• Am I in the place of God?

    In this week’s Torah portion, Vayetzei, Jacob marries two sisters, Leah and Rachel. Leah has children but Rachel, his favorite, is barren: “When Rachel saw that she had borne Jacob no children, she became envious of her sister; and Rachel said to Jacob, ‘Give me children, or I shall die.’ Jacob became angry at Rachel…

  • The Struggle for Blessing

    Jews do not often talk about God. We are comfortable with mitzvot, commandments, but we speak less than other religions directly about God. Perhaps this is because God is abstract—we are physical beings, and God is infinite—so we approach the Divine by obeying God’s word, by studying and keeping the Torah, which is a way…

  • The Reign of Esther

    This week’s Torah portion is called Chayei Sarah, The Life of Sarah, but really is about her death and burial: “And it was the life of Sarah, one hundred years and twenty years and seven years, these were the years of Sarah. And Sarah died…” The Midrash in Bereshit Rabbah relates the following story: “Rabbi…

  • Hospitality and Religious Tolerance

    This week I attended two events which highlighted the importance of religious freedom in America. The first was a gathering of the Rumi Forum, an organization founded by American Muslims to bring together people of different religions for dialogue and study. Their study method, called scriptural reasoning, involves looking at an idea as it is…

  • Tolerance and Acceptance in a Divided World

    We have just completed an election in which the American people are deeply divided. Half the country is happy, hopeful and victorious and half is sad, scared and defeated. Some even think that our democracy itself is a failed experiment. What does the Torah say about this? Can one take pride in the democratic process…

  • Gifts

    This past month of Tishrei holidays was an inspiring one at Kesher Israel. Yom Kippur was one to remember, with a packed shul, lots of singing throughout the services and joyous dancing during Neilah. A larger number of our members built sukkot—in yards, on porches and in courtyards of apartment buildings.    Shemini Atzeret was both…

  • The Altruism of Prayer

    The main element of Yom Kippur according to the Torah and the Talmud was the service in the Temple, which revolved around the Kohen Gadol, the High Priest. He represented the nation, was watched by all the Jewish people as they gathered in the Temple, and went into the Holy of Holies on this day…

  • Celebrating Amid Grief

    This year the High Holidays from Rosh Hashanah through Simchat Torah are different from last year. On the one hand, we cannot allow the enemies of Israel and the Jewish people to quash our joy of celebrating the holidays and keeping the Torah, but on the other hand, the resonance of October 7th leaves us…

  • Bringing Torah to the Thirsty

    Studies show that members of the American generation now coming of age, Gen-Z, are both more likely than the generations before them to be depressed and anxious and at the same time interested in spirituality more than other generations.   I believe this paradoxical state of affairs creates an important obligation for religious communities which…

  • Worthiness as the children of the Lord our God

    In this week’s parsha, Re’eh, the Torah writes, “You are children of the Lord your God, do not cut yourself (out of anguish) when someone dies.” Rashi comments: “Do not cut yourself when someone dies, as the Amorites do, since you are children of God and it is fitting that you should look nice and…

  • Grace or Gratitude? Understanding God’s Gifts in Love and Merit

    Last week’s parsha began with Moshe beseeching God to let him cross into Israel, “V’etchanan el Hashem,” “I pleaded with God at that time, saying…Let me, I pray, cross over and see the good land on the other side of the Jordan…” Rash”i comments that the word va’etchanan (to plead or beseech) means to request…

  • Mourning the Temple in the 21st Century

    This week we commemorated Tisha B’av, the ninth day of the month of Av, the saddest in the Jewish year, on which we recall the destruction of the Temple and the exile. Our state of being for 2000 years was exile. Until 1948 we took exile for granted, and awaited the messiah to come and…

  • Lessons of the Three Weeks for a Polarized World

    Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem. This coming week, with the fast of the 17th of Tamuz, begins the Three Weeks of mourning for the destruction of the Temple and the exile. The Talmud tells us that destruction comes to the Jewish people when they are divided, when there is hatred among us. This turns out to…

  • Disagreement and the Search for Truth

    This week, we are in the midst of the nine days of diminished joy leading up to Tisha B’av, the day which commemorates the destruction of the Temple and the exile of the Jewish people from the land of Israel. The Talmud writes (Yoma 9b): “Due to what reason was the First Temple destroyed? It…

  • 21st century Zionism

    Sara and I return to Washington this week after a very interesting and inspiring month in Israel. Witnessing Israel’s internal strength has been especially instructive. Though its divisions were pronounced and Israelis are not the type to politely agree, when it comes to the things that matter, they are unified.    For instance, a few nights ago…

  • Cooperation and Competition

    This coming week, with the fast of the 17th of Tamuz, begins the Three Weeks of mourning for the destruction of the Temple and the exile. The Talmud tells us that destruction comes to the Jewish people when they are divided, when there is hatred among us. This turns out to be true of all…

  • Trust and Gratitude

    Greetings from Jerusalem! In this week’s Torah portion, Moshe screams at the Jewish people and hits the rock and due to this, is unable to enter the Land of Israel. The Jewish people at this time are standing on the eastern banks of the Jordan river. For almost 40 years they have received water and…

  • Torah and the State of Israel

    Shalom from Israel, where I am learning for the month with other rabbis at the Hartman Institute in Jerusalem.    Sara and I spent this past Shabbat in Ranana with several close friends of ours. Just after Shabbat, we turned on our phones to read that a 20-year-old boy from Ranana, Yair Avitan, was killed fighting…

  • Remember the “Why”

    In this week’s Torah portion, Shelach, Moshe sends the heads of the tribes to spy out the land and report back—10 of the 12 come with a bad report, saying they do not think it can be conquered. Two of the spies come back with a good report and reassure the people that they can…

  • Leaving Sinai and Taking Sinai

    In this week’s Torah portion Beha’alotcha, there are two verses (Vayihi Binsoah Ha’aron) which are bracketed by an upside down letter nun before and after:  “When the Ark was to set out, Moses would say: “Advance, O God, May Your enemies be scattered, And may Your foes flee before You!” And when it (the ark)…