- All articles

All articles

- Uncharted Territory

- Honoring Study

- The Torah, Written

- actions to take as ICE intensifies

- Succession

- how to face the horrors of now

- "Why Must I Die?!"

RABBI DANYA RUTTENBERG | FEB 5, 2026, 10:30 AM EST

Uncharted Territory

all of us, together, crayon in hand

This is Life as a Sacred Text 🌱, an everybody-celebrating, justice-centered voyage into ancient stories that can illuminate our own lives. It‘s run on a nonprofit, so it’s 100% NAZI FREE. More about the project here, and to subscribe, go here:

TW: Heavy Mortality Feelings

We're entering, together, a chapter of Life is a Sacred Text– and a chapter of my life– that is beyond anything I could have ever anticipated.

I'm so honored to have you on this wild ride with me. And, well, I, and we, will just need to feel my– our– way into the next part.

On the personal level? OK, let's get personal: Tomorrow, I turn 51.

The 30th anniversary of my mother's death from cancer is both this weekend and next week (ie both Jewish and Gregorian dates). She died a couple of weeks after her 51st birthday, after an initial diagnosis a couple of years earlier.

Intellectually, I get that she and I are different people, that there's no reason that our paths should meet here when they have diverged in so many other places, but as Hope Edelman observed in Motherless Daughters, when kids who've lost parents hit the age that their parents were when they died, they tend to get a bit squirrelly. Especially if there's gender overlap and/or other kinds of identification.

Janie Brill, z"l, 1945-1996. L, 1992, I think, and R, so very the late 70s, with tiny squishy author. (Two photos of a white Jewish woman with layered short-ish hair, smiling at the camera; in the R photo she has a vacant-eyed or otherwise distracted toddler or preschooler in her lap.)

(It's possible that I spent some of last year having some Squirrelly Feelings.)

It's not that I ever consciously thought that I'd be gone by now– it's just that, well, the possibility of things happening has been so deeply carved into the grooves of my trauma (and I can articulate this because of decades of therapy, OK) that... I just never pictured myself reaching this age, necessarily?

Anyway, I hit 50 last year with some surprise, and a crafting party (as one does).

This one feels a bit like the year of Harold and the Purple Crayon.

That is to say: For my first decade and a half after ordination, I did a bunch of things a good rabbi was supposed to do–and loved doing them, mostly. Then, two years ago it became clear that my heart, energy, and passion were in this project, which had begun as a side lark in 2021 (even then, somewhat against my own better judgement. Intuition FTW– always tune to the Divine Radio Station.)

We've finished the Torah. Four and a half years of voyaging through, (much of which was mapped out at the beginning of each Book) with room for digressions between Books and as urgent matters emerged, but so often letting the structure of the Books drive our journey.

Even as someone whose primary means of – processing, existing, whatever – is words, I find that I'm at something of a loss when it comes to communicating just how much it means to me that there are so many of you here, on this journey with me.

Where everything is unwritten.

Where there's no plan, other than the one we decide to create together.

Where (oh, let's just own this metaphor) as someone who's never particularly thrived in spaces in which I was expected to color inside the lines, the trust, opportunity and freedom that this community enables is both daunting and so, so exhilarating. 💜

Me and my life so far, us and our collective journey so far, and... so much enticing blank page for us to draw however. we. want. (Image of the first page of Harold and the Purple Crayon: Child holding crayon that has done lots of scribbling, staring with shock at the empty blank space ahead.)

Now, we get to wander in and out of the prophetic books, allowing their truth-telling and calls for collective responsibility to light our way in a time of burnout, moral rot and despair.

Now, we can draw from all the pots– from U.S. history, mystical thought, the news, the Talmud, wherever we want– to help us get where we need to go.

Now maybe I'll have a chance to write everything I wish more people knew based on my last few decades of organizing and activism – whether spiritual frameworks or practical skills– so more of us can thrive and mobilize.

Now we also have time to just, like, goof around with ideas, practice connection and joy even in this still-broken world. (We all need some of that, too, yeah?)

Now, together, we can make this project even bigger and more expansive, allow it to serve even more people, use this space to build a movement for collective liberation while we all navigate the daily work of becoming.

If you're in?

As it turns out, thank God, I don't have anywhere else I need to be.

And hey, apropos of everything, Monday was Tu BiShvat, the New Year of the Trees. Kind of fits: The beginning of a season of blooming, of things coming to fruition.

Harold wraps his legs around a tree trunk while drawing the leaves of the fruit tree he's half-climbed upon.

I'm so thrilled to have you in this community, and looking forward to creating this new space together with you:

Let me know in the comments what you want this next iteration of LiST to look like?

And hey, if there's someone that you think might dig the new–prophetic and beyond– chapter of Life is a Sacred Text, will you send this to them? I want to make sure that everybody who might want to be at this party is here. ❤️

xoxo

RDR

Share this post

Share on Bluesky Share on Threads Share on Facebook Share on Mastodon Share on Reddit Share on LinkedIn Share on Email

Please remember that, without Substack's built-in network, we need the community – you – more than ever to amplify conversations. Thank you. ❤️

It's easy to attempt to do right by our friends, family, loved ones, acquaintances, and the people we simply encounter day-to-day– and often hard to get it right. Join us for a lively, interactive conversation around the ethics of interpersonal interactions and you might find that it proves transformative in the next sticky, or almost-sticky, situation.

