It is basic human "hardwiring" to weave stories giving us a sense of safety, starting as children believing our parents to be all-wise and all-powerful - thus creating a sense of perfect safety. This natural instinct both SERVES and HARMS us. How do God-followers & truth-seekers escape this trap, when we are commanded to "speak truth in our hearts" and "cease lying, and speak (only) truth to one-another" as Scripture clearly directs us? "The truth," Messiah taught us, "will make us free." Le...
Jun 11, 2021•32 min
This week's parasha contains the source of our Manhattan synagogue's logo since 1993: the image of Joshua & Caleb bringing back the "eshkol" – the huge cluster of fruit of The Land; and in our logo, the central fruit has a Jewish star embedded in it. The symbol is of 2 people out of 10 who "got it." They had the clarity, the courage, and the trust in God to GO TO where God wanted them, and DO WITH VIGOR what God wanted them to do – despite the risks involved. This from-the-heart idea is shar...
Jun 04, 2021•39 min
We explore via the commandment in this portion to the Levites, that they be "cleansed for fitness to serve God," and Peter the Shaliakh's mandate that to be healthy spiritually, our godly qualities must grow, not stagnate ... we celebrate Asian Jewishness in our synagogue and the world at large - and the multiracial nature of both the Jewish nation and all humankind. In age of increased "Othering" - we seek to "give effort to the spirit of unity and the bond of peace," as Paul exhorted us in Eph...
May 28, 2021•30 min
God is a Person. He cannot only be "known about," but "known." Far too many "Believers" relate to God as if relating to or liking ideas about Him is the same thing as the "knowing God" Scripture holds forth as necessary. This sermon explores the two primary ways God communicates with human beings interested in being governed by Truth. (There a bonus at the end: a song based on Psalm 95 called "Ki El Gadol Adonai" (A Great God Is The Lord) from a Jerusalem worship band we have been featuring in o...
May 21, 2021•36 min
Peace in The Middle East? Really? With 3000 rockets fired by Hamas from Gaza onto Israel – and things heating up again for the nth time in memory - is there ANY GENUINE HOPE for peace between Israel and the hundreds of millions of Arabs surrounding her, and living inside her borders? Thank God, the answer is YES – a long future of peace is FORETOLD in the Scriptures - and we will look at those encouraging passages and precepts in this sermon.
May 14, 2021•25 min
The Rabbi gives a from-the-heart sermon for Mothers' Day 2021, having grown up without his mother from 18 months old. What the presence of a mother means, as learned by living in the absence of one; and living the New Testament triumph over bad experiences, as spoken in advance by the prophet Jeremiah (31:29-30), "In this New Testament (covenant), no longer will it be said, 'The parents ate sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge; but in this New Testament (covenant), everyone deal...
May 07, 2021•26 min
The Haftarah's injunction that the priesthood actively teach the people of Israel the difference between holy and ordinary, pure and tainted, is explored for the positive effects of understanding these differences, and the consequences of ignoring them.
Apr 30, 2021•29 min
Centering in on this caveat in Proverbs 21:30: "There is no 'wisdom' and no 'understanding' and no 'counsel' against the Lord" –– making sure we fulfill the "Shema" (hear/obey) by making sure we ask – and then wait for a clear answer. "You do not have because you do not ask." vs. "Ask, and you shall receive, seek, and you shall find." King David's model after the raid on Ziklag, making sure he asked God for God's counsel before doing what seemed the natural choice. (1Sam. 30:8)
Apr 23, 2021•24 min
This week's Haftarah, starting with a group of lepers thinking through their situation for maximum benefit, takes us into ways our minds work on the human and spiritual levels. We explore reason, faith, and courage/boldness applied in the real world - especially when we are facing an "impossible" situation – which is often, merely a bad forecast coming to us first out of the gate.
Apr 16, 2021•30 min
The sources of authentic joy and, identifying and avoiding its placebos. How to recover lost joy and how to avoid the traps of false comforts.
