Temple B'nai Emet

Tikhleh shanah ve-killeloteha! Let the year end with all its curses! Tahel shanah u-virkhoteha! Let the new year begin with all its blessings! ... These verses are from a Hebrew poem from 13 century Spain. As we look forward to and pray for a blessed 5781, may we remember that we never look forward without also looking back. In Hebrew the word for "year" is "shana." But, the same Hebrew root can also mean change. Change is always a necessary part of living, growing and making our world a healthier world, a kinder and more compassionate world and a safer world where we can honor goodness and live in peace. May this new year, 5781, bring blessings to all. Should you wish to join our services (via Zoom) for the holidays please call Val at Temple B'nai Emet for more information: (323) 721-7064. Shana Tova, Rabbi Sheldon Pennes

Some words from Rabbi Pennes: On this Shabbat portion Nitzavim we are confronted with the same question and challenge that has confronted our ancestors of every generation before us. As Moses speaks to Israel on the last day of his life, he tells them: You are all standing this day before the Lord, your God. But not only with you am I making this covenant and this oath, but (also) with those who are not yet here with us this day.... We do not choose to be Jews, except those that have converted to Judaism. Indeed, the truth is, we do not choose to be born or where to be born. We do not choose our parents. But, we are, nevertheless, part of a story that began long, long before us. The question for each generation is: will we continue the story bequeathed to us? We can live it, or we can ignore or abandon it. Either way it is a choice that will determine the future of the children of Israel. Shabbat Shalom.

A wonderful video about the history of our community, our building, and the people who have kept us a vibrant center of Jewish life all of these years. Please feel free to share your memories below!

From Rabbi Pennes Shabbat Shalom, This week we begin reading the last book of the Torah, /Deuteronomy. Here, by the eastern bank of the Jordan River, we find Israel encamped at the end of 40 years of wandering in the wilderness and now ready to enter into the promised land of Israel. At the same time, Moses is nearing the end of his life and the end of his leadership of the people, Israel. This final book of the Torah consists of Moses’ speeches to Israel reminding them of... the history and difficulties of the 40-year journey, along with God’s laws by which Israel can live a good and prosperous life in their new homeland. Moses realizes the many dangers that may lie ahead, however he lets Israel know that these potential difficulties should not be an obstacle to moving forward into the land promised to Abraham and his descendants centuries earlier. I believe this teaching applies to us today as well. Like Israel, we too face uncertainty and danger as we look to the future. We too, question how we might overcome life’s challenges as we attempt to live meaningful lives during a time of alienation. But, in spite of the unknown we, like our ancestors, must continue to seek out our promised land and the future that will belong to us. Finally I hope you’ll take a look at an article by C.S. Lewis in 1948, How are we to live in an atomic age? https://americandigest.org/c-s-lewis-how-are-we-to-live-in/ Stay Safe. For your sake and others.

From Rabbi Pennes this Shabbat Today is the Yahrzeit (anniversary of death) of the Israeli singer and composer, Naomi Shemer (1930 - 2004). She is probably most well-known for "Jerusalem of Gold" that she composed in the winter of 1967 before the Six Day War. After the war was over she added a fourth verse about the reunification of Jerusalem including the Western Wall and Old City....Continue reading

