This is the God we meet in the book of Exodus: Ehyeh asher Ehyeh, variously translated ‘I Am That I Am’ and ‘I Will Be What I Will Be’. God is not some distant supreme being, orchestrating our every step, but a God of becoming; a Presence unfolding alongside and through us, that takes notice of us when we take notice of one another.
Read MoreAfter Pharaoh lets the Israelites go, they gather to cross the Reed Sea. As they do, an erev rav, a “mixed multitude” gathers with them to travel to the Promised Land (Ex 12:38). According to the 11th century commentator, Ibn Ezra, this group includes Egyptians – some of whom, we imagine, had previously been loyal Pharaoh! How do our ancestors start anew after they leave Egypt, build a just, free, and civilized nation despite knowing some amongst them have previously pledged fealty to a tyrant?
Read MoreOur tradition acknowledges, there are times when there is a clear conflict between what is legal – the decrees of politicians and legislators; and what is just – the higher moral codes of our religious and ethical traditions. It is at times like these we are inspired by those who realized the only way to redeem the world was to challenge the status quo in the name of a higher authority.
Read MoreThe world seems like a dark place right now. I don’t know if there is any way to effectively battle institutional racism, or the rampant capitalism that is all but destroying the middle class — or how to respond to a global climate crisis that has, by the estimations of most of the scientific community, passed its tipping point. I am afraid of what might happen next. When did my sense of trust that the world is always progressing toward some greater good all but vanish?
Read MoreI’ve been looking for meaningful full-time work since crash-landing in Philadelphia in August. After living in Boston for eight years and being known and seen as a resource in the community, I suddenly found myself a stranger again, trying to make it as a rabbi in a new city – one full of other talented rabbis, no less.
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