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Elul is a hard month. With each day, the clock is ticking and the year is drawing to a close. The shofar blast each morning calls us to do teshuvah, urgently and insistently reminding us that the time is now. Yet, we would much rather not have to think about…
Shoftim, Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9 Shoftim v’shotrim – judges and cops – are foundations of civil society. The Torah acknowledges the ongoing need for a legal system supported by enforcement mechanisms. This is not a messianic vision of a world at peace, a world in which individuals choose the good always. It…
In tractate Taanit 22a, Rabbi Beroka Chaza-ah is sitting in the marketplace when he is visited by the prophet Elijah, with whom, apparently, he was in frequent communication. The rabbi inquired of the prophet- “Is there any person here who has a share in the world to come?” Just at…
In the Gettysburg address, President Abraham Lincoln described the United States of America as “conceived in liberty.” The story of the Jewish people shares this common thread: our foundational epic is the exodus from Egypt, a celebration of freedom from tyranny. When we reflect on our own history as Jews-…
a commentary on Parshat Korach, Numbers 16:1-18:32 The rabbis were very threatened by Korach, the lead in our story this week. He represented the most serious rebellion against Moses’ authority in the wilderness, as he and his followers challenged Moses and Aaron: “You have gone too far! For all the…
Beginning this talk by saying thank you is not just an exercise in protocol. It speaks directly to the theme of this gathering, which is, Spiritual Fitness. Becoming an appreciative person is a top strategy for spiritual fitness. 1. Cultivate an attitude of gratitude. There is a reason that…
Honored to be the speaker at the Days of Remembrance commemoration in Kuwait. Days of Remembrance- April 2014, CH (COL) Bonnie Koppell Count by ones to six million, the number of Jews killed during what has come to be known as the Holocaust, a number each second, and you will…
Tazria, Leviticus 12:1-15:33 In this week’s Torah portion, Tazria, we see Aaron and his sons in their priestly role as tribal medicine men. Forget the fancy clothes and presiding over rituals and eating yummy offerings. Now, it’s down to the nitty-gritty, time to get their hands dirty, time to be…
Thank you so much for this opportunity to reflect with you on this season of holidays. Chanukkah is the only Jewish holiday that celebrates a military victory, so it is a particularly appropriate theme for us to consider here at Fort Huachuca. Despite its proximity to Christmas, the two holidays…
“Patience is a virtue,” or, as George Eliot expressed it more poetically, “The wine and the sun will make vinegar without any shouting to help them.”[1] My children think I’m the most impatient person on the planet, but that’s only because they haven’t spent more time with my mom. My…