Absence and Presence: Tetzaveh and Shabbat Zachor 5783 / 2023
Who’s named and who’s not, what it means to remember (and forget) Amalek, and what this week’s Torah portion and Purim ask of us.
Entries by Rachel Barenblat
From the Rabbi – March 2023
Rabbi Rachel’s March newsletter column — about Purim, and how our actions reflect us, and good things coming.
Guest Post: “Constructing Sacred Boundaries: An Exploration of the Enclosure Around the Mishkan”
This guest post is the D’var Torah that CBI member and cantorial soloist Ziva Larson offered at Shabbat Morning Services on Saturday, February 25, 2023.
(Reproductive) Justice and the Dream of Sky: Mishpatim 5783 / 2023
“…Reproductive justice is a much broader framework than simply ‘the right to choose,; or even the right to choose plus access to safe reliable healthcare. It’s about everything: access to food, affordable shelter, education, ending carceral foster care, ending gun violence, and more. All of these are part of what it would really look like to rear children in a just world….”
A Song For Those Coming Through the Sea
“..Our ancient spiritual ancestors couldn’t sing the Song until they felt emunah in their bones. And they couldn’t feel emunah in their bones until they stepped into the sea. Which means they had to step into the sea before they felt ready. They had to take the plunge without knowing for sure what lay ahead and whether or not the water would part. On a smaller scale, we all have moments like that, on the cusp of change: marriage or divorce, birth or death, choosing a new beginning. There’s a moment when we have to decide to just – step into the sea, ready or not….”
From the Rabbi – February 2023
This morning a friend texted me a graphic showing the five weeks before the winter solstice, and the five weeks thereafter. Along with the image came a short message that read, simply, “We made it!” The literal darkest season of the solar year is behind us: cause for rejoicing indeed.
From the Rabbi – January 2023
The coldest weather of the year is ahead of us, but the days have already started imperceptibly getting longer. Especially during years like this one, when the winter solstice falls during Chanukah, it can feel a little bit like the increasing light of our candles has called back the increasing light of the sun. We’re nowhere near done with the cold, but we are done with the darkening of the days. From here until the end of June, every day brings more light.
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