Rabbi Esther Hugenholtz

Parashat Emor Rabbi Esther Hugenholtz The Affliction And The Cure There’s a beautiful passage in the Babylonian Talmud, in Tractate Kiddushin 30b to be exact. “The Holy One, of Blessing said to Israel: My children, I created an evil inclination, which is the wound, and I created Torah as its antidote.” There are many praiseworthy things we call our holy Torah. A tree of life, an elixir of life, a love letter of God to the Jewish people, a ketubah (wedding contract). Verses 7 to 10, from Psalm 19, which is recited during the traditional Shabbat morning service expand on this idea: “The law of the Eternal is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Eternal are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Eternal are right, giving joy to the hear The commands of the Eternal are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Eternal is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Ete...

Sermon Pride Shabbat Rabbi Esther Hugenholtz Coming Out/Into the Promised Land During last year’s Pride Shabbat, I spoke about journeying from acceptance to celebration. We commemorated the murder of a young Israeli girl during Jerusalem Pride. A similar, more devastating, sermon could be given today where we touch about the horrific tragedy of the Orlando Shooting. Yet, I am choosing not to address the tragedies that have befallen the LGBT community over the past years. Not because they are not significant – they are, and we should mourn, remember and fight – but because this should not define our sacred journey into acceptance, celebration and sanctification. What far more illustrative of our journey as a LGBT community, is the focus on settling our promised land. What is this promised land? To each individual, it will be different but I want us to dream about the place in which we find the fulfillment of our soul. The embrace of a loved one, the empowerment of sel...

Pride Shabbat Sermon / Parashat V’etchannan Rabbi Esther Hugenholtz Strength + Courage = Pride ‘ V’chazakehu v’am’tzehu ki hu ya’vor lifnei ha’am hazeh ’– ‘And strengthen him and give him courage for he shall cross and go before this people’. (Deut. 3.28) These are the words that God commands Moses to take to his brave general, Joshua. They have come to the boundary of the Promised Land and Moses is not allowed to enter after his anger flaring up when striking the rock. The people wait anxiously for further instruction. Their journey has been long and arduous, filled with peril and despair. And Joshua bin Nun must reach beyond his own fears and lead this desert generation on. ‘ V’chazakehu v’am’tzehu ’ – ‘strengthen him and give him courage’. Joshua is bound to feel ambivalent. He’s come this far but it’s been a struggle. He is so close; all he needs to do is to cross the Jordan River, into the Promised Land, flowing with milk and honey. He will lead his people h...