Yesod of Chesed
I would love to talk about this with Abraham, but he’s wandered a bit from the group. He does that sometimes. You wouldn’t think it to look at him, but he walks fast and often ends up near the front. Then he stops and just . . . looks. I don’t know at what. Do you? I only have ideas of what he might be seeing that the rest of us don’t as he gazes across the expanse.
I wish I could remember his name.
I definitely remember his face, and while I can’t say I’d recognize his long black coat or his black hat or the way he walks anywhere, I do recognize him here.
I know that’s him. Just over there shifting his bag to the other shoulder.
Read MoreFour Days of the Omer
Netzak of Chesed
Determination of Lovingkindness
Erev Shabbat/Shabbat
Evening of April 26 through April 27
I wonder if they still dream of water. After 40 days and 40 nights of rain, 150 days of flood before the water receded I think even all these years later I might still dream of water. Water as endless as this desert. On the other hand, walking through day 202, 150 days feels . . . different. Sighing heavily, I notice that Na’amah has linked her arm through Noah’s and she is regaling him with a story. With her free arm she gestures dramatically and when she pauses he chuckles. It’s a very Jewish chuckle and it carries over the din of people walking and chatting.
Read MoreTiferet of Chesed
An older woman has joined us. She has joined us only for this day; she is walking beside Sarah. The weight of their story seems to cling like pendants along their spines. There isn’t ease between them, they have history. They have bitterness and insult and jealousy and harshness and enslavement. Their gaits are a little stiff, but most of all not rushed as they walk together.
I wish I could hear what they are saying.
Read MoreDay Two of the Omer
Gevurah of Chesed
Boundaries/Discipline in Lovingkindness
I’m thinking about Yitro, Moses’s father-in-law and priest of Midian. I can see him there, just ahead of us. His eyes are sparkling as he walks with Caleb and Joshua. It’s hard to say what they might be talking about, but I think Joshua is . . . laughing? Yeah. He’s definitely laughing.
Read MoreYou are enough for this story . . . you are an omer.
And me, too.
And this day?
This day is an omer.
This day is enough.
This first day.
Day one.
Yotzer Or
by Rabbi Amy Josefa Ariel
for Trans Day of Visibility, March 31, 2024
with gratitude to Rabbi Ariel Tovlev
One Sunday in January I asked our minyan members for the words and phrases and ideas and feelings on their hearts as we turned to praying for the hostages held in Gaza, the people of Gaza, Israelis, Jews, Palestinians, and everyone in the Land. Within moments words began to populate the chat - words that held pain and hope and despair and questions. So many questions. I asked, and I told them I asked, with the intention of taking the words and thoughts and adding my own and crafting a prayer. I wrote Anu Korim.
Read MoreAntisemitism means prejudice against or hatred of Jews. I am 49. I reflected this morning that when I was in 7th and 8th grade my peers in a small town in Missouri said things to me like, “You would fit so well in an oven.” Antisemitism affects us, but it is not about us. It feels hard right now because it is hard right now. It’s real.
I’m here to help however I can.
I was invited by T’ruah (the rabbinic call for human rights) to write a d’var Torah for this week’s parsha for their weekly (M)oral Torah. Having an opportunity to write about any social justice issue, anything that keeps me up at night, I considered many possible themes from Vayekhel before I accepted that what I needed to write was personal.
Read MoreSometimes our students pick up on things we didn’t realize we were teaching.
Sometimes our legacy gives illuminating insight about our lives.
Our parsha this week is Chaye Sarah, which means the life - or really lives - of Sarah.
It is also the bat mitzvah parsha of my student Tamar.
A few weeks ago I had the great honor of officiating at a baby naming!
Eve: “Pinky swear?” I reached out toward my camera with my pinky.
God: “Pinky swear.” God smiled and reached back toward me.
We pinky swore through the screen, folding distances of all kinds.
Today is a dawn to dusk fast day.
Yeah. The day after Rosh HaShanah.
Today we remember Gedaliah, but who was he, anyway?
We are out here in the field.
This field that is here for us.
The Queen is here, too.
These seven weeks of 49 days are a time of consolation.
They are a time to ask ourselves and to ask each other questions so specific we can answer them in this particular moment. Where am I right now? How am I right now? What do I need right now? What good can I bring into the world right now? What is one thing I can do to comfort someone right now? What comfort do I need right now?
These are the right now weeks.
They are tender.
I’ve included a link to my Sounds of Comfort playlist with this post.
When I come in contact with something, touch something, or someone, it’s my skin-and-bone self touching and it’s also that deep, personal Self. When someone touches me, the me they are touching is also both my skin-and-bone self and that deep, personal Self. I am a whole being: Skin and bone and soul.
Read MoreA few years ago, I wanted a prayer, a reflection, for before the Amidah.
So I wrote one.
I would love to know what you’d add.
Or better yet, I’d love to know what prayer or reflection you would write.
Happy Juneteenth.
I am so very honored to share a guest post!
My student Evan Hymes, a member of Mount Zion Temple, has given me permission to share his words of Torah on Naso, and quite honestly, I find them brilliant. He shared them yesterday on the bima at Mount Zion.
I’m thinking about God in new ways because of Evan, and you might, too.
He celebrated becoming bar mitzvah on May 27th, 2023, 7 Sivan 5783.
Mazel Tov & lots of love, Evan! You did it!
The first thing you need to know is this: I do not know when Elmer died.
Well, that’s not entirely true.
I know he died in October.
Seven months ago.
And also before you know that you also need to know that this is a draft.
A first draft.
I am writing without a plan and anything could happen.
The second thing you need to know is that I found out that Elmer died on Wednesday.
Not “a” Wednesday.
Wednesday.
Two days ago.
