It’s Abraham’s Wonderful Life

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

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

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

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

Life, Death and Running Water

Photo Credits: Anil Gulati, Water in well in Purulia, https://www.flickr.com/photos/indiawaterportal/4483255321 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...
Miriam the Marriage Counselor

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...

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