Torah commentary

Here you’ll find Rabbi David’s divrei Torah, organized by parsha / Torah portion.

BERESHIT / GENESIS

Bereshit

• 2016: False Starts and the Art of Renewal
• 2017: Resilience: Cain after Abel
• 2018: First Build: Seven Foundation Principles for Spiritual Builders
• 2018: Genesis (En)Gendered

Noach

• 2017: It’s raining, it’s pouring: the resilience of Noach
• 2022: Our Eternal Ark: How to Build (and Not Build) for Social Justice

Lech Lecha

• 2016: The Day After

Chayei Sarah

• 2019: Parking lot angels, intercessory prayer, and being real

Toldot

• 2016: The Cosmic “Why Me?”
• 2017: Nevertheless, She Persisted

Vayetze

• 2016: Every Rock: the Art of Awe

Vayeshev

• 2018: Keeping the Mind in Mind: the Essence of Pluralism

Vayishlach

• 2017: Israel’s Six Resilience Rules
• 2017: Matt, Mom and Me

Miketz

• 2016: Becoming the Light
• 2018: Power Tools for Spiritual Building

Vayechi

• 2020: Live Like You’re Dying

SHEMOT / EXODUS

Shemot

• 2016: Everything Old is New Again
• 2015: Moses the Rookie Chaplain and the Burning Bush

Vaera

• 2023: Our Cup Undrunk For Now (first published at Bayit, with R. Rachel Barenblat)

Beshalach

• 2016: What Have You Done For Me Lately?

Yitro

• 2018: Take my advice
• 2019: Seeing the Voices: the Call of Teaching in Spiritual Formation

Mishpatim

• 2018: The Sapphire Path

Terumah

• 2016: A Space for Spirit
• 2015: Denominational Ins and Outs: the New Mishkan
• 2017: Jewish Renewal, our Judaism, and parashat Terumah
• 2019: Building for Mobility: Spiritual Life on the Move
• 2020: What Torah Doesn’t Say

Tetzaveh

• 2016: Seeing Bigger

Vayekhel

• 2016: Building the Trusting Heart
• 2019: People of the Building Fund

VAYIKRA / LEVITICUS

Vayikra

• 2016: If One’s Means Do Not Suffice: the High Price of Doing Jewish
• 2018: The Koan of Shrunken Silence
• 2019: Controlling the High Price of Judaism (and Guilt)

Tzav

• 2016: Keeping the Fire Burning
• 2016: Keeping the Light On
• 2017: Your Holy Uplift
• 2019: Holy Ashes: Designing for Spiritual Flow

Shemini

• 2015: The Sounds of Silence
• 2020: “Silent” Tribute to the Dead of Covid-19

Tazria / Tazria-Metzora

• 2016: Going Free in the Light
• 2017: What’s Pure?

Emor

• 2016: Blemishes, One and All

Acharei Mot-Kedoshim

• 2017: Shabbat, renewal, and you

B’MIDBAR / NUMBERS

B’midbar

• 2016: China as Sinai and a Parakeet on the Roof
• 2016: In the Wilderness: How to Receive Torah

B’ha’alot’kha

• 2017: The reason for patience
• 2017: In Cloud’s Shadow
• 2018: Waiting to Exhale
• 2019: Lighting us Up: Theology, Pluralism, and Becoming the Menorah
• 2020: The Mishkan’s Next Digital (R)Evolution

Shlach

• 2016: When Fright Makes Right

Korach

• 2016: How to Fall on Your Face: the Spiritual Lessons of Leadership
• 2018: The Time God Got It Wrong

Chukat

• 2017: Our Sacred Cows
• 2018: Bitching Bites (with R’ Evan Krame)

Balak

• 2016: Separation of Shul and State
• 2015: The Devil You Know
• 2018: The art of quitting

Matot-Masei

• 2018: Seeing It All

D’VARIM / DEUTERONOMY

D’varim

• 2016: It’s Your Turn
• 2020: Into and Through Tisha b’Av: the Fragile Alchemy of “Why”

Va’etchanan

• 2018: Spirituality When Life Says No
• 2019: Looking for Love in All the Rough Places

Eikev

• 2017: The Foundation of Our Lives
• 2017: Judaism’s Three R’s for the 21st Century
• 2019: Looking for Love in All the Rough Places

Re’eh

• 2016: This, Too, Is For Good
• 2018: The eye is in the hand of the beholder

Ki Tavo

• 2016: The gratitude virus

Nitzavim

• 2018: When (bad) things happen to (good) people

Vayeilech

• 2019: Making sense of spiritual lag

Nitzavim-Vayeilich

• 2020: Tomorrow’s Giants On Our Shoulders

Ha’azinu

• 2016: Balancing the Scales
• 2015: The poem of your life