For the past few years, I have looked at our American civic holidays with an increasingly Jewish lens. My soul and my stomach are no longer satiated by apple pie on the 4th of July or Turkey on Thanksgiving. I need something more on these American High Holy Days. A Jewish Thanksgiving should be more than dressing a bird and putting a proverbial kippah on the bird. A Jewish Thanksgiving ought to be accompanied by mindful acts and words that reflect our Jewish and our American identities. If we truly believe the words of the V'ahavta: to live our Judaism at all times, with all our mind, all our might, and all our soul, then these holidays beg for our Jewish innovation. Surely, Thanksgiving is about gratitude, but a Jewish Thanksgiving must also have tzedakah, and this year, Pikuach Nefesh. Judaism holds the words we speak in the highest regard. As our Creation narrative goes, the universe was created through God's words. However, words are not enough when it comes to helping our fellow … [Read more...]
Unexpected Kindness
There is an overriding flow of an idea in Judaism that by tapping into the wisdom of our tradition, we can live a deeper, more meaningful, life. To aid us in tapping into the potential of the time that we have on earth, we have holidays, rituals, and life-cycles. These act as reminders of who we (as a community, as individuals) can aspire to be. Most of the time, these reminders (i.e.- mezuzah on your door, blessings before eating, Hebrew baby-naming) are subtle, and the connection that we feel to something 'bigger than us' feels natural. As our engagement to our Judaism, and our Jewish identity, increases, so does the opportunity to transcend the mundane into something elevated (kaddosh). One of the ways that many of our Temple Emanu-El congregants do this, each month, is through Torah study. The narrative, and our willingness to delve into it, helps us to further recognize our place in changing our lives, and the world around us, for the better. Rather than through grand … [Read more...]
A Prayer for Patience, Civility, and Justice in America
Holy Energy of the World, I ask that you spread a sukkat shalom, a shelter of peace over those tasked with the accurate, safe, and honest counting of our citizens’ ballots. God of the anxious and the weary, provide a calming presence to those glued to their phones, computer screens, and televisions as they continually hit refresh. Guide them on a path toward screen breaks and fresh air. God of the timid and the afraid, may our streets be protected from violence, outrage, and a lashing out against the other. May storefronts, homes, and buildings be protected from damage and harm. God of the quiet voice within, may the citizens of this country find the courage to fight for justice for their neighbors each and every day. God of strength and goodness, once the election is decided, may we each move forward, placing one foot in front of the other, extending a hand to those who have fallen, and continuing to lift up those in need. May we all engage in the necessary work to heal our divisions, … [Read more...]
Rabbi, What’s Jewish About Voting?
In short, everything. In Pirkei Avot, the sage Hillel says “al tifros min hatzibur”—do not separate yourself from the community. For the past 300 years, wherever Jews have lived freely, we have engaged deeply in the proper stewardship of the public. The desire to serve others for the benefit of all comes directly from our sacred texts like the passage from Hillel above. Later, in the Talmud, Rabbi Yitzḥak teaches, “A ruler is not to be appointed unless the community is first consulted.” Now, we shouldn’t read this as the clear predecessor of our modern democracy, BUT it is an endorsement that the leadership and the everyday citizens must work together. Even the prophet Jeremiah, who often speaks of doom and gloom, shared these words from God when the Israelites were exiled by the Babylonians, “seek the welfare of the city to which I have exiled you and pray to God on its behalf; for in its prosperity you shall prosper.” Wherever the Jewish community is found, in Eretz Yisrael, the Land … [Read more...]
Turn it Again
Our Rabbinic Sage with the funniest name, Ben Bag Bag, used to say, “Turn it, and turn it, for everything is therein.”* Meaning, “Study the Torah, then study it again, because we always have something to learn from the text.” Friends, it is that exciting time of year! We have warmed up our muscles and taken the twenty minutes to roll our Torah scroll all the way from the end of Deuteronomy back to the beginning of Genesis. We have literally turned the scroll, turned the scroll, and turned it again so that we can start anew. Whether you’re a Torah study regular, you pop in and out, or you’ve never been before, the beginning is the PERFECT time to hop on in! We’re a judgment free group open to all levels of learners interested in expanding their Jewish knowledge. There’s a prayer we have the chance to say every morning, Eilu D’varim, which goes like this: These are the things that are limitless, Of which a person enjoys the fruit of the world, while the principal remains in the world to … [Read more...]
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