The Torah reading this week ….

The Torah reading this week is from Genesis 19:1-20:18, called “Vayera,” “[he] appeared.” This section of the Triennial Cycle is the account of the two messengers that visit Lot and his family in S’dom to warn them that they must flee the city before the impending destruction of S’dom and Gemarrah. Lot’s wife disobeys the command to “not look back” and is turned into a pillar of salt. Lot and his two daughters believe that they must be the sole survivors on earth and the daughters devise a plan to get their father drunk and seduce him and become pregnant so that there will be future generations. Those future generations become the Moabite and Ammonite tribes. Rabbi Galit Shirah conducts a weekday Ma’ariv service every Thursday for Sim Shalom, the online synagogue. Sim Shalom has livestream services Monday-Thursday, with a different rabbi each day. To say Kaddish, pray for healing and hear a spiritual message, go to SimShalom.com.

Rabbi Galit Shirah’s Zoom classes will resume this month after Election Day. Prayerbook and Modern Hebrew classes are currently available, and a Talmud class is being planned. For information, contact the Rabbi at (562) 715-0888 or duets@icloud.com.