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Rabbi's Message by Rabbi Seth Riemer

seth riemer Shalom! Welcome to cyberspace, a place of holiness, where, in the shimmer of the computer screen, God’s presence is reflected.

Computers divine—how so?

Lest you think that I am uttering blasphemy, consider this: Computers reflect the same principle—binah (critical intelligence—the capacity to evaluate data, distinguish between opposing values, and fashion structures on a differential basis) which, according to our kabbalists (Jewish mystics), God utilized to create our world.

In creating the world, God recognized meaningful alternations in our experience—between day and night, watery and dry places, male and female, good and evil, and so on. The digital revolution, which fashions a "virtual" world, is based on a simple binary operation involving alternations between the values of zero and one. Just as there is no end of permutations to the combined values of zero and one, there is no end of possibilities for the flowering of life forms, or for human self-advancement and social improvement through the use of our God-given mental abilities.

As Jewish life reaches into cyberspace, we affirm that the opportunities for celebrating life’s creative potential, and for learning together, are as infinite as the stars in the heavens above.

Here at Congregation Adath Israel, we are dedicated to creating a Jewish community experience that affirms the tzelem elohim, the divine image or spark of holiness refracted in a myriad of ways through the intelligence and passion of all human beings, and concretized in humankind’s collective achievements, such as the silicon chip itself! Knowing that God will help us to realize our own potential is a first step down the road toward the redemption of all humankind.

This synagogue community thus operates as a "web site" within which to bring together all the manifold possibilities for Jewish living offered in the spirit of tikun olam, repair of the world.

When we try to conceive of God—the divine source of truth in its uncharted vastness and mind-boggling depth of holiness—we use the phrase "melehha’olam," often translated as "king of the universe." Beyond the known universe—that which registers on our astronomical measuring devices—is a depth of hidden being.

The word olam, from its Hebrew root elem (hiddenness) reminds us that most of WHAT IS remains immeasurably unknown: God’s olam is like the hard drive of my computer. When I turn on the computer, the opportunities for learning that it presents amaze me, but most of the torah (teaching) which resides in that small box is unexplored. Think of the computer as a metaphor for life’s as yet undisclosed treasure house of creative powers. Scrolling down a page on your computer monitor, you may recall how, according to kabbalah (our mystical tradition), God used a heavenly sefer torah–Torah scroll–-as the blueprint for creating universes without end.

In the "virtual" format of this on-line web site, therefore, most of what Congregation Adath Israel has to offer—all of the vital ongoing activity and all of the potential for growth—remains unknown, untested, still unexplored, hidden from your conscious view. To realize the full force of our abilities, we are commanded to act in the real world.

Come to the synagogue—for Shabbat services and our daily minyan, for religious school or adult education, and for the many cultural and social events we sponsor—to see the reality and experience all of this intense activity for yourself. I am available to speak with you and look forward to doing so during my Monday morning office hours (till 10:30 a.m.), by appointment, and informally at other times.

Every new experience that opens up our capacity to appreciate the wonders of God’s creation—and the goodness felt in being together—is cause for celebration. Remembering that sense of joy in the moment of discovery, and hoping for a future filed with learning and ever deeper realization, I offer a blessing:

Baruh atah adonay eloheynu meleh ha’olam sheheheyanu vekiyemanu vehigi’anu lazeman hazeh.

Blessed are you ETERNAL ONE our God, ruler of the universe, who has kept us alive, and sustained us, and brought us to this time.




Home Rabbi's Message Services Calendar Membership Religious School Book Group Adult Education Synagogue Contacts Jewish Resources		Rabbi's Message by Rabbi Seth Riemer Shalom! Welcome to cyberspace, a place of holiness, where, in the shimmer of the computer screen, God’s presence is reflected. Computers divine—how so? Lest you think that I am uttering blasphemy, consider this: Computers reflect the same principle—binah (critical intelligence—the capacity to evaluate data, distinguish between opposing values, and fashion structures on a differential basis) which, according to our kabbalists (Jewish mystics), God utilized to create our world. In creating the world, God recognized meaningful alternations in our experience—between day and night, watery and dry places, male and female, good and evil, and so on. The digital revolution, which fashions a "virtual" world, is based on a simple binary operation involving alternations between the values of zero and one. Just as there is no end of permutations to the combined values of zero and one, there is no end of possibilities for the flowering of life forms, or for human self-advancement and social improvement through the use of our God-given mental abilities. As Jewish life reaches into cyberspace, we affirm that the opportunities for celebrating life’s creative potential, and for learning together, are as infinite as the stars in the heavens above. Here at Congregation Adath Israel, we are dedicated to creating a Jewish community experience that affirms the tzelem elohim, the divine image or spark of holiness refracted in a myriad of ways through the intelligence and passion of all human beings, and concretized in humankind’s collective achievements, such as the silicon chip itself! Knowing that God will help us to realize our own potential is a first step down the road toward the redemption of all humankind. This synagogue community thus operates as a "web site" within which to bring together all the manifold possibilities for Jewish living offered in the spirit of tikun olam, repair of the world. When we try to conceive of God—the divine source of truth in its uncharted vastness and mind-boggling depth of holiness—we use the phrase "melehha’olam," often translated as "king of the universe." Beyond the known universe—that which registers on our astronomical measuring devices—is a depth of hidden being. The word olam, from its Hebrew root elem (hiddenness) reminds us that most of WHAT IS remains immeasurably unknown: God’s olam is like the hard drive of my computer. When I turn on the computer, the opportunities for learning that it presents amaze me, but most of the torah (teaching) which resides in that small box is unexplored. Think of the computer as a metaphor for life’s as yet undisclosed treasure house of creative powers. Scrolling down a page on your computer monitor, you may recall how, according to kabbalah (our mystical tradition), God used a heavenly sefer torah–Torah scroll–-as the blueprint for creating universes without end. In the "virtual" format of this on-line web site, therefore, most of what Congregation Adath Israel has to offer—all of the vital ongoing activity and all of the potential for growth—remains unknown, untested, still unexplored, hidden from your conscious view. To realize the full force of our abilities, we are commanded to act in the real world. Come to the synagogue—for Shabbat services and our daily minyan, for religious school or adult education, and for the many cultural and social events we sponsor—to see the reality and experience all of this intense activity for yourself. I am available to speak with you and look forward to doing so during my Monday morning office hours (till 10:30 a.m.), by appointment, and informally at other times. Every new experience that opens up our capacity to appreciate the wonders of God’s creation—and the goodness felt in being together—is cause for celebration. Remembering that sense of joy in the moment of discovery, and hoping for a future filed with learning and ever deeper realization, I offer a blessing: Baruh atah adonay eloheynu meleh ha’olam sheheheyanu vekiyemanu vehigi’anu lazeman hazeh. Blessed are you ETERNAL ONE our God, ruler of the universe, who has kept us alive, and sustained us, and brought us to this time.


Congregation Adath Israel. Corner of Church and Broad Streets. Middletown, CT 06457 © 2006 Congregation Adath Israel. All Rights Reserved.