Parshat Kedoshim

25 Nissan, 5768

Plan to Attend

Torah for Our Time New Class Wednesday, May 7 4:00 PM

What Happens When We Pray
New Class Starting
Wednesday, May 21 6:30 PM

Yom HaShoah Observance
May 1 7:00 PM
Imaginary Witness:
Hollywood and the Holocaust

Erev Shabbat Family Service
May 2 7:30 PM
CBS and the Holocaust

Shabbat Morning Services
May 3 9:30 AM

Cafe Shalom
May 4 9:00 to 2:00  

Adult B'nai Mitzvah Class Formed!
Organizing Meeting after Pesach

Please forward this newsletter...or... Click here to subscribe.

Parshat Kedoshim

This Week in the Calendar Shabbat is Day 13 of the Omer Shabbat Torah Readings Torah Vayikra 19:1 to 20:27 Haftorah Amos 9:7-15   The haftorah chanting is unavailable this week as we are chanting the Haftorah from Amos and the bible.ort site has the Ezekiel haftorah.

This is a new format for identifying the Torah  and Haftorah readings. Clicking the underlined readings will open a window to the parallel Hebrew-English readings. Clicking the "eyeglass" icon will open a window to the English translation of the reading. Clicking the "little red head" will open a window to the bible.ort site where you can read the Hebrew selection or hear it chanted.

This Shabbat we return to the weekly Torah reading cycle with Kedoshim. Kedoshim is a fascinating parshah; it is only two chapters long, a total of 64 verses, yet according to Sefer HaHinuch it contains fifty one commandments. The overwhelming majority of these commandments have to do with social justice. 

The first commandment we find in Kedoshim is perhaps the foundation of all social justice; to have reverence for our parents. We find this commandment linked, it appears, to keeping the sabbath, and both are bracketed by declarations that Ado-nai is our G-d. Here are verses two and three of chapter 19.  (if you don't see Hebrew, but see a strange looking set of characters, you need to add Hebrew support to your computer. If you need help, contact Rabbi Art)

ב דַּבֵּר אֶל-כָּל-עֲדַת בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם--קְדֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ:  כִּי קָדוֹשׁ, אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם.  ג אִישׁ אִמּוֹ וְאָבִיו תִּירָאוּ, וְאֶת-שַׁבְּתֹתַי תִּשְׁמֹרוּ:  אֲנִי, יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם.

In verse two we are told to be kadosh because Ado-nai is kadosh. Then we are instructed to revere our parents and to keep HaShem's Sabbaths, because Ado-nai is our G-d. After several "ritual" commandments, we are then given a couple of dozen commandments that are concerned with providing food for the poor, acting honestly, and not perverting the natural order of the world.

Read the rest of this article

Shabbat Shalom

Join us Shabbat morning as we read the parshah and wrestle with what the Torah is teaching us!

Section 613

This mitzvah is the last to be derived from the Torah passage usually referred to as the Ten Commandments. Shemot 20:13 reads "Do not covet your neighbor's house, nor your neighbor's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid=servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.

יג לֹא תַחְמֹד, בֵּית רֵעֶךָ; {ס} לֹא-תַחְמֹד אֵשֶׁת רֵעֶךָ, וְעַבְדּוֹ וַאֲמָתוֹ וְשׁוֹרוֹ וַחֲמֹרוֹ, וְכֹל, אֲשֶׁר לְרֵעֶךָ

In the wording of this verse we see a strong emphasis on the relationship between one human being and another.  Three times in a single verse we are reminded of the relationship with the phrase "your neighbor".  The implication is clear; the moment we begin to covet some person, animal or thing that belongs to someone else, the relationship between us begins to deteriorate.  We can covet, or we can be in relationship, but we can't do both.

Read the rest of this article

Share your thoughts or ask a question

Want to learn more about the traditional mitzvot? Start here.

• Reading The Rest of the Tanach:  Contact Norm VanSpronsen to indicate your interest.

Members in need of prayers for healing

Mary Drabkin, Jeff Highett, Izzy Kurland, Brenna Au Miller, and Manny Trauring.

• The Cafe Shalom tickets have been mailed. Please support our Religious School by selling as many tickets as possible.
• The next Religious School meeting will be held on Thursday, May 8 at 5:30 PM.
• Due to Pesach, Cafe Shalom and Mother's Day, the next and final Sunday School session is May 18.  Hebrew school continues each Thursday afternoon through May 22.
• Inter-Faith Ministries food pantry is in desperate need of non perishable foods. As a member, CBS has been contacted to help.  As always, we have a donation basket in the foyer.

• Confirmation Service will be held on Friday, June 6th at 7:30 PM.

Regularly Scheduled Activities

• Lunch and Learn is now Ask the Rabbi (at lunch of course). The next Ask the Rabbi lunch is Tuesday, May 6 at Noon.
• Friday evening 7:30 PM and Saturday morning 9:30AM. Davening led by Rabbi Gould and members in the CBS sanctuary.
• Save the Date, Save the Date Sunday, May 18. Family fun day and picnic to close the religious school year.

"Below the Fold"