“One good deed leads to another. One transgression leads to another.”
– Pirke Avot 4:2
It takes so much energy to start something new, why get in our own way with thoughts of self-doubt or perfectionism when it’s experimentation and simply staying present in the process that will get us so much further anyways? Continue reading “Mussar Mondays – Pirke Avot: Not letting perfectionism get in the way of our passion”
Studying Torah in the modern age can be a tricky endeavor sometimes. Engaging with ideas from 3,000 years ago will inevitably lead to a culture clash between our modern sensibilities and those from the Iron Age of the Ancient Near East. Continue reading “The spirit of generosity is a spirit of courage”
One of the most fascinating aspects of the 929 project is seeing how the daily chapter interacts with the regular Jewish calendar. Whether it is the weekly Torah portion, the daily prayers, or a special holiday reading – they all have connections to the stories that we read throughout this two and a half year cycle. Recently, I found one such connection particularly inspiring as it reminded me the majesty of stories. Continue reading “Stories that carry us, stories that heal”
“How do we deepen relationships with others and with ourselves? In this bonus supplement to the intro episode, I speak with Anabelle Harari about the transformative power of spiritual community.”
What started as a simple sound check to test the microphone before recording the first ever episode of the “Raising Holy Sparks” podcast – ended up being a really interesting conversation in and of itself about community, prayer, and how to be our truest selves.
In episode 2 of ‘Raising Holy Sparks’, I speak with Anabelle Harari who is not only my amazing partner in life and crazy antics but is also a deep thinker about wellness – both physical and also mental. Continue reading “Episode 2: Extra Addition to Intro – Special Guest Anabelle Harari”
“I have always believed that within every challenge lies an opportunity, within every question lies a journey, and within every person – an inextinguishable light. Our job is to make our light shine brighter within ourselves and to see the spark of holiness in others – even when it is difficult to do so.”
In this opening episode of the ‘Raising Holy Sparks’ podcast, I share some classic Jewish stories that get at the heart of this idea of finding the good in every situation.
Welcome to the “Raising Holy Sparks” podcast! So exciting! This is going to be a twice-monthly podcast for my segments with guests, and weekly for shorter teachings.
So, what’s this all about and how did we get here? Continue reading “Episode 1: Introduction and Welcome to Raising Holy Sparks”
The World Series is soon upon us. With the lead up to these games come the talking-heads pontificating about who they think will likely win it all, car and beer companies producing eye-catching commercials, and street vendors thinking up the designs for their next viral t-shirt. Continue reading “Why watching a baseball game is not a religious experience.”
When moving towards any goal as a team or a community every member must contribute something to make that dream a reality.
For the Israelites that were breathlessly dashing towards liberation there were a handful of figures that stood out from the rest in terms of their contribution to making that freedom become a reality. Continue reading “What did Moses do that was so great anyways?”
I live in the United States and as far as I can tell we value tackling problems head on and solving them once and for all. Once we set our minds to something we expect to see results and to see them right away. Continue reading “How My (Prayer) Life Changed When I Stopped Trying To Change”
Rabbi Misha Clebaner 