In the torah portion of Terumah, the theme of equal access to all is continued. God is not to be found only in the Heavens, instead, God says 'build for Me a sanctuary, so that I may dwell in your midst." Judaism is the religion of close contact between humankind and the holy. Let us continue to build a world that is worthy of God to dwell in.
In this week's parsha of Mishpatim the Israelites say to God "naaseh ve'nishmah" - all that you say we will do and we will hear." This proclamation of faith and support demonstrates the necessity for hope and belief even when one does not yet know all of the details for what is to come.
In this week's parsha of Yitro, God descends to Mt Sinai in a thick murky cloud to give the people the 10 commandments. While the Israelites keep a safe distance, Moses steps into the fog to meet God. This is what we must to.. embrace mystery or miss out on the whole thing.
In the torah portion of Beshalach, the Israelites finally escape from Egypt and make their way to the Promised Land. As they roam through the desert they begin to complain of hunger. They are given manna. Soon they will complain about that as well. What does their story teach us about a positive outlook and when we have it?
In this week's torah portion of Bo we find the final 3 of the 10 plagues against the Egyptians. We also find the very first commandment given to the Israelites - that they must mark each new moon, Rosh Chodesh. Time, more than space, is the focus of sanctification in Judaism.
In this week's torah portion of Va'era we have the first seven of the ten plagues against the Egyptians. In the context of Moses striking down the task-master that was beating a slave and the drowning of the Egyptians in the Sea.. the question remains how should we feel about the use of violence?
This week's torah portion, Shemot, marks the beginning of the second book of Torah - the Book Of Exodus. In these early stories of moving towards liberation, we find a Moses who is hesitant to lead the people out of slavery: what if they do not listen to me, he asks. Yet they do. Most of the time we are more likely to be surprised than for our expectations of complete failure met.
In this week's torah portion of Vayechi, the last section from the book of Genesis, we have the passing of Jacob and Joseph. Both give big speeches to their family before they die. Why wait to share your greatest wisdom to till the end? Have you ever heard of living eulogies? Now is the time to tell your loved ones how you feel.
In this week's torah portion of Vayigash, we find Jacob getting ready to head out from Be'er Sheva and travel to Egypt to reunite with his son, Joseph. Before he begins this journey with his whole family (all together they are 70) he send Judah ahead first. Some commentators say it was to establish a school for the children as their first act in their new home.
In this week's torah portion of "Miketz", Joseph names his two sons Ephraim and Menashe. To this day as parents bless their sons on Shabbat evening by saying "may you be blessed as Ephraim and Menashe". Tune in to hear about ideas for kids conversations at Shabbat dinner.
In this week's torah portion of Vayeshev Joseph tells his brothers of his dreams of them prostrating low before him. Surprisingly, or rather predictably, he finds himself in the bottom of a pit - cast away by those very same brothers. Yet, who we were is not who we will become.
In this week's Torah portion of "Vayishlach", we find a Jacob that is wrestling with an angel all through the night. During the battle, Jacob says "I refuse to let go until you have blessed me." Afterwards, his name is changed to Israel - the one that wrestles with God.
In this week's Torah portion of Vayetzei, we find a Jacob who is so focused on his journey to find himself a wife that he nearly misses an encounter with God. In what ways are we, too, like Jacob hurtling towards our future goals at the expense of missing out on the present?
This weeks torah portion of "Toldot", we find an Isaac that is both innovator and also traditionalist. As he is travelling, Isaac discovers the wells dug by his father Abraham. He re-opens them and maintains the names that his father had given them. He then goes on to dig three new wells of his own.
This weeks torah portion of Chayei Sarah opens with the death of Sarah and concludes with the death of Abraham. Ishmael, the forgotten son, reunites with Isaac to bury their father. The Jewish tradition seems to despise figures like Ishmael and Esau. Why?
What are the connections between laughing and crying? It's all just air and water.. shortness of breath in our lungs and tears in our eyes. This weeks Torah portion of Vayera has two pivotal stories involving these actions. A reminder of the importance of showing how we are feeling.
Welcome to Season 2 of the Raising Holy Sparks Podcast. This week, we look at the parshah of Lech Lecha - of Abraham's journey to the land that God will show him. This section raises interesting questions about ownership of land.. but perhaps that is the wrong question.
For the Parshah of Noah, we dive deep into the flood to learn the important lesson about listening to the universe before it's too late.
Welcome to Season 2 of the Raising Holy Sparks Podcast. Over the course of the next 12 months, we will go through the weekly Torah portions as we go in search of the holy sparks hidden in plain sight. We begin this week with the first parshah of the Book of Genesis.
The Raising Holy Sparks podcast will be switching formats from interviews to weekly torah portion highlights - where we search for the holy sparks hidden amidst the seemingly ordinary. For our final interview we are joined by Shoshanna Keats Jaskoll.
In 2014, Rabbi Greenwald was named one of “America’s Most Inspiring Rabbis” by the Jewish Daily Forward. In 2016, Rabbi Greenwald received the prestigious Covenant Foundation's Pomegranate Prize. This week he joins the RHS podcast.
When it comes to addiction and recovery, Rabbi Ilan Glazer believes it is crucial to get to the core of the issue. Whether stress management, self-love, or emotional and spiritual reflection, Rabbi Ilan advocates for the good life after addiction.
Feeling that his spiritual journey had stagnated in Jerusalem, Rabbi Mike Comins set out for the desert to find his voice there instead. In this episode Rabbi Mike shares about the power of doing spiritual reflection in the places of our ancestors.
For the asylum seekers that have arrived in South Tel Aviv fleeing forced army conscription, torture, and sexual assault in their native Sudan and Eritrea they have faced many hurdles yet also found many friends in people such as Rabbi Susan Silverman.
Netanel Miles-Yepez is a scholar of the mystical traditions of Judaism and Islam - Hasidism and Sufism, respectively. Netanel discusses the lessons that he learned from his teacher Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and how he passes these lessons on.
Victoria Hanna is a vocal artist; not a singer. You will instantly see the difference when you watch her music videos. It's not just about the melodies that make your body move, it's also about uttering words in a way that will wake up your soul.
I had always wanted to pray - to open my heart and express my thoughts and feelings out to the world - to God - in a completely honest and vulnerable way but the pressure was too great... that is, at least, until I read the writing of Professor Mark Yakich.
The horrifying events of the Kishinev Pogrom, which left 49 Jews killed and 600 raped or wounded, would spur to action defenders of justice with organisations such as the NAACP. Steven Zipperstein joins this latest episode to unearth the nuanced history.
Rabbi Art Green talks about what it means to create a Judaism that would have been open and inviting (without judgement) to spiritual seekers, rule breakers, and border crossers such as Abraham. We also discuss the modern addiction to success.
From the formative experiences of a diverse boarding school in New Mexico to studying Arabic in Egypt, Dr. Celene Ibrahim has been transformed by the world of interfaith conversations and the voices of women. She is now a scholar and activist for both.
