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Torah Study | Vaetchanan 5784
August 17 @ 9:30 am - 12:30 pm PDT
We hope you will join our Celebration of the Universe and Torah Study on Saturday, August 17th with Rabbi Cat Zavis.
You can join us either in person or on Zoom for Shabbat services and Torah study. If you are in the Bay Area, we’d love to have you join us in person. After Torah study, we enjoy a vegetarian potluck meal together and have an opportunity to deepen our connection with one another. If you are able, please bring a vegetarian dish to share with others. For those joining us online, we invite you to also bring food to eat after the service. We will keep the room open so folks can connect with each other after the service.
To obtain the Zoom link to join us online or the address where we meet in-person (centrally located in Emeryville, only a short walk from the MacArthur Bart Station), please register here.
We begin our Shabbat service at 9:30am PT with meaningful prayers, balancing the awe of being alive with the call in our tradition for radical transformation of our world.
Then we turn to our Torah study at 10:30am PT. This week we read parsha Vaetchanan. This parsha is our second reading in the book of Devarim (i.e., Deuteronomy). It’s the last book of the 5 books of Moses. In this book, Moses is repeating the story of the Exodus and the history of the wanderings in the desert to those who are alive. Everyone who was 20 or older when they left Egypt has died. They did not make it to the promised land, a land flowing with goodness, love, justice, and possibility, because they were still enslaved psychologically and spiritually. They were physically free and liberated, but still in a place of mitzrayim/constriction. Those alive were youth who left Egypt and those born in the desert. Moses is re-telling them the story so they will understand and know what happened and so they will be able to pass on the story to their children and their children’s children.
This week’s parsha packs a punch! It has the 10 speech acts or divine utterances (aseret ha’dibrot – commonly referred to as the 10 commandments) and the Shema and v’ahavta (that we recite twice a day). We will discuss the 10 divine utterances and have a look at a modern day translation of them written by Rabbi Cat. There will be time to explore what might be divine utterances that you are hearing today and what kind of commitment you want to make, if any.
In addition to the parsha, we will also take some time to reflect on the haftorah. We begin this Shabbat with the seven weeks of consolation. A time when we read prophetic texts that provide consolation to the people after the previous three weeks of holy rebuke and warning of the devastation and destruction that will come to the people for failing to adhere to God’s teachings. What consolation do we need at this time? Does Isaiah’s words offer us some solace during these challenging times?
Registration is FREE for both Zoom and in-person participation.
We’d love to have you join us!
9:30 am Pacific Time (12:30 pm Eastern Time)
Shabbat morning prayers and celebration of the universe
10:30 am Pacific Time (1:30 pm Eastern Time)
Torah Study | Vaetchanan Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11
12:15 pm Pacific Time (3:15 pm Eastern Time)
Kaddish, Kiddush, and vegetarian potluck for those able to join us in person!
*Please save this link for information on upcoming Torah Study and Special Events
Watch Beyt Tikkun’s Torah Study |Torah study | Balak 5784
Many blessings,
Rabbi Cat Zavis & Beyt Tikkun
Accessibility Protocols
Shabbat Services and Torah Study are held at Rabbi Cat’s home. She has a cat and dog (the dog will not be present at services) that live in the house. We encourage people to wear a mask if that is comfortable for you. There are 4 steps to enter the house. The house is one story. There are 4 steps out the backdoor to the backyard if we decide to go out there.There are couches, dining room chairs, and a floor for seating (along with pillows one can sit on on the floor). Please try to be scent-free. Rabbi Cat only uses mild scents and natural cleaning supplies, soaps, etc. in the house.