I went to visit my father's grave for the first time since the unveiling of his monument. He is a constant presence in my life. He is standing over me as I learn, when I teach and while I write. I hear his voice challenging me to strive harder and reach higher. He is so alive to me that I did not want to visit his grave. I went to pray for him, not to talk to him. I wanted to ask God that my father should be privileged to see all his teachings bear fruit, and that all his students should reflect the best parts of him and his teachings.

His, is not the only life that continues in mind beyond the physical confines of a grave. The prophet Isaiah was teaching with the full passion of life as I wrote about the Haftarah Teaching Lessons. Maimonides might not always be happy with the The Music of Halacha not following his rulings, but it is his voice I hear singing a symphony celebrating the genius and power of Halacha. Rabbeinu Bachya was prodding me as I tried to answer What is the Reason. Miriam, Moses and Bitya, Pharaoh's daughter, were listening closely as I prepared the podcasts on the Portion of the Week. They are alive. They are vibrant human beings pushing us to think, prodding us to have courage and challenging us to take responsibility just as they did in their lifetimes. They are all more alive to me than many people who are physically alive.

I started The Foundation Stone because I wanted others to hear the voices of the Biblical characters as live voices. I want everyone to learn a law and hear its music. I want Shabbat Tables to be a place of vigorous and lively discussions of issues brought to life by the Torah and Table Talk. I want an animated, pulsating and exciting community of people who celebrate Judaism's engagement with life. Thank God, we are succeeding. Increasing numbers of people are reading the essays, listening to the Podcasts, asking questions and arguing with absolutely everything I write. We have been overwhelmed with the response to Rabbi Katsof's Words Can Heal, and A.Y. Katsof's journal of his time serving in the IDF. We are happy to share happy occasions with members of our community as we have with a Special Edition of The Music of Halacha: Weddings, and The Soul's Joy. I have been posting new material on i-Grow and i-Pray every day, and people are still asking for more, Thank You.  

Please, if you are enjoying The Foundation Stone, help us expand our community by forwarding our Newsletter and website to as many people as possible. We can reach across worlds and lifetimes to create a community of passion and life.

Rabbi Simcha L. Weinberg
President

Thank you for the unbelievable feedback, the detailed descriptions of passionate "Table Talk" debates, questions for "What is the Reason?", contributions to our Forums and for the contributions to help us maintain and improve www.thefoundationstone.org. Please invite your friends to join our virtual community. Our goal is simple: To make it all meaningful.