A Season of White Ribbons (Rosh Hashanah 5775)

As we turn the corner from the end of one Jewish year toward the opening of a new one it is a time for seeing and reflecting on our lives with clarity; and for seeking and offering forgiveness.

At the Jewish Community High School of the Bay (JCHS) Shabbaton last weekend, I led a guided meditation about reflection and forgiveness opening with the following story.*   

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A teacher boards a train for an overnight trip.  She takes the first open aisle seat finding herself seated next to a young woman at the window.  The teacher turns to introduce herself to the girl but the girl is looking away. She is intently staring out the window.  She looks tense and anxious.  The teacher wonders to herself, "How old is this girl? Sixteen? Seventeen? And that look on her face -- what is it?  Fear?   Shame?"

As the train moves through the night the girl keeps staring out the window -- seemingly oblivious to anything or anyone in the train.  The teacher sees the girl drop her head against the window as her hands clench the ledge. She quietly begins to cry.  The teacher hands some tissues to the girl.  After a long time the girl turns to the teacher asking, "do you know what time we arrive in Greenville?"

Mind the Gap: Somewhere Between Justice and Mercy (Nitzavim 5774)

The first of this week's two Torah portions includes dire warnings to those who ignore rules of conduct.  In that sense, it is a declaration of strict justice. Yet the parsha also includes seeds of mercy -- of being judged not strictly but rather with kindness and compassion.

For example, we learn here that no matter how large a gap there is between the goals we set for ourselves or no matter how large a gap there is between us and God, or matter how far we stray . . . even from there we will be redeemed, restored, or taken back.  (Deut. 30:4)  

What a powerful message for this time of year -- the end of one year and the beginning of the next.  Sometimes we look back with regret over the gap between our goals and our accomplishments, the gap between our generosity and our selfishness, or the gap between our kindness and our anger, or the gap between justice and mercy.  

These gaps are chronic; they will always be there.  Torah reminds of this when it promises we will be redeemed no matter how big, in effect, the gap becomes. 

The Memory Twins of Cynicism: Blot-Out and Don't-Forget (Ki Teitzei 5774)

As the father of twins, I tend to collect twin stories. One of my favorites is based on a 20th century midrash from Rabbi Y. M. Tukachinsky (Lithuania and Israel). The story involves a pair of twins still in the womb where they are completely nourished and cared for. They have all they need; they lack nothing.

In the secure seclusion of their womb, they begin anticipating the birth that approaches. One of the twins expresses anxiety and worry about the future. The other is excited and hopeful.  

The worried twin imagines the end of this secure time will be a catastrophe; he will be deprived of all he knows and all he needs. He enjoys that the world of the womb is predictable, closed and complete.   

By contrast, the hopeful twin imagines the start of an adventurous new life outside that will create opportunities to learn and grow beyond her wildest dreams. She is excited to