Parashat Terumah (Offering) Exodus 25:1 -27:19
HafTorah Kings I 5:26 - 6:13
Good morning friends,
One week into the month of Adar (the beginning of the season of our joy), we have come to the reading of Parashat Terumah, the detailed description of the incredibly ornate portable tabernacle that will contain the word of Adonai and accompany the children of Israel throughout their journey in the wilderness and into the promised land and ultimately into the Temple in Jerusalem. The Haftorah describes in the same detail the construction of that Temple by King Solomon. It is indeed thrilling to read and study the incredible work that so many of our ancestors put into these structures and how beautiful they were, a tribute to their faith and the leadership of Moses and Aaron. We don't come close to that standard of construction today, but it is imperative to note that prayer is heard from wherever it originates.
We too have a beautiful home which many volunteers help to maintain, but we need to occupy it more fully so that it serves as a real beacon just as the Temple did in ancient times. If we lack a minyan at our Shabbat services, the size and beauty of the building are diminished. Several of us attended the Unity service on Sunday (dedicated to the joy of Judaism) which was held at their new quarters much smaller and more spartan than the previous one which they could no longer afford to keep up. However, the sanctuary was full as it always is with many people participating. Better a small structure full of engaged participants than a large one lacking a minyan.
With that in mind, please plan to attend services this Shabbat weekend, tonight at 7:30 pm and tomorrow morning at 9:30 am, in-person and virtually on Zoom. Terumah is my personally favorite Torah reading partially for the reasons stated above, but also because it is my Bar Mitzvah portion and brings back such vivid and fond memories. I will give Chris the morning off of Haftorah chanting as she recovers from yesterday's surgery and chant the stirring Haftorah myself. As we are also celebrating our birthdays, Chris and I invite you all to stay after Saturday's service for a Kiddush luncheon.
Please let's make our synagogue home a beautiful one through the spirit of Terumah, not necessarily by ornate design and construction, but by having a strong minyan full of participation in the prayers and study.
Shabbat Shalom,
Ron Becker,
Spiritual Leader
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FRIDAY:
JCC is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Shabbat Service Friday 7:30 pm
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SATURDAY:
Topic: Saturday Service, 2/17/2024 9:30 am
Time: Feb 17, 2024 09:30 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
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Meeting ID: 497 903 0958
Passcode: 5QdVaA
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