Sisterhood is also holding Bagels and Books at this time, so bring at least
one, or up to six, books to trade. Cookbooks, novels, nonfiction. And bring
your appetites for a little nosh.

We’ll have yarn, needles and experienced knitters who can show you how to
start a blanket or more manageable 7-inch-by-7-inch squares that will be
incorporated into patchwork blankets.

Please share this message with anyone you think might be interested in
joining our group. Blankets have already been distributed to two nursing
homes in Beverly.

Looking forward to seeing you on the 12th.

Shabbat Shalom.  It is wonderful to be together this evening celebrating Shabbat and honoring the Helman family, whose generosity helps support Monday Night Suppers, where members of this congregation help to feed the hungry at the first Baptist Church.  Stephen Helman was instrumental in getting the Monday night suppers going, and it is a suitable tribute to his memory that this fund is in his name.

It is hard to imagine a world in which people are not hungry – and until that time comes, we must do what we can to help those in need.

This week’s Torah portion has something to teach us about hunger and social justice.  It contains some of the most dramatic scenes in the entire Torah.  After the ten plagues, the Israelites leave slavery in Egypt, and journey to the Red Sea.  The Egyptians are in pursuit.  Just in time, God splits the sea and the Israelites cross over.  This is an event that we relive on Passover, and in our daily services in the blessing for Redemption, just before the Amidah, when we sing mi chamochah – who is like you God? – words from this week’s Torah portion.  The story of the liberation from Egypt is the cornerstone of Jewish existence.

The scholar known as the Maharal, teaches that the miracle wasn’t actually the ten plagues or splitting the sea – the miracle was that our people come out of slavery to embrace a radically new vision of the world. The vision of the Torah is of freedom and of justice.  This is the vision God gave to our ancestors, newly freed slaves.

In next week’s Torah portion the Israelites will journey to Mt. Sinai, where they will receive the Ten Commandments. In the commandment to observe Shabbat we read, “…you shall not do any work, you, your son or daughter, you male or female slave, or your cattle, or the stranger who is within your settlements.”  We might look at that passage and say:  Slaves! How could they have slaves?!  How backwards is that!  But slaves were the way of the world. They couldn’t imagine a world without them.  Yet they could imagine one day, Shabbat, that everyone – including the slaves and animals – rested.  This was a radical idea in its time.  By proscribing work every seven days, human liberty was enhanced, human equality strengthened, and the cause of social justice promoted.  It was too hard for them to imagine a world without slavery but they could imagine Shabbat!

It is hard for us to imagine a world without hunger and poverty.  But we can imagine a world where people are striving towards that ideal.

According to the sages, Pirke Avot, there are four types of people:

1.      One who says, “What is mine is mine and what is yours is yours”—this is the common type.

2.      One who says, “What is mine is yours and what is yours is mine”—this is an ignorant person.

3.      One who says, “What is mine is yours and what is yours is yours”—this is a saintly person.

4.      And one who says, “What is yours is mine, and what is mine is mine”—this is a wicked person.

Perhaps these categories are too stark. While few of us are able live up to the standard of the saintly person, and give up all we have to others without taking from them – we can at least avoid being entirely like the common individual who says, “What is mine is mine and what is yours is yours.” Some of the sages say that if that attitude flourishes, the result can be as bad as Sodom and Gemorah. We must try to be like the saintly — at least, on Monday nights, when we feed those in need.

There is a story about two men.  One was very rich – and as usual he was sleeping through Shabbat services.  Once he woke just long enough to hear the chanting of Torah verses in which God instructs the children of Israel to place twelve loaves of challah on a table in the ancient wilderness.  When he fully woke up he didn’t realize the lines had been a dread – he thought God had come to him and asked him personally to bring twelve loaves of challah to God.  He thought it was an honor, and he also thought it was a little strange – but who was he to question God.  He went home and baked the bread.

He returned to the synagogue and placed the twelve loaves in the ark, next to the Torah scrolls. He expressed his thanks for the opportunity to please God.

No sooner had he left when the poorest Jew in the town, the synagogue’s janitor, entered the sanctuary.  All alone, he spoke to God.  “Oh Lord, I am so poor. My family is starving; unless you perform a miracle for us, we will perish.”  Then, as was his custom, he continued cleaning.  He went to open the ark and there before him were twelve loaves of challah!  A miracle! He exclaimed.  Bless are you God who answers our prayers.”  Then he ran home to share the bread with his family.

Minutes later the rich man returned to the sanctuary. He wanted to know if God had eaten the challah.  He opened the ark and… they were gone!  “Wow!” he said, “God you actually ate my challah.”

The same thing happened the following week, and the week after that.  It became a weekly ritual that continued for many years.  Then, one day, the rabbi noticed the rich man placing the loaves in the ark, and the poor man redeeming them.  He called the two men together and told them what had been happening.  They were both distraught, and were worried that God would no longer be present in their lives.

Then the rabbi told them to look at their hands. Your hands, he said to the rich man, are the hands of God giving food to the poor. And your hands, he said to the poor man, are also the hands of God, receiving. (adapted from Lawrence Kushner’s The Book of Miracles)

If we are giving, of our money and or our time we are acting according to the essentials of the Jewish spiritual life.  We are the hands of God.

Our ancestors were slaves who went forth from Egypt to create a new world. We have the commandments and we have Shabbat because we have to constantly reinforce this vision of freedom and justice. It is an ongoing process to manifest God’s vision in the world.  It’s Monday night suppers. It’s giving tzedakah. It’s working for a world in which there is no hunger.

Shabbat Shalom.

Please join us!

