Tag Archives: Gaza

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 BeHar-BeHukotai: This is Exhausting

so much suffering everywhere you look וְלֹ֤א תוֹנוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־עֲמִית֔וֹ וְיָרֵ֖אתָ מֵֽאֱלֹהֶ֑-ךָ כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י ה’ אֱלֹהֵ-כֶֽם Do not wrong one another, but fear Eternity. (Lev. 25.17)  Do not read עמיתו but אמיתו , not “your neighbor” but “your truth”. Do not wrong your truth. – D’vash HaSadeh  Friends, this is hard. Every week brings freshContinue reading “Shabbat BeHar-BeHukotai: This is Exhausting”

Shabbat Pinhas: Peace in the Midst of Violence?

This week’s parashah is startlingly appropriate to our current situation. We are all aghast at the violence that has broken out in Israel – although the fact that Israel remained relatively quiet as the region seethed struck many as a miracle that could not last – and our hearts are broken for the suffering andContinue reading “Shabbat Pinhas: Peace in the Midst of Violence?”