WUPJ Library

Sarah’s social status – and its impact on the future of her family and the people – was so great and significant, that not only did it not end at the time of her death, but in fact, it increased and strengthened subsequent to her passing.

Resh Lakish once stated: “Any person who becomes angry, if he is a scholar, his wisdom departs from him; if he is a prophet, his prophecy departs from him.” After him, Rabbi Mani bar Patish said: “Whoever becomes angry, even if greatness has been apportioned to him from Heaven, he is lowered (from his greatness).” (Bavli, Pesachim 66b)

There is so much in this sedra, Lech L’cha, it is breathtaking. We are so familiar with it –especially the very first part — that it is hard for us to even take it all in. Perhaps we should disaggregate it. We can read it through four lenses.

In the story of Noah, we learn about the capacity of human beings to commit evil and its consequences. Given freedom, human beings often use it unwisely. This story is an enlightening introduction as to why the Torah affirms that laws are necessary to create a coherent, civil society.

Here we go again…reading the same old Torah from the start with Parashat B’reshit. Haven’t we been here before? Don’t we know how it ends?  Who can see the point in it? Honestly, if you’ve looked closely at a Torah, you know there is no point. No one can see any point in it, because the Torah scrolls we read have no “points” (know in Hebrew as nikudot).

For many years, I had a plaque with a quote attributed to British writer, Vivian Greene. It read:  Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain. Over the years, I, myself, and some who came to me for counsel, found support and inspiration in those […]

Are we really still referring to God in the masculine? This week’s Torah portion Ha’azinu makes clear that YHWH was understood as dual gendered. Ha’azinu opens with Moses declaring “Let the earth hear the words of my mouth!” And listen to what Moses is saying! God “convulsed in labor for you” (Deuteronomy 32:18), “gave birth […]

VaYelech is the third from last portions of the Torah. It describes the farewell of Moshe from the people of Israel and brings his last speech to his people. Following this last touching chapter is only the great poetry of Ha’azinu. VaYelech is read either before Rosh Hashana or in the Shabbat between Rosh Hashana […]

I think it’s time I gave up my disdain for “the wave,” that strange bit of choreography we do at the ballpark, as we rise in unison, throw our hands into the air and mimic a wave moving from one side of the stadium to the other. I always hated it. It seemed so silly […]

This week we continue to stand on the shores of the Jordan river reviewing the rules and laws. As part of the review, Moses reminds us of the blessings and curses that await us.

Struggling as we are with fires and floods, heat waves and other devastating natural disasters all around the world, these words from the Haftarah for Parashat Ki Tezei caught my attention this year.

A few years ago, my family went to see the Fortingall Yew in Scotland. It is reputed to be the oldest tree in Britain, 2,000 to 3,000 years old. We felt a sense of awe thinking about all the things that had happened since the tree had been planted and how the world had changed. Although the oldest tree in Britain, in other parts of the world, such ancient trees are not as unusual.