Kabbalah Thought for this week
"...[T]he most significant choice that each of us must make...[is] whether to follow the Evil Inclination--a force present and persuasive from the moment of human conception--or the Good Inclination, which does not express itself until a person is dthirteen years or age. A righteous individual...is one who does not put credence in the Evil Inclination, but rather waits for the arrival of the Good."
Each day, Jews end their prayer service with Aleinu. There is an affirmation afterwards that is especially timely in addressing today's strife:
"Do not fear sudden terror, or the destruction of the wicked when it comes (1). Plan a conspiracy and it will get annulled; speak your piece and it shall not stand, for God is with us (2). Even when you age, I remain unchanged; and even till your ripe old age, I shall endure. I created you and I shall bear you; I shall endure and rescue (3)."
These verses express confidence in God's protection and are regarded as auguries of redemption.
Proverbs 3:25 Do not fear an evildoer's intention, no matter how dangerous it seems.
Isaiah 8:10 Let the enemies of Israel conspire and plan; they will not succeed
Isaiah 46:4 God remains the eternal protector of Israel, even though we may have sinned.
Announcements
-Office Hours
-This week’s 10-Minute
-Events
-Candle Lighting Times for Shabbat (Ontario, CA)
-Shabbat Services
-School
Calendar
This is an overview of upcoming events. Details of each event are below
Sunday, 28 January 2024-Hebrew School & Miller Course
Monday, 29 January 2024-Torah Study
Thursday, 1 February 2024-Judaic Studies
Friday & Saturday, 2 & 3 February 2024-Shabbat Services
Thursday, 8 February 2024-Judaic Studies
Friday & Saturday, 9 & 10 February 2024-Shabbat Services
Sunday, 11 February 2024-Hebrew School & Miller Course
Monday, 12 February 2024-Torah Study
Thursday, 15 February 2024-Judaic Studies
Friday & Saturday, 16 & 17 February 2024-Shabbat Services
*For your information, I have included below my schedule, including office hours for the next two weeks and specific classes in which I am involved.
**For your convenience and information, Zoom links will be provided in separate emails for security purposes.
***I continue to update our Mi Sheberach מי שברך list for those in need of healing. For your convenience, I am attaching this revised list to this email that only goes to members of Temple Sholom of Ontario. Thank you.
Office Hours for the next few weeks:
Going forward, I am planning on conducting Hebrew School from my office and making Sunday an office day to be more available.
Sunday, January 28, 2024 9:00am - 2:00pm (Hebrew School 10:00am - 11:30am & Miller Course 11:45am - 12:45pm)
Monday, January 29, 2023 9:30am - 2:00pm
Thursday, February 1, 2024 - Tuesday, February 6, 2024 Out of Office
Friday, February 9, 2024 2:00pm - 7:30pm (Friday Night Shabbat Ma'ariv @ 7:30pm)
Sunday, February 11, 2024 9:00am - 2:00pm (Hebrew School 10:00am - 11:30am & Miller Course 11:45am - 12:45pm)
Monday, February 12, 2023 9:30am - 2:00pm (?)
Friday, February 16, 2024 2:00pm - 7:30pm (Friday Night Shabbat Ma'ariv @ 7:30pm)
Sunday, February 18, 2024 9:00am - 2:00pm (Hebrew School 10:00am - 11:30am & Miller Course 11:45am - 12:45pm)
Monday, February 19, 2023 9:30am - 2:00pm (?)
(Subject to change. Please call for appointments)
Adult Torah Study Class
Upcoming Session: Monday, January 29 at 7:30 pm PT
Zoom Links sent in separate email Monday morning. Please reply if you do not receive them.
Parashat Yitro 5784 / פָּרָשַׁת יִתְרוֹ
3 February 2024 / 24 Sh’vat 5784
Parashat Yitro is the 17th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading.
