Raising Holy Sparks

As global cultures have shifted in the past century, traditional conceptions of women in religion are starting to shift as well. Yet these ideas are not entirely new. Although the first Eastern European Jewish school for girls started in 1907, there was a school for Sephardic girls in London that had opened in 1731.

There are a variety of reasons that we may be happy at the exact same moment when someone else is in pain or failing. In the case of this teaching from the Talmud, the angels cheering on the Israelites were happy to see the slavemasters and charioteers of the Egyptian Pharoah drowning in the Sea of Reeds. The failure of the Egyptian army meant the survival of Israelite families. In this new (secular) year let us not rejoice at the downfall of others, but rather let's weep that suffering exists for anyone.

Clothing can be transformative. It can help us connect to our heritage. It can make us feel beautiful. It can take us from feeling down and out and transform us into feeling like we RUN the world! There is a teaching that says the Israelites were worthy of redemption because they stayed true to their heritage and to themselves in three ways: they did not change their names, language, or clothing. How does clothing impact the way that you think or feel?

In this week's torah portion of Vayechi, we conclude the Book of Genesis with a lesson on assertiveness and self-advocacy from Joseph as he gently reprimands his father, Jacob, for giving the correct blessing to the wrong child. What an act of bravery and courage! How rare it is to reprimand an authority figure, a hero, or a loved one!

In this week's parasha of Vayigash, the story of Joseph comes full circle. It starts off with him being hated by his brothers for his over-active imagination and wild dreams. But now, it is these very dreams and his ability to interpret dreams that allows for him to rise through the ranks of the Egyptian court. The quality that others perceive, or even we ourselves perceive, to be our greatest weakness is actually connected to our greatest strength. This week, let's NOT change a thing about ourselves!

What is the difference between a ceremony and a holiday? In a wedding ceremony, for example, you perform rituals and recite specific words with the intention that you will try your hardest to fulfill them. You are committing yourself to those ideas. A holiday is a celebration of someone else that did the hard work of dedicating themselves to an idea. You are merely applauding their efforts. Let us reflect on the areas of our lives where we are on auto-pilot and where we could use some rededication..

In this week's Torah portion of Vayishlach, Joseph has a dream of his brothers bowing down to him. This leads them into a furious rage and they sell him to slave traders heading to Egypt. When we have a dream, some may call us crazy or unrealistic. Others may be offended by our big ideas. Yet more often than not, when we stick to our dreams we are transformed by the journey, even if the destination we reach is not the one we had in mind. Meditation at the end of the episode.

In this week's Torah portion of Vayishlach, Jacob has his name changed to Israel - the one who wrestles with God (sar el). The concept of God is a tricky concept. In my experience, I have found two main obstacles for someone having a relationship with G-O-D. The first obstacles are the classical images of God, and the second is the name itself. "To wrestle with, or doubt, God is perhaps the strongest form of faith." - Rabbi Misha Clebaner

In this week's Torah portion of Vayetze, Jacob is exhausted from being on the run from his brother Esau after getting his blessing through deceptive means. He finds himself at a random location, later Jewish thinkers say that it is Jerusalem. The same commentators say that God made the sun set early so that Jacob would stop, rest, and spend the night there. “The better your sleep, the more clearly you can think while awake, and it may enable you to seek help when a problem arises. - Dr Joshi, Stanford

Step 1, find a red lentil recipe that you like. Step 2, enjoy the soup and the blessings in your life with humility and gratitude. Step 3, pay it forward and share blessings with others.

In this week's Torah portion of Chayei Sarah, we meet Isaac for the very first time since he was nearly sacrificed by his father, Abraham. When we meet Isaac in his state of PTSD, we find him out in the field meditating before the sun is ready to set. Isaac is no longer content to trust his mental (let alone physical) health to other people. Instead, he takes his fate, happiness, and general well being into his own hands (and God's), and sets out to be alone in a field to meditate and center himself.

"Looking up, Abraham saw three men standing near him. As soon as he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them." What about those that don't run to grab an opportunity or tackle a challenge? It's important to remember that psychologists say that "procrastination is an emotion regulation problem, not a time management problem.”

In the Talmud, it is taught that "everyone has a share in the World To Come except for some, this includes the one who humiliates another in public and one who calls another by a derogatory name." When we are called by our chosen name (or title, or pronouns, or whatever it may be) we are seen for who we really are. When others refuse to call us by this name and we demand it of them, it means we see ourselves for who we are and know that we are worthy of respect and love in all situations.

