Stepping up
Like many TV shows, my favorite, "The Big Bang Theory," occasionally begins with, "Previously on The Big Bang Theory…" and shows a few snippets from previous episodes to bring us up to speed. After all, so many things happen from one week to the next that it's easy to...
When the Kids are at the Table
And when your children say to you, ‘What is this service to you?’ You shall say, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, because God passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when God smote the Egyptians, but saved our houses.’” (Ex. 12:26-27) No, you...
The Blessing of Time, the Time for Blessing
A man went to the doctor for a battery of tests. When they were finished, the doctor came back into the room with a solemn look on his face. He said to the patient, “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but you have 6 months to live.” The patient replied, “That’s...
Vayigash – Coming Near to Healing
The phrase, “bury the hatchet,” according several online sources, originated as an American Indian tradition, where tribal chiefs, especially the Iroquois, would bury their hatchets when they came to a peace agreement.” In a sense, that what appears to happen in this...
Rebecca’s Voice
From the standpoint as a rabbi, the timing of the allegations against judge and senatorial candidate Roy Moore, Harvey Weinstein and others regarding sexual impropriety, and our weekly Torah readings, couldn’t be better. In Lech Lecha we see Abraham pass his wife...
It’s Abraham’s Wonderful Life
וַיֹּ֡אמֶר קַח־נָ֠א אֶת־בִּנְךָ֨ אֶת־יְחִֽידְךָ֤ אֲשֶׁר־אָהַ֙בְתָּ֙ אֶת־יִצְחָ֔ק וְלֶךְ־לְךָ֔ אֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ הַמֹּרִיָּ֑ה וְהַעֲלֵ֤הוּ שָׁם֙ לְעֹלָ֔ה עַ֚ל אַחַ֣ד הֶֽהָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר אֹמַ֥ר אֵלֶֽיךָ׃ "And God said please take your son, your only son, whom you love,...
The Dharma of Abraham
At the suggestion of my good friend Jill, I’ve started reading The Great Work of Your Life by Stephen Cope, who is the director of the Institute for Extraordinary Living at the Kripalu Center in Lenox, MA. The book weaves together the 2,000 year-old Bhagavad Gita...
Looking Forward, Letting Go
In April of 2015, Archbishop Desmond Tutu traveled to Dharmsala for a week of interviews and discussions with his close friend, the Dalai Lama, and to celebrate His Holiness’ 80th birthday. The interviews and discussions were to become The Book of Joy, and were...
Medicare, Moon Landings and Masei
This Shabbat we read the combined parshiyot of Mattot and Massei, finishing the book of Bamidbar, which literally means “in the wilderness.” The Israelites have been wandering in this wilderness for about 40 years since they left Egypt, and during that time traveled...
Life, Death and Running Water
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 Moses and son Elazar, who will assume the position of high priest.
Miriam the Marriage Counselor
In this week’s Torah reading, Behaalot’kha, Moses’ siblings, Miriam and Aaron, are scolded by God, va tidabber Miriam v’Aharon b’Moseh al odot ha isha ha-cushite asher lakach, ki isha Cushite lakach– “And then Miriam and Aaron spoke with Moses regarding his Cushite...
Climb Ev’ry Mountain
As we come to the end of the book of Vayikra, “Leviticus,” God is speaking to Moses b’har Sinai, “on Mount Sinai,” and giving him instructions regarding the shmitah, or Sabbatical year. “When you go into the land that I am giving you, the land shall keep a Shabbat for...
The Mother and Child Union
“When a woman gives birth to a boy, she shall be unclean for seven days, and remain in a state of blood-purification for 33 days.” (Lev. 12:2-4) Double that if she has a girl. What’s going on here? The Torah isn’t a medical handbook, and what’s the difference between...
Compassion – Across the Divide
Passover is a commemoration of the Israelites’ journey from slavery in Egypt to redemption and freedom in the wilderness of Sinai. When we read and tell the story during the Maggid portion of our seders, we begin with disgrace, avadim hayinu l’faro b’mitzrayim, “We...
Noah, Abraham, Passover and the Call for Justice
Making a commitment to social justice means, among other things, being willing to challenge authority when one sees oppression, discrimination and violations of civil, cultural and religious rights in one’s community. It means being willing to stand up for ourselves...
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
Behar-Bekhukotai: Seven and Fifty
birthday cake with 5-0 candles from zen imagery on Flickr, 7 candle from a package Behar-Bekhukotai: Seven and Fifty by Chaplain Barry E. Pitegoff, BCC Rabbi Elkodsi frames this book as “But Who’s Counting?” My professor of Gerontology taught that counting...
Ki Tissa: Aging and Reconciliation
Image Credit: circunda-tederosas.blogspot Ki Tissa: Aging and Reconciliation by Anita Silvert “When the people saw that Moses was so long coming down from the mountain, the people gathered against Aaron and said to him, ‘Come, make us a god who shall go before us, for...
Re’eh: See the Blessing
Image: Nahant Sunrise from image.org Re’eh: See the Blessing by Dr. Nechama Liss-Levinson The portion Re’eh, chock full of statutes and commandments, begins with the word re’eh, sometimes translated as “behold,” but I prefer the translation “see.” And what are we...
Latest Personal Blogs
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