13 Moreover, keep me from committing flagrant sins; do not allow such sins to control me. Then I will be blameless, and innocent of blatant rebellion.
14 May my words and my thoughts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord , my sheltering rock and my redeemer.
Psalm 19:13-14

FORGIVE THEM BECAUSE THEYDON’T KNOW
“As Plato said, every soul is deprived of truth against its will. The same holds true for justice,
self-control, goodwill to others, and every similar virtue. It’s essential to constantly keep this in your mind, for it will make you more gentle to all.”
—MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 7.63

As he wound his way up Via Dolorosa to the top of Calvary Hill, Jesus (or Christus as he would have been known to Seneca and other Roman contemporaries) had suffered immensely. He’d been beaten, flogged, stabbed, forced to bear his own cross, and was set to be crucified on it next to two common criminals. There he watched the soldiers roll dice to see who would get to keep his clothes, listened as the people sneered and taunted him.

Whatever your religious inclinations, the words that Jesus spoke next—considering they came as he was subjected to unimaginable human suffering—send chills down your spine. Jesus looked upward and said simply, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”


That is the same truth that Plato spoke centuries earlier and that Marcus spoke almost two centuries after Jesus; other Christians must have spoken this truth as they were cruelly executed by the Romans
under Marcus’s reign: Forgive them; they are deprived of truth. They wouldn’t do this if they weren’t.


Use this knowledge to be gentle and gracious.

Btw today is Hanukkah.
So happy Hanukkah!!!

MADE FOR JUSTICE

“The unjust person acts against the gods. For insofar as the nature of the universe made rational creatures for the sake of each other, with an eye toward mutual benefit based on true value and never for harm, anyone breaking nature’s will obviously acts against the oldest of gods.”
—MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 9.1.1

We say of the most heinous acts that they are crimes against nature. We consider certain things to be an affront against humanity, saying, “This violates everything we hold dear.” However much we differ in religion, upbringing, politics, class, or gender(male or female), we can come together in agreement there.

Why? Because our sense of justice goes marrow deep. We don’t like it when people cut in line; we don’t like freeloaders; we pass laws that protect the defenseless; and we pay our taxes, agreeing, in part, to redistribute our wealth to those in need. At the same time, if we think we can get away with it, we might try to cheat or bend the rules.

To paraphrase Bill Walsh, when left to our own devices, many of us individuals seek lower ground like water. The key, then, is to support our natural inclination to justice with strong boundaries and strong commitments—to embrace, as Lincoln urged a divided, angry nation to do, “the better angels of our nature.”

Hanukkah (Ḥanukkah)—also called the Festival of Lights—commemorates a pivotal moment in Jewish history centered on religious freedom and rededication.
Historical Background
Time period: 2nd century BCE (around 165 BCE)
Place: Judea (modern-day Israel)
Ruling power: The Seleucid Greek Empire, under King Antiochus IV Epiphanes
Antiochus IV tried to impose Greek culture and religion on the Jewish population. He banned Jewish religious practices (like Sabbath observance and circumcision) and desecrated the Second Temple in Jerusalem, dedicating it to Zeus.
The Maccabean Revolt
A small group of Jewish rebels, led by Judah Maccabee and his family (the Hasmoneans), rose up against the Seleucid army. Despite being outnumbered and under-equipped, the Maccabees achieved a surprising military victory and reclaimed Jerusalem.
Rededication of the Temple
After reclaiming the Temple, the Jews cleansed and rededicated it—the word Hanukkah literally means “dedication.”
According to later Jewish tradition recorded in the Talmud:
There was only one day’s worth of ritually pure oil to light the Temple’s menorah.
Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days, long enough to prepare more.
This miracle is the spiritual heart of Hanukkah.
How Hanukkah Is Celebrated
Lighting the menorah (hanukkiah) for eight nights
Traditional foods fried in oil (like latkes and sufganiyot)
Games with a spinning top called a dreidel
Songs, prayers, and family gatherings
Core Meaning
Hanukkah celebrates:
Religious freedom
Resistance against oppression
Faith and perseverance
Light overcoming darkness

What does it mean to live in finite fragile life in infinite eternal universe??🤔🤔🤔

MADE FOR WORKING TOGETHER

“Whenever you have trouble getting up in the morning, remind yourself that you’ve been made by nature for the purpose of working with others, whereas even unthinking animals share sleeping. And it’s our own natural purpose that is more fitting and more satisfying.”
—MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 8.12

I f a dog spends all day in bed—your bed, most likely—that’s fine. It’s just being a dog. It doesn’t have anywhere to be, no other obligation other than being itself. According to the Stoics, we humans have a higher obligation—not to the gods but to each other. What gets us out of bed each morning—even when we fight it like Marcus did—is praxeis koinonikas apodidonai (to render works held in common). Civilization and country are great projects we build together and have been building together with our ancestors for millennia. We are made for cooperation (synergia) with each other.


So if you need an extra boost to get out of bed this morning, if you need something more than caffeine can offer, use this. People are depending on you. Your purpose is to help us render this great work together. And we’re waiting and excited for you to show up.

Every dictator's obsession is one

Human language evolved from simple communication to a sophisticated and complex way because humans love gossip.


Yuval Noah Harari

NO ONE HAS A GUN TO YOUR HEAD

“Nothing is noble if it’s done unwillingly or under compulsion. Every noble deed is voluntary.”
—SENECA, MORAL LETTERS, 66.16b

You don’t have to do the right thing. You always have the option to be selfish, rude, awful, shortsighted, pedantic, evil, or stupid.


In fact, sometimes there are incentives to break bad. Certainly, not every criminal gets caught. But how does this line of thinking usually work out for people? What’s that life like?

You don’t have to do the right thing, just as you don’t have to do your duty. You get to. You want to.

RECEIVE HONORS AND SLIGHTS EXACTLY THE SAME WAY

“Receive without pride, let go without attachment.”
—MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 8.33

In the midst of the breakdown of the Roman Republic, during the civil war between Pompey and Caesar, Pompey made the decision to give control of the military fleet to Cato. It was a massive honor and hugely powerful position. But then a few days later, responding to the protests of his jealous inner circle, Pompey reversed his decision and took the command away. It could have been seen as an enormous public humiliation—to be given a promotion and then have it taken away.


The record shows that Cato’s reaction was basically nothing. He responded to the honor and the dishonor the same way: with indifference and acceptance. He certainly didn’t let it affect his support for the cause. In fact, after the snub, he worked to rally the soldiers before battle with inspirational speeches—the very men who should have been under his command.

That’s what Marcus is saying. Do not take the slights of the day personally—or the exciting rewards and recognitions either, especially when duty has assigned you an important cause. Trivial details like the rise and fall of your position say nothing about you as a person. Only your behavior—as Cato’s did— will.

Shabbat Shalom