Ops & Blogs | The Times of Israel » Shawn Ruby http://blogs.timesofisrael.com The Marketplace of Ideas Thu, 23 May 2013 19:25:26 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 Shemot: Telescoped time and making things worse before they get better http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/shemot-telescoped-time-and-making-things-worse-before-they-get-better/ http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/shemot-telescoped-time-and-making-things-worse-before-they-get-better/#comments Fri, 04 Jan 2013 13:30:01 +0000 Shawn Ruby http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/?p=91698 One of my oldest friends held a bar mitzvah celebration for his son last night.  It seems like just yesterday I was driving overnight from Boston to New York to attend his brit mila, and now here he was already thirteen sharing thoughts on the parsha with friends and family.  This kind of telescoped time [...]

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]]> http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/shemot-telescoped-time-and-making-things-worse-before-they-get-better/feed/ 0 VaYechi: Seeing our children http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/vayechi-seeing-our-children/ http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/vayechi-seeing-our-children/#comments Thu, 27 Dec 2012 21:49:33 +0000 Shawn Ruby http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/?p=89056 Parshat VaYechi is the slow denouement of Breishit.  The crisis among the brothers is resolved, and the family is safe from famine in Egypt.   The parsha focuses on less dramatic events: the deaths of Jacob and Joseph, and the messages they convey before they go. As I imagine the scene of Jacob surrounded by [...]

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]]> http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/vayechi-seeing-our-children/feed/ 3 No peace from the right this time http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-center-right-reason-to-vote-center-left/ http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-center-right-reason-to-vote-center-left/#comments Wed, 26 Dec 2012 19:12:27 +0000 Shawn Ruby http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/?p=86872 Four years ago, before the last election, one could have made an argument that a center-right government was more able to make peace than a leftist one.  A right-wing government could more easily sell a peace agreement to the Israeli people who would more readily accept that it protected their interests.  The history of Begin’s [...]

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]]> http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-center-right-reason-to-vote-center-left/feed/ 4 VaYigash: Judah’s transformation http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/vayigash-judahs-transformation/ http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/vayigash-judahs-transformation/#comments Fri, 21 Dec 2012 08:24:17 +0000 Shawn Ruby http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/?p=87540 Parshat VaYigash marks the climax of the story of Joseph and his brothers.   At the end of last week’s cliffhanger, we are left wondering how the brothers will resolve the crisis Joseph has put before them.  Will they abandon Benjamin to Joseph?  How will they convince Joseph (who in their eyes is a powerful [...]

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]]> http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/vayigash-judahs-transformation/feed/ 0 Miketz: Joseph, the first Keynesian? http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/miketz-joseph-the-first-keynesian/ http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/miketz-joseph-the-first-keynesian/#comments Fri, 14 Dec 2012 13:23:53 +0000 Shawn Ruby http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/?p=86104 I can just picture the Egyptian Fox News ticker: “Pharoah appoints foreign-born Viceroy.  Phony famine fears will drive taxes through the roof, killing off the years of plenty.” The modern Republican party would never have agreed to Joseph’s plan.  Even if they believed the evidence of Pharoah’s dream, a free-market approach would have been preferred. [...]

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]]> http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/miketz-joseph-the-first-keynesian/feed/ 2 The lists are in, and what is a center-leftist to do? http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-lists-are-in-and-what-is-a-center-leftist-to-do/ http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-lists-are-in-and-what-is-a-center-leftist-to-do/#comments Wed, 12 Dec 2012 18:10:00 +0000 Shawn Ruby http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/?p=85760 It is a week now since the parties all got their final lists in to the election commission, and we now know who the choices will be for the January 22 election. Many of us on the center-left were holding out hope for a last minute agreement to run two or more of the multiple [...]

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]]> http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-lists-are-in-and-what-is-a-center-leftist-to-do/feed/ 5 VaYeshev and Hannukah: Dreams, Darkness, Stars and No Moon http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/vayeshev-and-hanuka-dreams-darkness-stars-and-no-moon/ http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/vayeshev-and-hanuka-dreams-darkness-stars-and-no-moon/#comments Wed, 05 Dec 2012 20:22:28 +0000 Shawn Ruby http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/?p=84354 Dreams are a dominant theme of this week’s Torah reading. As Andrew Lloyd Weber put it, “Strange as it seems, there’s been a run of crazy dreams.”  In the darkness of the night, Joseph, the butler, the baker – and next week Pharoah – are visited by semi-prophetic visions while they slumber. Joseph’s second dream [...]

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]]> http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/vayeshev-and-hanuka-dreams-darkness-stars-and-no-moon/feed/ 3 Threats and Opportunities http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/threats-and-opportunities/ http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/threats-and-opportunities/#comments Sat, 01 Dec 2012 19:33:03 +0000 Shawn Ruby http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/?p=83548 Anyone who has done an MBA or has spent some time in corporate strategy sessions is probably familiar with a tool called SWOT analysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.  By mapping out a company’s position, clearly and honestly, on these key parameters, executives gain insight into what strategic moves are needed to move forward.  As [...]

