(Originally published in October 2020, in honor of my father’s seventh yahrtzeit). In this essay, I explore the meaning of a song I learned from my father as a child — koh amar Hashem. (Click image to read more)
SHORT ESSAY: A Song For My Father about חן — Grace (Parashat Noah) Read More »
Why is God’s first creation light? We talk a lot about compassion, but often in addition to or maybe even before compassion, we need clarity. (Click image to read more)
SHORT ESSAY: First Comes Clarity (Parashat Bereishit) Read More »
O Lord when the wind does blow, let me remember You (Click image to read more)
POEM: Let me remember You (Parashat Re’eh) Read More »
Relax and cultivate the city of refuge inside you, as a place to go where we are held in all our imperfections. Click here to listen.
MEDITATION: The City of Refuge Inside Us (Parashat Matot-Masei) Read More »
Here’s the thing: we all make mistakes, sometimes with harmful consequences for ourselves and others. Mostly we don’t make these mistakes out of ill will or an evil nature, but simply because we are human beings, inclined to error and imperfection by our very nature. Our relationships are messy; we try; we do
SHORT ESSAY: The City of Refuge Inside Us (Parashat Matot-Masei) Read More »
Included in this week’s parsha is the Olat Tamid — the burnt offering that was sacrificed on the sanctuary altar twice a day, every day. Tamid means “always” — not just now and then, but all the time, regularly — reminding us of the importance of constancy and steadfastness in our connection to God.
SHORT ESSAY: On The Olat Tamid and Eternity (Parashat Pinchas) Read More »
On the verse: מה טובו אהליך יעקב משכנותיך ישראל How good are your tents, O Yaakov, your dwelling places, O Israel! (Numbers 24:5). Come relax into the goodness of the divine sanctuary. To listen to the meditation, click here.
MEDITATION: Mah Tovu — Entering the Sanctury of goodness (Parashat Balak) Read More »
For Korah, being a Levite is not enough — he wants priesthood as well — but I want to take a moment to honor the role of the Levite. To be a Levite is to keep others company. Leah gave her third son the name Levi in hopes of accompaniment by her less than
SHORT ESSAY: Act Like a Levi! (Parashat Korach) Read More »
In this meditation, we explore what it means to be a Levi, to keep company, to provide accompaniment to ourselves. You can access it here. If you have trouble, click the image and then try clicking the word “here” again. iPhoto by Noelle Otto at Pexels
MEDITATION: Act Like a Levi! (Parashat Korach) Read More »
For a 12 minute meditation on Parashat Shelach, click here. (Or click on image and then click here). Photo by Any Lane of Pexels
MEDITATION: We Have All 12 Spies Inside Us (Parashat Shelach) Read More »