The Torah teaches, “Choose life…” Choose life. Choose blessing. Choose laughter. Choose openness to change. Choose fearlessness. Choose spaciousness. Choose loving-kindness. Choose walking. Choose dancing. Choose listening. Choose quieting. Choose responding. Choose awakening. Choose seeing. Choose breathing. Choose compassion. Choose community. Choose learning. Choose honesty. Choose equanimity. Choose love. Choose life.
Jewish Teachings
Enough, enough, and enough: Parhsat Korach
The 16th chapter of the Book of Numbers tells the story of Korach. It’s typically taught as a story of rebellion. A faction of Israelites, led by Korach, challenges the authority of Moses and Aaron. Moses accepts the challenge and the following morning, in an act of Divine dispute resolution, the ground opens up […]
Why: Hello, Goodbye & Peace?
I started writing Jewish music in about 2008. By about 2011 I knew that the music was for more than just my own enjoyment. By then I had several hundred pages of musical ideas in various states of completion. I figured that even if 10% of the songs and melodies were truly exceptional […]
The little aleph
The book of Leviticus, in Hebrew Vayikra begins, as you might imagine, with the word: Vayikra. “God called to Moses…” You’ll notice in the picture above that the final letter of Vayikra, the aleph is written smaller than all the other letters. In noticing this you’ll join every Jew, bible scholar, and person that has ever studied the Hebrew Bible. […]
#Search– #BlogElul Day 3
When push comes to shove to search is really to inquire. To search is to seek to discover, to understand, to make meaning. Which brings me to Midrash. In Hebrew, Midrash is both a specific literary genre and an ongoing process. The literary genre of Midrash is most closely associated with those rabbis that sought […]
Ever-Living Word
The following was written in 1857 (in German) by one of the great intellectuals of the early Reform Movement, Abraham Geiger. Translation by Max Wiener: The Bible is now and has always been an ever-living Word, not a dead letter. It has spoken to all generations and imparted its teaching to them; it expressed the […]