Havurat Shalom

Join us for Shabbat davening - tonight online, tomorrow in person and also online. Good Shabbos!

If you want to talk about this more, join us for the [not just for] kids service Friday at 6:00. Email info@thehav.org to get the Zoom link.

In the Bible in general the word does mean "holy light" but in Aramaic, a language very much like Hebrew that's used in the book of Daniel. I have a personal reason for choosing this word: it's the name of one of my sons! You will also find it in the Friday night $ Shabbat morning davenning.

Instead, we have adopted the Babylonian name for the month: אִיָּר. I'm not surprised that the month ofזִיו became the month of אִיָּר based on what I told you about the meaning. Why not?

The word for this week begins with the letter “Zayin” (ז): זִיו. It means "holy light", but it's a strange word. In the Torah, this word is used to name the second month of the year. We don't use the word for this purpose anymore.

modern day service vessels by Monica Holland

See Monica's take on Modern Day Service Vessels in this month's blog post: www.thehav.org/blog/modern-...

There's a lot going on this monht! See the March newsletter here: mailchi.mp/651321e40b77...

Join us tonight at 6:30 for Purim! In person and on Zoom. Chag sameach.

Join us for Shabbat davening, tonight online, tomorrow in person. Good Shabbos!

If you want to talk about this more, join us for the [not just for] kids service Frida at 6:00 on Zoom. Email info@thehav.org to get the Zoom link.

There hasn't been any definitive information that these two words are connected and it may be that their resemblance to each other is just a coincidence. Can you figure out a way to connect them and to come up with some kind of meaning that can contain both of them?

In the Talmud it's used once in reference to God. God is great and powerful, but also "certain". This word looks a lot like one of our previous words of the week: וִידוּי, which means "confession".

The word for this week begins with the letter “Vav” (ו): וַדַאי. It's means "certain". This word goes a lot of interesting places. In modern Hebrew, it often has the letter בּ in front of it: בְּוַדַאי to mean literally "with certainly" or, colloquially "of course".

Join us for Shabbat davening tonight online. Tomorrow's services will be HYBRID (in person and on Zoom) due to the weather. Good Shabbos!

This is a good opportunity to think about "good" and "evil" as those qualities relate to people. We'll have time to share our thoughts during the service.

If you want to talk about this more, join us for the [not just for] kids service at 6:00 Friday

Purim is a time where we're supposed to be happy and also contemplate good and evil. There's a part of us that wants to let loose, be crazy and enjoy the simplicity of "good" and "evil". As we know, life is more complicated than that.

The word for this week begins with the letter “Hay” (ה): הָמָן. It's the name of the villain in the Purim story. The name doesn't really mean anything in Hebrew. It may be related to names for Persian gods, but no one is sure.

Join us for Shabbat davening - tonight online, tomorrow in person. Good Shabbos!

Aliza thought that in the climate of our times, this was a good word to think about and to hope for.

If you want to talk about this more, join us for the [not just for] kids service at 6:00. Email info@thehav.org to get the Zoom link.

The word for this week begins with the letter “Daled” (ד): דְרוֹר. It means "freedom". In the Tanach it means several things: flowing, freedom from bondage and debts, and swallow (the bird). How do these different words relate to each other and all come to rest in our word of the week? I

flyer for benefit concert: Jewish Voices Rising: a benefit concert for Children of Gaza Village. Sunday March 8th, 7 pm, Eliot Church of Newton 474 Centre St Newton MA. Featuring: Adah Hetko and Levyosn, and Molly Bajgot, Batya Levine, Marni Loffman and special guests! This benefit concer is co-sponsored by Congretation Dorshei Tzedek, Boston Workers Circle, Havurat Shalom, Kerem Shalom, Nehar Shalom Community Synagogue, Temple Hillel Bnai Torah, Temple Sinai's Isreal-Palesting Affinity Group, Temple Beth Zion and V'ahvata.

Jewish Voices Rising: A Benefit Concert in Support of Gaza’s Children

Sunday, March 8, 7pm
The Eliot Church of Newton, 474 Centre Street, Newton

Join us for ann evening of song and inspiration as we raise our communal voice for healing and transformation in Gaza.

Join us for Shabbat davening - tonight online, tomorrow both in person and online. Good Shabbos!

This word also is used to describe one of the ways that the early Rabbis used biblical verses to figure out legal questions. The phrase is גְזֵרָה שָׁוָה. We'll see an example of this during the service.

If you want to talk about this more, join us for the [not just for] kids service at 6:00

The word for this week begins with the letter “Gimel” (ג): גְזֵרָה. It means "decree". In the Tanach, though it means something that is cut. The verb means "to cut", like in shearing sheep. How did this biblical meaning come to mean "decree" in later Hebrew?

See this month's newsletter: mailchi.mp/370b393fd8c4...

the unexpected benefits of text study by Inna Pasternak

See this month's blog post - Inna writes about the benefits of text study: www.thehav.org/blog/the-une...

Nine people in winter clothing on snowy ground in Powderhouse Park.

Tu b'Shvat Tree Walk walkers in Powderhouse Park by the tree planted in memory of Reena Kling.

Join us for Shabbat davening, tonight online, tomorrow in person. Good Shabbos!

Can you think of any other reason(s) why the same word means clothing and traitor? Also, what mentions do you remember from the Tanach that involve clothing? Some of them don't use this word. For instance, Joseph's "coat of many colors" uses a different word.

Interestingly, there are some other words from the same root that mean "betrayal" or "traitor": בּוֹגֵד, בְּגִידָה. There's one way that these two meanings seem to connect: in English, an expression for a traitor is "turncoat".