- 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
…broad range of cultures—crossing a river, and being attacked by a demon. Since ancient times, and across many cultures, crossing a river has symbolized overcoming danger and going forward to a new adventure or phase of one’s life. There are many tales of river demons or spirits that attack humans who seek to cross their watery domains. The motif of a demonic being whose power exists only at night, and who is unable to survive the light of day, is…
…understand that not every family is comfortable with this yet. I will announce rainy-day indoor services with enough lead time for families to make their own decision. Masks are no longer required, only recommended, for vaccinated people while outdoors. K-2 Kehila and Junior Congregation will return to meeting every week, also at 10:45 am. K-2 Kehila will meet indoors, in a larger room than the one they have used in the past–exact location TBA. Al…
…e give give. It is no surpise that from time to time active members experience “burn-out” or what we might call “mitzva indigestion.” For many dedicated and caring BEKI members it is hard to say “no” to an invitation to do a mitzva. And so, for the benefit of the many new members who might not yet know what to expect, and for those already suffering mitzva indigestion, I want suggest the following perspective. At BEKI you will be offered more mitz…
…hat any literary presentation of God is inherently limited by human experience and intelligence. Rabbi Saadia Gaon, who lived one thousand years ago, explained this notion by saying (as did others before and after him) that “the Torah is given in human language.” That is, the Torah is composed in a way that is comprehensible to us given our limitations. It uses anthropomorphism and is limited to words and ideas already comprehensible to its reader…
…ttitude of distrust toward “outsiders.” In our day, I believe our reluctance to actively encourage gerut stems from our own resentment toward a segment of the surrounding society that seeks to convert us to their ways. We find those attempts at the least annoying, and often disrespectful and outright dangerous. Our response is to make sure we don’t do unto others as we don’t want others to do unto us. However, the truth is that, at least in Amer…
…m on call 24-hours a day to provide them emergency care, if not daily guidance and maintenance. My kids already think Iʼm a dope; I canʼt be doped up and fulfill my responsibility toward them. To a lesser extent, I also have a professional responsibility to the congregation, although there seldom are true “emergencies” that require immediate rabbinic sobriety. Although it may not always seem like it, we do have professional standards. For those re…
…ad of human life. How can they worry about a few laboratory rabbits or a bunch of uncomfortable farm chickens while children (and adults) are literally starving and dying from easily preventable and treatable conditions? Would not their efforts be better directed toward promoting human welfare? While in California a $40,000 reward was offered to find the person who killed a dog, there is no reward for missing children in California, let alone conc…
…by the right person, was believed to have literal power to cause harm, in ancient times, including in Israel. Bilaam’s inability to curse the Israelites suggests that the particular god that he communes with is the one, true God, the God of Israel, whose powers extend beyond His community of worshipers — not a conventional idea in the ancient world. The story has magical, miraculous, folkloric aspects: an Angel appears, waving a sword, at first on…
…on with the iron filings, it was not entirely natural. Now, back to the French zoologist’s Murex Trunculus, the snail. There were two problems with this creature that seemed to disqualify it from being the Hilazon described in the Mishna. First, it did not look like the ocean, which is what the Mishna specifies. Instead, its shell was white with brown stripes. This problem was solved when people found that when this snail was in the water it cover…
…12 Oct Shaharit (Federal Holiday Service Time) October 12, 2015 9:00 am – 9:45 am Shaharit service will be held at 9:00am on Columbus Day. More Info…
