We interpret a person’s intentions from the words he chooses not from what he tells us he meant. (Similar to the way we interpret a work of art or literature.) However, context is a valid way to interpret words. Source Sheet

We tend to value only tangible economic inputs such as capital, labor, efficiency and synergy which create economies of scale. However, birckat Hashem (Hashem’s blessing), which although not always tangible or measurable, is a visible input of prosperity.Source Sheet

Determining intention is an unreliable art. Interpreting words however, is the science of peshat and diyuk (accurate understanding and detailed analysis)Source Sheet

Opinions, even minority opinions not adopted by halacha, remain powerful inputs to the ongoing evolution of halachik thought.Source Sheet

In discussing gender differences it is important to understand the male and female not merely as two persona of opposite genders, but as two energies in the world – the masculine and the feminine, the outer and the inner. Gender relations deal with the relationship between these two energies.Source Sheet

In the gender conversation we need to distinguish between the physiological construct and the social one.Source Sheet

Some objects are mere commodities – they represent value and are replaceable. Others have unique purposes and are worth more than their value as a commodity. An etrog during Sukkot is an example.Source Sheet

Bequeathing is different from gifting. Gifting is a unique capacity of human life. Bequeathing can be done by the dead as well.Source Sheet

Traditionally we evaluate the severity of an action by the severity of its consequence. Legally this may be valid, but morally action and consequence should be delinked.Source Sheet

Why consult with a Talmid Chacham on matters of life, health, business etc.?Source Sheet

When individuals are responsible for others, they receive the wisdom they need when they need it in the ways they need it.Source Sheet

The power of intuitive recognition can be greater than empirical evidence.Source Sheet

The Torah trusts the inner knowledge of a father about his paternity even in the absence of proof.Source Sheet

The laws of the Torah are more than imperatives that need to be obeyed; they are natural laws revealed to us as a kindness. They teach us how the universe is wired and how we should engage with it.Source Sheet

The Talmud teaches us the method of critical thinking and the importance of the journey of discovery that ultimately leads to clarity and understanding.Source Sheet

On Hoshana Rabba we celebrate what has been and what is yet to come.Source Sheet

Elitism occurs when certain sectors demand special treatment. Honor is when others give them special treatment without it being demanded of them. Who we honor defines what we honor and what we value.Source Sheet

Teaching the law is a simple matter of imparting facts. But Halacha is so much more than law. Halacha is the expression of yir’at shamayim. How do you teach that?Source Sheet

Some people are merely consumers of energy and resources, others generate energy and resources adding net value wherever they are. Being alive is about generating and adding value.Source Sheet

A judge, unlike a witness, needs to consider the nuances of intention and circumstance. His role depends not only on knowledge and wisdom but also on Divinely inspired intuition.Source Sheet

Only 7% of communication of feelings and emotions is verbal. Does evidence in a Beit Din need to be only verbal, or can evidence ever be presented non-verbally? Source Sheet

A husband ad wife are not just soulmates, they become “bodymates” even though they are not blood relations. There is a oneness of being in the marital relationship that exceeds the oneness of any other relationship. Source Sheet

Financial independence is a higher value in Torah than material comfort.Source Sheet

The law of inheritance that applies to a father and son is different from all other inheritance laws, and exemplifies this unique relationship.Source Sheet