Parashat Bemidbar 5779 by Meir Sendor Rabbi Yaakov Leiner addresses the question of the effectiveness of prayer in a paraphrase of Midrash Tehillim (91): למה חסידים הראשונים היו מתפללים ונענים? מפני שהתפללו בשם המפורש… What is the reason the…
Nothing Doing
Parashat Behar 5779 by Meir Sendor On Yom HaAtzmaut last week, one of the first beautiful days of this year’s late spring, we took a long walk to Mount Avnit in the Biriyah Forest, the next mountain over, not far…
Preferred Pronouns
Parashat Va-era 5779 Meir Sendor One of the participants in a shiur I taught on prayer told me that she talks to HaShem constantly throughout the day, not just at the three official daily times of tefillah, Shacharit, Minchah, Maariv.…
All for One and One for All
Parashat Vayechi 5779 Meir Sendor I’ve been getting used to the Edot ha-Mizrach liturgy and customs of the Moroccan Kehillah we attend. It’s more wordy than Ashkenaz liturgy, but there are some nice flourishes. For instance, when a man gets…
True Confessions
Shabbat Shuvah 5779 Parashat Vayelekh – Yom Kippur Meir Sendor We’re spending the ten days of repentance and Yom Kippur in Melbourne, and enjoying getting to know the Jewish community. The members of our son’s congregation, Blake Street Hebrew Congregation,…
Changing Places
Parashat Nitzavim 5778, Rosh HaShanah 5779 Meir Sendor In the Gemara Rosh HaShanah Rabbi Yitzhak says that, although Rosh HaShanah is a day of judgment, the judgment is not immutable: “four things rip up a negative verdict against a person:…
Line Dancing
Parashat Ki Tavo 5778 Meir Sendor It’s a good shopping experience at the main supermarket of Tzfat, but the checkout lines can be slow. The other day we were in a bit of a rush and it seemed like we…
For my image, so they say, is immortal
Parashat Pinchas 5778 Meir Sendor This week’s parashah opens with a stark contradiction flagged by many Torah commentators. Pinchas is rewarded by HaShem with a “covenant of peace” for his violent act at the end of last week’s parashah: he…
Making Space
Parashat Korah 5778 Meir Sendor The local Moroccan Beit HaKnesset we go to here in Tzfat has a delightful spirit. Though we have found most kehillot open and welcoming, there’s a different style to Moroccan custom. Everyone prays the liturgy…