Torah Portion: Exodus 18:1-20:23
Yitro (“Jethro”) begins as Moses reunites with his father-in-law Yitro and accepts his advice to appoint judges who will help govern the Israelites. The Israelites prepare to encounter God at Mount Sinai. God descends amidst fire, smoke, thunder, and the blast of a shofar and gives the Ten Commandments. [1]
Commentary and Divrei Torah
Hertz Chumash: pp. 288 – 301 Triennial Year 2 (Full Kriyah pp. 288 – 301)
Artscroll Chumash: pp. 394 – 415 Triennial Year 2 (Full Kriyah pp. 394 – 415)
Etz Chaim Chumash: pp. 432 – 450 Triennial Year 2 (Full Kriyah pp. 432 – 450)
Next Session: Monday, February 12 at 7:30 pm PT
Zoom Links sent in separate email Monday morning. Please reply if you do not receive them.
Parashat Terumah 5784 / פָּרָשַׁת תְּרוּמָה
17 February 2024 / 8 Adar I 5784
Parashat Terumah is the 19th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading.
Torah Portion: Exodus 25:1-27:19
Terumah (“Donation”) opens as God tells Moses to collect donated materials in order to build a dwelling place for God called the Mishkan (Tabernacle). God describes how to build the vessels that will fill the Mishkan - including the ark, table, menorah, and sacrificial altar - as well as the Mishkan’s walls and curtains. [1]
Triennial year 2
1: 26:1-3 · 3 p’sukim ·
2: 26:4-6 · 3 p’sukim ·
3: 26:7-11 · 5 p’sukim ·
4: 26:12-14 · 3 p’sukim ·
5: 26:15-21 · 7 p’sukim ·
6: 26:22-25 · 4 p’sukim ·
7: 26:26-30 · 5 p’sukim ·
Haftarah: I Kings 5:26-6:13 · 20 p’sukim
Commentary and Divrei Torah
Hertz Chumash: pp. 330 – 333 Triennial Year 2 (Full Kriyah pp. 326 – 336)
Artscroll Chumash: pp. 452 – 459 Triennial Year 2 (Full Kriyah pp. 444 – 463)
Etz Chaim Chumash: pp. 491 – 495 Triennial Year 2 (Full Kriyah pp. 485 – 498)
Judaic Studies
Next session: Thursday, February 1, 2024 @ 7:30pm
Those present voted that we would devote our next class to combining two things:
(1) studying part of Leviticus (va-Yikra), chapters 19:1 - 20:27 (Parshat Kedoshim),
(2) and then comparing/contrasting the points of view of three commentaries: from the Orthodox Union, the Jewish Theological Seminary (Conservative), and Reform Judaism. Before class, it would be good if you could read the Torah portion (it’s just two chapters) and these three commentaries. But, whether or not you read them, we will as usual put them on the screen for our discussion.
For your convenience, I provide all of the individual links here:
Here’s the link to the Torah portion Kedoshim in Sefaria: https://www.sefaria.org/Leviticus.19.1-20.27?lang=bi&aliyot=1
Here’s the link to three Orthodox Union commentaries on Kedoshim from Rabbi Eliyahu Safran.
Let’s agree to discuss only the first, “Loving Your Neighbor while Standing on One Foot.” But feel free to read more.
Here’s the link to several Jewish Theological Seminary commentaries on Kedoshim from the Jewish Theological Seminary:
Let’s agree to discuss only the most recent, “Making God Holy,” by Amram Altzman. But feel free to read more.
Here’s the link to several Reform commentaries on Kedoshim.
Let’s agree to discuss only the most recent, “Finding Holiness,” by Barbara Weinstein. But feel free to read more.
