Spiritual/Jewish Thread

beth1225
beth1225 Member Posts: 1,061
edited June 2014 in Prayers and Spiritual Support
It was suggested by another bc sister to start a thread for our fellow Jewish members. I for one am not extremely religious but I do follow a service at home or at synagogue every Erev Shabbat. I add as many as need it to my own personal M'SheBeirach prayer and say Kaddish for those here that have passed away.

Please feel free to add your own comments, wish a Hag Sameach or ask us all to keep someone in our prayers and hearts. We can also say Kaddish for your loved ones as well. Any religious-themes can be discussed too. I for one need to ask my rabbi if I have tatooes done after my mastectomy, can I still be buried in a Jewish Cemetery. I have discussed it with others here and I am sure there are more like that out there.

It can be very good to let it out and know there are others who share the same faith and know how you feel.

It is a little early but Shabbat Shalom to all.
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  • PuppyFive
    PuppyFive Member Posts: 2,808
    edited July 2007
    image



    Wonderful Idea {{{BETH}}} I pray our Jewish Sisters and Brothers enjoy! I know I will Love to Learn more about Your Faith!!! Puppy
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  • beth1225
    beth1225 Member Posts: 1,061
    edited July 2007
    Well, Puppy, we can start out by saying, Shabbat Shalom, which loosely translates to Good Sabbath. Shalom can mean peace in this instance although rabbis love to debate this. Shalom also means hello and goodbye. I like to think it means a welcome to a peaceful sabbath.

    {{{PUPPY}}} I think it is good to learn about one another's beliefs to build more tolerance in this world. Doesn't matter what religion you do or do not practice, how much money you have or how pretty you are, cancer does not discriminate and we are all in this together for a reason: to help one another and spread love and support wherever we can.

    image
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  • beth1225
    beth1225 Member Posts: 1,061
    edited July 2007
    Each Shabbat, we recite a prayer for those who are in need of healing called the Mi Shebeirach. Below is a link to the actual recording by Debbie Friedman. I always add to my own list to say every Shabbat to include every new person I "meet" here to have God help them with your own healing.

    http://www.jewishmusic.com/sound/codfr15d_09.rm
    (this is the recording)

    Here are the words:

    Mi she berach avoteinu,
    M'kor hab'racha l'imoteinu

    May the source of strength, Who blessed the ones before us
    Help us find the courage to make our lives a blessing
    And let us say: Amen.

    Mi she berach imoteinu,
    M'kor hab'racha l'avoteinu
    r'fuah sh'leima

    Bless those in need of healing with r'fuah sh'leima
    The renewal of body, the renewal of spirit,
    And let us say: Amen.
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  • beth1225
    beth1225 Member Posts: 1,061
    edited July 2007

    Also, I am still saying Kaddish, the prayer of remembrance for those who have passed, for my grandmother who passed away at 101 back in October. It is normally said every week for eleven months by immediate family such as a spouse or a child. As my grandmother had outlived her spouse and her natural children (she was my dad's stepmother), my cousin and I took over for that. I hear her as well as my mom's mother saying to me that it will get better. I miss them and my dad and my Pop, his father. I was old enough when they all passed to really miss them. I wish my dad was here because he really could make me feel better with just a hug. He always called me sweetheart and I guess any holiday makes me miss him more. We always got the whole family together on each one and since he passed it just doesn't happen anymore. And that is what saddens me most. Sorry I have vented here but I think I needed to.

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  • TheShopMama
    TheShopMama Member Posts: 577
    edited July 2007
    Beth,
    Thanks so much for sharing this with us. So many traditions cease to exist when loved ones pass. I know we are all grateful for precious memories. Shalom, Pam
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  • PuppyFive
    PuppyFive Member Posts: 2,808
    edited July 2007
    I Pray Your Sisters and Brothers will share Your Faith with You Beth!!! Thank You for helping others Understand
    one of the Many Types of Love God Has!
    Puppy
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  • karen1956
    karen1956 Member Posts: 6,503
    edited July 2007
    Beth - regarding the tattoos - I think the ones we get medically, like for radiation are halachially okay. But I've been told that tattoos are not permitted - but that is according to an orthodox rabbi. I know there are differences between the domination (reform, conservative and orthodox). for me I always consult the orthodox point of view. Its like body piercings - ears are okay, but not other parts of the body. I never thought to ask my rabbi about my tattoos before radiation, but since they were medically necessary, I didn't worry about it. A friend of mine from shul is a radiation oncologist and also a BC survivor- if there was a problem with this, I'm sure she would have mentioned it to me even though she was not my rad onc.
    Thanks for starting this thread. It will be nice to connect with our other jewish brothers and sisters. Lets just hope that we remember the tolerance part that you so nicely mentioned at the start. While in Israel at all the holy sites, I said a special prayer for all the CG"s as well as my other friends and family having tough times. We visited the kotel a couple times, Rachel's tomb, the patriarchs and matriarchs tombs in Hebron, Elijah's tomb in Tel Aviv as well as some other holy sites that are escaping me know. It was very powerful to say the Shema at these sites.
    Wishing you a good shabbat. Need to go put my challot in the oven. Hugs from Denver
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  • ravdeb
    ravdeb Member Posts: 3,116
    edited July 2007
    Just thought I'd assure you all that the tattooes for radiation or for any other procedures are okay. Anything that you do that is part of a life saving procedure or thatyou need in order to stay alive and healthy is acceptable. This means that if the only food around was pork or shell fish, you could eat it if you were starving. Jewish soldiers in the American army eat what is served them. In fact..you MUST according to Jewish law. So, these tattooes of ours are a MUST.

