Jewish Religion

Haftorah Reading for November 13, 2021

This literary Prophet’s entirely poetic passages are filled with moral castigation of the priestly class. They are set in c. 740 BCE in the Northern Kingdom. They follow well the literary rules of ancient Hebrew poetry. Scholars note that Hosea’s writings reflect traditions about the patriarchs, which diverge from those in Genesis. [1] As with other prophets, he likely is a composite figure. [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]

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Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion

Parashat Vayetzei: Strengthening Our Character 

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.  In this week’s parasha we learn about the psychology of living life well, that is, how to strengthen our character. This includes a) reinforcing our spirituality and b) intensifying our commitment to a strong work ethic, two areas of contemporary societal life that are clearly in need of improvement. וְאַתֵּנָה

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell

Chanukah with Some Stereotypical Yiddish Characters

In a style reminiscent of Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs of Disney fame, this book, reissued for Hanukkah, features a series of unidimensional characters with Yiddish names: Noshy Boy, Kvetchy Boy, Shmutzy Girl, Klutzy Boy, Shluffy Girl, Shleppy Boy, Kibbitzy Girl, and Keppy Girl. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion

A Grateful Synagogue Bids a Surprise Farewell to Constant Volunteers

Abe Goldberg’s mother, Bronia, and stepfather Harry Sajgeman died within three months of each other in the mid-1980s, but due perhaps to a communications error, most people at Tifereth Israel Synagogue were unaware that he and his wife, Bea, were sitting shiva, alone, at their home. Because the Goldbergs lacked the ten Jewish adults necessary to say kaddish during the seven-day mourning period, they were left feeling forlorn. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, San Diego County, USA

Haftorah Reading for November 6, 2021

These combination poetry-prose passages from Malachai are from the ‘minor prophet’ Malachai. Malachai is not really a person’s name, but actually means ‘My messenger.’ The writer(s) of these words were post-exilic, 514 BCE, i.e. soon after the second Temple was built. They constitute nearly the last passages of the Tanakh’s Book of Prophets. [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]

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Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion

Philo on the Rivalry between Jacob and Esau

Philo of Alexandria’s insights is among the most original expositions of Parshat Toledot, this week’s Torah portion. According to him, Isaac is well-aware of Esau’s shortcomings, but he wishes to bless his son so that he might realize his hidden spiritual potential. Bu in the end, as we know, Jacob took his brother’s blessings. Philo saw Jacob’s relationship to Esau as a spiritual mentor. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi

What do we know about Lot, Abraham’s nephew?

A careful analysis of Abraham’s nephew Lot raises the question of whether or not he was a righteous man. What did he do to merit saving when the people among whom he lived died by fire? We may think we know about him, but actually virtually everything the Torah tells us about him is obscure, requiring us to make up our own interpretations and learn lessons from them. There are rational interpretations by rabbis and scholars as well as mystical and midrashic ones. Which should we accept? The following are some questionable items. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion

Our Jewish Parenting: Keeping Consistency Constant

Two key factors have kept us sane while raising the next generation of Jewish kids: involving God in the process and striving for consistency in our parenting effort. My wife, Shira and I leave the heavy lifting to God. What we eat, how we treat others and what we do on Shabbat and holidays isn’t something we have to negotiate. We have a priceless 3500-year-old tradition offering precise guidelines on maximizing life and minimizing drama. [Sam Glaser]

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Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Sam Glaser

A Prayer for Our Planet

This is a good week within our synagogues to think about our planet and its future given the start of the United Nation’s Global Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26). As global leaders meet in Glasgow, Scotland to hammer out a deal to tackle climate change, what can we as Jews do based upon Torah’s teachings, our ethics and the moral imperative to be better stewards of our planet and all life that depends upon its sustainability? [Dan Tomsky]

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Jewish Religion, The World We Share