Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism

Member Login
  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • Get To Know Us
    • HCRJ Photo Gallery
    • Our Rabbi
    • Our Staff
    • Our Board Of Trustees
  • Worship with us
    • High Holy Days
    • Shabbat Services
    • Shabbat Shelanu
    • Special Shabbats
    • Havdalah
  • Connect with Us
    • Contact HCRJ
    • Find Us
    • Media
    • Connect with Our Friends
    • All Rabbi’s Messages
      • Monthly Messages
      • Weekly Reflections
  • Learning
    • Religious School
      • Philosophy
      • Registration
      • Calendar
      • Special Programs
      • Pictures
    • Youth Learning
      • HOUSTY
      • URJ Greene Family Camp
      • Prayer Library
    • Adult Learning
      • Jews around the World
      • Film Screenings
      • Tacos and Torah
      • Lunch with the Rabbi
      • Book Discussions
      • Jewish/Muslim Christmas
      • Basic Judaism
      • Marriage and Merlot
  • Social
    • Groups
      • Social Action
      • Senior Chai
      • Boomers and Friends
    • Events
      • Bingo
      • Mah Jongg Game Day
      • New and Prospective Member Shabbat
      • HCRJ Open Golf Tournament
      • Cars, Coffee & Conversation
      • Bark Mitzvah
      • Interest Group
      • HCRJ at the Astros
  • Calendar/Events
  • Membership

June 1, 2016

June 1, 2016 by Justin Deutsch

Dear Melissa,

This week’s Torah portion is concerned with the consequences connected to following God’s commandments. According to the Torah, those who faithfully follow the commandments will be rewarded, while those who stray will be punished. While many Jews today may find this formula concerning reward and punishment problematic, it would be foolish to deny the fact that every human action results in some kind of consequence.

Human relationships with each other and the world at large are dependent on how we choose to act. Regardless of how we may understand the commandments or how we understand God, maintaining human accountability for and sensitivity to the world around us is central to living ethical lives. When we act in ways which tend to the needs of the world, blessings are always in abundance. Certainly, bad things happen to good people – but it is important to remember that the good things that were done by good people brought blessings into the world. In contrast, curses arise when we fail to remain accountable for our behaviors and when we neglect the needs of others.

Our faith implores us to see the world through this lens by defining the partnership between humanity and God in terms of reward and punishment. We may not understand this formula in the same way that it is described in the Torah, but blessings and curses are, in part, the result of whether or not we chose to reach out to or turn our backs on each other, the world and the values of our faith.

L’Shalom–Steve

Filed Under: All Rabbi's Messages, Weekly Reflections

Rabbi’s Message Categories

  • All Rabbi’s Messages
  • Weekly Reflections
  • Monthly Messages
  • Sermons
  • Religious School
  • Events
  • Monthly Bulletins
  • Find Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Membership
  • Member Login

801 Bering Drive | Houston, Texas 77057 | Phone: 713-782-4162| Fax: 713-782-4167| hcrj@hcrj.org

Copyright © 2023 Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism All Rights Reserved

Website Development by Levy Marketing Group