I believe to be a Jew means to be a learner. We all need to spend time growing and learning. I have a weekly chavruta with a fellow rabbi and we learn Talmud together. I spend a lot of time studying in my office to be ready for lessons and sermons. I love to learn with congregants too, and if you’re ever interested in learning with me, please just ask and we’ll make it happen. This week I began a course of study with Hadar in New York...Read more...
About a month back, 8/3/2023 (Parshat Ekev) to be exact, I wrote about the concept of Jewish choseness and what it means historically and today. I invoked the words of Tevye from “Fiddler on the Roof:” “I know, I know. We are Your chosen people. But, once in a while, can't You choose someone else?” The entire book of Deuteronomy acts as a book on philosophy, theology and the closing words that Moses offers to the people of Israel. In...Read more...
Can you imagine not listening to your parents? Worse yet, can you imagine publicly disregarding their wishes and rebelling against them? In reality, each of us can probably think of numerous examples of our own rebellions, or our those of our kids. We certainly must be able to think of all of the times we witnessed a child disregarding his/her parents and/or rebelling. It’s part of childhood to go against your parents and to develop a...Read more...
It seems that everywhere you look people are talking about courts. They’re talking about judges, juries, grand juries and courtrooms. They’re talking about plea deals and about special counsels. I wish I could give provide a reprieve from all this but this week’s Torah portion is called שופטים/Judges and opens with the words “Judges and officers you shall appoint…” The famous verse “Justice… Justice… you shall...Read more...
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them...Read more...
