Dash Of Drash

The mountain is smoking, there is thunder and lightning and all the people are trembling as the sound of the shofar grows louder and louder....Then God descends and speaks words. This moment on Mount Sinai where Torah is revealed is so defining. What really happened? Parshat Yitro, Exodus 18-20, moves the people from their exodus into a covenantal relationship.

With the devastating, untimely death of 13 year old Koby, the son of Rabbi Salomon and Melanie Gruenwald, the stories of exodus, redemption, salvation and miracles all seem so obscure and the questions that arise are different and challenging. It is more about taking the gentle next steps than it is about finding meaning. Through the lens of the stories of Parshat Beshallach (Exodus 13;17-17:16), this episode is dedicated to the memory of Koby.

Pharaoh's heart is the dark center of the universe and it is also our heart if we are willing to look in the shadows. In Parshat Bo (Exodus 10-13), God says "bo el Paro - go to Pharaoh," not "come to Pharaoh," implying perhaps that God is right there in Pharaoh's heart of darkness. What does it mean to go to that scary place?

The Hebrew name for the Book of Exodus is Shemot, which means names. Along with the narratives of Pharaoh's hard heart, the deadly plagues and people unable to listen, there are some poignant passages about the power of names. Rabbi Andrew Hahn, Ph.D, also known as the Kirtan Rabbi (affectionately Reb Drew), joins Rabbi Marc in conversation about the centrality of names, especially the names of the Divine, and how they connect to our practice and to our hearts.

As we begin The Book of Exodus with its rich narratives of Moses, redemption and revelation, Rabbi Marc is in conversation with Professor Sam Boyd, a teacher of Bible at CU in Boulder. An academic, historical approach to these sacred scriptures may seem dry and antithetical to religious and spiritual understandings, but Professor Boyd's passion for these texts and their place in the ancient Near East is illuminating and surprisingly compatible with more traditional interpretations. A professor and a rabbi explore ways in which these narratives help us find meaning.

As both the Book of Genesis and 2017 draw to a close, we reflect on an extraordinary Christmas Day with the Muslim Jewish Alliance of Boulder and how it connects to some of the themes of reconciliation in the Torah and in our world.

This episode marks a complete cycle of a year of A Dash of Drash as Parshat Vayigash brings all the brothers and their father back together in a moving story of reconciliation. The story is never complete and, once again, we look at some of the hidden threads and patterns.

Lighting Hanukkah candles is an act that so many of us do and there are many dimensions to the ritual; internal, external, spiritual, physical and more. Happy Hanukkah!

As we approach Hanukkah, we start the cycle of Joseph stories with Parshat Vayeshev (Genesis 37) and the coat and the dreams and the nightmares. There are some linguistic threads hidden in the tapestry of this story that reveal some deeper connections.

Jacob, about to confront his estranged brother Esau, wrestles all night long with a mysterious angel and, as dawn emerges, he is the victor and receives a blessing and a new name; Yisrael, the Godwrestler. We are all Jacob, we are all Yisrael as we struggle with past, present and future.

In this week of American Thanksgiving, our Torah reading tells of Jacob's adventures that begin with the extraordinary dream of the ladder of angels. How do some of Jacob's stories connect to giving thanks?!

In Parshat Toldot (Genesis 25:19-28:9), Rebecca gives birth to very unidentical twins, Jacob and Esau, who fight in the womb. There don't seem to be enough blessings to go around, even though these archetypes lead different nations. Meanwhile their father Isaac reopens the wells that his father dug, naming them in very revealing ways.

When Abraham sends his servant, Eliezer, to find a wife for his son Isaac, it is clear to this faithful servant that the most important quality is hesed, kindness. He finds Rebecca at the well and she immediately offers water for the people and the camels, passing the test. Lovingkindness can be so simple and it can change destiny.

In the continuing journey of Abraham and Sarah, Vayera, this week's parsha of vision and lifting eyes, there are two starkly contrasting stories of welcoming strangers. Hospitality, hachnassat orachim, is deep obligation in Jewish tradition and we learn much about it here.

Some reflections on some of the lessons of some recent travel adventures - lessons of the road! Lech L'cha in the Torah begins with instruction for Abraham and Sarah to leave all that they know and go on a journey to an unknown destination. This episode includes a beautiful blessing from John O'Donahue's book "To Bless the Space Between us."

After a powerful day at Gettysburg National Park with rabbinic colleagues, a conversation with Rabbi Neil Blumofe, Senior Rabbi of Congregation Agudas Achim in Austin, Texas, reflecting on the bloody battle, Abraham Lincoln and Noah.

As the cycle of our sacred fall holidays comes to its conclusion, we reflect on the symbols and rituals through welcoming guests, shaking the lulav and dancing with the Torah. As soon as the cycle ends, we begin again.

In a terrifying world, what does it mean to enter into a Sukkah, into the Festival of Sukkot, which the rabbis call Zman Simchataynu, the Season of our Joy?

This week ends with Yom Kippur, the Holy of Holies on the Jewish calendar, known as Yoma in Aramaic, the day. The liturgical heart of this intensely powerful day is vidui, confession. What does it mean to confess? Gmar chatimah tovah - may we be sealed in the book!

Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish New Year, begins on Wednesday night, September 20th. Among the many themes of this awesome day, are those of memory and birth, as we imagine the world being born and renewed. May we remember what is forgotten, find what is lost and birth all that is potential into the world for healing and renewal!