Thought on the Days of Awe and Joy The Days of Awe and Days of Joy (Rosh HaShanah, the 10 Days of Turning, Yom Kippur and Sukkot) form a...

Revering, Walking, Loving, Serving Reflections of Torah portion Ekev 2021 (from previous versions) This week’s Torah potion, Ekev, has a...

This week is the first of seven weeks that take us to Rosh HaShanah. This week’s Torah portion is an excellent first step. We have here...

In the Bible, Passover is a seven-day observance, with the first and last days being holidays. The middle days are called “chol ha-mo’ed”...

From Darkness to Wisdom Thoughts on Torah Portion Vayeitzei 2020 (adapted from 2018) I can imagine Jacob justifiably bemoaning his fate...

“How did things get this way?” is probably one of the first things that ancient human beings asked. Not most of them, for sure. Like...

Seekers of Truth Among the Ruins Thoughts on the Sabbath Before the 9th of Av (Parshat Devarim) Well-being is within your reach. We’ve...

Knowledge, Will and Blessings Thoughts on Torah Portion Naso 2020 (adapted from 2019) I often meet with a person who is looking to change...

Torah Portion Tzav 2019 How do we image the inner life? There are many maps and metaphors for depicting the dynamics of inner work, but...

Random Thoughts on Torah portion Mishpatim I Our Torah portion begins with laws about slavery. Who begins their Constitution with laws...

Torah Portion Bo The Jewish tradition loves serious play with words. This week’s Torah portion begins with God telling Moses, “Go to...

Reflections on the Daily Spiritual Practice #4 Here is where we are at in my series on "setting up and maintaining a daily practice":...

Reflections on the Daily Spiritual Practice #3 We studied the Kabbalistic emanations during the seven weeks between Passover and Shavu'ot...

Reflections on the Daily Spiritual Practice #2 Last week on Shabbat morning I went into some detail in the 9:00 AM session on the basic...

Our Torah portion this week, Nasso, contains the priestly blessing, verses that are very difficult to translate experientially. For...

I am always a bit perplexed by those troubled by the passage in this week’s Torah portion where God is depicted as hardening Pharaoh’s...

Torah Portion VaYechi 2017 (adapted from 2016) When I was a graduate student at USC, I frequented a nearby supermarket with a deli...

It is time for my annual “Christmas sermon.” Instead of sidestepping the holiday, I see the Shabbat nearest Christmas as an opportunity...

If you understand psychoanalysis, you can understand the basic worldview of the Kabbalah. The original meaning of "analysis" in Greek is...

Of all of sublime indications that “the Bible is literature, not journalism” the subtle threads exuding from this week’s Torah portion...