Sophomore (Wise & Foolish)
The path of God-following offers us guidance at times seeming supremely wise, and at other times, outright folly. How shall we find our way forward with such polar opposites of possibility?
Sep 14, 2024•30 min
Beth El of Manhattan, Two-Testament Synagogue
Rabbi Bruce L. Cohen’s sermons at Congregation Beth El of Manhattan – an unaffiliated Conservative Synagogue of "Two-Testament" Judaism in the Upper East Side of New York City – where Jewish people and “People of Calling” (not born Jewish), and Interfaith couples come together in Manhattan since 1993 to observe, connect, and celebrate. For more information, please visit us online at www.bethelnyc.org or an Facebook.
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Episodes
Yashar - Right In God's Sight
The ritual at the end of this Parasha ends with a statement of the impact of "doing what is 'yashar' in the sight of God." Yeshua our Messiah taught us often, saying, "The kingship/dom of God is like ..." followed by a parable to open up how God's reign "works" in the real world. We use these Scriptures and others to open the idea of seeking God's view of what is "yashar" in any given situation.
Sep 07, 2024•20 min
To See or Not To See
In this week;'s Torah parasha, "Re'eh" – are commanded to see. This by the God who made us capable of "scotoma" - the willful blanking out of relevant ideas and rational thought leading to healthy conclusions, and replacing them with ill-formed prejudices, gaslighting, and other unhealthy psycho-gymnastics. What is a human-being trying to find and walk in truth to do?
Aug 31, 2024•34 min
Are We Hearing When God Calls?
Parashat "Ekev" - a study in the nature of, and results from, hearing God, when He calls to each of us.
Aug 24, 2024•22 min
The Greatest Comfort Of All
It is natural for human beings to seek comfort: relief from stress, or healing from harm. In this, as with all human appetites, we are prone to both accuracy and error. CAN genuine comfort be found? And if so, WHERE? What IS it? WHAT does it feel and look like? What placebos try to replace it? This week's parasha "V'Etchanen" and its Haftarah (from which the Shabbat's title, "Nachamu" derives) propel us to explore these ideas.
Aug 17, 2024•24 min
Life DURING Strife
Essentially, this sermon is about living during season of history when shalom is in short supply. In an era of conflict, how do we, as believe ... live, and do more than just survive? How do we love, enjoy life, do meaningful work that brings us personal satisfaction ...? All these, during times of crisis or war? We explore.
Aug 10, 2024•40 min
Now Is All We Have
This week's Haftarah shows how far into folly we humans can go when we invent "religion" from of our own ideas. How do we avoid falling into the traps of false religion, and end up with genuine "revelation" – knowledge or direction from On High?
Aug 03, 2024•27 min
A Soothing Aroma To The Lord
The central concept in this week's parasha is rightful "zeal," as demonstrated by Pinchas ben Eliezer. We look this week at such zeal in modern Zionism - in Hemda Ben Yehuda, the 2nd wife of Eliezer ben Yehuda, and partner in the resurrection of the Hebrew language, whose unpublished autobiography of the life she and her husband lived for the sake of their work was, "The War With Satan" – clearly, not a tale of life in any kind of Disneyland. A tale of unflinching commitment. Zeal.
Jul 27, 2024•27 min
Dewdrops & Lions
From the Haftarah for "Balak" (Micah 5:6-8) - a stunning portrait of Israel's sojourn in Exile, easy to read past because of the poetry within which it is expressed; and the uneasy subject of human jealousy as it influences Antisemitism and other behavior from ancient times up to the present day. We dive in - deep.
Jul 20, 2024•31 min
Facing A Magnified Challenge
After our People lived 430 years next to the Nile River - a four thousand mile source of always-flowing fresh, drinkable water -God led us into a terrifying desert: "The Tzin Wilderness." It was a landscape appearing void of water, food, and safety. Then, Miriam the prophetess died, so our leadership team was down from 3 to 2. Our People were being tested to the limit of their endurance. What can we learn from the Torah's record of this season in our history? A great deal, indeed. Let's dig in....
