I forget how old Shiri was when this started, but at some point, she started to collect the change around the house and put it in the tzedakah box. It became a game; anytime there was any spare change hanging around, no matter where it was, she wanted it to go into the tzedakah box.
Parshat Mishpatim (Exodus 21:1-24:18) is arguably the most glorious legal section of the entire Torah. It features rich material that addresses legal and religious matters even while providing a welcome dose of wisdom. Almost any single law from this section of the Pentateuch has generated enough material to occupy a student for long months, if not years.
Maintaining intimacy in a marriage after having children can be challenging, and we’re not the first couple to face that challenge. It isn’t for lack of trying, but with two kids (one of whom slept in a Pack ‘N Play in our room for 12 months) plus my own early bedtime to try to compensate for the kids’ early wake-ups, it can be very difficult to find adult time to reconnect with one another.
It’s been one of those on and off again things, but I am pleased to announce that the Israeli Deputy Counsel for the Pacific Northwest region will be speaking at Congregation Neveh Shalom on Tuesday night, February 27th at 7 pm. While she and I are still hammering out details of her presentation, this is an important opportunity to interact with a rising star within the diplomatic community.
Last year as Shiri rounded the corner of three-and-a-half, we realized we were in for trouble. She’s a wonderful, energetic, and fairly typical kid, which means big emotions, a strong will, and a pretty strong desire for autonomy.
In its earliest iteration, as recorded in the Talmud, this was tree tax day. Tree tax day? Yes. When most human wealth flowed out of our agricultural endeavors, our ancestors understood that they had to share the bounty quite literally. The Torah itself commands us about the need to tithe our harvested wealth, but does not always specify the mechanism for doing so.
Fun fact: When Duncan and I get called to the Torah for an aliyah, Duncan lets me start the blessing a split second before him so that he can match my key and we don’t sound terrible. That is to say, I do not think of myself as a singer.
