Best Story Ever

The Key Bridge collapse was tragic, and being originally from Maryland it hit close to home. The loss of life and the impact the collapse has on Baltimore leave us with so many questions: How did this happen? What went wrong? Who was responsible? However, when it comes to the bridge disaster, I think most of us are asking the wrong question.

How do you say “Hebrew” in Hebrew? It’s an interesting question - and a lesson from what seemed to be a misguided investment in a declining industry highlights a lesson how to pursue value and meaning in a turbulent world.

During these difficult times, a powerful lesson from an an improbable football team can give us inspiration and focus.

Antonio López de Santa Anna, of Alamo infamy, ruled Mexico at least 12 different times during the mid 19th Century. Famously, his prosthetic leg was captured by the US Army during the Mexican-American War. And you might not believe how he lost that leg in the first place.

Belmont, MO, Cairo, IL, Fort Henry, TN Two things these cities have in common are (A) virtually no one has ever heard of them and (B) I visited these forlorn places with my family for the kids’ winter break. Now, you might ask: if (A) then why (B)?

My studies of American history lead me to believe that there was, very broadly speaking, a subtle shift in slaveholders’ attitudes between the generation of the Founding Fathers and the generation that followed them. The cause of that shift is profoundly relevant to us all.

We all want to be successful; we all want to be great. But how do we get there? A story from the meteoric rise of Wayne Gretzky - The Great One - teaches us what it takes.

It is hard to comprehend John D Rockefeller’s wealth. Calculated for inflation, his peak net worth was $423 billion in today’s dollars or more than 3 percent of the United States’s GDP. But, as Paul McCartney has pointed out, there are things that money just can’t buy.

Although many warnings sirens were going off in the cockpit, the pilot did not believe that they were in an emergency; the statistical probability that all of those things were going wrong at the same time was impossible. But he was wrong.

Between 1978 and 1995, a series of 16 bombs were delivered throughout the country, killing 3 and injuring 23. The bombings were connected, but authorities could not even come close to identifying the bomber.

58. The Gimli Glider by Compelling Stories And Life's Lessons by Rabbi Nachum Meth

Will grows up in the 80s. He is smart, athletic, and plans on going to Yale for college. He has a bright future ahead of him. But then, an injury derails his plans. How should he view his setback? How should all of us look at setbacks?

The 1952 Republican National Convention would be a turning point in the career of Congressman Howard Buffet, father of Warren Buffet. It would also be another example for Warren of the “inner scorecard,” a flawed theory on human behavior.

Kamel Amin Thaabet was a wealthy Syrian business living in Argentina who liked to play things fast and loose. He used his wealth to built relationships with powerful and influential people. But he wasn’t who he said he was.

Mordechai Noah was one of the first influential Jews in the United States, and in 1825 he decided to save all of the persecuted Jews around the world. He called it Ararat, and it was located right near Niagara Falls, and the story teaches us all about planning.

Elizabeth Everest was a simple woman, virtually anonymous in history. She never achieved any fame. She never had much money. She wasn’t a particularly accomplished person. She never married and didn’t have a family. However, if not for her, your life would probably not be the same; in fact the entire free world today would likely be a totally different place.

52. Bill Buckner by Compelling Stories And Life's Lessons by Rabbi Nachum Meth

It is hard to overstate how brilliant Albert Einstein was. In 1905—within a span of just a few months—he produced four paper: each one of them on its own revolutionized the way scientists understood the universe. But his genius was not without flaw.

William Rockefeller, born in the early 1800s, was a remarkable doctor - traveling across the midwest from town to town offering his medical services. The results of pills, potions, and remedies were unbelievable.

In 1985, Mexico City was rocked by a devastating earthquake, leaving much of the city in ruins. The story of how an unlikely country from around the globe joined in the relief effort teaches us a powerful lesson in gratitude.

The War Of 1812, like all wars, was costly: more than 2,00 soldiers were killed and thousands more were injured. Washington, DC, was burnt to the ground. And I believe that most people today don’t even know why the war was fought.

A Time To Grow by Compelling Stories And Life's Lessons by Rabbi Nachum Meth

An explosion at nuclear missile silo almost triggered an unimaginable catastrophe. What happened?

Sandpipers, Calidris alba, are remarkable little birds. I have had the opportunity to watch them over the last few years while vacationing in North Carolina, and have always been amazed by their eating habits.

Although Benjamin Franklin was one of then most accomplished Americans ever, he was estranged from his son William. The source of their rift is highlighted by a lesson the Torah teaches us about relationships.