February 8, 2-3:30ET, 11-12:30PT

A reminder about the subscription model:

I want my work to be as accessible to as many people as possible; that's why the Monday essays are free, and why we donate subscriptions to anyone for whom paying is a barrier to the House of Study.

I also believe people should be paid fairly for their work. Needless to say, these two values sometimes seem to be in conflict, but I do what I can to find a fair balance. I offer many resources for free, and charge for others. When you donate generously or pay at the top of our scale, that supports this work, provides access for others, and enables us to continue. ❤️ 🌱

As always, if you want in on the House of Study, but paying isn't for you right now, email support @ lifeisasacredtext.com and we'll hook you up.

Tu BiShValentine’s Day

Forget Thanksgivingmakaah; this is the best mashup EVER

Life is a Sacred TextRabbi Danya Ruttenberg

On Trees, And Our Own Growing

New research indicates that trees are communal. That trees of various species form alliances with each other. That they live in cooperative, interdependent relationships, communicate, have family relationships, protect one another, even grieve for one another.

Life is a Sacred TextRabbi Danya Ruttenberg

What the Trees Know

we should remember

Life is a Sacred TextRabbi Danya Ruttenberg

Support independent work committed to telling inconvenient truths:

Share this post:

This article was downloaded from https://www.lifeisasacredtext.com/purplecrayon/ on Feb 11, 2026 at 7:44 AM EST.

RABBI DANYA RUTTENBERG | JAN 29, 2026, 9:30 AM EST

Honoring Study

what do you say after learning something sacred?

Share this post:

It's easy to attempt to do right by our friends, family, loved ones, acquaintances, and the people we simply encounter day-to-day– and often hard to get it right. Join us for a lively, interactive conversation around the ethics of interpersonal interactions and you might find that it proves transformative in the next sticky, or almost-sticky, situation.

February 8, 2-3:30ET, 11-12:30PT

Please remember that there's now a House of Study page on the website!

We'll keep updating the next Zoom Salon topics there and there's a Suggestion Box there, as well.

Let us know if you want a study partner!

What Zoom Salon or Thursday post topics you want to see!

What other ideas you have for improvements around here!

House of Study page ! ! !

I thought it might be nice to have a look, seeing as we have just finished four and a half years of a cycle of study, to look at some of the words from my tradition that have been used as an offering to honor the act of learning.

This article was downloaded from https://www.lifeisasacredtext.com/holy-blessings/ on Feb 11, 2026 at 7:44 AM EST.

RABBI DANYA RUTTENBERG | JAN 26, 2026, 11:30 AM EST

The Torah, Written

Celebrating the End of an Era

And the Children of Israel wept for Moses in the Plains of Moav for thirty days; then the days of weeping in mourning for Moses were ended.

Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moshe had leaned his hands upon him, and the Children of Israel hearkened to him and did as God had commanded Moshe.

But there arose no further prophet in Israel like Moshe, whom God knew face to face, in all the signs and portents that God sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants, and to all his land; and in all the strong hand and in all the great, awe-inspiring [acts] that Moshe did before the eyes of all Israel.

At the beginning of God’s creating of the heavens and the earth—now the earth was Confusion and Chaos, darkness over the face of Ocean, rushing-spirit of God soaring over the waters—God said: Let there be light! And there was light. God saw the light: that it was good. (Deuteronomy 34:8-12, Genesis 1:1-4)

You guys, we finished the Torah. That's pretty cool.

Even with all the other horrors happening out there right now, let's take a moment to celebrate this milestone?

(And in case you missed it, this, from yesterday:)

actions to take as ICE intensifies

ways to support MN and your own community

Life is a Sacred TextRabbi Danya Ruttenberg

When this project began in . . . June of 2021, I had no clue that we'd go this long, that we'd finish Torah, that the community would continue to grow and grow as it has, or that the next chapter (more on that next missive) would be so exciting– or needed in this moment.

I knew then that we'd go at whatever pace made sense, and indeed there's been a lot to see along the way.

If my estimates are correct, Life is a Sacred Text published an average of 3.5 posts per Torah portion, because there was just... plenty to investigate, to uncover, side quests to take, history to nerd about, midrash to gasp about (especially on House of Study Thursdays), and more.

Of course, if there's anything that Deuteronomy's taught us, it's that before we move forward, we have to pause and reflect on where we've been. So with that, should we start by going through everything that's happened in the last Book of the big five?

And yes, we always need joy, and all the more so now, so say it with me:

Meme of Dora the Explorer and Boots the monkey exclaiming, "We did it!" while Dora is raising the Torah in Hagba (notably, rolled open to the end.) Dora's mom is Peruvian and her dad is Mexican and Cuban. While it's unlikely to be her whole story, it's not implausible that Jewishness could be part of it, ok. Also I think Boots takes Torah study very very seriously.

Share this post:

Last fall, we began talking about how, in Deuteronomy, Moses tells the stories of Exodus and Numbers to the next generation before they enter the Promised Land. Then we looked at the Book's likely creation in King Josiah's court, and its interest in getting us on board with the centralization of the one Temple in Jerusalem.

We talked about what was (and probably wasn't) considered idolatry. Who the ginormous (literally giant) Anakites were. The prevalence of Asherata worship during the First Temple era; how the Torah and Talmud discussed women and witchcraft and what Jewish women's folk ritual really looked like. We also interrogated the notion that tattoos are unquestionably forbidden in Jewish tradition.

