Shabbat Shalom from Rabbi Arnow 5/28/2021
Dear Kol Rinah Family,
Here's a little more #TorahofReentry.
When will we really be joyous again, in a communal, together way? If only the Torah answered. If you were to read the New Jewish Publication Society translation of the Torah, you'd think you'd know what the phrase in Numbers 10:10, "And on your joyous occasions" refers to, because the whole verse reads:
"And on your joyous occasions—your fixed festivals and new moon days—you shall sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and your sacrifices of well-being. They shall be a reminder of you before your God: I, the LORD, am your God."
It makes it clear "joyous occasions" are fixed holidays and new moons. But the Hebrew, translating with less interpretation, says, "And on your joyous occasions, and on your fixed festivals...", making clear that the Torah has something else in mind for what joyous occasions are--and they're not Passover, Shavuot, Sukkot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Purim, Hanukkah, Rosh Chodesh, or any other Jewish holiday you have or have not heard of.
Commentators on the Torah suggest that "your joyous occasions" could refer to Shabbat or the daily offering (Sifre), but those are already fixed.
Ibn Ezra suggests they are when the Israelites return home after war victorious, which makes some sense, since the previous verse talks about sounding trumpets when you are attacked in your own land by an aggressor.
We never see what Ibn Ezra suggests actually happen in the Hebrew Bible though, points out the Netziv (Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin, the rabbi of Volozhin Yeshiva). Rather, he suggests that "joyous occasions" refers to dedicating the Mishkan or Temple or Courtyard, or any sacred space.
As I reflect on what joy will mean for me in the coming months, it's actually a combination of all of these suggestions. The resumption of regular prayer with anyone who wants to come, on weekdays, as well as every Shabbat and holiday, will be a joyous occasion. Us celebrating coming back "home" to shul, having conquered an invading enemy actually feels like a useful framing. And we have not yet had a formal dedication and opening of our new building, even though we have been using it for almost ten months. When we do, it will also be a joyous occasion.
I can't wait.
Today at noon, I'll be teaching Torah Talk (link below). We'll look at one long comment exploring the moment when Moses invites his father-in-law to stay and help guide the Israelites through the wilderness.
Tonight at 6pm, we'll have mincha and Kabbalat Shabbat on Zoom. (Link below)
Candle lighting is at 7:59pm.
Tomorrow morning we'll be streaming from the sanctuary starting at 9:30am. (Link below), and our Rabbinic Intern, Wendy Love Anderson, has some beautiful words of Torah that she'll share in a sermon.
We'll read Parashat Beha'alotecha:
Torah: Numbers 9:15-10:34
Haftarah: Zechariah 2:14-4:7
Shabbat ends at 9:03pm.
We have lots of Shabbat things happening now in person - services Shabbat mornings, Shabbat afternoons, and we'll be having two in-person Friday night services each month as well. One per month will be our family Kabbalat Shabbat service, and one will be our classic musical Kol Rinah mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat/maariv service. Check the website for dates and to sign up!
There's still lots of great (and affordable) learning available online.
Hadar is having a Summer Learning Retreat, June 13-17, all virtual, which looks amazing. The theme is: The Text Demands Interpretation”: Entering the World of Midrash. Details here: https://www.hadar.org/programs/summer-learning-retreat
JTS has weekly virtual classes this summer on the theme: "A Wandering People: Jewish Journeys, Real and Imagined." It meets on Mondays June 7-August 23 from 1-2:30pm (central). Each class is stand-alone. Details here:
https://www.jtsa.edu/events-calendar?cat=16925
After Shabbat, I'll be on vacation for about the next week.
Shabbat shalom, and see you soon, I hope!
Rabbi Noah Arnow
ZOOM AND STREAMING LINKS
To join our Zoom Minyanim or classes, click on the desired meeting link, or call into either of the following numbers:
+1 312 626 6799
+1 646 558 8656
Then, when prompted, enter the Meeting ID of the desired minyan/class then press #. Then, when prompted, enter the password then press #.