    As long as we are on the subject, this also goes for traveling to visit the sick on Shabbat. It is something you must do. And this would be something that some of us would need to know..or our family or close friends.

    (By the way, I use Debbie Friedman melodies in our services, just not the ones that are in English )

    Shabbat Shalom.
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  • beth1225
    beth1225 Member Posts: 1,061
    edited July 2007
    Shabbat Shalom to Ravdeb and Karen. I am impressed that you bake your own Challot, Karen. I saw on the instructions from my bread machine that I can make Challah but have not tried it yet. I did make a wonderful rye bread however. See, in our family, there is an 11th commandment that says: Thou shalt not serve Prakas without potato kugel or latkes and a fresh loaf of rye bread. There is also a commnetary about Maalox and when you should take and not offend the cook!

    You both brought things I did not know. I know that on a fasting holiday, those who are sick, pregnant, elderly or on medication are told to eat. Did not know about visiting the sick on Shabbat.

    Question: Is it halacha or a bubbameinseh about not going to the cemetary when one is pregnant? My Uncle is still annoyed at a relative for not coming to my grandmother's funeral but showing up at shiva. Family, gotta love 'em!

    Ravdeb, I have several tapes of Debbie Friedman and had the pleasure of hearing her in person many years ago. Our Cantor uses a lot of new liturgy in our services and I love to sit back, close my eyes and sing along. Something very soothing about them. Feels like you are wrapping yourself in a wonderful blanket.

    This week I say Kaddish for my great-aunt Rose. She was a ferbisseneh woman (that is from her sister, my grandmother's mouth) but I still say for her every year.

    Stay well everyone.
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  • EachDay
    EachDay Member Posts: 400
    edited July 2007
    Beth, I am so glad to see that you have started this threaad and I hope that it will continue to prosper. I love some of your traditions and I have incorporated your Book of Life into my own prayers. Each morning when I say my own words to God, I thank him for another page in my Book of Life...I know that it is different from what the Jewish Book of Life is all about, but I like the idea very much. I try and post neutral prayers or poems rather than "specific" prayers so that I am being more generic and general for the whole, but I think this is very important, to have a Spiritual/Jewish thread. There are so many traditions and so much heritage within this religion and it is valuable to offer this, not just for yourselves but as an education for all of us. Ignorance is not bliss and the more we know about one another, the better we can all exist in this world.

    Blessings of love to you.

    C.
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  • Towanda2
    Towanda2 Member Posts: 94
    edited August 2007

    I don't usually visit this Forum but I was very moved by the following inspirational piece. May we all become strong swimmers!

    Teach Them to Swim
    Jerome Groopman
    (from www.jewelsofelul.com)

    On the wall of the pool at my Jewish community center is a line from the Talmud, "A father should teach his child three things: Torah, a trade, and to swim." For years, I read this as inspiration to improve my stroke. But then I wondered if the Talmud was also imparting a profound message about hope and healing.

    It is no surprise that the Rabbis would encourage learning Torah to bring us closer to God and mastering a trade to obtain material sustenance. But why learn to swim?

    The Talmud does not say, "be taught to walk" because the ground is our natural habitat. Water is not. In water, there is nothing to hold on to. There is the risk of drowning, so we must learn how to adapt to new, dangerous, and uncertain surroundings.

    When we become ill, it is like being thrown into water. Hope and healing are like swimming. To pass through illness, we must change our usual way of functioning and take control of an unnatural environment. At first, we may thrash around, but God has given us the ability to move forward and prevail. This can be taught to our children after we learn it ourselves.

    Jerome Groopman is a professor of medicine at Harvard and a best-selling author.
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  • EachDay
    EachDay Member Posts: 400
    edited August 2007

    This is a lovely analogy and puts things in such perspective.

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  • Sierra
    Sierra Member Posts: 1,638
    edited August 2007

    Post deleted by Sierra

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  • beth1225
    beth1225 Member Posts: 1,061
    edited August 2007
    Towanda, just a secular thought on the commandment to teach your children to swim. Since the place where Israel lies is surrounded on 3 sides by enemies and the fourth by the sea, then if you are backed up to the ocean, you should know to swim.
    There are 613 commandments and I always thought the swimming one was very important for many reasons.
    Thank you for sharing it and it wonderful to see such unity in this forum!
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  • beth1225
    beth1225 Member Posts: 1,061
    edited September 2007

    L'Shana Tova  Tika Teivu to all of my fellow Jewish members here.  As a family we observe the start of another year and as a group we can all begin it with good health and happiness to all.  May the coming year bring joy to everyone and peace to those who seek it. Amen.

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