There was a second go-round of the Ten Commandments – with some noticeable differences. We also looked at what "going beyond the letter of the law" means under authoritarianism; why God is not a vending machine and your prayers are not a quarter; and how to make sense of the Shma, the command to listen, to hear.

We looked at Jewish betrothal and the some of the wild backstories behind some wedding customs as well as how the tradition addresses sexual assault –both its problems and how it beats some of our contemporary frameworks.

And then we get into the justice-centered meat of Deuteronomy: How to navigate the world that needs both care today and change for tomorrow; what redistributive justice (philanthropy) should look like in practice; questions of communal responsibility when harm happens and, that later xenophobia notwithstanding, the Exodus included inter-communal solidarity. In the span of a three verses, we saw that pursuing justice, justly means that how we do what we do matters; the importance of accountability in justice systems; and what's required of an ethical judge.

We considered why the Rabbis didn't want to murder a mouthy tween, and how our approach to text can teach us a lot about life.

We saw that we're commanded to make sanctuary to protect people from the threat of communal violence and how holy rejoicing, too, is about making sure everyone is enfranchised.

And then, towards the end of the Book, we had a chance to learn from the imperfect liberation theology at the heart of Deuteronomy and see the truth that "choose life" is the core of the covenant. We unpacked the loaded theology of blessings and curses, and, at last, saw Joshua's succession and the death of Moses.

And then, back around again, to everywhere else we've been –

- Genesis 💫 🌞🌔 🌍

- Exodus 🌊🧑‍🤝‍🧑👫👭🌊

- Leviticus 🐐🐐🐐🩸

- Numbers ⛺ ⛺ ⛺⛺

To say nothing of guest posts during the Deuteronomy era!

- Jack Zaientz on Jewish monsters

- Rabbi Ben Luks-Morgan on the enduring trans presence in Jewish text

- Fat Torah from Rabbi Minna Bromberg

- Lexi Kohanski on choosing herself, Jewish continuity and who's allowed in God's community.

- Kaitlin Curtice and Patty Krawec on how to read stories anew.

So many other things also happened in the Deuteromyear, like

- That time the Kabbalists tried to kill Hitler via chicken sacrifice + airplane magic

- Managing Big Feelings in the Trump era and some foundational lessons to hold with us

- How a spiritual practice (not a religious one, per se) can fortify us at this political moment

- Some organizing notes, as well as a list of ways to take action and make sure you and those around you are cared for.

- How our body echoes the cosmos

- A letter to Jews, on the Gaza famine, and a revision of On Repentance and Repair in light of the Gaza genocide

- How art education taught me to read text

- Maimonides on how to be a decent human being and the question of how much people can change

- A historical / philosophical explainer on Jewish denominations

- ... And a whole lot more there isn't space to mention here.

In any case, I couldn't be more grateful to have you on this ride with me, or more thrilled to be moving into our more unfettered next chapter together.

Thanks for being part of this with me.

Collective liberation or bust.

❤️

RDR

hey, there's a real actual human being behind the laptop, who knew?! (Photo of a white person with salt and pepper hair, glasses, hoop earrings, lipstick, black sweater, lapis necklace with ball and chain necklace because Xer aesthetics die hard OK)

P.S. re: the post title–in my neighborhood, the Torah is known as the Written Torah, and the Mishnah is known as the Oral Torah. 🤷‍♀️

QUESTIONS:

- Where did you start showing up along this Torah journey?

- Did being part of this process impact you in any way?

- and, most importantly: What's your nomination for the four-emoji set representing Deuteronomy?

Share this post

Share on Bluesky Share on Threads Share on Facebook Share on Mastodon Share on Reddit Share on LinkedIn Share on Email

Please remember that, without Substack's built-in network, we need the community – you – more than ever to amplify conversations. Thank you. ❤️

It's easy to attempt to do right by our friends, family, loved ones, acquaintances, and the people we simply encounter day-to-day– and often hard to get it right. Join us for a lively, interactive conversation around the ethics of interpersonal interactions and you might find that it proves transformative in the next sticky, or almost-sticky, situation.

February 8, 2-3:30ET, 11-12:30PT

A reminder about the subscription model:

I want my work to be as accessible to as many people as possible, in as many ways as possible. That's why the Monday essays are free, and why we donate subscriptions to anyone for whom paying is a barrier to the House of Study posts.

I also believe people should be paid fairly for their work. Needless to say, these two values sometimes seem to be in conflict, but I do what I can to find a fair balance. I offer many resources for free, and charge for others. When you donate generously or pay at the top of our scale, that helps support the work I do, provides access for those who have fewer resources, pays for the infrastructure and the technical and practical support that it takes to do this, and helps us keep the work sustainable. ❤️ 🌱

When you sign up for the House of Study, you get deep dives every Thursday, Ask the Rabbi Q & As, monthly Zoom Salons IRL, access to over 4 years of archives, a study partner if you want one, and so much more-- and you DON'T have to get more email if you don't want! Don't you deserve all this nourishment and support??

As always, if you want in on the House of Study, but paying isn't for you right now, email support @ lifeisasacredtext.com and we'll hook you up.

