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!
August 7, 2015 By bethmordecai no comments.
(8/7/15),
Somewhere between mile two and three on the beautiful Green Trail of Cheesequake State Park, Reverend Anne-Marie Jeffery of St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Perth Amboy and I were talking about the difference between happiness and joy. Happiness is analogous to comfort -- when life is good to us, we feel happy; when we are worry free, we feel happy; when we can sit back and relax in our favorite easy chair, we feel happy. When things are easy, we feel happy, But when things are hard -- when we are engaged in a difficult or challenging task -- can we feel happy?
Take for instance a hike in the forest. Not one of those strolls on wide dirt roads, but[...]
Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : Hiking interfaith joy nature rabbi rabbi's journal Reverend Anne-Marie Jeffery
August 6, 2015 By bethmordecai no comments.
(8/6/15), דינא דמלכותא דינא The law of the land is the law Babylonain Talmud (Nedarim 28a, Gittin 10b, Baba Kamma 113a, Baba Bathra 54b and 55a) Dear Hevreh, Jews have almost always lived in lands not under their control. In such an environment, it's been incumbent upon the Jewish community to negotiate with the ruling powers to secure the Jewish population. From the very outset, Abraham had to negotiate burial rights for his wife; Joseph had to negotiate his way into power; and Moses had to negotiate for Israel's release from Pharaoh (with God's heavy hand behind him). In the times of the Babylonian Talmud, the Jews lived under control of many foreign governments including the Sassanids, who conquered Babylonia from the Parthians[...]
Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : america Babylonia diaspora kingdom land law rabbi rabbi's journal Reverend Anne-Marie
By bethmordecai no comments.
דינא דמלכותא דינא
The law of the land is the law
Babylonain Talmud (Nedarim 28a, Gittin 10b, Baba Kamma 113a, Baba Bathra 54b and 55a)
Dear Hevreh,
Jews have almost always lived in lands not under their control. In such an environment, it's been incumbent upon the Jewish community to negotiate with the ruling powers to secure the Jewish population. From the very outset, Abraham had to negotiate burial rights for his wife; Joseph had to negotiate his way into power; and Moses had to negotiate for Israel's release from Pharaoh (with God's heavy hand behind him). In the times of the Babylonian Talmud, the Jews lived under control of many foreign governments including the Sassanids, who conquered Babylonia from the Parthians in 226[...]
Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : america diaspora interfaith rabbi rabbi's journal
July 22, 2015 By bethmordecai no comments.
(7/22/15),
In one of my recent journal entries, I described how some of the latest political issues, most notably the Iranian deal, are poised to pull the Jewish community apart. Likewise, worsening affiliation rates, merging institutions, and less activism make us wonder at times what the future of the American Jewish community will look like.
Well, if it's anything like these past weeks, I can say that future is very bright. Whether it's young Jews gathering to spend quality time together and being engaged in meaningful Jewish life, or dancing and singing Jewish liturgy in full public view, or the ability to have difficult convesrations of important topics with Jews from multiple communities, there is[...]
Category : Ari-archive Tag : ask the rabbi bright future Iran Deal joy rabbi rabbi's journal shabbat by the sea tisha b'av YJPA
July 16, 2015 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
Over the past few years, the threats and tumult of tunnels, rockets, bombs, and mayhem has not only terrorized the physical well being of the State of Israel, but the consciousness of the Jewish people worldwide. Our minds are tuned into the latest threat with a kind of tunnel vision that is fueled by black and white images of ghettos and gas chambers. How can we focus on anything else when our existence seems to be in constant peril.
The radicalness of Shabbat is that no matter the gravity of our physical danger, every seventh day a moment of rest beckons us to change our focus from the anxieties of our outer life to the needs of our inner life. Yes,[...]
Category : American Jewish News Ask the Rabbi Israeli News Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : america american jewish news Argument Disagreement Iran israeli news jewish people Politics rabbi rabbi's journal unity
July 15, 2015 By bethmordecai no comments.
(7/15/15),
62 days. That's how long it is until we gather together in our beautiful sanctuary to ring in another Jewish New Year (!). I don't know about you, but 62 days feels far off and just around the corner at the same time. Yesterday, I spent some quality time in the library at the Jewish Theological Seminary to prepare material for the holidays and to turn my mind towards the themes of repentance, forgiveness, and self-renewal. Perhaps its because it felt so blistering hot outside, but it was hard to imagine that I was preparing for an event at the end of the summer. Could the words I was reading about a holiday still over two months away resonate with[...]
Category : Holidays Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur Tag : high holidays holidays planning rabbi rabbi's journal Rosh Hashanah Script volunteers Yom Kippur
June 2, 2015 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
The term "thinking outside the box" is one I find problematic. It's meant to describe someone who is creative in finding alternative ways to get things done, with the "box" symbolizing the way things normally get done. The first problem with this concept is that people or ideas labeled as "outside the box" are assumed to not care about "the box," i.e. about the usual way things get done. There is a reason why things "inside the box" have gotten done in a certain way for a long period of time. These things "inside the box" are called customs and the longevity of customs is a testament to the strength of their meaning and their usefulness. And when customs[...]
Category : Let's Do Shabbos Together Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Shabbat Tag : Let's Do Shabbos Together rabbi rabbi's journal shabbat
May 6, 2015 By bethmordecai no comments.
(5/6/15),
One important takeaway I took from last week's Adult Ed lecture on Judaism and Islam is that there is good and there is bad in almost all relationships, especially in ones that span continents and centuries. Speaking in hyperbole, whether good or bad, is often unproductive because we lose the nuance -- the ability to hold multiple and perhaps conflicting truths together -- necessary for open and honest conversations about the future. If we close ourselves to only one worldview we won't be aware that...
The deceased former king of Saudi Arabia decided to break from Wahhabism and devote himself to interfaith dialogue...
The leaders of the Palestinians still won't recognize Israel even in closed door meetings...
A relatively unknown country[...]
Category : Adult Education Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : adult education Burton Visotzky christianity conversation dialogue ignorance islam israel judaism nuance palestinians qatar rabbi rabbi's journal saudi arabia Understanding
April 28, 2015 By bethmordecai no comments.
4/28/15,
In preparation for this week's Shabbat by the Sea, I spent some time reading through past journal entries on our previous Shabbat by the Sea experiences. As I read those words, the warm air, beautiful scenery, sound of chairs moving to their spots, people clapping and singing all flooded back to my mind and I found myself getting really, REALLY excited for this Shabbat. Praying by the Sea has become part of our shul's identity, it's one of the things that makes us unique.
I can't wait to celebrate that uniqueness and experience all those feelings that filled my mind today for real on Friday. it's going to be...awesome!
Kol Tuv,
Rabbi Ari Saks
P.S. Also looking forward to seeing you at
Category : Ari-archive Tag : excitement rabbi rabbi's journal shabbat by the sea
April 27, 2015 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
One reason I love Hebrew is because its words can have very different, if not opposing, meanings. One example is the term "lev" (לב) which is often translated as "heart" in verses like Deuteronomy 6:5 ("You shall love your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might"). But as some scholars explain, the term "lev" should not be translated as heart but rather as "mind" or "consciousness." For instance, Proverbs 14:10 is often translated as "the heart ("lev") knows its own bitterness." But how can the heart -- the seat of emotion and passion -- be self aware enough to understand itself? Rather, it makes more sense to understand[...]
Category : Ari-archive Tag : adult education Burton Visotzky heart Jewish-Muslim Lev Mind rabbi rabbi's journal shabbat by the sea