Sermons & Bonus Teachings

Yesh Lanu Torah (We Have A Teaching)

October 29, 2024 • Rabbi Bruce L. Cohen • Zechariah 1:6

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 sermon "in" Congregation Beit Ariel of Cape Town, South Africa - given via video the evening before for Erev Simchat Torah there. We hope you enjoy it! Shalom.

We CAN Decide (A Non-Partisan Pre-Election Message)

October 19, 2024 • Rabbi Bruce L. Cohen • Isaiah 41:5–7, Ephesians 4:3, Daniel 4:17

In North Carolina last week, people of both political parties, facing Hurricane Helene's recent damages impeding their ability to get to voting stations, became a shining example of what America can be if her citizens decide to be the non-adversarial, right versions of themselves. Let us feast together on the encouragement coming from a great real-life example of many Scriptural precepts about partly-agreeing/partly-disagreeing members of a community working as a team.

The Indispensable Yeshua (Rescue)

October 12, 2024 • Rabbi Bruce L. Cohen • 1 Timothy 2:5–6, Hebrews 12:2, Micah 5:1–5

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 countless people who lived and died before His arrival in Israel; and there have always been human beings far out of reach of hearing about, or knowing of the faith of Israel.

Some Kind Of Game

October 11, 2024 • Rabbi Bruce L. Cohen • Proverbs 10:23, Galatians 6:7

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

October 5, 2024 • Rabbi Bruce L. Cohen • Luke 15:17, Hosea 14:2–9, Joel 2:15–27

Shabbat "Shuvah" is the "Sabbath of 'Return'" after Yom Teruah (aka, "Rosh HaShanah") and before Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement. Returning to God is taught to us by Messiah Yeshua in the form of the parable of "The Prodigal Son." It is a powerful model of how return from irrational separation into relational joy is enabled by rational and spiritual erasure of ill-founded shame.

Somm Sechel (Put Sense)

October 3, 2024 • Rabbi Bruce L. Cohen • Nehemiah 8:8

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 accuracy or truthfulness. Specific example: assaying for merit the system of "trope" - the tradition of singing the Torah scroll's contents –– rather than following the one clear model Scripture gives us (per Isaiah 8:20) of how to run a Torah service. (Nehemiah 8:8).

Quixotic

September 28, 2024 • Rabbi Bruce L. Cohen • Deuteronomy 33:8–11

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 other others did not act. Human history's heroes are such. We explore this idea together.

What You Have HERE Comes From BACK THERE

September 21, 2024 • Rabbi Bruce L. Cohen • Deuteronomy 26:1—29:8, Isaiah 60, John 4:38

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 PREVIOUS legs of the journey. As Yeshua of Nazareth taught, "Others before you have labored, and you have entered into their labors." Healthy connection to the past is important to the present and future. We explore this in the parasha "Ki Tavo" today.

Sophomore (Wise & Foolish)

September 14, 2024 • Rabbi Bruce L. Cohen • Isaiah 54

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 with such polar opposites of possibility?

Yashar - Right In God's Sight

September 7, 2024 • Deuteronomy 21:6–9, Matthew 13

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 us often, saying, "The kingship/dom of God is like ..." followed by a parable to open up how God's reign "works" in the real world. We use these Scriptures and others to open the idea of seeking God's view of what is "yashar" in any given situation.

To See or Not To See

August 31, 2024 • Rabbi Bruce L. Cohen • John 16:13, Deuteronomy 11:26–29

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 ideas and rational thought leading to healthy conclusions, and replacing them with ill-formed prejudices, gaslighting, and other unhealthy psycho-gymnastics. What is a human-being trying to find and walk in truth to do?

Are We Hearing When God Calls?

August 24, 2024 • Deuteronomy 7:12—11:25, Isaiah 49:14—51:3

Parashat "Ekev" - a study in the nature of, and results from, hearing God, when He calls to each of us.

The Greatest Comfort Of All

August 17, 2024 • Rabbi Bruce L. Cohen • Deuteronomy 3:23—7:11, Isaiah 40:1–26

It is natural for human beings to seek comfort: relief from stress, or healing from harm. In this, as with all human appetites, we are prone to both accuracy and error. CAN genuine comfort be found? And if so, WHERE? What IS it? WHAT does it feel and look like? What placebos try to replace it? This week's parasha "V'Etchanen" and its Haftarah (from which the Shabbat's title, "Nachamu" derives) propel us to explore these ideas.

Life DURING Strife

August 10, 2024 • Rabbi Bruce L. Cohen • Isaiah 1:1, John 9:4

Essentially, this sermon is about living during season of history when shalom is in short supply. In an era of conflict, how do we, as believe ... live, and do more than just survive? How do we love, enjoy life, do meaningful work that brings us personal satisfaction ...? All these, during times of crisis or war? We explore.

Now Is All We Have

August 3, 2024 • Rabbi Bruce L. Cohen • Jeremiah 2:27–28, Isaiah 44:19–20, Matthew 16:15–17

This week's Haftarah shows how far into folly we humans can go when we invent "religion" from of our own ideas. How do we avoid falling into the traps of false religion, and end up with genuine "revelation" – knowledge or direction from On High?

Congregation Beth El of Manhattan

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