It’s a misleading title, “The Defect of Our Souls.” As though we each have only one! Still, I think our defects can teach us remarkable things. In many ways, they can be our guides. The Jewish tradition has a term for such shortcomings. A p’gam is a defect or blemish, while something that is pagum is defective. For example, in the Jewish legal tradition, a kos pagum is a defective cup. It refers to a glass of wine or juice from which someone has already drunk.

Last night, Amitai and I concluded our pretty long-lasting bonding experience--watching all six seasons of Grimm to the grand finale. Yes, the series ended a year ago, but in the age of streaming that hardly matters. For those not familiar with the television series, Grimm was set--and primarily filmed--in our beloved city of Portland. It was based, rather loosely, on the Brothers Grimm fairy tales.