Displaying 1 - 10 of 92
Let the Blessings Flow
Talking about God can be complicated, especially when, like me, you don't always know what you believe. One tradition I use as a parent to help give my children a sense of spirituality can be found in this week's Torah portion, Naso. This portion highlights everyone's ability to be a K'lei Kodesh, or sacred vessel, by blessing others and thus receiving God's blessing ourselves.
Embracing Divine Imperfection
On the way home from school one day, my then five-year-old son asked me, "Mom, if nobody's perfect and all people are made in the image of God, doesn't that mean that God isn't perfect?" His question then, and even now, is not easy to answer.
Letting our Land Rest: Shmitah and the Release of Expectations
In this week's Torah portion, B'har, we learn God's command that the Israelites must, every seven years, engage in a practice called shmitah. And every seven sets of seven, an ultimate shmitah, called the yovel, or Jubilee, year.
Making Room for the New
Early in this week's parashah, we encounter the following phrase: V'yashan mipnei chadash totziu - You shall have to clear out the old to make room for the new.
In the Wilderness – B'midbar
This week's Torah portion and the book it comes from are called B'midbar, or, in the wilderness. The title comes from the first meaningful word in the text, in contrast to a title that is a summation of the text's core ideas. In the case of B'midbar, both ring true, for the Israelites in the Torah as well as for people today.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Va-et'chanan: Why We Should Bring Politics to the Pulpit
Everybody has an opinion on whether politics should be brought to the pulpit, but according to Rabbi Jacobs, this debate was settled centuries ago.
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On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Eikev: A Seat at the Table
A chapter in Parashat Eikev reads, “when you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless.” What does it mean to be satisfied, and what kind of power does a good meal have?
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On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - R'eih: Eating With Compassion
Parashat R’eih includes that infamous line: “you shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.” Jewish tradition categorizes the mitzvah of not mixing milk with meat as one without specific reasoning, but many scholars think th
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Stories We Tell: What Did You Leave on The Tables?
If somebody left something important at your house, would you give it to anyone else? That’s the question Mrs. Gold asks her daughter to encourage her to learn a life-long lesson. Find out what was left, and why this question contains such a crucial message, in this story retold by Cantor Ellen Dreskin.
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Stories We Tell: The Greatest Gift
It’s time for the princess to get married, and the king and queen want to make sure that she marries her best match. There are three brothers in the running, and in order to decide which one will marry the princess, the king and queen set up a contest: the brother who gives the princess the greatest gift will become her husband. The brothers travel far and wide, and the oldest finds a magic carpet, the middle brother finds a magic mirror, and the youngest finds a special apple. Which gift is best? Rabbi Matt Gewirtz retells the story, which is adapted from The Magic Pomegranate: A Jewish Folktale by Peninnah Schram.
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