A Friendly Egalitarian Conservative Congregation

Marathon Jewish Community Center's Cyber Shul

Shabbat Trumah

Exodus 25:1-27:19

Candle Lighting Time: Friday, February 8, 2008      5:03 P.M.

If you are buying a house and have a mortgage with the bank, your payments are probably due on the first of the month.  But should you fail to make a payment on that date, you have until the 15^th to get it in before receiving a penalty.  This is called a grace period.

 

We Jews too have a grace period.  But how different it is from what the bank extends to its mortgage holders.  That is not really grace.  It is merely a temporary reprieve.  The bank’s favor comes to an end on the 15^th.  Full payment is then demanded or a penalty will be added.  By contrast, what we owe God by way of indebtedness for our transgressions is completely forgiven on Yom Kippur when we do teshuvah, repentance.

 

This week’s Torah portion, Trumah, teaches us that this kind of grace is available to us each and every day of the year.  Although the ark itself was made out of acacia wood, it was covered by pure gold (see verses 25:10 and 17).  The Hebrew word for cover is “kapporet.”  “The same root ‘kof’ ‘pay’ ‘raish’ is believed to be the source of the term Yom Kippur.  The Ark will function to “cover” Israel’s sins.  The cover is made of gold to atone for the sin of the Golden Calf, reminding us that gold can be used as an idol or an instrument of holiness (JT Shek. 1:1) (Etz Hayyim Commentary below the line page 488)  The ark teaches us that every day can be a day of grace, a mini-Yom Kippur.

 

God’s graciousness in forgiving our sins is one of the foundations of our theology. We want to begin each day with a clean slate, a new beginning. Every day we are given the opportunity with teshuvah to become the people we truly want to become without be shackled to past wrong deeds.  Coming to services and standing before the ark reminds us of God’s graciousness to forgive us.  No wonder every morning Amidah contains the priestly benediction in which we invoke our hopes and prayers of a better and brighter future, “May Adonai show you favor and be gracious to you.”

Rabbi Gary Greene

P.S.  Next week I shall be in Washington, D.C. at the Rabbinical Assembly Convention.  Even though I have already written next week’s email dvar Torah on parashat Tetzaveh, I won’t be able to email it to you.   So that you don’t go without a week learning some Torah, I am posting it on Marathon Jewish Center’s webpage, www.marathonjcc.org.  You will be able to read it on line.

Services Schedule:

Friday night 7:00 p.m.

Shabbat                 9:00 a.m.

Mon. & Thurs       6:30 a.m.

Sun. -Thurs night   7:30 p.m.

Announcements:

Tuesday, February 12^th Board Meeting 8:00 p.m.

Shabbat, February 16, Lunch and Learn.  This week’s topic will be “Does ‘Thou shalt not steal’ include intellectual property?   The internet has blurred the lines of ownership, particularly over words, images, and most critically ideas.  We shall explore the halachic challenges presented to us by the ease with which we can appropriate intellectual property-plucking it out of the very air- and the issues of ownership and theft must resolve.

Saturday, February 23^rd  7:00 P.M. Join us for our Third film in our Israel Film Festival in honor of Israel’s 60^th Birthday Featuring

"The Cemetery Club"

Every Sabbath morning the Mt. Herzl Academy Social Club meets at the eponymous National Cemetery, where its members-elderly, in-your-face Polish-born Jerusalemites (the director’s stupefying great-aunt among them)-debate Immanuel Kant, declaim poetry, argue incorrigibly, and together face inexorable losses. Don’t miss this tremendously moving, hilarious portrait of Israel’s emotionally rugged, dwindling Holocaust generation.

Winner of the European Film Academy best Documentary in 2006

Winner of the Asian International Best International Documentary in 2006

Winner of the Leipzig Golden Dove for the Best Documentary in 2006

Winner of the best international women's film in Israel 2006

Donation of $5.00 in advance or $7.00 at the door.  All children accompanied by an adult are invited in for free.  All donations will be put towards refurbishing our lobby.  Please make all checks out to MJCC with a notation Israel Film Festival

Mark your calendars!

Monday, March 10 at 7:30 p.m. The sisterhood presents:  A Purim Happening:  Learn to Belly Dance with Miss Lena.  $15.00 per person.  Light refreshments will be served.  RSVP By March 3^rd at the synagogue 718-428-1580.  Bring Out Your Inner Vashti!

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If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the Temple Office

at 718 428 1580. Also, a copy of the MJCC constitution is available upon request.