This past Shabbat we recognized the Yahrzeit’s of:

Robert Bromberg on Sat Feb 4th(11 Shevat), Helen Abrams on Sun Feb 5th(12 Shevat), Anna Katz on Mon Feb 6th(13 Shevat), Rose Selesnick on Tue Feb 7th(14 Shevat), Helen Siegel on Tue Feb 7th(14 Shevat), Elaine Goonin on Wed Feb 8th(15 Shevat), Arthur Berman on Thu Feb 9th(16 Shevat), Benjamin Cohen on Thu Feb 9th(16 Shevat), Andrè Fleuriel on Thu Feb 9th(16 Shevat), Rosetta Jacobs on Thu Feb 9th(16 Shevat), Lena Salloway on Thu Feb 9th(16 Shevat), Mary Sidman on Thu Feb 9th(16 Shevat), Rose Simon on Thu Feb 9th(16 Shevat), William Goldberg on Fri Feb 10th(17 Shevat)

This upcoming Shabbat we will recognize the Yahrzeit’s of:

Rose Polov on Sat Feb 11th(18 Shevat), Abraham Sterman on Sat Feb 11th(18 Shevat), Julius Horovitz on Sun Feb 12th(19 Shevat), Arnold Katz on Sun Feb 12th(19 Shevat), Pearl Scheft on Sun Feb 12th(19 Shevat), Jacob Winer on Sun Feb 12th(19 Shevat), Rose Barr on Mon Feb 13th(20 Shevat), Edna Chansky on Mon Feb 13th(20 Shevat), Helen P. Gerren on Mon Feb 13th(20 Shevat), William Bromberg on Tue Feb 14th(21 Shevat), William Glovsky on Tue Feb 14th(21 Shevat), Louis Krause on Tue Feb 14th(21 Shevat), Doralie Myerson on Tue Feb 14th(21 Shevat), Fannie Lichman on Wed Feb 15th(22 Shevat), Louis Shefsky on Wed Feb 15th(22 Shevat), Florence Weinstein on Wed Feb 15th(22 Shevat), Bernard Goldberg on Thu Feb 16th(23 Shevat), Marion J. Cherkasky on Fri Feb 17th(24 Shevat), Gladys Kransberg on Fri Feb 17th(24 Shevat)

Acknowledging the Yahrzeit, the Hebrew anniversary of a person’s death, is a widely held observance in Judaism and at Temple B’nai Abraham.

We recite each week’s Yahrzeit list during our regular Shabbat Services. It is customary ( and one of the 613 Mitzvot) for the children, siblings, spouses and parents of the deceased to observe the Yahrzeit by attending services and participating in the recitation of the Mourner’s Kaddish.

It is both an obligation and an honor for members of the community to be part of the Minyan during these important days. Please join the the families at this week’s Shabbat services when we recognize the Yahrzeits of their loved ones.

“For those of you who do not know
I write my thoughts in rhyme.

So to thank you all for coming tonight
May take a little time.

It’s been 10 years that Steve is gone
But his legacy remains.

He’d be so proud this special fund
Will now be in his name.

Helping others in every way
Was very important to him,

And feeding the hungry was especially so,
So this is definitely a win.

Thank you to the Social Action group
For making my dream come true.

A fund in his name that will remain
A mitzvah from all of you.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

We thank you, Linda. May Steve’s memory be for a blessing.

Drop off canned or non-perishable soups in the bins in the front lobby near the office. Your community thanks you!

Do not miss these wonderful community happenings at TBA.

On January 28, the Sisterhood — through the hard work of Julie Zieff, Judy Matfess, Linda Goodspeed, and many other volunteers — held yet another very successful Comedy Night, with nationally known comedian Dan Naturman. It was preceded by music provided by the Joy of Sax, led by congregant Steven Swartz on the saxophone.

Aside from being both a great night of entertainment and a fundraiser for TBA, the idea of a night of comedy in a synagogue made me think about the role comedy plays in Jewish life in general, and why comedy, especially American comedy, has been dominated for the past century by Jewish writers and performers.

Much has been written about this subject. As Nathan Ausubel writes in the introduction to his book Treasury of Jewish Humor, “First you laugh at a Jewish joke or quip. Then, against your will, you suddenly fall silent and thoughtful. And that is because Jews are so frequently jesting philosophers. A hard life made them realists, realists without illusions.”

Most scholars agree that humor is a Jew’s way of dealing with life’s adversity. According to Rabbi Reuvan Bulka,” By laughing at our fate, it is as if we were stepping out of a situation and looking at it from a distance, as if we were outsiders, so to speak.”

It is said that most comedy is born out of tragedy, and tragedy and adversity are deeply entrenched in our long history. We joke, according to Ausubel, as an instinct for self-preservation. “By laughing at the absurdities and cruelties of life, we draw much of the sting from them … And so [we] laugh boisterously, feeling superior to the poor shmiggege, while all the time it is [us] who are the target.”

By using humor, “our lament often turns into laughter.” (Theodor Reik, Jewish Wit, New York, 1962)

According to Rabbi Bulka, we use humor to let the rest of the world know that we are determined to survive even the worst hell. Victims of discrimination, hatred and prejudice must use their wit and intelligence to overcome the hatred of their enemies.

So as we laugh at and with talented comedians such as Dan Naturman, we laugh at ourselves and at the expense of our enemies; we are the survivors of centuries of hatred and threats of extinction. And I wonder, as we continue to assimilate, feel more comfortable in and amongst our largely non-Jewish society, how will humor, especially Jewish humor evolve?

Time will tell. So in the meantime, a priest, a minister and a rabbi walk into a bar, and the bartender asks, “What is this, a joke?” Bada boom.

All members and friends are invited to join us on Sunday, February 12, 10 a.m. to noon.

Bring a minimum of one, maximum of six tradable books: fiction, nonfiction, biography, sports, trivia, children’s books, cookbooks, etc. (no magazines, reference or textbooks please).