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!
June 6, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
As we come out of a holiday full of meaningful Torah learning, I am reminded that no matter how enjoyable, how meaningful, or how special Torah learning can be it is not always easy to find the time to continue our learning. The blessing we are supposed to recite before learning Torah -- Barukh Attah Adonai Eloheinu Melekh Ha-Olam Asher Kid'shanu B'mitzvotav V'tzivanu La-asok B'divrei Torah (Blessed Are You God King of the Universe Who Has Sanctified Us with Your Commandments and Commanded Us To Busy Ourselves With the Words of Torah) -- teaches us that like any business or occupation, Torah learning needs our time and effort.
Yet, how often do we actually busy ourselves with Torah? If we're[...]
Category : Bar and Bat Mitzvah Bar Mitzvah Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Shabbat Shavuot Tag : avima darnov bar and bat mitzvah hebrew corner partnership rabbi rabbi's journal rabbis shabbat shavuot torah
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
April 8, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
As we approach our final week of preparation for the holiday of Passover, my mind turns to the art of telling the story of Passover. Stories are more than simply their content, they are the methods, the timing, the layers of how that content is shared, and the story of Passover is no different.
Our primary method of telling the story of Passover is through the reading of the Haggadah at the Passover seder. It is an ancient ritual, but not that ancient. The seder was crafted by the rabbis of the Tannaitic period (approximately 100-300 CE), which means that this scene most definitely never happened. So how was the story of Passover shared prior to the seder?
We get a hint at the answer by virtue of the fact that the haggadah itself[...]
Category : Passover Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : haggadah meaning passover rabbi rabbi's journal rabbis seder stories story storytelling