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]]> http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/threats-and-opportunities/feed/ 1 VaYishlach: Jacob and Esau Face Off http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/vayishlach-yaacov-and-esav-face-off/ http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/vayishlach-yaacov-and-esav-face-off/#comments Thu, 29 Nov 2012 21:16:47 +0000 Shawn Ruby http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/?p=83186 As a Torah reader, this week’s portion, VaYishlach, has one of my favourite verses. As he makes his preparations for his meeting with hi estranged brother Esau, Jacob says to himself (Genesis 32:21): אכפרה פניו במנחה ההולכת לפני ואחרי כן אראה פניו אולי ישא פני In the JPS translation: If I propitiate him with presents [...]

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]]> http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/vayishlach-yaacov-and-esav-face-off/feed/ 3 First Watch: Late night thoughts http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/first-watch-late-night-thoughts/ http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/first-watch-late-night-thoughts/#comments Mon, 26 Nov 2012 00:06:15 +0000 Shawn Ruby http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/?p=82256 When Uri told me that my first assigned guard duty would be November 25, I asked him if he chose my birthday on purpose.    In any case, I find myself spending my 41st birthday patrolling the kibbutz which is my new home. I often walk and run the fence road with my dog, but there [...]

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]]> http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/first-watch-late-night-thoughts/feed/ 1 VaYetze: Crossings, Truces and Piles of Stones http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/vayetze-crossings-truces-and-piles-of-stones/ http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/vayetze-crossings-truces-and-piles-of-stones/#comments Fri, 23 Nov 2012 10:41:32 +0000 Shawn Ruby http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/?p=81514 I was helping my daughter study for her test on the Book of Joshua, and also studying the Parsha this week. It struck me that there was a common theme between Joshua Chapter 3, and Parshat VaYetze: piles of stones. In our Parsha, Yaacov marks the place of his dream as he leaves his homeland [...]

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]]> http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/vayetze-crossings-truces-and-piles-of-stones/feed/ 1 Gilboa Prayer תפילה בגלבוע http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/gilboa-prayer-%d7%aa%d7%a4%d7%99%d7%9c%d7%94-%d7%91%d7%92%d7%9c%d7%91%d7%95%d7%a2/ http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/gilboa-prayer-%d7%aa%d7%a4%d7%99%d7%9c%d7%94-%d7%91%d7%92%d7%9c%d7%91%d7%95%d7%a2/#comments Tue, 20 Nov 2012 06:29:44 +0000 Shawn Ruby http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/?p=80132 Gilboa Prayer (English below the Hebrew) תפילה בגלבוע השבוע ההר מכוסה בירוק שטיח של דשא שצמח בין לילה רוחות הגלבוע מבריחות את הענן מגלות כוכבים ברקיע צלול ואני מתפלל פני לדרום ולבי בדרום עם חברי שגם הם נתכסו בין לילה בירוק עם אחי בצבע אדום ואת! גבורת העולם אדני! שהחיה את העם המת הזה הושיע! [...]

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]]> http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/gilboa-prayer-%d7%aa%d7%a4%d7%99%d7%9c%d7%94-%d7%91%d7%92%d7%9c%d7%91%d7%95%d7%a2/feed/ 0 Snapshots from my week http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/snapshots-from-my-week/ http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/snapshots-from-my-week/#comments Mon, 19 Nov 2012 16:01:31 +0000 Shawn Ruby http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/?p=80036 Thursday night, my parents are concluding their visit to Israel.  Before taking them to the airport for their early morning flight, we decide to spend the evening in Tel Aviv for some last minute shopping and eating.  We walk through the posh shops on Shabazi street in Neve Tzedek.  While my mom is buying earrings, the salesperson [...]

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]]> http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/snapshots-from-my-week/feed/ 0 Toldot and Gaza: Heroes and villains http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/toldot-and-gaza-heroes-and-villains/ http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/toldot-and-gaza-heroes-and-villains/#comments Fri, 16 Nov 2012 12:39:38 +0000 Shawn Ruby http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/?p=79108 Toldot tells the story of Yaacov’s successful acquisition of his father’s blessing and the role of forefather to the Jewish people.  Clearly he is the hero of the story, in the sense that he is the protagonist, but is he the good guy?  If we strip away our midrashic pre-conceptions, Esav comes off pretty well, [...]

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]]> http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/toldot-and-gaza-heroes-and-villains/feed/ 1 Is it time for austerity? http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/is-it-time-for-austerity/ http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/is-it-time-for-austerity/#comments Tue, 31 Jul 2012 09:34:33 +0000 Shawn Ruby http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/?p=52630 Many were taken by surprise by the economic decisions taken by the Netanyahu government to cut most ministry budgets by 5% across the board and raise VAT by 1% last week.  We kept hearing until then how well we were doing – so why the sudden need for austerity measures?  With unemployment at historic lows, [...]

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