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!
September 4, 2015 By bethmordecai no comments.
(9/4/15),
אמר לו הקדוש ברוך הוא למשה: מתנה טובה יש לי בבית גנזי ושבת שמה, ואני מבקש ליתנה לישראל - לך והודיעם (תלמוד בבלי מסכת שבת דף י עמוד ב)
The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, "I have a precious gift in My treasure house, called the Sabbath, and desire to give it to Israel; go and inform them" (Babylonian Talmud Tractate Shabbat 10b)
Dear Hevreh,
Last week was a beautiful Shabbat. Kids dancing, food sharing, prayer singing. Every moment was more precious than the next and as the sun turned into a beautiful full moon, you couldn't help but think that God had truly blessed this moment as "good."
Click here for some pictures from the event taken[...]
Category : Ari-archive Tag : 10b beauty kids moon rabbi's journal shabbat shabbat by the sea Shalom Aleichem Shalom Aleikhem sun talmud Tot Shabbat y'did nefesh Yedid Nefesh
November 7, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Parashat Vayera 2014/5775 (Triennial II) -- Raping Foreigners
In this week's Parashah, we read how the men of Sodom came to Lot's home to demand that he release the men staying in his home so "v'neid-ah otam, so that they can rape them (Genesis 19:5). This trope of raping foreigners is echoed later in the Bible in Judges 19:22. Why are the men in both of these stories doing this to the foreigners in their midst? What can these stories teach us about the power of rape and attitudes to foreigners? Do these stories have anything to teach us today?
Classes from other years:
Parshat Vayera[...]
Category : home Online Learning Online Parashah Class Tag : foreigners Genesis 19:5 home Judges 19:22 land online learning online parashah class power ramban rape sanhedrin sanhedrin 109a strangers talmud vayera weekly torah portion וירא
August 5, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
Last night, our community gathered with Marlboro Jewish Center, Temple Beth Ahm, and Congregation Beth Ohr for a special communal observance of Tisha B'av. A number of the rabbis, including myself, had an opportunity to teach a little about the holiday prior to readingM'gillat Eikhah. I was particularly fascinated by the teaching of Rabbi Lisa Malik on the story of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza, perhaps the most famous story related to the destruction of the second Temple.
The story, which you can find here, seemed pregnant with such meaning that I took the time today with one of our members to study it in more depth. (By the way, please feel free to drop in during[...]
Category : Holidays Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tishah B'av Uncategorized Tag : Bar Kamtza Congregation Beth Ahm Congregation Beth Ohr destruction fasting holidays jerusalem Kamtza Marlboro Jewish Center rabbi Rabbi Lisa Malik Rabbi Michael Pont Rabbi Yochanan Rabbi Yohanan rabbi's journal talmud Temple tisha b'av tishah b'av zealotry
June 13, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Parashat Sh’lah L’kha: The Religious Value of Doubting What You See and Desire
In this week’s Torah portion we read the stories of twelve leaders of Israel who are commanded to “spy” (la-tur) the land of Canaan (Numbers 13:2). Yet at the end of the Torah portion, the root t-u-r that was used earlier for the positive command “to spy” is used here as the negative command for the Israelites to “not follow (v’lo taturu) what they feel in their hearts and what they see with their eyes (Numbers 15:39). What can we learn from the juxtaposition of different meanings for this same root? Why[...]
Category : Online Learning Online Parashah Class Tag : desire doubt eyes God heart online learning online parashah class rashbam rashi see shelach lecha shelach lekha shelah lekha shelakh lekha sotah spies talmud tzitzit weekly torah portion
January 15, 2014 By bethmordecai no comments.
Dear Hevreh,
In most sanctuaries, there is a verse from scripture placed above the ark. Residing at eye level with the ner tamid (eternal flame) this scripture is a meditative piece to remind the worshippers in the pews of the intention behind our prayers. One of the most popular phrases to adorn the top of a sanctuary is an adaptation from a Talmudic phrase: דע לפני מי אתה עומד -- Know Before Whom You Stand (Masekhet B'rakhot 28b). We worship before a God, a Presence, so much greater than ourselves, and when we stand in worship, we must be aware of that powerful Presence.
The Talmudic source for this quote indicates that it came as Rabbi Eliezer was on his death[...]
Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Tag : abraham joshua heschel Adult Learning b'rakhot JCC of Middlesex Martin Luther King Neve Shalom prayer rabbi rabbi eliezer rabbi's journal shul Social Justice synagogue talmud Temple Emanu-El