from a Jewish perspective, there is no self without gratitude, and that I exist in relationship even before I exist as a self.

Judaism is a religion of love and law, of action and emotion; indeed, Jewish liturgy reminds us daily that Jewish law is itself a manifestation of divine love, not a contrast or an alternative to it.

Parenting is enlivening but it is also exhausting; for parents it can be difficult to disentangle exhilaration from enervation.

We matter, and matter ultimately, not because of what we do, but because of what we (always already) are: creatures created in the image of God.22 To sit with this stark claim can at first seem frightening—it is not easy to let go of the illusion that our worth is something we work for—but it is also potentially extraordinarily liberating: we no

we have the privilege/responsibility to ask not just how we can serve as human beings in general, but also how we can serve as human beings in particular.

The beneficiary is entitled to tzedaka according to his or her need; the donor is only obligated to give what he or she can afford.”

Constantly casting others in the worst possible light, on the other hand, makes strife inevitable: we project the darkness of our own heart onto others and ceaselessly discover (or invent) grounds for struggle and conflict.67

arguments for the superiority of some over others fail both because we are descended from the same father (Adam) and because we were created by the same Father (God).

The best response to people using the word “love” poorly is not to use it less but to use it better.