It’s been a busy week at TJE! From facility upgrades and a brand-new piece of technology to Wine & Cheese Gala calls and the start of Clean Speech Colorado filming, there’s a lot happening behind the scenes. Here’s a peek at what we’ve been up to this week!
A man went to visit a friend and was amazed to find him sitting at the table playing chess with his dog.
He stopped in the doorway and watched in absolute astonishment. The dog was sitting upright in a chair, studying the board, moving pieces with his paw, and apparently making some pretty good moves.
After a few minutes, the visitor couldn’t contain himself.
We are introduced to a very complex parsha of the corpse found between two cities. A measurement is done and the closest city is considered liable for the death of the individual. That of course in of itself is an interesting point to reflect upon but beyond that the end of the parsha has a very fascinating twist.
Two old friends, Isaac and Shmuel, are sitting across from each other in a cramped train compartment on the long ride from New York to Chicago.
For the first hour, neither says a word.
The second hour passes. Still, silence.
By the third hour, Shmuel finally looks out the window, shakes his head sadly, and lets out a deep, world-weary sigh.
“Oy…”
The end of the parsha deals with animals that we are prohibited to consume. The commentators intertwine the theme of sanctity which defines the nation with the ban against those forbidden animals. Nachmonides and others explain that the essence of the proscribed animals is antithesis to the very nature of the Jewish people.
Jewish Joke of the Week: Cholent Wisdom
A young bride decides to make her very first cholent for her new husband. Wanting to get it just right, she calls her mother for the family recipe.
Her mother says, “It’s easy. Potatoes, meat, beans, barley, spices… and right before you put it in the oven on Friday afternoon, cut exactly two inches off the meat bone and throw it away.”
The mitzvah to thank Hashem after a meal, specifically one of bread, is mentioned in the parsha. However, the context of this mitzvah is very puzzling. Obviously, one must thank Hashem for the meal that he has just enjoyed. But the language used in the Torah does not emphasize that theme.
This Week in Pictures: Clean Speech & Tisha B’Av It was a meaningful week across The Jewish Experience as our community came together for learning, reflection, and conversation. From observing Tisha B’Av with our Olami Denver community to another engaging evening of Clean Speech Dialogues, we’re grateful to everyone who joined us. Take a look…
Moshe provides a glimpse of the future challenges that the nation will engage. Idol worship will entice them and some will indeed fall prey to the falsehoods of emptiness that appear to be real and existent. Of course, eventually the people will awaken to their massive error and return to Hashem after many years of futility and vacuity.
We often don’t assess well the results of our decisions. Being short-sighted is a problem which can lead to long term disastrous consequences. Perhaps that is a lesson to be learned from the destruction of the two Batei Mikdash that occurred on Tisha B’av.