The late Rabbi Harold Schulweis of Valley Beth Shalom in Los Angeles California, especially near the end of his life, was preoccupied with the notion of conscience. He often quipped that conscience was better demonstrated than defined. Moreover, he claimed that”…conscience is the subterranean wellspring beneath the stream of Jewish law, ethics and theology.”
And yet, notes Sculweis, there is no one word in Biblical Hebrew that aptly defines the English word conscience. Modern Hebrew, on the other hand, has coined the term Matzpun, which is related to the Hebrew word for a compass, Matzpen, and interestingly, also related to the word Tzafun, which we recall from our Passover Seders. It is the section of the Passover rite in which we, amidst joyful giggles and smiles of youngsters, search for the Afikomen; the last piece of Matzah we are to imbibe before bringing our Seders to a close.
As we head into the last days of the Festival of Pesach, our last few days of consuming the unleavened bread of this holy day, which is supposed to raise consciousness and inspire us to right and holy living, I hope that each of us will use these precious moments for exploring the role that conscience plays in our own lives. May we be blessed to follow our internal compasses, discover the “true North” (our souls) within, and live out in the days ahead lives that are reflections of our highest and noblest selves.
Please know that we miss all of you deeply and we remain committed to staying in touch, providing inspiration, education, emotional support, soul-stirring and beautiful prayer opportunities, and social interaction even in the midst of this time of social distancing. Just because we are, out of necessity, unable to be physically close, let us do our best to remain spiritually connected.
With great love and continued blessings for health and wholeness,
Virtual Passover Service/Activity Schedule All Pesach Services will be Livestreamed on our Website and on FB Live ONLY - no Zoom access on Shabbat and HolyDays. This schedule can also be found on our website HERE .
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
6:15 pm - Erev Seventh Day Pesach Services with Rabbi Joe Davidson Livestream & FB Live ONLY
7:20 pm - Candle Lighting
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
9:00 am - Seventh Day Pesach Services with Cantor Sharon Nathanson Livestream & FB Live ONLY
6:15 pm - Minchah/Erev Eighth Day Pesach Services with Rabbi Joe Davidson Livestream & FB Live ONLY
8:21 pm - Candle Lighting
Thursday, April 16, 2020
9:00 am - Eighth Day Pesach Services & Yizkor with Cantor Sharon Nathanson Livestream & FB Live ONLY
7:30 pm - Minchah/Ma'ariv/Havdalah with Rabbi Carnie Rose Livestream & FB Live ONLY
Passover Ends 8:10 pm
Congregation B’nai Amoona 324 South Mason Rd St. Louis, MO 63141
