Summer is winding down. Mine was productive and wonderful. Except for three weeks I spent on the couch hosting a…
Category: Torah
The Lord's Prayer on Tisha B'Av?
What does the Lord’s Prayer have to do with Tisha B’Av? Specifically: what was I thinking when I agreed to…
Donkey Facts for Prophet Balaam
Donkey week. On the Jewish liturgical calendar, that is. We read the story of Balaam’s talking donkey. Yes, the one…
Elijah and the Ravens: An Activist Faith
Elijah is a miraculous character. From his first show of mastery over the rain, to his final ascent to heaven…
Graduation! Or: Naso, A Personal Reflection
Graduation. Yes! This week, our daughter graduated from Simon Fraser University. Remember ancient rabbinic astrology? How it draws on the…
Shavuot: Torah's Mystical Dance
Shavuot. Celebration of Torah, harvest, and mysticism. Literally, Shavuot means the Feast of “Weeks.” Shavuot marks the end of a…
Emor: Community with room for disability
Priests and sacred offerings. Disability and defect. Also, the death penalty. These are the themes of Parshat Emor, this week’s Torah reading.…
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…
Pharaoh: Political Writers Point Him Out
Passover is upon us. Time to re-tell the story of famous tyrant, Pharaoh. He builds his wealth. Rails against foreigners.…