Rabbi Yehuda Halevi, A Jewish Poet And Philosopher

Rabbi Yehuda Halevi was a Jewish poet and philosopher. Many consider him the greatest poet of the golden ages. Halevi was born around the year 1080 in Toledo, Spain. His artistic talent was evident from a young age, and his father who was not short of financial means ensured Halevi had the best education possible. Halevi’s poems could be broadly categorized as religious or secular. Aside from his poetry, Halevi also wrote the Kitab al Kuzari in Arabic, a Jewish philosophical guide that is one of the most important religious readings in Judaism. The Kuzari contains dialogue between a Rabbi and Judaism converts of the Khazar tribe. Halevi’s magnetic personality gave him powerful friends across Europe and the Middle East among them Moses†¦show more content†¦He had a lifelong â€Å"longing† to make a pilgrimage to the holy city of Jerusalem and many of his poems reflected this desire. Arguably, the line of his work that was connected to the Holy Land was what he was most renowned for within the Jewish world. Arguably Halevi’s most famous poem My Heart is in the East captures this yearning perfectly. The line â€Å"My heart is in the east, and I in the uttermost west† –the east referring to Israel and the West his location in Europe-captures the frustration of being so far away from the land of his people. The poem sums up Halevi’s and other Jews’ plight, being torn between the riches of Spain which is albeit dominated by Muslims and Christians, and â€Å"Jerusalem’s dust† where fame and riches do not abound but where the heart is truly at home. The term fetters of Edom can be loosely translated to mean Christianity. The poem would therefore also appear to contain an expression of doubt by Halevi regarding his prospects of ever making it to Zion due to the restrictions and perils placed on travel by Christian and Muslim domination of the Jews and their land. From Jehuda Halevi’s Songs to Zion is an apparent continuation of My Heart is in the East with the first stanza containing the entirety of the latter poem. The five verses of the poem seem to transform progressively through a journey to the Holy Land by

Good Versus Neutral . In The Fourth Century B.C.E., A Fervid

Good versus Neutral In the fourth century B.C.E., a fervid debate was unfolding between the master Mencius and the debater Gaozi. The morality and ethics of humans was at stake. Their beliefs would change how individuals and societies viewed their decisions, their life outcomes, and ultimately, their true nature. In the ring, two clear opposing stances weighed in, but only one would make the cut. In one corner stood Gaozi, defining human nature as neutral, and in the opposing corner stood Mencius, defining human nature as good. Gaozi’s assertion of human nature does not promote any form of ethics or positive personal choice within a society, whereas, Mencuis’s definition upholds strong ethics and personal choice within a society.†¦show more content†¦In this analogy, he compares water to humans and direction to human nature. Gaozi declares human nature does not distinguish between good and not good, therefore, asserting human nature is neutral. The fluid ity of water and how it can easily be shaped by the environment, introduces the argument that the environment shapes human nature. Based on this claim, if humans were all raised in the same environment, they would all make the same decisions, and their lives would inevitably turn out the same. His argument does not address why children raised within the same family can turn out drastically different. Their parents rear them in the same environment, they are presented the same opportunities, and they start off with the same life chances. According to Gaozi, these children would flow in the same direction, not split off with one going east, towards goodness and one going west, towards badness. However, Gaozi’s argument can deliver relief to those who believe their lives turned out dramatically different than they anticipated. Some people may look at themselves and see wickedness as their true nature and feel ashamed or wonder where they went wrong. If they rely on Gaozi, then they may feel unburdened of their wrong doing because they know their environment shaped their life, and they had no other choice but to go west. They would gain freedom from their choices and solace in knowing their essence is not bad, but neutral. The idea of neutrality as human

