During the winter months, Friday evening, Kabbalat Shabbat services, are virtual only. (through March 10) Shabbat morning services remain hybrid.
Friday, February 10, 19 Shevat 6:00 PM Please join Rabbi Marcia Plumb and Ellen Allard for VIRTUAL "From Our Home to Yours" Kabbalat Shabbat Services.
Saturday, February 11, 20 Shevat, 10:00 AM Please join Rabbi Marcia Plumb and Cantor Lorel Zar-Kessler for a Hybrid Shabbat Morning Service. Haftarah reading by Bob Kaplan.
Join us IN-PERSON ONLY AT 9:00AM for Nosh and Drash Torah Study - SEE BELOW
Hybrid services begin at 10:00AM
If you have a simcha, please share it with us and receive a special blessing from Rabbi Plumb during an upcoming Shabbat service. Sponsor a Kiddush by virtually inviting us to your home as you lead the community in Kiddush and HaMotzi prayers. (we will provide challah and grape juice!) Please contect Rosalie Reszelbach, Janet Stein Calm or Toni Spitzer to arrange.
Please click here for the link to the new Conservative prayerbook, Siddur Lev Shalem: Shabbat Shaharit Siddur Lev Shalem The prayers will be the same as in our usual blue siddur, so feel free to use that instead if you wish.
Please click here for the link to the page numbers for Shabbat morning prayers in Sim Shalom (Blue) and in Lev Shalem Page Numbers for Shabbat Morning
Nosh and Drash: Shabbat Morning Torah Study Saturday, February 11, 9:00AM
Purim reminds us of the Mitzvah of Matanot L'evyonim - gifts to the poor. Please consider donating to Yad Chessed to support Jewish individuals and families by alleviating economic distress and helping them reach financial stability.
When donating, please indicate that you are donating with Congregation Mishkan Tefila.
Lava Flow at Volcano National Park, Hawai’i, Feb.7, 2023
This past week, I was honored to officiate at the wedding of Rachel Shuman and Vince Fitzgerald in Hawaii. They are the daughter and new son-in-law of Robin and Mel Shuman. I wish them mazel tov.
While there, one night, Michael and I went to see the lava that was exploding from deep beneath the earth, via the volcanic eruption. The fountain of red-orange fire shot into the air and blocked out the stars with its steam and red glow. The lava then dug into the earth creating rivers of light.
It was a powerful, mesmerizing sight.
I wondered if this is what Mt Sinai looked like in our parasha this week.
Now the Presence of the Divine appeared in the sight of the Israelites as a consuming fire on the top of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke, for the LORD had come down upon it in fire; the smoke rose like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled violently. Ex 24: 16-18
The Talmud quotes R. Simeon ben Lakish who said “The Torah given to Moses was written with…fire…, sealed with fire, and swathed with bands of fire. The lava rivers looked like those bands of fire.”
All of us gathered in the darkness at the volcanic mountain were drawn to those beautiful nearly symmetrical bands of lava. I didn’t want to leave. I imagine some of the Israelites felt the same.
Perhaps this is why G*d appeared in fire. I have often wondered why fire? Why did G*d choose to be seen for the first time to all the Israelites in fire? Why not via a rainbow or gentle rain, which might have felt more nourishing to the desert dwelling bnai yisrael?
Dr Aviva Zornberg reminds us that "Fire is everywhere and everywhere it is mysterious."
So too is G*d— mysterious and everywhere. We are both drawn to, and afraid of, G*d, like fire. We don’t want to leave G*ds presence but nor should we draw too close.
The beauty, mystery and power of G*d's presence at Mt.Sinai has remained with us since that moment of the giving of the Ten Commandments that we read about this Shabbat. May we always yearn to be near the warmth and beauty of the Holy One of Sacred Fire. May the ancient glow of the pillar of fire continue to bring us awe and comfort in scary times.
This Shabbat may the gentle flames of the Shabbat and Havdalah candles fill our homes with warmth. Let the mitzvah to honour Shabbat that we read in our parasha bring us rest and rejuvenation.
Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Marcia Plumb
Congregation Mishkan Tefila 384 Harvard St. Brookline, MA 02446
