Quotes:
It is perhaps simplistic, but nevertheless indicative, that our equivalent of “Give us this day our daily bread” is “Blessed art thou, O Lord, for bringing forth bread from the earth.”
Of necessity, since there were so few of us, it was set up as a Conservative synagogue so that the few older members who were likely to be Orthodox on the one hand and the Reform on the other, would not feel the service too strange.
“Do you think that the regulations–to pray, to keep the Sabbath, to fast on Yom Kippur–do you think these are good-luck charms?” the rabbi said. “God also gave you a mind to reason with and to use to protect the life He entrusted to your care.”
“Mr. Goralsky,” said the rabbi earnestly, “man was created in God’s image. So to disregard the health of the body that was entrusted to our care, God’s image, Mr. Goralsky, this is a serious sin.
When you accumulate the kind of money they have, you’re prepared to give some of it away. It’s expected of you. It goes with your status like Continentals and a uniformed chauffeur.
Anyone born of a Jewish mother, not father if you please, is automatically considered Jewish, provided”–he paused to emphasize the point–“that he has not repudiated his religion by conversion to another religion or by public disclaimer.”
I’ve never known a heavy drinker, what is apt to be called an alcoholic these days, I’ve never known one of them to commit suicide.
“It doesn’t say much about death,” she remarked, “Just praises God.
“Well, we believe in luck, you know.” “I suppose everyone does to some degree.” “No, I mean we believe in a way you Christians don’t. Your various doctrines–that God observes the fall of every sparrow, that you can change your misfortune by prayer–it all implies that when someone has bad luck he deserves it. But we believe in luck. That is, we believe it is possible for the truly good man to be unlucky, and vice versa. That’s one of the lessons we are taught by the Book of Job.
“Remember, Rabbi, just to put up a building, should be a building–this is foolish. Better in this place should be God’s grass and flowers.”
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