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Shabbat Shoftim: Judges and Us (Not Police)

צֶ֥דֶק צֶ֖דֶק תִּרְדֹּ֑ף לְמַ֤עַן תִּֽחְיֶה֙ וְיָרַשְׁתָּ֣ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לָֽךְ   Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may thrive and occupy the land that the LORD your God is giving you. (Deut. 16.20) On this Shabbat Shoftim I have a hiddush to share with you. In Torah study, a hiddush – חידוש – isContinue reading “Shabbat Shoftim: Judges and Us (Not Police)”

Shabbat Ekev: Down at the Heels

We must risk delight. We can do without pleasure,but not delight. Not enjoyment. We must havethe stubbornness to accept our gladness in the ruthlessfurnace of this world. To make injustice the onlymeasure of our attention is to praise the Devil. from Jack Gilbert, “A Brief for the Defense” This week we read parashat Ekev, inContinue reading “Shabbat Ekev: Down at the Heels”

Shabbat Nakhamu: Finding Consolation In Terrible Times

נחמו נחמו עמי…נחמוה עליונים נחמוה תחתונים. נחמוה חיים ונחמוה מתים. נחמוה בעווה“ז ונחמוה לעוה“ב. נחמוה על עשרת השבטים, נחמוה על שבט יהודה ובנימין, לפי שכתוב שתי בכיות: ”“בכה תבכה בלילה“ (איכה א,ב) לכך נאמר ”נחמו נחמו עמי“ (ילקוט שמעני, ישעיה). עיטורי תרוה שבת נחמו Nahamu nahamu ami, be consoled, be consoled: in realms above andContinue reading “Shabbat Nakhamu: Finding Consolation In Terrible Times”

Tisha B’Av 5785: Our Joy is turned to Sorrow

קרא עלי מעוד (איכה א.טו) בגמרא: ויבכו העם בלילה ההוא – ואותו לילה ליל תשעה בעב היה ואמר הקב״ה״ אתם בכיתם בכיה שלחינם ואני אקבע לכן בו בכיה לדורות (סנחדרין ד).  declared upon me this appointed time (Eikha 1.15). In the Gemara: “the people wept that night” – that same night was the night ofContinue reading “Tisha B’Av 5785: Our Joy is turned to Sorrow”

Shabbat Hazon: Seeing

The human capacity for avoiding uncomfortable truths is so very well-developed. Consider the time-tested, familiar, absolutely transparently false ways we get around what we don’t want to face: it’s someone else’s fault. I was busy and must have missed it. That can’t possibly be true. I was unavoidably detained. Circumstances conspired against me. You don’tContinue reading “Shabbat Hazon: Seeing”

Shabbat Matot-Masei: Go and Learn

These are the journeys of the people of Israel (Num. 33.1) These journeys are a hint to us of redemption, and they offer a means toward atonement. One who must move from one place to another must continue to find a way to study Torah in that new place. Your slogan for this: tze ulmad,Continue reading “Shabbat Matot-Masei: Go and Learn”

Shabbat Pinkhas: Could Be Worse

Could be worse; could be raining. Young Frankenstein וַיֹּ֨אמֶר ה’ אֵלַ֗י מָֽה־אַתָּ֤ה רֹאֶה֙ עָמ֔וֹס וָאֹמַ֖ר אֲנָ֑ךְ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר א’ הִנְנִ֨י שָׂ֤ם אֲנָךְ֙ בְּקֶ֙רֶב֙ עַמִּ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לֹא־אוֹסִ֥יף ע֖וֹד עֲב֥וֹר לֽוֹ׃  HaShem said unto me: ‘Amos, what seest thou?’ And I said: ‘A plumbline.’ Then said Hashem: Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of MyContinue reading “Shabbat Pinkhas: Could Be Worse”

Shabbat Balak: Truth We Are Not Ready For

The prescribed reading from our Torah for this Shabbat Balak in the third year of the Triennial Cycle brings us to an interesting opportunity to consider the uses of power. King Balak of Moab sees the Israelite people emigrating through his people’s self-determined territory, and is concerned: וַיֹּ֨אמֶר מוֹאָ֜ב אֶל־זִקְנֵ֣י מִדְיָ֗ן עַתָּ֞ה יְלַחֲכ֤וּ הַקָּהָל֙ אֶת־כׇּל־סְבִ֣יבֹתֵ֔ינוּContinue reading “Shabbat Balak: Truth We Are Not Ready For”

Shabbat Shelakh: Telling Time in Jewish

לַכֹּ֖ל זְמָ֑ן וְעֵ֥ת לְכׇל־חֵ֖פֶץ תַּ֥חַת הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃  A season is set for everything, a time for every experience under heaven (Kohelet 3.1) Before clocks and calendars, our people knew where we were in time by the sun, and by the Shabbat. On our ritual documents until today, traditionally we identify a day by its position inContinue reading “Shabbat Shelakh: Telling Time in Jewish”

Shabbat BeHa’alot’kha: Yes, It Can Get Worse

Sometimes the brain freezes and all one can do is say oh no. Stay with me now, for a moment: Our parashat hashavua is an amazing snapshot of many different human emotions and actions. People complain, people gossip, people go about their lives; and all while living through the profound impact on their lives of escaping slavery, and nowContinue reading “Shabbat BeHa’alot’kha: Yes, It Can Get Worse”