Ma’ariv tells of a beautiful visit by the families of the Columbia astronauts to Israel. Apparently, while they were in orbit, they made a pact to visit each other’s hometowns/countries.
May their sharing with each other inspire all of us to learn from our friends, neighbors and colleagues and to share with them the beautiful parts of our lives.
Hi. This week’s Torah portion is Ki Tissa (Exodus 30:11-34:35) and includes the story of the golden calf. When Moses sees the Israelites (who just a short while before had heard the words of the Torah) worshipping this idol, he is so stunned and hurt and angry that he drops the tablets containing the Ten Commandments and the entire Torah. Following punishment, talking and regrouping, Moses returns up the mountain to receive a second set of the tablets.
The receiving of the second set of tablets is a favorite part of the portion for me and the Torah commentary I am linking to this week speaks of it as well. Rabbi Jonathan Kraus of Beth Israel Temple Center (Belmont, MA) writes about the beautiful, famous and powerful words spoken between God and Moses on the mountain. Among Rabbi Kraus’s words are,
“Ideally, that’s what happens to us in prayer and in life. Our soul’s voice resonates to
something it recognizes all around us. We are moved to sing and speak and feel and live in response to that single note, whose frequency, our souls, in moments of encounter, naturally recognizes. We “resonate” and respond to the presence of the Holy One in creation. “
You can find the full text of his commentary (and sign up to receive weekly divrei Torah) here.
Zil g’more now go, and study!
Hag Purim Sameach!
A very joyful and happy Purim to you. On this day when we remember the heroism of Esther and Mordechai who stood up for their Jewish identities and defeated the evil Haman, may you feel the joy of Esther and those who have celebrated her throughout the centuries.
Some places where you can learn more about Purim are:
Babaganews Purim Central
Hamantaschen Recipe – good for kids and parents
Hamantaschen Recipe Index
Hamantaschen Recipes from Jewish-Food.org
Jewish Parent Page (Reform Movement)
Jewish Reconstructions Foundation
My Jewish Learning
Purim.com
Purim in Israel
United Synagogue (Conservative Movement)
Unmasking Esther (from Ritualwell.org)
Vashti – a Feminist Heroine
Per a reader’s request, this blog is now available by XML. The feed is located here and in the link in the right-hand column. Let me know if there are any problems.
Take a look at Heeb: The New Jew Review, a great magaizne done completely by a volunteer staff and full of great, funny, important and edgy articles and pictures and more on Judaism and Jews. Go and take a look!
Recently, I saw the Passion movie. I went, because I spoke about the movie in my sermon this past Shabbat. The movie was very very violent and quite troubling to me for a number of reasons. (I think it is important to say that non-Christians and believing Christians see different movies from one another, especially those of us who are Jewish.)
No offense to those of you who are Christian who find value in the movie, but I found it deeply disturbing.
Many resources and websites have been collected and put together on the movie. A great place to start is the Commission on Interreligious Affairs.
In case you missed it, Arafat’s Al-Aksa Brigade has murdered again. Today’s attack on bus #14 (Jerusalem Post article) killed at least 8.
This makes it 101 successful suicide attacks since September 2000, the beginning of the current violence, and another 149 that failed. Failed attacks refer to terrorists who either blew only themselves up or were apprehended while on the way to carrying out a suicide attack. 584 people have been killed by suicide bombers in the past 41 months. (statistics from Jerusalem Post article)
Shabbat Shalom to you. I hope that this is a shabbat of rest, family, friends and learning for you.
This week’s Torah portion commentary link is at My Jewish Learning, specifically a page of various commentaries from which you can choose – go study!
(By the way, a new feature of this blog will be a weekly link to parashat hashavuah.)
Thanks to Mike, you can see some powerful posters which speak about Israeli society and values. Look at BlueStar PR Gallery for posters about unionized labor, asylum, environmentalism and the health care system in Israel along with many others. (for example, there is a poster there asking, “In what Middle East country do Arab women have the right to vote? Israel.” Even I, left winger that I am, am moved by these posters and I find them to ring true and show a side of Israel that the world doesn’t often see. Go and take a look.
I applaud the efforts throughout this country to support and endorse equal marriage rights and privileges for everyone in a monogamous, committed relationship, regardless of sexual orientation. I look forward to the day when I can be in any city in this country standing under the huppah before two Jewish men or two Jewish women and say “by the power vested in me by the state of….” at the end of their Jewish wedding.
This has, of course, been in the news a great deal lately. Here are some resources within the Jewish community on the issue.
The Jewish Telegraph Agency has a news story on some of the same sex Jewish couples getting married in San Francisco. The CCAR, the rabbinic organization of the Union of Reform Judaism, endorses equal marriage rights for all Jews whether in same-sex or opposite-sex couples. The Northeast Region of the CCAR unanimously passed a resolution supporting equal marriage rights for same-sex couples. The resolution voices support for the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s ruling in Goodridge v. Dept. of Public Health. You can find the text of the resolution here.