Torah

Why Simchat Torah is on Friday Night (and Not Saturday Night)

Rabbi Milder of Congregation Beth Emek in Pleasanton is one of my favorite rabbis to quote. Here’s what he emailed to his congregation about the “scheduling” of our next holiday, Simchat Torah. *** Sukkot, the festival that everyone loves because it has such weird stuff in it (the lulav, the etrog, and the Sukkah itself)…

Read More »

What the Butterfly Knows: Teshuva & the High Holidays🦋

I subscribe to the emails from Jewtina.org, a website whose mission is: To celebrate, elevate, and expand Latin-Jewish community while strengthening identity, leadership, and connection to Global Jewry. As a person living in a multiracial family with Hispanic members this mission is close to my heart. Last Friday I received an email from Jewtina with…

Read More »

Jewish Laws about the Treatment of Animals

Someone told me that Aug. 26 is National Dog Day. I have a dog! I’ve had dogs, cats, rats, fish, and chickens. I feel very possessive of the hummingbirds I shelter in my garden.  My next thought was what does Judaism teach about the treatment of animals?  In ancient times animals were not pets, they…

Read More »

Most Misunderstood Biblical Statement: An Eye for…

The Hebrew Bible (Old Testament in Christian terminology) is often called a dark and vengeful text. One of the most commonly quoted sentences that ‘proves’ this is the one Rabbi Milder is talking about below, Mishpatim. This is another example how many people read the Torah on the simplest level, Peshat. That is, they read…

Read More »

What Does Judaism Teach about Atheists?

I have known many atheists, some are beloved friends and family members. I am blessed to be Jewish and to have a teaching that does not ask me to condemn their belief. A rabbi told me this story as we were walking around Lake Merritt in Oakland many years ago. I have looked for its…

Read More »