Adas Israel - Mason City, IA

Torah Thoughts 28 February 2020

Torah Thoughts is a regular post from Adas Israel, the Jewish Congregation of Northern Iowa based in Mason City. Here you'll learn more about our faith and about the bible as we dive into the weekly Torah Portion this week called Trumah (Hebrew for "a portion") and is Ex. 21:1 - 27:17. You'll find the word Trumah as the twelfth word in the reading. "Hashem (The Name) spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the Children of Israel and let them take for me a portion, from every man whose heart motivates him you shall take My portion."

So, what's going on? Moses is instructed to build a "resting place" for the presence of G-d. That place is known as the Mishkin (dwelling place). You may know it as the Tabernacle. In fact, the rest of the Book of Exodus is all about the preparations for and the building of the Mishkin. 

So we have an interesting sentence that has great meaning for us today in this opening line. Why didn't G-d say, "Go to the Children of Israel and collect gold and silver and any manner of valuables..." No, He said "...take for me a portion, from every man whose heart motivates him". 

If the heart is not motivated what value is the gift?  Having a motivated heart or a love is essential for any gift to have meaning and true value. People (well maybe some) don't buy their love flowers or candy because everybody else is doing that on February 14. No, for the gift to have meaning...the heart must be motivated otherwise it's just a...gift.

How does this work in our lives and in our faith? When we take the time to read the Torah and to study the words and when we do that out of a deep desire to learn because our heart is motivated to better understand our relationship with G-d then...the effort is truly special and it is seen as a gift and a blessing. And, when it comes to Tzedakah (Charity) it is our heart that must be motivated.

This lesson is important for us to truly understand the motivation of all our actions. Yes we can use our mind and be intelectual in our choices of action but if we leave out the heart those actions can be cold and indifferent.

Service Schedule

Our next Erv Shabbat Service will be Friday, March 20 at 7:15PM and our Midrash (Torah Study) will be on Shabbat (Saturday) starting at 10:00AM. We had lots of new faces with us this month. We hope to see you and your friends back. All are welcome to join our services and our study session. Our goal is to respect you and your faith choice and help you better understand the Torah.

Also, mark your calendars!  Our Community Seder will take place on April 11 starting at 5:30PM. Can you believe it that Passover is just around the corner?

See you in Shul! 

 

 

Torah Thoughts 21 February 2020

Greetings from Adas Israel the Jewish Congregation of Northern Iowa and based in Mason City.  This is Torah Thoughts a review of the weekly parsha (portion).  This week we are reading Parsha Mishpatim (ordinances) found in Ex. 21:1 - 24:18. "These are the ordinances that you shall place before them." It is G-d speaking to Moses and what follows are 23 positive commandments (You shall...) and 30 negative commandments (You shall not...).

Included are laws regarding: the Hebrew manservant and maidservant, manslaughter, murder, injuring a parent, kidnapping, cursing a parent, personal injury, penalty for killing a slave, personal damages, injury to slaves, categories of damages and compensatory restitution, culpability for personal property damage, seduction, occult practices, idolatry, and oppression of widows, children, and orphans. Whew! (Image is the area in the Sinai that scholars believe is Mt.Sinai)

But wait...there's more!

The parsha continues with the laws of: lending money, not cursing judges or leaders, tithes, first-born sons, justice, returning strayed animals, assisting the unloading of an animal fallen under its load, Sabbatical year, Shabbat, and the Three Festivals (Pesach, Shavuot, and Succot).

Yes it is one of the most commandment based readings in the Torah.

The parsha ends with the promise from the Almighty to lead us into the land of Israel, safeguard our journey, ensure the demise of our enemies, and guarantee our safety in the land -- if we uphold the Torah and do the mitzvot. Moses makes preparations for himself and for the people and then ascends Mt. Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments.

Here is a quick observation. Often we are to say a blessing before doing any of the positive commandments. For example there is a blessing before drinking wine that is different from the blessing to eat bread. There is a blessing before we read the Torah. A blessing for lighting the Shabbat Candles (click the image to see) There is a blessing when we get something new and there is a blessing when we exit the restroom. 

Why? To always keep us mindful that everything we have and everything we do is connected and we are reminded, in this parsha, that if we hold up the Torah and DO the mitzvot (commandments)...we are truly blessed.

March Service Schedule

Heads up!  Our March gathering at the Shul will be on Friday evening the 20th at 7:15 and then we'll gather for our Torah Study (Midrash) on Shabbat (Saturday) at 10:00AM.

Last week we had a very large crowd for our Midrash and for Services. Please remember that all are welcome to attend either or both. Our goal is NOT conversion but to help people from many faiths (including the Jews) to have a better understanding of our faith.

One other thing.  The image here is the building that was built in 1912 and housed Adas Israel until the current shul was built in 1941. The address is 621 South Adams about ten blocks south of our current shul. Since we occupied it the building has been a church, a private residence and a karate studio. If you look closely at the top window you will see a window very much like the tops of the window at our current shul.  We were talking about this last week and thought you might like to see.

See you in Shul! 

Torah Thoughts 14 February 2020

Here is wishing you a Happy Valentine's Day.  A little love could go a long, long way don't you think?  Welcome to Torah Thoughts from Adas Israel the Jewish Congregation of Northern Iowa, based in Mason City. We've got plenty to cover so let's get started. 

