Category Archives: Uncategorized

Shabbat Shemini Atzeret: One More for the Road

Someone used to live here: “stolperstones” are set in pavement outside homes of those deported to the Nazi killing camps of World War II. They are found all over Europe; these are located in Parma, Italy. Photo by the author. Another holiday, another country; some of us, more privileged, may say these words in light-heartedContinue reading “Shabbat Shemini Atzeret: One More for the Road”

Yom Kippur 5787: What Counts?

I do think Judaism is just OCD. Just repackaged a little bit. For example: why are we counting everything? The pomegranate seeds, the omer, the mitzvot… what are we doing? There’s laws and prayers. You say a prayer, and then there’s another prayer in case you said it wrong. On Yom Kippur, we’re praying forContinue reading “Yom Kippur 5787: What Counts?”

Shabbat Rosh HaShanah 5787: Repent One Day Before Your Death

Are you a good person? Is your neighbor? How do you know? How do you judge? Why does it matter? After all, we have seen the wicked in great power, and the innocent suffer for far too long. The Jewish tradition you and I belong to insists that this matters very much, and that youContinue reading “Shabbat Rosh HaShanah 5787: Repent One Day Before Your Death”

Shabbat Nitzavim-VaYelekh 5786: All Of Us

וְלֹ֥א אִתְּכֶ֖ם לְבַדְּכֶ֑ם אָנֹכִ֗י כֹּרֵת֙ אֶת־הַבְּרִ֣ית הַזֹּ֔את וְאֶת־הָאָלָ֖ה הַזֹּֽאת כִּי֩ אֶת־אֲשֶׁ֨ר יֶשְׁנ֜וֹ פֹּ֗ה עִמָּ֙נוּ֙ עֹמֵ֣ד הַיּ֔וֹם לִפְנֵ֖י ה’ אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ וְאֵ֨ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵינֶ֛נּוּ פֹּ֖ה עִמָּ֥נוּ הַיּֽוֹם׃  I make this covenant, with its sanctions, not with you alone, but both with those who are standing here with us this day before our God HaShem and with thoseContinue reading “Shabbat Nitzavim-VaYelekh 5786: All Of Us”

Shabbat Ki Tavo: the Promise, the Curse, and the Blessing

אָר֗וּר מַטֶּ֛ה מִשְׁפַּ֥ט גֵּר־יָת֖וֹם וְאַלְמָנָ֑ה וְאָמַ֥ר כׇּל־הָעָ֖ם אָמֵֽן׃  Cursed be the one who subverts the rights of the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow.—And all the people shall say, Amen. (Deuteronomy 27.19) Shalom beloveds, On this Shabbat we find our ancestors poised to enter the Land of Promise. Whenever we read about the “Promised Land”Continue reading “Shabbat Ki Tavo: the Promise, the Curse, and the Blessing”

Shabbat Shoftim: Singular and Plural

ancient wall with gateway at Tel Dan, northern Galilee _______________________________________________________ doing the same thing over and over gets old after a while, so we take a break. Is that all there is to the acts of our lives, and the work of our hands? In their wisdom, our ancestors understood that human nature is changeable;Continue reading “Shabbat Shoftim: Singular and Plural”

Shabbat Ekev: As a Result of Listening

וְהָיָ֣ה ׀ עֵ֣קֶב תִּשְׁמְע֗וּן אֵ֤ת הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים֙ הָאֵ֔לֶּה וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֥ם וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם וְשָׁמַר֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ לְךָ֗ אֶֽת־הַבְּרִית֙ וְאֶת־הַחֶ֔סֶד אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִשְׁבַּ֖ע לַאֲבֹתֶֽיךָ׃  And if you do obey these rules and observe them carefully, your God יהוה will maintain faithfully for you the covenant made on oath with your fathers (Deuteronomy 7.12) Our parasha for this Second Shabbat of ConsolationContinue reading “Shabbat Ekev: As a Result of Listening”

Shabbat Nahamu: The Consolation of Community

on a cold morning a small bird finds warmth clinging to the neck of a neighbor horse This Shabbat is Shabbat Nakhamu, the Shabbat of Consolation. No Shabbat of the year cries out for meaningful community more than this one. Which of us can ever feel completely consoled unless we have been seen? In theContinue reading “Shabbat Nahamu: The Consolation of Community”