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Rabbi Bruce L. Cohen’s sermons at Congregation Beth El of Manhattan – an unaffiliated Conservative Synagogue of "Two-Testament" Judaism in the Upper East Side of New York City – where Jewish people and “People of Calling” (not born Jewish), and Interfaith couples come together in Manhattan since 1993 to observe, connect, and celebrate. For more information, please visit us online at www.bethelnyc.org or an Facebook.
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"And you shall command ..." the week's Torah portion starts. Commands, vows, and promises powerfully elevate ideas by eliminating alternative options. A thing is the only thing we may do, or must not do. Beyond his - as God did with Moses this week – He also chooses to put us as humans into positions in which we must issue commands, and make or stand by promises or vows. We explore this way of God communicating with us in Torah Portion, "Tetzaveh."
In the Parasha "Lech Lecha" we have what is considered by many Scripture scholars "the" core text on God-following in the entire Bible. The Hebrew is an idiom for "get going" - but it literally means "go to yourself." Your true self. The reason you are on the planet. "Home." Your genuine "spot" in the center of God's will and the reasons for which He brought you into being. We continue to explore this idea of "Home" we started with last Shabbat.
In our era, it is tempting to retreat from the storm-tossed world into a faith-life that is meditative, contemplative, and sealed off. Is this essentially monastic life God's goal for us in regard to "holiness?" Or – is the goal of contemplation the development of right views leading to the kind of rightful agency in the real world we call "doing justice?" We explore from the Haftarah this week affixed to the Torah portion, "Kedoshim.".
An examination of specific examples of denominational theologies having produced inaccurate translations: and a recounting of my lunch with the late Dr, Alan F. Segal, PhD, professor of religion at Columbia University in New York City, in which he and I explored a"tortured text" – a skewed translation of Mark 7:19 in regard to kosher laws affecting Jewish perpetuity.
With the intricate descriptions of exactly how God wants the implements of the Temple Service to be made, we are given an summary commandment: "See to it that you make everything in accord with their patterns shown to you (by God) on the mountaintop." We explore in this week's study what it means to learn – and to stay within – God's designs rather than just make up or substitute our own.
This week's Torah portion "Mishpatim" contains an exquisite rhapsody on resisting the very human urge to attack and exploit weakness. It takes us to sublime understanding of Love Of and For God, and Love Of and For Humankind. We dive in with zeal to understand the heart of God and nature of moral truth expressed by these laws of compassion and mercy, and the commentary of the New Testament upon them.
Revelation from God interferes with things coming naturally to humans: hurtful or wrongful deeds we often reflexively do. The 10 Commandments go to the heart of how God "sent His Word and healed" us. Our Parent in Heaven teaches us how to rein in our instincts and be "good people," just as any good parents teach their children. Yet, Scripture does far more than offer "good" ideas. It offers "God Ideas." Certainties certain enough to be values upon which we are invited/called-upon to "bet our all." "All in" on rightful living "here" - and eternal life "there." Enjoy!
In this parasha Beshalach on "Shabbat Shirah" – "The (Red Sea rescue) Song-Shabbat" – we hear sung, "And you have become my salvation." This salvation/rescue is not some meager, just-barely-effective deflection of the sabotages of God's Adversary (Ha-Sa-táhn). It is the UTTERMOST "rescue" God can provide, leaving BOTH our Free-Will and His Sovereign Will honorably intact. Not "meager" - but "to the uttermost" we are saved. We explore this together now. Shalom!
In this week's Torah portion we see the Exodus from Egypt being accomplished with miracles involved in the process. The words used for what God did were "Otot" (signs) and "Mof'téem" (marvels). In Psalm 71, the writer says, "I have become a 'marvel." ("Mo-fétt" singular of "Mof-téem.") How exactly does a *person* become a "marvel?"
What does it mean that we have been given awareness of, access to, use of, and right to "stand within" The Name Above Every Name? The name of Yeshua The Messiah. We steep ourselves in His Name in this message. Enjoy!
The Haftarah with this week's Torah portion "VaYechi," closing out the book of Genesis, shows King David at the end of his life cleaning up loose ends and passing the baton to his son, Solomon. It is not a one-dimensional story of "happily ever after." It is a balanced story of fulfillments, disappointments, enjoyable blessings to pour out, and unpleasant-but-necessary justice & statecraft to put into action. King David rises off his death bed to put his last efforts into right outcomes after his passing. A very balancing read.
God's very Name in which we are told to trust (Isaiah 50:10) is "Rakhum V'Chanun" – Compassionate & Merciful. We see the traits in this Name surface especially clearly in moments of high chaos like this week's Parasha in which Jacob returns to Beth El, and his name is changed to "Israel" after he wrestles for his rightful destiny with passionate endurance.
How do we go about rightly being fallible Human Mortals following and effectively accessing the Perfect God among Imperfect Humans in A Stormy and Unsafe Universe? This sermon "gropes for truth" as to these questions through the powerfully unvarnished and candid Patriarchal Narratives of Genesis.
This week's Torah and Haftarah are both about the endgame of human existence. Everyone ages and passes away - and for the aging and the bereaved, the rest of life does not necessarily go kind and gentle before, during, or afterwards. This week, we watch some of life's hardest hammer-blows land on God-following (not perfect) souls (Abraham and David), and learn from these passages which other Scripture tells us "were written down as examples for us, of our instruction." (1Cor. 10:11) So - let us learn together.
Choice-making narrows our world. Choosing to be a long-distance runner has inherent in it the choice to be often alone. The story of Noah gives us a sobering portrait of how some choices in God-following and truth-living can lead to seasons narrow or lonely - with Noah as an extreme example. Scripture also teaches us how people of truth survive such storms. We solemnly engage with this lesson this week.
The Hebrew word "HaBai'yitah" (Home) has been rich in the news as the remaining living Israeli Hostages in Gaza were returned home to Israel. "Home" is a sentiment deep in the heart of the People Israel in the Jewish homeland - and scattered across the world. "Home" for God-followers is a concept God defines: and His definition is worthy of serious contemplation. And so - we ponder, together.
We are commanded to rejoice exclusively for seven days, and yet we are conscious of the Hostages still in Gaza as we rejoice, like background radiation in everything we do. As Believers who seek to do God's will as revealed through His Word, how do we SANELY engage with life as life throws itself at us? We are not the first generation of God-followers to have such a balancing act made incumbent upon us. We explore together.
Since we cannot deliver perfection to God or humankind in our actions or ideas ... how can we live with reasonable "shalom" in a world filled with error/sin-committing-and-repeating creatures ... like ourselves?
Fresh from "Tashlikh," we are full of consciousness of God's mercy that leads to relationship with Him in this world (Olam Ha'zeh), and eternity with Him in the next (Olam Ha-Ba). We take a deep dive into God's mercy toward us - and right mercy toward ourselves and our fellow human beings. AFTER the sermon is a 1981 recording by the musical group Kol Simcha of a song our Rabbi Bruce Cohen composed, arranged, and played piano on - based on Micah 7:18-20, one of today's Haftarah passages, and the very passage upon which Rosh HaShanah's "Tashlikh" ceremony is based. Shanah Tovah.
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