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Rabbi's Corner – February 2024: Resetting Time

1/30/2024

February 2024 has no Jewish holidays. And on both the secular calendar and Jewish calendar, February 2024 brings "leap time" – a leap day on February 29, and a whole leap month (Adar I) in Jewish time.

It's as if this no-holidays month operates to re-set time, to recalibrate so that not only calendars re-align but also so that we do. Because it does – for our community as well.

Coming Out to God (P. Yitro)

1/30/2024

The journey from meaninglessness to identity to vision to purpose is a journey that hopefully all of us will choose to take throughout our lives. It's the quintessential journey of personal human development. It's also the quintessential journey of collective societal becoming.

For our ancient spiritual ancestors freed from Egyptian bondage, seven weeks of desert wandering led them to Sinai. There the Ten Commandments forged with them a new sacred covenant of spirit, ethics, relationship and law – who they were, and what they must become.

We've been tripping over it ever sense.

Freedom! Now, What Have You Done For Me Lately? (P. Beshallah)

1/23/2024

Rescued from centuries of Egyptian bondage, our spiritual ancestors reached the Sea of Reeds. Pharaoh changed his mind and came charging with his army. It took a wall of fire to block them, and a miracle to split the sea so our ancestors could leave Egypt behind once and for all.

We were free at last. Then the kvetching began.

Our Single Garment of Destiny

1/14/2024

No liberation comes easy. In whatever form bondage may come, and whether we mean individual or collective shackles, freedom's path always entails effort, drama, uncertainty and suffering along the way.

This poignant week coinciding with Dr. Martin Luther King Day 2024, and the Torah portion of Israelite freedom from Egyptian bondage, proves the point utterly – and urges us to keep walking that path as never before.

A Dream, Partly Fulfilled (P. Vaera)

1/8/2024

Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech invoked the prophetic call for people of all colors and creeds, "Jews and gentiles," to walk together "free at last." Now 60 years later, the dream is yet only partly fulfilled – and not only for African-Americans.

This troubled era – and this week's pivotal Torah portion at the precipice of ancient Israelite liberation from Egyptian bondage – reminds us that our own prophetic dream of a world truly free and redeemed from bondage remains only partly fulfilled. And, now more than ever, it's up to us.

The Cry Heard 'Round the World (P. Shemot)

1/2/2024

The Israelite freedom from Egyptian slavery is the liberation story of Western civilization. African-American slaves and later citizens living under Jim Crow mapped their journey to the Israelites journey. Liberation theology is the paradigm theology of everyone who would be free – who seek freedom whether from literal bondage or in emotional and spiritual life.

Yet often we forget that our enslaved ancestors' Biblical journey from bondage to liberation began not at the Sea of Reeds, not at the literal release from Egypt, not with the Ten Plagues, and not even with the Burning Bush.

It began far earlier, in the most unlikely of places.

Rabbi's Corner – January 2024: Spring Ahead?

1/2/2024

Happy 2024! I hope this secular year dawns bright and hopeful for you and your loved ones.

And, Jewishly speaking, happy spring! It's weird but true: we're on the runway for spring already.

The Jewish calendar has two over-arching time motives. One is the summer-autumn move of seven weeks leading to Rosh Hashanah, then through Yom Kippur and Sukkot to Simhat Torah. The other is the winter-spring move from Tu b'Shevat through Purim and Passover to Shavuot. And because this year's Tu b'Shevat falls "early" in January, we are entering onto the runway to spring.

It feels crazy early, and that's the main point....

Rabbi's Corner – February 2024: Resetting Time

Coming Out to God (P. Yitro)

Freedom! Now, What Have You Done For Me Lately? (P. Beshallah)

Our Single Garment of Destiny

A Dream, Partly Fulfilled (P. Vaera)

The Cry Heard 'Round the World (P. Shemot)

Rabbi's Corner – January 2024: Spring Ahead?

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