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THE KOAN OF SHRUNKEN SILENCE

Part of a yearlong series about resilience in Jewish spiritual life.The teacher of my teachers, Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi z"l, recounted that one of his children asked him about waking and sleeping. The child asked, "If we can wake from…

On turning 60

Part of an ongoing series on resilience in Jewish spiritual life.I am determined to greet my 60th birthday with excitement. I am not merely counting the years that have passed but I am anticipating the days to come. And so I want to set…

Cut off

Part of a year-long series about resilience in Jewish spiritual life.The latest school shooting, in Parkland, Florida, got me thinking about the need for connection and those who feel cut off from society.  The tragedy of the victims and…

On my heart

Can you pray for people who have done harm? The question seems absurd to me. Why would I turn to God on behalf of such people? What is the purpose of placing them on my heart?These past weeks have been particularly challenging for all Americans:…

Sanctuary Nation

Rabbis by the dozens were arrested this year at a Senate office building. What was their crime? They sat to protest on behalf of the dreamers, the young men and women whose families brought them to the United States illegally.  What was their…

The Sapphire Path

Part of a yearlong series on resilience in Jewish spiritual life.Long before Frank Baum imagined Munchkins and "The Yellow Brick Road," Jews had a "Sapphire Path" that, according to Torah, Moses and 70 elders saw ascending skyward (Exodus…

Take my advice

Part of a series on resilience in Jewish spiritual life.The older I get, the more willing I become to admit that I don't know it all and can't do it all.  Life experience teaches all of us what the brilliant Albert Einstein recognized:…

See Your Way to Freedom

See Your Way to FreedomPart of a yearlong series about resilience in Jewish spiritual life.Freedom! For many, freedom is the spiritual goal – to be free of suffering, free of burden, even free of the travails of earthly life. For many,…

Happy New Year Again and Again

Part of a continuing series on resilienceDid you ever wonder why there are so many New Years Days? Who decided that January 1 is the first day of the year?  Isn’t the Chinese New Year around this time? While most Jews identify Rosh Hashanah…

If you would just listen

Part of an ongoing series about resilienceListening seems to be a skill few ever really master. Psychologists spend years learning how to listen.  Spiritual seekers can spend decades in silence listening for messages internal and external.…