Shabbat Shalom, Beth Torah!
Saturday | 9:30 a.m.
We are delighted to be open and holding Shabbat morning services onsite. Please join us, no registration is necessary.
Those unable to attend in person are invited to join us online for our livestreamed services.
Shabbat Info
Friday, February 21 | Shevat 23, 5785
5:38 p.m. Light Shabbat candles
Saturday, February 22 | Shevat 24, 5785
9:30 a.m. Shabbat Morning Service
6:41 p.m. Shabbat ends
Parshat – Mishpatim
Torah Reading
Exodus 21:1 – 24:18
Parshat Mishpatim Insights
וַיָּבֹ֣א מֹשֶׁ֗ה וַיְסַפֵּ֤ר לָעָם֙ אֵ֚ת כׇּל־דִּבְרֵ֣י ה״ וְאֵ֖ת כׇּל־הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֑ים וַיַּ֨עַן כׇּל־הָעָ֜ם ק֤וֹל אֶחָד֙ וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ כׇּל־הַדְּבָרִ֛ים אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר ה״ נַעֲשֶֽׂה…. וַיִּקַּח֙ סֵ֣פֶר הַבְּרִ֔ית וַיִּקְרָ֖א בְּאׇזְנֵ֣י הָעָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה נַעֲשֶׂ֥ה וְנִשְׁמָֽע
Moshe went and repeated to the people all Adonai’s words and all the laws, and all the people answered with one voice, saying, “All the things that Adonai has commanded we will do…. Then he took the record of the covenant and read it aloud to the people. And they said, “All that Adonai has spoken we will do and we will understand.” (Shemot 24:3,7)
Shabbat will mark 505 days since October 7, 2023. Among those taken hostage was Agam Berger, the young woman who braided the hair of other women before they were released, the young woman about whom the others said she was a source of strength and support. In captivity, Agam found her strength through active faith. She refused to eat meat or to cook for her captors on Shabbat, even in the face of threats. She even convinced one of her captors to give her a siddur. From freed hostages, we’ve learned that Omer Shem Tov, scheduled to be released this Shabbat, began to keep Shabbat and make Kiddush in captivity.
Agam’s mother, Merav said, “Agam was kidnapped because she is Jewish. Be more Jewish.”
Midrash teaches that God went to many people in the world to offer the Torah. Each time the people asked, “Tell us what’s in it before we agree.” Then, God came to the Israelites. “Will you accept My Torah,” asked God. “Na’aseh v’nishma; we will do and we will understand,” answered the Israelites.
This past Shabbat, we stood for the reading of the Aseret Dibrot, commonly called The Ten Commandments. We reenacted our acceptance of the covenant with God and the responsibilities that come with it. This week, Parashat Mishpatim continues the sharing of God’s laws. With this, the Israelites repeat their statement, “All the things that Adonai has commanded we will do…. “All that Adonai has spoken we will do and we will understand.”
Next Shabbat will be our Intergenerational Rosh Hodesh Adar. משנכנס אדר מרבין בשמחה. When Adar begins, our joy increases. Our hostages are not all home. Stages two and three of the hostage release still need to be negotiated. It feels helpless, but there IS something we can do. We can be more Jewish. We can take on a mitzvah in honour of Agam and Omer and all the hostages. Over time we can come to understand better the joy of observing mitzvot. We can be more Jewish for our families and our community. We can increase our pride in our identity. And through this we can make a difference.
If you’d like to add a mitzvah into your life, and aren’t sure what to do, please contact me, [email protected].
Shabbat Shalom,
Rav Jen
Kiddush Sponsor
This weeks kiddush is sponsored by: Mark Krantzberg and Iris Rosenbluth to honour the upcoming Yarzheits of Julius Krantzberg and Anette Rosenbluth.
Condolences
Condolences to Susan, Darren and Adam Marr on the loss of her husband and their father, Gloria and Jerry (z”l) Groberman on the loss of their son-in-law, and Rhonda and Adrian Feigelsohn on the loss of their brother-in-law, Samuel (Sam) Marr.
Weekly Yahrzeit Listings
Week of February 22nd Yahrzeit Listings
Rebecca Kaftalovich, Mother of Mark Kaftalovich, mother-in-law of Judy Kaftalovich, February
22, 2025.
Susan Carol Bain, Sister of Ellen Cohen and Paul Bain, sister-in-law of Ronald Cohen and
Shawna Perlin, February 24, 2025.
Henry (Hank) Comm, Father of Sheri Fisher, father-in-law of Harold Fisher, February 24,
2025.
Abraham Treibitsch, Grandfather of Marni Hefner, February 24, 2025.
Annette Rose, Sister of Patricia Epstein, aunt of Nathaniel Epstein, February 25, 2025.
Beatrice Zelcer, Aunt of Jack Greenberg, February 25, 2025.
Dr. Samuel K. Kay, Father of Rex and Guy Kay, father-in-law of Johanna and Laura Kay,
February 26, 2025.
Moshe Benzaquen, Father of Rebecca Abrams, father-in-law of Maria Kathia Soikes, February
28, 2025.