Judaism for the Thinking Person

Feeling it All as The Sheep and the Flock: Entering the High Holidays moment of individual judgment within a religion of collective judgment

The ten days of awe, of Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur, characterize a special annual spirituality of healing relationships in one's life [making amends "between human beings"] culminating in a 25 hour introspective period  [making amends "between the individual and God"] of intense prayer on Yom Kippur whereby we face God collectively as a flock and individually as a soul.  What's the difference between this and all prayer?  If we are a religion of collective judgment --whether as a People or as a Species-- as our Prophets stress, how do we relate to L'Eil Orech Din, the great prayer that says this is our annual moment of being singled out, each sheep from among the flock, for individual inspection by God?  How does the ego trick us into avoiding the point of that individual moment of confession so that we cling to "I did the best I could, the rest is others' issues"? Through Teshuvah (getting back to the path ahead on which I walk with God), Tsedakah (acts of righteousness), and Tefillah (intense prayer/introspection) we re-energize ourselves, alter our consciousness, and "avert the severity of the divine decree that we are always unpredictably mortal." (L'eil  Orech Din)

What is Biblical Prophecy Really? Could Moses have been hanging with aliens or hallucinating? What does Carl Sagan have to do with it?

In this extended class, I discuss the origins of Biblical prophesy, historically and contextually, and we ask ourselves about the very nature of Revelation.  Was it dictation from the sky?  Was it ancient aliens?  Was it hallucination?  Why were light beams shooting out of Moses' head?  And I also mention the relevance of the Carl Sagan book (and best movie about religion of all time) "Contact."  To quote Matthew Mcconaughey in that movie, "Hey hey hey... it was God!"

Prophecy Replaced by Legalism? Halakhah and the Tao

While Judaism may not have much doctrine, one statement that operates doctrinally is the Rabbinic statement that prophecy ended after the Biblical prophets.  Since then, we have the Jewish legal system producing "halakhah" (laws) to guide us instead of revelation producing halakhah.  Legalism replacing inspired revelation?  How is that supposed to work?  I discuss the notion of halakhah and the important principle of halakhic pluralism. 

What is the Jewish view of Original Sin and the Fall of Man?

Do Jews believe that Adam (and Eve's) "sin" in the Garden of Eden constitutes "Original Sin" and their punishment the "Fall of Man?"  In this 45 minute presentation, I cover some vital Jewish concepts.  First, I clarify one of the great confusions that results in "lost in English translation" in all of Bible studies.  This confusion is that the Hebrew word "cheit," translated into English as "sin" in English translations of the Torah, is NOT the same concept as the word "sin" that appears in Paul's writings (particularly the Epistle to the Romans) in the Christian New Testament, where his concept of sin comes from the Hebrew phrase "yetser ha-ra."  To put the matter bluntly, Paul was arguing that our evil inclination defines us as humans, and only an act of God's saving grace (though a rebirth in Christ) could change our fallen state.  For Jews, however, "sin" is something other than a state of our humanity or even human will, and reading Torah texts through Paul's eyes produces massive error, apples and oranges.  On the other hand, Judaism does have a lot to say about "yetser ha-ra," our selfish will, namely that while it drives us in many ways, it can easily be balanced by selfless instincts when channeled into mitzvot, or holiness, where it provides the PASSION in its moderation and channeling in marriage, in business, in education, and in merriment. 

Spiritual Prep during Elul: What are the "Vows" absolved on "Kol Nidrei (All Vows)?"

The entire month of Elul is a time of daily preparation for Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur.  In this brief podcast, we look at how we can begin spiritual preparation for Yom Kippur, which begins with "Kol Nidrei," which means "All Vows" -- vows that are absolved by the Heavenly Court.  What are these vows?  Is it something ancient?  What does this have to do with my spirituality?  Actually, this ancient idea, which was a core of Torah and Temple spirituality, is EXTREMELY relevant to how all human beings operate spiritually, and our awareness of what we do already helps us focus on how to raise ourselves spiritually so we can arrive fully prepared for the Heavenly Court. 

Are the Torah stories history, revelation, invented fantasy, morality tales, or something else?

Two Kinds of Love in the Promised Land: The Fallacy of Loving Without Institutions

In Parashat Eikev in Deuteronomy, we find some new tones and nuances in Moses' explications of the covenantal love that will be necessary to build a nation and a society in the Promised Land.  (In fact, the very word "love" --ahavah-- appears a lot here in Deuteronomy, e.g. that we must not only not oppress the stranger --as stated previously in Torah-- but that we must love them actively.) Two of these explications are rehearsed twice daily in our prayers that go with the Shema.  One focuses on the covenantal love of an individual qua individual and one of an individual qua part of a collective.  We live in a society today that cannot relate to the latter.  Every institution from government to education to religion are all as corrupt --we believe-- as the corporations that have been instrumental in our decline.  And we have reason for our skepticism and despair.  Millennials think they can build economies by writing an app in their living room, be religious by liking certain authors and hitting the yoga mat, and wisely be skeptical of all institutions.  But the second kind of covenantal love teaches us avoid the fallacy of thinking that the first kind of love is enough. Which one really produces the results of changing the world?  Which one is the foundation of Yom Kippur?

From Fearful to Fearsome: Getting Out Of Your Comfort Zone to Pursue Peace

Two massive surprises are revealed by Moses to begin Deuteronomy. The backstory to the great sin and punishment of the Israelites in Numbers is revealed, totally shifting our understanding of it. Then, to top things off, Moses nonchalantly disobeys God's direct order! What is going on? With the help of Nehama Leibowitz, Rashi, and Midrash Tanchuma, the solution seems to be a major Torah teaching about how we handle power, resentment, and confrontation, and God's demand that we consciously leave the comfort zone of being right.

"My Rabbi is Rabbi Jesus?" A Sermon on the Danger of So-Called "Messianic Jews"

(Forgive the audio:  I was not wearing my microphone during this sermon.)   Is it alright to claim to be African-American, Native-American, or a Jew just because you identify with it?  Is identity a matter of personal choice, or is it wrong to claim a history and inheritance --especially one that involves severe persecution-- that isn't yours?  Today a new form of identity theft is spreading by Christians claiming to be "Jews" and our "friends."   They are "Jews" just like us,they say, except they believe that Jesus was the Messiah and our salvation is only through acceptance of Jesus as our savior.  What should we think? 

Is there a reference to Jesus in the Saturday morning service?

Another short teaching on the fascinating Aramaic prayer "Bei Ana Racheitz" that we sing after opening the ark.  Its reference to Christianity will surprise you!