One of the many best selling books of Rabbi Harold Kushner is called "When Bad Things Happen to Good People" however most people often think it is called "Why Bad Things Happen to Good People". Yet there is no why or why not. Chaos is simply baked into the fabric of the universe. Chaos can be destructive but it can also be creative. Is the reason we come down with an illness or get dumped because we are sinners? Some stories in the Torah say yes - but others say no, chaos is just the natural state of affairs. Meditation Impromptu 02 by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

Welcome to the new season of the 'Raising Holy Sparks' podcast. This year, we will be focusing on the ideas of Judaism and will strive to take them out of the theoretical and instead turn them into the practical. Dr. Dan Siegel taught 'name it to tame it'. The idea was for people to label emotions to reduce stress and anxiety. An intention that I offer you all: What is a blessing or a challenge that you are going through this week? Name it!

Kavanah (Intention) For The Week - Jewish Water Rituals

What's the goal: a worthy space for the Holy, or a Holy people worthy for that space?

What did the Israelites really think about the Torah at Mt Sinai?

Rabbi Mark Borovitz describes his transition to recovery from drug and alcohol abuse as though he was "struck sober". Nowadays Rabbi Mark as the CEO of Beit T'Shuva, a Jewish addiction treatment center, helps to facilitate similar healing for others.

What's the point of synagogue? What we can learn from the creation of the tabernacle!

"Can you hear me now"? Listening for new inspiration - Parshat Mishpatim

Facebook Live Lecture Series on the Book of Exodus - Parshat Yitro

Facebook Live Lecture Series on the Book of Exodus - Parshat BeShalach

Recording of Facebook Live - Reading Avivah Zornberg on Exodus - Parshat Bo

Audio of Facebook Live - Reading Avivah Zornberg on Exodus - Parshat Vaera

Over the course of the next few months, up until the holiday of Passover/Pesach, I will be going through each torah portion from the Book of Exodus and analyzing the stories through the interpretive lens of Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg's 'Particulars of Rapture' - her prize-winning book on Exodus. For the video version of this recorded content, please go to facebook.com/rebmisha.

Originally aired Jun 14 2019. Have you ever bared your soul to someone? In this episode, I speak with Elad Nehorai, editor and founder of Neshamas - an online platform that allows people to share their experiences in the Jewish community as anonymous individuals.

Originally aired Jun 21st 2019. In this episode we raise up hidden sparks of transformation. While most know the word "charity", we rarely think about what makes philanthropic organizations so effective. I discuss this and much more with Charlene Seidle from the Leichtag Foundation.

Originally aired July 12th 2019. A city is inhabited by the Israelites through force in one chapter but a few chapters later it says there was always coexistence. Did God make a mistake or did the human authors understand their holy cities differently? Dr. Zev Farber helps us find out.

Originally aired July 19th 2019. From the formative experiences of a diverse boarding school in New Mexico to studying Arabic in Egypt, Dr. Celene Ibrahim has been transformed by the world of interfaith conversations and the voices of women. She is now a scholar and activist for both.

Originally Aired Aug 16th 2019. Victoria Hanna is a vocal artist; not a singer. You will instantly see the difference when you watch her music videos. It's not just about the melodies that make your body move, it's also about uttering words in a way that will wake up your soul.

Originally aired Aug 23rd 2019. Netanel Miles-Yepez is a scholar of the mystical traditions of Judaism and Islam - Hasidism and Sufism, respectively. Netanel discusses the lessons that he learned from his teacher Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and how he passes these lessons on.

Originally aired Sept 13th 2019. When it comes to addiction and recovery, Rabbi Ilan Glazer believes it is crucial to get to the core of the issue. Whether stress management, self-love, or emotional and spiritual reflection, Rabbi Ilan advocates for the good life after addiction.

Originally aired Dec 14th 2018. In this episode I talk about the moments in my life where I doubted everything. I kept asking myself why bother continue going forward with: prayer - if it doesn't help me feel; with Torah - if it isn't historically true, etc. Have you had moments like this?

Originally aired Jan 18th 2019. Coping with loss after the passing of a loved one or struggling with depression - what are the tools that we can use to grow? Dr Natalya Bogopolskaya touches on the well-known PTSD but also introduces the relatively newer concept of post-traumatic growth.

Originally aired Aug 9th 2019. I had always wanted to pray - to open my heart and express my thoughts and feelings out to the world - to God - in a completely honest and vulnerable way but the pressure was too great... that is, at least, until I read the writing of Professor Mark Yakich.