Jul 13, 2024•19 min
Research Me
In this week's Torah portion, we see the standard for genuine spirituality set - Aaron's almond branch budded: the only one to do so among all the tribes; and this singular token, God directs to be put "on watch" in the Tabernacle, to quench the complaints of the "B'nai Mey-ri" (sons of rebellion). We are directed to the immense importance of genuine truth-seeking vs. self-exaltation by outwardly "noble" appearing conduct, as the rebel Korah displayed it. The difference is profoundly worthy of s...
Jul 06, 2024•18 min
High Treason ... In A Good Way! :-)
Directly inspired from this week's Haftarah in Joshua 2 in the story of Rahab. The Founders of The United States of America chose to separate themselves from the greatest military power on earth - and on this date in 1776, openly published why. The courage and clarity it took to choose this "treasonous" path is an inspiration to every generation since - and was quoted by Golda Meir on 14 May 1948 after she had signed the Israeli Declaration of Independence! Let's feast on this concept on this 4t...
Jun 29, 2024•39 min
When God Declares His Intentions (And Shows Up)
God says in this week's HAftarah, "I'm arriving now ... and here's what will happen as a result." We explore what this Haftarah opens up about the reality of God's שְׁכִינָה "Shechi'nah" - his manifest, dwelling Presence, which the Messiah Yeshua's atoning sacrifice made available to us without our judicial debt of sin before God blocking the way.
Jun 22, 2024•49 min
Accepting Our Assignment
The Gershonites were given a dismaying assignment by God in this parasha: the exact same kind of labor they did as slaves back in Egypt. We never read of one word of complaint from the Gershonim ... how did they do it? How did they accept their assignment from God in a "good spirit?" The Kibbutz Mentality, as expressed in this sermon, is a clarity as to VALUE: "A community of THIS kind MUST rise HERE." All focused action follows such clarity.
Jun 15, 2024•45 min
When The Desert Is Moving Toward You
In this parasha, we read "in the wilderness of Sinai." We were taken into the desert. But ... what about when God allows the desert to close in on us?
Jun 08, 2024•49 min
No Big Prayers Answered, Only Little Ones
The Jewish People, and all God-following Two-Testament Believers, have gone through many seasons of history during which "big" problems – like being enslaved, being in exile, being exploited, or hated, or hunted, or blamed en masse - have gone unsolved by prayer and the "arrival" of God's "mighty hand and outstretched arm for years, decades, or centuries – and yet, within their personal capsules of community and context, God-followers are being met by God and led by Him, and having their prayers...
Jun 01, 2024•31 min
Counting - And Counting On
From the Haftarah paired with the Torah portion, "Behar," we look at the idea of how things can be rightly counted, and how God and people can rightly be counted upon. This focus was propelled by the Counting Of The Omer leading to Shavuot.
May 25, 2024•42 min
The Always Candle
In this week's Torah portion, the "Eternal Lamp" is described, that hangs over synagogue altars all over the world. It is a "God Idea." It came from God and was transmitted to humans to manufacture. This is a massively different thing than human beings making up religious ideas or practices, and naming them to be from, or of, God. We will ponder this through the modern lens of "Virtue-Signaling."
May 18, 2024•40 min
With God And The 'Right' People
In this parasha we see Moses crying out for true comradeship in his calling and journey - while already well into the journey, and already surrounded by people. He cries out for real, deep connection - to people - and to God's direct presence. What is the meaning of these outcries from a man already deeply into God's Presence and already surrounded by family and 'friends?'
Apr 27, 2024•31 min
A Dermatologist On Leprosy - and More
This week's parasha is entitled, "Metzora" – The Leper. As it worked out, our rabbi was away this weekend, and one of the synagogue's pulpit leaders happens to be ... a dermatologist! :-) It seemed ideal serendipity. So - here is Dr. Sherry Shieh-Poticha, MD - dermatologist - teaching on the Torah portion with the title of a skin-disease: "Metzora" / The Leper. May it all be for shalom!
Apr 20, 2024•27 min
"The Kindness and Severity of God"
In the Haftarah paired with this week's parasha "Tazria," we see two stories of apparently opposite behavior by the prophet, Elisha (the successor of Elijah). A very "relaxed" standard toward a certain instance of idol worship by Naaman, followed by a very severe standard his servant Gehazi when he sought to enrich himself. If we read deeply, we find clear reasons for the vast difference in kindness vs. severity.
