Rabbi Koppell’s Writings
shared from Greater Phoenix Jewish News- https://www.jewishaz.com/religiouslife/increasing-happiness/article_9a524224-f39f-11ef-af50-27b35c2e0c56.html There is a lot to be happy about on this Shabbat. Not only is it Shabbat, but it is also Rosh Chodesh Adar. That is, we officially enter into the month that we identify with joy, the month in which we will celebrate…
“I desired liberty; for liberty I gasped; for liberty I uttered a prayer; it seemed scattered on the wind then faintly blowing. I abandoned it and framed a humbler supplication. For change, stimulus. That petition, too, seemed swept off into vague space. ‘Then’, I cried, half desperate, ‘grant me at…
“No time of life is so beautiful as the early days of love, when with every meeting, every glance, one fetches something new home to rejoice over.”- Soren Kierkegaard, Either/Or Vol. I I love this quote. How true it rings! Oh- he has the same initials as I have! …
One of the things you have to love about the Army is the never-ending supply of acronyms. Many of them are familiar- AWOL- Absent Without Leave, SNAFU- let’s stick with the PG version- Situation Normal, All Fouled Up. Then there are the lesser known but highly useful acronyms-…
51. “The myth represents as outward that which occurred inwardly.”- ibid., Soren Kierkegaard, The Concept of Dread I don’t recall the context of this observation. Yet I think that Kierkegaard is on to something, explaining the universal appeal of the myth, connecting it with universal themes in the human…
“If one refuses, even, to sit down at the chessboard and make a move, one cannot, of course, be checkmated.”- F.C. Copleston Truth. Being engaged is a risk. Whether it’s pursuing a relationship, a work project, a social cause, the safest thing is to stay home and not get…
31. “The great thing is not to be this or that but to be oneself.”- Soren Kierkegaard, Either/Or Vol. II Entering the Kierkegaard phase. Finding who we are and living that truth is certainly not easy. In fact, in can be the challenge of a lifetime. A classic…
“The trees are better than men, for the trees sigh and are silent- men whisper.”- ibid., Soren Kierkegaard, Either/Or Vol. It is very hard for most people to keep a secret. Another quote to explain a quote- “A fool with a secret goes through agony like a woman in…
God Was In This Place God is IN This Place Rabbi Bonnie Koppell As our parsha opens, Jacob is scared, and rightfully so. Jacob had stolen the blessing of the firstborn that belonged to his brother. His brother, Esav, is so hurt and angry that he is ready…
Thanksgiving IS a Jewish Holiday Rabbi Bonnie Koppell Thanksgiving is a quintessentially Jewish holiday. First of all, there is traditionally a family gathering with lots of food. But beyond that, giving thanks is A, I might say, THE, foundational Jewish value. Hakarat ha-tov, recognizing, appreciating, and giving thanks for the…