From Rabbi Pennes this Shabbat: The Jewish people have a tradition of studying Pirke Avot at this time of the year. This small book of the Talmud is translated as the Ethics of the Elders and is unusual in that it is primarily a book of ethics and morality rather than law. I want us to have a look at chapter 4: Ben Zoma said:... Who is wise? Those who learn from everyone; Who is strong? Those who subdue the evil inclination; Who is rich? Those who rejoice in their blessings; Who is honored? Those who honor their fellow human beings. These teachings have stayed with me for almost all of my life and also, have reminded me of, what I believe are, other worthy life lessons from our tradition. At the core of our tradition is the biblical statement that humans are all created in the image of God. Based on this biblical teaching the rabbis derived this understanding: Whoever destroys one life, it is as if he had destroyed a whole world, and whoever saves a life, it is as if he saved an entire world. Rabbi Akiva compressed the Torah into one command when he said that the basic teaching of the Torah is from just one verse in Leviticus: Love your neighbor/fellow as yourself. (Lev. 19:18) Also, there is much to be learned from the biblical conception of the creation of a single human being. The rabbis asked, Why did God create just one person, Adam? The answer: To teach us that no one should ever say: My father was better than your father. Further we should learn from this that whoever murders even one person, it is as if he destroyed an entire world. I’ll conclude with one other Talmudic teaching (Eruvin 13B) that to me is quite provocative: For two and a half years the school of Shammai and the school of Hillel were divided on this question: Would it have been better if humans had never been created? The latter maintained that it would have been better if mankind had not been created. The school of Shammai maintained that it is better that we were created. The vote was taken and the majority decided that it would have ben better if we had not been created. But, since we have been created, let us examine our actions. "It is not your responsibility to complete the work of perfecting the world, but nor are you not free to desist from it." Pirkei Avot 2:21 Shabbat Shalom

From Rabbi Pennes: Traditionally, Jews eat dairy on the holiday of Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks. And, of course, there are differences of opinion as to why we even have this custom. Some derive the practice from various verses in the Bible, for example: We eat dairy to symbolize the land flowing with milk and honey (Exodus 3:8), or that Milk and honey are under your tongue (Song of Songs 4:11). One Rabbi discovered that the initials of the four Hebrew words in Numbers 28...:26, which describe the sacrificial meal offering on Shavuot, spell mei halav (from milk), suggesting that dairy food is the acceptable dinner for the festival. Also, at Sinai, the Israelites were considered to be as innocent as newborns, whose food is milk. Another approach equates the Hebrew word for milk, halav with the numerical value of 40 (‘het’=8, ‘lamed’=30, ‘vet’=2), with the number of days Moses spent on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments. There is also support for the custom based on the spiritual development among the Israelites in the aftermath of receiving the Torah at Sinai. After the Torah was given, they were obligated to follow its laws, including the dietary practices of keeping kosher. When they returned to their camp after the revelation, they could not eat the previously prepared meat, which had not been done according to the laws of kashrut [proper dietary practices]. Since there was insufficient time to prepare Kosher meat, they ate the dairy food that was readily available. Therefore, it became a common practice to have a dairy meal on the first evening of Shavuot and then serve meat the next day. In time, along with other dairy dishes, cheesecake became a widely apopular Shavuot item. Lucky for us!

Rebbetzen Wendy Pennes's cheesecake recipe! Adapted from Philadelphia cream cheese box. Enjoy! Are you wondering why we eat dairy on Shavuot? Rabbi Pennes will be sharing more with us this week here on Facebook.

Shavuot is Coming! Read more from Rabbi Pennes about Shavuot below: On the night of the festival of Shavuot it is traditional for Jews to stay up and study the Tanach (Bible). This practice is referred to as Tikkun Leil Shavuot or a Night of Study. The observance of of Tikkun Leil Shavuot is centuries old and there are many theories of when it began. Some say it was officially established in about the 16th century by Rabbi Isaac Luria, also known as the Ari, the Lion. ... There are also references to this custom in the Zohar from the 13th century. Some traditions attribute the tradition as written by Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai in the 2nd century. Shavuot is a celebration of God giving the Torah to the Jewish people on Mount Sinai in the desert after leaving Egypt. The Midrash tells us the Children of Israel overslept on the morning they were due to receive the Torah. They had to be woken up by a shofar blast from God. So a Tikkun, or correction, was needed for having overslept. The correction that was decided upon is the custom of all-night learning of Torah. So, instead of having a nice holiday sleep-in, Jews would not sleep at all. Many synagogues offer Tikkun Leil Shavuot learning experiences, with Torah classes or talks. Temple Bnai Emet is planning on holding an abbreviated ZOOM Tikkun on Thursday night, May 28th from about 9 10 pm. There will be some Torah study and singing with Cantor Pflug and refreshments should you choose to prepare them. Rebbitzen Wendy Pennes will be sharing her cheese cake recipe with us here on Facebook so stay tuned. If interested in joining us on our ZooM Tikkun please send an email to: [email protected]

