It was sad news to receive, coming out of Shabbos, that Rabbi Sacks had passed away. It is a loss for the world. I was a latecomer to Rabbi Sacks’ – I was only introduced to his Torah a couple years ago, at most. But even though my knowledge of his greatness was relatively shallow,… Continue reading Remembering Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
What’s in a name? Rivki Silver – Thoughts & Music sounds nice, but as month after month went by and it was all thoughts and no music, I wondered if it was time to take out the “Music” part of my blog’s name. But being a musician is so deeply ingrained in my personality, in… Continue reading Avinu Malkeinu
Good Chodesh everyone! It’s Rosh Chodesh Elul, so you know what that means……ANOTHER YEAR OF QUICK THOUGHTS FOR ELUL! That makes six years of this video series, for those of you keeping track. Let’s dive right in. Today is technically the last day of the month of Av, but it’s also the first day of… Continue reading Quick Thoughts For Elul Returns!
I have loved this verse (or, more specifically, this section of verse) from Mishlei (Proverbs), because of its validation about how failing is not only okay, it’s almost expected. To be a righteous person, a Tzaddik, is kind of what we should be striving to be, and here this verse is telling us that we… Continue reading Why Failure Is Good
“Naaseh v’Nishma” -Am Yisrael There’s a famous midrash that talks about how G-d went to all the nations of the world and offered them the Torah, and they all asked, “well, what’s in it?” This seems like a reasonable reaction, right? You should read a contract before you sign it. But after they found out… Continue reading All In
“Shavuot … is a calling to bring transcendence and spirituality into this world. We don’t aim to escape this world, we aim to transform it.” Rabbi Shmuel Reichman One of the things that most appealed to me when I was first learning about Judaism was the way it touched every aspect of life. Something as commonplace as… Continue reading Why My Laundry Is Holy
He (Rabbi Tarfon) used to say: It is not your duty to finish the work, neither are you at liberty to neglect it. Pirkei Avos 2:16 Today I had planned to go out on my biweekly shopping trip. I’m doing my best to keep my shopping (and, indeed, all my going out of the house)… Continue reading One Thing At A Time
ETA: The following thoughts and ideas are not applicable if a person if suffering from severe depression or anxiety. Sometimes, simply thinking good or focusing one’s thoughts on the good is not enough. In those cases, where there is a chemical imbalance or other factors that affect emotional health and stability, therapy and medication are… Continue reading You Are What You Think
“Man should rather jump into a fiery furnace than offend another in public.” -Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai Today is Lag B’Omer. Bonfires, bows and arrows, music (MUSIC!), haircuts, weddings, celebration. This is the day that the students of Rabbi Akiva stopped dying in the plague. Today is the yahrzeit of the Rashbi, Rabbi Shimon Bar… Continue reading Rabbi Shimon’s Good Advice
טראַכטן גוט וועט זיין גוט This quote by the chassidic master Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Lubavitch (1789–1866) is catchy, but I always found I had some pushback to it. Think good and it will be good? Isn’t that a little simplistic? A little unrealistic? Does it not deny the actual negative feelings and experiences a… Continue reading The Power Of Positive Thinking
Rivki Silver ~ thoughts & music 