The Moon, Jewish Time, and Renewal

The Moon, Jewish Time, and Renewal

הַחֹ֧דֶשׁ הַזֶּ֛ה לָכֶ֖ם רֹ֣אשׁ חֳדָשִׁ֑ים רִאשׁ֥וֹן הוּא֙ לָכֶ֔ם לְחָדְשֵׁ֖י הַשָּׁנָֽה׃

This month shall mark for you the beginning of the months; it shall be the first of the months of the year for you.

Exodus 12:1 (more…)

Mount Sinai and Peak Experiences

Mount Sinai and Peak Experiences

Shalom! In honor of Shavuot, the holiday of the Giving of the Torah, visit the Gateway of Mountains, where you will learn about mountains in the Bible, especially symbolized by the Theophany (appearance of the Divine) at Mount Sinai. Learn about mountains as symbols of peak experiences in the Mount Sinai at DawnBible, and listen to a guided meditation based on Moses encounter with God’s presence at Sinai.

Once again, thanks for your patience in waiting for new content on the site, as my congregational and seminary teaching duties have needed my full focus during the seven week Omer period from Passover to Shavuot. As we enter the slower summer months, with God’s help I hope to add new Gateways (content pages) and many Pathways (posts) for your enjoyment and learning.

Wishing everyone a very happy and meaningful Shavuot!

Counting the Omer With Plants of Israel

Shalom! Apologies that I have not posted anything new to Wellsprings since the eve of Passover, due to a busy season at my work as a congregational rabbi. Plus I am happy to share that I will be teaching a summer trimester course at the Academy for Jewish Religion on,...
Miracle of nature or nature of miracles?

Miracle of nature or nature of miracles?

In honor of Passover, I have revised a post on the Parting of the Sea. which is now on both the Gateway of Wind and the Red Sea, NASA photo, public domainGateway of the Sea! What is a miracle? How does the story of the Sea parting inspire us to help others and to grow as people? Hopefully there are some good questions here for personal reflection or to discuss at a Passover Seder. Enjoy and Happy Passover!

Also, since I’ve been asked, a reminder that photo credits are visible on hover (or light touch on a smaller device), except for featured images, which are credited at the bottom of each post. I am also gradually linking reposted photos from websites like Flickr back to their original location as possible. Photos by “JHD” are my own. Photos not by me, my family or friends (with their permission) are public domain or Creative Commons License.

Springtime (in the Northern Hemisphere) brings a new guest post

Springtime (in the Northern Hemisphere) brings a new guest post

Lisianto, Rodrigo Soldon 2, via FlickrSpring is coming, slowly but surely! In honor of springtime and Passover, a big thank you to Rabbi David Zaslow of Ashland, Oregon, for sharing “The Reason for the Season,” from his new book, Reimagining Exodus, in the Gateway of Seasons. He explores how the changing seasons affect our moods, and poses an intriguing question raised by our teacher, Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi of blessed memory, about whether the Hebrew calendar and its holidays should be reversed for Jews living in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Hebrew Months

The Hebrew Months

Our Hebrew months got their current names in Babylonia over 2500 years ago and are associated with the signs of the Zodaic. Yes, those odd dates listed on your horoscope should be switched out for the Hebrew months, and the signs have resonances in some of the Jewish holidays, for example, Libra/scales and weighing our deeds in the month of Tishrei, which brings Rosh Hashanah.  (more…)

A Time to Every Purpose

A Time to Every Purpose

אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֗ים יְהִ֤י מְאֹרֹת֙ בִּרְקִ֣יעַ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם לְהַבְדִּ֕יל בֵּ֥ין הַיּ֖וֹם וּבֵ֣ין הַלָּ֑יְלָה וְהָי֤וּ לְאֹתֹת֙ וּלְמ֣וֹעֲדִ֔ים וּלְיָמִ֖ים וְשָׁנִֽים׃

God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate between day and night; and they will serve as signs and seasons, for the days and years.

Genesis 1:14

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Living in the Season

Living in the Season

Seasons are very different in each of the places I have lived. In South Texas, a short spring quickly stretches into a long, hot, heavy summer, followed by a pleasant fall and mild winter. (more…)

The Reason for the Season

The Reason for the Season

by Rabbi David Zaslow

There is an organic flow between all of the Jewish holidays that mirrors the cycles in nature. In the Creation story, we learn that “there was evening and there was morning, the first day” (Gen. 1:5). Jews continue to mark the beginning of the day at sunset—evening—and not at midnight as most of the world does.
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