From Rabbi Pennes on this Shabbat: As we prepare for Shabbat, we have already been rejoicing today in honor of the 53rd Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day. Jerusalem Day is an Israeli national holiday commemorating the reunification of Jerusalem and the establishment of Israeli control over the city in the aftermath of the June 1967 Six-Day War. One of the first acts Israel undertook after reuniting the city was to guarantee and safeguard the rights of all Citizens of Jerusal...em. This included not only free access to holy sites for all faiths but also represented an unprecedented act of religious tolerance. Israel granted Muslim and Christian religious authorities responsibility for managing their respective holy sites. This stands in sharp contrast to the 58 synagogues that were destroyed under Jordanian rule prior to Jerusalem's reunification. Next weekend we will celebrate Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks, having counted 7 weeks from Passover to this holiday when we celebrate receiving the Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai. Shabbat Shalom! For those who would like to be invited to our Zoom services please send us a message here on our Temple B'nai Emet Facebook page so we can send you information. Thank you for being here with us.

From Rabbi Pennes: In this week’s Torah reading portion called Behar (meaning On Mt. Sinai) we find what may be the most well known quotation in all of Biblical literature. The words come from Leviticus 25:10, and read: and you shall proclaim liberty throughout the land and to all the inhabitants thereof. What is far less recognized is the first part of this Biblical verse that begins with: And you shall sanctify the... fiftieth year This 50 th Jubilee year was sacred - a time of freedom and celebration, when everyone would receive back their original land and slaves would return home to their families. Though this part of the verse was not included on the bell it was crucial to the creation of the Liberty Bell. Actually the bell had been ordered by the Pennsylvania Assembly to commemorate the 50 th anniversary of the Charter of Privileges, which was written as Pennsylvania’s constitution. The Liberty Bell is still on display at the Liberty Bell Center in Philadelphia, PA. Easily recognizable because of its crack, the Liberty Bell remains significant today for its' message of liberty. Abolitionists, women's suffrage activists, civil rights leaders and others have used this bell as their symbol in the fight for equality. The word Jubilee comes from the Hebrew word Yovel which meant a horn similar to the Shofar that is still blown as a part of the Jewish High Holidays and celebration. In addition, through the Liberty Bell and its inscription, we continue to be reminded of the important principles upon which this nation was founded. Shabbat Shalom.

From Rabbi Pennes as we approach Lag B’omer : This year, on May 12th, many Jews celebrate Lag B’omer, a joyous but otherwise minor holiday of the Jewish year. Lag represents the number 33 in Jewish numerology, and the holiday occurs on the 33rd day of the Omer, the 49-day period between Passover and Shavuot. This day is also noted as a break from the semi-mourning period of the Omer. The most often cited explanation for this Jewish practice comes from the Talmud, which...Continue reading

From Rabbi Pennes: There is something quite peculiar in this week’s biblical reading, called Emor, and it comes to us in the 3rd book of the Bible, Leviticus. As part of this portion we read about the festivals to be observed and celebrated throughout the year. Only in regard to the Feast of Booths, Sukkot, do we... read the commands: you shall rejoice for 7 days, and further you shall live in booths for 7 days. When we realize that living in booths (rather than proper houses) may be precarious given that the most important aspect of the booth is the flimsy roof made of branches thrown on the one may wonder just what there is to be joyous about? Furthermore, the Torah never mentions happiness in regard to Passover, the feast of freedom, and only once about Shavuot, the occasion of the giving of the Torah. Yet, three times the Torah speaks about happiness in regard to Sukkot and living in these poorly built temporary huts. I am reminded of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, the great grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, who famously wrote, the whole world is a very narrow bridge. The main thing for us to remember is that we must not be afraid to cross and move forward. At this time, many are fearful, afraid and pessimistic. This is certainly understandable, however let’s be prudent but optimistic that we will overcome adversity and emerge in safety from our insecurities. Please enjoy this link to Gesher Tzar Meod, The Whole World Is Like A Narrow Bridge skip the ad