Shabbat Shalom Message

Shabbat Shalom – 2/4/2012

By admin - Sunday, February 5th, 2012

 Candlelighting for
Friday, February 3, 2012 • 5:41 pm

• Our Portion for the Week •

BESHALAH – EXODUS 13:17 – 17:16
In this portion we follow the Israelites' journey to the Red Sea, where they find themselves trapped by pursuing Egyptian forces. God effects the miraculous crossing of the sea and the destruction of the Egyptians, and the Israelites rejoice, singing the "Song of the Sea". The journey to Sinai may now be resumed, but three challenges are immediately encountered. The people complain that they have no bread. In response, God provides the manna and gives directions for gathering it during the week and for the Sabbath. They further complain that they have no water, and God provides it from a rock. Finally, when the people are attacked by the Amalekites, Joshua leads a band of soldiers who defeat the attackers while Moses holds up the staff of God to encourage the Israelites. These incidents all serve to highlight the difficulty of transforming slaves into free men, who can rely on God yet act on their own behalf.

• Our Question for the Week •

Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her in dance with timbrels."
(Exodus 15:20)
Are women more religious than men? In what way? Are men and women religious in different ways? Is gender a helpful distinction in thinking about Jewish belief and practice? Do we have a "boy crisis"? Is it possible to make such broad-stroke statements?
Over the last 25 years the overwhelming majority of Conservative congregations have become egalitarian. Some people have suggested that there is no longer a place in the Conservative movement for non-egalitarian congregations. What do you think? How do you understand a movement in which some congregations are led by female rabbis and cantors while others forbid or limit women's participation in ritual?