by Rabbi David Lyon | Aug 9, 2023 | Uncategorized
“See, this day I set before you blessing and curse; blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Eternal your God…and curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Eternal your God…” (Deuteronomy 11:26). Though Biblical scholars are adept at interpreting such...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Aug 2, 2023 | Uncategorized
Summertime is typically quiet, restful, and hot. For me, it was quiet because my schedule focused on family. Lisa and I traveled to see children and grandchildren in Durham, Albany, and Dallas. Air travel isn’t much fun these days, but we experienced few delays and...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Jul 26, 2023 | Uncategorized
Read all about it. Headlines in Times of Israel report, “Knesset Passes ‘Reasonableness’ Law, First Part of Netanyahu’s Overhaul of Judiciary.” This news comes to some as a long-awaited improvement of the judiciary, which Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition believes...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Jul 13, 2023 | Uncategorized
Judaism and technology sound like contrary ideas. Judaism is four thousand years old and technology is modern and cutting-edge. I open the Torah on Shabbat and read from a scroll inscribed by hand that takes a year to complete with a quill dipped in handmade ink. It...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Jul 6, 2023 | Uncategorized
(republished by request) The Prophet Micah said to the Israelites, “Remember what Balak, king of Moab, plotted against You, and how Balaam responded to him, and you will recognize the gracious acts of the Lord.” Seeing that their safe journey in the past and now in...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Jun 22, 2023 | Uncategorized
On October 27, 2018, Robert Bowers entered the Tree of Life Synagogue and aimed his gun and his rage at worshipers in the sanctuary. The aftermath was shocking, gruesome, and permanent. Never again did the Jewish community there or anywhere take for granted what used...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Jun 15, 2023 | Uncategorized
In Torah, even a single word can capture the attention of commentators. In this week’s portion, Korach (Numbers 16), the first verse begins, “Vayikach Korach,” “now Korach…betook himself,” or he “took”; but, due to syntax challenges, the exact meaning of the word...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Jun 8, 2023 | Uncategorized
“A season is set for everything, a time for every experience under heaven. A time for being born, and a time for dying” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2). We only have to read through verse 2, before we need to stop, pause, and take a breath. The inevitable fate that we must...
by Rabbi David Lyon | May 25, 2023 | Uncategorized
Late May and early June are times when schools are wrapping up, graduation ceremonies are being held, and families are leaving for summer breaks. It’s also time on the Jewish calendar for the Festival holiday, Shavuot, the Festival of Weeks. It marks the 50th day...
by Rabbi David Lyon | May 11, 2023 | Uncategorized
Last week, I spoke at Shabbat services on Friday night about the public display of the Ten Commandments and other Texas Senate bills that aim to infringe on the separation of church and state. Following a very positive reaction to the message, I sent an edited version...
by Rabbi David Lyon | May 4, 2023 | Uncategorized
The weekly Torah portion, Emor (Leviticus 21:1-24:23), describes festival holidays and the Eternal Light (Ner Tamid). One of its other important but often overlooked verses is Leviticus 23:10, “When you enter the land…” Though this verse appears in many places in...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Apr 27, 2023 | Uncategorized
Apropos of the wonderful weekend we spent with Rabbi Dr. Daniel Gordis, this week’s Torah portion is Acharei Mot-Kedoshim, a double portion. In Acharei Mot, we follow up on the death of Nadav and Abihu, who perished as a result of the “eish zarah,” the alien fire they...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Apr 20, 2023 | Uncategorized
Between Passover and Shavuot, we observe Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), Yom HaZikaron (Israel Memorial Day), and Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel Independence Day). They’re a lot of days and each one carries significance for us on our journey as Jews and Jewish...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Apr 13, 2023 | Uncategorized
During Passover and in anticipation of Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, I was asked the question, “Where can hate lead us?” It’s easy to respond to the question because hate’s mission is to destroy. But rather than respond to the question as it was asked, I...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Mar 30, 2023 | Uncategorized
Complicated or not (and it is), Israel is the only democratic, western and middle eastern, ancient and modern Jewish homeland. Israel is not just a country born out of the Holocaust and the destruction of 6,000,000 lives. Israel is born out of the 2000-year-old exile...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Mar 23, 2023 | Uncategorized
(reprinted by request) This week, we begin the book of Leviticus. It’s not a favorite book among Biblical readers. If it’s any indication, Hollywood hasn’t recreated any of its scenes quite like it has from Genesis and Exodus. But, Leviticus, for all its talk about...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Mar 9, 2023 | Uncategorized