Support independent work committed to telling inconvenient truths:

This article was downloaded from https://www.lifeisasacredtext.com/the-torah-written/ on Feb 11, 2026 at 7:44 AM EST.

RABBI DANYA RUTTENBERG | JAN 25, 2026, 5:16 PM EST

actions to take as ICE intensifies

ways to support MN and your own community

This is Life as a Sacred Text 🌱, an everybody-celebrating, justice-centered voyage into ancient stories that can illuminate our own lives. It‘s run on a nonprofit, so it’s 100% NAZI FREE. More about the project here, and to subscribe, go here:

In my tradition, the principle of pikuach nefesh–preserving life– comes before everything.

So here's a brief list of resources and action items, out of the cadence of regular publication. If you're new here, subscribe for free or more to get the fortification and tools we send out on the regular.

Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said: If I would have been there among those Sages who debated this question, I would have said ... (Leviticus 18:5:) “You shall keep My statutes and My ordinances, which a person shall do and live by them,” and not that they should die by them. (Talmud Yoma 85b)

So. Especially for my U.S. based readers, but lots of things others can do from afar:

Some ways to be useful given the escalation of US state terrorism.

First. Face where we are. This, by M. Gessen, is required reading now.

This is a gift link article.

That's for everyone. All the rest of these are mostly a choose-your-own adventure so you can find the path for you given your capacity, skills, personality, etc.

Know that there's a place for you on deck.

It might or might not be some of these things, but there are links to other things to help you figure out your role if not these. I've got other missives come on other paths in.

And as always: THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY DOING THE WORK AND HAVE BEEN DOING IT A LONG TIME. They know the on-the-ground realities, the history, the context. If you're newer to this, your job is primarily to find them, be of service (move the chairs and pick up the coffee if you're able!) and certainly not to be one of the people in the spotlight. AND every specialized skill has a place to be at this moment; eg, every movement needs data nerds.

Share this post:

Get harassing your reps back into your routine if it ever stopped

Or start now, if you haven't gotten into the habit. Calling your elected reps isn't INSTEAD of doing other things, it's back to that daily practice you do in addition to whatever else. Harangue. Abolish ICE. Prosecute everyone involved. Impeach Trump.

And don't forget, as the wise Twin Cities-based Rev. Bromleigh McCleneghan put it: A lot of politicians social media are saying all the right things, but they're not using their actual legislative authority to do what needs doing. They work for you.

5 Calls

Spend 5 minutes. Make 5 calls. Make your voice heard.

5 Calls

Get trained up.

(All these trainings are virtual)

Tonight, 1/25, 8pm ET National Faith Call to Action: Mourn, pray, mobilize.

- 1/28 7pm ET ICE watch and community defense

- 1/29 7pm ET Noncooperation 101 - some key stuff in fighting authoritarianism, by an org that includes Maria Stephan, Erica Chenoweth's collaborator

- 2/4 9:30am ET Bystander training/ best practices for early childhood educators and caregivers

- 2/5 4:30pm Bystander training / best practices for early childhood educators and caregivers

- 2/6 4pm ET Community defender training focusing on parents' & kids' rights in arrest and detention.

- 2/10 12pm ET Bystander training on responding to antiblack police violence (hasn't stopped!)

- 2/25 3pm ET Bystander know your rights training

- Various dates and times (including for youth!) bystander intervention to support the im/migrant community

- Various trainings in the 1:1, a key piece of organizing, here.

(I'll keep my eye out for other pieces of the puzzle; to my dismay, many folks whose stuff I'd love to share have not updated their websites.

“Nonviolence is not a vibe.

Nonviolence is a discipline.”

– Eric Ward

@mspackyetti For all of us NOT in MN right now, some lessons I want to offer as a Ferguson protestor and organizer: O. THIS IS WORSE THAN BEFORE. 1. There is something for EVERYBODY to do NOW. ESP $ Follow LOCAL voices, livestreams & news. Mainstream WILL get it wrong, especially now. 3. Your armchair activist critique & online debate from afar is NOT. HELPFUL. IT IS DISTRACTING. Use your platform for information & activation for the GROUND. 4. Amplify the most marginalized voices-Black & indigenous.

Be part of keeping your community safe and ready against incursions.

- Whistles remain an indispensable tool in this fight. Genuinely, everyone should have one on their keychain at this point imho. There are 3D printing files and here's an overall guide.

- Learn about Rapid Response Networks, what are they and how you can start one.

- Here's a good doc with best practices for neighborhood or area patrol if ICE might be coming to your neighborhood. Here's one about school patrols.

- Consider getting trained to be a legal / constitutional observer. This handbook offers a good overview.

- Consider turning your workplace into a 4A Workplace– one that trains staff to uphold workers' rights against illegal search and seizure. There's a virtual training on 1/29.

The [laws of] the Shabbat are suspended in the face of a danger to life, as are [the obligations of] the other mitzvot... When there is a doubt, [Jewish] law [is] suspended even when there is merely a question of danger to a person's life…

(Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Shabbat 2:1)

Share this post:

Hold corporations accountable.

- Here's one toolkit for hitting the big corporations.

- Here's a list of all the hotels in MN housing ICE agents, if you feel like making some phone calls /send some emails letting them know what you think about that (while remembering that the folks answering those phones aren't the ones making those decisions– ask to speak to their bosses at minimum.)

- If you have a Ring camera, know that ICE uses it to surveil.

