by Rabbi Misha

It was beautiful kicking off the year with you. Many of you asked for a reminder of the assignment I gave to complete between now and Yom Kippur. This note will focus primarily on that.

by Rabbi Misha

I arrive at this new year wet, slightly ragged, but infused with new ideas and horizons I’ve picked up at our chevrutahs this last month. I come with a real feeling that I need to see you people, that we all need these holidays, that being together in whatever way each of us is able will give us the boost we need to dive into this year.

by Rabbi Misha

This Shabbat, stop and remind yourself that the holidays are coming. A new type of Beginning is returning to our city and our hearts.

by Rabbi Misha

But how does one begin the process of teshuvah, return? We are clouded by our circumstances, our suffering, our patterns of behavior, our ideas of what we want and need. Reaching that clear perception of truth is hard. Where might we start?

by Rabbi Misha

The Hebrew month of Elul is in full swing. Early every morning, and sometimes in the middle of the night Jews come together to prepare for the High Holidays by singing Slichot, prayers of apology and repentance.

by Rabbi Misha

The Talmud tells us of a few actions for which a person gets blessed not only in this world but also beyond: “Honoring one’s father and mother; The performance of righteous deeds; And the making of peace between a person and his friend;”

by Rabbi Misha

It is important to take a moment to look at what mindfulness is in the Buddhist tradition, so that we can then look for the similarities and differences with similar Jewish notions, and contemporary ideas. A talk with my brother, Tari (Eviatar), the incoming Chair of the Department of Religions at Hebrew University, about mindfulness.

by Rabbi Misha

A feeling of gratitude overwhelms the crowd. We survived. Tears begin to well. They hear the words of the Torah and all they can do is cry. Despite everything, there is love. After all, we are loved.

by Rabbi Misha

Matan’s Bar Mitzvah is coming up, so his grandfather is showing him a piece of his life; the landscapes of the South Hebron Hills, the villagers he’s been helping for years, the incredible people who show up in these circles, the work that he says allows him to continue living in this country.

by Rabbi Misha

It’s after midnight here in Jerusalem. Manu, my four-year-old just fell asleep. Ezzy, 8, just walked out of his room, “Can’t sleep.” Matan, 13 has a few more sudoku puzzles to finish before he can close his eyes. Today he napped five or six times, since last night he didn’t sleep more than an hour.

by Rabbi Misha

There are six Hebrew words that almost all Jews, no matter how rebellious, ignorant or God-hating know:
Sh’ma Yisrael Adonai Eloheynu Adonai Echad.

by Rabbi Misha

“Man is the playground for the unpredictable emergence and multiplication of needs.”

These words of Abraham Joshua Heschel echoed as I looked at my pile of laundry this morning and wondered at the tremendous amount of clothes I own. In the bible a set of clothes was one of a person’s most valuable possessions.

by Rabbi Misha

A year ago, a stranger gave me a gift I still carry in my pocket most days. On one side of the little wooden coin is written: It is not your duty to complete the work. On the other: But neither are you free to desist from it.

By Rabbi Misha

A couple weeks ago at his Bar Mitzvah, Henry asked us the following question: Do we owe God anything for passing over the firstborn of our ancestors on the night God killed the firstborn Egyptians.

by Rabbi Misha

How does one speak about the horrors of the world? How does a person choose the right words, the appropriate ideas, the voice that will express the totality of the situation, not just one small piece of it?

by Rabbi Misha

Torah is a thing of beauty, a piece of divinity, a crystalized gem of justice. It is also ugly, human and morally wrong. Accepting the Torah is accepting life itself with all its beauty, complexity and horror.