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April 16, 2026 – 8:50 pm | Comments Off on Healing the Great Divide42 views

This week’s Torah portion speaks of the mysterious lesions that appeared on the skin of those who trafficked in gossip. Their punishment was at once severe and precise: they were cast into isolation for up to three weeks, until their affliction healed.
The Torah enumerates many forms of ritual impurity. Some …

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Shoftim: Family Values

August 13, 2006 – 4:18 am | Comments Off on Shoftim: Family Values3,067 views
Jews at the Kotel

Rotational Shifts
The twenty-four families of the Kehunah, priesthood, arranged their service at the Bet Hamikdash on a weekly rotation by which each family served one shift every twenty-four weeks.  The week of a festival was naturally more demanding than a regular week but it would also bring more offerings to …

Re’e: Infinitesimal Spec

August 13, 2006 – 3:50 am | Comments Off on Re’e: Infinitesimal Spec3,663 views
water-drop-globe-ripple-environment

Greater than Life
Do you ever get the feeling that you are, but an infinitesimal spec, swallowed by the vastness of the universe and beyond? That cosmic forces arrayed along your path lead you to a destiny greater than your imagination? That life as you know it barely scratches the surface?

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Re’e: Communal Responsibility

August 6, 2006 – 4:21 am | Comments Off on Re’e: Communal Responsibility2,933 views
responsibility - innerstream

The Etymological Question
Our Parsha begins with the verse, “Re’e Anochi Noten Leef-ne-chem Hayom B’racha U’klalah,” See I have placed before you today, a blessing and a curse.

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Re’e: Cleaving To G-d

August 6, 2006 – 4:17 am | Comments Off on Re’e: Cleaving To G-d8,886 views
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A Question of Motive
In this week’s Parsha we are told to walk in G-d’s path, to serve him and to cleave to him.

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Re’e: Divine Confidence

August 6, 2006 – 4:15 am | Comments Off on Re’e: Divine Confidence2,823 views
divine confidence - innerstream

Blessing and Listening
Our Parsha this week begins with the words, “See I have set before you blessing and curse. The blessing…. that you shall listen to the voice of G-d your lord.”

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Ekev: Sacred Stones

August 6, 2006 – 3:52 am | Comments Off on Ekev: Sacred Stones3,106 views
sacred stones

Failed Resolutions
Have you ever made a resolution you didn’t keep?Have you ever resolved to go to bed early only to wake up with a headache because you didn’t put that book down? Have you ever resolved not to take a second helping, but walked away engorged because your portions were …

Vaetchanan: Life’s Little Lessons

July 30, 2006 – 4:49 am | Comments Off on Vaetchanan: Life’s Little Lessons5,657 views
life's little lessons - innerstream

Two Stalled Cars
On a family visit to San Antonio I was called upon to demonstrate my mechanical prowess or, as it turned out, my lack thereof.

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Eikev: Infertility of the Soul

July 30, 2006 – 4:30 am | Comments Off on Eikev: Infertility of the Soul3,137 views
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Spiritual Infertility
If we keep G-d’s commandments our Parsha promises that we will be, “the most blessed of nations: there will be no infertile man or woman among you” The Midrash teaches that all physical phenomena have a parallel in the spiritual realm. What is the spiritual parallel to infertility?
A Lack …