THE PRAISES OF GREAT MEN A Sermon for Rosh HaShanah 5773 By Rabbi Wayne Allen Ben Sira, once recognized as the wisest man I the world, encouraged his audience to “sing the praises of great men…godly men whose righteous deeds have not been forgotten” (Wisdom of Ben...
POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE A Sermon for Shavu’ot 5772 By Rabbi Wayne Allen For seven years, the Olson family of Turtle Lake, North Dakota (population 581) received postcards from ‘Jim.’ About three times a year ‘Jim’ sent brief messages describing his...
NEEDED: JUDGES, NOT FRIENDS A Sermon for the Second Day of Rosh Hashanah 5772 By Rabbi Wayne Allen In one of the central prayers of the Days of Awe, “u-N’ta-neh Tokef,” we, along with the Hazzan, declare: “Hi-neh Yom Ha-Din,” “Behold: it is the Day of...
WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM SEAL TEAM 6 A Sermon for the First Day of Rosh Hashanah 5772 By Rabbi Wayne Allen Howard Wasdin became an instant celebrity this past year. The publication of his memoir SEAL Team 6 coincided with the news that Osama Bin Laden was shot...
TWO LESSONS FROM BASEBALL A Sermon for Parshat Ekev 5771 by Rabbi Wayne Allen Pirke Avot, the text traditionally studied by Jews from Passover to Rosh Hashanah, reminds us that the wise man learns from every person: “Eizehu Hakham?” asks Ben Zoma. “Ha-lomed...
According to a 2009 World Happiness Survey, Bangladesh is the happiest country in the world. It is also one of the poorest. If the survey is accurate and scientifically valid, it confirms what we were probably taught, namely, happiness is not directly linked to...
The feature story of Time magazine’s February 21, 2011 edition warns of the approaching singularity, the moment when technological change becomes so rapid and profound, it represents a rupture in the fabric of human history. To science fiction writer Vernon Vinge,...