- 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
…n and other oppressors over the ages. Perhaps Jacob was trying to warn or frighten Esau. A midrash on this verse explains it this way: Jacob mentioned God’s Name to Esau in order to intimidate him, to frighten him. How may Jacob’s mention of God be understood? By the parable of a man who invited his friend to dine with him. When the guest perceived that the host planned to murder him, he said, “This dish tastes like the dish I had in the royal pal…
…ld where fathers aim to strike the balance between what they believe to be right – the voice of G-d – and what they love. And where the balance they seek is sometimes poised at the tip of a cleaver. * * * And what does it look like From underneath that cleaver? What does it look like to the thirtysomething Isaac bound to the altar looking up not just at his father, but beyond to the heavens. The midrash gives us an answer. Rashi quotes from the Ta…
…erence to G‐d then these stories make it easy to be obedient. Who in their right mind wouldn’t fear this G‐d? We should be afraid because this G‐d is pretty darn scary. Just ask Azazel. Of course we are called not only to fear G‐d but to love G‐d as well. Not only to love, but to love with all that we are; with our heart, our body, and spirit. And yet how can we achieve such love if fear is the foundational emotion? In my experience fear doesn’t y…
…his fellows or with God. I’m not questioning that Job is “blameless and upright,” that he “fears God and shuns evil.” I’m not claiming that Job is guilty and deserves punishment. I’m saying that despite his blameless and upright conduct — or perhaps through it — Job sets himself apart from his family, his neighbors and his God. Only after he suffers misery upon undeserved misery, only after his friends harangue him that he must be harboring some…
…essage. Over the course of the school year, the kids would memorize a fair number of these. The sayings she chose reflected her particular take on Judaism, which tended to the ethical rather than the spiritual. In cleaning out her apartment last year, my sister Naomi and I came across some of these sayings, which I’ve brought with me to show you. Some of the pitgamim were easy to memorize and therefore were very popular with the kids: “Tov shem m’…
…cities of Greece, and even twentieth century America? Surveying the large number of works in the BEKI collection entitled “Rabbi_,” the BEKI Art Committee began discussing how best to present this work in an exhibition. Among ourselves, we called this the “Rabbi Show,” although there is nothing in the artworks themselves to signify that these are rabbis, rather than ordinary men who have been given the honor of holding the Torah. As Jewish artist…
…you are but strangers resident with Me. We do not hold unlimited ownership rights over land. We are God’s tenants. And like all tenants, we have an obligation to the Landlord to care for the land and not to harm or waste it. Indeed, we have an obligation to the land itself, and the land itself will pay us back if we do not take heed. As the Prophets took note in connection with the destruction of the First Temple and the Exile to Babylon, Leviticu…
…ah reading for Shavuot Second Day in Diaspora: Deuteronomy 14:22 – 16:17 & Numbers 28:26-31]. It begins with the commandment to tithe on a yearly basis, so as to provide for the needy among us, to take care of the Levites, to understand that our year’s bounty is not just a result of our great skill but also of God’s goodness, and to realize that our possessions are merely possessions- whose enjoyment comes from sharing them with others. The text g…
…ffended it will bow down to it. The people will be surrounded by peace and righteousness. The Lord will be an everlasting light to them. The promised land of which Isaiah speaks is in one sense Israel but in another metaphorical sense, it is the wonderful feelings that individuals can experience when they achieve a truly spiritual, transcendental state of mind even when faced with hardship. With this in mind, I would like to read a portion of Isai…
…eaching. To my mind, it’s no coincidence that there are a disproportionate number of gay clergy. Half of my ordination class was gay or lesbian. The process of coming out of the closet, the work we’ve done to become whole and unashamedly ourselves is deeply spiritual. Perhaps this is the Torah that gay men and lesbians have heard and give the world – the lesson that we all, gay or not, must be honest about our lives. And it’s a lesson that is usef…
