Every Jewish wedding begins with some sort of invocation. Typically it includes the words, Bruchim habaim b’shem Adonai, berachnu hem m’beit Adonai (Welcome are those that come in the name of God, blessed are those from the house of God). When my wife, Rabbi Loren Filson Lapidus, and I had the honor of officiating at my brother […]
Blog
What We Don’t Know
Consider these cliches when it comes to knowledge: “What we don’t know won’t hurt us/ can’t kill us.” “We don’t know what we don’t know.” I’m sure there are others. But recently I found myself contemplating the human condition (yes, actually contemplating the human condition) and I realized something that I’m sure many other […]
The Love Song You’ve Never Heard
So my wife, Rabbi Loren Filson Lapidus, and I recorded an album of beautiful lifecycle music that we’ve written in honor of various family celebrations over the last decade. It’s called Eit HaZamir. Whether you’re Jewish or not, whether you’ve experienced the various lifecycles that are captured on the album or not, anyone should be able […]
An Optimist’s Thoughts on Istanbul (and all the rest of it)
I hope this doesn’t come across as tone deaf or dismissive. My heart breaks for Istanbul and the rest of this seemingly absurd universe. The innocent dead and wounded, the diameter of the bomb(s). There’s really nothing that can be said, done, or prayed on to restore what has been destroyed. But I’m something of […]
Mega Millions Prayer for Office Pools
O’ Heavenly Father (Mother, Source of Being, Beneficent One, Bestower of Blessings): Over the years each of us has known Your Kindness and Generosity in Myriad Ways! Each of us has been sustained and uplifted by Your Grace and Compassion! You have been our Rock and Redeemer! When we have faltered You have Steadied our […]
The Human Voice
An exercise in creative tensions. Screaming/whispering Questioning/asserting Loving/hating Dreaming/nightmaring Hoping/despairing Laughing/crying Blessing/cursing Kind/cruel Compassionate/indifferent Transcendent/embedded Refined/coarse Soothing/grating Inspiring/numbing Nuanced/blunt Audacious/timid Calming/agitating Constructive/shattering Intentional/senseless Measured/wild Present/echoing Haunting/forgettable Knowing/doubting Eloquent/bumbling Singing/shrieking Brilliant/dim Prose/poetry Expository/planned Spirited/broken Exposing/concealing Rooted/unhinged Original/referential Harmonious/dissonant Pious/irreverent Unruly/obedient Creative/banal Celebrated/feared Amplified/muted Disclosing/concealing Humble/audacious Timely/timeless Particular/universal Human/divine As a teacher of mine once suggested, crying out […]