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 the use of the ancien...

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

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

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

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

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 daily practice, calle...

Our Torah portion this week, Nasso, contains the priestly blessing, verses that are very difficult to translate experientially. For example, "May God shine H...

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 heart. People ask, “Is...

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

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

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