Welcome again to Shabbat Awakenings, a weekly reflection as we move toward Shabbat. This week we honor the memory of Israel’s leader, Shimon Peres. Today is the funeral of Shimon Peres. The world still needs people like him. The Jewish people especially. His passion for peace, for progress, and for possibility formed the foundation of […]

Welcome again to Shabbat Awakenings, a weekly reflection as we move toward Shabbat. To be able to express gratitude is a prayer in and of itself. As the Talmud teaches, “Words from the heart enter the heart.” (Berachot 6b) Appreciation is awareness of the riches of our lives, which most often have no monetary value […]

Welcome again to Shabbat Awakenings, a weekly reflection as we move toward Shabbat. This week’s Torah portion, Ki Tetzei, provides a plethora of instructions and wisdom to prepare the Jewish people before they will cross over into the land. There isn’t necessarily any new information here that hasn’t been brought up before in the Torah. […]

Welcome again to Shabbat Awakenings, a weekly reflection as we move toward Shabbat. “Justice, Justice, shall you pursue.” Tzedek, Tzedek, Tirdof. (Deuteronomy 16:20) This command comes from this week’s Torah portion, entitled Shoftim. It begins with the instruction to appoint judges and magistrates who must govern the people fairly and without partiality. Moses prepares the […]

Welcome again to Shabbat Awakenings, a weekly reflection as we move toward Shabbat. This week is about the possibility of transformation. We are in the third week of reading the prophet, Isaiah, as part of the cycle of counting seven weeks toward Rosh Hashanah starting after Tisha B’Av. The theme of comfort continues. With the […]