This is a practice that is not part of "official" Judaism, meaning the Judaism that is under the authority of men. It is a practice of our grandmothers. But as the 13th Century Spanish rabbi known as the Rashba wrote to his [male] colleagues, "we should not mock the practices of elderly women, for they are certainly founded in sacred origins, even if we have forgotten the reasons."
Read moreIt Is What It Is (!)
Of course, "It is what it is," this over-used, over-articulated cliche, would not be an unreasonable translation of YHWH, our under-articulated name of God. YHWH, another 4-letter word, works out in Hebrew to sound like a great big IS. With a hint of was in the middle and a gesture toward will be at the front. YHWH. Was-Is-Will-Be.
Read moreI saw God walk by in the shape of a deer.
I saw God walk by in the shape of a deer
But I didn't have my glasses on
So I couldn't even be sure of the deer
Let alone God.
The Angel and the Shepherd
Moshe, still in hot pursuit of the baby goat, splashed right through the puddle of predicament that was the angel Zagnugael. And in that moment, the messenger heard his thoughts.
Read moreThe Renewable Resource of Reciprocal Blessing
...But blessing can be so much more! How do we use blessing to bring more peace to the world? How do we bless in ways that are more expansive and imaginative than Isaac was able to muster? How do we outwit the jinni?
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