Some pray for it, some slave for it, some devote their best years and finest talents to acquire it. And in many cases, the dollar gets blamed for many ills. In particular, two basic accusations are leveled against the dollar: One is that it has usurped the position -- once occupied by the spiritual, the transcendent and the Divine -- of the highest striving of man and the ultimate authority in his life. In this day and age, the dollar is god. The second is that it is the cause of untold division and strife. It has pitted brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor, nation against …

When I awake in the morning and I am once again blessed to gaze upon the magnificent waters of the Pacific Ocean, it is difficult to imagine what life was like as a slave. As slaves, we were deprived of choice. We lost touch with our inner-self and became dependent on others. We were conditioned to believe that we could never be as good as  our “masters.” We were pressed by our masters who acted against any moral code and gave no value to our human dignity. We had no rights. Our Egyptian masters could abuse us, belittle us in a public setting, even in front of our children, and all we could …

Each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can only respond by being responsible. - Viktor E.Frankl  “Education and Sharing Day U.S.A.” is just around the corner (April 3)! What is Education day U.S.A.? It is a day that was established by Congress in honor of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson the Lubavitcher Rebbe's (1902-1994) efforts for education and sharing for Jews and non-Jews alike.  The Congressional resolution, in part, "recognizes the historical tradition of ethical values and principles, which are the basis of civilized …

Jack and Jim were walking home from a late night at the bar. Jack says to Jim, "What a beautiful evening, look at the moon." Jim stops and looks at Jack, saying, "What are you talking about! That’s not the moon, that's the sun!" After arguing for a while, they bumped into a drunk walking in the other direction. "Excuse us sir, could you please help settle our argument? Tell us what that thing is up in the sky that's shining. Is it the moon or the sun?"  The drunk looked at the sky and then looked at them, and said, "Sorry, I don't live around here." --- As residents of Malibu, we get to have …

"Oseh Shalom Bimromav." "May He who makes peace above make peace below." These words are part of daily Jewish prayer, also the end of the Kaddish prayer, and they express the universal yearning within each soul.   Can two people with opposite opinions truly embrace in peace? Can fire and water not extinguish each other  Can the wolf really lay with the lamb? Imagine this: Professor Larry is a staunch conservative, and his neighbor professor Harry is a diehard liberal. Harry is well known for his passionate views on climate change and for his fervent speeches on the legacy of our planet. In …

More than two millennia ago, an evil man named Haman successfully convinced the powerful King Achashverosh of Persia to approve a plan for the total annihilation of the Jews. The plan was foiled when the king's wife, Queen Esther, revealed her true identity. Esther was, in fact, Jewish. She pleaded with the king to spare the lives of the innocent men, women and children of her faith.   Esther is the true hero of the Jewish holiday Purim. To honor her soul, I present you with a poem written by my sister Shira Talashevsky. ONE WOMAN'S SOUL  by Shira Teleshevsky  RighteousHolyGlorifiedOne woman'…

"Being broke is a temporary state … being poor is a state of mind." —Earl Nightingale "A genome map is what scientists use to navigate around the genome. Like road maps ... a genome map is a set of landmarks that tells people where they are, and helps them get where they want to go ... Over time, as scientists continue to explore the genome frontier, maps will become more accurate and more detailed. A genome map is a work in progress." —www.genomenewsnetwork.org Over 2,000 years ago, the Kabbalists mapped out the human psyche based on the teachings of the Torah. They spoke of three stages in …

This Sunday evening, millions of people will tune in to watch the Academy Awards. People receiving recognition and awards for their accomplishments appears to be a good idea. Competition seems to bring out the best in people, and the desire to be a "winner" is woven into the very fabric of our yearning spirits. I recall once watching the faces of the nominees during those painful few seconds when the presenter was opening the sealed envelope. I recall being able to feel the deep anxiety of the nominees. The seconds for them must have felt like hours. Imagine, all that built-up energy and in …

  “I earnestly pray that the Omnipotent Being who has not deserted the cause of America in the hour of its extremist hazard, will never yield so fair a heritage of freedom a prey to "Anarchy" or "Despotism"” – President George Washington As our country prepares to enjoy the Presidents Day long weekend, I began reading about the significance of this holiday and focused on George Washington. In the Jewish tradition, the holidays  are not meant to be simply a commemoration; rather, we are taught to do our utmost to absorb ourselves in the depth of the holiday, as if it were the very first time …

When we reflect on our environment, we are reminded of our great blessing—we live in the Disneyland of nature. I recall a few years back when we were dealing with gophers who seemed to be eating away at the vegetation on our property, I contacted a company that uses organic methods that are not harmful to the animals. The fellow said, "You must not forget, you moved into their home, not the other way around." The statement gave me a whole new perspective on our environment and what it means to be a "good neighbor" to nature. If you go to Google maps and type in 90265, you will quickly notice …

