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Parashat K'doshim instructs us to be holy. But aren't we already holy? Yes, but. We activate the holiness within by engaging in acts among people and with God that demonstrate our commitment to living a sacred life. Shabbat is a powerful symbol of the same dynamic, revealing to us how our own decisions not only reveal but make real holiness within us and around us.
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When Moses needs God most, God responds by announcing God's own name. This is a mirror of God's calling Moses by his name when they first met - and both encounters occur on Mount Sinai. A short d'rash about the closeness of God when we need God most.
There has been a lot of violence in Israel this past week. As we mark Shabbat Zachor, the Shabbat before Purim, it is essential not to get carried away in what look like our tradition's calls for retributive violence. Rather, we must remember what it means to be holy, to learn from our experience as victims and to promote peace whenever we can.
I believe so many contradictory things, the game of tug-of-war can be exhausting. In Parashat B'reishit, we encounter a world of rights and wrongs, and we are empowered through the concept of "creation in the image of God" to see our lives as if they have purpose and significance. But the scientific worldviews that class with B'reishit promise us comfort and political progress while stripping our lives of higher purpose. What are we to do with these competing truths? Of course, I don't have an answer, but I do have foundational beliefs that help provide some contours and contexts for the discussion of faith and doubt.
The Shabbat between Yom Kippur and Sukkot is a perfect time to prepare ourselves for the Festival of Ingathering, a holiday on which we work hard to welcome everyone to our table.
Our congregation is proud of our "Caring Community," which organizes help and support for anyone in our community. This year, we are refreshing and expanding the reach of the Caring Community, and we are especially eager to provide help not only when it's needed but also when it's just plain helpful? My Rosh Hashanah sermon explores the difference between meeting needs and kindly helping and asks community members to join us in our endeavor in the year ahead.
Britain has a new king! This moment has led to reflection the world over on the topic of monarchy and leadership, but of course, these aren't new questions in Jewish tradition. We call God Melech Haolam, "King of the Universe" - but what does this metaphor really mean? (Hint: It doesn't mean that God is petty, selfish slave-driver!)
Many of us struggle with an instinct to take the world's problems onto our shoulders. We're not the first, of course - Moses also faced the same challenge. How do we see ourselves as meaningful change agents without drowning in the sea of work that remains to be done?
This week marks the 50th anniversary of the ordination of Sally Priesand as the first woman to be ordained at a Jewish seminary. We pause to consider the role of women in the rabbinate for the past half-century as well as trailblazers in other areas and fields.
Often, arguments about environmental stewardship focus on the importance of preserving human life. What would it mean to center the land itself as an object of our concern regardless of its effect on human flourishing? This week's parashah challenges us to do just that, to see the land from God's point of view and to take a giant, humble step backward in estimating our own importance to its continued life.
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About“To be effective, the preacher's message must be alive; it must alarm, arouse, challenge; it must be God's present voice to a particular people.” Archives
April 2023
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