Lamentations 1:1 אֵיכָ֣ה ׀ יָשְׁבָ֣ה בָדָ֗ד הָעִיר֙ רַבָּ֣תִי עָ֔ם הָיְתָ֖ה כְּאַלְמָנָ֑ה רַבָּ֣תִי בַגּוֹיִ֗ם שָׂרָ֙תִי֙ בַּמְּדִינ֔וֹת הָיְתָ֖ה לָמַֽס׃ How can it be that she sits in isolation the city teeming with people has become like a widow? Immense among nations, noble among provinces, she has become a payer of tribute. We mark Tisha B’Av, the most solemn day in the Jewish calendar,…
Numbers 22:28 וַיִּפְתַּ֥ח יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶת־פִּ֣י הָאָת֑וֹן וַתֹּ֤אמֶר לְבִלְעָם֙ מֶה־עָשִׂ֣יתִֽי לְךָ֔ כִּ֣י הִכִּיתַ֔נִי זֶ֖ה שָׁלֹ֥שׁ רְגָלִֽים׃ Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have hit me these three times?” Balaam is one of the more interesting individuals in the Torah. He is not Jewish, but is a prophet…
Special edition of the Weekly Versewhile Rabbi Rotenberg is at Camp Ramah Darom A wet slab of concrete in front of Ramah Darom’s new Programming Center The moment I saw the workers smooth the new slab of concrete, the countdown began. I know that campers are not always the best behaved. With hundreds of kids walking by this high traffic area,…
Special edition of the Weekly Versewhile Rabbi Rotenberg is at Camp Ramah Darom Few people know exactly what an Eruv is, and fewer know that Camp Ramah Darom has one. An Eruv is an enclosure made up of different finds of materials that take a public space, and encloses it so that according to Jewish law, one can carry within it…
Special edition of the Weekly Versewhile Rabbi Rotenberg is at Camp Ramah Darom Sitting in the dining hall this afternoon, you wouldn’t know our brothers and sisters in Israel are under fire. While subtly checking the news on my phone, thirsty for any update on Iran’s missile barrage, I’m surrounded by the sound of hundreds of excited kids finishing their pizza…
From a kabbalistic perspective, our purpose on earth is unique. Everything, the mystical tradition teaches us, has within it a divine spark, and it is our job to elevate it. We do this when we use the materials of the physical world for a blessing. When we say a blessing of thanks before eating, use our phones to call someone…
With all the messages sent out, there is little more to say. The tragedy of the murder of this young couple is too much to bear. The irony that this couple dedicated their lives to building bridges of peace, shot at an event dedicated to addressing humanitarian crises in the Middle East signals the blatant ignorance and self righteous story…
From a kabbalistic perspective, our purpose on earth is unique. Everything, the mystical tradition teaches us, has within it a divine spark, and it is our job to elevate it. We do this when we use the materials of the physical world for a blessing. When we say a blessing of thanks before eating, use our phones to call someone…
Leviticus 19:16 לֹא־תֵלֵ֤ךְ רָכִיל֙ בְּעַמֶּ֔יךָ לֹ֥א תַעֲמֹ֖ד עַל־דַּ֣ם רֵעֶ֑ךָ אֲנִ֖י יְהֹוָֽה׃ You shalt not act as a talebearer among your people; neither shalt you stand idly by the blood of your neighbor: I am the Lord. Fairly well known is the Jewish prohibition about speaking ill of others. We call this Lashon Hara, meaning “the evil tongue.” Less known is…
Leviticus 13:13 וְרָאָ֣ה הַכֹּהֵ֗ן וְהִנֵּ֨ה כִסְּתָ֤ה הַצָּרַ֙עַת֙ אֶת־כׇּל־בְּשָׂר֔וֹ וְטִהַ֖ר אֶת־הַנָּ֑גַע כֻּלּ֛וֹ הָפַ֥ךְ לָבָ֖ן טָה֥וֹר הֽוּא׃ then the priest shall look; and, behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague; it is all turned white: he is clean. Skin afflictions are the last thing anyone wants to read about on a…