Apr 09, 2021•35 min
The 2nd Sermon in 2021 by Rabbi Bruce L. Cohen via "Zoom" at Congregation Beit Ariel of Cape Town, South Africa. There are 7000 Jewish people remaining in Western Cape – and they have inherited the false idea in Passover that "afikomen" is a Hebrew word for "dessert" – when it is actually a Greek word meaning "I arrived." So – WHO ARRIVED - AND WHEN? And WHY do we remember that arrival EVERY Passover? What is THE TRUTH? And how can all our Jewish people scattered across the earth be moved to fac...
Apr 02, 2021•30 min
"Returning" is the heart and soul of the historical moment in which we all live. From the time of Deuteronomy until now, God has been speaking about our exiles and our returns – from Himself, from our Land – from our very selves. This sermon is a mediation on the Haftarah's question this week "How shall we return?"
Mar 26, 2021•30 min
How to be "spiritual" when the situation you face makes you feel inadequate, "on empty," and bankrupt of sufficiency. Where the "sufficiency" comes from ... and how.
Mar 19, 2021•30 min
How genuine interaction with God, and cooperation with his rightful place as Ruler of The Universe ("Adon Olam") translates into rescue – salvation – "Yeshua" – in this life and the next.
Mar 12, 2021•23 min
The difference between your active connection to God radiating and changing people – and – merely being religious, with no God-connection radiating anything. Core idea from this week's parasha, when Moses descended from Mt. Sinai after being in God's Presence - and his face beamed.
Mar 05, 2021•27 min
A heartfelt outpouring via "Zoom" from our Rabbi in New York City, who, from 1986 to the year 2000, as an official "shaliakh" (envoy) of the MJAA - Messianic Jewish Alliance of America's "International Outreach Committee to Israel, South Africa, and Russia, became a vigorous participant the founding of, and life of, this synagogue of Two-Testament Judaism at one of "the ends of the earth." (See Deuteronomy 30:1-6)
Feb 19, 2021•40 min
Parashat Mishmpatim orah: Exodus 21:1 - 24:18 7th aliyah: Numbers 28:9 - 28:15 | Shabbat Shekalim (on Rosh Chodesh) Maftir: Exodus 30:11 - 30:16 | Shabbat Shekalim (on Rosh Chodesh) Haftarah: II Kings 12:1 - 12:17 | Shabbat Shekalim (on Rosh Chodesh)
Feb 12, 2021•37 min
Parashat Yitro: Torah: Exodus 18:1 - 20:23 Haftarah: Isaiah 6:1 - 7:6; 9:5 - 9:6
Feb 05, 2021•27 min
Torah: Exodus 13:17 - 17:16 Haftarah: Judges 4:4 - 5:31
Jan 29, 2021•46 min
Parashat Bo Torah: Exodus 10:1 - 13:16 Haftarah: Jeremiah 46:13 - 46:28
Jan 22, 2021•41 min
Parashat Vaera Torah: Exodus 6:2 - 9:35 Haftarah: Ezekiel 28:25 - 29:21
Jan 15, 2021•31 min
Parashat Shemot Torah: Exodus 1:1 - 6:1 Haftarah: Isaiah 27:6 - 28:13; 29:22 - 29:23
Jan 08, 2021•34 min
Prashat Vayechi Torah: Genesis 47:28 - 50:26 Haftarah: I Kings 2:1 - 2:12
Jan 01, 2021•37 min
Parashat Vayigash Torah: Genesis 44:18 - 47:27 Haftarah: Ezekiel 37:15 - 37:28
Dec 25, 2020•28 min
Parashat Miketz Torah: Genesis 41:1 - 44:17 Haftarah: I Kings 3:15 - 4:1
Dec 18, 2020•27 min
Dec 11, 2020•26 min
Torah: Genesis 32:4 - 36:43 Haftarah: Obadiah 1:1 - 1:21
Dec 04, 2020•23 min
Torah: Genesis 28:10 - 32:3 Haftarah: Hosea 12:13 - 14:10
Nov 27, 2020•38 min
Parashat Toldot Torah: Genesis 25:19 - 28:9 Haftarah: Malachi 1:1 - 2:7
Nov 20, 2020•29 min
Chayei Sarah: Torah: Genesis 23:1 - 25:18 Haftarah: I Kings 1:1 - 1:31
Nov 13, 2020•32 min
