Rabbi's Corner

(I want to introduce to you a Bat-Mitzvah candidate Sylvia (Hodges) Lewis.  On the occasion coming up on March 3rd at our Shabbat Service she wrote a beautiful Drash on this week’s Parashot Yitro.  Enjoy and Yasher Koach, Sylvia!)

Shalom!  First of all, this week’s “Yitro” Parashah contains some very important lessons that are applicable for us today in a modern world.  After the Exodus of Israel from Egyptian bondage, a newly-birthed, holy nation of people lived in the wilderness with a need to receive the revelation from God on Mount Sinai on how to forge out its government, judicial laws, and the myriad of practical ways in which to live together peacefully.  In this scenario, Moses’ father-in-law, Yitro, hears about the children of Israel’s successful escape from such a formidable captor and gives praise to HaShem.

“וַיֹּאמֶר יִתְרוֹ בָּרוּךְ יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר הִצִּיל אֶתְכֶם מִיַּד מִצְרַיִם וּמִיַּד פַּרְעֹה אֲשֶׁר הִצִּיל אֶת הָעָם מִתַּחַת יַד מִצְרָיִם:

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Dear family (mishpocha) of Temple Aviv Judea:

On the evening of January 30th at 10:30 pm our brother Stig went home to Yeshua. He is now singing, dancing and talking and singing before Him! Part of his heart has been left here on earth in the possession of Corrine… until they meet again.

We are all saddened, but this is the time to keep our eyes skyward……

Pray for Corrine and may Yeshua comfort her heart during this time.

Memorial service will be Shabbat, February 11th at 1:30 pm in our Sanctuary.  Come join us as we remember our brother and friend, Stig.
Blessings to all…..May all Zion be comforted.

Rabbi Corey

The following is an excerpt from a visitor to our congregation a few weeks ago. It is a testimony to all of us at our congregation on how important it is to reach out to the guests. I am very proud of this congregation which is filled to the brim with His Love. Here is the excerpt of her letter:

“It was a little place, not much to look at, in the back of an industrial center. In my excitement, I never actually saw the outside, just a small open door…the portal to an unimaginably beautiful place. As I entered, I was overwhelmed by the warmth. It was not the warmth from a furnace. It was the warmth of the Holy Spirit. I had never been in such a place.

I wasn’t sure what to expect. Continue reading →

In this coming Parasha Miketz we read in Genesis 43:1, “Now the famine was severe in the land.”  We see the story of Joseph in Egypt enfolding.   We see that Joseph lands in Potiphor’s household and is later sent to jail on trumped up charges by Potiphor’s wife.  He finds himself in prison and once again, uses his divine given talent of interpreting dreams. The ‘gift’ finally gets to be tried by Pharaoh himself.  The dream of Pharaoh was that seven fat cows would be eaten by seven lean cows.  Holy Cow!  Joseph said that it meant that Egypt would have seven plentiful years followed by seven lean ones.  There would be a great famine all around  Egypt.  Better start putting away the surplus in the storehouses.

Meanwhile ….  news got back to Canaan that there was food in Egypt.  The brothers of Joseph [minus Benjamin] stood in front of their brother Joseph, and they did not recognize their own brother!  Joseph recognized them, but chose to remain silent.

It took another time for them to see Joseph, only after Joseph allowed it. Only then, did they realize what they had done and bowed down before him.

There is so much to be said about this.  Let us imagine that it is Joseph that is represented as Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah.  Just like Joseph, He was rejected by his brothers [brethren].  When His Jewish brethren stood before Him, they did not recognize Him.  The allusion to famine is another parallel to this story.  It has been two thousand years of spiritual famine, not knowing their Messiah; two thousand years of persecution and going from nation to nation …without a place to call home. Continue reading →

In today’s parasha, Vayetze, we see Jacob having the dream with the Ladder and the angels ascending and descending.  His pillow was a rock.  I am sure we all can relate to that. We see in Genesis 29:2 , “He looked, and saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it, for from that well they watered the flocks.  Now the stone on the mouth of the well was large.”  The heavy stone had to be moved by more than two people so the flocks could be given water.  Two miracles: Jacob used superhuman strength to move it.  Also, once removed, the water from the well sprung forth.   The large stone should remind us of the large stone that was sealing the tomb of Yeshua.  The stone was as heavy as a mid-size car today.  It had four Roman soldiers guarding the tomb with their lives.  It also had the seal of the Roman Empire, that if broken, would cost the lives of the defender.  The empty tomb was documented by Roman and Jewish historians including Josephus. Continue reading →