Tag: Shabbat
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Slow Down to Speed Up
With sunset tonight we welcome not only Shabbat but the first night of Passover. It is a seemingly interesting juxtaposition: the weekly day set aside for rest and slowing down, and the annual celebration of the Exodus, of movement. Indeed, unlike the challah we eat on Shabbat, which takes time to rise and bake, the…
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Torah tl;dr: “Passover”
Celebrate preparation. Listen to the newest episode of my podcast here: 60 SECONDS TO WISDOM. Short teachings on the weekly Torah portion. Suitable for all who seek.
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Why I Didn’t Attend the Washington State Caucuses
By the end of the day Saturday, my Facebook feed was filled with people who had attended the Washington State Democratic caucuses. The emotions were high—people praising democracy in action, and sharing the excitement of cramming into school gymnasiums with neighbors and friends to debate, discuss and decide on who should be the Democratic nominee…
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Could This One Text Message Have Saved the Lives of 3000 People?
The story of the Golden Calf, which we read in last week’s Torah portion, is a great lesson in punctuality. In the story, the Israelites have left Egypt and have made their way to Mount Sinai. There they are to get the Torah from God which will form the basis for their new community and…
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Can You Teach an Old Calf New Tricks?
This week’s Torah portion Ki Tissa tells the famous story of the Golden Calf. The Israelites, having escaped Egyptian slavery, are encamped around Mount Sinai. Moses is up on the summit receiving the Torah from God. When he is late in coming down the mountain, the Israelites begin to worry and ask Aaron, Moses’s brother…
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Erev Rosh Hashanah 5775: “The 7 Things I Learned About Life from Legos”
I have, as many of you know, faced my share of physical challenges over these past few years. I have had to face surgery twice, both requiring about a month-long recovery with physical discomfort. And I suffered from serious illness, also requiring hospital stays, pain medicine, IV, antibiotics and a longer than hoped for recovery.…
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Idle, not Idol
Recently I was asked by a member of the congregation about how we understand Exodus 31. She was asked by a neighbor about the Jewish understanding of this text and wanted to check about what she understood it to mean. The relevant text (v. 14-15) reads, “You shall keep the sabbath, for it is holy…
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