Rabbi Comins builds custom programs for Scholar-in-Residence weekends, retreats, guest teaching and other formats from the following:
Nature and Judaism
Rabbi Comins is a leading expert in the field that he has pioneered: Jewish, wilderness spirituality. The founder of TorahTrek and author of A Wild Faith, he has been leading spiritual seekers into the natural world for over two decades.
Prayer
The author of Making Prayer Real and the Making Prayer Real Curriculum, Rabbi Comins is an innovative teacher of prayer and davening. He has developed a fresh “spiritual dynamics” approach to enlivening prayer that begins with an exploration of the heart, focuses on skills, and explores prayer as a practice.
Text Study
Rabbi Comins's training includes four years of text study at a Yeshiva (Pardes Institute), six years of classes in the Israeli Rabbinical program of Hebrew Union College, and the study of Midrash, philosophy and Jewish thought at Hebrew University. Filtered through his experiences with nature and spiritual practice, Rabbi Comins offers unique and exciting interpretations of classic, Jewish texts and modern thought. See sample topics below.
Rabbi Comins is a leading expert in the field that he has pioneered: Jewish, wilderness spirituality. The founder of TorahTrek and author of A Wild Faith, he has been leading spiritual seekers into the natural world for over two decades.
Prayer
The author of Making Prayer Real and the Making Prayer Real Curriculum, Rabbi Comins is an innovative teacher of prayer and davening. He has developed a fresh “spiritual dynamics” approach to enlivening prayer that begins with an exploration of the heart, focuses on skills, and explores prayer as a practice.
Text Study
Rabbi Comins's training includes four years of text study at a Yeshiva (Pardes Institute), six years of classes in the Israeli Rabbinical program of Hebrew Union College, and the study of Midrash, philosophy and Jewish thought at Hebrew University. Filtered through his experiences with nature and spiritual practice, Rabbi Comins offers unique and exciting interpretations of classic, Jewish texts and modern thought. See sample topics below.
Contact Rabbi Comins to arrange a program!
Sample Activities
Hikes * Divrei Torah (Sermons) * Text Study * Prayer Workshops
Here are publicity blurbs from past programs.
Hikes
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Connecticut
Does your soul come alive in the natural world? Join us on a journey of inner and outer exploration in the backcountry behind Isabella Freedman. In the heightened awareness of the sacred that wilderness evokes, we invite God’s presence through blessings, meditative walking, mindfulness exercises, and prayer (traditional and contemplative). Interact with other singles through chant, discussion and Torah study. The short, daily hikes culminate in hitbodedut (safe and supervised) alone time in the wild for spiritual practice. |
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New York
Torah was given in the wilderness of Sinai. Is this coincidental, or is there an organic, vital connection between Jewish spirituality and the natural world? TorahTrek founder Rabbi Mike Comins answers with an emphatic yes! Spend a half-day in Central Park exploring the connection between inner and outer geography. Expect easy meditative walking, discussion, song, and a fresh approach to Jewish, spiritual practice. |
Divrei Torah (Sermons)
Judaism and the Natural World
Whether on a trip to the Grand Canyon, or putting flowers on the Shabbat dinner table, we can all be moved by the power and beauty of God’s world—yet those who sense the sacred in nature are sometimes denigrated as primitive, pagan and un-Jewish. Rabbi Mike Comins, founder of TorahTrek will join us to discuss how the sublime experience of God’s presence in the physical world relates to Jewish thought and practice. Rabbi Mike Comins presents a “deep Jewish ecology” as the basis of a Jewish response to global climate change. And he’ll tell a few stories as to what it’s like to be the only rabbi in Wyoming.
Whether on a trip to the Grand Canyon, or putting flowers on the Shabbat dinner table, we can all be moved by the power and beauty of God’s world—yet those who sense the sacred in nature are sometimes denigrated as primitive, pagan and un-Jewish. Rabbi Mike Comins, founder of TorahTrek will join us to discuss how the sublime experience of God’s presence in the physical world relates to Jewish thought and practice. Rabbi Mike Comins presents a “deep Jewish ecology” as the basis of a Jewish response to global climate change. And he’ll tell a few stories as to what it’s like to be the only rabbi in Wyoming.
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Making Prayer Real: Why Prayer is Difficult and What to Do About It
Who is responsible for your inner life? Is it the rabbi, the cantor, the synagogue architect? Rabbi Mike Comins believes that one key to transforming synagogue worship is to spend less time thinking about what happens up front on the bima, and more time on what happens in the hearts of pray-ers. He interviewed over 50 spiritual leaders for his book, Making Prayer Real, and discovered that those who find prayer meaningful often had little in common theologically, but shared similar practices and techniques to bring prayer alive. Rabbi Comins shares the wisdom and best practices he gleaned to enliven and deepen our prayer lives. |
Text Study
Listening for the “Still, Small Voice”
Does it make a difference to read Torah in the place where the events occurred? So much of the formative history of the Jewish people happened in the desert, yet classical Jewish commentators and modern Bible scholars wrote in Europe or North America. A rabbi and Israeli desert guide, Mike Comins brings his experience of walking the Sinai and Negev deserts to the interpretation of Jewish texts. Together we study and discuss the famous journey of Elijah to Horeb (another name for Mt. Sinai; I Kings, ch. 19) where he hears the “still, small voice.” We will discuss this moving passage in the Hebrew Bible to learn the dynamics of listening deeply for God’s presence.
