Displaying 1 - 10 of 18
What Torah Says about Economic Equity
The word “economics” often evokes stock markets, exchange rates, global trade, and unemployment. But whether we are talking about buying groceries or the national debt, our material welfare and well-being have been of paramount concern since the beginning of human existence.
Seeing Ourselves in Torah
Just after the opening number of the 1992 animated Disney classic Aladdin, its title character sings “One Jump Ahead,” a catchy tune that introduces us to the young “street rat” and his sidekick, Abu, after they’ve stolen a loaf of bread.
Wholly Jewish: Max Antman: The Queerness and Politics of Torah
How can we embrace Judaism from not only a queer perspective, but also a “political” one? Max Antman (he/him), a rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, discusses how being a gay man influences his reading of Torah, how his Reform synagogue empowered his gay identity, and the sacred relationship between activism and studying Jewish text.
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Wholly Jewish: Laura: Creating Peace Out of Wholeness
This week’s guest, Cantor Laura Stein, shares her perspectives on how we can best care for those around us, the (lack of) tension between being Jewish and being a lesbian, and how her spiritual leadership inspires her social work at Mount Sinai Hospital's Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery.
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Blessing First Fruits in a Time of Plague
I do not believe, as Torah describes, that God directly acts in our world, or that the COVID-19 plague is some kind of Divine message. But I do believe that in the face of disease, suffering, and evil, God weeps with us; and when we aspire to holiness regardless of our circumstance, God celebrates with us. And the more we keep these ideals in mind, the better we can build a world worthy of blessing.
What the Torah Teaches about the Use (and Abuse) of Political Power
“Justice, justice shall you pursue…” (Deut. 16:20) We find this famous biblical aspiration at the beginning of this week’s Torah portion, Parashat Shof’tim, which continues Moses’ elaboration of the extensive set of laws that the Israelites are to follow, if they are to create a holy and just society.
Treating the M’tzora in Each Generation
Treating a person with a disease is the subject of this week's Torah portion. In Parashat M'tzora, we read about the ancient priests who served as diagnosticians for a skin disease known as tzara'at. The priests served as biblical dermatologists, assessing the skin condition and rendering a diagnosis and a treatment plan.
Birds of a Feather (Don’t Always) Flock Together: Sacred Ornithology and Efforts for Peace
The fishing guides on Florida’s Anna Maria Island had affectionately named him Jerry. Jerry was a Great White Egret who stood over three feet tall and perched on a worn wooden beam in close proximity to the shore. The anglers would share bits of unused fishing bait with Jerry, who would quickly consume the scraps between the sharp snap of his golden yellow beak.
When a Hallway is Sacred: Priests and Purity
An article in the New York Times describes a moving ritual by hospital staff to honor a deceased person who intends to be an organ donor. This ritual stuck in my mind. I was struck by the way in which the hospital staff had created a ritual, complete with special choreography and the involvement of the entire community, to honor this poignant moment.
When Sacrifice Tastes Like Chicken
The second chapter of Parashat Vayikra, begins "V'nefesh ki takriv korban mincha …" When a person [or soul] presents an offering of meal to the Eternal, the offering shall be of choice flour; oil shall be poured on it, frankincense laid on it." (Lev. 2:1) While the Hebrew word nefesh is understood in this context to mean a person, it also can mean "soul."