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Heavy Heavy
נָבֹ֣ל תִּבֹּ֔ל גַּם־אַתָּ֕ה גַּם־הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר עִמָּ֑ךְ כִּֽי־כָבֵ֤ד מִמְּךָ֙ הַדָּבָ֔ר לֹא־תוּכַ֥ל עֲשֹׂ֖הוּ לְבַדֶּֽךָ׃
You…
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I am a Rock
וִידֵ֤י מֹשֶׁה֙ כְּבֵדִ֔ים וַיִּקְחוּ־אֶ֛בֶן וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ תַחְתָּ֖יו וַיֵּ֣שֶׁב עָלֶ֑יהָ וְאַהֲרֹ֨ן וְח֜וּר תָּֽמְכ֣וּ בְיָדָ֗יו…
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One Law
תּוֹרָ֣ה אַחַ֔ת יִהְיֶ֖ה לָֽאֶזְרָ֑ח וְלַגֵּ֖ר הַגָּ֥ר בְּתוֹכְכֶֽם׃
“There shall be one law for the citizen and for the stranger who dwells among you.”
Exodus 12:29
On the…
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The Moaning is Unbearable
I can no longer bear to watch the news. MSNBC was once my morning companion and my evening lament, my spirit and my sorrow. But now, the constant moaning is unbearable. It is the moaning of those who love democracy and those who fear persecution.…
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A New King
וַיָּ֥קׇם מֶֽלֶךְ־חָדָ֖שׁ עַל־מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־יָדַ֖ע אֶת־יוֹסֵֽף׃
A new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph.
Shabbat, January 18, falls just two days before…
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Care and Long Distance Connection
I grew up watching my parents’ unwavering devotion to my grandparents, especially as they aged. Their dedication became the gold standard for care in my mind. When Grandma Sarah was hospitalized at Lenox Hill for two months, my mother commuted…
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Christmas Presence
Christmas coinciding with the first night of Hanukkah might suggest a joyous day. Yet, for me, it unfolded differently. I spent hours with my mother in her rehab room and another hour guiding a friend whose father had entered hospice care after…
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Dreaming of Freedom
Captive in an Egyptian prison, Joseph's ability to interpret dreams became the key to his freedom. What dreams did Joseph have during those long, uncertain years of captivity? Will dreams sustain those held in chains of oppression or illness…
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Bad News Bearers
I needed a guide for navigating difficult conversations. Comforting the grieving and ill is a mitzvah, but we have to be careful what we say to be helpful and not harmful. I thought of this analogy. We should be like a bowl of chicken soup:…