I received some exciting news this past Sunday.  After a phone call with my parents, in which we all lamented the ongoing sameness of pandemic life, I received an email saying that I was eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.  The State of California had adjusted their guidelines so that workers in residential Substance Use… Read more »

As we say goodbye to 2020, it’s obvious that the events of this past year have served to make it a defining point in our lives, a dividing line (in ways that will only continue to be revealed) between pre-2020 life and our post-2020 world.  As we march forward into 2021, we work to understand… Read more »

I was in a group with residents of Beit T’Shuvah earlier this week.  One resident said, “I’ve always not fit in with this group or that group – not enough this for these people or enough that for those people.  But maybe that’s a tired story.”  The Outsider.  How many of us identify as an… Read more »

Near the beginning of this week’s parashah, we read the story of Joseph being released from prison.  He had been jailed unjustly, having offended the master of his household.  While in prison, he gained recognition for his ability to interpret dreams.  Word of Joseph’s abilities spread beyond the prison walls.  And when Pharaoh needed a… Read more »

Before the pandemic it was common practice for the residents, upon arriving at Beit T’Shuvah, to be without their phones and other electronic devices for about a month or two.  One of the comments I heard frequently was a request for more clocks around the building.  Entering into residential treatment (and early recovery) had left… Read more »

One of my favorite ways to learn Torah is to ask myself, “What if?” Part of the beauty of learning the Torah in its original Hebrew is that the language is open to multiple interpretations.  In fact, some translations clean up and wash over some of the inconsistencies in the original text, from which the… Read more »

We all have moments of desperation, dark nights of the soul, in which we less call out to God than God reaches into us and pulls out a cry for help. In this week’s parashah, Jacob has a terrifying, lonely night in which God enters his dreams and comforts him, offering him hope for his… Read more »

“Mitzvah gedolah lihyot b’simcha tamid.” “It is a great mitzvah to always be happy.” -Rebbe Nachman of Breslov Earlier this week, I was speaking with a colleague who shared a story about a person who is on a quest to be happy.  This person is reading books, reflecting on what is important to them, and… Read more »

SPOILER ALERT!  There is a lot of living and dying in this week’s Torah portion, Chayei Sarah. Translated as the “the life of Sarah,” the portion provides us with models (and guidance) on how to embrace and “hold on” to what we have, while also accepting what we need to do. We start off by learning… Read more »

Red states.  Blue States.  Divided States.  United States.  Will we have a President-elect by the time this goes out?  Unclear. What’s for certain is that elections are anxiety provoking. According to a recent poll by the American Psychological Association, “more than two-thirds of adults are finding the 2020 election to be a significant source of… Read more »

This week’s parashah has one of the most compelling and memorable lines in all of Torah: The Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1). This instruction from God to Abram comes with virtually no context,… Read more »

During my first year of rabbinical school, and the first year my then-girlfriend, now-wife and I lived together, I was taking steroids for a medical condition.  I remember returning home from school around 5:30pm, homework looming before me, perfectionist high-alert alarm blaring, and becoming angry – so, so angry – about dirty dishes, or some… Read more »