Holy things are not just ritual items or Torah scrolls and prayerbooks. Holy things are anything we consider dear to us, or set apart for special reasons. We call them “Kadosh.” A prayerbook or bible from your bar or bat mitzvah, or a photo album from the past might...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Mar 2, 2023 | Uncategorized
Late Monday night, I returned from a conference in Israel with 250 Reform Rabbis. Being in Israel is always eye-opening and inspiring no matter the circumstances on the ground. Last fall I told you that “Israel is complicated,” but it’s time to update you because...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Feb 16, 2023 | Uncategorized
On Saturday evening, I’ll be on my way to Israel. Every seven years, the CCAR (Central Conference of American Rabbis) holds its annual convention in Israel. Though COVID interrupted the pattern, it will be good to reset the clock and to begin again in Israel, starting...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Feb 2, 2023 | Uncategorized
In recent weeks, our congregational family and community have sat on the mourner’s bench too often. I can’t tell you why, because there is no answer that would ever satisfy us. But I can tell you how we can mourn and then how to honor the memories of those whom we...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Jan 26, 2023 | Uncategorized
Everyday we’re stuffed with news that the world is crumbling and the sky is falling. Thus far there’s no evidence of either even if the headlines tell us otherwise. If we look with opened eyes that are not cast downward we might find a glimpse of something more...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Jan 12, 2023 | Uncategorized
The beginning of the book of Exodus is like an introduction to our favorite biblical characters. We’re introduced to Moses, Aaron, Miriam, among others, who will be part of the narrative that will engage us for many chapters and many centuries of commentary and...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Jan 6, 2023 | Uncategorized
It’s difficult to believe that the same brothers who left Joseph for dead in a pit without water are now gathering around their father’s deathbed to receive his blessings. It was an ornamented tunic that sent the brothers into a snit about their brother’s favored...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Dec 22, 2022 | Uncategorized
It’s one thing to speak about lights in the darkness, but it’s another thing to miss the point of why we light the Chanukah lights at all. Yes, it’s about hope and faith, but it’s about much more. We’ve been softened by assuming roles we think we should play; somehow...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Dec 8, 2022 | Uncategorized
A Danish proverb teaches, “Even a small star shines in the darkness.” The first night of Chanukah is Sunday evening, December 18th! In the darkness of the evening, one small candle plus the shammash (lead candle) will hardly brighten the space around the Menorah. It...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Dec 1, 2022 | Uncategorized
In 1967, the Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn movie, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” also starring Sydney Poitier and Katherine Houghton, addressed the difficult subject of race relations in America that sometimes led to love and marriage. The movie was...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Nov 17, 2022 | Uncategorized
Following on Kanye West’s recent antisemitic rants, comedian Dave Chapelle appeared on SNL this past Saturday night. In his opening monologue, which dragged on longer than usual, he tried to accomplish what no one in history has ever done: he tried to assuage the...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Nov 3, 2022 | Uncategorized
Baseball is America’s great past-time. Many of us have memories of being at the great ballparks to see our favorite teams. When I was a boy, my brother and I joined our dad at Wrigley Field for Cubs games. The tickets were difficult to get, but when he could, my dad...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Oct 20, 2022 | Uncategorized
When my son, Adam, was about 4 years old, our family was invited to join friends for Second Seder at their home. Just as the leader began to read the Haggadah, Adam turned to me and said quietly (thankfully), “We did this already!” This week, we read, again, from the...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Oct 13, 2022 | Uncategorized
In Hebrew, “hakarat ha-tov,” means “recognizing the good.” In Alan Morinis’s book, “Everyday Holiness: the Spiritual Path of Mussar,” he explains, “The good is already there. Practicing gratitude means being fully aware of the good that is already yours” (p.64). On...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Sep 15, 2022 | Uncategorized
On my morning walk with my dog, I came upon a neighbor walking his dog. He asked me, “What kind of dog is that?” I replied, “He’s a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.” Then we both smiled and said, “King Charles III!” and went on our separate ways. As the British monarchy...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Sep 8, 2022 | Uncategorized
(adapted from an essay by Rabbi Lyon) The news is often filled with hate and indifference. It can be caustic and destructive. The antidote often begins with “Love your neighbor” (Leviticus 19:18). It’s a Golden Rule that originates in the Holiness Code in the Hebrew...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Sep 1, 2022 | Uncategorized
With all the news, lately, it might have slipped your memory that the Hebrew month of Elul has begun. What’s Elul, you ask? It’s the Hebrew month that precedes Tishrei, the first day of which is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year 5783. Elul has intrigued us for...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Aug 11, 2022 | Uncategorized
