18 Shevat 5775 / 6-7 February 2015
Parashat Yitro
Torah: Exodus 18:1 - 20:23
Haftarah: Isaiah 6:1 - 7:6; 9:5-6; (Ashkenazim); Isaiah 6:1-13 (Sephardim)
Parashat Yitro
Torah: Exodus 18:1 - 20:23
Haftarah: Isaiah 6:1 - 7:6; 9:5-6; (Ashkenazim); Isaiah 6:1-13 (Sephardim)
Calendar and
dedications follow below. For a full calendar of events and other info about Congregation
Beth Meier, check out www.bethmeier.org
Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source
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YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS – THAT MEANS YOU!
"You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make yourself a carved image or any likeness of that which is in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the water beneath the earth. You shall not bow down to them, and you shall not worship them, for I am the Lord your God...." Exodus 20:3-5.
"Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; they have noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; they have feet, but do not walk; they do not utter through their throats. Those who make them are like them, as is everyone who trusts in them." Psalms 115:4-8.
The Psalmist makes the obvious connection - statuary idols are worthless, and so, it seems, are the people who worship them. Not many people today prostrate themselves before images of Baal or Astarte, but plenty of people still have idols. Cars, houses, big screen TVs, etc. - it's all stuff that so many of us are impressed by and bow down to. In the old days, also, pharaohs, kings and emperors declared themselves to be gods, and forced their subjects to worship them. I suspect there are few such monarchs today, nor people who would be prepared to bow down and worship those monarchs. We have "matinee idols" - and how could we forget "American Idol"? But is there still the possibility that people try to set themselves up as gods?
What about worship of the self? Can one be so self-centered, so uncaring and unfeeling of others, that one regards oneself to be a god? Consider the psalm, and then read in this week's haftarah:
Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source
--------------------------------------------------------------------
YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS – THAT MEANS YOU!
"You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make yourself a carved image or any likeness of that which is in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the water beneath the earth. You shall not bow down to them, and you shall not worship them, for I am the Lord your God...." Exodus 20:3-5.
"Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; they have noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; they have feet, but do not walk; they do not utter through their throats. Those who make them are like them, as is everyone who trusts in them." Psalms 115:4-8.
The Psalmist makes the obvious connection - statuary idols are worthless, and so, it seems, are the people who worship them. Not many people today prostrate themselves before images of Baal or Astarte, but plenty of people still have idols. Cars, houses, big screen TVs, etc. - it's all stuff that so many of us are impressed by and bow down to. In the old days, also, pharaohs, kings and emperors declared themselves to be gods, and forced their subjects to worship them. I suspect there are few such monarchs today, nor people who would be prepared to bow down and worship those monarchs. We have "matinee idols" - and how could we forget "American Idol"? But is there still the possibility that people try to set themselves up as gods?
What about worship of the self? Can one be so self-centered, so uncaring and unfeeling of others, that one regards oneself to be a god? Consider the psalm, and then read in this week's haftarah:
'(God) said, "Go and say this to the people: '"You surely hear, but you do not understand; you surely see, but you do not perceive.'" Isaiah 6:9
The remainder of the Ten Commandments (the Second is above) tell us how to treat other people – so do dozens of other commandments in the Torah. Isaiah and the other Prophets speak even more extensively on the manner in which we are to treat our fellow human beings, our fellow images of God. When we close our eyes and ears to the suffering of others; when we do not speak out against injustice; when we think that we are more important than everyone else around us; then, we turn ourselves into wood and stone - blind, deaf and dumb idols, soul-less objects of self-worship.
Do not make of yourself an idol.
Writing from “The Media Capital of the World”, where image is often everything, I wish you a Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Richard A. Flom – ZSRS ‘00
Congregation Beth Meier
Studio City, CA
http://www.bethmeier.org/
Visit me on Facebook
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Candle lighting: 5:10 pm
Friday: Deadline to RSVP for Shabbat Dinner on 13
February - New members - free; adults - $5; 12 and under - $2. Call the
synagogue office. Shabbat Evening Service – 8:00
pm. Oneg Shabbat follows.
Saturday: Shabbat Morning Service – 10:00
am. Kiddush lunch follows.
Sunday: Religious School – 9:30 am. Adult Hebrew class –
10:00 am. Tu Bish’vat Seder – 11:00 am. Everyone invited!
Tuesday: Lunch and Learn – 12:00 Noon.
Wednesday: Memorial Service for Rosalie Munoz – 7:00 pm.
Friday, 13 February: Shabbat Dinner (reservations
required – see above) – 6:00 pm. We’ll light, we’ll eat, we’ll sing …, followed
by Family Shabbat Evening Service – 7:30 pm. Oneg Shabbat follows.
The quadrennial elections for the World Zionist Congress are
taking place NOW. This Congress, through the elected delegates, exercises
control over budgets/expenditures of Keren Kayemet L’Yisrael (JNF), the Jewish
Agency (aliyah and absorption) and the World Zionist Organization. Any Jew 18
years and older, residing in the United States, is eligible to
participate. MERCAZ, the Zionist arm of the Conservative/Masorti movement, of
which Beth Meier is an affiliate, is on the ballot. A very handy guide to the
issues, parties and voting can be read at:
http://www.jewishjournal.com/religion/article/world_zionist_congress_elections_a_voters_guide
Watch your in-box for a brochure about a planned trip to
Israel – May 7 – May 18, 2015
This d’var torah is offered in memory of Rosalie Munoz, mother of
Judith Munoz, who passed away last week. Y’hi zichronah liv’rakhah – May her
memory be a blessing.
This d’var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Avi Shmuel
Yosef Hakohen ben Bella, Naomi bat Yorma, Miriam Minya bat Alisa Batya, Sarah
Mindel bat Toby, Stewart Benkle, Elsbet Brosky, John Todd Brosky, Howard
Ehrlich, Maya Fersht (Maya bat Esther), Dr. Samuel Fersht (Shmuel Natan ben
Gittel), Gig Flom, Jerry Forman, Leo Hoenig (Leib ben Bella), Neal Hoffman
(Nachum ben Dina), Pamela Huddleston, Rose Jordan, Jayne Kaplan, Lina Kniter
(Lina bat Batya), Jeannie Kottler, Shirley Kronzek, Annie Rivera, and Rabbi
Marc Wilson.
My weekly divrei torah are also
available by free subscription to the Cyber Torah list.
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