In/Between · newest
My newsletter on Substack: notes from the field on soma, dharma, torah, and soul.
Favorite poems
13 poems I return to, by David Whyte and other poets.
Archive, 2020–2025
2025
- June 22, 2025Stillness, Silence, and DarknessThis is a recording of a Torah-Dharma talk given June 18, 2025 at the St. Rafaela Center in Haverford, PA on the “Broken/Open: Fragments Together” retreat. Themes include a mystical encounter in Jerusalem; reflections…
- May 7, 2025Immanent TranscendenceA quote on “immanent transcendence” from Charles M. Stang “I am committed to the trans in transcendence and transformation—movement across and beyond, to explore ourselves and others, and to embark on an adventure, into…
- February 10, 2025Material and PathwaysForm and Emptiness. Figure and Ground. Material and Pathways. In a wonder-filled and delightful class at the Hudson Valley Contact Jam yesterday, Amii Legendre opened with the concepts of material and pathways. In the…
- January 8, 2025Deepening our practicesThe practice of spiritual direction made space for some of the richest, most rewarding, and deeply resourceful moments of my life. In honing resolution for the year to come, I am inviting 13 new…
2024
2023
- December 7, 2023Parenting as PracticeI gave this Torah-Dharma talk at the Hazon Winter Meditation retreat in 2014. It touches on several themes revolving around my personal experiences and reflections on parenthood, particularly becoming an Aba. Here are some…
- May 11, 2023Presence As IntimacyThis is a talk given at the Presence as Intimacy Retreat on May 10, 2023 at the Crossroads Retreat Center in Lebanon Township, NJ. The audio file embedded below includes songs as well. https://archive.org/embed/torah-dharma-talk-intimacy-as-presence…
- March 12, 2023Give me your handA teaching from the Talmud on spiritual accompaniment. רַבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר אַבָּא חֲלַשׁ. עָל לְגַבֵּיהּ רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אֲמַר לֵיהּ: חֲבִיבִין עָלֶיךָ יִסּוּרִין? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: לֹא הֵן וְלֹא שְׂכָרָן. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: הַב לִי יְדָךְ. יְהַב…
- January 17, 2023What is intimacy?in our last conversation just a few days before he died, Reb Zalman said he was prepared to add his signature to my rabbinic ordination document because when i led prayer i made myself…
- January 3, 2023Swords and Spears. Signs and Songs.וְכִתְּתוּ חַרְבוֹתָם לְאִתִּים וַחֲנִיתוֹתֵיהֶם לְמַזְמֵרוֹת Ve’chitu charvotam le’itim ve’chanitoteichem le’mazmeirot “Crush their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.” (Isaiah 2:4/Micah 4:3) This prophetic teaching offers a practice for transforming violence into…
- January 1, 2023Neuroqueering: a Torah-Dharma TalkI gave this talk on December 28, 2022, at the Hazon Winter Meditation Retreat in Falls Village, CT. The audio version included two songs and a rather long section generated by Chat GPT (I…
2022
- November 16, 2022Hearing MeiraFor years I went by the name Shir Yaakov; now the name Shir Meira calls to me. I was not given a Hebrew name at the time of my birth. When I first read…
- November 10, 2022My teachers”I have learned much from my teachers, more from my colleagues, and even more from my students.” –Rabbi Chanina I have been blessed with remarkable guides, companions, teachers, and soul friends on my learning…
- November 9, 2022What is hashpa’ah?A process of cultivating spiritual intimacy. The practice has roots in Hasidism, which is a hierarchical culture. At the top is the Rebbe — the revered authoritative teacher — and below are Hasidim ,…
- September 22, 2022"A Beautiful Fast" · Kol Nidre 5782 · Yom Kippur 2021A friend recently wished me “a beautiful fast.” It was such a fond adieu. We more often hear well-wishes of TZOM KAL — an easy fast, a light fast. Sometimes we’re bid “a meaningful…
- July 1, 2022I’m coming out (and letting you in)Written and originally shared with the Kol Hai: Husdon Valley Jewish Renewal community on June 1, 2022, the first day of Pride Month. Just before New Year’s Eve, a question arrived in my mind…
- January 29, 2022The Magic Within · Mishpatim 5782Last week’s parsha contains the encounter at Sinai and the giving of the Ten Commandments. Kohenet Renee taught that if we befriend Goddess, if we make contact with the ultimate Source, and maintain right…
- January 18, 2022Where We Become Free · Beshallach 5782Pharaoh relents and lets our people go. While embarking in the wilderness, Moses receives this instruction: דַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיָשֻׁבוּ וְיַחֲנוּ לִפְנֵי פִּי הַחִירֹת בֵּין מִגְדֹּל וּבֵין הַיָּם לִפְנֵי בַּעַל צְפֹן נִכְחוֹ תַחֲנוּ עַל־הַיָּם׃…
- January 7, 2022Letting Go and Planting for the New Year (Tzadi, Shevat)Welcoming the new moon, the month of SHEVAT/שבט, comes with a correlation with a Hebrew letter. Just so you can visualize the TZADI, [here] is a very simplified version and here is a more…
2021
- December 1, 2021The Challenge of Separation · Miketz 5781The majority of SEFER BERESHEIT, "the Book of Genesis," covers the Joseph Story. This story is necessary, so to speak, to answer the question "how did the Israelites, how did the 12 Tribes, the…
- November 21, 2021Illuminating the Divine Consciousness Within · Vayeshev 5781Shabbat Shalom. Hanukkah Sameach (Happy Hanukkah). It's kind of an obvious thing to state but Hanukkah always comes at the darkest time of year. This holiday is the only one that spans two months…
- November 10, 2021Just This · Vayeitzei 5781VAYEITZEI YAAKOV "And Jacob went out." I said at the beginning of our gathering this evening, that they're really two kinds of going out. And they're both inevitable in our being human. They're both…
- November 5, 2021Are you walking? Toldot 5781I am interested lately in Torah only so far as it deepens my awareness. To the extent that Torah is like a mirror, however imperfect, reflecting back to me where I am and what…
- October 25, 2021Cultivating Fear · Vayera 5782“One who learns but does not review is like someone who plants but does not harvest,” teaches the Talmud. Reviewing Torah is known as CHAZARAH — we do CHAZARAH because Torah is not only…
- October 18, 2021Land in the life you will be shown · Lech Lecha 5782There is so much to say about this week’s Parsha. It starts with perhaps one of the most well-known lines of the Torah. “Now GOD said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country and…
- October 9, 2021Thank G-d It's Cheshvan · Noach 5782I have in mind a T-shirt I might like to make myself and perhaps some of my rabbinic and cantorial colleagues: T. G. I. CHET. It would stand for Thank G-d It’s Cheshvan. With…
- October 3, 2021Where Are You? AYEKA איכה · Beresheit 5782“Where are you?” AYEKA. This is the first question Torah puts in the mouth of God. I often ask “Where are you?” as an opening question for our online chat: where are you Zooming…