Posted on 03/12/2010 3:21:24 PM PST by Shellybenoit
Almost every Synagogue I have ever entered has these Hebrew words somewhere in its sanctuary, Dah Lifnei Mi Atah Ohmed, they are usually on top of the Ark which houses the holy scroll of the Torah. It means "Know Before Whom You Stand." It's a signal to remember that where ever you go, you stand before God. It's also a signal that the Synagogue is a Holy Place and you need to be careful what you do, say and bring into this holy building.
Yesterday Rabbi Lustig of the Washington Hebrew Congregation, forgot what that Hebrew phrase meant when he allowed serial hater Sean Penn to use his Shul for a publicity stunt. Granted, the reason for Penn to be in his House of Worship was a fundraiser for the victims of the horrible Haiti earthquake, but I can't recall one place in the Torah where the ends justify the means. If the Rabbi had tried to find a different "name" he could have.
Penn is a bully, having been convicted of assault twice (and has one more on the way). He has visited and befriended murderous tyrants such as Sadaam Hussein, Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez, thus giving legitimacy to their murderous acts.
(Excerpt) Read more at yidwithlid.blogspot.com ...
sean penn desecrates the Earth by his very existence.
I think Sean WANTS to offend as many people as possible. Mainly so someone lashes out back and he can scream about being persecuted.
Shul? Reform “temple”
Really? I think I've seen it once or twice. Does the Great Synagogue in Jerusalem have them? I really don't remember. I've been to three other synagogues in Israel (okay one was really a makeshift synagogue) and I don't recall seeing them in these either. Mine definitely does not have them. (unless they put them in during the week!)
ML/NJ
That one statement of his, about him hoping his enemies die screaming of rectal cancer, makes me physically ill and truly angry. That is so evil, he’s no humanitarian, I don’t even know if he’s human. He behaves more like a demon out of hell.
Is rectal cancer more painful than other kinds?
I don’t know, it’s just what he said, it’s disgusting, vial and beyond cruel. Cancer itself is almost always extremely painful, in the end most people who die from it suffer terribly. It’s not only just about the person who dies from cancer either. Their family and friends, suffer as well. Both emotionally as well as financial, it’s just tragic.
Sounds like a conspiracy to me.
I have to go to a Reform temple ‘cause there are no others in my area.Am I correct in assuming that non-Jews are NOT to touch the Torah? I’ve seen it done before and it infuriated me.
Out of respect and reverence, no one should never touch the parchment of a Torah scroll with one’s bare hands.
Jews don’t touch the Torah if at all possible. Nothing fancy or theological, it’s simply a matter of protecting something valuable and expensive - they’re handwritten. We use a metal pointer to read Torah, wooden handles to wind and unwind the scroll and covers to protect it from dust.
Typically, one does not allow non-Jewish people to participate in Torah reading with aliyot, as it applies to Jewish people -— which is what I think you are talking about.
Dealing with situations where you have a Bar Mitzvah, convert son/daughter, born-Jewish husband/wife (or some iteration thereof) you end up with one or more parents or grandparents who are not necessarily Jewish.
It’s a tricky political situation, and you need to honor the parents.
There have been lots of answers to this question (even among the Orthodox), most typically where you have the non-Jewish grand-parent offer a Noahdic prayer and the Jewish parents offer a traditional prayer.
Dealing with this situation justly is important, IMHO, because the growth of Judaism will come from persons not born Jewish, but who are.
On a more day-to-day basis, I have also seen many Orthodox Shuls, however, where non-Jewish people do almost everything else, as they are “on their way” to conversion -— and, candidly, are more serious about their (soon to be) Judaism than other people.
I haven’t seen anyone touch the parchment paper.As the Torah comes around,with its’covering,we touch our prayerbooks or our shawl fringes to the Torah.We haven’t had any non-Jews called up to the Torah(although in my liberal congregation anything’s possible).I hope that does not happen.An elderly man in our congregation has a nurse who sometimes comes w/him.She touched the prayer book to the Torah and she is not Jewish.I’m sorry but that is for we Jews only and the sight of that made me mad.
“An elderly man in our congregation has a nurse who sometimes comes w/him.She touched the prayer book to the Torah and she is not Jewish.I’m sorry but that is for we Jews only and the sight of that made me mad.”
It depends if she was touching the Torah on his behalf or not, I would think.
And to be REALLY technical, it would also depend on which “chapter” the Torah was opened (think about that for a bit!).
She did it automatically,I guess just to be part of the service.Does rising count as taking part in a service? That did not bother me,but the touching of the Torah did.The gentleman is able to reach out to touch the Torah as it is coming by.He’s 90 and has more spunk than I do at 33! I’m in W.Palm Beach on vacation and I’m planning on studying my Hebrew lesson on the beach.(Far away from the water,of course)! My Bat Mitzvah is June 19th,so wish me luck! I’m excited.I enjoy learning Hebrew.
Hold on a sec.Penn is a member of the tribe?
I misread it.I though “his synagogue” was referring to Sean Penn.Whoops!
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