Posts by Cyril

While Standing (Six Feet Apart) on One FootShabbat March 28, 2020 As we enter in the book of Leviticus, I am struck by the parallels we see today in our current health crisis. Leviticus is a long series of commandments about the sacrificial service at the Tabernacle. There are laws about sin offerings, free will…

While Standing (Six Feet Apart) on One FootErev Shabbat March 27, 2020 Shabbat is about to descend upon us and bring its peace. These are hard days in which to find the peace we seek. According to tradition, we are supposed to unplug to our devices and plug in to our family and friends. In…

While Standing (Six Feet Apart) on One FootMarch 26, 2020 I was honestly puzzled about what I was going to write about today. Like you, I am reading the news for simple facts so I can make informed and correct decisions. That takes quite a bit of time. And, often, I can find something that…

While Standing (Six Feet Apart) on One FootMarch 25, 2020 In Theology class today, the discussion based on the book “The Tragedy Test” (which you are welcome to join us for if you need some intellectual stimulation and break from all this virus news) we somehow migrated to the famous saying by Hillel. You know…

While Standing (Six Feet Apart) on One Foot March 24, 2020 Many years ago, I read a book that has stayed with me as few other books have. It was written by Rabbi Richard Rubenstein at it is called “The Cunning of History.” Its thesis was simple: when governments see populations as ‘surplus people,’ they…

While Standing (6 Feet Apart) on One LegMarch 22, 2020 This is the end of week 2 of the pandemic. We have been told to stay at home, keep our children out of school, not go to work, and so forth. Trying out new technology has had it challenges but seems that we have all…

While Standing (Six Feet Apart) on One FootTorah for a Viral EpidemicMarch 21 – Shabbat 2 in Lockdown In the past couple of weeks we have been learning a lot and not just about the virus and the governments’ responses or even about the economic impact. We have also been learning how our computers work…and…

Standing (Six Feet Apart) on One Leg Torah for Dealing with a Virus 3/19/2020 In the past couple of days, I have been reading so much that I have forgotten what I read. That’s not usually an problem but when I cut and paste a note without attribution, that is a problem. So, in the…

While Standing (Six Feet Apart) on One Leg: A Torah for a Virus: 3/18/2020 All trying times give rise to some insightful humor. During the Middle Ages in the time of the bubonic plaque, Jews were suspected of creating the disease and attacked because relatively few Jews got sick. One part of the accusation is…

While Standing (6 Feet Apart) on One Foot A Torah for a Virus The story of Moses, Miriam and God has an interesting episode in the Book of Numbers. Miriam and Aaron, Moses’ brother and sister didn’t like that Moses had married a Cushite woman – a black, probably African, woman. They confronted Moses and…