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The Archer and the Painter – One God – Many Facets This morning, I want to talk about God. That may sound obvious — it is Yom Kippur, after all. But in truth, Judaism often speaks more about what God wants from us than about what God is. We speak about mitzvot, about justice, about […]

We need each other On Rosh Hashanah, we began the tale of the royal archer. The greatest archer in the land, admired by all — yet plagued by disappointment. Because no matter how steady his hand, the wind carried his arrows off course. Inches away from the target felt to him like miles. He reminded […]

Shabbat Shuvah is always a tender time. We stand in the days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, with the sound of the shofar still echoing, and the Day of Atonement drawing near. These are days when our tradition calls us inward — to examine our deeds, to measure our words, to do the hard […]

The Painter – Celebrating the Hits Last night, I introduced you to a story about a royal archer. The archer is gifted — every arrow flies straight, every bullseye dead on. But too often, the wind blows, and his perfect shots are thrown off course. For the archer, this was failure. He could not see […]

We Aim, We Miss, We Live Honestly with Ourselves The High Holidays always push me to search for stories—simple on the surface, yet carrying truths that run deep. This year, one has stayed with me. It’s the tale of a royal archer—the greatest in the land. His aim was legendary. His precision admired by the […]

There’s a line from the Stoic philosophers that I always find extra meaningful at this time of year. “You grow as much as the truth you are willing to accept about yourself without running away. Real strength starts with honest reflection.” We know that facing the truth about ourselves isn’t easy. There are things we […]

9/5/25 – Ki Teitzei This week’s Torah portion, Ki Teitzei, is packed with more mitzvot than any other parashah. It covers family life, business ethics, justice, and community. And right in the middle of all these weighty laws, we find one of the most tender commandments in the entire Torah: “If you come across a […]

‘Ani L’dodi V’dodi Li‘ – I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine. This phrase comes to us from the Song of Songs, love poetry found in our bible. In many Jewish weddings betrothed couples recite this phrase to vow and declare their love for one another. Within a religious context, these words speak […]