and bereavement, Beyond the Tears: Helping Jewish Kids Cope With Death by Rabbi Eugene Kwalwasser, former head of Yavneh Academy in Teaneck. This is a very well laid out work designed for young adolescents of 10-15 and for teachers who are looking for ideas on how to talk with students about death and bereavement.

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-70192198333668993212007-01-07T09:12:00.000-05:002007-01-07T09:21:29.960-05:00

At the end of Bereishit, Yosef, in a scene paralleling Yaakov, places a vow on his family that at the time of redemption to take his bones from Egypt ("And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying: 'God will surely remember you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.'"[50:25]). In Masechet Sotah, Rav taught in the name of Rav Yehuda that the reason it says the bones is as a

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-70161761243009385612007-01-01T13:08:00.000-05:002007-02-21T21:22:34.729-05:00

One of the things in last week's parasha that always struck me as odd was Jacob's response when he encounters Yosef for the first time in 22 years. We would expect Jacob to hug his son and cry with him. Instead we are told "And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen; and he presented himself unto him, and fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1167319253261592172006-12-28T10:01:00.000-05:002006-12-28T10:20:53.290-05:00

In this week's Jewish Week, there is an article about a recent conference in California regarding the rapid, widespread kabbalah study. As usual, the primary issue is a two part question.A. Should Kabbalah be a knowledge accessible to the masses or just an elite few?B. If it is for dissemination to a greater population, is it supposed to be Judeo-specific?Within the article, the main focus is

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1166967779883281512006-12-24T08:33:00.000-05:002007-01-01T13:27:58.923-05:00

On Shabbat, I read a transcription of a lecture given by Rabbi Yitz Greenberg about how to confront Jewish education in the Postmodern age. The title of the lecture is Judaism and Modernity; Realigning the Two Worlds. Even if one is not an educator, this transcribed lecture does evoke much thought regarding issues of change we might consider investigating in our modern society.In his lecture,

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1166819149443241592006-12-22T15:11:00.000-05:002006-12-23T18:13:13.823-05:00

Our dear "brethren" in the ultra-right wing Orthodox world, Neturei Karta, as has been highly publicized, decided that they should join the ranks of Ahmadinejad and other Holocaust deniers. The newspaper reports regarding this most heinous of acts includes their explanation of going to this conference not to deny the Holocaust but to say that Jews used the Holocaust for their own gain. Sometimes

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1123792045073921282005-08-11T16:18:00.000-04:002007-01-01T13:29:05.502-05:00

Robert Pollack Ph.D., in the newest issue of the Edah Journal, presents an article entitled, The Price of Science Without Moral Constraints: German and American Medicine Before DNA and Today. He presents three different topics together. The first is a historical summary of eugenics leading to the Holocaust. He then presents a discussion of the residual effects of the eugenics thinking on modern

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1123765392709090322005-08-11T08:58:00.000-04:002005-08-11T09:23:28.920-04:00

The following links were sent via the Lookjed listserv.Back in October '04, a rabbi at the OU, involved in NCSY, the OU's teenage kiruv organization, claims that the themes in Harry Potter are Jewish. I want to quote a few of the more interesting passages:Harry is Jewish. His parents died so that he might survive and carry on their legacy. Voldemort isn’t an evil wizard, but he does represent the

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1123515642150191562005-08-08T11:31:00.000-04:002007-01-01T13:33:11.985-05:00

A couple of Jewish bloggers have been discussing the findings in the mid-1990s of Professor Menachem Friedman of Bar Ilan University regarding the going-ons of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson זצ"ל during the time he was reported to have been in Berlin and Paris.For those interested in reading this three part series which was published in Haaretz in 1998, check out the following link.

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1122915399363296172005-08-01T21:20:00.000-04:002007-01-01T13:33:23.200-05:00

Update: It turns out that Palmeiro might have been tested as early as April or May according to the reports on ESPN this evening. If so, I am very disturbed by how baseball could allow this to go unchecked for so long. It would appear as if they felt compelled to wait until after he got 3000 hits before admitting that some part of this quest was enhanced by outside substances. The report also

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1122488007473381962005-07-27T14:11:00.000-04:002006-12-23T18:21:06.683-05:00

Update: One should also read the comments found on the Bloghead blog which cites a couple of articles about the subject of this "curse."For those who want to see the extent of anger against Sharon and the disengagement, check out the following video link posted on the Canonist blog. Also, check out the link to Paleojudaica's blog for news stories describing the curse placed on Sharon.

