A Jewish Spiritual Community for All People
The B’nei Ruth Community of Knoxville, TN is grounded in the spiritual teachings of Rabbi Morris and Tehilla Lichtenstein, known as Applied Judaism or Jewish Science. We believe that the wisdom of Judaism is beneficial for all people and applicable to our daily lives. We affirm God’s love, goodness, and universal presence in creation, especially within human beings made in the Divine image. The Divine qualities of goodness, love, joy, life, and health are already present within us, we must only learn to become aware of God’s infinite Presence at all times.
Shabbat services are Fridays at 7:30p. Click here to join on Zoom
Check the Rabbi’s Blog or Calendar for updates, locations, and possible cancellations. Use the Contact Us form to be added to our email list.
Ten Fundamentals of Jewish Science
- The Jewish Faith is the only faith we acknowledge. Jewish Science is the application of the Jewish Faith to the practice of life.
- We believe wholeheartedly in the efficacy of prayer. We believe that no prayer, when properly offered, goes unanswered.
- We shall endeavor every day of our lives to keep serene; to check all tendencies to violence and anger; to keep calm even in the face of unpleasant and discouraging circumstances.
- We shall strive to be cheerful every day of our lives. The Talmud says that the Divine Presence departs from one who is in gloom. It is God’s design that man should find joy and cheer in his existence on earth.
- We shall seek to cultivate an attitude of love and goodwill towards everyone. We shall make no room in our heart for hatred and bitterness. The world was created on a plan of divine love, and to admit thoughts of hatred or malice is to violate the plan of God.
- We shall cultivate a disposition of contentment, envying no one, and praising God for the good he has already bestowed on us. Contentment is the greatest friend of happiness; envy its greatest enemy.
- We shall make conscious effort to banish worry and fear from our lives. We regard these two as the greatest enemies of mankind and give them no place in our consciousness.
- We shall trust in God’s goodness in every circumstance of our life.
- We believe that death is an elevation to eternal life, and not a cessation of existence.
- We believe that God is the Source of health and the Restorer of health.
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Kabbalat Shabbat service
Everyone is welcome to join us for Kabbalat Shabbat every Friday on Zoom (link on bneiruth.org). This week’s parshah is Shoftim, which continues a discussion from last week on how to recognize a true prophet from a false prophet. We’ll explore the ways in which the test of the true prophet contrasts with other aspects…
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Why Is the Torah Obsessed with Idolatry? – Parshat Re’eh
This week’s parsha opens with a familiar refrain. God offers us blessing and curse, blessings for obedience to the commandments and curses for disobedience. This obedience is deeply and intimately attached to the worship of God alone. Keeping kosher means nothing if, at the same time, you’re worshiping Baal or Asherah, which is why the…
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Adonai Your God Is Within You – Parshat Eikev
In chapter seven, verse 21, Moses tells the people not to be afraid as they enter the Land of Israel because God is b’kirbecha. This (compound) word is usually translated “in your midst” or “among you.” But another, equally valid translation could be “within you.” Do not be afraid because Adonai your God is within…
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Jewish Spirituality in Parshat Va’etchanan
An exposition on the Spiritual Practice of Jewish Science Good evening, everyone, and welcome to B’nei Ruth’s inaugural Shabbat service (July 24, 2026). Thank you for being here. Since this is our first service and Jewish Science is a small and little-known movement, I thought I would use this opportunity to discuss what Jewish Science…
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Our first Shabbat gathering
July 24 will be our first Kabbalat Shabbat service beginning at 7:30pm. We will meet on Zoom until we can find a location for regular meetings. A copy of the erev Shabbat service can be found on the Shabbat services page. The Zoom link can be found below, or on our calendar. Click: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84079774258?pwd=OwMfQg6eNe8zwXPRpym75FiAKh26Ey.1
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Matot-Masei: Trusting God
Chapter 33 of Numbers records the various locations in which Israel wandered over the course of 40 years in the wilderness. It makes for some mind-numbing reading and leaves us wondering why all of these locations and marches are recorded. Rashi comments that it is to teach us God’s loving-kindness in guiding, providing, and protecting…
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Patrilineal Descent – Parshat Emor
At the end of our portion, we read a story about a man described as the son of an Israelite woman and Egyptian man. This half-Israelite man gets into a fight with an Israelite and blasphemes the holy name of God. The community detains him so they can inquire of God what to do. The…
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The Torah of the Heart – Parshat Nitzavim
This week’s parsha is a climactic finale for the list of blessings and curses that accompany obedience and disobedience. The main point of this short parsha is a charge from Moses to observe the commandments in this Torah he is presenting to us so that we will be rewarded with life and blessing. And the…
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D’var Torah – Parshat Shemot
The book of Exodus begins with a brief history of how the Israelites became slaves in Egypt. The new Pharoah grew fearful of the “foreigners” living in his kingdom, forgetting the service the Israelites had done for them. Fearing a rebellion, he enslaved them and instituted a plan to slaughter all infant boys. Nonetheless, we…
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Ruth and Conversion
The book of Ruth is incredibly subversive, offering many situations that would undercut the force of the laws recorded in the Torah. Ruth is a Moabite, which is a nationality that Israelites are forbidden to marry according to the Torah. Nonetheless, we are introduced to Ruth as the wife of an Israelite man who dies.…
B'nei Ruth: Community for Applied Judaism 