The midbar, the desert, is a sacred place. In the desert we receive the Torah. In the desert we undergo a growth process, are transformed from slaves to a nation of free people ready to live independently in their own land. This week, as we enter the book of Bamidbar, of being “in the […]
QUICK THOUGHT: The Sacredness of an Emotional Desert (Parashat Bamidbar) Read More »
If it’s rejection you’re feeling, then you know it is not divine Presence. The God inside you rejects not. (Click image to read more)
QUICK THOUGHT: Divine Presence is Non-Rejecting (Parashat Bechukotai) Read More »
In this meditation, we explore five phrases from the blessings God promises us if we walk in God’s ways, moving thorugh various aspects of feeling God’s indwelling inside us, from presence and non-rejecting acceptance to slowing down into steadiness, letting go of burdens and learning to stand tall and confident. The five phrases are: 1)
MEDITATION: What Divine Presence Feels like Inside (Parashat Bechukotai) Read More »
Would you call out someone else’s weakness the way that your inner critics shame your own weakest parts? (Click image to read more)
SHORT ESSAY: Ona’at Devarim and Negative Self Talk (Parashat Behar) Read More »
In this meditation, we look at the prohibition against ona’at devarim, speaking in a way that is shaming or hurtful to another person, and we apply it to ourselves and to our own internal criticism and shaming and negative self-talk. We take some time to notice it and shine a light on this inner talk,
MEDITATION: Negative Self Talk and Our Divine Essence (Parashat Behar) Read More »
(Originally published in 2021) The Torah wants to ensure that, no matter how far we wander, we always know our way home. (Click image to read more)
SHORT ESSAY: Returning to our Holding (Parashat Behar) Read More »
We all have an ani, a poor person, inside us, a part of us that feels impoverished, inadequate, less than, deficient in some way, a part that makes mistakes and does not get it right some – or maybe even most – of the time. These parts want something; they want something desperately; they have
SHORT ESSAY: Peah: Rest Your Inadequacy Here (Parashat Emor) Read More »
In this meditation, we explore the mitzvah of peah, of leaving the corners of your fields unharvested for the needy. We consider the needy parts of ourselves, the parts that want love and attention and the parts that feel impoverished and inadequate in some way, and we invite those needy parts to rest in the
MEDITATION: Peah: Rest Your Inadequacy Here (Parashat Emor) Read More »
(Originally published in 2021) The journey of the Omer is an apt metaphor for the journey taken by each of our souls in this world from birth to death. (Click image to read more)
SHORT ESSAY: Sefirat HaOmer and the Soul’s Journey Home (Parashat Emor) Read More »
Do we hate parts of ourselves? It may be hard to recognize, but I think most of us do. (Click image to read more)
QUICK THOUGHT: Do Not Hate Your Inner Brother (Parashat Kedoshim) Read More »