Rabbi Heller's Blog

In the midst of the hustle and bustle of preparing to offer the Paschal sacrifice and then leave Egypt, the Israelites are called upon to engage in an odd ritual of “teaming up.” Bringing a lamb an as offering would not have been unusual for the ancient Israelites. That is what Moses had been asking Pharaoh for permission to do all along. Sprinkling the blood on the doorpost as a sign would have been daring, but not inexplicable. By doing...Read more...

Hanukkah is supposed to be a time of rising light, but this year, it was marked by rising violence against Jews in the New York area, with over 10 incidents culminating in a knife attack at a Hanukkah candle lighting in Monsey, NY. Our Atlanta Jewish community is coming together Monday night, January 6 to show support an an event of solidarity. To participate, please visit https://jewishatlanta.org/communityevent/.

The...Read more...

This weekend, we mark the confluence of Parashat Toldot and Thanksgiving. There is actually a thread of connection between the Torah portion and the festival on the secular calendar. For many of us, Thanksgiving is about gathering with family or friends for a festive meal. In the portion this week, we see two times where shared food is entangled with complex family dynamics. First, Esau trades his birthright for a...Read more...

This weekend, as we begin reading the Torah anew, our Jewish community is marking a year since the attack on the Tree of Life congregation in Pittsburgh. We will be marking #ShowUpForShabbat at our 6:30 PM service on Friday night with words of memorial, and we have invited members of the larger community to join us. There are many other observances throughout our community, including a gathering at 2:00 PM at Shearith...Read more...

This Shabbat, the holiest shabbat of the year, we read Parashat Vayelekh, which includes one of the final commandment in the Torah, called Hakhel. God commands the Israelites to have a special gathering every seven years to bring together men, women, children, Jews and non-Jews alike to hear the Torah being read. One thing that is remarkable about the commandment is that it includes not only adults and older children, but even the youngest...Read more...

This week’s Torah portion, Shoftim, describes in depth the organizational structure that the Jewish people are to set for themselves in the promised land. King, prophets, priests, generals, elders, judges and officers each have their role in insuring an orderly civil society. 

The portion begins by commanding that Judges and Officers are to be set “in all your gates.” The plain sense of the text could have been...Read more...

Our American community is still reeling from two mass murders that took place last weekend, in El Paso, Texas and Dayton,  Ohio.  The details and motivations may be different, but in both cases, troubled young men armed with automatic weapons shot into crowds of innocent people.   These are, of course, just the latest in literally hundreds of mass murders in recent years.  Cities and communities will continue to mourn...Read more...

Over three thousand years ago, in words recorded in our portion this week, a bald, Levite rebel named Korach, surrounded by 250 of his minions, declared: “It is too much for you, for all of the congregation are holy.”

Two hundred and forty-three years ago, on July 4th, a group of rebels wearing wigs signed a declaration. "We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their...Read more...

Every Tuesday night, our congregation hosts an AA meeting, for those recovering from addiction, and every Wednesday night, we host an Al-Anon meeting, for those who have been impacted by loved ones facing addiction. I’m sometimes asked why we make space available for these programs at some of our busiest times, even on holidays when we normally do not allow outside groups to use our space. The answer, on a basic level, is that these...Read more...

Our congregational mission to Eastern Europe experienced so many different aspects of our history and heritage, and we could not avoid visiting many sites remembering the Holocaust and its victims. These sites have very diverse flavors and intentions.  Some identify culprits and collaborators while others deflect blame.  Some try to create perspective on the enormity of the horror, others focus on  the impact once...Read more...

A joyous Purim to all my friends who celebrate! As the holiday draws to a close, I'm reminded that our sages teach (TB Pesachim 6a) that we must begin teaching the laws of Passover 30 days before the holiday (to get your start, see our Passover guide at https://www.bnaitorah.org/passover). It makes sense to start early. Passover requires a lot of preparation. Kroger is even more pious than our sages and has been preparing for Passover for...Read more...

The debate currently going on surrounding America's health care system is extremely heated. The legislation that just passed the House of Representatives has not yet been fully studied, and both it and the legislation that it would replace, are extremely complex. Our Jewish tradition as well, has wrestled for centuries with the life or death questions of how people are cared for, but we can condense the discussion to a basic question....Read more...

The Shabbat before Passover is traditionally known as "Shabbat Hagadol," which could be translated as "the Sabbath of greatness." There are many explanations given for this name. One is that in the Haftorah, or prophetic portion, the prophet Malachi speaks of "the great and awesome day of God."   The day's greatness is signified by the return of the prophet Elijah, who will "restore the hearts of parents to children, and children to...Read more...

Over the last two months we have seen the same horrifying scene repeated almost 100 times.  Children, infants in cribs, and seniors have been forced to evacuate from JCCs, as well as schools and other Jewish institutions around the country. Though a few of the bomb threats have been solved, law enforcement has not been able to identify the perpetrators of most incidents. There have been dozens more incidents that have not made our...Read more...

Good leaders matter.  The Israelites were about to receive the Torah, but not were ready for it.  Moses was overwhelmed as a leader and could not possibly have handled all of the questions involved in living up to God’s word.    Fortunately, his father in law, Yitro who had significant experience as the high priest of Midian and suggested a strategy for creating a cadre of leaders and officers who could help him...Read more...

I suspect that this Shabbat many a rabbi's sermon will hinge on the phrase from this week's Torah portion: "There arose a new King who did not know Joseph."  Some of my colleagues and friends will be marching in protests against President Trump's administration, fearful of changes in specific policies like healthcare or women's rights, or even the tone of our civil society or the very fabric of our government. Others might speak with...Read more...

When we think of the M’s of the Hanukkah story, we are more likely to think of Maccabees, Menorahs and Mattathias than, say, Montana.   But this year, beginning this Saturday night,  as we light our Hanukkah lights, Montana should be on our minds.  The Hanukkah blessings, recall the heroism of the few who stood with pride and overcame the many some 2000 years ago.  As we sing the blessings, we take for granted our...Read more...

Hayee Sarah explores the crossroads between loss and thanksgiving. It  begins with sadness as Sarah dies and Abraham negotiates for a burial place.  The next section of the parashah is introduced with the phrase “Abraham was old, full in years, and God blessed him with all (bakol).”
 The latter part of this phrase rings false at first reading. After all,  Abraham may be blessed, and rich in possessions and hearty...Read more...