Originally aired January 11th 2019. Once the CEO of DavidsTea and a senior executive at Staples, Jevin Eagle left behind a successful career in business to pursue his life-long dream of becoming a Rabbi, Jevin shares with us his journey from the boardroom to the study hall.

Originally aired March 1st 2019. From expert tips on food photography all the way to editing and publishing a cookbook, Sara Gardner walks us through her journey in putting together the Rosh Hashanah Seder Cookbook: Stories and Recipes from the Reform Jewish community of Madrid.

Originally Aired Aug 30th 2019. For the asylum seekers that have arrived in South Tel Aviv fleeing forced army conscription, torture, and sexual assault in their native Sudan and Eritrea they have faced many hurdles yet also found many friends in people such as Rabbi Susan Silverman.

Originally Aired March 29th 2019. Hadar Cohen, a community organizer, poet, and educator joins me in conversation and spells out the importance of noticing the universe and how the lessons learned there can help us grow. We also discussed Silicon Valley and a new culture for the 21st cent.

Originally aired May 10th 2019. What was once a rich and vibrant culture of Ashkenazi Jewish food in the Old World is now often seen as boring and bland. That is, at least, until recent years when the younger generation of Jews has fought to reclaim their proud Ashkenazi heritage.

Asking for help is a trait that must be practiced. In the book of Exodus it is Moses' father-in-law that suggests that the Israelite leader create a system of delegates. Yet, in our parsha of Devarim, it is Moses himself that asks for help. Either way, the importance of seeking support reigns supreme.

Originally aired Sept 20th 2019. In 2014, Rabbi Greenwald was named one of “America’s Most Inspiring Rabbis” by the Jewish Daily Forward. In 2016, Rabbi Greenwald received the prestigious Covenant Foundation's Pomegranate Prize. This week he joins the RHS podcast.

This week's torah portion is the source of the 3rd paragraph of the Shema/VeAhavta and it instructs us to wear 'tzit-tzit', the fringes at the corners of our garments. How powerful can a ritual to wear fringes be? This uniform custom has been practised by the Jewish people across time and space. While the Shema and the Ve'Ahavta may not be as emotional as other Jewish prayers, it has grounded our people in ritual for thousands of years.

In this week's torah portion of Be'haalotecha the Israelites complain about their gift of manna and instead demand meat to eat. Incapable of seeing the good in what they have, the Israelites lay the groundwork for further negativity and short-sightedness. This spells trouble as they will soon be punished with wandering the desert for 40 years.

This week's torah portion of Naso introduces a bizarre ritual called 'sotah'. In this ritual, a man that suspects his partner of adultery brings her before the priests. They write down a few verses from Torah on parchment and place it into a vessel with water. Once the ink dissolves into the drink, the accused woman must drink it. We unpack this story. I Am a Man Who Will Fight for Your Honor by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.

The real focus of the Ten Commandments is not how a 'person' acts; instead, it is about how 'people' respond to one another. The hope is not that we be perfect beings but rather that we be present and engaged ones. Each commandment is an invitation to be a better partner in the relationship. I Am a Man Who Will Fight for Your Honor by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.

In Hebrew, writing 'in the desert' is spelled using the same four letters as writing 'through the act of speaking'. Both speech and deserts can lead to great confusion. What is the oasis when it comes to communicating our emotions? - Song!

In Exodus the Israelites are commanded to observe Shabbat. In this week's torah portion they are commanded to allow the land to rest every seven years - Shemitah. While there are economic benefits to rest and renewal, there are also many economic fears. Nevertheless, mitzvot are not given based economic impact, rather based on soul impact. Although it is scary or challenging to cease creating, counter-intuitively it is precisely this cessation that creates a new version of ourselves.

The upcoming holiday of Lag B'Omer commemorates the end of a plague that struck the students of Rabbi Akiva. It is said they were struck by plague because of their bitterness and pettiness against one another. This stands in stark contrast to Rabbi Akiva who taught that love of your fellow human is core to what it means to be a Jew. I Am a Man Who Will Fight for Your Honor by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.

"The Golden Rule".. perhaps the most commonly quoted commandment from the whole of Torah: 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself'. When it comes to this principle, due to certain subconscious tendencies, we often lie to ourselves in order to preserve the created version of who we think we really are. But in noticing these obstacles we can truly live out the 'Golden Rule'. I Am a Man Who Will Fight for Your Honor by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.