- This is a map of businesses said to be profiting from ICE (including many local to you if you're in the US).

That said, I want to acknowledge that

a) our individual choices matter and do have an impact, but also that

b) the real issue is the larger systems and structures, and things like labor laws and corporations are permitted to buy politicians and destroy the planet. So do the best you can, particularly if there's a targeted (heh) campaign going on, and remember:

- Even small shifts in how you spend can support real pressure on businesses.

- Privilege shapes how you can engage with this activism (shocking!)– Things like access needs, transportation and what one can afford all impact whether someone can fully avoid a company. (That said, some big corp alternatives aren't more expensive, so worth checking.)

- If you're able to play, get clear on one or two areas where you can start shifting how you spend to be more in alignment with your values—whether that’s switching brands, buying secondhand, or supporting ethical businesses (particularly those owned by traditionally marginalized folks). And then go from there.

b.sharise: Not enough Americans equate 100 years of Jim Crow Laws with fascism and that bothers me. Utilizing imagery of Anne Frank and the gestapo instead of lynchings, forced sterilizations (the Mississippi Appendectomies), internment camps, and sun down towns adds an unnecessary layer of distance. It incorrectly asserts that fascism is this foreign thing that the US has never known, much less allowed. That could not be farther from the truth. @seastersjones

Support those under siege in Minnesota financially, if you're able.

There are a couple of helpful listings of funds and mutual aid projects, including orgs that are crowdfunding, here and here.

Keep Learning.

This curriculum is great:

CANVAS Core Curriculum: A Guide to Effective Nonviolent Struggle | ICNC

You may also be interested in: A Guide to Nonviolent Activism (Ekta Parishad)Ekta Parishad is a mass-based peoples’ movement for land rights with an active membership of 250,000 landless poor and is regarded as one of th…Nonviolent Struggle: 50 Crucial PointsThis book is a primer on applying strategic nonviolent action in real campaigns. The techniques outlined …

ICNCSrdja Popovic, Slobodan Djinovic, Andrej Milivojevic, Hardy Merriman and Ivan Marovic

And I made you a book list:

Political Education

Time to Level Up.&nbsp;

Bookshop.org

Share this post

Share on Bluesky Share on Threads Share on Facebook Share on Mastodon Share on Reddit Share on LinkedIn Share on Email

A reminder about the subscription model:

I want my work to be as accessible to as many people as possible; that's why the Monday essays are free, and why we donate subscriptions to anyone for whom paying is a barrier to the House of Study.

I also believe people should be paid fairly for their work. Needless to say, these two values sometimes seem to be in conflict, but I do what I can to find a fair balance. I offer many resources for free, and charge for others. When you donate generously or pay at the top of our scale, that supports this work, provides access for others, and enables us to continue. ❤️ 🌱

As always, if you want in on the House of Study, but paying isn't for you right now, email support @ lifeisasacredtext.com and we'll hook you up.

We keep coming back to these for a reason:

On Organizing

time to level up / an early draft of a playbook

Life is a Sacred TextRabbi Danya Ruttenberg

find your place on deck

another world is possible-- but we must start living into it today

Life is a Sacred TextRabbi Danya Ruttenberg

fortify inside

why spiritual practice matters during the rising authoritarian tide

Life is a Sacred TextRabbi Danya Ruttenberg

Support independent work committed to telling inconvenient truths:

This article was downloaded from https://www.lifeisasacredtext.com/actions-to-take-as-ice-intensifies/ on Feb 11, 2026 at 7:44 AM EST.

RABBI DANYA RUTTENBERG | JAN 22, 2026, 9:30 AM EST

Succession

Moses, Joshua, teachers, students, mentors, mentees, more.

It's easy to attempt to do right by our friends, family, loved ones, acquaintances, and the people we simply encounter day-to-day– and often hard to get it right. Join us for a lively, interactive conversation around the ethics of interpersonal interactions and you might find that it proves transformative in the next sticky, or almost-sticky, situation.

February 8, 2-3:30ET, 11-12:30PT

Please remember that there's now a House of Study page on the website!

We'll keep updating the next Zoom Salon topics there and there's a Suggestion Box there, as well.

Let us know if you want a study partner!

What Zoom Salon or Thursday post topics you want to see!

What other ideas you have for improvements around here!

House of Study page ! ! !

Last Monday, we saw Moses die.

Even though that's technically the end of the story of Torah, I want to make sure that we look at one more key part of the story:

Kendall Roy from Succession says, "we need to control the narrative."

Share this post:

That's right, the line of succession.

As you may recall from the messy spies incident, Calev and Joshua were the only scouts sent to spy on the Promised Land who weren't frightened off by what they had seen. After that, as midrash tells it, Joshua became Moses' personal aide / assistant / second in command. And it wasn't exactly a part-time gig, either:

....Joshua served Moses...day and night (Numbers Rabbah 12:9)

This article was downloaded from https://www.lifeisasacredtext.com/succession/ on Feb 11, 2026 at 7:44 AM EST.

RABBI DANYA RUTTENBERG | JAN 15, 2026, 9:00 AM EST

how to face the horrors of now

feel, then do

This newsletter is a reader-supported publication. Paid subscriptions allow our tiny team to keep doing this work. If you want in to the House of Study but paying isn't on for you right now, reach out and we'll hook you up, no questions asked.

