Pain & Suffering
The real question we must ask is not just why we sometimes feel such acute pain, but what we are meant to learn from it.
What have I done to deserve this? And how can I make it stop? Sometimes the pain seems to be insurmountable, the suffering cruel in its intensity. But why – I am a good person! I try so hard and yet I am hit again and again with such hurt – the loss of a loved one, a broken relationship, a suffering child. Why would a good G-d allow something like this to happen? Does G-d not cry, as I do? Does G-d not feel pain, as I do? What can I do to make it go away?
Tazria: Divine Wrath
Understanding the apparent abundance of violence and anger in the Torah requires one to gain deeper insight into its literal and symbolic dimensions.
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The Kabbala of Curses
The 49 curses listed in the Torah portion of Bechukosei evokes an interesting question: what possible benefit can be found in these curses?
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Nasso: Raw Ovol
For the first time in my 48 years I am an “ovol,” a griever. My father always knew he was on a mission. With the passion of a soldier he never wavered.
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Chukat: The Face
In Parshat Chukat Moses’ face turned pale: knowing what it means to be created in the “Divine Image” & learning the cycle of life & death through faces.
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Chaya Sarah: Tattoos
Man can transcend seemingly permanent scars or wounds – both physical and psychological – and access the inner recesses of his soul.
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Shemini-Passover: Kaddish
Nothing can console those who have lost a loved one. The only thing keeping them whole is a connection something greater than death and life, G-d.
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Yom Kippur: The Kittel
Comforts and freedom often lead to complacency, but Yom Kippur reminds us simultaneously of our troubles and our triumphs, encouraging us to reflect on the mysterious cycle of life.
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Simchat Torah: Bizarre Journeys
Wherever you go, as difficult as the journey may be it is all for a higher purpose: to redeem the Divine sparks that can only be found in that dark place.
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Noach: Raging Waters
Not only are we never given a challenge we cannot overcome, but from Parshat Noach we learn that every challenge brings us to an even greater height.
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Ki Tissa: Suffering
In Parshat Ki Tissa, Moses learns to be a partner with G/d and to see His face when He reveals it, even in suffering.
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