Posts tagged Torah
Vayakhel: Every Letter, Every One

I was invited by T’ruah (the rabbinic call for human rights) to write a d’var Torah for this week’s parsha for their weekly (M)oral Torah. Having an opportunity to write about any social justice issue, anything that keeps me up at night, I considered many possible themes from Vayekhel before I accepted that what I needed to write was personal.

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Another Day

In this d’var Torah, I’m about to share a pretty personal story with you. Most of the time, when we donate blood, or volunteer, or help someone who plans to give remember to stay hydrated, or advocate for science-informed and inclusive donor eligibility policy, the person whose life we are sustaining on the other side of that donation is marvelously ordinary. They are probably so scared. We are helping them hold onto their muchness. And maybe that blood will be all they need. Or, more likely, that blood will mix in with the blood of lots of other people, and all together a life gets sustained. Beth Jacob’s Blood Drive this year is next week on Sunday, January 19, from 8:30-2:30. Donate there. Donate somewhere. Volunteer.

Please do consider committing one of your days to helping someone like me have another one.  

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HARVESTS OF THE HEART:
 LOVING OUR NEIGHBORS AND WELCOMING THE STRANGERS

Imagine! While Miguel and I shared this d’var Torah on the bima at Mount Zion Temple in Saint Paul, back in Honduras Sindy was delivering her baby - the little pumpkin in this picture. As soon as we’d finished speaking, Miguel rushed to the lobby where he got on the phone with Viktor who shouted with joy, “It’s done!” And mama and baby were both doing great. Welcome to the world, little one! When we learn his name in the days or weeks ahead (in Honduras, many people wait to name their babies to see if they will survive.) I’ll be sure to share it here.

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Our Brother's Keepers

CHUKAT NUMBERS 19:1 – 22:1

We thought that when God said, “It is not good for human beings to be alone,” (Genesis 2:18) God responded by creating a couple. What the Karen people understand, and we would do well to learn, is that God didn’t stop with that couple. God created us to be family.

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I Wanna Hold Your Hand

BEHA'ALOT'CHA: NUMBERS 8:1 - 12:16

When someone is ill, we go beyond the letter of the law. We find them where they are. We learn what they need and we do something about it. We join them . . . nothing fancy. We just . . . join them. And we reach out with a hand and with others we catch them, or we take on some of their weight. We hold them. El na refa na la.

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What's In A Name

VAYACHEL-PEKUDEI (EXODUS 35:1−40:38)

My perception of Vayachel-Pekudei is forever shaped by my memories of a young woman developing her voice and claiming her own style of leadership, of the sweet, plump cheeks of a baby who needed to come in his own time – even though some of us worried that it was maybe a little early, of his mother’s hand on the top of his big brother’s head, and of his father’s intense and loving eyes gazing down at him.

With his parents’ permission, I share with you the words I shared with him.

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