In the 16 days from Lag BaOmer until Shavuot (May 1-16, 2021) we held a daily Omer Madness Text Study.
All texts and voting records are available in the posts below.
Please note that because this page is blog-style, the earliest posts are at the bottom of this page!
It has been an amazing journey to study Shavuot texts together over these last few weeks.We hope you have enjoyed studying and talking about them, mulling over the study questions and follow-up questions, and voting for them!
May this Shavuot and the coming year continue to enrich our lives with Torah!
Rabbi Scott Nagel and Cantor Sarah Beck-Berman
Remember to celebrate Shavuot with us TONIGHT, Sunday May 16th, at 6:15pm on Zoom. During our Shavuot service, we are also celebrating our Confirmands of 2021!
For the Zoom information, Beth Ahabah members can check the e-news or the noon announcement email!
Congregation Beth Ahabah 1121 West Franklin Street Richmond, VA 23220
Remember to celebrate Shavuot with us tomorrow night, Sunday May 16th, at 6:15pm on Zoom! Zoom login information for our members and guests will be sent out in our noon message tomorrow announcing the Omer Madness Winner!
Rabbi Scott Nagel & Cantor Sarah Beck-Berman
Want to see links to previous match-up results? Or share our text study with friends and family? Each of these emails also posts to our website on the following page: https://www.bethahabah.org/omer-madness-2021
Congregation Beth Ahabah 1121 West Franklin Street Richmond, VA 23220
Remember, voting closes at 9am tomorrow morning! We will report the winner in our noon email tomorrow, which will also include the next match-up.
We hope you enjoy!
Rabbi Scott Nagel & Cantor Sarah Beck-Berman
Want to see links to previous match-up results? Or share our text study with friends and family? Each of these emails also posts to our website on the following page: https://www.bethahabah.org/omer-madness-2021
Congregation Beth Ahabah 1121 West Franklin Street Richmond, VA 23220
Remember, voting closes at 9am tomorrow morning!
We will report the winner in our noon email tomorrow, which will also include the next match-up.
We hope you enjoy!
Rabbi Scott Nagel & Cantor Sarah Beck-Berman
Want to see links to previous match-up results?
Or share our text study with friends and family?
Each of these emails also posts to our website on the following page: https://www.bethahabah.org/omer-madness-2021
Congregation Beth Ahabah
1121 West Franklin Street
Richmond, VA 23220
Remember, voting closes at 9am tomorrow morning!
We will report the winner in our noon email tomorrow, which will also include the next match-up.
We hope you enjoy!
Rabbi Scott Nagel & Cantor Sarah Beck-Berman
Want to see links to previous match-up results?
Or share our text study with friends and family?
Each of these emails also posts to our website on the following page: https://www.bethahabah.org/omer-madness-2021
Congregation Beth Ahabah
1121 West Franklin Street
Richmond, VA 23220
Remember, voting closes at 9am tomorrow morning! We will report the winner in our noon email tomorrow, which will also include the next match-up.
We hope you enjoy!
Rabbi Scott Nagel & Cantor Sarah Beck-Berman
Want to see links to previous match-up results? Or share our text study with friends and family? Each of these emails also posts to our website on the following page: https://www.bethahabah.org/omer-madness-2021
Congregation Beth Ahabah 1121 West Franklin Street Richmond, VA 23220
Remember, voting closes at 9am tomorrow morning! We will report the winner in our noon email tomorrow, which will also include the next match-up.
We hope you enjoy!
Rabbi Scott Nagel & Cantor Sarah Beck-Berman
Want to see links to previous match-up results? Or share our text study with friends and family? Each of these emails also posts to our website on the following page: https://www.bethahabah.org/omer-madness-2021
Congregation Beth Ahabah 1121 West Franklin Street Richmond, VA 23220
Remember, voting closes at 9am tomorrow morning! We will report the winner in our noon email tomorrow, which will also include the next match-up.
We hope you enjoy!
Rabbi Scott Nagel & Cantor Sarah Beck-Berman
Want to see links to previous match-up results? Or share our text study with friends and family? Each of these emails also posts to our website on the following page: https://www.bethahabah.org/omer-madness-2021
Congregation Beth Ahabah 1121 West Franklin Street Richmond, VA 23220
Today's Vote is between a passage from the Jewish mystical text, the Zohar, about the Torah and creation, and a passage from the Talmud about Moses getting a peek at the Torah of the future.
Zohar on Genesis 90a (God created the world on the condition that Israel accept the Torah)
Remember, voting closes at 9am tomorrow morning! We will report the winner in our noon email tomorrow, which will also include the next match-up.
We hope you enjoy!
Rabbi Scott Nagel & Cantor Sarah Beck-Berman
Want to see links to previous match-up results? Or share our text study with friends and family? Each of these emails also posts to our website on the following page: https://www.bethahabah.org/omer-madness-2021
Congregation Beth Ahabah 1121 West Franklin Street Richmond, VA 23220
Today's Vote
is between two very famous passages: one in the Talmud about who determines the Torah law on earth, and a midrash about God asking for guarantors before giving the Torah to Israel.
Babylonian Talmud Bava Metzia 59b (the story of the oven of akhnai:
Rabbis argue about what can determine the law)
vs.
Song of Songs Rabbah 1:4 (a midrash in which God asks Israel for guarantors
before giving them the Torah)
Remember, voting closes at 9am tomorrow morning!
We will report the winner in our noon email tomorrow, which will also include the next match-up.
