‘Shabbat’ Category

Shabbat

June 21, 2019
By Beth Mordecai
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Shabbat Message from Rabbi Metz

Often, when we remember the past, we only remember the best parts. I was recently speaking with a friend. She shared a story with me about her childhood when her family was not financially secure. For years, their main pieces of furniture were plastic and metal folding outdoor chaise lounges. These were the kinds with the woven plastic strip of fabric. They had plastic milk cartons for side tables. Her parents always worried about being able to pay the bills and feed the family. When my friend spoke of the past, she said that she would go back to those days if she could. She did not remember the electricity being shut off, her parents trying to ration food and feed her and her[...]

Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Shabbat

Shabbat

June 20, 2019
By Beth Mordecai
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Musical Shabbat by the Sea with Dinner

Friday, June 28, at 6:30 PM, in the gazebo at Bayview Park. Cantor Dan Geigerman & Rabbi Sara Metz will lead us in a musical & soulful Kabbalat Shabbat Service. A home-cooked traditional Shabbat dinner to follow at Beth Mordecai. RSVP to Rabbi.SaraMetz@gmailcom (more…)

Category : Events home Services Shabbat Shabbat By The Sea

Shabbat

June 5, 2019
By Beth Mordecai
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Musical Shabbat by the Sea with Chinese Dinner to Follow

Friday, June 14, at 6:30 PM in the gazebo at Bayview Park Cantor Dan Geigerman & Rabbi Sara Metz will lead us in a musical & soulful Kabbalat Shabbat Service. Chinese Food Shabbat dinner to follow at Beth Mordecai. RSVP to Rabbi.SaraMetz@gmailcom (more…)

Category : Events home Services Shabbat Shabbat By The Sea

Shabbat

May 30, 2019
By Beth Mordecai
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Shabbat Message from Rabbi Metz

This week we finish reading the book of Leviticus with the portion entitled Behhukkotai. This long Hebrew word refers to God’s laws. The parsha opens with the verse: If you follow My statutes and observe My commandments and perform them, I will give your rains in their time, the Land will yield its produce, and the tree of the field will give forth its fruit. The Torah is stating the ideal; if you do good, you will be rewarded with good in return. Simple enough of a concept, yet one that is so very difficult. This statement points to a difficulty many have with faith. How do we read these words in the Torah and look to the world and see something so very[...]

Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Shabbat

Shabbat

May 9, 2019
By Beth Mordecai
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Shabbat Message: Love Your Neighbor as Yourself

Lev. 19:18 You shall neither take revenge from nor bear a grudge against the members of your people; you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. יחלֹֽא־תִקֹּ֤ם וְלֹֽא־תִטֹּר֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י עַמֶּ֔ךָ וְאָֽהַבְתָּ֥ לְרֵֽעֲךָ֖ כָּמ֑וֹךָ אֲנִ֖י ה׳ This verse from our parsha, Kedoshim, is one of the most well known in the entire Tanach. Innumerable explanations have been written about, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” one of the core principles of the Torah. First and foremost, a person is expected to love themselves. After all, how can a person love another person if they do not love themselves. Unfortunately, this is not always so obvious to all of us. This demand can seem to be impossible to fulfill. Is it really[...]

Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Shabbat

Shabbat

May 3, 2019
By Beth Mordecai
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Shabbat Message from Rabbi Metz

They say timing is everything. This week our Torah portion opens by stating “And the Lord spoke to Moses after the death of Aaron's two sons, when they drew near before the Lord, and they died.” In a tragic and much-interpreted incident, Aaron’s two sons, Nadav and Avihu died in making some type of offering to God. After suffering this catastrophic loss, the text continues to acknowledge the event and then describes the prescribed sacrifices the High Priest is to perform on Yom Kippur. The Torah suggests that these sacrifices offer expiation to the Jewish people of their sins between themselves and God. Especially now, I find significant meaning in the connection of these two seemingly disparate subjects. One can infer that Aaron must be[...]

Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Shabbat

Shabbat

April 25, 2019
By Beth Mordecai
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Shabbat Message: Counting the Omer

During the seder on the second night of Passover, we counted the omer. We are commanded to count each day in between Passover and Shavuot. About 7.5 years ago Lev and I learned that our first child would be born around erev Shavuot, we have gathered together to say the blessing and count the omer. Before we say the blessing we have a tune to the words in Hebrew: הִנְנִי מוּכָן וּמְזוּמָן לְקַיֵים מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה שֶׁל סְפִירַת הָעֽוֺמֶר כְּמוֺ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַתּוֺרָה:‏ וּסְפַרְתֶּ֤ם לָכֶם֙ מִמָּחֳרַ֣ת הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת מִיּוֺם֙ הֲבִ֣יאֲכֶ֔ם אֶת־עֹ֖מֶר הַתְּנוּפָ֑ה שֶׁ֥בַע שַׁבָּתֹ֖ות תְּמִימֹ֥ת תִּהְיֶֽינָה׃‏‏‏ .עַ֣ד מִֽמָּחֳרַ֤ת הַשַּׁבָּת֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔ת תִּסְפְּר֖וּ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים יֹ֑ום Behold, I am prepared and ready to perform the mitzvah of counting the Omer, as is written in your Torah: You are to count from the end of the[...]

Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Shabbat

Shabbat

April 19, 2019
By Beth Mordecai
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Musical Shabbat, May 3

Friday, May 3, 2019 at 6:30 p.m. Join us for services on Friday, May 3 and welcome guest cantor Daniel Geigerman. He will be leading us with his guitar for an uplifting and memorable Shabbat. Kosher Chinese dinner follows. Please RSVP to Rabbi.SaraMetz@gmail.com. You may pay below. Cost is $18 per person for the dinner.

Category : Events Shabbat

Shabbat

April 12, 2019
By Beth Mordecai
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Shabbat Message: Searching with Light

Throughout the week I study each parsha and read various commentaries and explanations written by ancient and modern rabbis. This week I read the following explanation of the parsha, written by one of my teachers, Rabbi Joel Levy at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem. I found the following piece thought provoking and extremely relevant. Please click here and share your thoughts with me. ___________________________ The central section of Parashat Metzora deals with the outbreak of tzara'at (a leprosy-like growth) on plastered buildings. On discovering an outbreak the homeowner is instructed to report it to a priest who would then come and inspect the house to determine whether or not the outbreak constituted a true infestation that required full purification rituals.[...]

Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Shabbat

Shabbat

April 5, 2019
By Beth Mordecai
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Shabbat Message: Speak Respectfully

We have all been heard, and possibly told others, “if you have nothing nice to say, do not say anything at all.” This week we read in the Torah in Parshat Tazria about lash on harah. This is often translated as gossip, yet it could also be slander or speaking negatively. For thousands of years, the Jewish people have discussed the merits of measured, level-headed speech. Life would become unbearable if we said the first thing that came into our head. The Torah demands that we strike a balance between truth and peace. Of course, it is, to tell the truth, and not to lie, but we also need to strive for peace among people. Sometimes peace takes priority over truth. When we[...]

Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Shabbat