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You Don’t Know Me
Jews have a long and challenging history of relating to new leadership. The first such story begins early in the book of Exodus (Shemot). וַיָּ֥קָם מֶֽלֶךְ־חָדָ֖שׁ עַל־מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־יָדַ֖ע אֶת־יוֹסֵֽף׃ A new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph. The phrasing “did not know Joseph” was biblical foreshadowing, portending the slavery to come.…
January 18, 2017
Ch- Ch- Ch- Changes
David Bowie's 1972 classic touched a national nerve. Change is inevitable: we can only "turn and face the strain." (Others quote Bowie's refrain as "turn and face the strange," to similar effect.) Soon the 45th President of the United States will take office amidst social and political upheaval. Many either acclaim or fear this changing of…
January 8, 2017
Holy Annoyance
I'm annoyed on a daily basis. Sometimes my annoyance is from petty concerns and sometimes it arises from righteousness and morality. We must distinguish annoyance that internally harms from annoyance that externally inspires. The challenge is to quell the first and harness the second. I learned from Rabbi Irwin Kula that the Jewish urge to…
January 1, 2017
It’s a Family Affair
Good people sometimes do not-so-good things, especially in family contexts. As an attorney practicing in the area of estates and trusts, frequently I hear family tales of deception, misappropriation and undue influence. Family dysfunction seems to be human nature, and Jewish tradition is no exception. The question is what we make of this very human reality. Joseph, eleventh…
December 25, 2016
I Have a Dream
If you're a dreamer (we all are), read on: this post is about you. "I have a dream." With these words, dreamer Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. propelled the American nation along the arc that bends toward justice. With these same words, in this week's Torah portion (Vayeishev), dreamer Joseph propelled Jewish history along the…
December 18, 2016
Wrestling in the Dark Night
The human mind is a marvelous machine – always scanning and planning. Among the mind's "programs" is worst-case thinking, wrestling to assert control over potential threats. Maybe you do this: I know I do. A delayed diagnosis could be an incurable disease! A work mistake could cost my job! An encounter could ruin a relationship! If we're honest, we might…
December 10, 2016
Rolling Stones
Consider this: the most ordinary stone can be rolled into a state of holiness. The most ordinary thing can become holy – but it can require our active effort. In this week's Torah reading (Vayetzei), Jacob journeyed from his home in Beer-Sheva and, on his first night, prepared to sleep by placing a stone beneath his…
December 3, 2016
The Cosmic “Why Me?”
If you or someone you love ever suffered, you probably asked why. "Why me" is a constant echo in history and the human psyche – and it doesn't matter whether the echo is spoken aloud or asked silently within. The human heart wants to know why, even if the mind knows that there's no knowing…
November 27, 2016
Women Deserve Better
“No woman deserves to be treated this way. None of us deserves this kind of abuse.” – Michelle Obama, October 13, 2016 I am dismayed that in 2016 we are still debating how women deserve to be treated. Before the last presidential election I hoped that this conversation would soon be over. I was wrong.…
November 20, 2016
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