Hindsight is described as 20-20. How apt. We always know better than people in power. We always know better than decision makers. That's because after the event we are wiser to it.  Like the superhero who was asked what his special power was. 'Hindsight', came the reply. 'That's not going to help us, is it?' he was challenged. 'Yes, I see that now...' The prophets of doom and gloom are queueing up (British spelling before you ask) to predict the direst of consequences for many events and...

Do you believe in the stars? Well, I can see that they are there. But it depends what you mean by believing in them. We don't subscribe to the notion that your destiny is fixed by the celestial spheres. Yet, confusingly, there seem to be some sources indicating that there is influence from above, based on when we were born. Which is it? One thing is for sure. If the future would be so predictable, we could prevent crime and negative behaviours. We would know not to do things which backfire....

The first example of someone being starstruck, as far as I am aware, is Sisera. In Shoftim Chapter 5, we find the following phrase: 'They fought from the Heavens; the stars [were moved] from their paths.' Amongst the many interpretations (excluding the wild one, that Sisera was attacked by aliens - yes, really!), the underlying theme is that Hashem either literally, or metaphorically (or indeed both) moved the stars to aid the Israelites against Sisera.  The deeper meaning here is that...

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson decide to go on a camping trip. After dinner and a bottle of wine, they lay down for the night, and go to sleep. Some hours later, Holmes awoke and nudged his faithful friend. "Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see." Watson replied, "I see millions of stars." "What does that tell you?" Watson pondered for a minute. "Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets." "Astrologically, I observe...

We have spoken of being hemmed in - all the way back in episode #32 – Charge of The Light Brigade. When you think it’s all over – there’s no way out. And you feel forsaken, you don’t even realise that this is the point that you are about to be delivered.  In the blink of an eye. The 3 Weeks are described as two fences hemming us in – Bein Hametzorim – between the Straits. The days that could have been, and the days that just are... And we feel stuck. It’s painful. But the pain tells you...

100 not out! It's been a journey and we are discussing journeys here too. We will encounter the 42 encampments of the Jews in the desert and the 42 cities of the Leviim in the place that was their destination at the end of those journeys. And I am 42 years old today. Happy birthday to me. We will discuss the concept of the renewal of the moon as an atonement for the previous month, just as a birthday signifies an opportunity for another go - a mini Yom Kippur. So yes - this is the...

A conductor was once asked, 'What is the hardest instrument to play in the orchestra?' Without hesitation, he replied, 'Second fiddle'. Nobody remembers who came second. Noone wants to be the runner up. I came second in the poetry competition 3 times in primary school...it still rankles. The moon found itself in this very awkward position when it suggested to Hashem that there can only be one king.Hashem said - 'Good point. Go and diminish yourself'. We will see what the moon continues to...

28 years is a long time. That is the time it takes for the Sun to return to its original position in which it found itself to be at the point of Creation. We won't experience many in our lifetimes. The next one is due in 2037. The excitement was palpable in 2009 at the last one. People gathered in various places from early in the morning, to celebrate the return of Hashem's faithful servant to its exact point of origin. At first, this may seem almost pagan, G-d forbid (how ironic). But we...

'Look. You've got it all wrong. You don't need to follow me. You don't need to follow anybody! You've got to think for yourselves. You're all individuals!'  'Yes, we're all individuals!' 'You're all different!' 'Yes, we are all different!'  'I'm not.' Famous words indeed. But pretty deep. We all identify with movements, communities and ideas (I avoid any 'isms' - there is much to say about that - but for another time). How accepting are we though? 'Join the club?' A club is exclusive,...

How good are you are getting up in the morning? I reckon, that if you were threatened by sharp pointed sticks, and other weapons, you would probably be a bit better at jumping out of bed. Today, we will discover the song that the sun sings - expressing a similar treatment, at the hands of Hashem. What is behind this strange daily ritual which is described in its song? We have been speaking a lot about the what the days of Tammuz could have been, and how we actually experience them now. The...

'No! This cannot be - I am invincible!' Usually the last words that the incumbent evil overlord says, just before he finds out that he is not, after all, invincible. We all, to some extent, have feelings of invincibility at times in our lives. Everything is going right...and then something shatters our illusions. We can't believe how everything is turned on its head - just like that. I think about the game of Othello in this context. You think that you are winning. One move by your opponent...

You know the game that you play, whereby you fall backwards into someone's arms (hopefully)? The trust game. I'm pretty certain that you would choose someone you trust - hence the name. You wouldn't want to be paired with someone who dislikes you. We have spoken of darknes and Golus/exile. The fact is, that this is precisely when G-d is carrying us. It may be dark, but if I am with the One I trust the most, I can take comfort in that. But it's still dark. The 17th Tammuz ushers in a sad...

Have you ever been to the British Museum? If not, it's worth a visit. You will find vast amounts of little stone figurines in the display units. If you look closely (careful not to bow!), you will see which god or godess it is meant to be. And you wonder how anyone could believe in the efficacy of prayer to this thing.  However, anyone who has investigated this subject a little, will be aware that the ancient idolatories were far more sophisticated than the modern day atheistic naysayers'...

