Moses
Three Steps to Achieving Greatness
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz “You’re a lot shorter in person than I expected.” That is the phrase that actors hear most often. It is the flip side of the “larger than life” perception of famous people. Science fiction stories about time...
The Ideal Quality in a Leader… Arranging Benches?
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz The world is going through a crisis in leadership. So many countries are struggling with essential issues. Israel is about to go to the polls for the fifth time in three years. Great Britain just lost Queen...
Yearning for Home
In the summer of 1914, Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook - the future Chief Rabbi of British-controlled Palestine and one of the leading Rabbinic thinkers of modern times - was in Berlin, on his way to an important Rabbinic conference in...
How Do YOU Deal With Disappointment?
I really wanted that promotion. I worked years for it and everyone thought I deserved it. So I was excited when construction was finished on the new building and the boss called me into his office for a talk. I sat across from him,...
Is There Biblical Precedent for Expanding the Borders of the Land of Israel?
“Can I get you something to drink?” “No, thank you. I don’t want to bother you.” “Maybe a cup of water?” “Well, okay. If it is not a bother, a small cup of water would be nice. And if you are already pouring, maybe you can heat it up. And...
How Passionate Love for the Land Set a Tribe Apart
I had it all planned out. I told my parents I was going to hang out with friends. The story was that we were having a barbecue but the real plan was quite a bit wilder than that. I was shocked when my parents gave me their permission. I...
Joshua or Caleb: What Makes an Exceptional Leader?
Eeny, meeny, miny, mo... How do YOU choose when you have a decision to make? Do you flip a coin? Sometimes it is hard to make trivial decisions. What about really important ones, like who will lead the Jews into the Promised Land? Twelve...
Loss and Love: Why Moses Lost His Patience at the Rock
“Mommy, I am thirsty!” How many parents have heard this (or some version) repeated every few minutes for hours? And then, when a rest stop finally appears and water is provided, a new mantra is adopted, begging for a bathroom, or food,...
Did God Really Punish Moses For Hitting the Rock?
A group of thirsty people complain bitterly to Moses, “Why did you bring us to the desert, to die??” God tells Moses and Aaron: You and your brother Aaron take the rod and assemble the community, and before their very eyes order the...
Marching to the Messiah: An Invitation from Moses to You
Shortly after I got married I introduced a friend to my mother-in-law. Hearing the loaded term, my mother-in-law flinched, not wanting the title with all of its negative connotations. Noticing her reaction, I reframed my introduction:...
