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Events Calendar

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Fri 03

Meaning & Mensches: A Family Shabbat Experience
Fri. Feb. 3 (6:30pm)

February 3 @ 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Sat 04

Torah Study
Saturdays 9 am – 10 am

February 4 @ 9:00 am - 10:00 am
Sat 04

Shabbat Morning Service
Celebrating the Bar Mitzvah of Nick Palanker
Sat. Feb. 4 (10:30am)

February 4 @ 10:30 am - 11:30 am
Sun 05

Back to Basics course
Sunday mornings (10-11:30 am)
Taught by Rabbi Pokras & Rabbi Weiss

February 5 @ 10:00 am - 11:30 am
Sun 05

WTBA Winter & Spring Virtual Yoga

February 5 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

VaEtchanan 5872
Deut. 3:23 – 7:11
Rabbi Gary Pokras 

 

“You shall the love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your stregth.” [Deut. 6:5] 

What does it mean to love God with everything we have?  

For years I have struggled to find the answer, and to be honest, I still do.  

This week instead of offering my own interpretation, I would like to share a poetic reinterpretation of this passage from the Torah, which is commonly referred to as the v’ahavta in the worship service. It comes from the Reform Machzor for Yom Kippur, Mishkan HaNefesh (p. 189) 

V’AHAVTA — WHEN YOU LOVE 

When you love Adonai Elohecha body and soul 

these things I ask of you will be possible: 

 

To answer your children’s questions about Me 

and believe your answers yourselves 

To connect religion to your everyday 

comings and goings … 

for example, 

when you hug them in bed at night 

with tender words –Sh’ma Yisrael 

or when you think to say Modeh Ani 

in the rush of getting them up and out 

in the morning 

To be alert enough 

to open doors for your children 

in every waking moment 

and when they dream. 

 

And finally, to remember just why 

all these things matter: 

 

They matter because I, Adonai Elohecha, 

brought you and your children out of Egypt 

to be God for you. 

I am your God. 

And when you do these things 

I will be your children’s God. 

 

 

Torah Blog Archives

  • BeShallach (Shabbat Shira) 5783  Ex. 13:17 – 17:16 
  • Bo 5783 Exodus 10:1 – 13:16 
  • VaEra 5783  Exodus 6:2 – 9:35 
  • Shemot 5779  Exodus 1:1 – 6:1 
  • VaYigash – 5783  Genesis 44:18 – 47:27
  • Miketz – 5783 
    Genesis 41:1—42:27 

  • VaYeishev – 5779  Genesis 37:1 – 40:23
  • VaYishlach – 5779  Genesis 32:4 – 36:43 
  • Toledot – 5780  Genesis 25:19 – 28:9 
  • Chayei Sarah – 5780  Genesis 23:1 – 25:18 
  • VaYeira – 5779  Genesis 18:1 – 22:24
  • Lech Lecha – 5779  Genesis 12:1 – 17:27
  • Noach – 5778  Genesis 6:9 – 11:32 
  • Bereshit – 5779 Genesis 1:1 – 6:8
  • Ki Tavo (Selichot) 5872  Deut. 26:1 – 29:8 
  • Ki Tetze 5872  Deut. 21:10 – 25:19 
  • Shoftim 5872 Deut. 16:18 – 21:9
  • Re’eh 5782  Duet. 11:26-16:17 
  • Ekev 5872  Deut. 7:12 – 11:25 
  • VaEtchanan 5872  Deut. 3:23 – 7:11 
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Temple Beth Ami, 14330 Travilah Road Rockville MD, 20850
301-340-6818