Our Congregation

Our Beth Ruach congregation is built on the values of the Torah and the Talmud, and we are united in our faith in Judaism and our support of Israel.

We support our congregation through Torah learning, Shabbat dinners, Jewish holidays, celebrations, and life-long learning of our Jewish education to all ages.

Our congregation is made up of primarily interfaith families due to the rise in Jewish people marrying outside of their faith. As such, while grounded in Judaism, our congregation welcomes their spouses of all faiths and those with no faith to join us in creating a diverse, vibrant spiritual community of individuals and families.

Through our teachings, work, and embrace, we aspire to keep the Jewish faith and traditions alive within these interfaith unions and be cherished by their extended families so that it may remain vibrant and alive into future generations.

We are affiliated with the Universal Oneness United Faith Canada. 

Universal Oneness United Faith Canada (“UOUFC”) is a spiritual center that welcomes people from‎ all faiths and those of no faith. The UOUFC works to break down the barriers of religious intolerance. Congregation Beth Ruach is the Jewish interfaith branch of the UOUFC and is the ‎community that Rabbi David Gellman serves.

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TESTIMONIAL—

“I’ve known David practically my whole life, and he knew my mom and my family, so he was the obvious choice to provide the funeral service for my mother, Miriam Stein. He did a very, very nice job, was very personal, and made sure everyone was included—as I knew he would. Thank you, David.”

Helen B.

The Rabbi’s Weekly Commentary-April 5, 2025

The Book of Ritual

Greetings friends

It is kind of spring.

It is the time for renewal for life, for love, for our souls.

We are also just a week from the most important of all biblical holidays—the festival of unleavened bread that we simply call Passover.  It is the holiday celebrating freedom, but not just any freedom, freedom from fear and constraint.

I pray the hostages are freed in time to celebrate it.  They must not spend a second one in captivity, but people are too focused on elections and economics to worry about the greatest abuse of mankind since the Holocaust.

We are also in the midst of the first 12 days of the ancient year. They believed that every year, you had a blank canvas to paint your masterpiece, to imprint your will on the empty picture of life, and each of the first 12 days represented the 12 months of the year.

Each day you put the energy of the month into that day, and when we look at the days we had and the days to come, we see:

1. A true blank slate so you can initiate a new project; you can also think about the image you project.
2. Security and value: Where do you get your sense of security from? It’s not always money. Do something that fosters your sense of personal security.
3. Siblings and communication skills—speak with a brother/sister, write a poem, share a song.a
4. Mother, home, emotional foundation—visit Mom—it doesn’t have to be physical, it can be virtual, or spiritual.  Do something to make your home more comfortable.
5. Love of life and excitement; life in an artistic vein—do something that really fosters how you love to live life; do something exciting, invigorating.
6. Health, pets—think about what you need to make yourself healthier this year; enjoy the unconditional love of a pet, yours or a friend’s.
7. Partnerships—business or personal, long-term relationships—we all have partners in life – foster the relationships
8. Transformation—what do you see yourself becoming with the next phase of your life; what steps do you need to take?
9. Higher learning—whether school or a universal understanding of life, religion, spirituality—explore something beyond your current comfort level.
10. Father, authorities, career, achievement in society—call Dad.
11. Hopes, dreams, wishes, friends, and networks – think about what your real hopes and dreams are; call a dear friend and tell them they are important in your life.
12. Subconscious and spirituality, your secrets and karma—what are you bringing forward that you have to work on?

You can change your life with these 12 days. They represent a key time to initiate change. Change your world and make it what you want, and you do this by changing yourself.

We are constantly changing ourselves, and in doing this, there are three intertwined aspects that we carry through our lifetimes. The highest is the soul we take with us lifetime to lifetime—our soul has been our constant companion from the beginning of time; the lowest is the body, the vessel that carries the other two and is completely disposable—and always was before we knew disposable was okay. It is cast aside on death and recycled, and the other two parts move on.

