Taking responsibility to care for those who are vulnerable has always been core to Jewish tradition, but living this value has always been an imperfect endeavor. That is why this week’s Torah portion, Shoftim, which begins with instructions about setting up systems of justice, ends with a seemingly abstract law about how those in positions of responsibility should handle an unknown person who is found killed in the undeveloped land between towns.

Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history.

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At the conclusion of this Shabbat, the Jewish community will commemorate Tisha B’Av, the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av. It’s a day steeped in mourning and reflection. Traditionally, it commemorates the destruction of the First and Second Temples—the first attributed to the ancient Israelites’ idol worship, immorality, and bloodshed; the second to Sinat Chinam, or baseless hatred. In each case, it was not divine vengeance that brought about devastation, but the maleficence of mere human beings. Jewish tradition is quite blunt on this point: man’s own moral failings unraveled the fabric of society and led to catastrophe.

Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history.

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We come to the end of the book of Numbers this week with the double portion Matot-Massei. The Israelites wrap up a challenging chapter of wandering through the desert and they have started looking ahead to life in the Promised Land. The closing of this book offers an important message for the Israelites and us today.

Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history.

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By definition, ritual becomes habituated and in its familiarity lies much of its power. But when we never stop to consider why it is that we engage in the first place, the ritual loses its meaning and will eventually fade away.

Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history.

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Lucky for us, our tradition has a secret weapon to help us deal with the never-ending mishigas of our time, and no, it’s not a giant space laser 

Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history.

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This has been another difficult week. As we wait and watch and hold our breath over the news coming out of Israel, we feel tension, concern, and hope. The events unfolding in Israel and in our own backyard fill up our thoughts and trouble our sleep. In the past week I’ve had several conversations with congregants about Israel in particular, and what many of us keep coming back to is the awe we feel for how Israelis are handling the situation. 

Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history.

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As we approach the festival of Shavuot, most years (and this year included) we read from the torah portion Bamidbar - “in the wilderness”. For our ancestors, bamidbar meant leaving what they knew - slavery in Egypt. For us, bamidbar can infer leaving what we know. For us and our ancestors, bamidbar invokes traveling in uncertainty.

In this week's Shabbat Message, Cantor Kerith Spencer-Shapiro asks, "When we feel that we are traveling in a wilderness, how can we bring equanimity to that untamed place?"

Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history.

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For weeks we have been wading through the many ritual laws of the book of Leviticus, known in Hebrew as Vayikra.  In short, Vayikra consists of rules about a specific holy place (Mishkan), with very specific kinds of sacrifices (korbanot), that can only be performed by a specific group of people, the priests (Cohanim), who are the mediators between God and the Israelites.

And then this week’s double portion, Acharei Mot-Kedoshim, arrives on the scene and everything changes. We get what is affectionately referred to as the “Holiness Code.”

Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history.

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We are currently in the midst of the Book of Leviticus, a book dedicated to both the concept of purity and, more importantly, the values and actions a community must adhere to in order to create a holy society. We are a people who spend the majority of our central text wandering through a barren wilderness, just like that little boy, Bodin, in Arizona, found safe with only minor scratches, thanks to the a rancher's dog's unwavering protection for sixteen hours while rescuers searched.As we learn in this week's Torah portion, we have an obligation to look out for one another and assist each individual in navigating the wilderness with dignity and compassion.

Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history.

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Spring has arrived in Southern California, signaling a time to embrace warmer weather and prepare for Passover. Rabbi Hannah Elkin expands beyond the story of the Exodus from Egypt and shares the other Jewish traditions, including the reading of Song of Songs, symbolizing new beginnings.

This seasonal transition is mirrored in the Torah portion, Parashat Vayikra, which calls for spiritual and emotional purification. Despite the challenges of the recent winter, including fires and floods, there is hope that the beauty of the earth and our spirits will blossom anew. As we approach Passover, may this time of renewal bring love, beauty, and fresh starts for all.

Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history.

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