Hiddur Mitzvah: Color and Spice–and Everything Nice The extensive descriptions of the sanctuary in the Tanakh (the Jewish Bible),[1] and the descriptions of the appointment of the priests and their vestments is filled with color, artistic skill, and an emphasis on beauty. The ancient Sages spoke of hiddur mitzvah,[2]...
by Maayan Lev As a child, Sukkot was a very big holiday in my family. In fact, it may have been the biggest holiday of the year for us. This is because we had dinner in the sukkah together every night, usually inviting a different family to join us each...
What Today’s Dedication Means (Remarks delivered by Rabbi J.B. Sacks at the dedication of Congregation Beth Shalom’s new synagogue space in Palm Desert on September 11, 2022)[1] Good afternoon! What a wonderful occasion for us to gather, the dedication of a new home for Congregation Beth Shalom, a new home...
What Am I Afraid Of?–Psalm 27 and the Use of the Month of Elul One of the ways that our tradition invites us to prepare for the High Holy Days is to recite and reflect upon Psalm 27 twice a day for the High Holy Day season, which leads into...
From the Rabbi’s Study Tishah B’Av to Rosh HaShanah: What Money Cannot Buy Business people once met for dinner some years ago and began to discuss money. One successful and aggressive business mogul made the statement that money can buy everything. In fact, he wrote out a check for...
Writing Our Song: A Reflection on Our Year of Learning (Teaching/D’var Torah delivered by Rabbi Sacks on May 22, 2022 on the occasion of our siyyum, the conclusion of our year of learning) We will be arriving at Mount Sinai spiritually once again as continue our way through the...
Inclusion is a strong Jewish value and yet it has often been a challenge to put into practice. We are all welcoming but in what ways do we welcome others? In this intriguing presentation we will hear about how Judaism welcomes and embraces all Jews, including the LGBTQ community, people...
From Our Rabbinic Intern’s Desk The Changing Focus of Passover in Our Day: From Pandemic to Ukraine Another year has come and gone, and Passover/Pesach will soon be upon us once again. Nisan, the month of Passover, and not Tishrei, the month of Rosh HaShanah, is referred to in the...
Expressions of Peace: A Journey and Prayer through Jewish Texts (A Contemporary Piyyut,[1] first recited on March 13, 2022[2]) Rabbi J.B. Sacks Our tradition teaches: “The sword comes to the world because of a delay of justice and through perversion of justice.”[3] God cries out: “Oh, my suffering,...
From the Rabbi’s Study Let’s Place Our Bets Carefully The man sitting on the park bench facing the synagogue was a picture of dejection. His shabby clothes looked as if he had slept in them, and his tired face was covered by a heavy growth. Overcome by pity for...
