Beth El of Manhattan, Two-Testament Synagogue

Rabbi Bruce L. Cohen
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  • JUDAISM
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Rabbi Bruce L. Cohen’s sermons at Congregation Beth El of Manhattan – an unaffiliated Conservative Synagogue of "Two-Testament" Judaism in the Upper East Side of New York City – where Jewish people and “People of Calling” (not born Jewish), and Interfaith couples come together in Manhattan since 1993 to observe, connect, and celebrate. For more information, please visit us online at www.bethelnyc.org or an Facebook.

  1. 6D AGO

    Love & Love ... And Love

    This week's Torah portion "Mishpatim" contains an exquisite rhapsody on resisting the very human urge to attack and exploit weakness. It takes us to sublime understanding of Love Of and For God, and Love Of and For Humankind. We dive in with zeal to understand the heart of God and nature of moral truth expressed by these laws of compassion and mercy, and the commentary of the New Testament upon them.

    29 min

  2. FEB 7

    God Ideas vs. Good Ideas

    Revelation from God interferes with things coming naturally to humans: hurtful or wrongful deeds we often reflexively do. The 10 Commandments go to the heart of how God "sent His Word and healed" us. Our Parent in Heaven teaches us how to rein in our instincts and be "good people," just as any good parents teach their children. Yet, Scripture does far more than offer "good" ideas. It offers "God Ideas." Certainties certain enough to be values upon which we are invited/called-upon to "bet our all." "All in" on rightful living "here" - and eternal life "there." Enjoy!

    23 min

  3. JAN 31

    Saved To The Uttermost (on "Shabbat Shirah")

    In this parasha Beshalach on "Shabbat Shirah" – "The (Red Sea rescue) Song-Shabbat" – we hear sung, "And you have become my salvation." This salvation/rescue is not some meager, just-barely-effective deflection of the sabotages of God's Adversary (Ha-Sa-táhn). It is the UTTERMOST "rescue" God can provide, leaving BOTH our Free-Will and His Sovereign Will honorably intact. Not "meager" - but "to the uttermost" we are saved. We explore this together now. Shalom!

    27 min

  4. JAN 17

    Becoming A Marvel

    In this week's Torah portion we see the Exodus from Egypt being accomplished with miracles involved in the process. The words used for what God did were "Otot" (signs) and "Mof'téem" (marvels). In Psalm 71, the writer says, "I have become a 'marvel." ("Mo-fétt" singular of "Mof-téem.") How exactly does a *person* become a "marvel?"

    27 min

  5. JAN 10

    The Name Above Every Name

    What does it mean that we have been given awareness of, access to, use of, and right to "stand within" The Name Above Every Name? The name of Yeshua The Messiah. We steep ourselves in His Name in this message. Enjoy!

    34 min

  6. JAN 3

    And They All Lived Happily Ever After

    The Haftarah with this week's Torah portion "VaYechi," closing out the book of Genesis, shows King David at the end of his life cleaning up loose ends and passing the baton to his son, Solomon. It is not a one-dimensional story of "happily ever after." It is a balanced story of fulfillments, disappointments, enjoyable blessings to pour out, and unpleasant-but-necessary justice & statecraft to put into action. King David rises off his death bed to put his last efforts into right outcomes after his passing. A very balancing read.

    26 min

  7. 12/06/2025

    Mercy Is The Air We Breathe

    God's very Name in which we are told to trust (Isaiah 50:10) is "Rakhum V'Chanun" – Compassionate & Merciful. We see the traits in this Name surface especially clearly in moments of high chaos like this week's Parasha in which Jacob returns to Beth El, and his name is changed to "Israel" after he wrestles for his rightful destiny with passionate endurance.

    27 min

  8. 11/22/2025

    Dysfunction Junction

    How do we go about rightly being fallible Human Mortals following and effectively accessing the Perfect God among Imperfect Humans in A Stormy and Unsafe Universe? This sermon "gropes for truth" as to these questions through the powerfully unvarnished and candid Patriarchal Narratives of Genesis.

    20 min
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About

Rabbi Bruce L. Cohen’s sermons at Congregation Beth El of Manhattan – an unaffiliated Conservative Synagogue of "Two-Testament" Judaism in the Upper East Side of New York City – where Jewish people and “People of Calling” (not born Jewish), and Interfaith couples come together in Manhattan since 1993 to observe, connect, and celebrate. For more information, please visit us online at www.bethelnyc.org or an Facebook.

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