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
My cup overflows
For most of my life I’ve considered myself a “cup’s 1/2 full” sort of person. That’s because I’ve long believed (and told anyone that cared to listen) that optimism IS realism. The world is just too darn fabulous to allow
Altars and Altars
This week’s Torah portion, Vayakhel (Exodus 35:1-38:20) and Haftarah (II Kings 11:17-12:17) present an interesting contrast that has to do with altars. Basically, there are some altars that we should build and some that we should tear down. On the
Better than Change
The idea of “change” is one of the most powerful ideas out there. At the most basic level the idea of “change” speaks to the potential for transformation. That individuals, communities, organizations, and societies can change is an important and widely held
talking to my 4 year old daughter about death
Last night I had one of those life defining experiences that no parent looks forward to: talking to my 4 year old about death. A tragedy has struck our community. A young father lost his battle with cancer. He has
#Pray– #BlogElul Day 16
#Pray means many things. Lately I’ve been listening to podcasts by Jack Kornfield. He’s a wise dude, plain and simple. Among the many recurring themes in his teachings is the idea of shooting energy from one place to another. There
#Trust– #BlogElul Day 10
Trust. Judaism has a lot to say on the topic. To summarize– individual and communal trust in God is the key to a happy life. But what does that actually mean? What does it mean to trust in God?
#Count– #BlogElul10
Counting is a basic human activity. How we count says a lot about what we value and how we live. Do we count based on quality or based on quantity? Quantitative counters might ask– How many emails did I receive
#Hear– #BlogElul8
My beloved teacher and friend, Rabbi Jim Ponet, once told me, “Everything is either an expression of love or a cry for love.” I agreed then. I agree now. Since then I’ve tried to retrain my ear to hear the
#Act– #BlogElul Day 2
#Act– to do something, to make effect some kind of change in the fabric of the universe, to set being in motion. #Act– to pretend, to disguise, to embody, to put on airs. #Act– a part of a play that