Resolutions

Rabbi Moshe Meir Weiss takes a look at secular New Year's resolutions and compares them with our resolutions.

 After studying these lists, I realized that they primarily revolve around the body: to lose weight, to get fit, to quit smoking or drinking, or to manage stress.  These are all the needs of the guf, our mortal bodies.  Now, while we also ascribe to the positive commandment of “V’nishmartem meod es nafshoseichem - To guard the health of our bodies,” it is the needs of our neshoma, our immortal soul, that is the primary focus of our existence.  Thus, our resolutions are quite different and revolve around character improvement such as:  1. I will not gossip about others.  2. I will avoid lying.  3. I will make up with people that I am at odds with.  4. I will try not to be envious of others. Rather, I will rejoice in their success and prosperity.  5. I will be more loving and attentive to my spouse.  6. I will be a better role-model for my children.  7. I will bring joy to my parents.  8. I will be more charitable.  9. I’ll try not to be selfish and self-centered.  10. I will work hard to curb my anger and will restrain myself from screaming and yelling.
Read full article: http://matzav.com/new-years-resolution-2014

KikarHashabat has an article about a man who refused to give his wife a get and fled to America a few years ago. He has now been extradited to Israel.

KikarHashabat has an article about Rav Kaduri seeing the Mashiach in the past.

Former minister Rafi Eitan, the former handler of Jonathan Pollard, believes that this time, Israeli efforts to win Pollard’s freedom may yield results.
Continue reading: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/175765

NPR has an article titled What Israel's Release Of Palestinian Prisoners Means For Peace.

Below is one comment posted under the NPR article. If one reads through the rest of the comments, one realizes that views are entrenched and opinions won't be swayed by the truth.

I was very surprised to see the article didn't include a link to the names and crimes of the actual prisoners, but it included a convenient link to an article about settlement expansions. One can't expect every article to be written by a non-baised robot, but NPR is usually better than this.