Tag Sermon
Thoughts on parashat Vayigash.
The end of the secular year 2020 is approaching. For many of us it is a time of reflection on our accomplishments and disappointments. We evaluate our lives and make plans for the future. For many 2020 hasn’t been such a good year. The worldwide pandemic affected our lives significantly:
Thoughts on parashat Vayeshev.
The Torah portion for this week starts with the story of Jacob settling in Hebron with his twelve sons. His favorite son is seventeen-year-old Joseph, with whom his brothers are jealous for the preferential treatment he receives from his father. To make matters worse, Joseph relates to
Thoughts on Parashat Vayetze.
We live in a world that is so deeply divided ideologically that it is commonplace to rationalize the concept that people live in different, parallel realities. We see ideas of tolerance and pluralism, that were born from the Enlightenment, proliferated during the last 20 years –
Thoughts on parashat Toldot.
The Hebrew Bible has been accused of containing fictional or idealized events and phenomena, especially incredible or miraculous events. The main problem with this critique is that the Bible contains testimonies that are often non-falsifiable. The proposed “methods of verification”
Thoughts on parashat Chayei Sarah.
What is time? Time is a measure of the variability of all things. Although this definition may not be sufficient, for example, in astrophysics, it is completely sufficient for our human, earthly perspective and living experience.
Life is reborn in cycles. Our imagination, dominated
Thoughts on parashat Noach.
The fear of the LORD prolongs life, While the years of the wicked will be shortened.
Proverbs 10:27
Immortality is an eternal human longing and its motif is interlaced throughout all religions and cultures of the world, including secular culture. We see this theme everywhere. Literature,
Thoughts on Yom Kippur 5781
During the High Holidays we reflect on the moral actions and decisions we have made over the past year. We wonder if we have harmed our loved ones and the people around us. If we find guilt in ourselves, we ask for forgiveness. When it comes to sin, the interpersonal relationship involved
Thoughts on Parashat Haazinu.
I was born and raised in a secular family where certain wisdom and values were instilled in me from early childhood. Among them were values such as education (which is generally considered a carrier of all values), truthfulness, diligence, ambition, being compassionate, sensitiveness
Thoughts and insights for Rosh Hashanah 5781
Religion has the beautifully inherent purpose of helping us gain control and guide us in organizing what is irrational within both our spiritual and practical realms. Maimonides’ view on animal sacrifices, which was performed by the ancient Israelites in the Temple, is
Thoughts on parashat Nitzavim-Vayelech.
Human beings are religious beings. This means we have a natural tendency to develop religion or something that metaphysically deals with the problematic mystery of human existence. Every time human beings want to get rid of religion something else fills this gap and becomes
About Rabbi Cantor Menachem Mirski, Ph.D.
Rabbi Menachem Mirski was born and raised in Poland, where he was a musician, a scholar, and active in helping revive the Jewish community in Poland. While still in Poland, he trained and worked as a hazzan, leading weekly services. He is an accomplished musician, performing in the klezmer scene in Europe and America for well over a decade. At the same time, he earned a Ph.D. in philosophy from the Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin, Poland. His dissertation was on Jewish Theological Responses to the Holocaust.
Rabbi Mirski’s scholarly pursuits inspire his congregation to delve deeper into Jewish religious concepts and their faith. His passion lies in unlocking the timeless wisdom of Torah and traditional rabbinic teachings to tackle today’s cultural, philosophical, and social challenges. With his gentle and welcoming demeanor, Rabbi Mirski embodies a deep commitment to fostering a tight-knit community and nurturing genuine bonds.
Contact:
Menachem@MenachemMirski.com
(424) 522-9438
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