Ikar Los Angeles

Moses has just come back down from speaking with God. And he's glowing.

Wandering through the library of Jewish legal texts, the careful observer may take notice of a curious trend. For reasons unclear, many of the classic books of Jewish law take their titles from - of all things - the various pieces of the High Priest's clothing.

Our reluctant protagonist just wants a week off.

We aren’t just shaped by the past.  It isn’t a one-way street, dead ending in the present. Our tradition asks us to continue to be in active relationship with our loved ones even after they die. Caring for the deceased means advancing their core values, their life work, and dreams. And it means upholding our responsibilities, both as individuals and a community, in the moments of most profound loss. #hevrakadisha #mourningrituals #yahrtzeit #love&loss

Parsha Study with Rabbi David Kasher from February 3, 2022.

It all started with dolphins. 

On my final shabbat before sabbatical, we explore the connection between na’aseh v’nishmah—doing and discovering—and shmita, a periodic break in the rhythm of doing to digest lessons learned and deepen our roots as we prepare for the next chapter of our flourishing.

https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/379209?lang=bi

"This week," says Rabbi Kasher, "we are going to look at an idea that seems so far outside of mainstream Jewish thought that if I came up with it myself, they’d kick me right out of Judaism!"

Jewish vulnerability is rooted in the enduring awareness of those who want to do us harm. And the world is full of goodness. We must learn to hold both.