Wilshire POV

Today is the fifteenth day of the Hebrew month of Kislev. On the fifteenth day of any month on the Hebrew calendar, there is a full moon in the sky. But when the full moon of Kislev arrives each year, it feels as if the light of the moon is wrestling with the darkness of the darkest season of the year. Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history. Facebook: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Website: wbtla.org Youtube: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Instagram: wilshireboulevardtemple

We come to the end of the book of Numbers this week with the double portion Matot-Massei. The Israelites wrap up a challenging chapter of wandering through the desert and they have started looking ahead to life in the Promised Land. The closing of this book offers an important message for the Israelites and us today. Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history. Facebook: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Website: wbtla.org Youtube: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Instagram: wilshireboulevardtemple

Lucky for us, our tradition has a secret weapon to help us deal with the never-ending mishigas of our time, and no, it’s not a giant space laser  Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history. Facebook: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Website: wbtla.org Youtube: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Instagram: wilshireboulevardtemple

By definition, ritual becomes habituated and in its familiarity lies much of its power. But when we never stop to consider why it is that we engage in the first place, the ritual loses its meaning and will eventually fade away. Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history. Facebook: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Website: wbtla.org Youtube: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Instagram: wilshireboulevardtemple

This has been another difficult week. As we wait and watch and hold our breath over the news coming out of Israel, we feel tension, concern, and hope. The events unfolding in Israel and in our own backyard fill up our thoughts and trouble our sleep. In the past week I’ve had several conversations with congregants about Israel in particular, and what many of us keep coming back to is the awe we feel for how Israelis are handling the situation.  Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history. Facebook: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Website: wbtla.org Youtube: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Instagram: wilshireboulevardtemple

As we approach the festival of Shavuot, most years (and this year included) we read from the torah portion Bamidbar - “in the wilderness”. For our ancestors, bamidbar meant leaving what they knew - slavery in Egypt. For us, bamidbar can infer leaving what we know. For us and our ancestors, bamidbar invokes traveling in uncertainty. In this week's Shabbat Message, Cantor Kerith Spencer-Shapiro asks, "When we feel that we are traveling in a wilderness, how can we bring equanimity to that untamed place?" Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history. Facebook: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Website: wbtla.org Youtube: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Instagram: wilshireboulevardtemple

For weeks we have been wading through the many ritual laws of the book of Leviticus, known in Hebrew as Vayikra.  In short, Vayikra consists of rules about a specific holy place (Mishkan), with very specific kinds of sacrifices (korbanot), that can only be performed by a specific group of people, the priests (Cohanim), who are the mediators between God and the Israelites. And then this week’s double portion, Acharei Mot-Kedoshim, arrives on the scene and everything changes. We get what is affectionately referred to as the “Holiness Code.” Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history. Facebook: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Website: wbtla.org Youtube: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Instagram: wilshireboulevardtemple

We are currently in the midst of the Book of Leviticus, a book dedicated to both the concept of purity and, more importantly, the values and actions a community must adhere to in order to create a holy society. We are a people who spend the majority of our central text wandering through a barren wilderness, just like that little boy, Bodin, in Arizona, found safe with only minor scratches, thanks to the a rancher's dog's unwavering protection for sixteen hours while rescuers searched.As we learn in this week's Torah portion, we have an obligation to look out for one another and assist each individual in navigating the wilderness with dignity and compassion. Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history. Facebook: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Website: wbtla.org Youtube: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Instagram: wilshireboulevardtemple

For this week's Shabbat Message, Rabbi Leah Lewis reflects on the emotional weight of Passover this year, marked by the ongoing captivity of 59 Israelis in Gaza. Yet, Passover also emphasizes the coexistence of bitterness and sweetness—represented through traditional foods and rituals. This duality is echoed in the reading of Song of Songs during Passover, a poetic celebration of love and hope. Finding sweetness amid sorrow is a form of redemption, and that love—whether divine or human—holds sacred power to uplift us, even in broken times. Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history. Facebook: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Website: wbtla.org Youtube: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Instagram: wilshireboulevardtemple

Spring has arrived in Southern California, signaling a time to embrace warmer weather and prepare for Passover. Rabbi Hannah Elkin expands beyond the story of the Exodus from Egypt and shares the other Jewish traditions, including the reading of Song of Songs, symbolizing new beginnings. This seasonal transition is mirrored in the Torah portion, Parashat Vayikra, which calls for spiritual and emotional purification. Despite the challenges of the recent winter, including fires and floods, there is hope that the beauty of the earth and our spirits will blossom anew. As we approach Passover, may this time of renewal bring love, beauty, and fresh starts for all. Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history. Facebook: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Website: wbtla.org Youtube: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Instagram: wilshireboulevardtemple

Rabbi Joel Nickerson, on the occasion of his installation as the seventh Senior Rabbi in Wilshire Boulevard Temple's 163-year history, shares four pillars that will shape our future together: Hope, Vision, Community, and Courage. These words serve as the foundation for the next chapter of our Temple’s journey.  Tikvah, the Hope to inspire the next generation, Chazon, the Vision to innovate boldly, Kehillah, the Community to bring comfort and inspiration, and Ometz, the Courage to lead with conviction and bravery - we will reach new heights, together. Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history. Facebook: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Website: wbtla.org Youtube: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Instagram: wilshireboulevardtemple

