Stephen Cohen’s Malkhuyot
2nd Day Rosh Hashana 5785 A discussion on malkhuyot, God’s sovereignty, is part of the Rosh Hashana canon, as Talmud Rosh Hashana 16a:15 records. Rabbi Yehuda said in the name of Rabbi Akiva: וְאִמְרוּ לְפָנַי בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה מַלְכִיּוֹת זִכְרוֹנוֹת וְשׁוֹפָרוֹת V’imru l’fanai b’rosh hashana malkhiyot “And recite before Me on Rosh HaShana verses that mention […]
How to Pray, I Think
Erev Rosh Hashanah 5785 by Rabbi Nathan Kamesar I want to start my teaching this evening with one of the most well-worn stories of the Yamim Noraim, the Days of Awe, about a boy and his flute.¹ When Rabbi Israel was about to enter into his synagogue in Medziboz, he stopped outside the door […]
Facing Life’s Big Questions this Rosh Hashanah
by Rabbi Nathan Kamesar I’m writing to share the D’var Torah, the words of Torah, I offered this past Friday night on the eve of celebrating a young person in our community, Arielle Schwartz, becoming Bat Mitzvah. It comes on the eve of a moment in our own life cycle as a community, […]
T’shuvah and the Margin for Error
by Rabbi Nathan Kamesar I’d like to share with you the D’var Torah I shared Friday night in advance of Abigail Hamilton’s beautiful Bat Mitzvah celebration this past Shabbat: There’s a phrase that’s been floating around in the public consciousness lately that has been resonating with me on a number of levels in […]
One Thing I Ask
by Rabbi Nathan Kamesar This past week, as part of our celebrating our first Bat Mitzvah of the year (Mazal Tov, Madeleine Wilson!), I shared the following D’var Torah: In a few moments, we’re going to sing a verse of a psalm that anchors us in the season in which we find ourselves, […]