Hungrier Than Locusts
02/02/2017 01:47:23 AM
There are many plagues in the world, and disagreement as to how to respond to them. I will continue to address those in other venues, but this week as I enter Shabbat, I want to focus on one thing that we can all agree will bring a bit of light: fighting hunger. Hunger is in fact among the three worst of the 10 plagues, as locusts consume the crops of the Egyptians.
Locusts were a common scourge in the...Read more...
A Tale of Two Pharaohs
01/20/2017 01:47:23 AM
I suspect that this Shabbat many a rabbi's sermon will hinge on the phrase from this week's Torah portion: "There arose a new King who did not know Joseph." Some of my colleagues and friends will be marching in protests against President Trump's administration, fearful of changes in specific policies like healthcare or women's rights, or even the tone of our civil society or the very fabric of our government. Others might speak with...Read more...
From Child to Caregiver: Joseph, Jacob, and You
01/05/2017 01:47:23 AM
Role reversal is one of the most challenging things that can happen in any relationship, but in particular in the relationship between parent and child. How we handle that change makes all the difference. This week’s portion offers an example of such a transition, and in the upcoming weeks, I’ll be co-teaching a class that provides practical guidance as to how to handle these transitions in our own family lives.
Parashat...Read more...
Montana Menorahs
12/22/2016 01:47:23 AM
When we think of the M’s of the Hanukkah story, we are more likely to think of Maccabees, Menorahs and Mattathias than, say, Montana. But this year, beginning this Saturday night, as we light our Hanukkah lights, Montana should be on our minds. The Hanukkah blessings, recall the heroism of the few who stood with pride and overcame the many some 2000 years ago. As we sing the blessings, we take for granted our...Read more...
In the Genes
12/08/2016 01:47:23 AM
In this week's Torah portion, Vayetze, Jacob is offered the opportunity to create his own herd by taking the least valuable of the flocks of his father-in-law Laban and breeding them to create a healthy herd. At face value, the telling of the story seems to conflict with modern genetic science- showing colored rods to the sheep during the mating season will not change the color of their offspring. In fact, a more careful...Read more...
Thanks for Everything
11/22/2016 01:47:23 AM
Hayee Sarah explores the crossroads between loss and thanksgiving. It begins with sadness as Sarah dies and Abraham negotiates for a burial place. The next section of the parashah is introduced with the phrase “Abraham was old, full in years, and God blessed him with all (bakol).”
The latter part of this phrase rings false at first reading. After all, Abraham may be blessed, and rich in possessions and hearty...Read more...
Welcoming Like Abraham
11/17/2016 01:47:23 AM
Hospitality, Hachnassat Orchim, is an essential Jewish value, and it starts in this week’s Torah portion, Genesis Chapter 18. God appears to Abraham, as Abraham is sitting in his tent. Just as Abraham is engaged in that experience, the focus of the story shifts, as three anonymous visitors arrive and Abraham runs to greet them and feed them. Surely nothing could be more important than talking to God? Isn’t...Read more...