What is Kohelet (Ecclesiastes)? It’s a work of existential philosophy, about the meaning of life. A political critique, looking realistically at life under monarchy, and how one can safely resist abuses. And a work of spiritual wisdom, teaching about equanimity under stress. Traditionally, Jews read this Biblical book each fall, during the holiday of Sukkot.…
Category: Jewish Practices
Who Can I Accuse?
“Who can I accuse, of whom revenge demand, when I have borne deep suffering at my own hand?” This whole service video is beautiful—and I especially want to share these first six minutes of teaching and music with you. (Yes, it is me and Charles together!) Thanks to Rabbi Hannah Dresner for coordinating & leading…
Teshuva Builds Community
Social scientists say: People who belong to spiritual communities are happier. Why? More opportunities for connecting. Giving. And learning, through ritual, how to be with others. Including the Ten Days of Teshuvah, a Jewish New Year ritual for healing ruptures between friends and family.
Synagogue Life in COVID-19: Care, Conflict, and Teshuvah
A family friend of ours died this summer, from COVID-19 complications. I was the officiating rabbi at his burial. No tahara, ritual washing of his body, had been permitted. We, a small group of twelve, gathered at the graveside. Each of us wore a mask and disposable gloves. We stood six feet apart. After the…
Shema: Something old, something new
Shema. Deuteronomy 6:4-9. It’s featured in this week’s Torah reading, and in the daily liturgy. It was inside a gift I gave my father before he died. And in one I gave my daughter as she left home last week. More about that, below. Moses says, Shema! Listen! God is infinite being. Love God with…
To see with sad clarity
Towards the end of the Book of Job, Job finally learns to see. He says to God: “Until now, I only heard about you. Now I have seen you” (Job 42:5) What does Job mean? “I heard stories about you, God. But all about things that happened in the distant past, not in the living…
Niggun: Mantra of Calm
What is a niggun? Simply put: a niggun is a wordless melody. But, in spiritual work, it is more than that. A niggun is a melody of the soul. An expression from the heart of the composer. Or a soothing vibration gifted by another. Even, sometimes, a guide on an inner journey. If you’re lucky,…
Love: Fast & Feast Together
Love. A good topic for “Virtual Ramadan,” an inter-faith celebration, hosted by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. I’m a long-time friend of the Baitur Rahman mosque in Delta BC. So, the group invited me to speak. Specifically, about our common Jewish and Islamic traditions of fasting and sacrifice. But with my own interpretation: both are practices…
Sing a New Song
Spoiler alert: you can scroll right down to the video, without reading. Lockdown has its own odd rhythm. So, I’m surprised to realize: I haven’t blogged in weeks! Not because I’ve had no thoughts. But because I’ve been busy. Creating the conference advertised at the bottom here. Singing in virtual synagogue, as in the video…
Moses Lives in You
MOSES. It’s easy to forget him at Passover. The Haggadah, official script for the Seder, doesn’t name him. Instead, it focuses on God. Our one true champion. Pharaoh, on the other hand, plays a huge role. The Seder script begins with a ritual question. “Why is this night different from all other nights?” Then, it…