Every year, I struggle with the justice of the flood story. What was so bad about this society that the only option available to God was complete destruction, save Noah and his family? Isn’t there always hope for teshuvah, repentance, and realizing...

I love creating. Though I am no artist by any stretch of the imagination, I find deep satisfaction in making something new. The energy we tap into when we paint, draw, build, cook, bake  or make some other creative effort can help us push ourselves...

The intermediate Shabbat of Sukkot has provided our sages with opportunities to help us take stock of ourselves and to be aware of our surroundings as we celebrate the fall harvest. Liturgically, our sages inserted some important attitudes provided to...

“There was once a boy named Pierre, who only would say,’I don’t care!’ Read his story, my friend, for you’ll find at the end that a suitable moral lies there.” —from “Pierre,” by Maurice SendakMaurice Sendak’s famous children’s...

What is justice? What does it mean to be living in a just society? What would that look like? And how do we know when we are acting justly or when we fail to meet that loftiest of goals?From the very first word of this week’s Torah portion, Shoftim...

What do you say to someone when all their dreams are about to be realized? This is the role that Moses faces as the people prepare to enter the land of Israel.  In this week’s Torah portion, Moses instructs the Israelites:  “Take care lest you...

A few weeks back, my wife and I celebrated our 24th wedding anniversary. Along with a profound sense of gratitude for the decades of steadfast partnership, our Yom Nissuin (wedding anniversary) was a time to reflect back on the many changes we have undergone,...

“These are the words that Moses spoke to all of Israel on the banks of the Jordan River …”The opening of the Book of Deuteronomy is a look back into the history of the Jewish People making their way through the wilderness. In it, Moses does not...

I want to tell you a strange story about oaths and a king eating a live rabbit. Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylonia from about 605-562 BCE. He controlled the land of Israel and installed Zedekiah as king of Judah. One day, according to a Talmudic...

If you have been following the news lately, you know that the 2020 U.S. Census has garnered its share of recent headlines. If you’ve been paying attention to our Torah lections for the past couple of months, you’re also aware that more than one census...

At the beginning of my career, I encountered a very religious, Hasidic woman in one of the hospitals associated with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., in which I provided pastoral care to Jewish patients from the world over. She had come to the Mayo...

This week’s portion opens onto the mystery mitzvah of the Torah: the red heifer, the little red cow, parah adumah. We have a category of Torah mystery mitzvahs called chukkot — the reasons remain undeciphered. I’m exhausted by the reasons given...