- Congregation Beth El–Keser Israel
85 Harrison Street, New Haven, CT 06515-1724 | P: 203.389.2108 | office@beki.org
85 Harrison Street, New Haven, CT 06515-1724 | P: 203.389.2108 | office@beki.org
…Pumpadita Review of Rabbinic Works, for the reasons I described. The value placed on open discourse and respect for minority opinions is very much a manifestation of the classical (pardon the expression) liberal belief that truth is inherently more powerful than falsehood, and that truth can best be arrived at through an open process. This belief in the power of truth is not readily verifiable through scientific analysis, and our own experience so…
…to die here? And why did you take us out of Egypt To bring us to this evil place,” A place where there is “no water to drink.” * * * The last time the eydah complained About Moses and Aaron bringing death, G-d’s foaming wrath was triggered, And 14,700 died. On hearing the complaint, Moses and Aaron go straight To the Tent of Meeting. G-d appears and tells Moses to tell Aaron To take “the Staff,” ha-mateh, Assemble the eydah, “And before their eyes…
…verall within the same space, how will we feel more intimate? Reducing the number of seats means that (in non-Covid times) we will all sit closer to each other. Nobody will be in Alaska, Florida, or Nova Scotia. The design and placement of the ark and ark platform will also make the room more human-scale. Why can’t we integrate pews AND movable chairs, to accommodate all of our needs and interests? The redesign committee considered combining fixed…
…at the shul, but it’s in mixed forums, which, after all, mirror their work-places. They may simply be from a different line, men of a different line of thought, a different world-view. And if there are no sons, to whom does the inheritance pass? I turn to Numbers Chapter 27, from parshat Pinchas. “The daughters of Zeloph’chad, of Manassite family…they stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the chieftains, and the whole assembly, at the entrance o…
…he synagogue and the services. In my Devar Torah, I would like examine the place of beauty and art in the Sanctuary. The sanctuary is a place where we pray together, where we venerate the wisdom of the Torah, where we tell stories that celebrate our shared past. It is also a place where our spirits and our community can be invigorated, nourished, and rested. It is a safe place, made safe by the community’s recognition of its sacredness. The sancti…
…n, an explanation based on the ancient historical context of that time and place; next, a summary of feminist interpretations; and, finally, several homiletic views. The documentary hypothesis argues that the Bible is made of several documents by one or another of four suggested authors. These documents were later combined by an editor or redactor into the compilation we know as the Torah. Scholars advocating that theory do not, of course, accept…
…his that we placate her once or twice, and if she continues to complain we place between them a man or woman to be an observer. If that is impossible, we place a ban (mahrimin) on whomever does this. This case and those like it are dealt with as the judges see fit according to the place and time and people.18 A comparable degree of judicial discretion is suggested by the strong measures advocated by Rabbenu Simha ben Shemuel: One who beats his wif…
…igration, and faked medical or psychiatric exemptions.36 Moreover, a large number of youths conscientiously or ideologically opposed to military service accepted induction but did their best to get through the ordeal.37 Most of the case histories of objectors found in the literature indicate a high degree of ethical sensitivity and sincerity. A study done in September 1983 on the moral judgment of 36 reservists who had served jail sentences for re…
…Books of Moses verse by verse in 1994, and by 2007 had reached the end of Numbers, and concluded I Samuel at Passover 2015. Several other weekly and occasional study groups formed or were developed during these years. The Shabbat Shalom Learners’ Minyan (later renamed “Shabbat Shalom Torah Study”), initiated in the 1980s, continued to attract a diverse and loyal following. In 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 BEKI won Energy Star Awards and was designated…
…g to do is to praise a righteous person, because the language of praise is cheap and formulaic. Suffice it to say that if the best way to teach is by example, Ruthie is the greatest teacher I know of emuna, of hesed, and of avoda — of faith, of steadfast love, of the holy work of worship. Without any irony, I can say that she is truly a giant. Which brings us back to the place we started, the theme of sacrifice. When our ancestors gave the first f…
