The purpose of Torah, says first-century Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria, is to teach that the essence of a human…
Category: Spirituality
Teachings of the Land
I was raised to be an urbanite. Sure, I spent plenty of time outdoors, playing in parks, riding my bicycle,…
Mixed Feelings
A sermon presented at Canadian Memorial United Church, February 12, 2017, in video, with text version following. Song of the Sea,…
Turning Towards Death
Jewish traditions teach that we, the living, do not know what happens on “the other side” of death. However, we…
God is Breaking Through (Va'era)
I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as El Shaddai [Almighty God], but I did not make Myself known to…
Kabbalah and Everyday Life
God is present in the clarity of mystical experience AND in the cluttered consciousness of everyday mind. How can we learn to…
Wake up, wake up!
Don’t stress, and don’t be angry with yourselves that you sold me here into slavery; actually God sent me ahead…
Talking about God
I’m kind of an unreflective theist; I grew up hearing the word “God.” On Shabbat, my family sang, “On the seventh…
Schadenfreude
My one-week vacation in the United States was a breath of fresh air. A whole week of conversations with family,…