Posts Tagged ‘torah’

torah

May 6, 2016
By bethmordecai
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DAY 1406: Dialoguing with Torah

Reflection on this Shabbat Morning's Torah Talk with a special kiddush sponsored by Harriet Pearlman who is moving to Minnesota to be closer to family.. תלמוד תורה כנגד כולם Talmud Torah k'neged kulam The Study of Torah is greater than everything else (Mishnah Peah 1:1) Dear Hevreh, We yearn for our actions to be purposeful, efficient, and relevant, to take advantage of every second we have in this world because there are too few to spare. It may be ironic then that the study of ancient Jewish texts is perhaps, as the quote above teaches us, the most important thing we can do as Jews, yet on the surface, studying Jewish texts is an inefficient, laborious, task to delve into topics[...]

Category : home Rabbi Rabbi's Journal Shabbat
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torah

April 7, 2016
By bethmordecai
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DAY 1377: Cultural Shpilkes

Dear Hevreh, A couple of weeks ago I was speaking with Robert Klein and Henry Safran, two alumni of Beth Mordecai. They were sharing a story about going back to Robert's family home during the Yom Kippur break to talk, schmooze, and relax. Then, as they were thinking about it more they said, "actually, I don't think this happened during the break [of Yom Kippur]. I think it happened during the service." This little tidbit of Perth Amboy's Jewish history should not sound surprising. One of the hallmarks of our culture is that while we love our tradition, there is only so much of it we can take. Take for instance this one-page-two-minute version of the haggadah shared by some members of[...]

Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal
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torah

June 19, 2015
By bethmordecai
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Parashat Korah (קרח) — Criticizing Torah, Loving Torah

Parashat Korah (קרח) -- Criticizing Torah, Loving Torah When you love something, do you shy away from being critical about it? Or is it possible to criticize out of love? We will discuss these questions through the lens of this week's Torah portion -- Parashat Korah (particularly Numbers 16) -- and the rebellion(s) of Korah and Datan and Aviram. Join us for this fascinating exploration of the Torah portion!  

Category : Online Learning Online Parashah Class
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torah

March 25, 2015
By bethmordecai
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DAY 998: Torah Together

אלו דברים שאדם אוכל פירותיהן בעולם הזה והקרן קיימת לו לעולם הבא: כיבוד אב ואם, וגמילות חסדים, והבאת שלום בין אדם לחברו. ותלמוד תורה כנגד כולם (משנה פאה א:א) These are the fruits a person eats from in this world which will carry over to the next world: honoring your father and mother, doing acts of kindness, and making peace between your fellow man. But the study of Torah is greater than them all (Mishnah Peah 1:1) Dear Hevreh, Today was a day of Torah learning. Not the kind you just get in a book, but the unique kind you get through conversations and the sharing of knowledge among friends. Just check out the Facebook updates on #LearnWithTheRabbi and[...]

Category : Rabbi Rabbi's Journal
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torah

March 6, 2015
By bethmordecai
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Parashat Ki Tissa (כי תשא) — Can the Chasm Between God and Humanity be Bridged?

Parashat Ki Tissa 2015/5775 (Triennial II) -- Can the Chasm Between God and Humanity Be Bridged? In this week's Torah portion we read the famous story of the Golden Calf (Exodus 32) in which the Israelites rebel against God. But more than just a simple rebellion, perhaps this "sin" indicates that the chasm between the holy (God) and the mundane (humanity) is too great to bridge. This issue is also addressed in the verse that opens the Torah portion prior to the story of the Golden Calf in which Moses receives the Torah from God (Exodus 31:18). Does the Torah reflect God's direct word? Or,[...]

Category : Online Learning Online Parashah Class
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torah

February 13, 2015
By bethmordecai
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Parashat Mishpatim (משפטים) — The Difficulty In Telling the Truth

Parashat Mishpatim 2015/5775 (Triennial II) -- The Difficulty in Telling the Truth (Exodus 22:4-23:19) Telling the truth is not always easy, but it's an important part of our society. Deals would not be made and promises would not be kept if we are worried the other side is lying to us. In this week's Torah portion (Mishpatim) we have an allusion to the act of telling the truth "before God" (Exodus 22:7) which may be a forebear to the testimonial act of swearing by use of a Bible. Perhaps this is meant to teach us that fear or love of God will cause us to tell the truth. Yet, embedded in the[...]

Category : Online Learning Online Parashah Class
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torah

January 31, 2015
By bethmordecai
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Parashat B’shalah (בשלח) — Why Am I in the Middle?

Parashat B'shalah 2014/5774 (Triennial II): Why Am I in the Middle? At the end and the beginning of the triennial section of this week's Torah portion (Exodus 14:15 and Exodus 16:8), Moses finds himself standing between a complaining people and an impatient God. At first, Moses tries to intercede but later on he tries to get out of the way. Why the shift? What is different now about the relationships among God, Moses, and the Israelites that leads Moses to no longer want to be the middle man? And perhaps investigating this question will help us understand what to do when we are caught in the middle. Join us for this interesting conversation on being caught in the middle.  

Category : Online Learning Online Parashah Class
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torah

November 14, 2014
By bethmordecai
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Parashat Hayyei Sarah (חיי שרה) — Shalshelet: Making God’s Presence Present

Parashat Hayyei Sarah 2014/5775 (Triennial II) -- Shalshelet: Making God's Presence Present One of the most unique "trope" (cantillation) marks in the Torah is the "Shalshelet" -- a squiggly line that looks like a thunder bolt. This trope mark only appears four times in the Torah (seven times in the Bible), including in this week's Torah portion (Genesis 24:12). What is so unique about the Shalshelet and what is it trying to teach us? Join us for this fascinating class as we see how the Shalshelet helps us understand the nature of God's presence in the world. Photo taken from http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/stibbe-handbook-of-sustainability/additional-chapters/critical-and-reflective-thinking

Category : Online Learning Online Parashah Class
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torah

August 11, 2014
By bethmordecai
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DAY 772: The Simplicity (and Splendor) of Opening the Book

Dear Hevreh, Sometimes we tend to overthink, whether it's in our decision making or in our planning. We can get so caught up in the possibilities of what we can do and, at least in the case of our synagogue programming, trying to be innovative. Sometimes we spend too much time thinking about how to dress up the cover of the "book" we want to teach to make it shinier and more beautiful so more people pay attention. Yet, as is often the case, the most successful way to teach -- or to program or to plan -- is to keep it simple. As is often the case, the most successful way to teach is simply to open the book. This past[...]

Category : Kidz Korner Perth Amboy News Rabbi Rabbi's Journal
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torah

June 6, 2014
By bethmordecai
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DAY 706: Busying Ourselves With Torah

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
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