by katie@betalef.org | Dec 14, 2022 | Torah Reflections
Chanukah Reflection 5783 “The Next Messiah” The holiday of Chanukah that begins Sunday night, is a celebration of light, the commemoration of an ancient miracle. It is a time for us to reflect on the light in our life, and be reminded of the miracle...
by katie@betalef.org | Dec 7, 2022 | Torah Reflections
Vayishlach: Genesis 32:4 – 36:43 “Awakening Beyond Silence” One of the first revelations that meditation allows is an encounter with the unbelievable noise that lies within us. As if by magic, as soon as our eyes are closed an onslaught of...
by katie@betalef.org | Nov 30, 2022 | Torah Reflections
Vayeitzei: Genesis 28:10 – 32:3 “God Was in This Place” One verse above all others in this Torah portion encompasses the entirety of Kabbalistic thought: “Waking from his sleep, Jacob said, ‘Truly, the Eternal is in this place, and I did not...
by katie@betalef.org | Nov 23, 2022 | Torah Reflections
Tol’dot: Genesis 25:19 – 28:9 “Why we Need Conflict” The twin brothers Esau and Jacob wrestled each other even before they were born. Both, it seems, wanted to be the firstborn in order to inherit the Divine promise to Abraham from their...
by katie@betalef.org | Nov 16, 2022 | Torah Reflections
Chayei Sarah: Genesis 23:1 – 25:18 “Where Life Hangs by a Fragile Thread” “The cry of the shofar is the tears of Sarah.” Thus says a midrash describing the moment when Sarah was told that Abraham had taken her son Isaac and had slaughtered him...
by katie@betalef.org | Nov 9, 2022 | Torah Reflections
Vayera: Genesis 18:1 – 22:24 “A Place of Great Evil” Whereas Lech Lecha invites us to consider the nature of Sacred Space, Vayera introduces us to its complete opposite: the sinful cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. This story, combined with the...