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1121782630142931862005-07-19T10:14:00.000-04:002006-12-23T18:21:50.113-05:00

According to an article in Newsday, it seems possible that there are more biblical fragments to be found in the Dead Sea area. As long as they aren't forgeries, this should lead to a new round of excavations for more fragments from the Second Temple era.

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1121774669217312232005-07-19T07:26:00.000-04:002007-01-01T13:28:40.603-05:00

Real Jews: Secular Versus Ultra-Orthodox: The Struggle for Jewish Identity in Israel: by Noah EfronWhen trying to analyze current societal trends, one of the most difficult aspects of this analysis is the ability to be objective. Noah Efron presents a work dealing with the perceptions and realities of the situation facing the Secular and Ultra-Orthodox in Israel, predominately from the

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1121340196695445672005-07-14T07:15:00.000-04:002007-01-01T13:32:51.615-05:00

If a sports league rises in a forest and no one is there, does it matter?So the NHL has finally come to a deal to bring us hockey next year. Big deal. The teams are decimated, as most don't even have half their stars under contract. Those under contract are going to have to take pay cuts. This whole thing is an utter joke. But what really bothers me is that the wonderful sports networks (ESPN and

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1121211524628441412005-07-12T19:36:00.000-04:002005-07-12T19:38:44.636-04:00

There is a short article in the Jewish Forward about my brother's recent wedding.

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1119842067981688042005-06-26T23:08:00.000-04:002005-06-26T23:14:28.006-04:00

This evening, I had the opportunity to hear one of the renowned international תלמידי חכמים, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, who spoke at Congregation Ahavas Achim in Highland Park, NJ. He is currently promoting a new book, We Jews : Who Are We and What Should We Do. Rabbi Steinsaltz spoke about the need to find our lost brethren, not the lost tribes, but all those Jews assimilated in the world. He

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1119826513297490732005-06-26T18:55:00.000-04:002005-06-26T18:55:13.296-04:00

I found something interesting the other day in the משנה ברורה which if anyone can verify seeing it done, I would be greatly appreciated. In the first chapter of אורח חיים, when discussing the recitation of קרבנות in the morning, the משנה ברורה discusses why we would still say קרבנות on שבת even though we don't usually recite נדבות, voluntary prayers, on שבת. He argues that קרבנות on שבת fall in

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1119285777592362712005-06-20T12:31:00.000-04:002005-06-20T12:42:57.613-04:00

Last night was a very wonderful evening as my brother, Ensign Eric Kinzbrunner USN married Suri Hoenig. The evening was a coming together of many different strands of humanity (we think). For many of us, the highlight of the evening, other than the marriage itself, was the military sword ceremony following the Huppah, where 6 of Eric's fellow Navy and Marine officers from the United States

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1118071692393457232005-06-06T11:30:00.000-04:002005-06-06T11:28:12.403-04:00

משנה מסכת אבות פרק א משנה אמשה קבל תורה מסיני ומסרה ליהושע ויהושע לזקנים וזקנים לנביאים ונביאים מסרוה לאנשי כנסת הגדולה הם אמרו שלשה דברים הוו מתונים בדין והעמידו תלמידים הרבה ועשו סייג לתורה 1. Be deliberate in judgment. – הוו מתונים בדין – Think carefully before making decisions. Don’t be rash.2. Raise up many students – העמידו תלמידים הרבה – Don’t hide one’s thoughts from others. The goal

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1118070539691759102005-06-06T11:05:00.000-04:002005-06-06T11:29:41.516-04:00

For the few of you that are still keeping tabs on my blog, I will be posting later today short synopsis of my first of two recent פרקי אבות classes. Also, hopefully before שבועות I will have up my class for 4 am. on תיקון ליל שבועות and the second פרקי אבות class.

