In just a few days, the shofar will sound, Rosh Hashanah will dawn, and the Days of Awe will open before us. The Jewish calendar, in its divine wisdom, does not wait for tragedy to remind us of mortality—it sets…
Tag: Jewish Spirituality
Ki Tetze – Compassion In An Unjust World
Listen to an audio version There’s a park not far from my home that’s well known for its beautifully groomed tulip and rose gardens. My wife and I often go there, and sometimes we’ll sit at the little outdoor café…
VaEtchanan – How Do You Spell Relief?
Do you like to make choices? Whether you do or not, it seems as though for each of us there is a never-ending stream of options that place demands upon our time and threaten the normal and easy flow of…
Matot / Massei – Passing On Our Inheritance
The Hebrew word morashah is often translated as heritage or legacy, and at times it refers to a more concrete inheritance. But in the biblical imagination, inheritance is never just about land or possessions—it’s about identity, destiny, and continuity. In…
Balak – Blessed and The Source of Blessing
Listen to an audio version Every year we read Parashat Balak and I am utterly amazed. What a remarkably different approach to a reoccurring theme. Many have understood Torah as love letters between Hashem and Israel. In fact the focus…
Chukat – Bitter Water and Sweet Surrender
Parashat Chukat is one of the most enigmatic portions in the entire Torah. It seems to flow with contradiction: it begins with a mysterious ordinance, introduces a miraculous yet perplexing deliverance, and ends in what feels like a strange and…
Korach – In the Manner of a King
The story of Korach’s rebellion against Moses is one of the most dramatic crises of leadership in all of Torah. It’s not simply a political challenge—it’s a spiritual mutiny. Korach and his followers rise up, not because they misunderstand Moses,…
Shelach Lecha – The Battle Belongs to HaShem
These are unsettling days. The headlines seem endless violence in the Middle East, growing instability, and a troubling resurgence of antisemitism, not just on the fringes, but in the mainstream of public discourse and politics. It can feel like we…
Bechukotai – Peace Within and Without
Listen to an audio version “…you will dwell securely in your land. I will provide peace in the land…” (Vayikra 26:5-6) After the Torah guarantees that we will dwell in our land safely if we observe the mitzvot, it states…
Emor – The Blemished and the Whole
For decades, Western society has been making concerted efforts to be more accepting and inclusive of those who have physical and mental disabilities. This means that accommodations must be made for impediments that have historically restricted people from living fully…