We hope you enjoy!
Rabbi Scott Nagel & Cantor Sarah Beck-Berman
Want to see links to previous match-up results?
Or share our text study with friends and family?
Each of these emails also posts to our website on the following page: https://www.bethahabah.org/omer-madness-2021
Congregation Beth Ahabah
1121 West Franklin Street
Richmond, VA 23220
Today's Vote is between a midrashic interpretation of a verse from Song of Songs and a passage from Pirkei Avot (Ethics of our Ancestors), both about Torah.
Song of Songs Rabbah 1:2 (A midrash in which the words of Torah are likened to waters)
vs.
Pirkei Avot 6:1 (Rabbi Meir said: One who occupies themself with Torah for its own sake acquires many benefits)
Remember, voting closes at 9am tomorrow morning! We will report the winner in our noon email tomorrow, which will also include the next match-up.
We hope you enjoy!
Rabbi Scott Nagel & Cantor Sarah Beck-Berman
Want to see links to previous match-up results? Or share our text study with friends and family? Each of these emails also posts to our website on the following page: https://www.bethahabah.org/omer-madness-2021
Congregation Beth Ahabah 1121 West Franklin Street Richmond, VA 23220
Today's vote is between a passage from the Talmud talking about the basic principles of Torah, and a passage from a commentary on the Jewish mystical text, the Zohar, about how Torah can relieve anxieties.
Babylonian Talmud Makkot 3b-24a (Torah is 613 commandments, then reduced 11 principles, then 6 principles...down to one)
vs.
Zohar According to Rabbi Natan 20, on Idra Zuta 15 (One who takes words of Torah to heart will be relieved of anxieties)
Remember, voting closes at 9am tomorrow morning! We will report the winner in our noon email tomorrow, which will also include the next match-up.
We hope you enjoy!
Rabbi Scott Nagel & Cantor Sarah Beck-Berman
Want to see links to previous match-up results? Or share our text study with friends and family? Each of these emails also posts to our website on the following page: https://www.bethahabah.org/omer-madness-2021
Congregation Beth Ahabah 1121 West Franklin Street Richmond, VA 23220
Remember, voting closes at 9am tomorrow morning! We will report the winner in our noon email tomorrow, which will also include the next match-up.
We hope you enjoy!
Rabbi Scott Nagel & Cantor Sarah Beck-Berman
Want to see links to previous match-up results? Or share our text study with friends and family? Each of these emails also posts to our website on the following page: https://www.bethahabah.org/omer-madness-2021
Congregation Beth Ahabah 1121 West Franklin Street Richmond, VA 23220
Remember, voting closes at 9am tomorrow morning! We will report the winner in our noon email tomorrow, which will also include the next match-up.
We hope you enjoy!
Rabbi Scott Nagel & Cantor Sarah Beck-Berman
Want to see links to previous match-up results? Or share our text study with friends and family? Each of these emails also posts to our website on the following page: https://www.bethahabah.org/omer-madness-2021
Congregation Beth Ahabah 1121 West Franklin Street Richmond, VA 23220
Remember, voting closes at 9am tomorrow morning! We will report the winner in our noon email tomorrow, which will also include the next match-up.
We hope you enjoy!
Rabbi Scott Nagel & Cantor Sarah Beck-Berman
Want to see links to previous match-up results? Or share our text study with friends and family? Each of these emails will also post to our website on the following page: https://www.bethahabah.org/omer-madness-2021
Congregation Beth Ahabah 1121 West Franklin Street Richmond, VA 23220
Welcome to our first ever Omer Madness, a daily text study in the days leading up to Shavuot, and we need your participation and your votes!
All the texts in our bracket will be on themes relevant to Shavuot, like the Torah and Mount Sinai!
Today's vote is between two teachings from Pirkei Avot (Ethics of our Ancestors), a tractate in the Talmud known for its ethical teachings and pithy aphorisms:
Pirkei Avot 6:6 (48 things that one needs to master in order to acquire Torah)
vs.
Pirkei Avot 5:25 (Ben Bag Bag said: Turn it, and turn it again...)
Get ready for an Omer like no other!
In the 16 days from Lag BaOmer until Shavuot (May 1-16)
join us for an Omer Madness Text Study!
Check your email or this web page at noon every day, beginning May 1,
and vote for the texts you wish to see move on in the bracket!
How does it work?
• Every day at noon we will send out an email (which will also post to this webpage) "matching up" two small-to-medium-size texts for study, including some thought questions.
• After studying the texts, we ask you to please vote for one of the texts! It could be that you found one more meaningful or inspiring, or that you are interested in learning more about one of them in a future match-up!
• Each round ofvoting will be open from noon until 9am the following morning. (Links to all past winners will be added to the bottom of each new noon match-up message.)
• All Congregation Beth Ahabah members will automatically receive our Omer Madness daily emails. If you are not a Beth Ahabah member, you can access all the texts and voting links on this web page.
Shabbat Service led by Bar/Bat/B. Mitzvah Shabbat, May 3rd 5:00p to 6:00p This Shabbat service is only open to members of Congregation Beth Ahabah and guests invited by the family of the Bar/Bat/B. Mitzvah.
We celebrate as a congregation the coming of age of one of our members with a joyful Shabbat service and Torah reading.
Services at 10am are Shabbat Shacharit (morning) services, and those at 5pm are Shabbat Minchah (afternoon) services ending with Havdalah.
Please note that any family celebration following this Saturday service is only for the family’s invited guests.