ICE shot another human being– only injuring him, as far as I've heard, please God, but that's just luck, and doesn't make any of this acceptable.

So all the more –

During these times of terror and fury–

as we see once again what happens when authoritarian governments try to suppress justified dissent–

as we remember the bravery demanded in showing up for freedom and one another–

Protesters in Tehran face Iranian police.

Sometimes we need to access places bigger than nihilistic soundbites.

Even as so much of what's happening right now is devastation, heartbreak, rage– or because of it.

We must all have ways to hold that devastation and fury. A minute here. A minute there. Oh, there's half an hour, good.

(Also, please nourish yourself.)

If we don't make space for those emotions, they'll take charge in unhelpful ways. More to the point: once we release some feelings, we may have more capacity for useful action.

Because we must take action.

This is not debatable.

But we must have capacity.

Write the words you need, paint them, whisper them to the clouds, weep them into the snow or leave them at the gym punching bag, but be clear about what you're doing.

Release something from your heart, lifted.

Take a deep breath, now, though.

Notice all the layers of emotion you might be having about this–

the terror, rage, despair, helplessness, anguish, hope, heartbreak, and/or something else.

Just notice?

The great lie that we're separate from each other – that hate is logical, that stealing human beings or hurling bullets makes sense – is related to the lie that we're separate from the Earth and all things.

However you do it, find a way to lift something up from your heart today.

Share this post:

People mourning on the street where Renee Good was murdered by an ICE agent.

May each being on this planet be safe.

May everyone be protected from harm.

From the theft of human bodies and lives,

the suppression of freedom

From persecution,

famine,

terror.

May evildoers lose power and experience justice.

“May sins cease from the land” (Psalms 104:35)*

May those who cause great harm spend their lives in repentance, repair, atonement and healing.

May we bring into being–

through shared work

solidarity

and the sum of our actions and choices–

an era of collective liberation.

May everyone have what they need to flourish.

May every person receive dignity and care.

"There is the sea, vast and wide,

with its creatures beyond number,

living things, small and great." (Psalm 104:25)

May we each be a drop in the ocean.

May we, together, become the wave.

*In the Talmud (Brachot 10a) Rabbi Meir's Torah-teaching wife Brurya reminds him that he shouldn't pray for his tormentors to die, but to become better human beings-- eg, obviously, he's interpreting Psalms wrong. (Story at link.)

Share this post

Share on Bluesky Share on Threads Share on Facebook Share on Mastodon Share on Reddit Share on LinkedIn Share on Email

When you subscribe to the Life is a Sacred Text House of Study, you get extra sustenance for your heart, soul and brain and every week.

Isn't it time to invest in the parts of you that matter most?

RELATED

fortify inside

why spiritual practice matters during the rising authoritarian tide

Life is a Sacred TextRabbi Danya Ruttenberg

find your place on deck

another world is possible-- but we must start living into it today

Life is a Sacred TextRabbi Danya Ruttenberg

Permission Slip

A Few Words on Prayer

Life is a Sacred TextRabbi Danya Ruttenberg

On Organizing

time to level up / an early draft of a playbook

Life is a Sacred TextRabbi Danya Ruttenberg

A reminder about the subscription model:

I want my work to be as accessible to as many people as possible, in as many ways as possible. That's why the Monday essays are free, and why we donate subscriptions to anyone for whom paying is a barrier to the House of Study posts.

I also believe people should be paid fairly for their work. Needless to say, these two values sometimes seem to be in conflict, but I do what I can to find a fair balance. I offer many resources for free, and charge for others. When you donate generously or pay at the top of our scale, that helps support the work I do, provides access for those who have fewer resources, pays for the infrastructure that this takes, and helps us keep the work sustainable. ❤️ 🌱

As always, if you want in on the House of Study, but paying isn't for you right now, email support @ lifeisasacredtext.com and we'll hook you up.

DO SOMETHING NOW

Want to Stop ICE? Go After Its Corporate Collaborators.

ICE can’t function without help from the private sector. So we should force the private sector to stop helping.

The Nationsmccroskey

Immigration Raids - Immigrant Defense Project

IDP protects and expands the rights of all immigrants, focusing at the intersection of the criminal and immigration systems.

Immigrant Defense Project

Volunteer Opportunities, Events, and Petitions Near Me · Mobilize

Create change in your community. Find events, petitions, volunteer opportunities, and fundraisers in your local area, organized by charities, campaigns, political organizations, grassroots groups, and other volunteers! Together, we’ll help make the world more just, inclusive, and democratic.

Mobilize

Support independent work committed to telling inconvenient truths:

Share this post:

This article was downloaded from https://www.lifeisasacredtext.com/iceiranprayer/ on Feb 11, 2026 at 7:44 AM EST.

RABBI DANYA RUTTENBERG | JAN 12, 2026, 9:30 AM EST

"Why Must I Die?!"

seeking better answers for Moses, and us

This is Life as a Sacred Text 🌱, an everybody-celebrating, justice-centered voyage into ancient stories that can illuminate our own lives. It‘s run on a nonprofit, so it’s 100% NAZI FREE. More about the project here, and to subscribe, go here:

After the Exodus

After receiving Torah

After 40 years of trials in the wilderness, the midbar–

After telling the next generation about it all,

After the final covenant with the divine, the choosing of life,

On the edge of the Jordan River, on the brink of the Promised Land,

For Moses, at last, and too soon–

it was time.

