It is important to note that creation begins not in the Garden in Eden, but in chaos and confusion.  Tohu va Vohu, the first phase of creation, refers to a state of utter desolation.  While we don’t know exactly what…

The first time I read Torah, I mean read Torah – no helpful recording or extra assistance – was when I was teaching at a Jewish Day School in Orlando, Florida in the late 90s.  One of the teachers there…

“Tracing Leaves” Wish I could trace the line of the sun as it perches flat across dull green leaves making them shine   Wish I could hold you in the moment of leaving as your soul lifts out flat from…

This is the time in the Jewish year of regret and apology.  Between the start of the month of Elul and the closing hours of Yom Kippur, the rabbis encourage us to evaluate the past year and determine the ways…

If we made a list of all the things that were provided to us before we even came into the world, the list would be a long one.  No matter who we are or where we were born, coming into…

I recently came across the term “Natural Consequence.”  These are things not imposed on you by nature, society, or another person, but occur naturally on their own because of your actions, i.e. if you spend your money on a candy…

I recently heard prosecutors discussing the need to build their legal cases using both “belt and suspenders.”  By this they meant, making it full proof, i.e., even if one argument failed, making sure to have other mechanisms to achieve a…