בס”ד Parashat Balak 5781 Meir Sendor The Gemara Sanhedrin (67b) brings an incident between Rabbi Hanina and a sorceress who tried to harm him: ההיא איתתא דהות קא מהדרא למשקל עפרא מתותי כרעיה דרבי חנינא. אמר לה: אי מסתייעת –…
Choose Life
Parashat Nitzavim/ VaYelekh 5780 Meir Sendor You would think this would be an easy choice: דברים פרק ל (יט) העדתי בכם היום את השמים ואת הארץ החיים והמות נתתי לפניך הברכה והקללה ובחרת בחיים למען תחיה אתה וזרעך: I…
Hard Knocks
Parashat Ki Tavo 5780 Meir Sendor Last week we got together with family for an outing before the grandchildren return to school in this challenging time of pandemic. We met at one of the national archeological parks that we figured…
Bless this Mess
Parashat Balak 5780 Meir Sendor The other day a large snake slithered across a corner of our garden and disappeared behind a bush, possibly slipping into a crevice in the stone wall. We only got a quick glimpse. It was…
To Serve and to Protect
Parashat Toldot 5780 by Meir Sendor Rights – territorial rights, political rights, personal rights – are often cited as the bone of contention between Israelis and Palestinians. Framed in this way, it seems like an all or nothing struggle. This…
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:…
This Land is God’s Land
Parashat Behar 5778 Meir Sendor This is our first spring tending the garden we started last fall, and it’s in bloom now, with figs and lemons ripening, the summer vegetables getting started, bees humming in the flowers, ladybugs beginning to…
Home Free All
Parashat VaYishlach 5778 Meir Sendor We just returned to Israel from a great trip to the States. We’re grateful to have had the opportunity to spend precious time with family and friends, and to do some teaching, and grateful for…
Giving Thanks
Parashat VaYetze 5778 Meir Sendor Our travels around the States visiting family and teaching Jewish meditation have taken us to New Jersey. We rented a car at the airport. To leave the rental lot you pass by a toll booth…