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1112980178130563182005-04-08T13:03:00.000-04:002005-04-08T16:36:10.760-04:00

Three Month absence:I know it has been a while since last posting, but I found myself being unable to add anything new to many of the goings on in the world.Well, now I am back. I will be doing two things. The first is that I was recently invited to a new blog, Reclaiming the Daf, which is a place for a bunch of us to write about things we find in the daily page of Gemara. I will link to my first

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1105735490831476282005-01-14T15:26:00.000-05:002005-01-14T15:44:50.833-05:00

I did not want to get involved, but I think if I don't say anything, I might go crazy. The basic situation is that R. Nosson Slifkin, author of works dealing with the relationship of Torah with modern Science, has been put under a ban for saying certain "heretical" things. I am not going to go through all the details, for these can be found at various other blogs, but there is one newer

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1105532005104505242005-01-12T07:07:00.000-05:002005-01-12T07:13:25.106-05:00

My brother sent me a link to this article from the Jerusalem Post about the newly formed Sanhedrin. They recently met to discuss the issues of establishing a Jewish monarchy in the state of Israel and of what to do with the Temple Mount. While this might be a noble gesture, I am hard pressed to understand how further strife within Israel is going to help the situation. One could argue that if

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1105531631834738232005-01-12T07:03:00.000-05:002005-01-12T07:07:11.833-05:00

Rav Shagar was recently profiled in an article in Haaretz. As this is my first exposure to him, I will limit my comments. The only thing of note is that he doesn't seem to fear the individualizing of Judaism from an emotional perspective. Postmodernism's call for relativism does not seem to frighten him but instead challenges him to create an education theory that includes emphasis for the

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1104757540224989782005-01-03T07:56:00.000-05:002005-01-03T09:54:01.720-05:00

In Haaretz, someone wrote an editorial in response to the recent fighting between Haredi leaders and the Israel high court regarding whether schools that do not provide secular studies should receive state funds to help run the schools. Avi Garfinkel claims that the Haredi world is trying to again lie about the history of "Yeshiva" learning in order to guarantee that the high court will

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1104704204934622702005-01-02T17:04:00.000-05:002005-01-02T20:17:11.886-05:00

More conspiracy theories Pearl Harbor, JFK... 9-11. Shira and I were walking towards Penn Station last thursday when we heard people advertising a website called NY911truth, a website whose goal is to reveal the "truth" about what happened on September 11. As I am one who has spent much time reading about conspiracy theories over the years, one thing has always struck me. Everyone is connected

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1104525048891046992004-12-31T15:29:00.000-05:002004-12-31T15:30:48.890-05:00

I realize it is an hour before Shabbat, but I feel the need to link to the following prayer to be said for the victims of the terrible tragedy in Southeast Asia and parts of Western Africa. The magnitude leaves many of us speechless.

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1104266253853605262004-12-28T15:14:00.000-05:002007-01-01T13:31:22.871-05:00

As a disclaimer: what I am going to write is meant as a way of expressing some of my opinions. None of this should be seen as a personal attack. I speak with the utmost respect for all those mentioned.It seems that anything I am going to say about the argument between R. Yitzchak Blau and R. Dr. Alan Brill in the most recent Edah journal will be seen simply as another student defending his

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1104252886017012612004-12-28T11:33:00.000-05:002004-12-28T11:56:43.270-05:00

The perks of working in the back rooms of a library is that I get to glance through books before they go on the shelves. Sometimes I come across something worth sharing. Here is one from this morning: In a compilation of some of the writings of רב חיים שאול קרליץ ז"ל (R. Hayim Shaul Karelitz z"l), entitled Achat Sha'alti (this is a work containing his hiddushei torah and hashkafa), I saw

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1103915681835346612004-12-24T14:06:00.000-05:002004-12-24T14:17:41.463-05:00

Haaretz, about a week ago, published an article about R. Yehudah Ashlag, author of the Sulam commentary on the Zohar, in anticipation of the upcoming conference this Sunday at Ben Gurion University. It is unfortunate that for the most part, people have heard of R. Ashlag because part of his legacy is the Kabbalah Center, founded by Philip Berg. For an alternative to the Kabbalah Center, take a

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1103143870641430992004-12-15T15:41:00.000-05:002004-12-15T15:51:10.640-05:00

There is a very interesting conversation going on over at Avraham's Blog about whether one should translate Pachad Yitzchaq, the collected drashot of R. Hutner. I decided to move my comments over to my blog because I felt it was imperative to discuss reading translated works. Translating texts is important because people should not be forced to remain ignorant simply because of a language

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1103044422740718082004-12-14T11:59:00.000-05:002007-01-01T13:34:10.628-05:00

