Rabbi Dr. Nachum Amsel

The morality and ethics of capital punishment – i.e., the death penalty for murder – has been greatly discussed in the past few years, especially in the United States where it was ruled illegal for a short time (between 1972-1976), but now its legality is decided by each state. Twenty-seven states currently allow it and... Read more »

Self-esteem is a term that reflects a person‘s overall evaluation or appraisal of his or her own worth. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs (for example, “I am competent,” “I am worthy”) and emotions such as triumph, despair, pride and shame. Synonyms of self-esteem include: self-worth, self-regard, self-respect, and self-integrity. It is a self-concept, a self-evaluation of what... Read more »

This essay is reprinted from the book, “The Encyclopedia of Jewish Values” published by Urim, or the upcoming books, “The Encyclopedia of Jewish Values: Man to Man” or “The Encyclopedia of Jewish Values: Man to G-d” to be published in the future. This essay is not intended as a source of practical halachic (legal) rulings. For... Read more »

The numerous shootings of many innocent people in the past few years, which have occurred in public places such as schools and movie theaters, have caused renewed debate and attempts at legislation regarding prevention or limitation of gun ownership, popularly known as gun control. This issue is especially acute in the United States, where the... Read more »

From a very young age, parents teach their children to be a “good boy” or “good girl.” Everyone usually aspires to be a good person, and according to studies, almost every individual thinks of himself or herself as a “basically good person.” We all want to do “the right thing” in every situation, and help... Read more »

In every society there are those special individuals who are super-ethical and who try not to merely live by what the law obligates them to do, but they constantly seek to go beyond the letter of the law. Even in the non-legal frameworks of life, these people spend their lives giving to others, putting the... Read more »

This essay is reprinted from the book, “The Encyclopedia of Jewish Values” published by Urim, or the upcoming books, “The Encyclopedia of Jewish Values: Man to Man” or “The Encyclopedia of Jewish Values: Man to G-d” to be published in the future. This essay is not intended as a source of practical halachic (legal) rulings. For... Read more »

The backbone of democracy in the United States and many other countries is the freedom of the individual. In these places, man has the ability and the right to make his own choices in life. But what does this really mean? Can a person do anything he wishes? Certainly not. Clearly, man’s freedom is limited.... Read more »

The single most practiced Jewish ritual today, which outdoes any other Jewish activity in the cycle of Jewish holidays, is the Passover Seder that occurs on the first evening of Passover. Although this ritual takes many forms these days, with many different foods and customs (of which not all are traditional), it remains the most... Read more »

Deeper Answers to Simple Questions You Always Asked About the Haggadah The meaning of the word “Seder” is order. Nevertheless, the seemingly illogical sequence and rituals of the Haggadah seem like disorder and אי סדר. Why call it a Seder when the entire evening seems to be anything but an orderly process? Making Seder of... Read more »

Pages By: Rabbi Dr. Nachum Amsel

NEW CLASS & SOURCE SHEETS: Capital Punishment in Judaism

Self-Esteem in Judaism

New Class and Source Sheets! Which Is The Real World?

NEW CLASS & SOURCE SHEETS: Gun Control – The Jewish View

NEW CLASS & SOURCE SHEETS! Is Being Good the Most Important Thing in Judaism?

NEW CLASS & SOURCE SHEETS: Going Beyond What is Required — Good Idea or Obligatory?

NEW Class and Source Sheets! Developing a Personal Relationship with G-d

NEW Class & Source Sheets: Choices & Freedom

NEW Class & Source Sheets: Underlying Values & Concepts of Pesach

NEW Haggadah! Making Seder of the Seder

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