There was a time when children began the study of Torah not in the beginning at Bereshit, but by delving into the middle of the Torah at Vayikrah, the detailed instruction for Temple sacrifices as atonements for wrongdoing. According to midrash, children's innocence was linked to the sacrificial laws of purity, and the study of Vayikrah was deemed preferential to other texts as the place to start.[i] In contemporary times, it is hard to imagine an introduction to Torah study with a text so devoid of narrative or character development. Even as an adult, I usually skim over the book of Vayikrah, holding my breath in resistance while searching for a way in. This week, I set the intention to study Parshat Vayikrah with "a beginner's mind," a Zen Buddhist concept of exploring a subject, even a difficult one, with total openness and without preconceived notions of past knowledge, like a child seeing something for the first time. I read the text delighting in my own lack of understanding … [Read more...]
The Practice of Being Enough
Have you ever heard a person say, “I am a bad Jew”? I hear it all the time, usually in response to something having to do with Jewish life or spirituality. Upon further inquiry, I usually find out what that statement means. Sometimes it means, “I don’t know as much as I feel I ought to know.” Or, “I don’t go to synagogue, for various reasons having to do with finances, habits, or lack of time.” Or, “Last time I thought about religion or spirituality, I was thirteen years old and I have not picked up a book about Judaism or had a teacher since because life is crazy busy.” Often times, it is also “one of my parents, or my spouse, is not Jewish and I have been made to feel less than.” I recognize this issue, as it comes up for me in a multitude of ways. When am I enough? What does it mean to be enough? These questions are ubiquitous and come up for people in all concepts of their identity: parenthood, attractiveness, education, job success, and social status. Usually, underneath … [Read more...]
