A Prayer That Begins with Grace Every year, immediately following the darkest day on the Jewish calendar, Tisha B’Av, we gather for what has become known as Shabbat Nachamu, the Sabbath of Comfort. The transition is almost startling. Only days…
Chazon and Devarim: The Vision Beyond the Rubble
A Time To Move On There are moments in life when we realize we have been standing still for far too long. Sometimes we remain in place because of circumstances beyond our control. More often, however, we remain because something…
Mattot-Massei – Miklat! Miklat!
Justice Begins with Mercy One of the most persistent misunderstandings of Scripture is the belief that the Torah reveals a God of judgment while the Besorot reveal a God of grace. Few portions challenge that misconception more clearly than Masei.…
Pinchas – Cut Into Covenant: The Passion and Promise of Messianic Judaism
There are always two unseen guests at every bris — neither of whom ever gets an invitation, and both of whom probably wouldn’t RSVP even if we sent one. But their presence is felt nonetheless. One is Elijah — the beloved…
Bittersweet: Remembering Who We Are
Parashat Chukat is one of the most enigmatic portions in the entire Torah. It begins with a strange ritual, winds through miracles and mourning, and ends in paradox. The sages teach us that if we are willing to live with…
Korach – You Say You Want a Revolution
Do you ever have, as one children’s book would describe it, a “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day”? Well, Moses sure did. In fact, it must have seemed to him like he had fourteen thousand six hundred days like…