Net Present Value Questions Free Essays

1. How much will $1000 deposit in savings account earning a compound annual interest rate of 6% be worth at the end of the following number years? a) 3 years$1,191 b) 5 years$1,338 c) 10 years$1,791 2. If you require a 9% return on your investment which would you prefer? a) $5,000 todayPV = $5,000 b) $15,000 five years from todayPV = $9,748. We will write a custom essay sample on Net Present Value Questions or any similar topic only for you Order Now 50 c) $1,000 per year for 15 yearsPV = $8061 Select option b 3. The Lancer Leasing Company has agreed to lease a hydraulic trencher to the Chavez Excavation Company for $20,000 per year over the next 8 years. Lease payments are to be made at the beginning of each year. Assuming that Lancer leasing company requires a 9% rate of return, what is the PV of payments? PV = $120,663 4. The Mutual Assurance and life Company is offering an insurance policy under either of the following two terms: a) Make a series of 12 payments of $1,200 at the beginning of each of the next 12 years (first payment being made today) b) Make a single lump-sum payment today of 10,000 and receive coverage for the next 12 years If you had investment opportunities offering an 8% annual return, which alternative would you prefer? a) PV = $9,766. 66 b) PV = $10,000 Select option a . A leading broker has advertised money multiplier certificates that will triple your money in 9 years; that is if you buy one for $333. 33 today, it will pay you $1,000 at the end of 9 years? What rate of return will you earn on this money multiplier certificates? i = 13. 073% 6. Given two following mutually exclusive alternatives: a) Alternative A: initial cost $100, annual benefits $60, useful life 7 y ears b) Alternative B: initial cost $60, annual benefits $20, useful life 7 years Which alternative is preferable if i = 12%? a) PV = $173. 84 b) PV = $31. 28 Select option a . Project A and B have first costs of $10,000 and $18,000, respectively. Project A has net annual benefits of $5,000 during each year of its 5 year useful life, after which it can be replaced identically. Project B has annual benefits of $6600 during each year of its 10 year life. Use present worth analysis, an interest rate of 30% per year and a 10 year analysis period to determine which project to select. Project A PV = $2767 Project B PV = $2407. 20 Select project A 8. The lining of a chemical tank in a certain manufacturing operation is replaced every 5 years at a cost of $7,500. A new type lining is now available which would last 10 years but costs $19,500. The tank needs new lining now and you intend to use the tank for 40 years, replacing linings when necessary. Whit i of 10% compute the present worth of costs of 40 years of service for the 5-year and 10-year linings. 5 year lining PV of costs = $19,347. 75 10 year lining PV of costs = $31,025. 34 Select 5 year lining 9. A $25,000 20-year loan with a nominal interest rate of 12% compounded monthly is to be repaid in a uniform series of payments of $275 per month (for 240 months). The borrower wants to know how many payments, N, he will have to make until he owes only half of the amount borrowed initially. N = 179 10. $100,000 dollars is deposited in a bank trust account that pays 16% interest compounded quarterly. Equal withdrawals are to be made from the account beginning one year from now and going for ever. Calculate the maximum amount of the equal annual withdrawal. $16,984 11. A truck whose P is 26,700 is being paid for in 24 uniform monthly installments, including i at 6% after making 7 payments the owner decides to pay off the remaining balance of the purchase price in one lump sum. How big is this sum? $19,231. 30 12. Assuming a 10% interest rate, determine which alternative should be selected: a) Alternative A: First cost $5,300, uniform annual benefit $1,800, useful life 4 years, salvage value $0 b) Alternative B: First cost $10,700, uniform annual benefit $2,100, useful life 8 years, salvage value $200 a) A = $127. 85 b) A = $ 112. 30 Select alternative A 13. An $8200 investment returned $2000 per year over a 5-year useful life. What was the rate of return on the investment? i = 7% How to cite Net Present Value Questions, Essay examples

Corruption India free essay sample

Corruption in India is one of the most menacing threats that our economy has been battling with ever since the independence. At all levels of Indian bureaucracy corruption has seemingly taken its toll and has been corroding the structure of our nation. Be it private sector or public sector, Indian people have a tendency of misusing the public position/power in their favor to fulfill their motives and gain personal benefits. All these â€Å"allegations† are not solely based on observation but have statistical data to back with. In 2005, a study was conducted by Transparency International that revealed that more than 62% of Indians have had at least one experience of paying bribes. In 2008 this figure fell down to 40% which is still significant. A recent unofficial data published by The Hindu estimated that Indians had over $1456 billion in Swiss banks. India stands among one of the most corrupt nations in the word. Causes: When evaluating the causes responsible for corruption the number seems to be infinite. We will write a custom essay sample on Corruption India or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page However the main reason is lack of implementation of the rules and laws. It seems as if the ones employed to stop corruption have become a part of corruption itself. There are numerous stringent laws like Indian Penal Code, 1860, The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, Prevention of money Laundering Act etc. that have been framed to stop corruption but their implementation is missing. Another prominent reason for corruption is lack of transparency in bureaucracy and governmental processes. Especially the government controlled institutions tend to keep the working principles and functioning under the carpet. The welfare programs that aware started to help the poor strata of society contribute significantly to the corruption. The older the economy becomes the more challenging becomes its maintenance. Consequences: The consequences of corruption are grim. The whole system falls apart if the structure of government is struck by the storm of corruption. The efficiency of governmental and private institutions decreases tremendously due to corruption. The ones who are not so rich and are unable to bribe officials don’t get their work done on time and their files collect dust in the offices. The growth of nation cripples when corrupt officials operate at powerful positions. It is estimated that if corruption is stopped the annual growth rate would increase by 4-5%. Cure: When it comes to fighting this adversary, the first blood must be drawn by general public. If there are no individuals that pay bribe then the structure automatically resurrects again. The implementation of laws should be stricter. And increased transparency (e. g. RTI) must be brought into action. Unless the general public becomes vigilant corruption can’t be unplugged from our nation.