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2020

Year: 2020

Torah

Simon, the Worst Brother

December 18, 2020
Simon, the Worst Brother

Simon, brother of Joseph. Why does Joseph, Viceroy of Egypt, single him out for punishment? To answer, I’ll give some context, then read between the lines. Years ago, Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. But, through twists and turns of fate, he becomes Viceroy of Egypt. And, in a time of regional famine, Joseph decides who…

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Jewish Practices, Kabbalah, Spirituality, Torah

Hanukah's Hidden Light

December 11, 2020
Hanukah's Hidden Light

Hanukah has a clear spiritual meaning. On one level, it’s simple. And, on another, it’s mystical. Winter is a dark time. Daylight is short. Night is long. With just a few hours of sun, we humans don’t get enough vitamin D. So we get a little depressed.  We need a lift. Something to substitute for…

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Wisdom

Tenth Anniversary Party

November 21, 2020
Tenth Anniversary Party

Imagine my delight when I realized that I have been blogging at Sophia Street for ten years! Now I would like to share that delight with you in a week-long online celebration. Highlights include: Sulam Jewish World Music ensemble concert, January 24. Midweek workshop. Daily blog posts in conversation with other bloggers. Special book giveaways (various…

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Family, Torah, Wisdom

A Dream of Dad

November 20, 2020
A Dream of Dad

I dreamed about my late mother. Just a simple dream. I am walking with my mother. But I can’t keep up. So, she is half a block ahead, waiting for me. My late mother is so precious to me. But, when I was young, she was full of grief. And I still carry the scars.…

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Love

Lament: I Sang of Love

November 16, 2020
Lament: I Sang of Love

I sang of love/ of love I sang / I hoped that it would flow/ I sang of you / of you I sang/ but still you didn’t show/ But we’re together in my dreams/ I wonder if you know I sang of hope/of hope I sang/but it was just too late/ I sang of…

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Feminism, Jewish Practices, Wisdom

Wisdom of Green Hair

November 15, 2020
Wisdom of Green Hair

Words of wisdom, from my late friend Gwen. “You have green hair.” Of course, I’ll explain. Gwen was part of our life in North Carolina. Back then, we lived “in the buckle of the Bible Belt,” as my spouse Charles likes to say. Our neighborhood was built on the old Billy Graham farm. There was…

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Feminism, Torah

Abishag the Shunammite

November 14, 2020
Abishag the Shunammite

Abishag the Shunnamite. Find her story in the first biblical Book of Kings, chapters 1 and 2. Who is Abishag? Abishag is a beautiful young woman. King David’s courtiers hire her to arouse the king sexually. Some interpreters say: the courtiers think a sexually potent king is politically potent. (Of course interpreters think that’s part…

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Spirituality, Torah

Mystical Morals for Abraham

October 30, 2020
Mystical Morals for Abraham

Melchizedek: the mystical stranger who shows up to bless Abraham. And then disappears. Is he even real—not historically, but in the story? Or is he just one of Abraham’s visions? And why would we care? Because the answer tells us something about the nature of mystical experience. How it relates to emotion. And also to morality.…

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Political, Torah

Noah the Activist

October 22, 2020
Noah the Activist

What is activism? And is Noah an activist? Rabbinic Views of Noah Our sages don’t ask the question that way. Instead, they ask: how good was Noah, really. Torah says, “Noah was a perfectly righteous man in his generation” (Gen. 6:9). What does this mean? Should we be impressed at Noah’s moral compass? Because, even…

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God, Kabbalah, Torah

Creation in Kabbalah

October 17, 2020
Creation in Kabbalah

Genesis: A non-literal Creation story Creation: the beginning of the Torah. A great time to reflect on how we read. Also, on what we may find when we read thoughtfully! For example, the creation story is supposed to provide a religious foundation. But when we read it carefully, we may question those very foundations. We…

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