An Understanding Heart

  Today: a timely message from 1800 years ago https://youtu.be/okgyIeNm17g You can subscribe to the YouTube channel to see all our classes as they happen

  Science is a matter of knowledge rather than belief. Belief can be countered by the suggestion that "I believe differently" whereas knowledge is subject to empirical investigation. This is exactly why there is so much rejection of medical expertise at the moment: Many people have confused knowledge with belief. One believes in a given political system -it is very hard except in extreme cases to demonstrate that one system or approach is absolutely better than another. It takes centuries to decide a debate of this sort. Therefore politics and philosophy remain in the realm of belief. Science either stands up to scrutiny or doesn't. Since our knowledge is always changing and growing, what we know today is incomplete compared to what we will know tomorrow. As Jews, Jewish law and ethics require us to make our decisions on the basis of the best knowledge held by the mainstream of each profession in any given moment in history. Does that mean that medicine found in t

Shimon and Levi were punishing the perpertrators and enablers of Dinah's abuse for her sake as an individual person, not because she "belonged" to the family - as is sometimes suggested. I would point to a subtle point in the syntax of the text. But throughout all of the Torah many things are taught to us with that subtlety of the classic exegesis. Often, when a sibling is described it says the "sister of X was Y" making the "sister(Y)" subordinate to the "X" as in our Parsha, later, "ואחות לוטן תמנע" But here, we it is written "אשר טמא דינה אחותם" that Shimon and Levi used deception and violence because Shechem defiled "Dinah their sister" the name first. Dinah as a person first then the relationship. It was the harm and abuse to Dinah that primarily drove them. Nachmanides explained that they slew the men of Shechem because they stood by and did not stop the attack on Dinah. Those who do not stop an evil

  Dear All, We are happy to announce that by popular request, Chanie Yaffe's Yiddish Class and Conversation Group resumes this Tuesday 11/17/2020 Rosh Chodesh Kislev, at 10 AM This interactive group explores the rich tradition of the  Yiddish  language as well as the basic elements of Yiddish speech and grammar. No  particular  level of knowledge is needed, just join us on zoom ( email or call office for link) Or, call into zoom on:  ( email or call office for link) Or,  join us on the Shul Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/bnai. torah.1 Looking forward to seeing you (virtually) On Tuesday at 10AM.

  S habbat Chayei Sarah - Mevarchim Kislev    Schedule  for Week of  11/13 - 20 Friday/ Shabbat  11/13 Candle Lighting for S habbat Chayei Sarah     No later than  4:12PM Mincha /  Kabbalat  Shabbat  in Social Hall 4:10 PM   Sh abbat  Chayei Sarah   11/14 1.  Morning Services 9 AM  Please recite all prayers  (except Baruch She'amar)  until Mizmor Shir l'yom Hashabbat before arriving at Synagogue . We begin with Baruch She'amar and Mizmor Shir 2.   Mincha 4:00  PM 3. Motzei Shabbat- Shabbat ends 5:15PM   Havdalah and extended Sermon on Facebook Live Saturday Night  5:45 PM and on zoom Sunday  11/15 1. Sunday Zoom Shacharit service  @ 8AM NO SUNDAY CLASS  We are working on a new class   - a reading group in the works of  Rabbi Jonathan Sacks OBM. At the end of the email there is list please choose what you would like to study and email me your choice  ASAP  Monday 11/16 Morning services @ 7AM by Zoom: New Jewish Ethics and Thought Class:   Amazing Aggadah -  T he Non-Legends

  Politics is the Yetzer Hara's (The Evil Inclination, Satan, whatever you want to call it) weapon of mass distraction. Think of all the hours that we all spent on reading talking and posting about politics. Imagine if those hours had been spent on finding ways to help particular marginalized and sinking people in our communities we know as individuals? How many hours of Torah could have been studied? How much could we have spent in some productive hobby with our kids? Or cultivating some little patch of soil with them, or anything else that adds something to the world. Maimonides says gambling makes a person unfit for testimony in a court of law or any public office because they contribute nothing by their activities to the development of civilization as he puts it " the habitation of the World" The same applies to all this churning on politics. We all should study the candidates and then vote our conscience, but as to all these endless conversations, arguments, posts,