The V’shamru prayer says: “For in six days the Eternal made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day God ceased from work and was refreshed (vayinafash).” Exodus 31:17 Maimonides (the great 12th century philosopher) explains: The word vayinafash (here translated “to be refreshed”) is derived from nefesh (soul), which means it contains the meaningContinueContinue reading “From Will to Gratitude: Celebrating Shabbat with Maimonides”
Tag Archives: Shabbat
Why I Walk to Shul: Shabbat As Mindfulness
It’s raining outside today, which has me thinking about an old joke: Q: What does a bear do when it rains? A: It gets wet. Let’s contrast that to what I do when it rains: First, I check the weather with Siri to see exactly what time it will be raining and for how long.ContinueContinue reading “Why I Walk to Shul: Shabbat As Mindfulness”
Between Holy and Ordinary (or “Why I Turn Off My Work Email on Shabbat”)
Once we were slaves. Now we are free. Shabbat is Zecher Liy’tziyat Mitzrayim – a reminder of our Exodus from slavery. On Shabbat, we are meant to embrace freedom, to throw off the shackles of the things that enslave us. As a Reform Jew, I take seriously the mitzvah of Shamor et Yom Hashabbat –ContinueContinue reading “Between Holy and Ordinary (or “Why I Turn Off My Work Email on Shabbat”)”
The Life That We Would Like to be Living: A Sermon for Rosh Hashanah 5773
The Architect Frank Lloyd Wright tells about a memory. He was nine years old, and he was walking across a snowy field with his no-nonsense uncle. The boy wandered this way and that, collecting reeds and taking in the scenery, while his uncle walked straight across the field. Upon reaching the top of the hill,ContinueContinue reading “The Life That We Would Like to be Living: A Sermon for Rosh Hashanah 5773”
Rabbi Micah Streiffer 