The creation story is a call and response; a God eager to create, and a World eager to be created. This eagerness drives the world to unfold into becoming itself, and has never yet ended. God commands yehi, “Be!” – and light, land, stars, fruit-trees and animals can’t resist the invitation. “…every living soul burst […]Read Post ›
“These miracles, which your eyes have seen.” Not just wrong to think of a split between faith and science, but dangerous! Physics is the description of the world, and demands no responsibility. But to refer to it as “created” gives the world purpose, makes its existence meaningful, demands a response. On a personal level, that […]Read Post ›
The Torah’s dramatic prophecies of reward and punishment are a call to take responsibility over our interpretations of life. God promises to “face” those who follow divine commandments, blessing them; yet will “turn face against” those who disregard them, with curses. Two sides to the same face! The scientific revolution that encouraged humanity to examine, […]Read Post ›
The Torah introduces a new protagonist. “This is the story of Noah, Noah was a righteous person.” But Jewish tradition likes to ignore the comma: “This is the story of Noah-Noah.” Why not? A double Noah! The planet-saver Noah, and the drunk Noah in his tent. This is not a simple duality, a good side […]Read Post ›
Perhaps the paradox of miracles is this: we see them when we see the world as it is. Yet miracle-consciousness isn’t a romantic filter, and to see only the beautiful, fantastic and improbable in our world remains an illusion. Seeing the world as it is means seeing the darkness as well as the light; being […]Read Post ›
In the first moments of their freedom, Israel are commanded to turn their chaotic escape from Egypt into a permanent ritual: “let this teaching of God be in your mouth – that you were freed from Egypt!” The entire body and being should tingle with this collective memory of enslavement and liberation, it must be […]Read Post ›
120 words of Torah 