by Rabbi David Levin | Dec 15, 2021 | Blessings, General
When we went to grandma and grandpa’s house to visit, some things stood out. Among them was a giant breakfront that contained the unique items they had collected over the years. I remember the porcelain figurines on display, delicate and colorful, gracing the shelves...
by Rabbi David Levin | Apr 17, 2020 | Blessings
Ana Bekoach is a mystical prayer employing the 42 letters of the name of God to create this mystical prayer. The acrostic is seven lines of six words each. The prayer is attributed to Nechuniah dating back to second- century Israel. Siddur Lev Shalem explains a...
by Rabbi David Levin | Apr 8, 2020 | Blessings, General
If you are celebrating this evening at a Seder table or anywhere else, Wishing you a joyous holiday- Chag Sameach Next Year in Jerusalem, Next year face to face.
by Rabbi David Levin | Apr 3, 2020 | General
Hanan Ben Ari shares this poignant song about our current situation. Although we feel isolated and alone, remember that we are connected by our humanity. We have the power to reach out to others and express the love and caring we feel. This will sustain us until the...
by Rabbi David Levin | Mar 15, 2020 | General
by Rabbi David Levin | Feb 14, 2020 | Blessings, Teaching
It’s National Be Nice to In-Laws weekend! There is a wonderful commercial on the airways. The “Good Hands” insurance folks have Tina Fey driving with her mother-in-law, aka Mayhem, portrayed by Dean Winters. It is a caricature of the tensions intrinsic in this...
by Rabbi David Levin | Dec 5, 2019 | Chesbon HaNefesh, General
Do I walk through the open door? Finding oneself and charting a new course is at the heart of Vayeitzei This week’s Parshah Vayetze begins with Jacob’s dream. Running for his life from a vengeful Esau, Jacob flees toward a Haran. Exhausted, he stops to sleep. Here he...
by Rabbi David Levin | Nov 28, 2019 | Blessings, General
So, it turns out that maybe mine is not the only family described as dysfunctional. Family dynamics have always been difficult. Toldot shares unique stories of the tensions that can exist, based on things like sibling rivalries, deception, favoritism, and...
by Rabbi David Levin | Nov 20, 2019 | Chesbon HaNefesh, General, Teaching
“And the life of Sarah was 100 years and twenty years and seven years, the years of the life of Sarah”. It would be easier to say she died at the age of 127. But we would miss an important message. The text seems to ask us to examine Sarah’s life, not...