God spoke to Moses on that same day, saying: Go up these heights of Mount Nevo in the land of Moav, and see the land of Canaan that I am giving to the Children of Israel for a holding.

You are to die on the mountain that you are going up, and are to be gathered to your kinspeople because you broke faith with me at the waters of Merivat Kadesh, because you did not treat me as holy amongst the Israelites. At a distance you shall see the land, but there you shall not enter the land that I am giving to the Israelites. (Deuteronomy 32:48-52, abridged slightly)

Setting aside the conquest narrative for now– we've addressed this in the past and will again in missives to come– there's a heartbreaking story at hand.

We've seen Moses evolve from infant refugee to privileged child of the palace; seen his tentative first steps of leadership through the Exodus and sea-crossing; watched him receive Torah and weather myriad ups and downs as he accompanied a traumatized people through four decades of uncertainty.

But there was that moment in the wake of his sister's death. He was grieving, possibly remorseful about how he'd left things between them, was overwhelmed by what may have felt like just more in an endless parade of complaints from the Israelites when he insulted his people and hit a rock twice when he was meant to have spoken. For this, (the character of) God decreed, Moses would not enter the Promised Land.

And now that moment has arrived, laden with pathos.

In the Torah text we do not see much response from Moses to God's directive; his last words are blessings to the tribes.

The Torah tells us that he ascends Mount Nevo, from whence he can see a tremendous view of the Promised Land:

View from the top of Mount Nevo, in what's now Jordan, looking over the Jordan River to the other side. To the far left you can see the top of the Dead Sea, Jerusalem is roughly in the center, and Jericho is on the right. (Image of a desert view).

Another view of where the Israelites, and Moses, were, generally, on the Plains of Moav. (Image of a 3-dimensional map starting mid-Dead Sea with the Plains of Moab marked on it.)

In case it's easier to see with help (Image of a desert view, with the Dead Sea, Jerusalem, and Jericho marked).

But we don't hear Moses voice in all of this, not really. What was he thinking as he gazed upon this view? As he drew what he knew what would be some of his last breaths, looking at the place to which he would never arrive?

Was he sad? Resigned? Full of regret for his past lapse? Peacefully satisfied that he'd led a full – 120 year! – life and brought his people to the beginning of their next chapter?

Terrified?

Rava was at the bedside of Rabbi Nachman as he was dying. Rava said, "Promise me that you will show yourself to me in a dream after you die." He did so. Rava asked him, "Did you suffer much while you died?" Rabbi Nachman replied, "As little as when you remove a hair from milk. But if the Holy One were to say to me, 'Go to that world and be as you were before,' I would not wish to do so because the fear of death is so great." (Talmud Moed Katan 28a)

Share this post:

The Torah gives us scant information. If Moses struggles with God’s dictate, we aren't told. All we see is that he does as commanded.

One midrash offers a very different view, showing Moses begging for his life:

Moses said to God, “Master of the Universe, why must I die?  Is it not better that the people would say, “Moses is good,” by seeing this for themselves than that they would say, “Moses is good,” from just hearing about me? [he continues in this vein for a bit]...

God said to him, “Enough, Moses!  This is the decree, and it's the same for all people....  The ministering angels said to the Holy One, “Ruler of the Universe, Why did the First Human die?” God said to them, “They did not take notice of [ie obey] me.”  The angels said to God, “And behold, Moses did take notice of you!”  God said to the angels, “The decree is the same for all people...."  (Midrash Sifre Chapter 339)

The man who could be seen as an obedient servant in Deuteronomy here expresses outrage—or, at least, explicit fear—about his mortality, and lobbies for his own self-interest.  Rather than mediating on behalf of the Israelites (as he often does in the Torah itself) he intercedes on his own behalf.

This Moses is so bold that God finally interrupts him with, “Enough, Moses!”

What's God's rejoinder to this high-stakes appeal? Not, interestingly, to mention the rock-hitting incident– that is, to tell him that this is punishment for his actions.

That would be the logic of the Ancient Near East, in Deuteronomy and beyond: If you do good, if you choose life, you get blessings. You don't get curses, death and badness unless you deserve it. We also see this all over Prophetic texts—a common explanation for the destruction of the First Temple and subsequent Babylonian exile is that, well, the people of Israel sinned.

Moses here seems to implicitly suggest, even, that he doesn't deserve death after all his great works, if that's the rubric. He's good, he did all these great things for the Israelites, etc. Midrash God doesn't dispute any of that. But none of it matters.

The early Rabbis* witnessed their own civilization destroyed by the Roman Empire: First, the traumatic razing of the Second Temple, and then the extreme, punitive response to the Jews' failed Bar Kochba Revolt.

Among many horrors, the most righteous, holy sages of their own generation were tortured and slaughtered by the Romans. One imagines that the early Rabbinic midrashist couldn't consider a question about why people die– about why, in a sense, bad things happen to good people–with trite adages about sin and punishment.

Like us, they saw good people suffer unjustly.

*This is, indeed, a very early midrash, just about the earliest layer of midrash that we have, written in the same Hebrew as the Mishnah and beleived to be contemporaneous with it, ca. 200 CE or earlier.

So they give us angels who challenge God on Moses' behalf– unlike the First Human, Moses “did take notice of” God’s words. He was good!

