Rabbi Weinreb on Parsha

Ugaritic. Sumerian. Akkadian. Hittite.

Earlier this week, in an attempt to gain some space in my crowded apartment, I was going through some old records and discarding many of them. Uncertain about whether or not to keep some of them, I found myself guided by my mother-in-law’s advice: “When in doubt, throw it out.”

Except for the saints among us, we all boast. Sometimes we boast about our own natural endowments, our good looks, or our athletic prowess. Often we boast about our achievements, social or professional.

Frustration. Disillusionment. But also insight and a lifelong intellectual perspective. That is how I would describe the experience I am about to share with you, dear reader.

Most of us have had occasions in our lives when we acted as supervisors over others. It might have been in our role as parents disciplining our children or as employers instructing employees.