Read the Portion on Sefaria.org - you can click a verse for commentary

PDF of reading in Etz Hayim (Page 436)

Yitro (Exodus 19:1 – 20:23, 2^nd and 3^rd Triennial)

And all the people were seeing the thunder and flashes and the sound of the ram’s horn and the mountain in smoke, and the people saw and they drew back and stood at a distance. And they said to Moses, “You speak with us that we may hear, and let not God speak with us lest we die. וְכׇל־הָעָם רֹאִים אֶת־הַקּוֹלֹת וְאֶת־הַלַּפִּידִם וְאֵת קוֹל הַשֹּׁפָר וְאֶת־הָהָר עָשֵׁן וַיַּרְא הָעָם וַיָּנֻעוּ וַיַּעַמְדוּ מֵרָחֹק׃

This intriguing idea is supported by the numerical value (“gematria”) of the word “Torah.” Here’s how gematria works: each Hebrew letter has a numerical value. The tradition holds that since Hebrew is the language with which God spoke the world into being, there is deep significance in a word’s numerical value.  Here’s one of the more creative uses of this exegetical method: the word Torah equals 611 (ה=5, ר=200, ו=6, ת=400).  As you may know, (according to the Talmud) the total number of mitzvot in the Torah is 613; two more than the numerical value of the word “Torah.” If the Torah contains 613 mitzvot, then surely this should be the numerical value of the word. How do we account for the missing two? The answer comes from verse: “Moses charged us with the Torah” תּוֹרָה צִוָּה־לָנוּ מֹשֶׁה (Deuteronomy 33:4) which we traditionally sing when raising the Torah after reading. Since Hebrew letters are also numbers, we can read this verse as “Moses charged us with 611.” Indeed, according to this reading, Moses transmitted 611 of the 613 mitzvot. The other two we heard directly from God at Sinai. 

On January 13th, the Synagogue Council of Massachusetts honored Phoebe Potts among its heroic educators. In her six years as Director of Family Learning, Phoebe has transformed and deepened the experience of teachers, students and families through careful listening, sparkling creativity and relentless work. Those directly involved have seen this transformation and witnessed Phoebe’s creative celebrations of students at our end-of-year celebrations, or her showing up to deliver school materials to each family, (sometimes dressed as a banana). In addition to what you might have witnessed, behind the scenes, Phoebe has created a culture of learning and shared purpose in the SCFLP staff who gather to learn Jewish texts and to share and comment on each other’s learning goals and strategies. For our students and families she is constantly finding new ways for them to engage in Jewish life and learning. Even aside from the extraordinary challenge of the pandemic, maintaining a small Jewish School comprising dozens of busy people with diverse and particular perspectives is a daunting task which Phoebe has managed with grace and determination. Please join me in celebrating her extraordinary contribution to our TAA community. For those who want to learn more, I encourage you to keep up with what’s happening with the Sylvia Cohen Family Learning Project. 

TAA BOOK GROUP SELECTION: THE BROKEN ALLIANCE BY JONATHAN KAUFMAN

All are welcome! Email Barbara to join.

The TAA Membership Committee wishes to welcome our newest member family: Suzann Goldberg, Errol Santos, and Hadassa Liberman. We look forward to getting to know you!

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Torah Study, Thursdays, 11 am REGISTER TO JOIN ON ZOOM

Shabbat Service, Saturdays, 9 am REGISTER TO JOIN ON ZOOM

Sunday Morning Minyan, Sundays, 9 am REGISTER TO JOIN ON ZOOM

ACCESS ELECTRONIC SIDDURIM / Contact Jasmine for hard copies

The TAA Kitchen Crew is looking for community members to join our terrific team. You choose when, how often and the amount of time in the kitchen. If you have any questions or ideas please email Janet

TAA’s Everyone Eats! Team provides lunch supplies each Sunday at Gloucester's Action Shelter. To join the team or find out more, email Martha

"Chesed" is loving care in Hebrew, and the Chesed Committee provides support to families in our community. To join the Chesed Committee or find out more, email Audrey Fraser or Elaine Byrne

Join the Caregivers Support Group for their Tuesday 10:30 am meetings

The Gloucester Marine Station and Cape Ann Climate Coalition present

Climate Conversations:

Building Resiliency within our Coastal Community

Thursday, January 27, 7:30 pm LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

January 29, 6:30 pm REGISTER

Goldman Funeral Chapel, 174 Ferry St. Malden, MA

RSVP to goldmanfc@comcast.net, rabbirichard@rabbiperlman.com, or djm@emanu-el.org

Professor Sammy Shina

Presented by Congregation Ahavas Achim Book Group

For more information or to receive the Zoom invite, contact Alida Rutchick.

All are welcome!

Know Someone Interested in Joining our Community?

Refer prospective members to Richard Huttner and Elaine Byrne

Myron Geller, Rabbi Emeritus

Amy Farber, President

Phoebe Potts, Director of the Sylvia Cohen Family Learning Project

Laurie Williamson, Bookkeeper 

Jasmine Epstein, Office Coordinator