Beth El of Manhattan, Two-Testament Synagogue Rabbi Bruce L. Cohen

The Jewish People, and all God-following Two-Testament Believers, have gone through many seasons of history during which "big" problems – like being enslaved, being in exile, being exploited, or hated, or hunted, or blamed en masse - have gone unsolved by prayer and the "arrival" of God's "mighty hand and outstretched arm for years, decades, or centuries – and yet, within their personal capsules of community and context, God-followers are being met by God and led by Him, and having their prayers for smaller scale in their immediate sphere answered. How are we Believers supposed to navigate such seasons? We study this.

From the Haftarah paired with the Torah portion, "Behar," we look at the idea of how things can be rightly counted, and how God and people can rightly be counted upon. This focus was propelled by the Counting Of The Omer leading to Shavuot.

In this week's Torah portion, the "Eternal Lamp" is described, that hangs over synagogue altars all over the world. It is a "God Idea." It came from God and was transmitted to humans to manufacture. This is a massively different thing than human beings making up religious ideas or practices, and naming them to be from, or of, God. We will ponder this through the modern lens of "Virtue-Signaling."

In our era, it is tempting to retreat from the storm-tossed world into a faith-life that is meditative, contemplative, and sealed off. Is this essentially monastic life God's goal for us in regard to "holiness?" Or – is the goal of contemplation the development of right views leading to the kind of rightful agency in the real world we call "doing justice?" We explore from the Haftarah this week affixed to the Torah portion, "Kedoshim.".

In this parasha we see Moses crying out for true comradeship in his calling and journey - while already well into the journey, and already surrounded by people. He cries out for real, deep connection - to people - and to God's direct presence. What is the meaning of these outcries from a man already deeply into God's Presence and already surrounded by family and 'friends?'

This week's parasha is entitled, "Metzora" – The Leper. As it worked out, our rabbi was away this weekend, and one of the synagogue's pulpit leaders happens to be ... a dermatologist! :-) It seemed ideal serendipity. So - here is Dr. Sherry Shieh-Poticha, MD - dermatologist - teaching on the Torah portion with the title of a skin-disease: "Metzora" / The Leper. May it all be for shalom!