Category Archives: Uncategorized

“Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything; that’s how the light gets in.” – Leonard Cohen וְהָיָ֣ה ׀ עֵ֣קֶב תִּשְׁמְע֗וּן אֵ֤ת הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים֙ הָאֵ֔לֶּה וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֥ם וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם וְשָׁמַר֩ ה’ אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ לְךָ֗ אֶֽת־הַבְּרִית֙ וְאֶת־הַחֶ֔סֶד אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִשְׁבַּ֖ע לַאֲבֹתֶֽיךָ And if you do obey these rules and observe them carefully, your G*d ‘ה will maintain faithfully forContinue reading “Shabbat Ekev: Limping Toward Wholeness”

On the night of 22 Kislev 4957 [1196], Rabbi Eleazar ben Judah of Worms was engaged on his commentary on Genesis; he had reached the parashah VaYeshev. Suddenly two crusaders entered his house and killed his wife Dulcina, his two daughters Belat and Hannah, and his son Jacob.  Rabbi Eleazar went on to author HaRoke’akh,Continue reading “Shabbat Nakhamu: The Secret of Resilience”

A shul is a thing. Some people never get it; they drift through our intentional community, enjoying its benefits, and never feel a sense of being part of it.  Some people thrive on it: they snuggle in happily, deep among the branches of the Tree of Life, making a nest that survives every storm. AndContinue reading “Shabbat Hukkat-Balak”

כָּל מַחֲלֹקֶת שֶׁהִיא לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, סוֹפָהּ לְהִתְקַיֵּם. וְשֶׁאֵינָהּ לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, אֵין סוֹפָהּ לְהִתְקַיֵּם. אֵיזוֹ הִיא מַחֲלֹקֶת שֶׁהִיא לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, זוֹ מַחֲלֹקֶת הִלֵּל וְשַׁמַּאי. וְשֶׁאֵינָהּ לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, זוֹ מַחֲלֹקֶת קֹרַח וְכָל עֲדָתוֹ: Every principled dispute will in the end endure; But one that is not will not endure. Which is the controversy that principled? Such wasContinue reading “Shabbat Korakh: the end of Both-Sides-ism”

Not yet. This week we marked the 75th year since the declaration of independence of the modern State of Israel (we say it that way because this is the third time that Jews have been in a position of self-rule in our at least three thousand year history).  When the state was founded, the AshkenaziContinue reading “Shabbat Akharei Mot-Kedoshim: After Death, Holiness?”