Random Reflections Reflections on Jewish Holidays Yom Kippur Blanket Forgiveness — Can That Work? October 11, 2016 Sherry Oz No Comments Can blanket forgiveness bring peace to the forgiver? Forgiveness involves releasing demands for retribution. Seeking retribution is accompanied by strong emotion still attached to the situation and the individual is…
Random Reflections Reflections on Jewish Holidays Yom Kippur Blanket Apology — Sincere Or A Pointless Temporary Fix? October 8, 2016 Sherry Oz No Comments A sincere apology has four components. The blanket apology has none. There is a way to turn the Yom Kippur blanket apology into one that can be sincere. * *…
Random Reflections Reflections on Jewish Holidays Why I Am Going To Drown My Apple In Honey This Year September 29, 2016 Sherry Oz No Comments The apple and honey we ceremoniously eat on Rosh HaShana can have many meanings. The one that spoke to me most was written up by Australian Rabbi Aron Moss. He…
Random Reflections Reflections on Jewish Holidays Hanukkah Then and Now: Let’s Not Be So Naive December 4, 2015 Sherry Oz No Comments Hanukkah commemorates the Hasmonean victory in the battle for the soul of the Jews in Judaea against the Greeks who tried to quash it. However, the victory is a dubious…
Random Reflections Reflections on Random Torah Verses Torah Ambivalence Toward Rape – Deuteronomy 21:10-14 December 3, 2015 Sherry Oz No Comments The Torah seems to sanction rape as an unfortunate natural urge in the human male. Upon what do I base this horrid statement? Do contemporary rabbinic scholars make any attempt…
Random Reflections Reflections on Random Torah Verses Passover: the 10th Plague & Protecting Our Kids November 26, 2015 Sherry Oz No Comments The story of Passover has many lessons in it – lessons for all times and all places and all contexts. I would like to share something I gleaned from my…
Random Reflections Reflections on Random Torah Verses Psychotherapy Can Be a Religious Experience – Joel 2:12 November 20, 2015 Sherry Oz No Comments What does the practice of psychotherapy have to do with faith in God? Metaphorically, a lot. Listen to this poetic entreat given by Joel: “Rend your heart and not your…
Random Reflections Reflections on Random Torah Verses Three Refuge Cities – Deuteronomy 4:41-49 – Part II November 13, 2015 Sherry Oz No Comments In last week’s blog, I discussed interpersonal aspects of having refuge cities to which unintentional perpetrators of manslaughter could run for protection. In this post I will reflect on the…
Random Reflections Reflections on Random Torah Verses Three Refuge Cities – Deuteronomy 4:41-49 – Part I November 5, 2015 Sherry Oz No Comments Torah Judaism is not far from Judaism’s tribal roots and Deuteronomy 4:41-49 shows this up quite clearly. This verse talks about three refuge towns on the east side of the…
Random Reflections Reflections on Random Torah Verses Enemies of the Jews – Parashat Va’ethannan: Deuteronomy 7:1-11 October 29, 2015 Sherry Oz No Comments This passage, the last part of Parashat Va’ethannan, bothered me and I struggled with the implications of taking the words literally. These lines relate to how following the commandments (mitzvot…