Author Archives: rabbiariel

Shabbat VaYigash: Stepping Away from the Past, Shaping the Future

“The past isn’t dead. It isn’t even past.” – William Faulkner The denouement of the Joseph saga occurs at the beginning of this week’s parashat VaYigash. The great dramatic moment comes when Judah courageously steps forward. He does so to accept the burden of the family’s great hidden sin: that of the brothers’ selling JosephContinue reading “Shabbat VaYigash: Stepping Away from the Past, Shaping the Future”

Shabbat Miketz: Survival Tip for 2020 – Remember Who You Are

s/he was bullied by siblings. s/he was terrorized by being thrown in a pit and ignored. s/he was sold into slavery in a strange society. s/he knew neither the language nor the customs. s/he was accused of crime s/he had not committed. s/he was thrown in a dungeon and forgotten. In parashat Miketz, Joseph modelsContinue reading “Shabbat Miketz: Survival Tip for 2020 – Remember Who You Are”

Shabbat VaYeshev: Justice by the Light of the Hanukkah Menorah

You may very well be wrong in your first impression – Love, Tamar In the second year of the Triennial Cycle of Torah reading, we find that the focus of the parashat hashavua (“Torah reading of the week”) is the story of Tamar in Bereshit, also called Genesis, in chapter 38. After the strange silence imposed upon Dinah inContinue reading “Shabbat VaYeshev: Justice by the Light of the Hanukkah Menorah”

Shabbat VaYishlakh: Becoming Whole By Becoming Oneself

There’s a crack in everything – that’s how the light gets in – Leonard Cohen ז״ל In this week’s parashah, the eponymous ancestor of the People of Israel is given the name Israel. The deceiving, conniving, too smart by half Jacob has apparently achieved some kind of transition. The people Israel has for two thousandContinue reading “Shabbat VaYishlakh: Becoming Whole By Becoming Oneself”

Shabbat Toldot: Naming our Transgender Children

Today, Friday November 20, is Transgender Day of Remembrance. During Portland’s observance (last night on the eve of the day) we called the names of those who were murdered in the U.S. during this past year for no reason other than their transgender identity.  We remember them, and mourn the loss of these irreplaceable ImagesContinue reading “Shabbat Toldot: Naming our Transgender Children”

A Prayer for Healing in the Time of COVID-19

Source of Healing, help us find healing. We seek strength for our spirit, resilience that will carry us through this plague in peace. Compassion that saves us, Heal the body of everyone struckwith the threatening virus, and heal the souls of all who suffer. Remember those who have died. Heal us and we shall beContinue reading “A Prayer for Healing in the Time of COVID-19”

Shabbat Lekh-L’kha: Making Light in Darkness

(image: close up in Torah scroll of Genesis 1.4 ויבדל אלהים בין האור ובין החשך G*d divided between the light and the darkness.) Shalom Shir Tikvah learning community, It’s getting darker every day now. How shall we trust our footsteps when we can’t see them? Where is the light that will dispel this hoshekh, thisContinue reading “Shabbat Lekh-L’kha: Making Light in Darkness”

Shabbat Noakh: Time to be stiff-necked

Once upon a time I was asked, “Rabbi, who was it who first called the Jews ‘stiff-necked’? It seems anti-Semitic.” I had to laugh. “Well, actually, it was G*d, in Exodus 32.9.” It seems to be the one thing that friends, enemies, and HaShem all agree upon, from Biblical to Talmudic to much later daysContinue reading “Shabbat Noakh: Time to be stiff-necked”