Ben-Tzion Spitz, at The Blogs

Apr 8, 2025, 6:06 PM

There is a wellspring of life within you where you can go for cleansing and transformation. -Deepak Chopra In preparation for Passover, there is an inordinate focus on cleaning. We clean the bedrooms, the floors, the windows, the refrigerator, the...

Apr 3, 2025, 11:01 PM

The Crime of Ignorance (Vayikra)

Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity. -Martin Luther King, Jr. After the terror attacks of September 11, Admiral John Poindexter, former U.S. National Security Advisor under Ronald Reagan, formulated the concept of an...

Mar 27, 2025, 10:28 PM

Eternal, Divine Structure (Pekudei)

"The Ark of the Covenant" (AI image by author)

Day by day we are building for eternity ... Every gentle word, every generous thought, every unselfish deed will become a pillar of eternal beauty in the life to come. -Rebecca Ruter Springer The last Torah portion of the Book...

Mar 20, 2025, 10:00 PM

The Finest Workmanship (Vayakhel)

The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor. -Vince Lombardi There is a story told to young design engineers about a car inventor who was always...

Mar 12, 2025, 8:41 PM

Chutzpah, Sin, Loyalty and Rejoicing (Ki Tisah)

Chutzpah: Yiddish for gall, nerve, arrogance-whatever. -Howard Fast By almost all accounts, the greatest sin of the generation of Israelites who left Egypt was the creation of the Golden Calf. Moses was absent somewhere in the sky, together with God, receiving...

Mar 7, 2025, 5:19 PM

God: Up Close and Personal (Tetzaveh)

Yet some there be that by due steps aspire To lay their just hands on that golden key That opens the palace of Eternity. -John Milton God commands the Children of Israel to build a Sanctuary for Him, providing excruciating detail regarding...

Feb 27, 2025, 11:26 PM

Flying Lessons (Terumah)

The air up there in the clouds is very pure and fine, bracing and delicious. And why shouldn't it be?--it is the same the angels breathe. -Mark Twain After repeatedly denouncing and prohibiting the creation of statues, portrayals of the...

Feb 20, 2025, 11:10 PM

The Purpose of Grandparenthood (Mishpatim)

Everyone needs to have access both to grandparents and grandchildren in order to be a full human being. -Margaret Mead The nation of Israel has received the Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai. The Bible starts by enumerating a long list...

Feb 13, 2025, 11:55 PM

‘Knock, knock’ (Yitro)

"Jethro's Messenger" (AI image by author)

Manners must adorn knowledge and smooth its way through the world. -Lord Chesterfield After the miraculous escape of the Children of Israel from Egypt, Yitro, the father-in-law of Moses, sends word that he is coming to meet them at their...

Feb 6, 2025, 8:06 PM

Tactical Deception and Clueless Pawns (Beshalach)

"Pillar of Fire against the Egyptians" (AI image by author)

Those who are skilled in producing surprises Are as infinitely varied as heaven and earth, And as inexhaustible as the great rivers. -Sun Tzu While God performs awesome miracles, He apparently also balances them with as many “natural” causes as possible. This...

About Me

Ben-Tzion Spitz is the former Chief Rabbi of Uruguay. He is the author of six books of Biblical Fiction and hundreds of articles and stories dealing with biblical themes. He is the publisher of Torah.Works, a website dedicated to the exploration of classic Jewish texts, as well as TweetYomi, which publishes daily Torah tweets on Parsha, Mishna, Daf, Rambam, Halacha, Tanya and Emuna. Ben-Tzion is a graduate of Yeshiva University and received his Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from Columbia University.

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