This week’s Shabbat message comes from Cantor Lisa Peicott—not just as a clergy member, but as a mother. As we collectively mourn the devastating loss of Kfir and Ariel, the heartbreaking fate of the Bibas family, Cantor Peicott offers a promise—to Kfir and Ariel, to her own children, and to us all. "I promise to hope."  "Hope is not easy, hope is not pretty, hope is not a zero sum game, but it’s who I believe we are. It is what has sustained us through plague, pogrom, and endless persecution. In the darkest of times, when the anger and the rage threatens to become all consuming, we choose hope. We have to believe that things can be better than our current reality."   Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history. Facebook: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Website: wbtla.org Youtube: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Instagram: wilshireboulevardtemple

In this week's Shabbat message, Rabbi Nickerson shares the not-often-thought of origins of Valentine's Day and invites us to reflect on the origins of our core Jewish values from this week's Torah portion Parashat Yitro. These core principles such as dignity, healthy disagreement, loving kindness, and responsibility guide our community through challenging times and inspire action to repair the world.  Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history. Facebook: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Website: wbtla.org Youtube: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Instagram: wilshireboulevardtemple

This week's Shabbat Message reflects on the overwhelming challenges faced in the present moment, comparing current crises—such as ongoing fires, a fragile ceasefire in Israel, and political shifts—to past periods of struggle, particularly the aftermath of the destruction of the Second Temple. In this time of uncertainty, we must stay connected, acknowledge the heaviness of the moment, and support one another through the shared burden, with the understanding that no one can face it alone. Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history. Facebook: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Website: wbtla.org Youtube: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Instagram: wilshireboulevardtemple

Rabbi Leah Fein shares this week's parsha, Shemot, which includes the most famous story of fire in the entire Torah: the Burning Bush, where Moses answers God's call with "Hineini" ("Here I am"), signifying readiness to act in times of crisis. Rabbi Fein reflects on how this spirit of Hineini has been embodied by the the community that has come together to provide aid during the devastating fires of Los Angeles, demonstrating their presence and willingness to help. The message of hope is clear: those affected by the fires are not alone, and the road to recovery will be supported by the community's enduring commitment. Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history. Facebook: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Website: wbtla.org Youtube: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Instagram: wilshireboulevardtemple

This week we begin the Joseph saga in our Torah. Chanukah may seem like an unlikely time to think about forgiveness. The author, Stephen Mitchell, associates Joseph’s journey and character with the quality of forgiving in his retelling of the Joseph story, Joseph and the Way of Forgiveness. Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history. Facebook: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Website: wbtla.org Youtube: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Instagram: wilshireboulevardtemple

Many of us will have the blessing of sitting around a Thanksgiving table next week with members of our family with whom we share great joy and love. But others will be mourning the loss, and even death, of certain familial relationships. They will be looking across the table, maybe even smiling or laughing externally, but inside, they will be sitting with a pain that punctures their hearts. ...   One of the beauties of our Jewish tradition, and especially the Torah, is that it doesn’t shy away from the most challenging and consequential issues in our lives. It is meant to open our hearts and minds to the complexities of the world and to raise awareness about the issues that may or may not affect us directly. Chances are that you, or someone you know, is dealing with some form of familial estrangement. To heal a fractured world requires us to open our hearts and offer comfort and love to those in pain. Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history. Facebook: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Website: wbtla.org Youtube: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Instagram: wilshireboulevardtemple

“An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.” -Sir Isaac Newton Baked into the basic laws of physics, there is a fundamental truth that is being felt across the country, as we prepare to enter Shabbat this week. There exists a natural tendency to resist change in one’s state of motion. That resistance is called inertia. Long before Sir Isaac Newton gave language to this tendency, inertia was illustrated in two journeys that began to take shape in this week’s Torah portion. Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history. Facebook: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Website: wbtla.org Youtube: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Instagram: wilshireboulevardtemple

This week, we read of someone who exhibits a strong sense of agency over his own future in the face of forces beyond what he can control. Not long after God has created the world, corruption and lawlessness filled the earth. So God decides to send a flood to destroy it all, save for Noah, a man “righteous in his generation” (Genesis 6:9), along with Noah’s family and two of each animal.  God instructs Noah: “Make yourself an ark” (Gen 6:14). The Torah goes on to describe the details of the construction of the ark, a structure larger than a football field! But if God is powerful enough to create the world and powerful enough to destroy the world, then surely God could devise a supernatural way to save Noah and the other creatures that God deems worthy of saving. Why is Noah “making” anything, let alone a massive wooden ark, in order to be saved? Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history. Facebook: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Website: wbtla.org Youtube: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Instagram: wilshireboulevardtemple

When do you stop saying, “Shanah Tovah”? This is a question that clergy are commonly asked around this time of the Jewish year.  Rabbi Hannah Elkin answers the question and offers an inspiring interpretation. Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history. Facebook: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Website: wbtla.org Youtube: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Instagram: wilshireboulevardtemple