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The Jewish Revolution Continues #650

11/06/2020 05:00:00 PM

Nov6

Rabbi Irwin Huberman

Parashat Va'yera:
"What if there are 50 righteous people in the city? ...Shouldn't the judge of all the earth judge justly?”
(Genesis 18: 23-25)   The Jewish Revolution Continues

 

You are part of a religious revolution that begins in this week’s Torah portion.

The revolution is called “Judaism.”

The Torah’s original couple, Adam and Eve, were concerned only about basic...Read more...

Becoming an American #649

10/30/2020 05:10:00 PM

Oct30

Rabbi Irwin Huberman

Parashat Lech Lecha: “Go forth from your native land and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” (Genesis 12:1)   Becoming an American

Less than two hours ago, I made an important decision: I signed the documents to officially apply for American citizenship.

When I shared this news with one of our congregants, I received an unexpected response: “Are you crazy?

"The country has never...Read more...

Animal Rights and the Torah #648

10/23/2020 05:50:00 PM

Oct23

Rabbi Irwin Huberman

Animal Rights and the Torah

I don’t think there’s anyone among us who hasn’t heard of the Ten Commandments.

But how many of us have heard of the Seven Commandments?

This series of laws, which predate the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, serves as a foundation upon which our country and, perhaps the civilized world, are based.

In 1987, President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation speaking of "the...Read more...

The Torah in One Word #647

10/09/2020 05:45:00 PM

Oct9

Rabbi Irwin Huberman

The Torah in One Word

“The Torah begins with kindness and ends with kindness,” declared my late mentor, Rabbi Joseph Ehrenkranz, as he paced behind his desk wagging his finger.

Rabbi Joe was quoting a piece of Talmud which he considered, perhaps, the most important in our tradition.

But, after reciting the quote Rabbi Joe paused, and, bouncing on his heels, looked at me and posed a question that concerned him until his...Read more...

Camping with God #646

10/02/2020 05:36:00 PM

Oct2

Rabbi Irwin Huberman

Link to a special Sukkot Video at the end this e-Sermon.

Camping with God

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson decide to go on a camping trip.

After dinner and a bottle of wine, they lay down for the night. Hours later, Holmes wakes up and nudges his faithful friend.

"Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see." Watson replies, "I see millions of stars."

"What does that tell you?" asks...Read more...

Yom Kippur, Shofar and Freedom #645

09/25/2020 09:20:00 AM

Sep25

Rabbi Irwin Huberman

The Rabbi will resume his weekly e-Sermon next Friday. In its place, here is an e-sermon which he prepared earlier this week for rabbis and cantors at his seminary, the Academy for Jewish Religion.

We are looking forward to seeing everyone on Shabbat and Yom Kippur. If you are outside our immediate community and would like to join us for our virtual Yom Kippur services, please email our office...Read more...

Removing the Baffle from Judaism #644

09/11/2020 06:15:00 PM

Sep11

Rabbi Irwin Huberman

Removing the Baffle from Judaism

One of the greatest misconceptions within Judaism is that you need a rabbi or a cantor to get by.

Don’t get me wrong. When it comes to lifecycle events — births, weddings, baby namings, bar and bat mitzvahs, funerals — or when the world around us seems surreal or unbearable, it’s always helpful to have a clergy member at your side. They help share the load. They provide comfort and...Read more...

My Bar Mitzvah, 1966 #643

09/04/2020 04:40:00 PM

Sep4

Rabbi Irwin Huberman

My Bar Mitzvah, 1966

Fifty-four years ago this weekend, my relatives and friends gathered in Montreal on Labor Day weekend to celebrate my bar mitzvah.

If you’re counting, that’s three times chai — three times life. But then again, every day is a celebration.

During the past week, I’ve been thinking a lot about life and about who I was at age 13. I surely was not a man; I was awkward and a...Read more...

Was It Our Fault? #642

08/28/2020 05:45:00 PM

Aug28

Rabbi Irwin Huberman

Parashat Ki Tetsei/2020  Was It Our Fault?

It is perhaps one of the blessings and the curses of Judaism that we as a people have tended to be our own worst critics.

Throughout history, we have asked ourselves, “Have we contributed in some way toward the pain, injustice or persecution that we have endured?”

This question emerges in this week’s Torah portion, Ki Tetzei, as we are reintroduced to the...Read more...

What kind of Tree are We? #641

08/21/2020 05:00:00 PM

Aug21

Rabbi Irwin Huberman

Parashat Shoftim: "For man is the tree of the field.”
(Deut. 20:19)   What Kind of Tree Are We?

 

In this week’s Torah portion, we are inspired by our Sages' discussion of the connection between war and fruit trees.

“What kind of tree are you?”

This week's parashah, titled Shoftim (Judges), is one of the most quoted in our tradition. It encourages magistrates to think twice...Read more...

Sun, November 24 2024 23 Cheshvan 5785