The biblical book of Numbers is filled with magical realism. Quail appear when the people want meat. Snakes slither into…
A spiritual not religious experience deepened my religious faith
Spiritual not religious. Did I briefly flirt with it on Mount Seymour? That’s where Charles and I forgot about God.…
A Warning or an Embrace? (Weekly Torah Portion Korach)
What do you see in this painting? A warning or an embrace? View it in the light of Korach’s story.…
Scouts! Ants! Shlach!
Parshat Shlach. Scouts on my mind. Still, I didn’t think much about our first scout. Probably crossed the threshold through our…
We Went Down to the River to Pray
A day off. Wow. Did I even dare to pray for it? It’s a rare treat in the religion business!…
Zechariah's Puzzle
The prophet Zechariah takes a dream-time tour. His angel guides him to a golden menorah with seven lamps and a…
Practical Spirituality: Parshat Naso
Parshat Naso (Numbers 4:21-7:89) lists work assignments for the Levite families. In great detail. If we are reading the Torah…
Utopian Compromise
Utopia. Dystopia. Somewhere in between lies: Reality.That’s the message of this week’s Torah portion Behar-Bechukotai. Torah dreams: An ideal society…
Shadow of Grief
Parshat Emor* sets out extreme purity rules for priests (cohanim). Each cohen must be physically perfect and emotionally stoic. As my…