This Shabbat, the Shabbat preceding Tisha B’Av, is called Shabbat Chazon, named for the chazon, the vision of the Prophet Isaiah that is the Haftarah for this day. It is a dark and menacing vision of the impending doom the Israelites are bringing upon themselves. They are guilty of spiritual hypocrisy, says Isaiah, for they Continue Reading »
This week we have a double portion: Matot, meaning Tribes, and Masei, meaning Journeys. We are at the end of B’midbar, the book of Numbers, and in the fortieth year of wandering in the desert. This portion addresses diverse topics and makes for interesting reading. It begins with a list of laws relating to the Continue Reading »
There is much to unpack from this week’s Torah portion, Parashat Balak. It is a well- known story of a man sent to curse our people only to have the curse turned into a blessing, and it is a story seemingly out of place. It is a story to which neither Moses nor the Israelites Continue Reading »
In Talmud Berachot 34a, Rabbi Yochanan teaches that one may pray only in a room that has windows. His prooftext is from the book of Daniel, where we learn that while he was in exile in Babylonia Daniel prayed in a space that had a window facing Jerusalem. The message of this text is twofold. Continue Reading »
A certain anecdote comes to mind when I think about this week’s Torah portion, Sh’lach Lecha. I have shared it before, but it is so apropos that I can’t resist sharing it again. Two shoe salesmen from Britain went off to Africa in the early 1900’s to seek new markets for their wares. After a Continue Reading »
This week, we read Parashat Beha’alotecha from the Book of Numbers. The highlights include Aaron being commanded to raise light in the lamps of the menorah and the institution of a Second Passover in response to a group of Jews who were unable to bring an offering on time before Passover because they were Continue Reading »
When Leigh Miller became our temple president two years ago, he was looking forward to helping us continue to grow as a temple family in important and meaningful ways, building on the strength of the leadership that preceded him. In his first holy day address, Leigh urged us to embrace one another and TBE more Continue Reading »
I’m standing in a mixed and colorful crowd, electric with excitement in the Castro District of San Francisco. The street is filled with people as far as the eye can see heading eastward. There is a chill in the air from a fog just rolling in, with heat still coming up from the pavement. We Continue Reading »
We are truly living through history. I suppose that may be true each day, but the events of the last 14 months are ones we will reflect upon for the rest of our lives and will surely retell to future generations of our families. I’m sure it is now obvious to all of us, that Continue Reading »
We are pleased to announce that we will begin welcoming congregants to in-person worship beginning June 11. Our re-opening task force has been monitoring Federal, State and County COVID data and guidelines, and work in close consultation with our medical professionals actively involved in the task force. Our objective is to come back together safely, Continue Reading »
