Collections of Thoughts and Poetry

#prayer #parshatchayeisarah #chayeisarah #Breisheet #hitbodedut #talkingtoGod #outinthefield When a minyan gathers and prays each morning, noon or evening, we follow a set of scripted words and choreography. These daily prayer experiences give participants the opportunity to thank, bless and to remember, but also, importantly, to build community. Parshat Chayei Sarah is about many things; the journey of Eliezer to Abraham's homeland to find Isaac a mate, and the purchase o

#ontheotherside #sayingkaddish #listening #listeninginsteadofspeaking #prayer #morningminyan #thememoryroom #achange #atransition #transitions An Observation For ten months I stood alone in my living room with my contemporaries and said the kaddish prayer in the Memory Room. I stood looking out of the window or gazing at a photo of mom, or looking down at the floor or at the computer monitor but mostly I concentrated on remembering the words of the kaddish, on saying the w

#jacob #esau #myprayer #prayer #wordshavewings #parshatvayishlach #birthright #areyouthere #doesgodhearourprayers In this poem, the first I will write about Parshat VaYishlach, brings us the edge of a river. It is night, Jacob is alone and is preparing to meet with his brother Esav in the morning. Esav and Jacob did not part ways amicably or honestly. Despite years apart, Jacob still fears his brother's revenge after stealing Esav's birthright. Jacob is now a wealthy man and

#teshuva #teshuvah #yomkippur #aseretmyeiteshuva #asweetyear #ahealthyyear #ayearofpeace #avinumalkeynu #redeemus #grantusgoodhealth #grantussafety #helpus #prayer #prayeroftheheart #selfreflection #reflections #elijahtheprophet #iamariddle I am teshuvah Like Elijah, I visit you each year You are the empty chair waiting for me You are the brimming wine cup on the table I visit and sip  from your conscience  Each sip a tiny itch deep in your head Did I? Should I? Can I? I am

#Kiteitzeh #parshatkiteitzeh #mercy #showingmercy #empathy #showingempathy #training #trainingforthemarathon #spiritualtraining #beitsasson #elul #shofarblowing #sayingkaddish #kehillatisraelbrookline #prayer #beitsasson #selichot #sephardicprayer #Roshhashannah #yomkippur #lookinginward This was a D'var Torah presented this week at Kehillat Israel's morning minyan. The Boston Marathon won't be coming to Boston this year. It didn't come in April and it won't be coming in Sep

#Roshchodeshelul #elul #roshchodesh #newmonth #morningminyan #ki #shacharit #prayer #torahreading #numbers #bookofnumbers #parentsandchildren #averyspecialroom #kaddish #mothersanddaughters #fathersandsons #minyan #musaf #roshchodeshtorahreading Today I had another opportunity to do a Devar Torah for our morning Zoom minyan. I'd like to dedicate it to the memory of Rabbi Hamilton's father, may his memory always be a blessing. Today, had we been in a real instead of a virtual