This week's Torah Portion is, again, from Exodus and it is called Yitro (Jethro) and can be found Ex: 18 - 20. There is so much going on here but first a question.

What event in the Torah is recognized by Jews, Christians and Muslims worldwide? The answer that all three agree on is that G-d descended onto Mount Sinai and delivered the Torah to the Jewish people. Of course things get a bit different after that with Christians saying Jesus superseded Jewish beliefs and Islam says that Muhammad was the one true prophet who replaced both Christian and Jewish theology with a greater truth.  But, for an instant...we were all on the same page.

Here is another interesting bit from this week's parsha. Ever wonder why so many hospitals are called by the name "Mount Sinai"? We get a hint this week in Exodus 19:11, "And G-d shall descend before the eyes of all the people on Mount Sinai."  The tradition is that even the blind saw and that there, on the spot, was a great healing of everyone present.

Why? Was G-d just showing off? Hardly. The rabbis say that the reason of this mass healing was to allow the people to accept the Torah in perfect health. No worries about anything physical only that they should be enveloped into the truth of the Torah.

What else happens in this parsha?  Well, we learn about Jethro (Yitro in Hebrew) as he joins with the Jews and of course we now are offered the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20: 1-14). Which, by the way, are slightly different from the Ten Commandments you will find restated later in Deut. 5: 6-18. We also learn that all the people heard the first two of these commandments but then asked Moses to receive them because the experience was too intense.

The portion concludes with the Almighty telling Moses to instruct the Jewish people not to make any images of G-d. They were then commanded to make an earthen altar; and eventually to make a stone altar, but without the use of a sword or metal tool.  Why is that?  We'll discuss this and more during services on Friday evening and during our Midrash on Shabbat (Saturday the 15th).

Service Schedule

We'll meet Friday evening the 14th at 7:15PM for Erv Shabbat Services and then our Midrash (Torah Study) will take place on Shabbat (Saturday the 15th) at 10:00AM. All are welcome to attend.

See you in Shul! 

 

 

Torah Thoughts - 7 February 2020

Torah Thoughts is a service of Adas Israel the Jewish Congregation of Northern Iowa based in Mason City. Here we take a look at the weekly Torah Portion and offer some thoughts about it and our lives today.  We've also listed our service schedule for next week.  Let's go!

The Torah Portion this week is called Beshalach (Exodus 13:17 - 17:16). Beshalach, in Hebrew, means "when (he) let go" and it is the second Hebrew word in this week's reading: "It happened when Pharaoh let go the people that G-d did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, because it was near."

So what was it that G-d knew that he took the people the "long way" to Israel?  He knew that the people might reconsider their escape from Egypt because of the difficult times ahead.  Even though G-d was there to protect and guide He knew the people were...weak.  And, in reality there was a fear of...freedom.

The parsha continues with the well known story that Pharaoh regretted letting the people go and so he mounts an attack leading his chosen chariot corps and a huge army. The Jews rebel and cry out to Moses, "Weren't there enough graves in Egypt? Why did you bring us out here to die in the desert?" The Yam Soof, the Sea of Reeds (usually mistranslated as the Red Sea) splits, the Jews cross over, the Egyptians pursue and the sea returns and drowns the Egyptians. Moses with the men and Miriam with the women -- each separately -- sing praises of thanks to the Almighty.

Even today we still sing part of that song at each service.  You can find the entire "Song by the Sea" in Exodus 15: 1-19.

The people arrive at Marah and rebel over the bitter water. Moses throws a certain tree in the water to make it drinkable. The Almighty then tells the Israelites, "If you obey G-d your L-rd and do what is upright in His eyes, carefully heeding all His commandments and keeping all His decrees, then I will not strike you with any of the sicknesses that I brought on Egypt. I am G-d who heals you."

A bit later the Israelites rebel over lack of food; G-d provides quail and manna (a double portion was given on the sixth day to last through Shabbat.  That is why we have two challahs for each meal on Shabbat to commemorate the double portion of manna. Moses then instructs them concerning the laws of Shabbat. At Rephidim, they rebel again over water. God tells Moses to strike a stone (later in the Torah God tells Moses to speak to the stone, not here!) which then gave forth water. Finally, the portion concludes with the war against Amalek and the command to "obliterate the memory of Amalek from under the heavens."

Isn't it amazing what little faith the people had. Even while watching to miracles take place in front of them they rebelled.

So how hard is it for us to have faith when we are not witness to daily miracles? Or do we just fail to see them?  Each day brings a new miracle and each minute we are alive we are witness to the miracle of life.  Oh how good it truly is.

Shabbat Services

Our service schedule for this month is Friday the 14th (forget about Valentines Day) we'll hold services at 7:15PM at the shul and then on Shabbat (Saturday) we'll have our Midrash (Torah Study) where we will study the Parsha Yisro (Jethro) Exodus 18:1 - 20:23. So much to learn there.

Happy Tu B'Shvat! 

The holiday begins on Sunday night and lasts all day on Monday the 10th.  What is it?  It is the Jewish Festival of Trees! The name actually means the 15th of the Hebrew month of Shvat. It is, if you will, the Israeli Arbor Day. Here is a link so you might learn more about the holiday and get some inspiration as the same time.

Shabbat Shalom and see you in Shul!