Services (all times Central)
Evening Minyan on Zoom
Sunday-Friday evenings at 6pm (but not on Jewish holidays)
Morning Minyan on Zoom
Monday-Friday mornings at 7am; Sunday mornings and national holidays at 8am (not including Jewish holidays)
Learning Opportunities
Torah Talk with Rabbi Arnow or Rabbi Shafrin
Every Friday at 12pm
Join us for study and discussion of the week's Torah portion.
Shabbat morning
Saturdays, 9:30am
Click the link below, then click the triangular "play" buttom:
https://player2.streamspot.com/?playerId=3506a4c8
Until shortly before 9:30am, there will a filler screen, but livestreamed video and sound will both start around 9:30am.
You can also set your computer or device in advance so that this link will continue streaming continuously and you will not have to press any buttons on Shabbat. To make sure that your device will not shut itself down or do into sleep mode, follow the directions below to disable sleep mode:
For PC:
To disable automatic Sleep:
1. Open up Power Options in the Control Panel. In Windows 10 you can get there from right clicking on the start menu and going to Power Options
2. Click "change plan settings" next to your current power plan
3. Change "Put the computer to sleep" to never
4. Click "Save Changes"
For Apple Products:
1. On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click "Energy Saver."
2. Do either of the following:
a. Set the amount of time your computer or display should wait before going to sleep: Drag the “Computer sleep” and “Display sleep” sliders, or the “Turn display off after” slider.
b. Keep your Mac from going to sleep automatically: Select “Prevent computer from sleeping automatically when the display is off.”
Here's a little more #TorahofReentry.
When will we really be joyous again, in a communal, together way? If only the Torah answered. If you were to read the New Jewish Publication Society translation of the Torah, you'd think you'd know what the phrase in Numbers 10:10, "And on your joyous occasions" refers to, because the whole verse reads:
"And on your joyous occasions—your fixed festivals and new moon days—you shall sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and your sacrifices of well-being. They shall be a reminder of you before your God: I, the LORD, am your God."
It makes it clear "joyous occasions" are fixed holidays and new moons. But the Hebrew, translating with less interpretation, says, "And on your joyous occasions, and on your fixed festivals...", making clear that the Torah has something else in mind for what joyous occasions are--and they're not Passover, Shavuot, Sukkot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Purim, Hanukkah, Rosh Chodesh, or any other Jewish holiday you have or have not heard of.
Commentators on the Torah suggest that "your joyous occasions" could refer to Shabbat or the daily offering (Sifre), but those are already fixed.
Ibn Ezra suggests they are when the Israelites return home after war victorious, which makes some sense, since the previous verse talks about sounding trumpets when you are attacked in your own land by an aggressor.
We never see what Ibn Ezra suggests actually happen in the Hebrew Bible though, points out the Netziv (Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin, the rabbi of Volozhin Yeshiva). Rather, he suggests that "joyous occasions" refers to dedicating the Mishkan or Temple or Courtyard, or any sacred space.
As I reflect on what joy will mean for me in the coming months, it's actually a combination of all of these suggestions. The resumption of regular prayer with anyone who wants to come, on weekdays, as well as every Shabbat and holiday, will be a joyous occasion. Us celebrating coming back "home" to shul, having conquered an invading enemy actually feels like a useful framing. And we have not yet had a formal dedication and opening of our new building, even though we have been using it for almost ten months. When we do, it will also be a joyous occasion.
I can't wait.
Today at noon, I'll be teaching Torah Talk (link below). We'll look at one long comment exploring the moment when Moses invites his father-in-law to stay and help guide the Israelites through the wilderness.
Tonight at 6pm, we'll have mincha and Kabbalat Shabbat on Zoom. (Link below)
Candle lighting is at 7:59pm.
