Parashat Yitro – On Eagles’ Wings

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Friday Night Shabbat Services, Tonight January 29, at 7 PM. We look forward to seeing you.

Candle lighting 5:47 PM.
 
The next Saturday morning services are  February 13.
*Are you ready for First Fridays*
Friday February 5 at the special time of 6:30 PM we will have a shabbat dinner in honor of Phil and Keren Harvey who are making aliya to Israel in February. Keren and Phil have generously sponsored the Friday dinner and we thank them sincerely. Kidish crew will meet Thursday February 4th at Beth El at 11:30 AM to help cook. Anyone can join us!
Friday March 4, also at 6:30 PM we will be having another service and dinner as we celebrate with congregations across the US and Canada in SHABBAT ACROSS AMERICA! This evening will be in honor of our Jewish educators at Beth El.
IF you’re on FACEBOOK, be sure to join the Beth El Austin Facebook page. You can also add your friends. Let’s get the word out about this Jewel in Austin’s Jewish community: Congregation Beth El.
 
Please consider joining the Shomrim of Austin. Congregation Beth El has been a part of Austin shomrim, a group of men and women who help in this amazing mitzvah when someone in the community has passed away. Please email us for more details. Go to the following link for more information and to sign up: 
Cantor Ben-Moshe’s Weekly Message:
This week we read in Parshat Yitro about God’s Revelation at Mt. Sinai.  Moshe Rabbenu ascends the mountain and begins the process of receiving Torah from God, the Torah that commands that we pursue justice in this world. Interestingly, the parshah begins with Moshe’s father in law, Yitro, giving advice about how to effectively administer justice, by setting up a system of courts.  It is not by Divine Revelation but by human wisdom that we arrive at the mechanisms for doing God’s will.  Human wisdom of course grows and changes as we learn more-so too must our approach to God change and grow.  God is eternal, but we are constantly evolving-this is how we are made, and we must always, like Moshe our Teacher, learn from the best of human knowledge and apply it to our relationship with God.  Shabbat Shalom.