Philosophy

The West funds its own executioners in ideological war it barely realizes it is fighting - opinion

Institutional capture, ideological conformity, and foreign-backed authoritarian movements are challenging the individual freedoms that once formed the core of Western civilization.

A fullmoon rises over the Temple of Poseidon, the ancient Greek god of the seas, in Cape Sounion, east of Athens, Greece, July 8, 2017.
Caregivers from India in Efrat.

Serendipitous gifts are all around us: The invisible threads connecting Israelis in times of loss

“Stability is, in many ways, an illusion. Like a tightrope walker, we do not truly stand still - we remain upright by constantly adjusting and searching for balance.”

In a season of joy, rethinking happiness: Lessons from the tightrope

The Writer's wedding invitation from 1955, to take place in Melbourne’s St. Kilda  Synagogue.

Wedding invitation from 1955: A stroll through cherished memories - opinion


Could consciousness last forever? - opinion

Compare consciousness to a radio. You can smash the radio and the music stops, but that doesn’t mean the music came from the radio.

 Composition of human head and fractal colors to serve as a supporting backdrop for projects on mind, dreams, thinking, consciousness, and imagination.

The forgotten courage of Sinai helps us find holiness within mystery - opinion

Revelation does not begin with mastery. It begins with mystery.

MOSES ON Mount Sinai as depicted by Jean-Léon Gérôme, 1895.

Shavuot: A time for Jews to become the people God envisions us to be

On a thousand lives and the one that truly matters: Through Torah study, we don’t just read about heroes and villains, saints and sinners; we learn to become the people God envisioned.

 ‘I HAVE floated down the Mississippi River on a raft, through the books I have read.’

'Existential dullness' antidote: Israel must resist temptation to be like other nations - opinion

It is not the threat of war, antisemitism, or political strife that most endangers the Jewish people, but rather the quiet, creeping erosion of wonder.

 The masses gather at the Western Wall as the Priestly Blessing takes place during Passover last week.

Faith in dark times: How did God allow the hostages to suffer so much in Gaza? - opinion

How can we explain the relentless horror and violence inflicted upon our people? How is God allowing this to happen – yet again? Are we not promised this land through prophecy?

 Released hostages Or Levy (left), Eli (Eliyahu) Sharabi (center), and Ohad Ben Ami (right), before (top) and after (bottom) Hamas captivity, February 8, 2025.

‏Why are we not rewarded for Mitzvot in this world?


Two methods to capture a thief

 A religious Orthodox Israeli Jew in a prayer shawl (tallit) is seen praying while keeping a smartphone in front of him.

Do Israel's soldiers know what they're fighting for? - opinion

For too long, many of us have told our children that to be an Israeli soldier is the pinnacle of Jewishness and Zionism. The truth is that it is not, and it never was. 

 IDF soldier prays at the Western Wall.

Italian research team possibly locates renowned philosopher Plato's precise resting place

Plato's possible final resting place was hinted at through deciphering ancient scroll, linking him to a garden at the Academy in Athens, recent research using advanced imaging technologies shows.

Statue of the goddess Athena looking over Plato at the Academy in Athens.

Was Socrates a real person?

Known as the "Mad Gadfly," Socrates's life, philosophical teachings, and trial and execution by Athens are world famous. But was he real?

 The Death of Socrates (1787). Oil on canvas, 129.5 × 196.2 cm (51.0 × 77.2 in). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York