Shabbat Shalom GRJC

Weekly Emails to the Congregation

Parshat Metzora 2007

Shabbat Shalom to the GRJC family,

Tonight we light candles at 7:23 PM.  Tomorrow, Shabbat will end at 8:26 PM.  Services begin tonight at 8 PM and tomorrow morning at 9 AM. 

Today is the 17^th day of the counting of the Omer.

At services tonight and tomorrow morning we will have moments of prayer and reflection on the recent tragedy at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.

This is also Volunteer Shabbat, a UJA inspired event in which congregations all over the area will be recognizing volunteers and the volunteer spirit in many different ways.  Join us on Saturday morning as we participate in this event.

Saturday morning we will also be dedicating the Rabbi’s Study in honor of Samuel Paige. 

This Shabbat we read from the end of parshat Metzora in Sefer Vayikra, the Book of Leviticus.  Fans of “Grey’s Anatomy”, “ER”, and “CSI” will enjoy reading through this section that appears as a quasi-medical and investigative exploration of tzara’at:  both a mold/fungus that appears on building materials as well as a skin disease on human beings.(See Leviticus 14 and 15)

Instead of doctors or crime-scene investigators, the Torah charges the kohen, the priest, with the job of both discovering and diagnosing this condition and also treating it.  For the tzara’at in a building, the kohen first closed up the house for one week, and then revisited it at the end of that week.  If the tzara’at spread, then the “infected” stones were to be taken out, and the rest of the interior scraped down to remove the remaining “infected” material.  For a human being, the individual was separated from the camp and then the kohen helped him or her to begin a ritual of purification including sacrifices, bathing oneself, and washing all clothing.  After completion of the ritual, the individual could reenter the Israelite’s camp in the desert.

This portion reminds us first that the Torah is not only a collection of stories about the history of the Israelites.  It is also a document that teaches us about the real life of the people.  Also, it helps us to remember that we must try our best to bring a marginalized person, like the one infected with tzara’at in our parasha, back into the fold. 

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

1. Adult Education – Join us Sunday evening at 7 PM for a lesson and discussion on Jewish end-of-life issues including burial and mourning rituals.  Learn about the background and practice of the traditions.

2. Save the Date—Saturday, April 28th, 8:30 AM, Breakfast and Torah study with Rabbi Tow before services. 

3. Save the Date— “Heritage Day”:  Sunday April 29th, 1-4 PM at the Ridgewood High School Campus Center.  Representatives will share the richness of more than 30 countries and ethnic backgrounds of Glen Rock and Ridgewood.  There will be an Israeli table staffed by Israeli members of Temple Israel and the GRJC.  Sponsored by the Community Relations Advisory Board of Ridgewood and Glen Rock. 

4. Save the Date—Monday evening, May 21st, 7:30-9 at St. Catherine’s Church in Glen Rock:  The Religious Communities of Glen Rock present “WAGING A LIVING” a film that looks at America’s working poor highlighting four individuals as they strive for their piece of the American Dream.  Join us for this important event in connection with Glen Rock Poverty Awareness Week.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Tow    

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