Yah Ribon Alam: Ineffable Breath of Life, Master of Time and Space. So begins a most famous Aramaic piyyut (liturgical poem).…
Category: Torah
Psalm 16: When existential questions disturb your sleep
Psalm 16. A psalm about questions and answers. Nightmares disturbed my sleep yesterday. I peeked into a closet and said: I want to…
Lot of Sodom: Do you feel sorry for Abraham's nephew?
Does Torah’s narrator dislike Lot of Sodom, nephew of Abraham? Or does she feel sorry for him? Does she think…
Rape Culture in the Bible: Are we still living in Sodom?
Rape. Sexual assault. Sexual harassment. MeToo. Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions of women are saying it. I’ve said…
Sacred Text: Do the first few lines tell the whole story?
A sacred text begins carefully. Powerfully. Precisely. As it should — because the opening lines introduce a spiritual tradition. Just…
Sukkot: Our prophets recommend interfaith outreach
Sukkot is a great time for interfaith outreach. Twelve students are taking my graduate course on “Ritual and Sacred Ceremony”…
Teshuvah: Can it Change the Timeline of Your Past?
Can teshuvah – repentance, renewal, and return to God – change the past? In Parshat Haazinu (Deut. 32:1-32:52) Moses speaks to…
Political narrative keeping you prisoner? Time for a new Exodus!
Judaism has a “master story” that shapes our political narrative. It is, of course, the Exodus. One famous version goes like…
Rebellious Child: Torah's Tips for Facing Challenge
Stoning of the rebellious child. Holy One of Blessing! Help us understand why this text is in your Torah. You created…