Category Archives: Uncategorized

How not to be like Korakh: the wisdom of humility

Do not separate yourself from the community – Hillel, Pirke Avot 2.5 This week’s Parashah records a paradigmatic moment of leadership disagreement. While most Israelites are consumed with the daily challenges of life – the tent is tilting, we have to pack for the move, where is the goat? – leadership is comparably, appropriately engagedContinue reading “How not to be like Korakh: the wisdom of humility”

Shabbat Shelakh: Trust

Perhaps the undermining of the idea of trust began for many of us with the cultural saturation in the U.S. of the slogan “trust, but verify.” Or perhaps it is an internal result of the persecutions Jews have endured for many centuries. No matter the cause, the lack of ability to trust – to suspendContinue reading “Shabbat Shelakh: Trust”

Shabbat B’Ha’alot’kha: None of Us Can Do This Alone

“The self is not built to carry its own weight.” – Roy Baumeister, social psychologist The Jewish people are hard to please. Apparently against all odds they have escaped from Egyptian slavery, as is described in the Torah narrative of Exodus. Having had a time to rest and recover from that fearful event all duringContinue reading “Shabbat B’Ha’alot’kha: None of Us Can Do This Alone”

Shabbat BaMidbar: Wilderness of Doubt

שָׁל֨וֹם ׀ שָׁל֜וֹם לָרָח֧וֹק וְלַקָּר֛וֹב אָמַ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה וּרְפָאתִֽיו׃ peace, peace to the far and to the near – Isaiah 57.19  This week our parashah records the beginning of the wandering of the Jewish people – for the Torah, the wandering lasted for 40 years, but in a real way, it has never ended. We wanderContinue reading “Shabbat BaMidbar: Wilderness of Doubt”

Shabbat BeHar-BeHukotai: Emet v’Emunah

“true and reliable” in the Age of Fake News אֵ֥לֶּה הַדְּבָרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר תַּֽעֲשׂ֑וּ דַּבְּר֤וּ אֱמֶת֙ אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־רֵעֵ֔הוּ אֱמֶת֙ וּמִשְׁפַּ֣ט שָׁל֔וֹם שִׁפְט֖וּ בְּשַׁעֲרֵיכֶֽם׃You must speak the truth, and judge truthfully and fairly in all your dwelling placesZekharyah 8.16 The double parashah that we study this week, BeHar and BeHukotai, bring us to the end of the Book VaYikra (Leviticus).Continue reading “Shabbat BeHar-BeHukotai: Emet v’Emunah”

Shabbat Akharei Mot-Kedoshim: One Step At A Time

“Be holy as HaShem is holy.” Our days are full of unnerving paradoxes, and this week was no exception: This week George Floyd’s killer was found guilty of murder despite being a white police officer, AND police with the identical training killed Andrew Brown, Daunte Wright, Ma’khia Bryant and, here in Portland, Robert Delgado. ThisContinue reading “Shabbat Akharei Mot-Kedoshim: One Step At A Time”

Shabbat Tazria-Metzora: The Elixir of Life

 מִי-הָאִישׁ, הֶחָפֵץ חַיִּים Mi ha’Ish he’Hafetz Hayim? Who is the one who desires life? – Psalm 34.13 The early Shabbat morning prayers called p’sukei d’zimra (verses of song) are a way for us to  prepare spiritually to pull aside our Zoom veils and seek the presence of holiness together  They include some rather direct opportunitiesContinue reading “Shabbat Tazria-Metzora: The Elixir of Life”

Shabbat Shemini: You Can Rise Up

The fifty days between the two harvest festivals of Pesakh and Shavuot are traditionally counted. The daily count is called Sefirat haOmer, the “counting of the [barley] measure,” because in the unceasing toil of ancient agricultural subsistence, every day of the harvest was a time to count in gratitude and in hope for continuing harvest.Continue reading “Shabbat Shemini: You Can Rise Up”

Shabbat hol hamo’ed Pesakh: the Imperative of Joy

On Sunday evening at our Second Seder we counted the plagues: world wide pandemic and more than 2.5 million souls lost Oregon fires Texas ice storm  George Floyd economic hardship assault on the U.S. Capitol children in U.S. concentration camps 31 million people without health insurance white supremacy violence The Federal government repeatedly using weaponsContinue reading “Shabbat hol hamo’ed Pesakh: the Imperative of Joy”