For your information, the website maintained by HebCal has links to every Torah reading, to commentaries from various sources, and, at the end, a list of books on the particular Torah reading. Here’s the link to the page in Hebcal for Kedoshim: https://www.hebcal.com/sedrot/kedoshim
At the end of our next class, we will discuss whether to continue the discussion of Kedoshim, to go on and do text-and-commentaries on another Torah portion, or whether to go on to read selections from the runner-up topic, "The Wisdom of Ben Sira (Ecclesiasticus).” A very brief introduction to “The Wisdom of Ben Sira," and the full text, may be found on Sefaria: https://www.sefaria.org/Ben_Sira?tab=contents
Shabbat Times for Ontario, California, USA
🕯️ Candle lighting / הדלקת נרות Friday, February 2⋅5:03pm
✨ Havdalah (50 min) / הבדלה - 50 דקות Saturday, February 3⋅6:01pm
Powered by Hebcal Shabbat Times
Upcoming Services
Shabbat Ma'ariv Service Friday, February 2, 2024 @ 7:30 pm
Shabbat Shachrit Service Saturday, February 3, 2024 @ 9:30 am
Zoom Links sent in separate email Friday afternoon. Please reply if you do not receive them.
We are now incorporating guitar accompaniment with our Friday Night Shabbat Ma'ariv
Parashat Yitro 5784 / פָּרָשַׁת יִתְרוֹ
3 February 2024 / 24 Sh’vat 5784
Parashat Yitro is the 17th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading.
Torah Portion: Exodus 18:1-20:23
Triennial year 2
Yitro is read in its entirety in 5784. See Full Kriyah.
1: 18:1-12 · 12 p’sukim ·
2: 18:13-23 · 11 p’sukim ·
3: 18:24-27 · 4 p’sukim ·
4: 19:1-6 · 6 p’sukim ·
5: 19:7-19 · 13 p’sukim ·
6: 19:20-20:14 · 20 p’sukim ·
7: 20:15-23 · 9 p’sukim ·
maf: 20:19-23 · 5 p’sukim ·
Haftarah for Ashkenazim: Isaiah 6:1-7:6, 9:5-6 · 21 p’sukim
Commentary and Divrei Torah
Hertz Chumash: pp. 288 – 301 Triennial Year 2 (Full Kriyah pp. 288 – 301)
Shabbat Mevarchim Chodesh Adar I
Saturday, February 3
Molad Adar I: Fri, 29 minutes and 5 chalakim after 21:00
The molad occurs when the moon has moved far enough from this position that a thin crescent of its illuminated surface becomes visible, marking the start of a new Jewish month. The Hebrew word molad (plural moladot) means birth , and it is also a generic term for New Moon, in the sense of that Moon is born again at the beginning of each lunar cycle.
Rosh Chodesh Adar I 2024 / רֹאשׁ חוֹדֶשׁ אַדָר א׳ 5784
Start of month of Adar I (on leap years) on the Hebrew calendar 🌒
Rosh Chodesh Adar I for Hebrew Year 5784 begins at sundown on Thursday, 8 February 2024 and ends at nightfall on Saturday, 10 February 2024.
Start of month of Adar I (on leap years) on the Hebrew calendar. Adar I (אַדָר א׳) is the 12th month of the Hebrew year, occurs only on leap years, has 30 days, and corresponds to February or March on the Gregorian calendar. רֹאשׁ חוֹדֶשׁ, transliterated Rosh Chodesh or Rosh Hodesh, is a minor holiday that occurs at the beginning of every month in the Hebrew calendar. It is marked by the birth of a new moon.
Hebrew School at Temple Sholom of Ontario
Sunday, February 11, 2024 Hebrew School 10:00am - 12:00pm
Preempted on February 4 as I will be out of town
Zoom Links sent out Saturday Evening after sundown
Our Hebrew Class consists of two sessions:
10:00am - 10:40pm Learning Hebrew
10:50am - 11:30am Studying Torah and other related topics
Next Miller Course
Sunday, 11 February 2024, 11:45am - 12:45pm
Module 3: Diversity
Preempted on February 4 as I will be out of town
*The titles in blue and underlined are "hyperlinks". If you click on any of those, it will lead to that site/URL. The hyperlink gives a descriptive title with the actual link embedded in that title. Anyone who is concerned about clicking a link or hyperlink can access any of these resources by going to my website, www.modernrabbistephen.com. You can find them in the "Blog" and "Videos" sections, as well as the "Instagram Links" by clicking on the various pictures.
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