My Blog Name

In response to a request that he summarize Judaism and the Torah while standing on one foot, Hillel said the following:

"That which is despicable to you, do not do to your fellow; this is the whole Torah.  The rest is commentary, go and learn it."

I chose this as my blog name, because I like the sentiment. The first sentence speaks for itself. Do you recognize the golden rule? You may have learned slightly different wording in first grade ("Treat others as you would like to be treated"), but there it is. The second sentence underscores the essence of Judaism - the idea that Judaism is the teachings of God plus the teachings of our ancestors as they studied God. What would it say about God if God's teachings could be summarized in the short time that you can stand on one foot? What would it say about people who spend their whole lives studying Torah? Judaism is a tradition of continued learning and growth. I will mark my continued growth here and this blog will be my own commentary as I go and learn.

Shabbat Shalom!