"We must translate pain into action, and tears into growth" —The Rebbe When Cain decided that he could choose whether his own brother could live or die, we recall that after he murdered his brother Abel, G-d said to Cain, "The voice of your brother's blood cries to Me from the ground" (Genesis 4:10). With events of this week in the Emily Shane murder trial, I am reminded of these famous biblical words.    On April 3, 2010, Emily Rose Shane was robbed of her life. This innocent child was killed by a reckless, irresponsible driver. The soul of Emily is eternal and lives forever. Our memory of …

B"H "Can you tell me the difference between heaven and hell?" a child once asked his teacher, who paused before answering. The teacher responded, "I like to put it in my own words. Heaven and hell have something strikingly in common. When you get to either place, you no longer have dexterity in your elbows—a great challenge especially when it comes to eating."  The child was curious, as the teacher continued, "As long as people remain in hell, they suffer from infinite hunger pains."  The child asked, "And in heaven?" The teacher replied that in heaven, the people manage to cooperate to feed …

Never, never be afraid to do what's right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. —Martin Luther King Jr. I joined Ellen and Michel Shane and other community members on Tuesday for the first day of the trial of Sina Khankhanian, the man charged with murdering the Shane's 13-year-old daughter Emily. One of the first witnesses to be called to the stand was Jan Elfman, a woman who was driving behind Sina on that tragic day.    Jan testified that she was behind his Mitsubishi on Topanga Canyon Boulevard in the Santa Monica Mountains as his car was erratically tailgating …

It seems to be the accepted custom that as a new year arrives, we face the issues and challenges in our lives and set goals for changes. As an example, how many diets begin in the first week of January? How many gym memberships are sold? Usually, people make changes because they feel they lack something. People who are perfectly OK with who they are and how they behave are not typically great candidates for change. But, then, who is truly OK with himself or herself? I am reminded of what the great master Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi once said: "In material matters, one who is 'satisfied with…

Binah Wineries was a company to admire. Located in a small suburban city where it employed a majority of the residents,this large, successful corporation was an amazing enterprise that attracted entrepreneurial talent from all over the world. One of the first things any visitor would notice when walking into Binah was the happy look on the face of each employee.   People who worked at Binah knew they were not just an employee, they were family. If an employeehad a personal issue, there was a special help-office in the Binah headquarters designated specifically to help employees deal with …

There is a well-known story about a turtle that was happily swimming along a river when a scorpion hailed it from the shore. The scorpion, unable to swim, asked the turtle for a ride on his back so he could cross the river.   "Are you nuts?" exclaimed the turtle. "You'll sting me while I'm swimming and I'll drown." "My dear turtle," the scorpion responded with a laugh, "if I were to sting you, you would drown and I would go down with you, and drown as well. Now where is the logic in that?" The turtle thought this over, and saw the logic of the scorpion's statement. "You're right!" cried the …

This coming Tuesday evening, Jewish people around the globe will begin celebrating the festival of Chanukah, also known as the Festival of Lights. In the early 1980s, the Lubavitcher Rebbe initiated a campaign to display the Chanukah Menorah in public areas so all people can benefit from the light and joys of the holiday. The following is a letter from the Rebbe addressed to the participants in public Menorah lightings: By the Grace of G-d On the eve of Chanukah, 5741 [1980] Brooklyn, NY To all Participants in the Public Lighting of the Chanukah Menorah in the USA Greeting and Blessing! …

"The gate to wisdom is silence" —Pirkei Avot 3-14  What is silence? Have you ever experienced a time in your life when you had to solve a problem and were in desperate need of a solution and an answer that was just not coming? Perhaps you were a student preparing for an exam or a businessman looking for a solution. Whatever it might be, the frustration of not having the solution is frustrating indeed! In Kabbalistic terminology, the first state of awareness, when a new idea enters our minds, it is called "chochma" (wisdom). Even more literally, the Hebrew word "chochma" is composed of two …

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them —President John F. Kennedy A few weeks ago, when I submitted my column to Malibu Patch editor Jonathan Friedman, I was asked if the B"H at the top of the page was part of the column. After I explained what it means, we decided to leave it to another time, when I could address its meaning and importance.   Thanksgiving is upon us, so what better time than now: B"H is all about acknowledging and articulating our gratitude—giving thanks. B"H is an abbreviation for two Hebrew…

"All the challenges with which a person is presented are intended to bring him to a more elevated state." —Rabbi Sholom Dovber of Lubavitch Jerry Sinclair, a very successful man in his 60s, began his life story in the Bronx, where both his parents worked full-time jobs just to make ends meet. When he turned 27, Jerry started a business that grew exponentially. Thus, at age 45, he was able to sell his company at a great profit and spend his time doing what he enjoyed most—researching cures for terminal illnesses and investing in businesses that had meaning and value. Jerry was very proud of …