Since people keep asking me about my blog, specifically why I haven't posted in so long, so I figure I might as well write something.I am currently reading Passion for Truth, Abraham Joshua Heschel's last book, finished within weeks of his death. This work is fitting to be his last, because it would appear to be a last testimony to his hasidic upbringing, as he was tutored by a Kotzker Hasid in

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1098394361613519472004-10-21T17:28:00.001-04:002004-10-21T17:34:44.290-04:00

The following is my attempt to describe Shabbat to a person with almost no knowledge of Shabbat. After writing the essay, I got the impression that I was subtly influenced by Abraham Joshua Heschel's The Sabbath. Judaism, the first of the “monotheistic” religions, has an idea called Shabbat, anglicized as the Sabbath. It is commonly translated as a day of rest (the literal definition of Shabbat

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1097774558995204772004-10-14T13:13:00.000-04:002004-10-14T13:27:12.880-04:00

Avraham's post, which he copied from Dei'ah veDibur, is disturbing. It seems the newest concern is that men and women might inadvertently touch upon leaving a crowded synagogue. Therefore, the women should leave before Aleinu so that this problem is avoided. The claim is that leaving synagogue early would be a middas chasiddus. I don't know, but this really doesn't seem to be such a big issue.

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1097615577186540902004-10-12T17:09:00.000-04:002004-10-12T17:12:57.186-04:00

You know American society is in trouble when Fox Sports has to resort to advertising Major League Baseball playoffs as if it is a reality TV show. Their ad says: 8 teams, 1 Champion. I'm sorry, but since when does live automatically have to be lumped into reality. Granted, live=reality as in the event is going on as we watch, but I think it is degrading to the American pasttime by making it

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1096999541498856562004-10-05T14:04:00.000-04:002004-10-05T14:07:52.546-04:00

Professor Israel Ta-Shema passes away at age 68. There is a short piece about this at Dr. Jeffrey Woolf's blog.

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1096833912393441152004-10-03T16:00:00.000-04:002004-10-03T16:10:09.503-04:00

There is a small article in today's NY Times about Sukkot. A couple of things of note: 1. The first person interviewed builds his sukkah out of coke crates. 2. According to the Times, more and more people buy premade sukkot than build from scratch. On the one hand, it is probably more convenient to buy one. However, as one person said, buying one takes away from the experience of building it. I

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1096040296189635292004-09-24T11:27:00.000-04:002004-09-24T11:38:16.190-04:00

As we are only a few hours away from Yom Kippur, I decided it would be a good time to share my thoughts about the day. One of the most ironic aspects of Yom Kippur is the after Yom Kippur events. Specifically, within minutes of finishing our process of confessing our sins while fasting for 25 hours, we already ask for forgiveness again. The most common answer for this has to do with the

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1095718063722613102004-09-20T17:41:00.001-04:002007-01-01T13:33:50.854-05:00

Book Review: The Regal Way: The Life and Times of Rabbi Israel of RuzhinDavid Assaf attempts to portray the life of perhaps one of the wealthiest Hasidic Rabbis of the early 19th century, Rabbi Israel of Ruzhin. The book is divided into three sections. The first presents a biography of Rabbi Israel of Ruzhin, from his birth, through his imprisonment for an accusation of conspiracy in murder, to

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1095646817968116682004-09-19T22:11:00.000-04:002004-09-19T22:20:17.966-04:00

This past week in Haaretz, there was a special section dedicated to articles about Yeshayahu Leibowitz. This past August commemorated 10 years since his death.

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1095265134712091072004-09-15T13:05:00.000-04:002004-09-15T12:20:08.840-04:00

I want to wish my few readers a Shana Tova. May this coming year be a fulfilling year. Ktiva V'Chatima Tova. After Rosh Hashana, I hope to have some interesting posts, including analysis of the many books I have read in the past month and a half. Just as a preview, let me present a list of the books - (disclaimer - I will engage as many of these as possible): Arthur Herzberg - Jews : The

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1095120259136296342004-09-13T19:45:00.000-04:002004-09-13T20:04:19.136-04:00

I just found a link to a website with links to many Jewish books online. The site is hosted by halachabrura.

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1095083878915293892004-09-13T09:52:00.000-04:002004-09-13T09:57:58.916-04:00

For those interested, there was a piece in Haaretz regarding Aviva Gottlieb Zornberg, world wide lecturer and author of two works containing literary reads on Bible.