The second, the middle one, probably the one we are most familiar with and perhaps the most influenced, is our personality. And we do carry it from lifetime to lifetime, but it is always changing, picking up on what it learned in each, so we carry those traits with us to the next life, and they reappear, and we have a certain familiarity. Personality is the part of us that is constantly in some kind of reaction state to the present moment so it changes during the life and from lifetime to lifetime.  These three parts make you, you. And you have complete control of them and the ability to change.

This week, we begin a new book, Leviticus. It is the shortest of the five books that make up the Torah, and it sits squarely in the middle of the structure in a way that may be unsettling to many modern readers. We have been reading a story—and now, a break to read ritual.

This is perhaps the oddest of the five Books of Moses because the Book of Leviticus is predominantly concerned with Levitical rituals, so… this week you get to become a priest, a Levite, and you begin to learn about sacrifices –

• The Burnt Offering
• Grain Offerings
• Offerings of Well-Being
• Sin Offerings
• Offerings with Restitution

You’ve never done one; you’ll never do one.

Leviticus describes the sacrificial service and the duties of the priests.  It also introduces ritual purity, the biblical diet, the calendar of appointed times, laws of holiness, and laws relating to redemption, vows, and tithes.  In addition, Leviticus discourses on ethical instruction and holiness.   It is a manual for the priest and has so little ability to connect with a typical reader.

But its lessons run deep, and we are reminded to use the time you have to take stock of yourself and remember—our hands are only clean if we do good with them, and our feet are clean if we are going in the right ways, in the right direction, holding hands with the people who need our hands.

Do good, move in the right direction, and help those in need—a nice, easy way to live life.

This week we reach the Book of Leviticus, the manual of the priest.  It stops the flow of stories right in the middle of the Torah and gives us a list of instructions for sacrifices.  It introduces us to two key things, a new phrase that will be the catchphrase of all sages, and rabbis. “And the Lord said to Moses, tell the people…”  Moses is the sole intermediary now.  He will deliver the instructions from G0d.

The other thing is you will be introduced to a concept that this entire book is based upon and one that goes back to the first sentences in Genesis. Creation was about division and separation, and this entire book is built around the idea of distinction, division, and separation—ultimately between the clean and unclean. It affects food, sex, sacrifice, and ritual.  It will play a part in everything from this point on.  But one thing that can never be divided or separated is the indomitable spirit of man.

Keep practicing forgiveness, my friends. Use this time to continue to forgive those you need to forgive and ask forgiveness from those you need to seek forgiveness from. Give thanks and celebrate your freedom and joy; do not succumb to fear and its henchmen, anger, and hatred.

This episode will be posted on our channel, where you can see all our past shows. Click here to watch the Rabbi David Gellman Show in the 2025 cycle.

And if you are one of the people this was sent to by a friend and want to receive it yourself, let me know. I will add you to my mailing list.

Thank you all for allowing me into your homes, electronic devices, and hearts, as you are all with me in mine.

Be well, be happy, be healthy, be free, be kind, be forgiving, be compassionate, be independent of mind and deed, be mindful of your intentions, and be good to yourself.  Continue to celebrate freedom of choice in your life, and do not give in to the fear that is so prevalent. Enjoy the peace that comes from acceptance. As always, if you have any questions or suggestions or just want to say “hi,” please send me an email.  I love hearing from you.

Remember, anytime you do not want to receive these anymore, please send me an email so I can remove you.  And know that I truly appreciate you sharing your sacred time with me.

Enjoy and celebrate your life and the lives of others. In doing so, be happy. May you all sow the seeds of and reap the rewards of peace, love, and miracles. Make sure you also celebrate your own unique individuality and your incredible awesomeness.

Continue celebrating love; continue celebrating freedom; send renewal and goodwill out to everyone in the world – it is an energy that cannot be stopped – be a growing beacon of light and remember – your world is what you make it.  Just wish upon a star and continue to be a miracle in someone’s life and light the light of love.

Blessings

RD

www.rabbidavidgellman.com
Respecting our past.  Putting faith in your future

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