This week’s Torah portion, Sh'mini, and the two parshiyot following contain the origins of Jewish dietary laws and an outline of the foods that are permitted or forbidden. Often, these laws are understood as a means of distinguishing the ancient Israelite community as holy, separate, and elite. While the dietary regulations indeed separated us from other tribes—which I believe was the main intention behind their initial observance—my teacher, Rabbi Larry Hoffman, explained to me that dietary laws were not exclusive to the Jewish people at the time. In fact, many other cults, religions, and tribes made formal distinctions between what was “clean” or “unclean” to eat, both as a means of distinguishing themselves from other communities and attempting to gain proximity to Divine purity and perfection. While the chapters of Leviticus that outline these dietary prescriptions often invoke an eyeroll from b’nai mitzvah parents, I have heard many students offer eloquent teachings [...]

A good story is worth revisiting. Without a doubt, the novel I have read cover to cover more than any other is Anita Diamant’s The Red Tent. I love this modern midrash about Dinah, our matriarch whose story is mostly hidden amidst the verses about her twelve brothers. Diamant’s writing is captivating and her unique version of the story incredibly touching. Over the years, I have enjoyed wonderful conversations about this book with so many people I love and respect. I was even lucky to have an opportunity to read it in sync with my beloved Grandma Miriam about ten years before she passed. My enjoyment of the story has become a special ritual I perform almost every year. Not only is Diamant an excellent novelist, but she is also a capable journalist and researcher and has written a collection of books on Jewish life cycle and religious practice. I [...]

צָעֲקוּ וַיהֹוָה שָׁמֵעַ ... קָרוֹב יְהֹוָה לְנִשְׁבְּרֵי־לֵב “They [the children of Israel] cry and God listens…God is close to the broken-hearted” (Psalm 34:18-19). Last Tuesday, I read former Israeli hostage Amit Soussana’s testimony about the horrific sexual assault she endured at gunpoint by Hamas terrorists during her captivity in the tunnels under Gaza. And I cried. I cried and cried until my eyes were red and weary. I called my best friend. I texted my brother. I hugged my husband and my babies. And still, for the rest of that day, I cried. Nothing could comfort me except the thought of Amit reunited with her family and the hope, the feeling, the trust that God is by my side—maybe even cries with me—when I weep. Tears stream through our sacred texts. Hagar cries in anguish when she is separated from Abraham (Genesis 21). Abraham wails for Sarah at her [...]

Our tradition teaches that different intervals of the year can be characterized by specific emotional traits. For instance, the summer month of Av is a time when happiness decreases, for we remember the destruction of the Temple (Mishnah Taanit 29a) and other painful moments in Jewish history. The month following Av is the month of Elul, a time for introspection and thoughtful reflection leading up to our Days of Awe. And of course, this current month of Adar is one in which happiness increases as we step into warmer days and the celebration of Purim and soon Pesach. The great teacher Rashi said of Adar: “These are days of miracles for the community of Israel, Purim and Passover thereafter.” This year, we marked a leap year in the Jewish calendar and enjoyed two full months of Adar. And now we are in the final week of Adar II before [...]