Adas Israel - Mason City, IA

Torah Thoughts 22 February 2019

This week the Torah Portion (Parsha) is found in Exodus 30:11 - 34:35 and is called Ki Tisa which means "when you take" the sixth and
seventh words in this week's Parsha, "Hashem ("the Name") spoke to Moses, saying: "When you take a census of the Children of Israel according to their numbers, every man shall give Hashem an atonement for his soul, when counting them, so that there will not be a plague among them when counting them."

Odd isn't it? Why would G-d have people give a donation to be counted?

There are a couple of reasons: 1) Jews are not "counted" in the ordinary manner. The prophet Hosea writes (Hosea 2:1) "The number of the Children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which can neither be measured or counted..." 2) In this case the rich and the poor were counted by bringing a gift for the construction and upkeep of the Tabernacle. The status of Israel is  elevated by its contributions to charitable causes and in this way the entire nation contributes...the same.

This week we also learn how to make the Washstand, Anointing Oil, and The Incense for the Mishkan, the Portable Sanctuary; appointing Betzalel and Oholiab to head up the architects and craftsmen for the Mishkan; a special commandment forbidding the building of the Mishkan on Shabbat (people might have thought that they would be allowed to violate the Shabbat to do such a holy thing ...). "The Children of Israel shall observe the Sabbath, to make the Sabbath an eternal covenant for their generations."

The Torah portion continues with the infamous story of the Golden Calf. The people wrongly calculated that Moses was late in coming down from Mt. Sinai and the people were already seeking a replacement for him by making the Golden Calf (there is a big lesson in patience for us here). Moses sees them dancing around the calf and expressing anger he breaks the Two Tablets; he then punishes the 3,000 wrongdoers (less than .1% of the 3 million people), pleads to G-d not to wipe out the people, requests to see the Divine Glory, and receives the second set of Tablets of the Ten Commandments.

The Divar Torah

In this portion we also read where G-d says that he is going to destroy the people and when Moses asks him not to G-d says, "... I have seen this people and they are a stiff-necked people' " (Exodus 32:9) 

What is it about being "stiff-necked" that ticks off Hashem?

The lesson here is this: The people lacked the FLEXIBILITY to admit they made a mistake. When someone is flexible, even if he/she makes many mistakes he/she will regret them and will change. However, if a person is inflexible...he/she will not repent and improve.

It is important to be flexible to improve oneself. There is also a time to be inflexible when upholding values and maintaining one's honesty and integrity.

SERVICES this Week

Adas Israel will hold Erv-Shabbat Services on Friday evening at 7:15PM and our Midrash (Study Session) on Saturday starting at 10AM where we will talk more about this week's Torah Portion.

See you in Shul! 

 

Torah Thoughts 15 February 2019

Torah Thoughts is our regular look at the Torah Portion (Parsha) of the week with some insights into how it may impact our lives today. It's all from the Jewish Congregation of Northern Iowa, Adas Israel based in Mason City. Let's go!

This week we are reading from Exodus (27:20-30:10) the parsha is called Tetsaveh which means "you command" the second Hebrew word in this week's reading. "Now, you shall command..." and has to do with creating olive oil for a lamp which will always burn in front of the "Tent of Meeting" or "tabernacle".

Even today, in shuls (synagogues) all over the world we have what is called the "Ner Tamid" or "eternal light" positioned above or close to the ark which holds the Torah scrolls. (Check the photo and you can click to enlarge.)

What else do we learn about this first sentence of this weeks parsha?

There is a story that this verse suggests that the Almighty does not really need the light, but you should nonetheless make a light for Him just as He makes light for you. A Midrash (story) gives the analogy of a blind person and a person who could see walking together. The person with sight led the blind person the entire way. When they came to their destination the sighted person told the blind person to make a light. "I want you to do this," he said, "so you will not feel a debt of gratitude for all that I have done for you. Now you have done something for me in return."

The ultimate in doing kindness is to expect nothing in return. And, to do the kindness in such a way that the other person does not feel obligated to return the favor or the kindness. 

Sometimes people get resentful when people who are shown kindness do not, in some way, show gratitude. This isn't the way of the Jewish faith. We do kindness without expectation of anything but the joy in performing the kindness.

Pretty simple...but so often hard to do....

Service Schedule

Services will be held NEXT Friday at 7:15pm and our Study Session (Midrash) will take place on Saturday at 10:00am.

See you in SHUL!

 

Torah Thoughts 7 February 2019

Torah Thoughts is a regular feature from the Adas Israel the Jewish Congregation of Northern Iowa located in Mason City. It's our way to extending our voice with a quick look at the Torah Portion of the Week.  This week it is Parsha Trumah (Ex. 25:1 - 27:19). Let's go!

If you are into decorating your home you are going to LOVE this parsha. In it we learn that G-d has commanded Moses to tell the Jewish people that they are to donate materials necessary for the construction of the Mishkan or portable sanctuary. You may know it as the "Tabernacle" but in reality it is much more than that.

The Torah spells out the details for constructing the Ark, the Table, the Menorah, the Tabernacle (the central area of worship holding the Ark, the Menorah, the Incense Alter and the Table).  Also here we're given the directors for the Beams that make up the walls of the Tabernacle, the Cloth partition that separates the Holy of Holies where the Ark rested from the remaining Sanctuary and the Enclosure for the Tabernacle. This are the surrounding curtains that formed a rectangle that was about 15 times larger than the Tabernacle.

Whew...lots of work...right?

We read, "Cover (the ark) with a layer of pure gold on the inside and outside and make a gold rim all around its top" (Ex. 24:11).

Why cover the inside when only the outside shows?

The Talmud tells us that this is a symbol of a Torah scholar. That a Torah scholar is not someone who just speaks wisdom on the outside, but he must also internalize his wisdom and live with it. In other words ya gotta walk the talk.

To be considered a true Torah scholar and not merely someone who carries a lot of book knowledge with him, one must practice the lofty ideals that he speaks about. This has held true for all our revered Torah scholars both in ancient and modern times.

Even in our own lives we need to be careful to always be living in a way that brings no shame but highlights the goodness of our words. Makes sense...yes?

Service Schedule

Services will be on Friday the 22nd of February starting at 7:15pm at the shul. Midrash or study session will be on Saturday the 23rd starting at 10:00am.

Have a wonderful Shabbat and...See You In Shul!