Tomorrow morning we'll be streaming from the sanctuary starting at 9:30am. (Link below), and our Rabbinic Intern, Wendy Love Anderson, has some beautiful words of Torah that she'll share in a sermon.
We'll read Parashat Beha'alotecha:
Torah: Numbers 9:15-10:34
Haftarah: Zechariah 2:14-4:7
Shabbat ends at 9:03pm.
We have lots of Shabbat things happening now in person - services Shabbat mornings, Shabbat afternoons, and we'll be having two in-person Friday night services each month as well. One per month will be our family Kabbalat Shabbat service, and one will be our classic musical Kol Rinah mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat/maariv service. Check the website for dates and to sign up!
There's still lots of great (and affordable) learning available online.
Hadar is having a Summer Learning Retreat, June 13-17, all virtual, which looks amazing. The theme is: The Text Demands Interpretation”: Entering the World of Midrash. Details here: https://www.hadar.org/
JTS has weekly virtual classes this summer on the theme: "A Wandering People: Jewish Journeys, Real and Imagined." It meets on Mondays June 7-August 23 from 1-2:30pm (central). Each class is stand-alone. Details here:
https://www.jtsa.edu/events-
After Shabbat, I'll be on vacation for about the next week.
Shabbat shalom, and see you soon, I hope!
Rabbi Noah Arnow
ZOOM AND STREAMING LINKS
To join our Zoom Minyanim or classes, click on the desired meeting link, or call into either of the following numbers:
+1 312 626 6799
+1 646 558 8656
Then, when prompted, enter the Meeting ID of the desired minyan/class then press #. Then, when prompted, enter the password then press #.
Services (all times Central)
Evening Minyan on Zoom
Sunday-Friday evenings at 6pm (but not on Jewish holidays)
Morning Minyan on Zoom
Monday-Friday mornings at 7am; Sunday mornings and national holidays at 8am (not including Jewish holidays)
Learning Opportunities
Torah Talk with Rabbi Arnow or Rabbi Shafrin
Every Friday at 12pm
Join us for study and discussion of the week's Torah portion.
Shabbat morning
Saturdays, 9:30am
Click the link below, then click the triangular "play" buttom:
https://player2.streamspot.
Until shortly before 9:30am, there will a filler screen, but livestreamed video and sound will both start around 9:30am.
You can also set your computer or device in advance so that this link will continue streaming continuously and you will not have to press any buttons on Shabbat. To make sure that your device will not shut itself down or do into sleep mode, follow the directions below to disable sleep mode:
For PC:
To disable automatic Sleep:
1. Open up Power Options in the Control Panel. In Windows 10 you can get there from right clicking on the start menu and going to Power Options
2. Click "change plan settings" next to your current power plan
3. Change "Put the computer to sleep" to never
4. Click "Save Changes"
For Apple Products:
1. On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click "Energy Saver."
2. Do either of the following:
a. Set the amount of time your computer or display should wait before going to sleep: Drag the “Computer sleep” and “Display sleep” sliders, or the “Turn display off after” slider.
b. Keep your Mac from going to sleep automatically: Select “Prevent computer from sleeping automatically when the display is off.”
Mon, May 5 2025
7 Iyyar 5785
MISSION: Create a welcoming community that embraces Torah, meaningful worship, lifelong learning, music, Israel, and tikkun olam, guided by the tenets of Conservative Judaism.
Find it at Kol Rinah
Reserve/Purchase
Call the Office to Sponsor a Kiddush
Weekday Services
Minyans on Zoom:
Mornings- M, T, W, F 7am & Sun 8am.
Evenings- Sun-Th 6pm.
Log in to view the Zoom Links page.
Thursday mornings 7am are in-person only.
Office Hours
Monday – Thursday 9am to 5pm
Friday 9am – 3pm
Phone: 314-727-1747
Friday 9am – 3pm
Phone: 314-727-1747
Mon, May 5 2025 7 Iyyar 5785