Re’eh, what do you see?
Parashat Re’eh begins with God telling the Israelites, “See, I have put before you a blessing and a curse…” Basically, if we follow God’s ways we will be blessed, and if we follow strange gods, we will be cursed. The word re’eh means “see,” but in this case, it’s not,...
Comfort, And You Shall Be Comforted
It has often been said that a rabbi’s job, or any clergy person’s for that matter, is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. At least it’s one of our jobs. This Shabbat is Shabbat Nachamnu, the Shabbat of Comfort, and we read from parshat Vaetchanan,...
Traveling Along the Road of Life
Eileh ma-asei b’nai yisrael... “These are the travels of the Israelites... .” Begins the final Torah reading in the book of Bamidbar – which literally means, “in the wilderness.” The reading starts off sounding like an ancient version of the classic “How...
Parsha Hukkat
In parshat Hukkat, both Miriam and Aaron die, but under very different circumstances. From a p’shat, or “literal” reading of the text, Miriam simply dies and is buried, while Aaron is not only given notice that he will pass away, but is accompanied by his brother...
Latest Sermons
Ted Lasso’s Lech Lecha Moments
The second season of Ted Lasso, Apple TV’s award-winning TV show, finished last week, and I’m left with so many questions about what’s going to happen next season! If you haven’t been watching, Ted Lasso (played by Jason Sudeikis) is a mediocre college football coach...
Noah: Because God Had to Grow Up Too
For a variety of reasons, I’ve been thinking very differently about this week’s Torah reading, Noach. In the past, I’ve focused on how Noah was ish tazdik tamim hayah b’dorotav, “a righteous and whole-hearted man in his generation.” Unfortunately, that isn’t saying...
The Shmita year, Rosh Hashanah 5782, Day 2
There are very few things in life that don’t seem better after a good night’s sleep, or even after a nap. While not everyone wakes up in the morning ready to bounce out of bed and start the day–and I so appreciate the invention of the snooze button–the scientific...
Latest Midrash HaZak
Vayehi: Jacob’s End-of-Life Wisdom
Photo Credit: flicker.com/salvadhor Parashat Vayehi - Jacob’s End-of-Life Wisdom Reb Simcha Paull Raphael Ph.D. At the end of Genesis the life long journey of the illustrious patriarch Jacob comes to an end. Surrounded by his extended family, Jacob dies, he “was...
Lessons Learned from Noah’s Ark: Let Your Inner Light Radiate to Others
Photo credit: Flicker/gingernut/63243658 Lessons Learned from Noah’s Ark: Let Your Inner Light Radiate to Others William Liss-Levinson, Ph.D. The Torah often vacillates between explicit details and leaving much to the imagination. God approaches Noach and tells him to...
VaYigash: Was It All A Foregone Conclusion?
VaYigash: Was It All A Foregone Conclusion? Rabbi Richard F. Address, D. Min. Vayigash is one of the great portions of Torah. The central scene is the revelation by Joseph to his brothers. It is a moment of Torah that is filled with drama, pathos and the reality that,...
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