This week's Torah reading centers around the story of Noah and the global flood. In a way, the story begins on the sixth day of creation, the day when human beings were created. God blesses human beings and directs them to be fruitful and multiply. And, at the end of the sixth day, God also adds "it is good." The story teller does this knowing, full well, that the human enterprise is only beginning on its journey toward achieving that “goodness."
It is not surprising that, in the Flood Story, we learn that the Creator has concluded that the human experiment is a failure. However, S/He has not totally given up. Rather, God washes away the remnants of the bad seed and begins the work once again. So Noah and his family are like seedlings in the Divine attempt to cultivate a human society once more. Put somewhat differently, we can say that God is once again experimenting with the formation of human life on earth. This is only one of several examples in which the Torah depicts God as renewing His/Her commitment to staying the course.
In the Noah story the rainbow is, in fact, the symbol of God’s commitment to the renewal of Creation. It’s colors speak of the potential goodness and beauty that the Creator knows is inherent in the rainbow image, and in all of creation, especially in human beings.
One might also say that the Creator is akin to a sculptor who intuitively knows that the material in front of Him/Her contains an object of great beauty and so they continuously renew their efforts to chip away at the dross that covers the beauty already contained within the stone. Or similar to a great musician who hears a profound piece of music inside and then writes and rewrites the notes until what is heard internally can finally be transcribed on paper.
The ancient rabbis we’re so convinced of God‘s commitment to the renewal of Creation that they inserted that notion into our daily prayers. As they would have said, if the Holy One renews the process of creation daily, so can we as individuals formed in the Divine Image, renew ourselves daily.
Our tradition’s deep commitment to the task of recreation (of self and world) is beautifully expressed in the following Hasidic teaching retold in Martin Buber’s Tales of the Hasidism:
A fiddler once played Rabbi Hanokh a tune. He said, "even melodies that grow old lose their savor." When we heard this one at Rabbi Bunam’s long ago, it made our hearts leap.
Now it has lost its savor. And that is how it really is. We must be very well prepared and ready for old age. We pray, "cast me not off in the time of old age!” For then, we lose our savor.
But sometimes this is a good thing. For when I see that after all I have done I am nothing at all, I must start my work over again. And it is said of God, "who reneweth the Creation every day continually.”
BA Artist in Residence, Eitan Kantor invites everyone to an intimate and meaningful Shabbat Song Circle in the Guller Chapel on Shabbat morning, October 23. Our Song Circle will take place thirty minutes after Services at approximately 11:30 am.
Joining us in Israel in 2022? Be sure to attend our special Torah for Today session with our Israel mission coordinator and tour guide, Danny Ehrlich. This program will take place in the Guller Chapel on Shabbat morning, October 30 at 10:00 am.
Special Invitation From JTS
To The Midwest Jewish Community
Stephen and Felicia Cohen, Lisa and Roy Kramer, Lesley Barker and David Barker on the birth of their grandson, James Oliver, on October 5. Proud parents are Dani and Roger Barker. Great-grandparents are Ronand Cookie Hollander and Gerald (Z”L) and Ilien (Z”L) Towbin. Big sister is Adelina Barker.
WE MOURN THE PASSING OF...
Eduardo Jose Perez; husband of Franzia Perez; beloved son, brother, and father of 9 including Isaac M. Pérez (Z"L) (Nicole), Debbie Eidelman (Zamir), and Sandra Perez (Z"L); grandfather of 18 including Alan and Jeffrey Eidelman; former husband of Myriam Milgrom.
Jewish tradition teaches “Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Bazeh,” meaning that we are all
responsible for each other (B.Talmud Shevuot 39a).
Our B'nai Amoona Klei Kodesh is proud to join other local Jewish spiritual leaders in issuingTHIS STATEMENTin favor of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, continuing to wear a mask and practice social distancing as recommended by the CDC and other medical and other public health authorities.
As more people receive the Covid-19 vaccine, we encourage you to download and print the prayers below. We recommend you say them when you receive your vaccination.
Grants from the St. Louis Jewish Federation have helped Congregation B'nai Amoona in a wide variety of ways. In 2020-21, we received grant funding for the Chesed Fund, support from the Staenberg Family Foundation for both our Seder and necessary technology, support for older adults, closed captioning from the Joslin Fund, and COVID assistance including technology, two food investments, and additional Chesed Funds. We are deeply appreciative of the support and necessary assistance these Grants provided. Todah Rabbah!
Congregation B’nai Amoona
324 South Mason Rd
St. Louis, MO 63141
