Galilee Diary: Galilee encounters
The Roots of Shabbat
According to traditional Jewish belief, the Sabbath has its origin in God’s divine command to observe the seventh day as a day of rest and sanctification.
Chance Encounters on Shabbat
Shabbat is a special time for me. It begins around 4:00 on a Friday afternoon, when I retreat to a Starbucks for an hour or two of study and Jewish writing. And then it’s off to temple for the Friday night service, and Shabbat dinner at home.
The Shabbat Spice: Why Friday Night Dinner Tastes So Much Better
One day, my daughter walked into the house after attending preschool.
“What’s wrong?” she asked incredulously.
“Why?” I responded, “Is something wrong?”
“Well,” my very bright 3-year-old answered, “the house smells like Shabbat and I know that today is not Shabbat.”
Experiencing Rosh Chodesh at the Kotel
This morning, we went to the Western Wall to pray with Women of the Wall for Rosh Chodesh Sivan, the festival celebrating the new month.
Making Shabbat Holy
When my mother was alive, she neither checked email nor opened snail mail on Shabbat. Whatever missives – real or virtual – awaited her, she knew, would still be there once Shabbat had ended. This minhag was her way to step back and set the day apart.
Where was God then? Where is God now?
Rabbi Billy Dreskin is a rabbi at Woodlands Community Temple, a Reform Jewish congregation in Greenburgh, New York.
Defending the State of Israel, One Kiddush at a Time
Even with support of other IDF volunteers, Basic Training was stressful, demoralizing, and chaotic. Why, then, did I volunteer to lead Kiddush at a Shabbat dinner?