The Ten Commandments. In Hebrew, Aseret Hadibrot. The Hebrew does not tell us to think of them as ten commandments —that would be “Aseret Hamitzvot.” Instead, the Hebrew tells us to think of them as dibrot דיברות, things said in the midbar מדבר, the wilderness, that can fertilize our lives and bring us the honey…
Category: Jewish Renewal
Rachel Barenblat: Poetry, Liturgy & Spiritual Practice
Rachel Barenblat: the interview! I’m so delighted to interview poet and Rabbi Rachel Barenblat! We chatted about poetry, prayer, spiritual practice, and writing. Rachel is spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Israel (Massachusetts), a Founding Builder at Bayit: Building Jewish, and author of the blog Velveteen Rabbi. Writing is a Spiritual Practice Laura: You’re a life-long writer and…
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…
Sustainability: The New True Meaning of Hanukah
The history of Hanukah may be fixed for all time. But the meaning we find in Hanukah? That changes, year by year. Place by place. Person by person. Remember the year that Hanukah and Thanksgiving coincided? That year, we celebrated gratitude. The year terrorist attacks were in the news? We worried about Maccabean violence and…
Wedding: Make it Beautiful, Officiants!
Wedding season! June, July and August. Some say the future is bleak. But couples are still falling in love, marrying and planning new lives. Still inviting family and friends to share their joy. So, how can we help make their weddings beautiful? And by “we,” I mean Jewish wedding officiants. Here are a few of my own…
Hope: Torah Insists on Faith in the Future
Hope. Torah insists on it. How? By relating everything to the Exodus. Even the apocalypse! What is the Apocalypse? Apocalypse means “revelation.” Our prophets share visions of hope revealed to them. One day, they predict, the world will change profoundly for the better. Then, we will all see as they do. On that day, says…
Inter-spiritual picnic (Mishpatim)
Then Moses and Aaron, Nadav and Avihu, and seventy of Israel’s elders ascended. They saw the God of Israel, and under His feet was the likeness of a pavement of sapphire, like the essence of heaven in its purity. He did not raise his hand against the close Israelites. They beheld God, ate, and drank.…
Ladder of Prayer
Jewish communal prayer is both liturgy and experience. The liturgy expresses a theology — a theory about God. The experience stimulates inner spirituality — an encounter with God. The liturgy is structured and traditional; my experience is unique and changing. Still, the two interact regularly. Here is an introduction to a Shabbat morning prayer service that includes a…
Is Kabbalah a Universal Theology?
Kabbalah, the Jewish mystical tradition, has been handed down from Biblical times. It has appeared in different guises, expressed in the languages and cultural styles of different times and places. The kabbalistic tradition focuses on attaining direct knowledge of the divine — through philosophical theology, metaphorical Biblical interpretation, reflective prayer, chanting, silent meditation, astral travel, and more. Kabbalah takes…
Spiritual Leadership
We are all spiritual leaders in our daily lives. When we embody the gifts we have received through our religious traditions, we lead by example. We all have different approaches to our leadership. For example, earlier this week, in my role as Conference Program Chair for the OHALAH Association of Clergy for Jewish Renewal, I received…