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.
To Be Secular Would Be Hell: Everything Would Be Forbidden
A strictly secular approach to major moral issues may have to be much more restrictive than that which any religion would ever demand. In fact, a secular moral attitude may make life extremely difficult and even impossible.
ืขื ืืืืกื ืืืชื ืืืืื ืืืืคื ืื ืฉืื ืฉืื ืจืืื ื ืคืื ืงืจืื ืืฉืขืืื ืืื ืื ืืืข ืืืืื ืืืืืืืช. ืืืืื ื, ืืืง ืืืื ืืื ืืืืืืืช ืืคื ื"ืฉืืื" ืืืืงืก. ืืงืกืื ืื ืืฉืืื ืืขืื ืืื ืืื ืืืืืืช ืคืื ื ืื ืืจืื. ืืืงืก ืืืืื ืืืื ืืืืช ืืื ืกืช ืฉืืืื ืืงืืืื ืื ืืชืืจื ืืื ืืจืืช ืืืื ืื, ืืืคืืื ืื ืืืชืคืืืื ืืืืืืื ืืขืฆืื ืืช ืขืื ืืื (ืืืจืื ืืืืฉืข ืืฉื; ืืืื ืืืืื ืืงืืจ)! ืืืื ืืืงืจื, ืื ืืืืื ืคืขืื ืืืจืงืื ืืขืื ืฉืืขืืื ืืื ืจืืื, ืื ืืืืื ื ืืขืืื ืืืจืงืื ืืขืื ืฉืืชื ืืื ืกืช ืืฉื ืื.
ืื ื ืืงืืงืื ืืฉืืืจืช ืืฉืืช ืืคื ื ืฉื ืืคืื ืงืจืื ืืชืืืื ืืืืืืืืืืฆืื ืฉื ืขืฆืื ื ืืฉื ืฆืจืืื ื ืืืฉืืืื. ืขืืื ื ืืคืืื ืืืืื ืฉืื ืืืฆืขืืช ืืืืขืื ืืืื ืื ืืื ืขื ืงืจืืื ืืจืืื ืืืช ืืืชืืืช ืืืชื ืืืช. ืืกืืจ ืฉืืฆืขืืช ืืื ืืืชืคืกื ืื ืืกืืื ืืืฆืืืช ืืงืืืช ืืฉื ืืืื ืงืืื ืืืชืจ. ืืืืจื ืืืืืช ืืืืืช ืฉืืืจืช ืฉืืช ืืืืชืืช ืืืชืจ ืืืคืงืช ืฉืืื ืืืืื ืืืชืจ ืืืืชื ืืื ืงืืืฉ.
ืืื ืชืงืืืชื ืฉื ืืืื ืช ืืฉืจืื, ื ืืฆืืช ืืื ืืืืืืื ืืฆืืืืจื ืืฉืืื ืืื ืืฉ ืื ืื ืืช ืืืืื ื ืขื ืคื ืขืจืืื ืืืืืื ืื ืืืืงืจืืืื. ืฉื ื ืืขืจืืื ื ืจืืื ืืืืชื ืืชืคืฉืจืื. ืืืืืืช ืืืืฆืืช ืืฉืงืคืช ืขืืื ืชืืืืงืจืืืช ืฉืื ื-ืืืืื ืืืืงื ืืืจืื. ืืื ืืืืงื ืืืกืืืืช ืืืืืืืช. ืืขืืืช ืืืช, ืขื ืคืย ืืฉืงืคืช ืืขืืื ืืืืืงืจืืืช ืื ืฉืขืืื ืืืจืื ืืื ืืขื.
In Israel and Yom Yerushalayim by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
A poem in praise of the holy city of Jerusalem, in the wake of the American announcement to designate Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
In Halacha, Jewish Thought and Philosophy, Maimonides and The Ishbitzer by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
Halacha is the practical upshot of unfinalized beliefs, a practical way of life while remaining in theological suspense. In matters of the spirit and the quest to find God, it is not possible to come to final conclusions. The quest for God must remain open-ended to enable the human spirit to find its way through trial and discovery.
When teaching, our rabbisโ and teachersโ personal conduct must be a reflection of what they impart in the classroom, as there is truly no better education than by example. Thought and practice must illuminate each other.
Nobody can deny that Judaism today finds itself in a crisis that threatens to have devastating consequences. Instead of Judaism growing upward, vertically, it is becoming corpulent, growing horizontally. The growth of adherence to Halacha in the last few decades has clearly not been accompanied by a true religious revival. Genuine religiosity has nothing to do with the Yiddish expression of frumkeit, an untranslatable expression of routine religious observance.
In Education and Jewish Thought and Philosophy by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
To live a life of faith is to be prepared to live a committed religious life according to an inner belief of the heart and not because there is absolute empirical certainty. There is a constant need for questioning and rethinking oneโs beliefs. In many ways, religion must be warfareโa fight against the indolence and callousness that stifles inquiry.
In Jewish Thought and Philosophy by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
The breaking of idols and slaughtering of sacred cows is, in itself, a Jewish task that began with Avraham Avinu.ย Consequently, we should not be afraid to do so, or at least to discuss the possible need for change. This could raise some eyebrows in certain religious circles, and we might even become controversial. So, we must keep in mind that great controversies are also great emancipators. They often clarify and enhance essential philosophies behind majestic traditions.
In Jewish Thought and Philosophy and Parashat Bereshit by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
Jewish tradition teaches that man was created in Godโs image. Whatever this may mean, it definitely includes the fact that God created man in such a way that man, in desperate need to discover himself, would constantly search for Him. Freud, we believe, gave a most original interpretation of this fact. With his discovery of the father figure he may have uncovered the mechanism through which God created an idea of Himself as the ultimate Father in the human mind.
Every generation must find its own way to God and subsequently to the Jewish tradition. From a religious point of view, were this not the case, there would be little reason for that generation to exist. What, after all, is the meaning of human existence if not to reveal another dimension of Godโs multi-colored world and Torah, and thus to gain a greater understanding of self?