Last April, a student who had chosen the English name Jackie (in honor of the kung fu film star Jackie Chan) came to my office. He wanted my advice. “You must be very clever,” he said with a big smile, “because Einstein was also a Jew.” Jackie was short, pudgy and exceedingly polite. I hoped to create a teachable moment, though my ineffectual reply began with, “Believe me, I’m not very clever.”My father has encountered similar misconceptions. The article makes the good point that these misconceptions should be corrected, or there could be pretty serious repercussions down the road.
2. How Shtarkness destroyed the Beit Hamikdash
" But why was the second Sanctuary destroyed, seeing that in its time they were occupying themselves with Torah, [observance of] precepts, and the practice of charity? Because therein prevailed hatred without cause. That teaches you that groundless hatred is considered as of even gravity with the three sins of idolatry, immorality, and bloodshed together.
We have all heard this explanation before. The second temple, for which we are still trying to do the tikkun, was destroyed because of baseless hatred. However, it is hard for us to really internalize the fact that people were EXTREMELY religious at the time. There was absolutely nothing to criticize about their religious practice. They were SUPER SHTARK?
What happened then? How did things go so wrong?
Well, in an environment where religious practice is simply superficial, the deepest principles of Jewish thought are often ignored. When we concentrate so much on personal growth and “shtarkness”, we forget the bigger picture of Judaism."
3. ADDeRabbi says "I told you so" about Young vs. New Earth, and Conversions.
4. OnTheMainLine about whether the word halacha comes from Hebrew or Aramaic.
5. Musical Scholar in Residence at Etz Chaim, in Kew Gardens Hills:
MUSICAL SCHOLAR IN RESIDENCE
Shabbat Parashat VaYetzeh, November 16-17On Shabbat Parashat VaYetzeh, we are proud to welcome back from Israel Lenny Solomon as a Musical Scholar in Residence:
■ On Friday night, Lenny will give an Oneg entitled “A Shabbat in Liverpool.” He has taken 27 Beatles songs and put them to Shabbat Tefilah and Zemirot. Plus he has created a new Nussach called “Nussach Liverpool,” including Kabbalat Shabbat set exclusively to Beatles Songs. Lenny will describe the project and the spiritual and Halachic implications of taking secular music and putting it to Tefilah, then share some examples.
■ On Shabbat, Lenny will daven Mussaf for the Shul.
■ Shabbat afternoon, there will be a musical Seudah Shlishit, where Lenny will teach us a new melody.
■ On Saturday night, he will give a Kumsitz featuring his original music from the last four Hebrew CD's as well as some favorites from the Shlock Rock world!
Join us for an enjoyable Musical Shabbat here at Etz Chaim!
Update:
We look forward to a magical musical Shabbos with Lenny Solomon! Just to dispel some confusion, Lenny's "nusach Liverpool" will be the subject of the Oneg this evening at 8. The Kabbalat Shabbat in shul will be the regular "Nusach Etz Chaim."
1 comment:
thus Lenny Solomon can get someone else to pay him for a visit to his mother, who still lives in Kew Gardens.
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