Taking the time to disengage from the news, to celebrate Shabbat, to notice the little miracles that are with us every day is essential to remind us that God’s face is not fully hidden – that is safe to keep our hearts open to the darkness and the suffering because we are part of the Divine Reality that underlies the darkness.
Responding To Evil and Darkness: Lessons From Purim Read More »
The more I participate in interfaith dialogue and become aware of the various religious approaches to understanding sacred texts, the more I am convinced of the uniqueness of the value and approach of midrash. Midrash means “interpretation” and comes from the Hebrew root “leedrosh” which means “to seek.” This idea means that while Judaism’s core
The Unique Jewish Affirmation of Relationship Read More »
How do we come to the truth or resolve conflict when everyone views the world from a unique vantage point? How do I help create peace in my life and in the world when enemies exist? And especially when those who I believe are evil, probably consider me the wicked enemy and them the emissary
A Spiritual Approach To Enemies – Yom Kippur 5785 Read More »
We are focused on returning to that original light to re-discovering who we really are and what our purpose is beneath all the noise of everyday life. Ultimately, we are focused on returning to the loving creative awareness that we all are beneath all the concepts and ideas we have of ourselves.
Personal and Spiritual Development: Insights From the Jewish High Holy Days Read More »
If one recognizes the presence of enemies as a trigger to cultivate humility and be more honest about the isolation and separation within oneself, then there is the opportunity to elevate that evil within, which then has the potential to turn an enemy, in Hebrew oyev into a friend, ohev.
The Conception of Enemy As An Obstacle To Peace Read More »
The fulfillment of the halakhah across the generations is the perpetual human answer to the divine call, “Where are You.” When we ask ourselves the question, “What does God want of me in this moment,” we are engaging a question of halakhah.
“What Does God Want of Us?”: An Exploration of Shabbat and Halakhah. Read More »
While experiences and other people can challenge us to grow on our journey, our ability to meet those people and experiences with consciousness and intention to grow and serve God is dependent on the ongoing preparation that we do to realize the opportunity in the moment.
We Become What We Practice Read More »
No matter how much we train the mind to stay present with our current moment to moment experience, we are not able to pay attention if we don’t want to. Sometimes life is so uncomfortable or painful that we don’t want to pay attention to the present, we want to escape.
Embracing The Moment When We Don’t Want To Read More »
It’s this heart who knows that no words, no labels, can approach the grief and loss, the beauty and exultation, the depth and sacred quality of your experience and mine.
Surviving the Storm – A Meditative Poem on Words and Presence Read More »
Letting in the reality that other people are central to our success and fulfillment in life goes beyond the reality that we are social animals – that we need other people for comfort, a sense of connection, and pleasant distractions. Instead, waking up in deeper ways to our inherent connection with other people is crucial not only to our personal growth, but to our ability to help build a world that reflects this Divine reality of interconnection.
Relationships As The Vehicle For Divine Awareness Read More »
