Read Rabbi Cardozo’s eulogy for his wife Rabbanit Freyda Rachel Lopes Cardozo z”l
Thoughts to Ponder is a weekly invitation to think dangerously and question passionately. Drawing on the Torah portion, classical Jewish sources, philosophy, and the crises of contemporary life, Rabbi Cardozo challenges religious complacency and spiritual comfort. These essays are written for readers who seek a Judaism that disturbs, questions, and ultimately deepens the human encounter with God and responsibility.
In Parashat Tetzaveh and Parashat Vayakhel by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
On six days work should be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to the Eternal . . . You shall kindle no fire throughout your settlements on the Sabbath day. Shemot 35:1-2 Why is it that the Book of Shemot records the command by God to […]
The command to build the Mishkan (Tabernacle) was a huge mistake. Not because it was not a brilliant idea, but because it came too late!
The Confrontation with Our Undeserved Lives
Yom Kippur leads us to realize life itself is a gift and that gifts confer obligations. The more we receive, the more we become obligated to respond adequately.
The blowing of the shofar proves that we can surpass ourselves. On our own, using only our vocal cords, we are unable to produce this sound—a terrifying, awesome, penetrating resonance. This is a sound that can cause us to break down, pick ourselves up again, and transform ourselves into new individuals.
In Israel, Parashat Bereshit, Parashat Bo and Yom Ha’atzmaut by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
The fact that Jews survived centuries of exile, outlived all their enemies, and made it back to the Land of Israel is unprecedented and a vexing conundrum for historians and sociologists.
In Halacha, Jewish Thought and Philosophy and Parashat Yitro by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
To be an arbiter of Jewish law is to be the conductor of an orchestra. It is not coercion but persuasion that makes it possible for the other to hear the beauty of the music and to accept a halachic decision, just as one would willingly listen to the interpretation of a conductor—because one is deeply inspired.
In Jewish Thought and Philosophy and Parashat Ha'azinu by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
Music raises the spoken word to a level that touches on prophecy. It gives it a taste of that which is beyond, and transforms it into something untouchable. Just as there is no way to demonstrate the beauty of music to a person who is completely deaf, so is there no way to explain the difference between a spoken word and one which is sung, unless one sings. It lifts a person out of the mundane and gives him a feeling of the imponderable, which is the entrance to joy. It sets the soul in operation and brings us near to the Infinite.
How to Observe Shabbat, take the Tram and go to a Restaurant!
In Halacha and Shabbat by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
It is clear a greater number of secular Israelis would like to become more observant. However, for various practical reasons, or due to social pressures, they are unable to make this switch. One of the great challenges, if not the greatest, is Shabbat, the only official day of rest in Israeli society, when people enjoy visiting people, or meeting friends at a restaurant. But none of this is possible without the use of cars or taxis and with no open restaurants. Here are some suggestions to overcome these obstacles
The people of Israel, according to Jewish tradition, are not the authors of the Torah. Rather, the Torah is the author of the people. As a covenant between God and humankind, the Torah is what brought the people into being. Moreover, despite the fact that the people have often violated the commanding voice of this text, it created the specific and unique identity of the Jewish nation.
Faith is deeper than knowledge. While scientific data is absorbed only in the brain, faith permeates all parts of the human personality.
In Jewish Thought and Philosophy by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
The new reality in the age of COVID-19 forces us to break with the monotony that most of us are used to. Almost all of us jump into routine every morning – whether it’s a job, or the need to sleep, eat, or entertain ourselves. And now, the corona virus suddenly forces us to rethink everything, making us wonder what this life of ours is really all about.
In Jewish Thought and Philosophy and Parashat Pekudei by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
When God’s glory is fully present in the Mishkan, there is no place for the human being, not even for somebody as great and godly as Moshe. What then, is the place of the human within the Divine?