Listening for the “Still, Small Voice”
Does it make a difference to read Torah in the place where the events occurred? So much of the formative history of the Jewish people happened in the desert, yet classical Jewish commentators and modern Bible scholars wrote in Europe or North America. A rabbi and Israeli desert guide, Mike Comins brings his experience of walking the Sinai and Negev deserts to the interpretation of Jewish texts. Together we study and discuss the famous journey of Elijah to Horeb (another name for Mt. Sinai; I Kings, ch. 19) where he hears the “still, small voice.” We will discuss this moving passage in the Hebrew Bible to learn the dynamics of listening deeply for God’s presence.
The Desert of Job
The first chapters of God’s response to Job out of the whirlwind are, in fact, a tour of the Judean desert. An Israeli desert guide, Rabbi Comins brings his knowledge of the desert to his interpretation of the text. The traditional take is that God responds to Job by avoiding an explanation as to why bad things happen to good people, for human beings are too limited to understand the divine perspective. Based on the work of biblical scholar Robert Gordis, however, Rabbi Comins offers an alternative approach: hidden in God’s description of the desert is a substantive response to Job’s trial, if you read between the lines.
The first chapters of God’s response to Job out of the whirlwind are, in fact, a tour of the Judean desert. An Israeli desert guide, Rabbi Comins brings his knowledge of the desert to his interpretation of the text. The traditional take is that God responds to Job by avoiding an explanation as to why bad things happen to good people, for human beings are too limited to understand the divine perspective. Based on the work of biblical scholar Robert Gordis, however, Rabbi Comins offers an alternative approach: hidden in God’s description of the desert is a substantive response to Job’s trial, if you read between the lines.
Wonder and Awe: The Radical Amazement of Abraham Joshua Heschel Is faith the bedrock of Jewish practice? Not according to Abraham Joshua Heschel. "Awe precedes faith; it is at the root of faith. We must grow in awe in order to reach faith. We must be guided by awe to be worthy of faith. Awe rather than faith is the cardinal attitude of the religious Jew." We unpack this amazing claim and explore Heschel’s original thought (and poetic prose!) on wonder and awe. We discuss how our relationship to this awesome world, including pristine nature, grounds a Jewish life. |
More topics available upon request.
Prayer Workshops
Making Prayer Real
Rabbi Comins takes a “spiritual dynamics” approach to prayer. Rather than theology and liturgy, he starts by asking people to think about the transcendent moments they have experienced through prayer. When prayer “works,” what is happening in our hearts; why is it happening, and how can we make it happen more often? The answers to these questions give practical guidance to empowering the practice of prayer. Based on his book, Rabbi Comins has created a skills-oriented, video-based curriculum which asks participants to take responsibility for their prayer lives rather than focusing on the role of clergy. So far, it has been taught by clergy in 13 congregations to over 200 students. He will introduce selected lessons from the Making Prayer Real Course, and share what he has learned, from students and colleagues, on how to pray with heart.
Making Prayer Real
Who is responsible for your inner life? Is it the rabbi, the cantor, the synagogue architect? Rabbi Mike Comins believes that one key to transforming synagogue worship is to spend less time thinking about what happens on the Bimah, and more time on what happens in our hearts. He interviewed over 50 spiritual leaders for his book, Making Prayer Real, and discovered that those who find prayer meaningful often had little in common theologically, but shared similar practices and techniques to bring prayer alive. In this experiential workshop we will focus on the spiritual dynamics of heartfelt prayer, both personal and liturgical. How do we turn prayer from a rote exercise into a transformational, spiritual practice? Be prepared to think out-of-the-box, try new things, and pray!
Rabbi Comins takes a “spiritual dynamics” approach to prayer. Rather than theology and liturgy, he starts by asking people to think about the transcendent moments they have experienced through prayer. When prayer “works,” what is happening in our hearts; why is it happening, and how can we make it happen more often? The answers to these questions give practical guidance to empowering the practice of prayer. Based on his book, Rabbi Comins has created a skills-oriented, video-based curriculum which asks participants to take responsibility for their prayer lives rather than focusing on the role of clergy. So far, it has been taught by clergy in 13 congregations to over 200 students. He will introduce selected lessons from the Making Prayer Real Course, and share what he has learned, from students and colleagues, on how to pray with heart.
Making Prayer Real
Who is responsible for your inner life? Is it the rabbi, the cantor, the synagogue architect? Rabbi Mike Comins believes that one key to transforming synagogue worship is to spend less time thinking about what happens on the Bimah, and more time on what happens in our hearts. He interviewed over 50 spiritual leaders for his book, Making Prayer Real, and discovered that those who find prayer meaningful often had little in common theologically, but shared similar practices and techniques to bring prayer alive. In this experiential workshop we will focus on the spiritual dynamics of heartfelt prayer, both personal and liturgical. How do we turn prayer from a rote exercise into a transformational, spiritual practice? Be prepared to think out-of-the-box, try new things, and pray!
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