At the end of Sukkot, Jews begin to include prayers for rain in our daily liturgy. In biblical times, this was when the winter grains were planted, barley and wheat, to be harvested at Pesach and Shavuot respectively. The prayers are to nurture the crops over the coming months. The sages teach that on Sukkot the world […]

Tonight starts Sukkot, known as Z’man Simchatenu, a Season of Joy. It is a week-long celebration of the end of the summer harvests. It is a time of abundance, and of welcoming community. It is a time to take a deep breath and appreciate it all.  In biblical times, it was a celebration of harvesting olives, grapes, […]

I’m reflecting on the weather a lot these days, as we see massive events around the country. On Sunday, folks in Colorado were frantically harvesting their crops amidst record high temperatures in preparation for snow the next day. It is wildfire season and large parts of the western US are facing smoke days that force people to stay […]