Podcast number 92 brings a quote from Tehillim Chapter 92. Many groups visiting Poland have sung these words under the infamous gates of Auschwitz-Birkenau. They express a trust in, a reliance on Hashem - even in the darkest moments. I was mulling over the concept of light and dark for quite a while. When looking up all the different scientific discussions on whether black and white are indeed opposites, or what these colours actually even are, I was hit by an extraordinary thought - I won't...

I am sure that the title appearing above will be very familiar to fans (and others) of a particular genre of jokes. Aside from the ridiculous nature of the joke, the obvious absurdity behind it is the fact that you don't need evidence of an event if the actual event or thing is still in front of you. If you point out that the parrot you bought is dead, there is no point in the seller trying to insist that it is 'just resting' upon closer examination. That closer scrutiny sheds light - both...

Faced by the evil Bilaam, hired by the equally dangerous Balak, the Jewish nation are confronted by the one man who knows how to use their own weapon against them. Wielding the power of prayer, Bilaam has a track record of successful curses against various victims. He turns his attentions to the Jewish nation. But he can't find a way in. In contrast to the Ayin Tova - the good eye - of Moshe, Aharon and Miriam, he focuses his evil eye - Ayin Ra on them. But he cannot gain a foothold. Why...

Did you hear the story of the three holes in the ground? Well, well, well! Continuing our water-based serenade, we encounter live streaming in today's episode. We see how the Ayin Tova of Miriam results in the Israelites having the mysterious Well, which was some kind of travelling rock according to some, or a travelling stream according to others. Either way, Miriam rocks!  This Ayin tova is one of the most important character traits to possess, If you have it, you work tirelessly for...

We have spoken of rivers and of paradoxes. Today, we will meet the ultimate paradox. This is one that even the wisest of men said was beyond his ken. This means that it was not something which was possible to comprehend from a human perspective. A common misconception is that Shlomo said 'I said I would be wise, but it is beyond me', he was referring to the mitzva of Poroh aduma - the red cow. This is inaccurate. Simply because there was a 'strange-looking ceremony', with certain strict...

Tears can be a bit of a mystery. How can they be used for both joy and sorrow? Even the Hebrew for crying, and indeed for the word 'tears', is associated with confusion and being mixed up. The Midrash spends a lot of time pondering, the natural cycle, and wondering how it is that the salty waters of the sea become sweet in the rivers and when it rains. But this is the point - even when things are unclear and bleak, there is a guarantor - an ערב in Hebrew. The same root is used for...

L'havdil, there is a famous philosophical question - 'What is the sound of one hand clapping?' (Sometimes associated with a koan, or paradoxical riddle - perhaps sometime we will look at the gifts of wisdom that Avraham Avinu gave to the children of the East - not necessarily unconnected, albeit distorted somewhat.) Amongst the answers, we hear: 'The sound of one hand clapping is the sound of the other hand, the absent or invisible hand that claps because one hand cannot clap, there can only...

Have you ever seen footage of the world's most notorious criminal of the last century? It's frightening how mesmeric he was as a speaker. He knew how to capture the imagination of the public - with the most horrific results. L'havdil, we have noted how speech has such potential to destroy on the one hand, and to build on the other. Korach utilised his persuasive, smooth talking nature (note his name and the identification with smoothness), to seduce others to follow him. He gave emotive...

We know the story of Rabba Bar  Bar Chana (Perhaps we didn't know his name), who was travelling through the desert. The Arab guide who was showing him the local landmarks took him to where Korach was swallowed up by the earth. He urged him to put his ear to the ground. He heard the words, 'Moshe and his Torah are true, and they (we) are liars'. What is the significance of this phrase? And can it help us understand that strange sounding Midrash which tells us that when Moshiach arrives,...

The story goes that the members of a shul were arguing about whether the custom there was to stand for the repetition of the Amidah. Some of them said “We always stand,” whilst others insisted that this was not the custom. In order to resolve the standoff, they went to see the last surviving founder of the shul and asked him if they must stand for the whole repetition of the Amidah. “That’s not the tradition,” he replied. “So we can sit?” “That’s not the tradition.” “So - what do we do? We...

We have been speaking about moving from a barren desert to the field. The field is where we can cultivate, till the soil and work on it until we see the yield. But there is still something missing. Without the water, it is no good. Nothing will grow. We have mentioned a number of times that we need to put in the effort and then G-d responds. This is told to us at the beginning of Bereishis, where we see that water only came after humanity was in place - 'Adam was not there to work the...

We are probably all familiar with the optical illusions of Escher et al. Amongst the most famous visual tricks, is the one where there are two or more vases, placed strategically adjacent to each other. After staring at them for a while, one becomes aware that one is looking at either a face or figure - sometimes multiple forms. When this happens, the vases disappear...until one allows one's focus to revert to the vases. Then the figures disappear. Only one can stay in view at any given...