Kedoshim: Holy
Kedoshim opens with a spectacular line: “Ye shall be holy, for I, Adonai your G-d, am Holy.” (Lev 19:2) We’re commanded to be holy. How can…
Read articleTerumah 5775: Tabernacle
In Terumah, this week’s Torah portion, we get the instructions for creating the Sanctuary, the portable structure that accompanied the Israelites as they wandered, including the…
Read articleGravity and Light
During a short walk from “The Bayit” to the dining hall on a crisp fall morning at OSRUI’s Shabbat Shira retreat, my friend Michael said: “Torah…
Read articleAll Returns to Prayer
Here’s another meditation on prayer. It’s a prayer to help me to remember why I pray and how we pray: bowing, seeing, blessing, yearning, welcoming, summoning.…
Read articleUmbrella of Blessings
Here’s a prayer in praise of G-d’s blessings. Why? By remembering the blessings around me – the blessings around my friends and family – my sight…
Read articleBreisheit: This is the Place
Beauty and holiness are everywhere. Here. Now. This prayer dreams of messianic times, while making the bold assertion that holiness is already here, that holiness is already…
Read articleReceiving Blessings
This prayer is about opening my heart to receive blessings. Why? For me, it is easier to bless than to accept the blessings of others. Even…
Read articleShabbat as a Meditation
This meditation moves through the themes of Shabbat, reinforcing the rhythm of the day, the internal music of Shabbat. It takes us from candle lighting and…
Read articleLet Us Meet
This is a prayer of invitation. “Let us meet,” Ancient One, in the place where “Your radiance shimmers across creation.” Where is that? Everywhere. I use this…
Read articleAfter Writing a Prayer
Here’s a prayer to be said after writing a prayer. The intention is to express gratitude for the ability to be of service to G-d and…
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