Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. (B’reysheet / Genesis 21:19) Rabbi Binyamin stated, “All have an aspect of blindness about them until the Holy One enlightens one’s eyes.” (Breysheet Rabbah 53) Building upon this statement The Chiddushei HaRim1 taught, “Everything that a person needs stands ready before them all Continue Reading »
When Abraham was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to Abraham and said to him, “I am El Shaddai. Walk in my ways and be “tamim”. I will establish my covenant between me and you…” This is the second covenantal moment described in our Torah portion, and it is deeply transformative. During this covenantal moment, Continue Reading »
As Lucy explodes her brother’s essential understanding regarding the Great Pumpkin she also introduces an important idea about how our language and usage impact on our understanding of the nature of God. Our Torah portion presents us with a variety of images of God using human terms of reference to describe the Infinite and bridge Continue Reading »
How Do We Celebrate Simchat Torah Appropriately in 5785? This is a difficult challenge. One on hand, we are commanded by the Torah to be joyous on Sukkot (Leviticus 23:40; Deuteronomy 16:14-15). Based on these verses, Cha”zal, our sages of blessed memory, taught us that it is a positive commandment to be joyous on holidays. Continue Reading »
Climate Control on Sukkot Lost in the mists of history and buried amidst the rubble of the Temple in Jerusalem are the rituals of Sukkot that made clear that Sukkot is about water. In ancient Israel the pageantry of the festival reflected in the Hoshanot processional, which we continue still, was concluded with the kohanim Continue Reading »
The High Holy Day liturgy reflects the dichotomy of our relationship with God. Prayers such as Avinu Malkenu (Page 92*) capture the duality of Divine transcendence and immanence. As we reach out to God in prayer, we call upon Avinu, our father. In doing so we evoke a relationship with the Holy One that is Continue Reading »
In the weeks ahead we will wish each other, family and friends, Shana Tovah, as an heartfelt expression of our hopes that the person experience a good year, a year filled with health, happiness and blessing. In extending this greeting, we understand the Hebrew word “shana” as meaning year but the Hebrew root Shin Nun Continue Reading »
You stand this day, all of you, before the Lord your God — your tribal heads, your elders and your officials, all the men of Israel, your children, your wives, even the stranger within your camp, from woodchopper to water drawer — to enter into the covenant of the Lord your God, which the Lord your God Continue Reading »
And Moses called all of Israel and said to them, “You have seen all that the Lord did before your very eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh, to all his servants, and to all his land; the great trials which your very eyes beheld and those great signs and wonders. Yet until this Continue Reading »
1 If you see your fellow’s ox or sheep gone astray, do not ignore it; you must take it back to your fellow. 2 If your fellow does not live near you or you do not know who he is, you shall bring it home and it shall remain with you until your fellow claims it; then you Continue Reading »
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