The Omer helps navigate the unknown terrain between Pesach and Shavuot, which is why it may be both an exciting and daunting time. We are meant to ascend, both temporally and inwardly, the space between being in Egypt and arriving at Mount Sinai.

As we complete the book of Exodus with the construction of the Holy Sanctuary, I can’t help thinking of the following quote from 2021’s Academy Award’s winning film, "Nomadland." “I may be houseless, but not homeless” was one of the opening phrases by the laconic but sensitive, Fern.

‘You can’t choose the card you’re dealt, but you can choose to live every minute of it.’

How can the saddest days of the year make someone happy?

This week’s Torah portion, Tazriah, is a reminder that births are happening while our focus may be on sickness.

This week’s parsha bears a striking echo to our current situation. It is the law of someone who got Tzaraat, a disease with physical symptoms of spiritual flaws that affected the person’s body, clothes, or even homes.

This year’s Passover seders will be smaller than ever, but they may prepare us for the biggest event in history.

How is this Passover different to all other Passovers? Well, in just about every way possible.

We just finished reading the book of Exodus, and also the last of the special Torah readings before Passover. This reading, ‘the chapter of the NEW moon,’ begins with the mandate to declare the upcoming month of Nisan, as the first month in the Jewish calendar.

Chanukah may be over but its message is not. Especially with recent challenges to Jewish lives, we need to find experiences that bolster our determination to thrive, and our confidence in humanity.

If you are human, comparing mind is your constant companion. And, a natural result of these non-stop mental comparisons is that we often find ourselves feeling lacking, less than, craving to be, or to have, more.

One of the main points of the Seder is to feel as if we are actually going out of Egypt on the night of Passover.

Did you ever stop to think about why we blow the Shofar on Rosh Hashonah?

In this week's Torah portion we learn many of the civil laws of the Torah.

After the ecstatic and transformative moment of revelation at Sinai, Parshat Mishpatim (Exodus 21-24) calls on us to pay close attention to the details of our lives and the impact we have on the people and the world around us.

Episode 55 of Dash of Drash, Until the Sun Rises, is dedicated to Koby Gruenwald z"l. 

In Exodus - Heart of Darkness, episode 54 of A Dash of Drash, Rabbi Marc explores God's presence in darkness.  

In Divine Names, episode 53 of A Dash of Drash, Rabbi Andrew Hahn, Ph.D, also known as the KirtanRabbi (affectionately Reb Drew), joins Rabbi Marc in conversation about the centrality of names, especially the names of the Divine, and how they connect to our practice and to our hearts. 

In Exodus - Narrative and Law, episode 52 of A Dash of Drash, a professor of bible and a rabbi explore different ways of finding meaning in ancient narratives, as we begin ritual reading the Book of Exodus. 

In this week's Torah portion we read about the death of Rachel, the wife of Jacob.

In this week's Torah portion, we read how Jacob is running away from his brother Esau who wants to kill him for stealing the firstborn blessings from Isaac.

Any great lover of the Torah must eventually confront the simple truth that certain parts of this book are just not that interesting.

In this week's Torah portion, we read how G-d comes to pay Avraham a wellness visit after his circumcision at the age of 99.

This week's Torah portion begins with the verse, "G-d called to Moses speaking to him from the communion tent."

The Boulder Jewish Film Festival of 2017 has come and gone, but their impact still remains with us. Of the many films that I saw, one was my personal favorite: "Dirty Wolves."