The book of Psalms says, “God supports all those who fall.” It doesn’t say, “God supports those who don’t fall.” In order to fall, you need to let go.
Author
Jewish Spiritual Direction: Fundamental Assumptions
Our view of reality can be transformed when we ask, “Where is God/the Holy in this?” and “What is the invitation/opportunity at this moment?” Gradually, we can build a relationship with what is beyond our ability to conceive.
Justice Work is a Mitzvah
How do we work to make things better? This interpretation of the morning Shaharit offers a way in: to act in spiritual alignment with creation for a more equitable and just world.
A Reconstructionist View on Patrilineal Descent
In this piece from 2001, Rabbi Jacob Staub wrestles with the arguments around inclusion of patrilineal Jews, and explains why the inclusion and celebration of patrilineal Jews are crucial to the Jewish future.
Interpreting Jewish History in Light of Zionism
How seriously should the Zionist reading of Jewish history affect the way we interpret the meaning of the Jewish past and the significance of contemporary events?
Rituals of Return and Re-Affirmation
Exploration of the halachah (Jewish law), contemporary environment and theological implications around rituals of affirmation of Jewish identity.
God as a Source of Comfort
Is it possible to find comfort in God without believing in God? Rabbi Jacob Staub explodes the question and offers other lenses by which the answer might be “yes.”
Shabbat
From the Guide to Jewish Practice
Shavuot Theology
This article is excerpted from The Guide to Jewish Practice, Volume 1. The full Guide may be ordered from the Reconstructionist Press. The festival of Shavuot (“Weeks” or “Pentecost”) is also known in our tradition as z’man matan toratenu—“The Time of the Giving of...