Beit HaLev
Beit HaLev’s Coffee Chavurah on Zoom will celebrate the Sabbath evening on Friday, Jan. 8, at 5:30, followed by the evening service at 6. The morning service on Saturday, Jan. 9, begins at 10:30, followed by the Coffee Chavurah.
To join on Zoom, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9152434704?p wd=THJGTE1OUXI5VXFDTWtuZHF4K3VxUT09. The meeting ID is 915 243 4704 , and the passcode is RavGalit.
Beit HaLev continues to livestream on Facebook as well. To attend, go to Rabbi Galit Shirah’s website at Facebook.com/galityomtov.
Beit HaLev’s prayerbooks, “Lev L’Lev,” are shared onscreen on both Zoom and Facebook.
“Va’era” (I [HaShem] appeared) begins with God explaining that the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, knew HaShem as “El Shaddai.” According to “The Torah: A Woman’s Commentary,” El Shaddai is a complex title loosely meaning “God of the Mountain.” The root of the word also is shared by the root of the word for “breast,” expressing a more nurturing aspect of the Omnipotent. In this week’s Torah reading, Moses and Aaron begin their plea for Pharaoh to allow the Israelite slaves to go free, and each time Pharaoh rejects them, and a series of plagues befall Egypt, each one more devastating than the next.
Rabbi Galit Shirah conducts a Ma’ariv service every Thursday for Sim Shalom, the online synagogue. Sim Shalom presents livestream services Monday-Thursday, with a different rabbi each day. To say Kaddish, pray for healing and to hear a spiritual message, go to SimShalom.com.
Zoom classes for Beginning Hebrew and Pirke Avot will begin soon. For information, contact the Rabbi at (562) 715-0888 or duets@icloud.com.