Our guest this week is Rabbi Joel Mosbacher, leader of the Beth Haverim Shir Shalom congregation in Bergen County, NJ. Rabbi Mosbacher, who has been at Beth Haverim Shir Shalom since 2001, earned his BA with a double major in Philosophy and Hebrew and Semitic Studies from the University of Wisconsin. He was ordained in June 1998 from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati , Ohio. After his ordination, he served as one of the rabbis at Temple Emanu-El in Atlanta , Georgia from 1998-2001. In 2006, he earned a Doctorate of Ministry with a focus on Pastoral Counseling from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.
This Week's Torah Portion – Parashat Kedoshim (Leviticus 19:1- 20:27) – features God telling Moses to give the people of Israel a set of rules which are meant to help them live a life of holiness. These rules include variations on several of the ten commanments, as well as different laws concerning basic ethical behavior (prohibitions on cheating, stealing and false oaths), harvest, religious rituals, and sexual conduct. Our discussion examines how we can adopt biblical commandments concerning holiness and make them relevant to our lives today.
If you would like to learn some more about Parashat Kedoshim, take a look at our conversation with Rabbi Matthew Soffer.
