We live in a world that constantly reminds us of its impermanence. Everything we build, everything we possess, and even the bodies in which we live are temporary. Yet much of human life is devoted to creating permanence and security.…
Category: Good News
Yom Kippur Is Not Judgment Day
There is something about Yom Kippur that can make us uncomfortable. We come into this day knowing that we are going to have to face ourselves. We will confess our sins and recite the Al Chet, acknowledging the many ways…
Shabbat Shuvah – Can’t Buy a Thrill
When We Do It Again There is an old Steely Dan album called Can’t Buy a Thrill. One of the best-known songs on the album is “Do It Again.” It has that unmistakable Steely Dan sound, a relaxed, bluesy groove…
Rosh Hashanah – Back to the Future
JMortonPhoto.com & OtoGodfrey.com, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Back to the Future Rosh Hashanah gives us something that is increasingly difficult to find in modern life: a sacred pause. We spend much of the year moving forward at a…
Vayeilech – If Life Is a Journey
This Shabbat, we read from Parashat Vayeilech, which brings us to the conclusion of Moses’ life. After forty years of leading the people of Israel through the wilderness, Moses knows that his own journey is coming to an end. He…
Re’eh – There Shall Be No Destitute Among You
A Kingdom Unlike Any Other The Torah places before us what appears to be a contradiction. In Deuteronomy 15:4 Moses declares with breathtaking confidence, “There shall be no destitute among you.” Yet only a few verses later he says, “The…
Va’etchanan and Shabbat Nachamu – From Grace to Comfort; Moses’ Prayer Becomes God’s Promise
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…
Shelach Lecha – The Hallmark of Equality
Seeing Giants or Seeing God? This week’s portion, Shelach Lecha, contains several obvious themes within a familiar narrative: Be bold. Do not fear. Trust God. The majority is not always right. The context, of course, is the story of the…
Shavuos All Over Again
Déjà Vu at Sinai Yankee Hall of Famer Yogi Berra was renowned for his unique and often comical way of turning a phrase. One expression that became part of the American lexicon was, “It’s like déjà vu all over again.”…