For it is not yours by inheritance. One cannot attain scholarship on the merit of his father's studies; everyone must acquire knowledge by personal effort.'
Rabbi Eliezer (Pirke Avot)
Do not seek greatness for yourself and do not covet honor; let your practice exceed your learning.'
Anonymous (Pirke Avot)
'Do not look at the jar, but what is in it; there may be a new vessel filled with mature wine and an old vessel that does not even contain new wine.'
Rabbi Meir (Pirke Avot)
'Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.'
Yeshua (Jesus) (Matthew 9:17)
'The day is short, the task is great, the workers are sluggish and the wages are high and the Master of the house is pressing.'
Rabbi Tarfon (Pirke Avot)
'Do not say, when I have leisure I shall study, for you may never be free.'
Hillel (Pirke Avot)
'I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.'
Yeshua (Jesus) (Matthew 5:18-20)
'Make your study of Torah a regular habit, say little and do much, and receive everyone with a cheerful smile.'
Shammai (Pirke Avot)
'Do not separate yourself from the community.'
Hillel (Pirke Avot)
'Do not forsake attendance at synagogue (as some do), but exhort one another; and even more as you see the Day approaching.'
(Hebrews 10.25)
'Be among the disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving people and bringing them nearer to Torah.'
'If I am not for myself, who will be for me? and if I am for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?'
Hillel (Pirke Avot)
'It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.'
(Acts 15:19-21)
'All my life I was raised among the Sages and I have found nothing better than silence; it is not the study (of Torah) but its practice that is the essence, and whoever talks excessively causes sin.'
Simon the son of Rabban Gamaliel (Pirke Avot)
'Do not long for the table of kings, for your table is greater than theirs, and your crown is greater than their crown, and your Employer is faithful and shall pay you the reward of your work.'
Anonymous (Pirke Avot)
'You are not required to complete the work, but neither are you free to avoid it'
Rabbi Tarfon (Pirke Avot)
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Core Values Statement
As a traditionally minded Jewish community, we are dedicated to belief in the concept of klal yisrael, the unfractured totality of Jewish existence and life and strongly believe and affirm the idea of haverim kol yisrael (i.e. that all Israel is still joined in fellowship despite dispersion and dichotomies). In the same manner, we recognize that the doors of Judaism have always been open to those from among the nations who have sought a deeper relationship and experience with the G-d of Israel. Thus, as followers of Yeshua and as evidenced in the Renewed Covenant, we believe that a central goal of our community is to serve, from an authentic Jewish perspective, not only Jews by birth or by conversion but also those from among the nations that have been lead by G-d's Spirit to become a part of the Commonwealth of Israel.
On the basis of this understanding, our community's first core value is to cultivate a synagogue that is dedicated to lifting up the Name of Yeshua. We affirm and recognize Yeshua in his proper context as an observant Jew who perfectly observed all the instruction of the Torah. We recognize Yeshua as the Messiah of Israel, in whom "the fullness of the deity dwells" and as the "only name in heaven or under heaven by which man may be saved." Thus, we believe that G-d revealed himself through His Son Yeshua, and that regeneration by the Spirit of G-d indwelling us through our trust in the person and work of Yeshua, is absolutely essential. As a synagogue, we are committed to the greater Jewish community to which we belong by living a life devoted to Jewish observance and thoughts as was exemplified by Yeshua.
Our second core value is our commitment to becoming a close knit community of faith exemplified by love, by sharing our lives together, carrying each other's burdens and sharing each other's joys, knit together as a family through the love of G-d revealed through Yeshua. In doing so, we seek to reflect the history and experiences of Jewish people throughout the ages and to adhere to the standard of G-d's righteousness as revealed through His Torah.
Our third core value is belief in the cultivation of an environment that promotes, teaches, and lives by the standards of traditional Judaism as informed by our renewed covenant of faith in Yeshua. Jewish tradition must remain unbroken within our circles, stemming from the rooted historical experiences and values of Jewish people throughout the ages. Because of this, we reaffirm our commitment to the eternal covenant of Torah and to the successful transmission of our heritage, faith, and love of G-d and fellow man to our children and to future generations as demonstrated by the earliest followers of Yeshua.
Our final core value lies in our dedication to the idea that as authoritative and inspired Scriptures, the entirety of the Tanakh and the Torat Shlichim serves as the ultimate authority for congregational life, teaching, doctrine, principles of faith and perspective. This is consistent with the teachings of the Messiah Yeshua who said "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." We are dedicated to learning and applying these truths to our lives.
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What we offer is a very traditional service similar to what any Conservative or Traditional Synagogue would offer. We use the traditional ArtScroll Sidur and do at least the minimum required prayers for Shabbat (except for the Musaf). We have a shorten Torah service when a minyan of 10 men are present, and we have Oneg followed by Shir HaMalot (Grace after Meals). Our 'drashes' (teachings) in the morning are usually less than 15 minutes. [We have extended Torah study in the afternoon for those that want to stay. We use the Artscroll Chumash and commentary. ]
We believe in Yeshua (Jesus) as the Messiah, and we add a few prayers related to his messiahship.
But we also offer a comfortable environment for mixed marriages and we will help you catch up on any Hebrew you may have forgotten.
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Are you looking for a closer walk with God? Are you tired of the baby food being fed to you at local churches? Maybe you are ready to move from milk to solid food.
Hebrews 5:13-14 'Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature...'
At Simchat Torah, we promise to give you meat. We will raise questions you probably never thought about. We will teach you Hebrew and the beautiful traditions of the Hebrew Sidur, much of which was set out by the scribe Ezra. We will teach you to understand the Bible with 'Jewish eyes'.
After lunch each Saturday, we have extended Torah study in the afternoon for those that want to stay. We use the Artscroll Chumash and commentary.
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