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…
Category: Love
Love, if I die today...
My love, if I die today, I want you to know. I love you. I’ve loved my life. And I want you to love yours. So, I offer you this ethical will. A letter from the heart. Just a few idealistic thoughts about a few precious values. A little wisdom to guide you on your…
Love: Uncover It Through Teshuvah
My father of blessed memory did love to write. His handwriting was elegant, precise, and unique. I know it well. Because, for 23 years – from the day I left home until the day he died – my father wrote me a letter almost every day. After he died, his letters showed up in my…
Teshuvah: A Practical Introduction
Teshuvah. Reflection. Repentance. Return. Repair. Because: people. Can’t live with them. Can’t live without them. Even the best community has many small ruptures. Imagine. Maybe you’ve been sick for months. Just getting by. No energy for social life. Your friend has been caring for a sick relative. She’s had no time for friends. So, for…
Leviticus: Love of neighbour is love of self
Leviticus. Vayikra. Not the easiest book of Torah. Five years ago, I started to teach at the Vancouver School of Theology. Naturally, our Dean asked which Hebrew Bible elective I would like to teach. “That’s easy!” I said. “Learning to Love Leviticus.” “Um…” said our Dean. “How about Wisdom Literature instead?” Because, she said, students…
After Pittsburgh: What Else is There to Say?
Pittsburgh. October 27, 2018. Tree of Life Synagogue. Murder of eleven by Robert Bowers. A crazed white supremacist. He hated Jews because they support refugees. What can we say? Nothing. And everything all over again. Grief in Pittsburgh and Beyond The North American Jewish world is small. We are a sort of networked village. So, all…
23rd Psalm: A Network of Shepherds
The 23rd Psalm tells us to take care of each other. Sure, the psalm’s plain meaning is that God will take care of us. But what is “plain meaning” in Biblical Hebrew? The language has only 6,000 root words. That’s not enough to say everything people need to say. So, many Hebrew words have more than…
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…
Crows Are Nesting in our Backyard
Crows are Nesting in Our Backyard (May 6) Crows are nesting in our backyard! Three paces from the deck. You can’t see them and they like it that way. They are comfortable with Charles and with me. Clearly, we live in their extended family territory. We are longtime neighbours. But they were not too happy…
Isaiah: A Peaceable Kingdom is Within Reach
The prophet Isaiah speaks of a peaceable kingdom. But can life be peaceful? A Mother Grieves The day of my birth was a happy day for my parents. But seven weeks later, my four-year-old brother Freddie died during surgery, in an incident of medical malpractice. Mom was terribly broken by Freddie’s death for a long time.…