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1091814999769827362004-08-06T13:44:00.000-04:002004-08-06T13:56:39.770-04:00

In yesterday's NY Times, there was an Op-Ed entitled, Protect Sharon from the Right. While reading this piece, I was highly disturbed by the report that a certain well respected Rabbi said that if an Israeli gives back land, the person could be the target of a rabbinically sanctioned murder, implying that Sharon might be liable for death. While giving back land might be seen as endangering

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1091648425036167062004-08-04T15:35:00.000-04:002004-08-04T15:44:41.866-04:00

There was an interesting Op-Ed piece today in the New York Times. It seems that the academy is beginning to study Quran like it had done to the Old Testament. The Op-Ed's prime example is that some believe that the promise of 72 virgins for giving up one's life really meant to be grapes and not virgins. However, what I found most interesting is the thinking that this new study will lead to an

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1091457210338836162004-08-02T10:21:00.000-04:002004-08-02T10:33:30.340-04:00

In response to a comment from one of my previous posts, from July 20th, I would like to take this opportunity to set out my thinking a little. While it might go against the grain of traditional religious thinking, and some might accuse me of following Conservative or Reform Jewish thinking, I believe that we cannot ignore what is out in the world. This might back me into a corner because some

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1091456436768681152004-08-02T10:10:00.000-04:002004-08-02T10:20:36.770-04:00

I went to a wedding last Thursday up in Monsey and during the meal, a Rabbi got up to speak. His speech was about why a bride wears a veil at a wedding. His main point was that Jews, unlike non-Jews, don't have relationships before they are married, meaning that the man and woman don't think of themselves as a unit until the end of the חופה. Therefore, she wears a veil to show that they are

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1090587785842641272004-07-23T08:58:00.000-04:002004-07-23T09:03:05.843-04:00

For those interested, the 9/11 commission report is found online in full.  There is also a short summary of 35 pages at that link, which I would recommend one read if they don't want to go through almost 600 pages about the events leading to 9/11 and the aftermath.  Imagine if we had computers back when they did the inquiry on Pearl Harbor or for the assassination of JFK.  Ah, the contemporary

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1090441831054633912004-07-21T16:29:00.000-04:002004-07-21T16:30:31.056-04:00

Well, after about a month, we finally put a few pictures up from the wedding.

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1090424101494341002004-07-21T11:32:00.000-04:002004-07-21T11:35:01.493-04:00

60th anniversary of the failed plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler is commemorated in Germany: GERMANY: HITLER PLOTTERS HAILED Chancellor Gerhard Schröder honored Germany's Nazi resistance on the 60th anniversary of the most famous plot to kill Hitler, saying the army officers, civic leaders and citizens who sacrificed their lives for the movement were heroes. On July 20, 1944, Col. Claus Schenk von

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1090332109753769972004-07-20T09:37:00.000-04:002004-07-20T10:01:49.753-04:00

In the newest issue of the Jewish action, there is a discussion (under the title, the Generation After) of the children of Baalei Teshuvah and how many don't stay religious.  The purpose of the two articles at first glance is to present why this happens.  Unfortunately, in my opinion, neither author truly gauges the problem and instead relies upon generalizations to make their claims.  Yes, we

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1090287976058149372004-07-19T21:36:00.000-04:002004-07-19T21:46:16.056-04:00

It seems Orthodox Jewry might want to take advice from the following small article in today's NY Times.  It seems that we aren't the only ones with problems of people not getting married and being single.  It appears evangelical Christians "suffer" from the same.  Now, as one recently married, it might not be fair for me to say this, but while I grant there is the command to procreate, there

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1090245838513035382004-07-19T09:55:00.000-04:002004-07-19T10:03:58.513-04:00

In yesterday's NY Times, there was an Op-Ed about the Harry Potter series being an example of, in the author's words, "neoliberal capitalism."  Not sure where the author was going with this, because all that happens is that there is a description of the book using economic jargon in order for the author to say "You can imagine as many fictional worlds, parallel universes or educational systems as

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1090185348163033162004-07-18T17:14:00.000-04:002004-07-18T17:15:48.163-04:00

I am back online after a long hiatus without internet.  We are slowly emptying boxes and making our apartment a living space.  I hope to be back to blogging more regularly now that I am back online.

