Coffee with the Cantor

June 13, 2023    
8:30 am - 9:30 am
Coffee with the Cantor
Tuesdays May 23 and 30 at 8:30 am via Zoom
 
“I give you every herb for eating” [Genesis 1:29]:
The Fascinating and “Wild” History of Plants and Judaism
Do you know that renowned rabbi, teacher, mystic, and theologian Arthur Green once wrote an essay about Chasidism and hallucinogenics under a pseudonym? Do you know that burnt cannabis has been found in ruins of a Judean shrine in Tel Arad and other places of worship as well? Do you know that according to some ancient oral traditions the “fruit of knowledge” is the grape in its various manifestations? Do you know that the Hebrew Bible and Jewish folk traditions are full of direct references and allusions to use of plants that are aphrodisiacs, fertility agents and abortifacients?
 
Join Rav-Chazzan Michael McCloskey as we investigate the role of plants and fungi in Judaism through religious, sociological and cultural lenses. How do they help enable experience of the Transcendent? How do they sometimes awaken us to new realities and sometimes disconnect us from relationships with family, friends, reality and the Ultimate Presence. We will explore these themes in the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud and Midrash, our classical commentators, modern essays, podcasts and modern archaeological discoveries.  
 
To join Zoom meeting click::
 
 
Meeting ID: 843 2181 4035
 
Passcode: 676345