Many years ago, when I was starting to become religious, I asked Micha Berger (who would later become a rabbi) how one made sense of the mitzvot -- why were we doing these particular things, how should we understand the purpose of individual mitzvot? He said something to the effect that understanding is over-rated and that if you do something ( Read more... )

Rabbi Donniel Hartman gave a fascinating talk called "Faith and Reason". This is not a full description of that talk (too much). It's not really even a complete summary, as I'm skipping past a bunch of stage-setting. This is more of a partial summary plus reaction all rolled into one. (I'll try to be clear when he's talking and when I am.)
R. ( Read more... )

More from that parlor game: Comment to this post and say you want a set, and I will pick seven things I would like you to talk about. They might make sense or be totally random. Then post that list, with your commentary, to your journal. Other people can get lists from you, and the meme merrily perpetuates itself.
jducoeur gave me ( Read more... )

Our torah-study group has been talking about the akeidah (binding of Yitzchak) for a few months (just finished). One opinion that some people expressed is that, in addition to the individual and family tragedy that would result if Avraham had not been stopped, this was a national threat: if Yitzchak died then that would end the whole ( Read more... )

Friday night we had a service to honor our congregation's veterans. It was very moving, including some memories from as far back as WWII. I was surprised to learn how many veterans we have, and those just the ones who responded to a request to self-identify. Seeing a good number of them there, some in uniform (or at least parts thereof), felt ( Read more... )

There is a legend that, one night in Aushwitz, the prisoners held a court, putting God on trial for allowing the Holocaust to happen. As part of marking Yom HaShoah this past week, my congregation held a viewing of a PBS film, God on Trial, dramatizing this.
It's a powerful film, and at some point I plan to borrow the DVD so I ( Read more... )

(This is somewhat stream-of-consciousness.)
This morning in torah study we talked about this part of Nitzavim ( Read more... )

( religion, musical instruments, operating systems, misc )

I was recently given a photocopy of the article "Conservative Judaism in an Age of Democracy" by Rabbi Harold Kushner. (I think it came from Conservative Judaism magazine. I can't find an online copy.) This theologically-attuned Reform Jew found it a fascinating read.
( Read more... )

"Everything is in the hands of heaven except the fear of heaven." Rabbi Chanina bar Chama, commenting on Deuteronomy 10:12.
One of Dani's relatives asked me a question during our visit ( Read more... )