By Rabbi Jonathan Biatch
There is one theme that stands out in the book of Leviticus, that we will soon conclude, and it is the ideal of perfection.
That heart-attack-causing demon that many of us pursue, each of us in our own ways; that unattainable goal that our parents voicelessly but u…
By Rabbi Yona Matusof
It is customary to study Pirkei Avot (the "chapters of Avot") between the holidays of Pesach and Shavuot – the season of the giving of our Torah. (Shavuot starts May 16 in the evening)
To be worthy of receiving the Torah on Shavuot, we try to perfect our character. …
By Rabbi Betsy Forester
Neither hunkered down in full quarantine nor fully “free” for the social intercourse we knew before the pandemic, we are beginning to venture out, but not without trepidation. We are living in an in-between, liminal, space. As much as we yearned for a vaccine, no…
By Rabbi Renée Bauer
We often count our days. We count down the days until we are fully vaccinated, until the new president takes office, until the clocks change, and the days are longer. This type of countdown has been one way that many of us have coped with the seemingly endless, similar…
By Rabbi Judy Greenberg
In the weeks between Passover and Shavuot, we count the Omer. In ancient times, this period marked the beginning of the barley harvest. Jews would bring an offering of their first harvest of barley to the Temple in Jerusalem. The Torah tells us, “You shall count fr…
