Words From the Rabbi | Temple B'nai Israel

Mar 3
9 min

Thoughts on Shabbat Zachor

As we move into the month of Adar, we mark this Shabbat the second of the four special shabbatot during the late winter and early spring...

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Kimberly Ginsberg

Feb 24
10 min

Thoughts on the Fifth of the Four Evening Blessings of the Sh’ma

One of the names of the central prayer of every Jewish service is the Shmoneh Esreh. “Shmoneh Esreh” means eighteen and refers to the...

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Kimberly Ginsberg

Feb 2
8 min

Thoughts on Trees and their Fruits and their Blessings

I think that I shall never seeA poem lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is prestAgainst the earth's sweet flowing breast; A tree...

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Kimberly Ginsberg

Jan 27
7 min

Thoughts on Al Tira MiPachad Pitom

For the last couple of days I’ve had an “ear-worm,” a song running through my head endlessly wherever I go. This is not an unusual...

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Kimberly Ginsberg

Jan 20
8 min

Thoughts on Blessings After Eating

Some time back we looked at the blessings that comprise the Birkat HaMazon, the blessings after meals. Those four blessings are in...

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Kimberly Ginsberg

Jan 13
6 min

Thoughts on the Shabbat Table Song D’ror Yikra

I’ve written in earlier pieces about a number of the Zemirot, the Shabbat table songs, that customarily are sung during Shabbat meals. I...

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Kimberly Ginsberg

Jan 6
9 min

Thoughts on the Opening of the Evening Service

The main elements of our daily worship services are the recital of the Sh’ma with its surrounding blessings and the Amidah which is in...

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Kimberly Ginsberg

Dec 30, 2022
11 min

Thoughts on the Fast Day of Asarah B’Tevet

There are only two major fast days on the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur and Tisha B’Av, however we do have a number of minor fast days...

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Kimberly Ginsberg

Dec 23, 2022
7 min

Thoughts on a Medieval Piyyut for Chanukah

We have seen in past essays piyyutim, liturgical poems, written for the various holidays of the Jewish year. Aside from poems that have...

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Kimberly Ginsberg

Dec 16, 2022
10 min

Thoughts on the Torah Readings for Chanukah

In the book of Isaiah the prophet proclaims, “Hoy kol tzamei l’chu la’mayim,” “All who are thirsty let them come for water.” This might...

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Kimberly Ginsberg

Dec 9, 2022
11 min

Thoughts on Chanukah Candle Lighting

As Chanukah approaches next week, beginning on Sunday evening, December 18th, I thought it might be appropriate to review the traditions...

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Kimberly Ginsberg

Dec 2, 2022
9 min

Thoughts on the Ashrei (A Closer Look)

Early in this series, during the fall of 2019, we took a brief look at the prayer known from its opening word as “Ashrei.” As explained...

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Kimberly Ginsberg

Nov 18, 2022
9 min

Thoughts on Psalm 20

Though I wrote a few paragraphs on this Psalm about a year or so ago, I did not go into much detail. This passage is usually read very...

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Kimberly Ginsberg

Nov 11, 2022
8 min

Thoughts on Hinei Mah Tov

In our sanctuary at Temple B’nai Israel there is a piece of artwork on the right side of the bimah as you look toward it. It comprises a...

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Kimberly Ginsberg

Nov 4, 2022
10 min

Thoughts on Havdalah

Some time back I wrote about the havdalah paragraph inserted into the opening weekday blessing of the Saturday night Amidah, the one that...

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Kimberly Ginsberg

Oct 28, 2022
8 min

Thoughts on Tzur Mishelo

A couple of months back we looked at one of the traditional zemirot, the table songs for Shabbat, Yah Ribon Olam by Rabbi Yisrael Najara....

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Kimberly Ginsberg

Oct 21, 2022
9 min

Thoughts on Ana B’khoach

There are a number of prayers that one finds in the Siddur that have been added to the traditional liturgy by the Kabbalists, Jewish...

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Kimberly Ginsberg

Oct 14, 2022
10 min

Thoughts on the Hallel Psalms – Part two

Throughout the holiday of Sukkot and continuing on Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, we add the Hallel Psalms to our holiday worship....

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Kimberly Ginsberg

Oct 9, 2022
6 min

Thoughts on the Hallel Psalms

As soon as Yom Kippur departs, we begin getting ready to celebrate the festival of Sukkot which begins this Sunday evening. We will be...

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Kimberly Ginsberg

Sep 30, 2022
8 min

Thoughts on the Selichot Prayers on Kol Nidre Night

Before sundown on the eve of Yom Kippur, we gather in the synagogue for the Kol Nidre prayers. This formula annulling vows made between...

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