• The Transformational Leadership of Miriam

    This past Saturday night I had the privilege of learning about the Torah portion with the children of Kesher Israel at our monthly Parent-Child learning program.   We looked at leadership in this week’s parsha.  Moshe is one kind of leader -0his character of leadership seems to be concern for individuals and sticking up for…

  • More Than Numbers: The Sacredness of Names in the Torah

    The name of this week’s Torah portion is Shemot, which literally means, “names.”  Though content-wise the book itself might be more aptly known by its latin name, Exodus, it does indeed begin with the counting by name of the children of Israel:  “And these are the names of the children of Israel who came to…

  • The Jewish Perspective on Truth and Governance

    The Shulchan Aruch, Code of Jewish Law, states that if three identical pieces of meat, one which is unkosher and two which are kosher, become mixed together in one container, we are permitted to eat all of them.  We know that one of these pieces is not kosher, and yet as we pull each one…

  • Breaking Free from Narrow Thinking

    Our era, ironically, has been called the age of communication.  When I was young, making a phone call from Israel to the United States cost a great deal and was not simple, so one might speak to their relatives abroad only rarely.   When my oldest was in Israel about 5 years ago calling was…

  • A Reflection on Free Will and the Role of Perspective

    The ten plagues in last week’s and this week’s Torah portions present us with the age-old philosophical dilemma: How can God punish Pharaoh if God has hardened Pharaoh’s heart?  Justice dictates that reward and punishment can only be for violations or merits which are the product of one’s free will. Maimonides takes the Torah at…

  • Miracles or Relationship? Finding God Within Us

    In this week’s parsha, Bishalach, the Jewish people witness the splitting of the sea, manna from heaven and water from a rock, and yet at the end of the parsha they seemingly have the audacity to ask, “Hayesh Hashem bikirbenu, im ayin?,”  “Is God in our midst or not?”  (Exodus 17:7).  God clearly is doing…

  • Finding Passion and Creativity in Jewish Prayer

    Is prayer an essential part of Jewish observance?   On the one hand organized thrice daily prayer is something fairly “new” in Judaism, instituted to take the place of the sacrifices which were lost with the destruction of the Temple.   On the other hand prayer goes all the way back to our ancestors who…

  • Adapting Leadership for a Changing World

    Several Parshiot ago when God appears to Moshe at the burning bush and asks him to take the Jewish people out of Egypt, the following conversation ensues: “Moshe said, “What if they do not believe me and do not listen to me, but say: The LORD did not appear to you?”   The LORD said…

  • Amar’e Stoudemire, Yitro, and the Power of Embracing the Jewish Mission

    Today a national NBA basketball star, Amar’e Stoudemire, joined us for daveing.  Now retired from playing and a coach of the Brooklyn Nets, this almost seven foot tall black convert to Judaism is inspired to daven with a minyan wherever he is.  He has no want for money or honor, I’m sure he can have…

  • From Insecurity to Strength: Moshe’s Journey of Growth

    Moshe’s heart is in the right place, he takes action to defend the weak and cares about those who are suffering.  Nevertheless, for three reasons Moshe does not seem like a very good choice as leader.  (1) He thinks himself incapable, telling God over and over that this is the case.  But it is in…

  • Cultivating Awareness and Holiness Through Jewish Law

    This week’s Torah portion, Mishpatim, is filled with the laws.  This parsha comes right after the giving of the Torah because law is so central to Jewish life.   It is one of Orhtodox Judaism’s hallmarks and great strengths that halacha, Jewish law, is at the pulsating center of individual and communal life-but it is…

  • How Hearing and Sharing Narratives Brings Transformation

    This past shabbat i spoke of Yitro, Moses’ father-in-law.   The Torah tells us Yitro heard all that God did for the Jewish people in redeeming them from Egypt and came to moses and the Jewish people in the desert at Mount Sinai.   A few verses latter Moses tells Yitro the story of God…

  • The Beauty of Community and Prayer in Judaism

    This week’s parsha  is Mishpatim, which is filled with dozens of interpersonal laws.  The Jewish People  are a nation who have not worshiped God before.  They were slaves for several generations in a polytheistic land. Since the Torah was just given to them wouldn’t it make more sense to follow it with a parsha of…

  • The Balance of Mercy and Justice in Judaism

    This week’s torah portion, Mishpatim, literally means “laws,” and contains a large array of interpersonal civil commandments and regulations.   Just before this portion the Torah teaches about the building of an altar to G-d.  The altar, which symbolizes relationship and peace between the Jews and G-d, must be built out of whole stones, since…

  • The True Fulfillment of Terumah

    This week’s Torah portion, Terumah, begins: “Speak to the children of Israel, and they should take terumah (gifts/donation) for me, from every person who’s heart gives, shall you take my terumah.”    The Torah then proceeds to list the types of gifts that the jewish people should give for the building of the Tabernacle, such…

  • Sacrifice, Mystery, and Meaning

    Now to this week’s Torah portion, Trumah, in which we begin to read the description of the Tabernacle and its vessels.   The laws of the Tabernacle take up an enormous amount of space in the Torah.  Is the Tabernacle really so central to Jewish life that it should occupy more space than any other…

  • The Mishkan: A Sanctuary of Spiritual Maturity

    In the beginning of this week’s Torah Portion, Terumah, Moses has just ascended Mount Sinai after the saying of the aseret hadibrot, Ten Commandments, and G-d now commands Moses to tell the Jewish People to collect funds for the building of the Mishkan, (Tabernacle), a moving Temple the Jewish people traveled with in the desert. …

  • Concrete Worship or Spiritual Growth

    In the beginning of this week’s Torah portion, Terumah, Moses has just ascended Mount Sinai after the saying of the aseret hadibrot, Ten Commandments, and God now commands Moses to tell the Jewish people to collect funds for the building of the Mishkan, (Tabernacle), a moving temple the Jewish people traveled with in the desert.…

  • Embracing the Roles of Leadership in Community

    This week’s Torah portion begins with God speaking to Moshe but here God addresses Moshe in an uncommon way, with the words “V’Ata,”  “And You.”  One verse later, we have this opening again, and then a few verses later we have this phrase repeated a third time, after which it disappears as quickly as it…

  • Connecting the Temple’s Sacred Spaces

    In this week’s Torah portion, Tetzaveh, Moses is told to command the Jewish people to take pure olive oil to light the menorah in the Temple.  The menorah was lit each day as one of the first services in the temple in Jerusalem.  The description of the actual fashioning of the gold menorah was already…