When the Goat Confronts the Azazel

Excerpts from Saturday's Services

The problem is that in the majority of translations, the word Azazel is translated as scapegoat so the reader does not really know anymore who the goat is or who is the Azazel. We will find out from our text of Leviticus 16 that the Azazel is in fact, not the goat. To avoid much confusion from the translation, let us read from the Schocken Bible, a Jewish literal translation of the Torah. Here the text becomes clearer and the message is indeed very powerful…

The Jonah-Jesus Connection

Excerpts from Saturday's Services

During the Yom Kippur service, there is an enigmatic yet powerful book from the Hebrew Bible that is read in its entirety. It is the Book of Jonah. Why do they read this particular book and at such a high moment during the Yom Kippur service, just before the closing of the gate, which is at Ne’ilah, the last service of the day? The reason for its reading could be understood through a simple story which comes to us from centuries ago…