Collections of Thoughts and Poetry

#abraham #avraham #lechlecha #parsha #parshatlechlecha The past few days have been so illuminating. Parshat Lech Lecha, one of my favorite parshiyot, begins the story of Avraham and Sarah and their journey toward a promise. Always in the past I have thought about Lecha Lecha as a story about faith which propels Avram and Sarai forward, but this year I understood it differently. Perhaps it was courage that enabled the forefather and foremother to embark upon a journey to the

#afterthedeath #achareimot #parsha #vayikra #parshatvayikra #moses #aaron #aaronssons #sonsofaaron After a break in the weekly parsha cycle, we find ourselves back in Sefer VaYikra and returned to the tragedy of Aaron's sons, Nadav and Avihu, who die suddenly at the altar. This parsha also speaks about Yom Kippur and the goat that is sent to Azazel and there is a great deal of material about forbidden sexual relationships. For my poem this week, I did not progress past the f

#parsha #parshatvaeira #plague #before #expectations #unexpected #after #theplagues #hail #frogs #pharaoh #moses The second parsha of the book of Shemot, Parshat Vaeyra begins with a review of the tribes and ancestry and the chess board continues to be set for what is to come. In this Parsha it is God of determines the length and the extent of destruction of the plagues that are mentioned. The vice is squeezed again and again around the neck of the Egyptians and Pharaoh. Eve

#weallhavedreams #dreaming #snippetsofdreams #dreams #onceuponatime #parsha #parshatvayeisheiv #vayeishev #vayeisheiv #dreams #flyingdreams #growingold #teenagers #wealldream #dreamers #joseph #yosef #angels #wordshavewings In Parshat Vayeishev, we quickly become part of the fabric of the household of Ya'akov and his sons. We meet Yosef, the dreamer and get to know his brothers well. Yosef's dreams are an important way for us to get to know Yosef, but also to foreshadow wha

#writeapoem #writeatorah #yourowntorah #writeasong #yoursong #yourpoem #parshatvayelech #vayelech #parsha #wordshavewings #moses #theendofthestory #reviewthroughpoetry In Parshat Vayeleich we are on the cusp of completion of the torah. All that remains in the final Parsha (Ha'azinu) is the poem that Moshe is to read to the Jewish people before he dies on the mountaintop. In Parshat Vayeleich, God makes clear that God wishes the final wishes to be in the form of Shir, which c

#kitavo #parshatkitavo #elul #finalparshiyot #parsha #rememberwhereyoucamefrom #rememberyourroots Parshat Ki Tavo has the Hebrews on the cusp of arriving to the Promised Land. Moses continues to review the important lessons and he tells the people, "As soon as you have crossed the Jordan into the land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall set up large stones. Coat them with plaster and inscribe upon them all the words of this Teaching. When you cross over to enter

#thepowerofwords #matot #parsha #parshatmatot #parshatmasei #wordshavewings #words #wherearewordsborn #thebirthofwords #creation #creationofwords At the beginning of Parshat Matot, in this double Parsha of Matot/Masei, we learn about the importance of words and vows. Words are as familiar to us as breathing. They are so plentiful that we take them for granted. Once your words leave your mouth they no longer belong just to you. Promises, oaths, pledges are heard and tora

#theroadtrip #wordshavewings #behaalotecha #parsha #inthedesert #likekids Parshat Behaalotecha can break your heart. In Torah we feel pathos many times for many characters. The books of Breisheet and Shemot are filled with characters who suffer and we suffer along with them. In this parsha, B'haalotecha, we see Moses, the person we depend upon for stability, begin to fall apart. A good amount of text has been devoted to how the Israelites are to prepare for their journe

#tazriametzora #parsha #parshattazriametzora Parshiyot Tazria/Metzora are usually combined. They speak largely of a skin affliction and what happens if the affliction is discovered. What do you do if it is discovered on your hands, on your head, in your home. The Parsha also discusses bodily fluids that are secreted, whether by men or women. Blood or semen change a person's status and there are various steps that need to be taken until a person's baseline status is restore

