Return Us to You
A prayer in praise and thanksgiving for the ark and it’s holy contents. See also, “Ki Mi’Tzion.” Return Us to You Open, Gateway to holiness! Open…
Read articleGuest Writer: Eliza Scheffler
Eliza Scheffler is a first-year rabbinical student at HUC-JIR in Jerusalem. She took my class, “Introduction to Creative Liturgy.” This is what she wrote when I opened…
Read articleV’Zot HaBracha: Unseen Lands
As the Torah closes, Moses goes up from the steppes of Moab to Mount Nebo. G-d shows him the land. He sees from afar. So much…
Read articleHa’azinu: We Are Music
In this week’s parasha Ha’azinu (Deut. 22), Moses sings a majestic farewell song, beginning by calling on the heavens to hear. The Haftarah (II Sam. 22:1-51)…
Read articleAvraham, Waiting (Spoken Word Version)
This is half prayer prayer, half Torah drash written as spoken word poetry. In Tanach, ‘hineni’ — ‘here I am’ — is a response to a direct…
Read articleBreisheit: Evidence of Holiness
In a patch of sky seen from the South Pole, researchers say they have glimpsed the beginning of time, a faint microwave glow of the Big…
Read articleKorach: For Political Leadership
In this week’s Torah portion Moses and Aaron face a rebellion. It fails and the perpetrators are punished. This is a prayer for wise and dedicated…
Read articleShelach Lecha 5775: Gathering, A Dream of Reunion
This week’s Torah portion includes the commandment to wear tzitzit — fringes — on the corners of our garments (Numbers 15:37-41), which we fulfill with the tallit. The…
Read articleEmor: Your Name: Meditation at Dusk
In Parashat Emor, in one amazing line, we are given twin injunctions: one against profaning G-d’s name (chillul hashem) and the other to sanctity G-d’s name…
Read articleShemini: G-d on Tiptoes
Early in this week’s Torah portion, a very simple line appears: “…the glory of G-d appeared unto all the people.” (Leviticus 9:23) The simplicity stands in…
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