Congregation Beth Mordecai
Congregation Beth Mordecai
An inclusive congregation affiliated with the Conservative Movement.
Your Jewish Home for the Soul!
An inclusive congregation affiliated with the Conservative Movement.
Your Jewish Home for the Soul!
May 30, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Parashat Naso 2014/5774 (Triennial I) -- The Relationship Between the Mundane and the Holy
Judaism teaches that there is a separation between "hol," what is mundane in life, and "kodesh," what is holy. Yet, is this separation permanent? Are there ways to connect the mundane to the holy, to make each act of life a sanctification of God? Join us for this week's Parashah class as we use the teachings of Hasidic master R. Tsaddok Hakohen of Lublin on Parashat Naso to explore this question.
Category : Online Learning Online Parashah Class Tag : clerics expectations holiness holy israelites levites mundane naso online learning online parshah class potential rabbis weekly torah portion נשא
January 10, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
2014/5774 (Triennial I) -- Parashat B'shalah: How Do We and God Interact in this World?
Parashat B'shalah, with it's famous story of the splitting of the Sea of Reeds, seems to teach us how God can come down to the human world and save human beings, like the Israelites. Yet towards the beginning of the parashah in Exodus 13:8, the Torah teaches us that the Isralites left Egypt "armed" (hamushim) -- why would they need to be armed if God was going to save them from the Egyptians? Shouldn't they just have had faith without the need to physically protect themselves? Or does God want us to protect ourselves before stepping[...]
Category : Online Learning Online Parashah Class Tag : armed b'shalach b'shalah b'shallach beshalach beshallach exodus God hamushim interact israelites joseph joshua learning online learning online parashah class parsha pharaoh rabbi arieh trugman souls weekly torah portion
January 3, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Last week's Online Parashah Class: Parashat Bo 2014/5774 (Triennial I) -- Pharaoh’s Egypt: By the People, For the People? By most accounts, the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt were God-like figures who had God-like powers over their subjects. Yet, in our Parashah which describes the last moments before the Israelites are freed from Egypt, it seems that the people have a little more power than you’d expect under Pharaoh’s rule. Is this example of populous pressure a hint of the move towards more popular centered rule, like democracy? Classes from other years... (2013/5773) Triennial III -- Leaving in Haste: On the Israelites Being Freed From Egypt
Category : Online Learning Online Parashah Class Tag : democracy egypt israelites online learning online parashah class parasha parsha people pharaoh populist revolution torah weekly torah portion
July 12, 2013 By bethmordecai no comments.
2013/5773 (Triennial III) -- Can God Be the Ultimate General? In this week's Parashah, we read Moses' retelling of the Israelites' military victories over other peoples of the ancient near east, and directs the Israelites on which peoples they will defeat in the future. Throughout this re-telling, God plays a central role -- it is not the Israelites' decision on which lands to conquer but rather God's decision based on God's promises to other nations on what lands belong to them. In this regard, God is acting like the Ultimate General, deciding what territory belongs to which people. Can this vision of God as an Ultimate General resonate with us today? Are we in control of our own land or are there other[...]
Category : Online Learning Online Parashah Class Tag : ancient near east d'varim deuteronomy devarim general God israelites online learning online parashah class parasha parashah parsha
June 7, 2013 By bethmordecai no comments.
2013/5773 (Triennial III) -- The Fear of Losing Power The Torah makes it clear that the power to lead the Israelites belongs to Moses and then to Aaron. Yet no matter the legitimate claims for their power, the people rebel. Why don't they trust them? Watch this week's class as I discuss this question.
Category : Online Learning Online Parashah Class Tag : aaron israelites korach korah moses online learning online parashah class power
April 26, 2013 By bethmordecai no comments.
2013/5773 (Triennial III) -- In or Out? In the last section of this week's Torah portion we learn about a fight between an Israelite and the son of an Israelite woman who also happens to be the son of an Egyptian man. Their fight begs the question: Who is considered an Israelite? Who's in the clan and who's out? Join the conversation as we discuss these questions of self and group identity that appear in our Torah portion; questions that are just as relevant today as we look to build our community with people from a diverse range of backgrounds.
Category : Online Learning Online Parashah Class Tag : clan emor in or out israelites learning online learning online parashah class parsha weekly torah portion
April 12, 2013 By bethmordecai no comments.
2013/5773 (Triennial III) -- Are You Proactive or Reactive? Double Torah Portion: Tazria/M'tzora The Torah teaches us that when the Israelites settled in the land of Canaan, some of their houses were plagued and needed to be purified. Is there a deeper meaning to these plagues? What do they teach us about human nature? We will investigate this question through the lens of a great Hassidic thinker who viewed these plagues as representing the human struggle between being pro-active versus re-active. Why are there times we act before something becomes a problem, and there are times we act as a result of something being a problem? Is one way better than the other? How does this[...]
Category : Online Learning Online Parashah Class Tag : hassidic hassidut human nature israelites learning online learning online parashah class parsha plgues proactive reactive weekly torah portion
March 1, 2013 By bethmordecai no comments.
2013/5773 (Triennial III) -- Where is God's Face? In this week's Torah portion, Moses asks God to lead the Israelites by saying "im eyn panekha holkhim" -- "unless Your face leads us." God agrees to lead the people, and to bring Moses closer to God, but only if God hides God's own face. Throughout biblical literature, the idea of God hiding and showing God's face is connected to whether or not God is with us or supporting us. Why is God's face often hidden and is there any point in which God shows God's face to us? Classes from other years... Online Learning Online Parashah Class Tag : face God hide israelites ki tisa ki tissa learning online learning online parashah class parsha reveal
January 18, 2013 By bethmordecai no comments.
(2013/5773) Triennial III -- Leaving in Haste: On the Israelites Being Freed From Egypt How do you know when you need to respond to you own self interest or when you need to respond to the interests of others? In what ways can you respond to both? Classes from other years... 2014/5774 (Triennial I) -- Pharaoh’s Egypt: By the People, For the People?
Category : Online Learning Online Parashah Class Tag : bo egypt freedom israelites online learning online parashah class parsha responsible self interest selfless