Category: Uncategorized
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Joshua and Caleb and Facebook and Twitter
This week we read the famous story of the spies, who were sent into Canaan to scout it out in anticipation of the Israelites moving in. Moses sent 12 spies/scouts–one from each tribe–into the land. They spent 40 days wandering about, taking notes, looking around, and then returned to the Israelites to report. They all…
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Two Trumpets, One Sound
In the Torah this week we are told to make trumpets: God spoke to Moses, saying: Have two silver trumpets made; make them of hammered work. They shall serve you to summon the community and to set the divisions in motion. When both are blown in long blasts, the whole community shall assemble before you…
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Mourning and Affirmation
We are a nation in mourning. We are a nation mourning the death of George Floyd, whose recent death at the hands of the Minneapolis police has once again brought to the surface the reality of racism in this country. We are a nation mourning other victims of police brutality and racist violence like Breonna…
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The Book He is Holding…
…tells a story of liberation from oppression; commands us to love the vulnerable, the poor, and the immigrant; reminds us that we are all part of one shared humanity; requires that we share and fairly distribute resources; and upholds the values of peace, justice, mercy, and compassion
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On Shavuot, We Must Study The Torah of Inclusivity, Accessibility, and Equality
While the traditional greeting for Shavuot is, like other holidays, chag sameach, one colloquial greeting that I’ve come across is “See you at Sinai.” The idea behind that phrase is that while on Shavuot we remember the biblical story of the revelation of the Torah by God to Moses on Mount Sinai, a story recounted…
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The World is Revealing Itself To Us
The joke that during our quarantine time no one remembers what day it is rings true for me. While I’m able to stay on top of Shabbat, other days and tasks flow together. I realized the other day that I haven’t written my “weekly post” for a few weeks! In our Torah reading this week…
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After the Separation, the Return
This week’s Torah portion has always been one that has seemed somewhat esoteric and hard to understand. Then the coronavirus happened. The double portion of Tazria/Metzora describes various skin diseases and how they are treated. If one has an outbreak, or a rash, or lesions, they go to the priest to decides whether or not…
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No, This Passover is Not Different from Other Passovers
As we sit down at our Seder tables, it is clear that this night is different than all other nights. Some of us will be sitting down with just our immediate family. Some of us will be propping a computer or tablet on the table to videoconference with other friends and loved ones. And some…
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Everyone is Essential
We enter into Shabbat this week with the knowledge that Governor Inslee has extended the stay at home order for Washington State until May 4. It was not unexpected, especially since the schools are officially closed until April 24. It seems safe to say that we can expect extensions of those dates as well. But…
Rabbi 360 