Rabbi Esther Azar MSW
  • My Path
  • Blogs
    • Rereading Torah
    • In My Experience...
    • Teachings
  • tIR
    • Trauma Informed Rabbinics
  • Artwork
  • Meditations
    • Release The Balloon
    • Election Eve: Growing a Seed of Justice
Our Rabbi's were clear, Judaism maintains 2 traditions, written and oral. For countless years many have held the earlier ideas and thoughts as more authentic to the original. In this blog we will reclaim the authenticity of a Torah for our times. Reading the words of our Written Torah (Bible) with an oral tradition that changes and shifts with the times we live in was our earliest Rabbi's original intention. An Oral Torah that is informed by the values and needs of society. For if we were to remain stuck in the past we risk creating a Judaism that no longer holds God's original intention, a people dedicated to breaking the cycles of injustice and creating a society where we are each seen in, The  Image of the Divine. 


The Oral tradition must be reclaimed, we are gifted with a history rich in Jewish discourse but we must remember that just as Moshe entered the Beit Midrash of Akiva and had no understanding of what Akiva was teaching so too must Akiva enter our Beit Midrashot and be confused by the Torah we are teaching.
For all is Halakah L'Moshe M'Sinai. 
​Talmud Bavli Menakhot 29b

Spirals of Truth, Circles of Knowing

12/27/2018

1 Comment

 
PictureImage by Lara Evans

Does biblical text feel alienating to your modern day sensibilities?

Do you wonder how you fit into the text?

    Over the years I have looked to the rabbinic tradition to inform my reading of Biblical text rather than searching for my own voice. This has led me to feel distanced from the text, as the Rabbi's ancient perspectives are not usually in touch with my experience. More importantly, I realized that this desire to always look outside of myself has kept me from cultivating my own truth. I have searched to find a way to engage with text that would allow me to uncover my own truths and live in my authenticity. I am excited to say that my recent work in Restorative Justice practice has led me to experience, Talking Circles, used for millennia by Indigenous Peoples in North America. This framework will allow us to explore biblical texts and uncover our own truths through the group process. My belief is that each one of us can relate to the text and bring a deep wisdom to the ever changing conversation. If we see the Bible as a book that mirrors the human condition rather than an idealized version of it, we might find that we too, live within the text.  Starting January 22 you can join me in this conversation we will have an opportunity to look at biblical text with new eyes. A chance to read the ancient stories and create our own oral tradition. Please join me on this journey within. 
To learn more and to register click here.

1 Comment

    Archives

    December 2018
    October 2018

    Categories

    All
    Cheshvan
    Eight
    Parashat Bereishit
    Parashat Noah

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • My Path
  • Blogs
    • Rereading Torah
    • In My Experience...
    • Teachings
  • tIR
    • Trauma Informed Rabbinics
  • Artwork
  • Meditations
    • Release The Balloon
    • Election Eve: Growing a Seed of Justice