Blowing the Shofar during the month of Elul serves to remind us that there is a bigger a picture, a longer process, and more embedded patterns than we are likely to recall at the moment when we are choosing how to act.

In hopes of publishing a podcast for each day of the month of Elul and making sense of the incredible ideas, approaches, and perspectives presented by our robust tradition.

Using the story of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza, and inspired by great learning and conversations in Boulder this past weekend, I break the story down into several different character/archetypes that each play an important role in the destruction of the Temple, then and now.

It's so important to have feedback from people. Like, is this interesting? Want to know more about that point? In the absence of feedback, we spin out into our own private reveries.

Sometimes the Jewish tradition uses a story of reincarnation to discuss evolution around a certain trait or challenge. We'll talk abotu two examples.

The first in a terminal series of podcasts on just how relevant and useful RaMChaL's Path of the Just can be.

Rav Soloveitchik bemoaned the fact that, "While I have succeeded, to a great or small degree, as a teacher and guide in the area of 'gadlut ha-mochin' - my students have received much Torah from me, and their intellectual stature has been strengthened and increased during the years they have spent around me - I have not seen much success in my efforts in the experiential area." When I heard that, I freaked out.

This is not about Jewish views - or my Jewish views - on homosexuality. It's about how we all benefit from designating specific days, weeks, and months to talk about important values, traits, and topics.

L'cha Dodi is a rich menu of different images we can use to frame and experience our Shabbats. We'll explore a few of them here.

My understanding of reasons for praying with a minyan shifted substantially as a result of something I learned + an experience I had at synagogue