Counting the days
An unexpected tumble. A glimpse of an errant blossom on the road, a tug on the leash, a pup in pursuit, and there I was splayed on the sidewalk. A scraped knee, a bloody knuckle, a bruised hip. A safe...
View ArticleShavuos: The Lifting of The Veil
Shavuos is not merely the anniversary of the day 3336 years ago when we received the Torah on Mount Sinai. The Sages teach that every year on this date, we receive the Torah anew. In this sense,...
View ArticleThe Book of Ruth: A counter-midrash
FOREWORD In anticipation of Shavuot, I taught a couple of classes about the Book of Ruth. In one, I focused on how the rabbis demonized Orpah for leaving Naomi and choosing the gods of Moab over the...
View ArticleThis Shavuot: A time of reckoning
If we look to the Torah for why we do what we do, then we must make sure that the outcomes of those actions promote peace, compassion and human perfection
View ArticleSecrets of Shavuot 2
In my first essay on Shavuot, I pointed out that the Hebrew name “Shavuot” means “weeks” and that the command to observe it as a holiday is in Exodus 34:22; Deuteronomy 16:9, 10, and 16; and Leviticus...
View ArticleTorah, my anchor
As strong winds blow from all directions And stormy waters toss us back and forth, It is easy to feel untethered and lost. Sometimes we float aimlessly, Looking for direction, A captain to steer us and...
View ArticleTalmudic Wisdom on Projection and Psychology
As we celebrate Shavuot, a festival commemorating the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, it’s fitting to reflect on the enduring wisdom of our ancient texts and how they continue to illuminate our...
View ArticleAre We Moving Towards or Away From Sinai? Shavuot 5784
It was exactly a year ago, on the eve of Shavuot that the last of the Eyn Samia shepherding community finished dismantling their homes and fled their homes because of State backed settler violence....
View ArticleShavuot? I’ll have to give you a rain check
I can't celebrate this harvest holiday if I'm not home on my kibbutz rejoicing with those brutally torn from us on Oct. 7
View ArticleMarriage Lessons from the Sotah and Shavuot
The topic of marriage has become a dominant theme in this week’s holiday observance of Shavuot as well as this week’s Torah portion of Naso and has implications for the trials and tribulations that we...
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