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1089557520868509142004-07-11T10:50:00.000-04:002004-07-11T10:52:00.870-04:00

On a more personal note, Shira and I are currently swamped with boxes realizing that we have too much to fit into such a small space. All I can say is I wonder if it has to do with my countless amount of books all over the place ;-).

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1089557406074850442004-07-11T10:39:00.000-04:002004-07-11T10:50:06.076-04:00

I don't usually like to venture into the world of politics, but after reading an article, The New Pamphleteers, by Alan Wolfe, in the New York Times Sunday book review, I felt I had to say something. Whether one is politically conservative or liberal, there is clearly a major problem, namely the lack of informed thinking. Wolfe claims that most of the works contain, at best, shoddy research,

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1088084895549197152004-06-24T09:42:00.000-04:002004-06-24T09:54:36.180-04:00

One friend of mine has already commented about my wedding. There is also a link to some pictures of the gang (his pictures were the first we saw from the wedding). Shira and I both hope that everyone had fun at our wedding. We did!!! Shira, who is standing next to me at the moment, says she likes being married so far. Anyways, we are in a bit of a rush because we are spending our afternoon

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1087699393886300532004-06-19T22:40:00.000-04:002004-06-19T22:43:13.886-04:00

I would like to apologize for my recent absence from blogging. With the upcoming wedding, now less than three days away, and everything, I have been fairly busy. However, I hope to be able to blog once or twice in the upcoming weeks in between constant moving around. Eventually, I will be back to blogging fairly regularly, but until then...

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1085491883673394652004-05-25T09:29:00.000-04:002004-05-25T09:31:23.673-04:00

I know it is only Tuesday, but here is a Dvar Torah for this week's Parasha, Nasso. I do think that the idea presented might be something to contemplate on Shavuot as well. Parashat Nasso The Golden Mean Parashat Nasso contains the various laws of Sotah (suspected adulteress) and Nazir. Masechet Sotah 2a, quotes a baraita (also found in Berachot 63a as well as quoted by Rashi d”h Yafli) in

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1085454908073526012004-05-24T23:13:00.000-04:002004-05-24T23:15:08.073-04:00

I will comment later but the new Edah Journal has just been put online (finally).

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1085103304241940052004-05-20T21:21:00.000-04:002004-05-20T21:35:04.243-04:00

Congratulations to class of 2004 of Columbia University and Yeshiva University upon your graduation. I just spent the last three days at the graduation ceremonies for these two schools because among the graduates was my wife-to-be, Shira Frankel. I would like to reflect on some things about the commencement ceremonies. 1. To see a sea of blue gowns on Wednesday was an unbelievable sight. It

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1084566507105937822004-05-14T16:20:00.000-04:002004-05-20T21:37:09.120-04:00

I would just like to bring to everyone's attention an interesting little article in today's New York Times, "In Israel, a ban on Indian wigs; In Brooklyn a Rush to Comply." Isn't it ironic that the one thing Jews attempt to permit on the grounds of it will make women more comfortable is also the one thing that might be most problematic because of idolatry. For the halachic ramifications of

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1084290035234251322004-05-11T11:38:00.000-04:002004-05-11T11:40:35.236-04:00

After reading the comments to my last post, I feel I should set up a couple of ground rules. Ground rules for commenting: 1. Identify yourself - anonymity is often a sign of weakness 2. If you do attempt to hide your name, please do not use Kinzbrunner as your name of choice. 3. A person should avoid degrading the blogger's father or any other member of the Kinzbrunner family.

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1084213546951909932004-05-10T14:10:00.000-04:002004-05-10T14:37:32.726-04:00

My roommate Avraham posted an interesting assessment of the inner struggle between Modern Orthodoxy and Haredi Orthodoxy. Having spent time thinking about the same issue, namely what the difference is between the two regarding secular studies, I believe that Avraham is, for the most part, correct in his assessment. However, I do think it is both a political and a philosophical issue, namely

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1083720653221018822004-05-04T21:30:00.000-04:002004-05-04T21:34:04.750-04:00

I found the following website while searching online. It contains links to a series of articles about Lubavitch and the issue of whether Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the last Lubavitcher Rebbe tz"l, is messiah or not. The articles deal both with the various arguments for or against as well as the politics behind the issue.

