“We must hear both God and the rock crying out: the punishment is upon us.” In Chukat, after Bnei Yisrael complain about missing the comforts of home, Moses strikes a…
“Capable leadership can use authority wisely to contribute to solidarity and equality.” A memorable line from the movie The Incredibles is said as Syndrome captures the Incredible family and explains…
“A person who is deeply connected to the land around her is a person who can honor its uniqueness, celebrate its bounty, and respect its need to rest.” This week’s…
“Action and prayer work hand-in-hand; we cannot rely solely on God for our well-being, but we can derive meaning and support from walking our journeys with God in our hearts…
“Moving towards equity, inclusion, and diversity by truly seeing others and sharing our bounty with them.” By mandating a 7th year cessation of all agricultural production and the release of…
“To create a society balanced between the curse of civilization and the wildness of being nourished by the Creator.” “When the Holy Blessed One gave the Torah, no bird chirped,…
“Land is imbued with holiness, which means that like God, it is beyond human measures of usefulness or control” As we prepare to close the Book of Leviticus, the Torah’s…
״אין לך פרשה שאין בה תחיית המתים אלא שאין בנו כח לדרוש״ (ספרי האזינו ש״ו) There is no portion in the Torah that cannot be brought back to life, if…
“Counting the Omer – like the shemitah cycle – invites us to believe that each day, week and year is count-worthy, valuable and unique.” One after the other, the days…
“Taking a step back to envision a holy, caring society – especially in light of the oppression perpetuated by this very parasha.” Parashat Kedoshim begins with what one might call…
“What you see as your own private grounds is actually a base from which to serve the world.” It makes sense that Aaron’s sons would bring a strange fire to…
“Though the Exodus tells the story of one nation’s birth, the legal and religious system to which it gives rise is open to outsiders.” On Passover our Torah reading is…
Just as the Torah provides an opportunity for recovery regardless of poverty level – different recovery pathways dependent on means – so too should our health system. Parshat Metzora marks…
The parasha for this week is Parashat Tazria, but it also Shabbat Ha’Chodesh, the week of the new moon of Nisan, the month of Pesach. The haftarah is from Ezekiel…
“When we focus on the purposes of Shmita we facilitate the flow of spiritual power from earth to heaven and back again.” So many adjectives can be used to describe…
People who have the tools of production at their disposal should gratefully acknowledge their blessings, and invite others to partake of the bounty. Of the many sacrifices mandated in Parashat…