Share this post:

Marc Chagall, Moses Died Looking to the Promised Land, Where He Should Not Enter, 1956. Detail. (Lithograph of Moses, lying down in a robe, with one arm lifted, with two rays of light emitting from his head, gazing upwards. He is printed with yellow, and has a cane at his side.)

But then when God echoes God's earlier statement, it packs a heavier punch:

“The decree, she is the same for all people.”

However mortality began (thanks, First Human) it's a thing now. For everyone.

Doesn't matter how much your deeds merit.

It’s not necessarily logical, and it’s not necessarily fair, but, the Rabbis tell us, it's the truth. And the truth matters.

Interestingly, God never offers a direct answer to the question: Why must people die?

They just do.

This is just what happens.

And whether or not we like it, whether or not it's "fair," we have to accept it, because this is how real life actually is.

Which doesn't mean– as the Torah and the Rabbis teach us, again and again and again– that we shouldn't do everything in our power to try to try to use our divinely-given free will to create a more whole, more holy world for all the human beings in it to the full extent that we can, every single day, with all of our power, in all the ways that we can, to try to protect and preserve life, and then to love.

That's still and always our most important job while we draw breath.

But this means that, ultimately, none of us are exempt from the end of the story, whenever and however it happens– please God may it be a long time for all of us, and may we all thrive.

No amount of privilege, performative actions, capitulation to power or amassing of wealth will exempt us from this basic truth.

So we may as well show up and be the people we were meant to be, and live the life full of honesty, care, compassion and honor that is always available.

Day by day. Choice by choice. Act of love by act of love.

However the story ultimately ends, we have the power to write so much of who we are.

Moses went up from the Plains of Moav to Mount Nevo, and God let him see all the land.... There died there Moses, the servant of God, in the land of Moav. ...

But there arose no further prophet in Israel like Moses,

whom God knew face to face,

in all the signs and portents

that God sent him to do in the land of Egypt,

to Pharaoh and to all his servants, and to all his land;

and in all the strong hand

and in all the great, awe-inspiring [acts]

that Moshe did before the eyes of all Israel.

(Deuteronomy 34:1-12, abridged)

Marc Chagall, Moses Blesses the Children of Israel, 1966. (Lithograph of a bearded Moses in a green robe being lifted/supported, arms outstretched, by an angel with yellow wings and dark hair, gazing sweetly down at him, against the night.)

Dying is the opposite of leaving. I am more with you than I ever was before./ Why did no one tell us that to die is to be reincarnated in those we love while they are still alive? / Just to be clear, I don't want to get out without a broken heart. I intend to leave this life so shattered there's gonna have to be a thousand separate heavens for all of my flying parts." / Before I die, I want to be somebody's favorite hiding place, the place they can put everything they know they need to survive, every secret, every solitude, every nervous prayer, and be absolutely certain I will keep it safe. I will keep it safe. ANDREA GIBSON, z"l

חזק חזק ונתחזק

Share this post

Share on Bluesky Share on Threads Share on Facebook Share on Mastodon Share on Reddit Share on LinkedIn Share on Email

It's easy to attempt to do right by our friends, family, loved ones, acquaintances, and the people we simply encounter day-to-day– and often hard to get it right. Join us for a lively, interactive conversation around the ethics of interpersonal interactions and you might find that it proves transformative in the next sticky, or almost-sticky, situation.

February 8, 2-3:30ET, 11-12:30PT

A reminder about the subscription model:

I want my work to be as accessible to as many people as possible, in as many ways as possible. That's why the Monday essays are free, and why we donate subscriptions to anyone for whom paying is a barrier to the House of Study posts.

I also believe people should be paid fairly for their work. Needless to say, these two values sometimes seem to be in conflict, but I do what I can to find a fair balance. I offer many resources for free, and charge for others. When you donate generously or pay at the top of our scale, that helps support the work I do, provides access for those who have fewer resources, pays for the infrastructure and the technical and practical support that it takes to do this, and helps us keep the work sustainable. ❤️ 🌱

When you sign up for the House of Study, you get deep dives every Thursday, Ask the Rabbi Q & As, monthly Zoom Salons IRL, access to over 4 years of archives, a study partner if you want one, and so much more-- and you DON'T have to get more email if you don't want! Don't you deserve all this nourishment and support??

As always, if you want in on the House of Study, but paying isn't for you right now, email support @ lifeisasacredtext.com and we'll hook you up.

Support independent work committed to telling inconvenient truths:

RELATED

debunking the conquest narrative

facing one of the hardest narrative arcs in the Bible armed with the truth of what really happened

Life is a Sacred TextRabbi Danya Ruttenberg

The Rock that Broke

...And the heart that broke with it.

Life is a Sacred TextRabbi Danya Ruttenberg

Our Side Of The Deal

the tl;dr of covenant, and everything since Creation: Choose Life

Life is a Sacred TextRabbi Danya Ruttenberg

the point of it all

we serve God when we care for one another

Life is a Sacred TextRabbi Danya Ruttenberg

This article was downloaded from https://www.lifeisasacredtext.com/why-must-i-die/ on Feb 11, 2026 at 7:44 AM EST.

Table of Contents

Life is a Sacred Text: 2026 Feb 5

All articles

Uncharted Territory

Honoring Study

The Torah, Written

actions to take as ICE intensifies

Succession

how to face the horrors of now

"Why Must I Die?!"