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1082398481224293602004-04-19T14:14:00.000-04:002004-04-19T14:17:37.450-04:00

I would just like to mention that today is Yom HaShoah, the day Jews around the world (minus those who assume that one can only commemorate tragedy on Tisha B'Av or only in Iyyar) remember the tragedies of the Holocaust.

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1081064972786030092004-04-04T03:49:00.000-04:002004-04-04T21:17:09.530-04:00

Throughout the year, one of the commandments that we must continuously fulfill is to remember the Exodus from Egypt. If this is so, what makes Passover night so special? For some, during the year it is enough to think about the Exodus, while on the Passover night one must verbally remember the redemption. Other opinions claims that even during the year the memory of redemption must occur

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1081060980484491512004-04-04T01:43:00.000-05:002004-04-04T01:45:41.000-05:00

I find it very interesting how most people seem to walk into Pesach very tired, thus ruining the first night of the sedarim. It makes me wonder whether we have it all wrong with the cleaning. The commandment is to rid the house of חמץ, not to do spring cleaning. The fact that people turn it into a yearly cleaning is quite scary.

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1080921846911697982004-04-02T11:04:00.000-05:002004-04-02T11:06:46.106-05:00

I just finished reading a highly fascinating article from the magazine Psychology Today called Great Expectations. The basic gist of the article (which I recommend reading) is that marriage is about being married, having children, raising a family and thats all. It is not about finding your soulmate or finding the love of your life. Pure and simple, it is about being in a relationship with

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1080660986614802482004-03-30T10:36:00.000-05:002004-04-01T19:37:13.920-05:00

As it getting closer to Passover, I would like to share some ideas about the holiday over the next couple of days. Of course, since my family reads these, I will lose out on something to say at the seder, but I figure it will at the very least elicit conversation, which is the essence of the seder. Did WE Leave Egypt? Pesach is the quintessential family holiday. The Haggadah is designed as a

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1080321734194131062004-03-26T12:22:00.000-05:002004-03-28T15:14:13.450-05:00

After receiving a very thought provoking email responding to my blog, I have decided to clarify one factor about my blog. The statements on my blog are my opinion, meaning that it is the reader's choice whether to accept what I say or reject it. Furthermore, all comments I make are said with the utmost respect for all the authors or the people whose opinions with whom I might disagree.

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1080279716764175822004-03-26T00:41:00.000-05:002004-03-26T00:44:27.983-05:00

After Heaven II I just finished reading a very fascinating book on spirituality in America since the 1950s, After Heaven by Robert Wuthnow. After spending six chapters analyzing the change in spirituality since the 1950s, Wuthnow presents a model for the continuation of American spirituality into the 21st century, which he refers to as a practice-oriented spirituality. He says that Americans

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1080095428439206042004-03-23T21:30:00.000-05:002004-03-23T21:32:57.840-05:00

I am in the middle of reading a highly fascinating book, After Heaven, by Robert Wuthnow. So far, one of his main goals is to show how American spirituality has changed since the 1950s, having evolved from a spirituality centered around a dwelling (home, church or synagogue) to a spirituality of seeking, which is less communally focused and more individually focused. I have so far read his

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1079908011624550872004-03-21T17:26:00.000-05:002004-03-21T17:29:18.903-05:00

I have to wonder about the practice of women covering their hair (a general outline of sources can be found here) with another piece of hair (שייטל - sheitel). If we assume that one of the reasons behind the law of covering hair is that hair entices, then how does a nice sheitel prevent enticement? For some women, a sheitel allows them to have nice hair for the first time. I feel that our

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1079725282555145662004-03-19T14:41:00.000-05:002004-03-19T14:44:16.653-05:00

I would just like to wish a Mazal Tov to my brother Eric and his newly betrothed Suri Hoenig. I would like to formally welcome Suri into the Kinzbrunner family. I am happy for the both of you and wish that your life together be filled with love and respect for each other. Now for the fun part: This means we will have Shira Kinzbrunner and Suri Kinzbrunner in the family at some point in the

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1079624397494969892004-03-18T10:39:00.000-05:002004-03-18T11:56:02.793-05:00

Addendum to my last post: It seems that upon my completing the reading of the discussion surrounding Reforms in Traditional Talmud Education, I am convinced that we are missing the point. I don't think it is fair to assume Rav Soloveitchik's philosophy as being the true explanation for why we should learn Gemara a certain way. I think we need to encourage our students to question what they