#ourclothing #wearetransformed #tetzaveh #parsha #masks #purim #covid #wordshavewings I knew there was another poem here..... This is a poem based on Aaron being chosen to be the High Priest and the description of what he wore. It is a continuation of my last post.... It was good this week to have the time to think about clothing, what it does to us, for us and how it transforms us. Do you have any clothing that transforms you? I'd love to hear. Once, long ago, there was a

#yesyoucan #changehappens #change #justice #mishpatim #parsha #poetry #wordshavewings #thebelloffreedom #ringthebelloffreedom Parshat Mishpatim begins by talking about slavery and then progresses to list a code of laws to govern ethical behavior. Parshat Mishpatim, and its wide ranging presentation of laws, requires us to be fair to the underdog, to be honest in business dealings and foremost to remember that once we were slaves and to treat others with dignity and respect.

#bshalach #parsha #poetry #wordshavewings #thesongofthesea #crossingthesea #parshapoetry #poetry #commentary This coming Shabbat we celebrate the Hebrews crossing the sea, the beautiful Parshat B'Shalach. This Parsha is written in great detail and there is a rhythm which builds to the drama of the crossing. Following the crossing, and perhaps equally dramatic, is the Song of the Sea, led by Miriam. It is easy to get caught up in the excitement, the glory and the gratitude

#wewearthememory #memoriesoffreedom #tefillin #parsha #parshatBo #bo #wordshavewings #wecarrytheweight #freedom #MLKday #freedomandequality #endofslavery #exodus #shemot #shmot #laytefillin #martinlutherking #mlkday #mlk Parshat Bo, to be read next Shabbat, is at the heart of Judaism. This is the Parsha that we re-live each year on Passover. This is our story of freedom and it is the story we passionately recall not only during the seder but most mornings when we lay tefi

#avoice #voice #parsha #moses #frespeech #watchyourwords #expressyourself #thevoice #challenges #bewise #youhaveavoice #parshatVaeira #vaeira #voicesforgood Parshat Vaeira emphasizes time and again the importance of the voice. There are repeated references to Moses speaking to the Hebrews and to Pharaoh without results. Moses is afraid to use his authentic voice as he is self conscious of its limitations. Aaron serves as a mouthpiece for Moses because of this discomfort. G

#whome #leadership #noconfidence #ordinary #excuses #leadersandfollowers #moses #parsha #parshatshemot #shemot #moses #moshe #mosherabeinu #thecalling #whyme In Parshat Shemot we meet Moses for the first time. We learn about his beginnings, his family and Pharaoh's daughter who adopts him. We see him flee to Midian after murdering an Egyptian and then the story pivots dramatically when God calls Moses to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt. We have already learned about Moses' ch

#anywhere #anytime #cog #systems #failingsystems #parsha #parshatshemot #broken #workhard #hardwork #erosion #thingschange #usvsthem #them #us #keepyourheaddown The beginning of the book of Exodus brings us to Egypt generations after Jacob and his family immigrated there during the famine. For a period of time the descendants of Jacob prospered. They multiplied and grew and grew. The Pharaoh who knew Joseph died and as the memory of Joseph faded, the Egyptians felt the nee

#wrestlingwithangels #dancingwithangels #music #musicinmyears #parsha #vayishlach #danceatmidnight #danceatdawn #danceofthemoon #jacob #angels #danceofangels #feetpounding #heartbeats #rhythms In Parshat VaYishlach, Ya'akov's identity changes as his name is changed from Ya'akov to Yisrael, which means "a struggle with God." In a vivid scene, an angel appears to Ya'akov and they spend the night wresting. Only toward dawn does Ya'akov triumph over the angel, but not before the

#parsha #parshateikev #dvartorah #thelongcarride #goingtocollege #parentsandworries #parentsandchildren #parentsalwaysworry #enteringthepromisedland #warnings #moses #moseswarns #allthoseteachings #teachyourchildren #goingtocollege #thejewishpeople #moses #deuteronomy Going backward in time a little, here is last week's Dvar Torah on Parshat Eikev. Here's a quick review of the Parsha from ReformJudaism.org Moses tells the Israelites that if they follow God's laws, the nations