Beth El of Manhattan, Two-Testament Synagogue
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Beth El of Manhattan, Two-Testament Synagogue
Rabbi Bruce L. Cohen’s sermons at Congregation Beth El of Manhattan – an unaffiliated Conservative Synagogue of "Two-Testament" Judaism in the Upper East Side of New York City – where Jewish people and “People of Calling” (not born Jewish), and Interfaith couples come together in Manhattan since 199...
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The Honey AND (Not OR) The Stinger
We are commanded to rejoice exclusively for seven days, and yet we are conscious of the Hostages still in Gaza as we rejoice, like background radiatio...
We Can't Deliver Perfection To God Or Each Other
Since we cannot deliver perfection to God or humankind in our actions or ideas ... how can we live with reasonable "shalom" in a world filled with err...
The Mercy Of Return (with Special Musical Treat At End)
Fresh from "Tashlikh," we are full of consciousness of God's mercy that leads to relationship with Him in this world (Olam Ha'zeh), and eternity with...
Newness From Here And Now
How do we get to "new" from where we are now? With all swirling about us in the news and our own human life-journeys, how do we genuinely walk in the...
Rise And Shine. Or ...
The Haftarah for the Torah parasha Ki Tavo this week exhorts, "Rise, and shine!" This means someone is needed to arise, and some darkness needs light...
Othering: Am I My Brother's Keeper? - Part 2
[FYI - Sermon is only 11 minutes in length.] Continuation of the theme of "Ahavat Adam" ("love of all humankind) from recent sermons, "do not look out...
The Sure Mercies Of David
In this week's Haftarah, God promises those who come to Him for guidance the same mercies given to King David, himself. What hope do we have of meriti...
Haftarat "Nachamu" Reading
On the 2nd Saturday of every month, we have an abbreviated Shabbat morning service with no Torah Service or Sermon, so after services the synagogue's...
Right For Me, Right For Us - Part 2
We continue this Shabbat with the theme of interwovenness: how our decision-making is guided by balancing what Scripture calls "our own interests" wit...
Boundary-Making (with "Messiah Morsel" After Sermon)
We learn this week how "me" is balanced by "we."
This week's parasha "Matot/Maasei" continues our learning from the situation of...
God Remembers Devotion
God, Himself, declares, "I remember your devotion in your youth, the way you followed Me into a wasteland with no life in it." What grace! God remembe...
Daily Bread
Everything is not relative. That perspective can affect accuracy of understanding is genuinely an important consideration; but still, there are still...
The Song of "It Can't Be Done."
In the parasha, "Shelakh" we see what became our synagogue's logo: the Two Spies carrying the "Eshkol" (cluster of fruit). They saw the "land flowing...
The Shining (God's Name Placed Upon Us)
The "Aaronic Benediction" is described by God in the verse following it as "how you (the Aaronic Priesthood) shall put My Name on the children of Isra...
A Promise, Not A Command
The statement in the opening of this week's parasha is in the Hebrew future tense, which can read as either a statement of a future event, or a comman...
A Place For Us
Rabbi Bruce's first sermon back from his six-month sabbatical. [NOTE: Please forgive the sound quality: the air conditioner above the podium was mista...
Obedience
"These are the things the Lord has *commanded* (not suggested for) you to do."
The Fleas Come With The Dog
In this sermon for the weekly Torah portion "Terumah" (Voluntary Offering), Rabbi Bruce explores in deep detail and with personal examples how to repl...
Heartbreak
Starting from the Haftarah for this week in Isaiah chapter 6, our own heartbreak and that of others is pondered for wisdom and appropriate engagement/...
"Hard Hearts, Soft Hearts"
During last Shabbat (8 Feb 2025), the service leader made reference to Rabbi Bruce's sermon "Hard Hearts, Soft Hearts" given on 18 January 2006. Since...
Hineini Again
We present ourselves to God ... what happens then? How does it unfold? What results?
The Interrupted Conversation - Pilot: "I was there when it happened."
During the rabbi's sabbatical, every 2nd Shabbat of the month is not recorded so the congregation can have after services an on-site "Nosh & Drash" in...
Relationship Rupture and Repair
A mental health-care professional gives us a very insightful glimpse into the relational dynamics presented by the Biblical scenario of our patriarch,...
Hanukkah - Messiah As The Ultimate Shamash
Hanukkah is Hebrew for "dedication" – and dedication as service to God and to Humankind is role-modeled for us by Messiah Yeshua, who was "The Light o...
"Hated"
Joseph was an ethically better and exponentially more capable man than his eleven half-brothers; and they hated him so much for it, they conspired to...
God Invites - Will We Accept?
Sermon from streamed service on 7 December, not In-Person Service. That sermon will be podcast next week. Enjoy, and may it all be for shalom!
Overflowing
A very personal sermon built around an actual recent experience of a long-prayed prayer suddenly being answered.
On The Edge
God, at times, puts us out on the end of a ledge – and then causes the ledge to evaporate under our feet. As we start to fall, with nothing visibl...
"Lech Lecha" - Go To Your Very Self
A stirring look at the utter disruption of a family's entire status quo, leading to greater self-realization, long-unfulfilling goals – and challenges...
Yesh Lanu Torah (We Have A Teaching)
Since last Saturday morning was Simchat Torah, and no sermon was given in the Shabbat morning service in Manhattan - so we offer Rabbi Bruce Cohen's s...
We CAN Decide (A Non-Partisan Pre-Election Message)
In North Carolina last week, people of both political parties, facing Hurricane Helene's recent damages impeding their ability to get to voting statio...
The Indispensable Yeshua (Rescue)
How Yeshua the Messiah's atonement provided by God is not just "'a' way to God," but "'THE' (exclusive, single, only) way" to God ... given there were...
Some Kind Of Game
Handling things of the highest value in ways their value deserves; and avoiding toying with things in life not meant to be toyed with.
The Erasure Of Shame
Shabbat "Shuvah" is the "Sabbath of 'Return'" after Yom Teruah (aka, "Rosh HaShanah") and before Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement. Returning to God i...
Somm Sechel (Put Sense)
Creating rightful newness by removing what IS, which has no or lesser merit - and replacing it with what SHOULD BE, having greater merits as to accura...
Quixotic
From the Parasha, as to how the Levites became the priesthood. Don Quixote style, they saw things others did not see, and so acted in ways masses of o...
What You Have HERE Comes From BACK THERE
The ceremony of the First-fruits commanded in this parasha has the impact of connecting FORWARD parts of the Jewish journey in God's will with the PRE...
Sophomore (Wise & Foolish)
The path of God-following offers us guidance at times seeming supremely wise, and at other times, outright folly. How shall we find our way forward wi...
Yashar - Right In God's Sight
The ritual at the end of this Parasha ends with a statement of the impact of "doing what is 'yashar' in the sight of God." Yeshua our Messiah taught u...
To See or Not To See
In this week;'s Torah parasha, "Re'eh" – are commanded to see. This by the God who made us capable of "scotoma" - the willful blanking out of relevant...