B’Midbar 5772
This week we begin the fourth book of the Torah, the Book of Numbers. If each of the five books were paperbacks, you could find out a little about them by reading the synopsis on each back cover.
Genesis: Gd creates the world, and then makes a special connection with Abraham and his descendants!…
Emor 2010
When I was a senior in high school I took three advanced placement classes. These were college level courses for which, if you passed a test, you could receive college credit. On the exams, I did better in English and History than I did in Calculus.…
Metzorah 5771
In Judaism, one of the worst sins is ‘מוצי שם רע,’ to put out a bad name. In other words, to spread bad and untrue rumors about someone. Judaism condemns those who do לשון הרע, repeat bad news about someone even if it is true.…
Shemini 5772
The book Kohelet tells us לכל זמן ועת לכל־חפץ תחת השׁמים There is a time and a season for every experience under heaven… עת לחשׁות ועת לדבר A time to keep silent, and a time to speak.
There is no doubt that this is true.…
Vaikra 2009
This week we start a new book of the Torah, ויקרא, Leviticus. This is the book that contains the detailed instructions on how the priests are to perform the sacrifices.
Some people say that instructions regarding sacrifices are not terribly pertinent to our lives in the 21st century.…
At the end of the Book of Exodus, the Israelites in the desert build the Mishkan, the tabernacle where they will worship Gd. There are two fascinating things about the Mishkan. One is that it seems tremendously beautiful.
It is made of gold and silver, of tanned skins and carefully woven cloth.…
Teshuvah T. Gardner 5768
Rosh Hashanah. The beginning of the year. Tradition has it that the anniversary of the creation of the world is today, the first day of the Jewish month of Tishrei. The month that ended yesterday, Elul, is considered to be a month of reflection.…
The Baton Rouge Film Festival is a wonderful thing. Not only does it bring Jews together for a wonderful cultural experience, but it also provides us with a window on the lives of those whose Jewish experience is very unlike our own.…
Where is Gd’s justice? Gd is described as a just Gd. In Genesis 18:25 Abraham Avinu says חָלִלָה לָּךְ הֲשֹׁפֵט כָּל־הָאָרֶץ לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה מִשְׁפָּט. Heaven forbid that the Judge of the whole earth should not do justly! In our weekday Amidah we describe Gd as the one who אוֹהֵב צְדָקָה וּמִשְׁפָּט, the one who loves righteousness and justice.…
Rosh Hashanah 5770 Sermon #1: Gd is not Superman
I am very happy and moved to see everyone here for my second High Holiday season. I welcome those who are new here, including Cantor Frankel. We welcome back some previous members, welcome back to Baton Rouge and/or to your Beth Shalom family.…
