Leviticus. Vayikra. Not the easiest book of Torah. Five years ago, I started to teach at the Vancouver School of…
Year: 2019
Spiritual Discipline: A Simple, Beautiful Start
“Rabbi, I’d like to follow a Jewish spiritual practice. How do I start?” The answer is simple. Begin each day with…
Pharaoh: Political Writers Point Him Out
Passover is upon us. Time to re-tell the story of famous tyrant, Pharaoh. He builds his wealth. Rails against foreigners.…
Red Heifer: Who speaks for her?
Ritual of the red heifer (Numbers 19:1-22). A biblical response to grief. But what does it mean? Many of us…
Ritual and Meditation: Fun with Parshat Tzav
Ritual. Last week’s Torah (Parshat Tzav) and haftorah (Jeremiah) readings were all over it. Ritual in Parshat Tzav (Lev. 6:1-8:36)…
Spiritual Retreat: Even One Day is Enough
A personal spiritual retreat. Just for a day, I went to Bethlehem Centre, in Nanaimo, Canada. Before bed, the first…
Reconciliation and Re-Creation: Parshat Pekudei
Human beings can re-create the world, says the Torah in Parshat Pekudei. This is heartening news for Canadians. Only a…
Death is Weird. Baruch Dayan Ha'Emet
Death is weird. At least as weird as life, anyway. What can you say when a brother or a brother-in-law…
Terumah: Did God Create Humans or Did Humans Create God?
“Did God create humans or did humans create God?” That, said my study group, is a question posed by Parshat…