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Shabbat Beraisheet Genesis
1:1-6:8
Candle Lighting Time: Shabbat Beraisheet Friday, October 24, 2008
It’s not often that police must break up a brawl between a bear and a tree.
The fight began with a playful insult and an accidental bump. Suddenly the
bear talked! Then the tree talked back! Soon a guy in a bear suit was mixing
it up with someone dressed as a tree. Police had to pull the two apart. The
two mascots for Stanford and University of California had stopped
entertaining and started fighting.
Bears and trees weren’t made to fight. Neither were we. Yet, throughout
history people who were created to love and serve each other have often
added insult to injury. This problem goes back to the very beginning of
time. We read in this week’s Torah reading the first murder in human
history. In a jealous fit Cain killed his brother Abel.
The amazing thing, according to the prophet Jeremiah, is that even those who
know God’s law can hurt one another without regret. “No man repented of his
wickedness,” he reported (Jer. 8:6). “They were not at all ashamed.” (v.12).
Jeremiah also expressed God’s astonishment that even creatures of the wild
reflect more wisdom than those who say “peace, peace” while doing harm
(vv.7,11).
The One who designed birds to migrate at His command (Jer. 8:7) does not
merely call attention to our wrongs. He offers to fill our emptiness with
the fullness of Himself. The alternatives are good: grace for bitterness,
wisdom for foolishness, peace for conflict. —As always, God gives us the
choice as he told Cain just before that fateful day, “Surely if you do
right, there is uplift. But if you do not do right, sin couches at the
door; its urge is toward you, yet you can be its master.” (Gen. 4:7)
The world depends upon us choosing wisely.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Gary Greene
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.
Shabbat, October 25 We celebrate David Baum’s Bar Mitzvah
Sunday, October 26 Douglaston Interfaith discussion group meets at the
Community Church at 8PM
Shabbat, November 1 We celebrate the Bar Mitzvah of Isaac Peltzer
Saturday Night, November 1 Join us for the Murder Mystery Dinner. Enjoy a
show and a dinner. Please make your reservations asap. Only $36.00 for a
fine Italian dinner and the play.
Saturday Night, November 1 Don’t forget to set your clocks back 1 hour
before you go to sleep. We go back to Eastern Standard Time.
Tuesday, November 4, No morning Adult Education Classes due to Election Day
and No Hebrew School today. Teacher Training Session
Executive Board Meeting.
Thursday, November 6, Adult Education classes begin. Carl Gussin’s class
will study the Bible. Ms. Lena’s Belly Dancing Class begins. Rabbi Greene’s
class on Saging will follow Carl’s class.
Shabbat November 8 We celebrate the Bat Mitzvah of Brooke Rutman
Shabbat, November 15th Our first Lunch and Learn of the Season.
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