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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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God, Love, Wisdom

From Judgment to Love

September 30, 2020
From Judgment to Love

Day of Judgment Traditionally, Rosh Hashanah is the Day of Judgment. But in real life, every day is the Day of Judgment. Every day God places a new challenge in our paths. Every day we get to decide how we are going to respond. Every day is the Day of Judgment, but some days are…

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Dreams, God, Kabbalah, Philosophy, Spirituality

Infinity: God in My Soul

September 17, 2020
Infinity: God in My Soul

Infinity: A perfect topic for my interview on this innovative podcast. It’s called PTR: Philosophy, Theology, and Religious studies. Or, if you prefer, “Poststructuralist Tent Revival.” PTR is hosted by Jacob Given, a doctoral student at Villanova University. Here we discuss ideas from my book The Infinity Inside: infinity, kabbalah, God’s existence, dreams, and mystical…

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God, Jewish Renewal, Spirituality

R. Zalman: God's Soul-Friend

June 26, 2020
R. Zalman: God's Soul-Friend

Yahrzeit of Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, z”l. Fifth day of the Hebrew month of Tammuz. So, in Reb Zalman’s honour, ALEPH Canada hosted a special Zoom event. Ten of Reb Zalman’s many Canadian students shared memories, poetry, story, or music.* Here is a short video of the words and music I was able to offer with…

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God, Spirituality, Torah

Ritual and Meditation: Fun with Parshat Tzav

March 23, 2019
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) The Hebrew word tzav means, “instruct.” Here, God tells Moses to instruct Aaron and his sons, the future priests. Teach them, God says, some ritual details the public doesn’t really need to know about. Like: make…

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God, Prayer, Spirituality

Spiritual Retreat: Even One Day is Enough

March 16, 2019
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 night, I wound down with my daily spiritual examen. Following the script, I became aware of God’s presence. But then I let go of the script. “Congratulations, self!” I thought. “It’s become so easy to tune…

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God, Philosophy, Torah

Terumah: Did God Create Humans or Did Humans Create God?

February 9, 2019
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 Terumah. They are a lovely group, from Havurat Hakerem in Columbia, South Carolina. International, diverse, and learned. And one verse, close to the beginning of the parsha, caught their eye. God introduces Moses to the…

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God, Prayer, Spirituality

Ibn Gabirol: At Dawn I Seek You

January 17, 2019
Ibn Gabirol: At Dawn I Seek You

Solomon ibn Gabirol (1021-1070) was a great liturgical poet. His spiritual poetry is elegant, ordered, philosophical. But his inner life was not. He was often in pain. Both physical and emotional. He could be bitter, angry, or jealous. Thus, he had few friends. So, how did he express both parts of himself? Did he find comfort…

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Feminism, God, Torah

Jeremiah's Mother God Says: I Knew You in the Womb

January 8, 2019
Jeremiah's Mother God Says: I Knew You in the Womb

Jeremiah, the Biblical prophet, describes the day God called him. At first glance, the call seems ordinary. A kind of (stereo) type-scene. God says, “You’re a prophet.” But Jeremiah says, “No.” Then God physically touches Jeremiah. And Jeremiah begins to speak. But an unusual detail stands out. (That is, of course, how type-scenes work. Almost…

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God, Jewish Practices, Prayer

Praise God, Yishtabach Shimcha: Learn to See in a New Key

December 22, 2018
Praise God, Yishtabach Shimcha: Learn to See in a New Key

Praise. For God, that is. Two days ago, I thought I understood praise. But I was wrong. Yesterday, I learned something entirely new. From an old Hebrew prayer poem. But through the lens of a modern technology. I opened my daily spiritual self-reflection iPhone app. It said, “Today’s theme is praise.” “Sit in a comfortable position,”…

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Jung, Kabbalah, and the Spirit of Our Times

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