by Rabbi David Zaslow The cultural shift from shepherding to private property, farming, and ranching had immense ramifications for the rest of the world, and all this is all hinted at in the allegory of Cain and Abel. How do we know the Cain and Abel story is based on...
Peak Experiences by Rabbi David Zaslow Just as there are certain times in our lives when we have peak experiences, so there are certain times of the year when nature affords us the opportunity to have exalted spiritual experiences. In Judaism, we think of lifecycle...
Israel: Hatikvah – Singin’ the Hope by Rabbi David Zaslow Dedicated to the holy work of Evan J. Krame At the Reb Zalman Shabbaton on May 4, 2014 I spoke of the PTSD that impacts most of the Jewish community around the world. From the pogroms in Eastern Europe in...
Max and Mutte by Rabbi David Zaslow In 1958 I was about to meet Max and Mutte. My mother told me, “If you see numbers on their arms, don’t look. Don’t ask. Don’t say a word.” I was twelve but I understood. There was something sacred there. A...
Passover: Our Festival of Leaping by Rabbi David Zaslow The Jewish Exodus story was used as a template for the first Europeans who came to America in search of religious freedom. Subsequently it was used by the first Mormons who fled Illinois in search of their...
Pentecost: A Poem by Rabbi David Zaslow Passover and Easter: two moon linked sisters who long ago stopped speaking to one another: linked to the fullness in our hearts and the fullness of God’s grace. The moon of Sister Miriam desires freedom – to rescue her people...
In the Groove by Rabbi David Zaslow To be in the groove means that the needle rests in total stillness while the record around it spins. The turntable turns, the record revolves, but the point of contact requires total stillness. To be in the groove requires a...
by Rabbi David Zaslow adapted from the book “Jesus: First-Century Rabbi” Hanukkah and Christmas are two wondrous winter holidays that celebrate the light of God. The spiritual power of these festivals comes from the fact that they celebrate light at...
by Rabbi David Zaslow In poetry, when an innovation in the use of metaphor or rhythm is first discovered, it is called the breakthrough. After a breakthrough there will others who will do the work of interiorization. For instance, in the late nineteenth-century, the...
By Rabbi David Zaslow Each of the four holy days in our High Holiday season goes deeper and deeper, higher and higher into the hidden realms of the psyche. We begin with Rosh Hashanah, the new moon, and a new year. It is a day of awe as we envision ourselves as being...
