feminism

This story looks to the Hassidic world for ritual nuances which can benefit the spirit and bear consideration during wedding planning.

The Hurvah Synagogue in Jerusalem is to be the site of a dear friend's wedding held in the style of the Carliner Hassidim from which he learned late in life his family descends. During yeshiva studies in Israel he was assisted in becoming engaged to another baal teshuvah, "master of return", the phrase used for a Jewish person who has newly decided to fully enter the rigorous practices of a given orthodox community.

How might a feminal idea differ from a seminal idea?

Pass both a lulav and an etrog to tonight's guests in your sukkah. Let the person to whom it comes, if they are so inclined, reflect on the differences in the qualities of these two symbols. Allow room for humor, scent, acting, conceptualizing, and singing.

One related memory that comes to mind for me is when the women rabbinical students at the seminary where I trained (Reconstructionist Rabbinical College) were sitting together in collective sadness in a sukkah. Our sadness came from the absence of Jewish women’s history, philosophy and life-cycle rituals in both Judaism and rabbinical school.

A condition called Tza-ra’at appears frequently in the Torah and occurs prominently in this section. We’ve seen the term previously: Magically coming and going upon Moses’ hand to convince Pharaoh; as a symptom manifested by Miriam which leads to Moses’ famous prayer for her healing (ana el na r’fa na la); and in our reading it even is used to described a substance growing or appearing on houses, garments, hair and beards.