Apr 13, 2024•44 min
Be Ready (Guest Speaker Scott Poticha)
[Guest Speaker, Scott Poticha] In this week's parasha, "Shmini," a great day for Israel is followed instantly by a tragic one. At other times in Scripture, a terrible day turns into a great one. How do we navigate as Believers in a life that can so suddenly vary this much? We ponder this, especially in light of the October 7th Hamas Pogrom against Israel.
Apr 06, 2024•38 min
Purim: The Beauty and Necessity Of Heroism
The old song goes, "In every age, a hero or sage comes to our aid." Why? Because we need them! Let's explore having the clarity to see what is needed in our era, and rise to do it! Kadima! Am Yisrael Chai!
Mar 23, 2024•19 min
No Promise Is Needed
In the Haftarah with this week's Torah portion, "Pekudei" we see the character trait modeled in God that He almost never needs to "swear" or "promise" anything: just saying "it will be" is enough. This is a character trait we, as God-followers, are commanded to emulate: both Messiah Yeshua and his half-brother Ya'acov ("James") command us, "Do not swear. Let your 'yes' mean (only) 'yes' and your 'no' mean only 'no.' Anything other than that comes from evil." WOW. That is a character-standard wor...
Mar 16, 2024•43 min
"We Are Not 'Orphans'"
Why are you ... you? What does your combination of strengths and weaknesses, abilities and inabilities all mean? This week's sermon is a "fusion" to two core ideas: from the Parasha "Vayakhel," the extremely specific intention with which God created the artist Bezalel, and placed him in the time and location to fulfill the reasons for his createdness – along with Yeshua the Messiah having assured us, "I will not leave you as orphans: I will come to you," giving us the "Paraclete" – God's spirit ...
Mar 09, 2024•36 min
Sound Bites vs Sound Doctrine
Sound doctrine is built from learning what Rav Saul called "the whole counsel of God." We pick up this week where we left off last week with "whole counsel of God" theme in Haftarat "Tetzaveh." We see this week commands from God to, "Tell Israel the *whole* Temple design, *all* its facets and *all* its laws." This is echoed in Messiah Yeshua's command, "make disciples (by) teaching them *all* I have taught you." This runs counter to creation of "sound-bites" – memorable catch-phrases. "Sound doc...
Feb 24, 2024•39 min
Following God's Pattern
Rav Saul wrote, "I did not shrink from declaring to you 'the whole counsel of God.'" Why would any spiritual leader "shrink from" declaring to his flock "the whole" of God's prophetic output? This week's parasha commands us to "see to it you build according to the pattern." The whole pattern. How do we get it, and what traps can we avoid that would leave us with only part of it?
Feb 17, 2024•37 min
All "Politics" Is Local
In this week's parasha, "Mishpatim" there is an apparent non-sequitur. A leap from broadly applying religious practice laws to very specific cooking advice. Is it really a non-sequitur? Or – is it the God of the Entire Universe "going local" with advice creating certainty as to a particular time, place, practice, or project of His will underway? We explore.
Feb 10, 2024•40 min
Right And Wrong "Fear Of God"
Fear is a natural part of our overall composition as humans. Like any part of our nature, it can be either healthy or unhealthy, proportional and rational, or disproportionate and irrational. What does Scripture say about healthy and unhealthy fear -- especially in relation to God? It turns out ... quite a lot. We explore this content this week, driven by the Torah portion, "YItro."
Feb 03, 2024•37 min
Follower, Fighter, or Fool?
This sermon comes from the Haftarah text for this week's portion on "Shabbat Shirah." The battle for Israel's survival was on - Devorah, Barak, and the Army of Israel, especially the tribes of Issachar and Zevulun, were all ON the battlefield, and the battle had already begun. But – the tribes of Reuben and Dan were hanging back ... showing themselves (in their own view) to be "spiritual" or "wise" ... with "plausible" excuses to be away from any risk to life, limb, or property. What is this Haf...
Jan 27, 2024•42 min
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