In the past, I’ve sometimes felt LESS happy on Purim because of my own expectation that I’d be extremely happy, or that most other Jews are tremendously happy around Purim time. We all know that we are SUPPOSED to be happy. “When the month of Adar begins, our joy increases” (Talmud, Taanit 29a).
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4 Happiness Lessons from Bereishit
Do you want to be happier? The creation story found in the first weekly Torah portion, Bereishit, has much to teach us about simcha (Jewish happiness). Here are four important lessons:
Hanukkah and Exercising for the Right Reasons
I believe the Hanukkah story, which transpired thousands of years ago, has shaped classical Jewish attitudes towards fitness, diet and exercise.
The ancient Greeks, led by Alexander the Great, conquered Jerusalem. Greek society idealized the human body and its citizens spent much time developing their physical attributes and thinking about their looks, and even held sporting events where competitors preened without clothing. The human body was so venerated in ancient Greece that its Olympians practiced and competed nude!
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4 Life Lessons Learned from Rocky Balboa
Creed (#Creed), the seventh entry in the Rocky movie franchise, set an industry record for previews yesterday and is getting rave reviews. As a long time lover of Sylvester Stallone movies, especially the Rocky series, I am bummed that the movie isn’t being shown in Israel until January 28!
In order to feel like I am joining in the Rocky celebration kicking off for Creed’s official U.S. release tonight, I have decided to share life/spiritual lessons from the Rocky series.
Let’s get ready to rumble!!!