- 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
…pears to have several aims. One is to effect reconciliation; another is to stop the beating in any case. Should that fail, the court wants to be in a position of knowing who is at fault so that it can assign damages, levy fines, collect alimony, or take other appropriate action. One of the earliest sources on the court’s response to a claim of wife-beating is a responsum attributed to Rav Yosef ibn Evyatur, in the 10th or 11th century. The case is…
…law that prohibits non-Jews from game hunting or that impels us to try to stop them. Eating bacon is prohibited for Jews, but there is nothing immoral or wrong about non-Jews eating it (current medical advice and PETA radicalism notwithstanding). We must confess that some sages believed that a prohibition on abortion is one of those few rules (such as the prohibition on murder) that we as Jews should impose on others. But even if we hold that vie…
…ing to sell their house, which was next door to ours, and move to Florida. None of us had directly told Shai that they were moving – we had only spoken about it among ourselves, perhaps while Shai was in the same room or in the car with us; though he never appeared to be listening or reacting to what we were saying. One day, though, when my grandparents were sitting in our kitchen with us, Shai came in and said “Grandma and Gramps are not moving t…
…grew richer and richer until he was very wealthy.” That Abimelech sought a non-aggression pact with him indicates that he must have become a formidable threat. Analysis of the three stories by this source method provides some interesting insights, but isn’t very satisfying as an overall interpretation. The next approach, viewing the stories in the historical context of that time and place, also fails to offer a full explanation for the triplet or…
…ates are quite explicit about their intentions to expel, kill or subjugate non-Muslim or non-Arab residents of the territories they control or plan to conquer. The bizarre accusation against Israel of genocide is frightening when we consider that genocide is actually taking place in Darfur (incidentally, related to pan-Arab racial imperialism) and in other places. All people interested in human rights and civil rights, as well as those interested…
…orm of joint or co-ownership, one should not try to sell one’s hametz to a non-Jewish spouse. One should not try to sell one’s hametz to a non-Jewish business partner for the same reason. The best way to sell hametz is to grant power of attorney to an “authorized dealer” such as Rabbi Tilsen to sell your hametz for you. That way you can be sure that the law is strictly observed and the sale is valid. Dear Rabbi, Can Hametz be sold by email? Sign…
…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…
…purchase tickets online, click here, then scroll down to High Holy Days – Tickets. SECURITY UPDATE: Please know that our High Holy Days team is working hard to make sure that while remaining the warm and welcoming community we have always been, it is doing its best to implement some new procedures and policies, which take your security very seriously. Your understanding and total cooperation are very much appreciated. More Information and Downl…
…o are not trying to “compete” with each other. It has been noted that some non-Conservative rabbis will not accept our certification. It is also true that many of those same rabbis also don’t accept the certification of other non-Conservative rabbis, but only accept the certification of rabbis within their own organization or its allies. You can’t please everybody. Fortunately, our experience is that many kosher consumers rise above partisan relig…
…ll do it that way, too. But this procedure often created a dilemma: If the number of qaddishes was limited, there might still be some who did not get to say one; if there was no limit to the number of qaddishes added, the service became burdensomely long. So after careful scrutiny the rabbis allowed all mourners to say qaddish simultaneously. This rabbinic solution was adopted only after careful consideration, and after it was determined that mour…