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1079576067624761232004-03-17T21:14:00.000-05:002004-03-17T21:16:51.200-05:00

i would just like to draw people's attention to the following discussion about Reforms in the Traditional Talmud Curriculum. While I have not finished reading the proceedings from this discussion, I would just like to relate an experience I had today teaching. While teaching about Rashi's approach to commenting on Gemara, one of my students pointed out how Gemara cannot be analyzed through

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1079483474499957052004-03-16T19:31:00.000-05:002004-03-16T19:33:36.700-05:00

I recently took a look at a new book written by Rabbi Barry Freundel, Contemporary Judaism's Response to Modernity. Rabbi Freundel is the rabbi of Kesher Israel, an Orthodox synagogue in Washington DC. His book contains 31 chapters dealing with many of the primary issues that Orthodox Jews face during their daily lives. It is well footnoted, each chapter containing much source material from

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1079382192813165662004-03-15T15:23:00.000-05:002004-03-15T15:25:34.046-05:00

I have decided it is time to restart my daily (or almost daily) attempts at disseminating my ideas to those of you out there who might even pretend to care slightly about one person's views. The last topic I began discussing on this blog was prayer. To continue with the discussion, I would like to turn my attention to an issue which all educators have trouble handling. How do I, the teacher,

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1070346847074559202003-12-02T12:52:00.000-05:002003-12-02T12:52:48.513-05:00

Prayer is a very interesting experience. It can be approached from different angles. Some find prayer to be the most direct path to speaking with G-d. Others see it as a method of self-introspection. It is also possible for one's prayers to be a combination of the two, for self-introspection might be that we need to humble ourselves before others, especially G-d, and realize that humans are

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1069773050157913382003-11-25T10:10:00.000-05:002003-11-25T10:52:58.513-05:00

In a conversation regarding Tomar Devorah, by Rabbi Moses Cordovero, we came across a very disturbing passage regarding a method for removing pride: "Now I have found a cure by which a man can accustom himself to these things little by little so that he may be cured of the disease of pride and enter the gates of humility. This ointment is made up of three balms. The first is that he accustom

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1069597443451944632003-11-23T09:24:00.000-05:002003-11-23T21:27:19.153-05:00

Sometimes, the hardest thing in the world is to do what needs to be done. There is a famous quote, "Death is light as a feather. Duty, heavy as a mountain," attributed to Emperor Meiji of Japan (13th century). The things we must do are the hardest things to do because the motivation to perform the act is not the same as for something we want to do. We need to continuously attempt to work

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1069339519150782002003-11-20T09:45:00.000-05:002003-11-20T10:00:19.450-05:00

I have just finishing a very interesting work of Jewish philosophy/thought written by Rabbi Dr. Walter Wurzburger z"l, called God is Proof Enough. I found his work to be quite refreshing for someone who continuously wonders about faith and reason. Very often people attempt to argue for the need to prove a religious conviction. Unfortunately, most arguments given would fall under the framework

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1067226155088035692003-10-26T22:42:00.000-05:002003-10-26T22:42:34.286-05:00

One of the hardest things human beings face in life is the ability to live in a society. This means that it is hard to remove one's individual idiosyncracies for the sake of the group. I have often wondered why it matters what other people think. As long as I do not do anything overtly offensive, it should not matter. However, i have come to realize (at least mentally) that we, people, need

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1066704746555749712003-10-20T22:52:00.000-04:002003-10-22T18:11:37.766-04:00

Since this is my personal space, I get to announce personal news. On Friday, October 17, at sunrise, on a beach in Florida, my home state, I proposed to Shira Frankel. She said yes (after weeks of telling me whenever we talked about marriage, "I haven't said yes yet.") . For those who want to quench their curiousity, pictures can be found on onlysimchas.

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5602241.post-1065711670184809632003-10-09T11:01:00.000-04:002003-10-09T11:01:10.320-04:00

Having completed my first month as a teacher, I would like to spend a couple of moments reflecting on one thing which I believe to be of value for all those considering entering the field of education. One of the essential requirements for any teacher is the ability and desire to interact with one's students outside of the classroom. This does not mean to involve oneself in the private life of

Bryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389206837832816119noreply@blogger.com0