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 17, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
(6/17/14),
The wonderful thing about being outside for services, like at Shabbat by the Sea, is experiencing the natural splendor of creation around us. The challenging thing about being outside for services is that sometimes the natural splendor of creation is not so splendid at all. This past Friday, as we made plans to pray outside, the weather had other ideas -- a downpour arriving close to the beginning of our service forced us to remain indoors, leading our Shabbat by the Sea to become Shabbat in the Sanctuary.
Yet despite the change of scenery, we not only managed to adapt to our new surroundings but we took full advantage of them, whether that was dancing out the front doors[...]
Category : Ari-archive Tag : adaptability adapting memorable nature planning prayer rabbi rabbi's journals shabbat by the sea splendor weather yiddish
June 11, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
One of the joys of being in Perth Amboy is living near the Raritan Bay. Years ago the beaches of Sadowsky Parkway were lined by sun-bathers and sand-castle builders -- it was the Jersey shore before the Jersey shore. Yet even though the tourists may have left, the breathtaking views and the pleasant environment remain. Yes, living by the Raritan Bay here in Perth Amboy is a joy, and you can feel that joy at its apex when we gather in Bayview Park for Shabbat by the Sea.
Shabbat by the Sea, especially by this sea, affords us an opportunity to return to the roots of the Friday night Kabbalat Shabbat service, when Jews would leave their little shtibels and go out in the fields to[...]
Category : Ari-archive Tag : awesome jersey shore nature perth amboy rabbi rabbi's journal raritan bay sanctuary shabbat by the sea splendor
May 25, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Day 40 -- הוד שביסוד (Splendor within Foundation) The great flood described in Genesis lasts forty days and forty nights, the same period of time as Moses remained on the mountain listening to God’s instructions before descending with the stone tablets. The Bible is telling us that forty days is sufficient time for a major transformation to occur. Today, the fortieth day of counting the Omer, we are reminded of that potential. Although all change is difficult, and people have personal histories and goals that influence their ability and desire to change, transformation is possible. In the context of religious or spiritual community, change is complex. Individual childhood memories, religious experiences and familial expectations influence each person, leaving them with a fondness for remembered[...]
Category : Omer Online Learning Tag : foundation hod omer online learning splendor y'sod yesod הוד יסוד
May 20, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Day 35 -- מלכות/שכינה שבהוד (Indwelling Presence within Splendor) The s’firah of Malkhut/Sh’khinah acknowledges that the best kind of sovereignty, the noblest stewardship, arises from recognizing the Divine Presence within all creation. As this s’firah influences Hod, we recognize holiness within ll life’s complexity, and see each minuscule part as part of a larger harmonious whole. We are just a small part of this undivided totality, remaining alive only because each breath of life is a personal gift (Counting the Omer: A Kabbalistic Meditation Guide, p.174).
Category : Omer Online Learning Tag : counting the omer God Indwelling Presence online learning splendor הוד מלכות שכינה
May 18, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Day 33 (Lag Ba-Omer!) -- הוד שבהוד (Splendor within Splendor) Hod sheb’Hod asks us to recognize the myriad splendors of the world around us…the splendor within the splendor. In his book Lights of Holiness, Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook says: “The whole is constituted of numberless particulars, particular individuals and particular communities. The whole cannot achieve its highest fulfillment except through the perfection of its particular individuals, and the particular communities, whether large or small, of which it is constituted.” Hod sheb’Hod mirrors the splendor of creation, the unfolding mystery of electrons within atoms within molecules within chemicals within cells within heart muscles. We wonder at the mystery of why planes fly and whether dogs have a sense of humor. we speculate about the nature of fire, the miracles of[...]
Category : Omer Online Learning Tag : hod omer online learning splendor הוד
May 15, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
“Maturity and acceptance are connected with the theme of this thirtieth day of the Omer, G’vurah sheb’Hod. We use discernment to understand and accept how the world really works, the underlying configuration of the universe. We assess our options when evaluating alternatives from among many choices. Informed choice is important whether we are choosing a career or ordering off a comprehensive menu at the kosher deli. In each case, whether momentous or minor, we appreciate the opportunity we have to choose from many splendid options. As spiritual seekers, we may be attracted to a variety of spiritual paths and practices throughout our lives. We may find a certain text full of answers at one life stage when, earlier, it seemed obscure or[...]
Category : Omer Online Learning Tag : discernment g'vurah gevurah hod omer online learning splendor strength גבורה הוד
May 14, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
"Hesed sheb’Hod magnifies details of love. In her famous poem, Elizabeth Barrett Browning asks: “How do I love Thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach.” God’s lovingkindness is evident in the myriad blessings in our lives. We pay attention to the intimate details of blessing’s flow today: the pulse inout veins, a child’s giggles, the changing light of a flickering Havdalah candle, the wings of a butterfly in the sunlight, distinctive spices in a tasty meal, subtle variations in our lovers’ glances or the differing pitches in the sound of a babbling stream" (Counting the Omer: A Kabbalistic Meditation Guide, p154). For other days of the Omer, Omer Online Learning Tag : chesed hesed hod lovingkindness omer online learning splendor הוד חסד
May 11, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Day 26 -- הוד שבנצח: Splendor within Endurance Jewish tradition sometimes describes our bodies as garments for our souls. Our bodies, each of them unique, are the splendid containers, the Hod for the Netzah of our spiritual energy (Counting the Omer: A Kabbalistic Meditation Guide, p.139).
Category : Omer Online Learning Tag : endurance hod netzach netzah omer online learning splendor victory הוד נצח
May 4, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Day 19 הוד שבתפארת - Splendor within Harmony “As we open ourselves to recognizing visible patterns, we become more aware of many invisible ones. Creation’s splendor is expressed in earth, air, fire, water, animal, vegetable, atom, rock and human, in an astounding variety of ways of emotions and ideas. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel described an experience of God as “radical amazement” (Counting the Omer: A Kabbalistic Meditation Guide, p.112).
Category : Omer Online Learning Tag : balance harmony omer online learning splendor הוד תפארת
April 28, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
"Today we focus on the diversity in our lives, and those times when we thought of that variety as confusing or bewildering. Remember a time when you visited a city for the first time, anticipating with delight the sights and sounds that brought you there, but instead, realized that you were lost and perplexed. Strange customs, odd street layouts, unusual odors and unfamiliar language can disorient us. We want familiar patters to help us understand a place, so we can be more omfortable. Information in the form of a map or a phrasebook helps us recognize te patters within the apparent chaos. Splendid variety is wonderful as long as we discern the underlying patterns"(Counting the Omer: A Kabbalistic[...]
Category : Omer Online Learning Tag : bangkok g'vura g'vurah gevura gevurah hod home omer online learning smog splendor strange city thailand גבורה הוד