This Shabbat is called “Shabbat Nachamu,” or the Sabbath of Comfort. It’s so-called because it comes after the observance of Tisha B’Av (9th of Av) when we remember the destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem and other disasters in Jewish history. Shabbat Nachamu, the...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Aug 4, 2022 | Uncategorized
On Saturday night, the Jewish observance of Tisha B’Av will begin. Literally the 9th of Av, the date recalls days of destructions in Jewish history, beginning with the ruin of the Temple in Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. As history records it, subsequent...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Jul 21, 2022 | Uncategorized
Many of you know that I retreat to the mountains in July, to fish, hike, think, write, and breathe deeply. I like to fly-fish. Standing in the water in waders lets me focus on a few spots in the water while the rush of the river pushes against my legs. I balance on...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Jul 14, 2022 | Uncategorized
adapted from Rabbi Lyon’s essay, July 2021 The Prophet Micah said to the Israelites, “Remember what Balak, king of Moab, plotted against You, and how Balaam responded to him, and you will recognize the gracious acts of the Lord.” Seeing that their safe journey in the...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Jul 7, 2022 | Uncategorized
This past week, Lisa and I took off in a rental car to drive to Tucson. She’ll spend time there to follow up on matters following her father’s death in February. The 16-hour drive went fairly easily as we took turns driving, listened to music, and caught up on...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Jun 23, 2022 | Uncategorized
How can anyone in the 21st century, who has witnessed and benefited from extraordinary technology, and advances in science and medicine, be solely committed to radical faith? In Judaism, there is room for science and faith. Writing in his book, “The Great Partnership:...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Jun 16, 2022 | Uncategorized
The short but powerful story in Numbers 12, reveals tension between Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. Aaron and Miriam call out their brother on account of his relationship with “that Cushite woman,” and for the privilege of God’s intimate communication, panim el panim,...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Jun 9, 2022 | Uncategorized
(Excerpted from Rabbi Lyon’s sermon June 3, 2022) When summer heat in the Middle East fell on the rabbis-of-old, they studied lighter texts and considered less weighty matters. They devoted themselves to Pirkei Avot, the Sayings of the Fathers, whose Jewish...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Jun 2, 2022 | Uncategorized
In 2016, we were in Jerusalem on “Jerusalem Day,” the day that commemorates the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967. Defeating the Jordanians, who held the city for 19 years, was an amazing feat. Today, famous photos recall the victory that welcomed Jews back to the...
by Rabbi David Lyon | May 26, 2022 | Uncategorized
I don’t have to quote Torah or Talmud to clarify how much Judaism prioritizes life and love over the murder and annihilation of innocent children. Most Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, and secularists, alike, inherently value the life and potential of their...
by Rabbi David Lyon | May 21, 2022 | Uncategorized
On May 8th, David Scott and I left for Israel with 35 other travelers. Our experience was nothing short of amazing. From an easy passport and Covid check to a simple arrival in Tel Aviv, we began immediately to get our bearings, prepare for walking tours, and grow...
by Rabbi David Lyon | May 5, 2022 | Uncategorized
The Alito Letter, or whatever it will be called in the future, set off a fury of reactions. Some are encouraged by the direction it portends, and others are dismayed and outraged by its ominous implications. My Reform Rabbinic colleagues elsewhere are reacting in...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Apr 28, 2022 | Uncategorized
When the Israelites came to Mount Sinai, they learned that the condition on which they would receive Torah was that they would teach it to their children and their children’s children. In Deuteronomy 6, it was made clear, “You shall teach them (Torah teachings) to...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Apr 21, 2022 | Uncategorized
(Reprinted by request) What is freedom? Passover teaches us that freedom is liberation from bondage and then revelation at Sinai. There is no freedom without liberation and there is no life without revelation. Torah teaches, “For [Torah] is your life and the length of...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Apr 7, 2022 | Uncategorized
Shabbat HaGadol, the Great Sabbath, is observed one week before the beginning of Passover. It’s so-called, in part, because it was on the Great Sabbath that the rabbi gave a long (not necessarily great) sermon on the details surrounding Passover observance. Such...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Mar 24, 2022 | Uncategorized
One of the first rules we were taught as children was to say “please” and “thank you.” Most of us caught on quickly and never forgot it. Since ancient times, such simple courtesies were expected between people, but it was first modeled in the relationship between the...
by Rabbi David Lyon | Mar 16, 2022 | Uncategorized
Be Happy, it’s ADAR! It’s Purim time, and Adar is the Hebrew month in which we celebrate the holiday. When the month begins, we’ve been taught to say, “When Adar enters, joy increases!” In history, Purim was a festive holiday that provided a place in the Jewish...
