Ruth SchapiraMar 213 minJudaism's Hack for Your Truest Nature Our sages were always trying to find the shortest ways to describe complicated concepts. While there are 48 Ways to Wisdom (elucidated in...
Ruth SchapiraMar 13 minThe Hidden Meaning of Responsibility Responsibility, Achrayut / אחריות is one of the character traits that a person focuses on while practicing Mussar and engaging in...
Ruth SchapiraJan 132 minDiscover Your EssenceIf not now, when? Hillel, Foundational Ethics, 1:14 One should set aside a definitive time of the day and a specific amount of time for...
Ruth SchapiraNov 9, 20212 minJust one thing we don't think about...Expanding our thinking beyond the physical.
Ruth SchapiraOct 22, 20213 minEgoism versus Altruism When we think of the word egotistical, it often has negative connotations. However, it is interesting to note that over time, our culture...
Ruth SchapiraAug 24, 20213 minMountain of Mitzvot? Not! Our tradition tells us that the sole purpose of Torah is for us to refine our character, and the way toward that end is through action,...
Ruth SchapiraAug 5, 20213 minChanging Day by Day The rhythm of the Jewish calendar allows us to sense a deeper level of experience beyond the seasonal changes. As we leave the month of...
Ruth SchapiraJun 16, 20213 minSorry! j/k, lol....In this era of constantly expanding communications we simultaneously contracting understanding.
Ruth SchapiraMar 3, 20213 minThe Jewish Meaning of HappinessHappy. It's often a response [I just want them to be happy] to the question "What do you want for your children?" Being happy is what our...
Ruth SchapiraFeb 14, 20212 minShabbat is an Island EscapeEvery week, I get to imagine the world as it should be. As Friday night approaches, I look forward to the total disconnect I will have...
Ruth SchapiraFeb 1, 20213 minYou can listen by writingJournaling is an incredible tool that I don't use often enough. I'm not sure why we resist the practice of journaling so much. For me, it...
Ruth SchapiraJan 21, 20213 minWhat Tikkun Olam really meansTikkun Olam, תיקון עולם, literally "Repair the World" is a Jewish concept that barely needs definition. Showing up in many places, it is...
Ruth SchapiraJan 15, 20212 minYour soul is speaking, are you listening? Aren't I the only one here? What's this business about me, a soul and all this spirituality stuff? There's a lot of talk about soul (not...
Ruth SchapiraJan 8, 20213 minI wonder who atheists thank? The saying “there are no atheists in foxholes” presumes that once under the threat of death, the most avowed atheist will plead to God...
Ruth SchapiraDec 31, 20203 minWhy should I change?How different am I this week than I was the week before? The chameleon has it relatively easy. Spending not too much energy, he gets a...
Ruth SchapiraDec 21, 20202 minSacred Relationships When we encounter another individual truly as a person, not as an object for use, we become fully human. Martin Buber The middle-aged...
Ruth SchapiraNov 18, 20202 minFunny, I only hear from you when you need something.The more distance there is between times of connection, the more distant you feel...
Ruth SchapiraOct 20, 20203 minAdd your light to the darknessIn the times of Noah, there was total lawlessness in the world. Just 10 generations (according to tradition) after Adam, the world is in...
Ruth SchapiraOct 7, 20202 minsharing my Jewish journey with you(Posted originally on “Reclaiming Judaism”) This blog has become an intimate part of my life. I began writing it in 2011 as part of a...
Ruth SchapiraSep 29, 20202 minA corona Yom KippurIf you would have asked me what words come to mind when I think about Yom Kippur, the word joy would never have made the top ten list....