Jonathan Sacks
ARTICLES BY: Jonathan Sacks
We Are What We Remember
One reason that religion has survived in the modern world -- despite four centuries of secularization -- is that it answers the three questions every...
The Limits of Love
In a parsha laden with laws, one in particular is full of fascination. Here it is: If a man has two wives, one loved, the other unloved...
The Greatness of Humility
At a dinner to celebrate the work of a communal leader, the guest speaker paid tribute to his many qualities: his dedication, hard work and...
The Unmatched Power of Joy
On October 14, 1663, the famous diarist Samuel Pepys paid a visit to the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue in Creechurch Lane in the city of...
The Listener, Not the Speaker, Can Often Change the World
It is one of the most important words in Judaism, and also one of the least understood. Its two most famous occurrences are in last...
The Power of Asking Why
In a much-watched TED talk, Simon Sinek asked the question: how do great leaders inspire action? What made people like Martin Luther King and Steve Jobs...
How to Grow Old Gracefully, Successfully and With Joy
On March 27, 2012, to celebrate the diamond jubilee of the Queen, an ancient ceremony took place at Buckingham Palace. A number of institutions presented...
Your Word Is Your Bond, So Keep It
This week’s parsha opens with an account of the laws of vows and oaths. What is it doing here near the end of the book...
Moses’ Disappointment
Hidden beneath the surface of parshat Pinchas, the sages uncovered a story of great poignancy. Moses, having seen his sister and brother die, knew that...
What Makes God Laugh
There is an old saying that what makes God laugh is hearing our plans for the future. However, if Tanakh is our guide, what makes God...
Healing the Trauma of Loss
It took me two years to recover from the death of my father, of blessed memory. To this day, almost 20 years later, I am not...
Hierarchy and Politics: The Never-Ending Story
It was a classic struggle for power. The only thing that made it different from the usual dramas of royal courts, parliamentary meetings, or corridors...
Overcoming the Fear of Success
One of the most powerful addresses I ever heard was given by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, on this week’s parsha: the story...
A Test of Character in This Week’s Torah Portion
There have been times when one passage in this week’s parsha -- Torah portion -- was for me little less than life-saving. No leadership position...
