Posted by rabbi.deutsch on 25 Jul 2012 /
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Hi, Hope all is well. … There’s something the Torah does very often. It mixes “ethical obligations” together with “ritual laws”. Here’s one example. “Every person must respect their mother and father and keep my Sabbaths. (Leviticus, 19:3) The Torah is making a point. That both kinds of commandments are equally important. Our obligations to […]
Posted by rabbi.deutsch on 19 Jul 2012 /
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Hi, Only in the Torah! I’m referring to what happens just forty days after the Revelation at Mount Sinai. You may remember the scene in the movie, “The Ten Commandments”. (But don’t forget, the Book is better than the movie!) Moshe comes down from the mountain holding the Tablets. The Ten Commandments. And what does […]
Posted by rabbi.deutsch on 15 Jul 2012 /
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Hi, The Torah is amazing! Sometimes it seems “so ancient”. So “old fashioned. We might say, “We can pass over that one. Those days are over!” But if we have patience? We’ll discover tremendous lessons. Very relevant lessons. … You can’t really get around it. The Torah is thousands of years old. It couldn’t talk […]
Posted by rabbi.deutsch on 05 Jul 2012 /
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Hi, Tomorrow night is Yom Kippur. … Jewish tradition teaches that G-d cares about how we live our lives. And we’re held accountable for our actions. But don’t worry. We don’t have a picture of a devil with a pitch fork! … Here’s one way to look at it. Picture that you need to drive […]
Posted by rabbi.deutsch on 05 Jul 2012 /
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Hi, …Yesterday, the Supreme Court ruled to protect defendants in capital cases. It ruled that they can’t be brought into court with shackles. Because seeing the defendant in shackles makes an impression on the jury. “It almost always… affects the jury’s perception of the character of the defendant”. The court was split. And some argued […]
Posted by rabbi.deutsch on 05 Jul 2012 /
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Hi, The Book of Exodus continues. And what a change of subject matter! Straight from the Revelation at Mount Sinai and the building of the Altar? To civil law! Like the laws of damages and personal injury. Laws against gossip. The obligation to return lost objects. Being truthful. Consideration for the stranger. And even helping […]
Posted by rabbi.deutsch on 05 Jul 2012 /
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Hi, Hope all is well. And that you had a nice Passover. And had enough to eat! … We had started the “Ten Commandments”. How one tablet was about our obligations to G-d. Like not worshiping idols. And observing Shabbat. What we might call “theology” or “ritual observance”. And the other tablet? Obligations to other […]
Posted by rabbi.deutsch on 05 Jul 2012 /
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Hi, They’re the best Tablets ever prescribed to man. The Ten Commandments. (Exodus, 20:1-14) … There were two tablets. One? Obligations between “man and G-d” What we might call “religious laws”. Belief in G-d. Not worshiping idols. Not using G-d’s name in vain. Shabbat. And honoring parents. The second tablet? Obligations between “man and man.” […]
Posted by rabbi.deutsch on 04 Jul 2012 /
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Hi, Before we leave Egypt? We should think about why we were there to start with. Why was it G-d’s “master plan” that we become a nation in Egypt? What’s wrong with Florida! And why did we have to be slaves in Egypt? … Jewish tradition has many insights into this question. Here’s one. The […]
Posted by rabbi.deutsch on 25 Jun 2012 /
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Hi, I hope you had a wonderful Rosh Hashanah. And may you and your loved ones have a Shanah Tova. Filled with good health, joy and peace! … Sorry for being a bit spotty lately. Besides the holidays, we’ve started working on our annual fundraiser. It’s a very busy time! … It reminded me of […]