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Traditional Congregation of Creve Coeur
Seth D. Gordon, Rabbi Ephraim I. Zimand, Rabbi Emeritus |
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Traditional Congregation Members' Torah Commentaries Reprinted from the
Shabbat Bulletin -Year 5768 |
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Be a chacham! Sign up to write a dvar Torah for our weekly Shabbat Bulletin. You can pick the Torah portion you want to write about. You can select a portion of interest to you, or one corresponding to your bar/bat mitzvah, an anniversary, or any special occasion. You can use our library of Torah literature as reference and inspiration, or you can inspire yourself. To sign up, call the office at 314-576-5230. September 27, 2008 Nitzavim With regard to the Divine Covenant between God and the People of Israel, which Moses reaffirms with the generation of Israelites about to cross the Jordan and enter the Promised Land, the parsha tells us Moses said: It will be, should people hear the words of these sanctions (of the covenant) they may fancy themselves immune, thinking, “I will be safe even if I follow my willful heart” – to the utter ruin of the moist and dry alike. (Duet. 29:18) God will never forgive them, for then God’s anger and passion will rage against those people, until every sanction written in this book shall descend upon them and God blots their name from under heaven.” (Deut. 29:19) What Moses speaks of with regard to people’s attitude toward the sanctions of the Covenant is also applicable to people’s attitude towards Torah itself. The worst attitude people can take is to say the Mitzvot of the Torah just do not apply to them, and they feel free to follow their own path without regard to the Torah’s requirements. In that case, Moses seems to be saying, God will never forgive their transgressions and Torah violations. On the other hand, if people take the attitude that Torah applies to them, but due to the weakness of the flesh and a human inability to resist temptations they transgress and violate Torah, in that case it will still be possible for them to receive forgiveness from God. Of course, to achieve that forgiveness they need to take the necessary steps of repentance, viz. regret, confession, determination and change. Given the sincerity of this process, God understands, provided of course, each attempt at improvement is serious and brings the people closer to the fulfillment of their ideal potential. My prayer is that as we approach these awesome days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Hakippurim, God gives us the strength to effectively pursue this goal of repentance and improvement. Shabbat shalom, Rabbi Ephraim Zimand September 20, 2008 Ki Tavo This parasha begins with Moses delineating the specific prayers to be recited when the Israelites bring tithes into Jerusalem. Annually, the first tithe went to the Levites in lieu of having their own land. The second tithe was brought into the city to be enjoyed by the bearer in a festive manner. Every third and sixth year of the seven year cycle the second tithe was given to the needy. Here also is given the specific form of the prayer to be stated by the bearer. This is one of very few instances in which the Torah specifically spells out the form and content of a prayer. Having concluded this last specific instruction, Moses goes on to speak about the entrance to the Holy Land. Just as at Mt. Sinai there is a large community event. The people were gathered a safe distance from Mt. Sinai to hear the words of G-d directly and still collectively were awed and could not continue the direct experience of the words of the Decalogue. This time that entire generation who directly witnessed the miracles and heard the words of G-d was gone. The new generation about to enter the Holy Land needed a bit of reminding. Rather than Moses bringing down the two tablets, large stones were set up with the words of the Torah written for all to see. The Israelites are split and sent to the slopes of two mountains, Ebal and Gerizim. Moses and the Levites stand between the mountains and give instructions to the entire community fashioned after the manner of Sinai. This takes again the form of a contract between two parts, G-d and the Israelites, with emphasis on pointing out sins that could be committed in secret and thus could only be punished by G-d, who would know what one does even if hidden by the community. This last part of the parasha starts with the blessings which would be bestowed upon the entire nation if they followed all the commandments. Herein is found bounty of the land, money, fertility, and the vanquishing of enemies both physically and spiritually. This is followed by the Tochecha (rebuke or warning). This is a l-o-n-g list of progressive disasters which would befall the community both on an individual and collective basis if the laws of the Torah are broken. There is a sense in all these punishments also of increasing despair and hopelessness – a communal depression from which there is no escape. Finally, Moses acknowledges that the slave-born Israelites were probably incapable of truly understanding and appreciating their relationship with G-d. It was not until they were shown forty years of beneficence and stand on the brink of the Promised Land that their eyes could be opened and true understanding take place. What I found most intriguing were the parallelisms between the revelation at Sinai and that just mentioned at the entrance to the Holy Land. Why would this be repeated? What are the differences between the Decalogue and the statements made here? What are the differences in the situations? I feel that many of these answers can be found in the beginning of the reading when the specific prayers are mentioned. Most of us would be familiar with these words since they are paraphrased in the beginning of our Pesach Haggadot and later discussed by the Talmudic sages quoted in Haggadah. It is important that each of them, as well as each of us, regards him/herself as if the slavery-redemption-Sinai-wilderness experience was personal which leads to a personal relationship with G-d and his commandments as well as a sense of being part of the larger Jewish community. Shabbat shalom, Phil Brick September 13, 2008 Ki Tetze In the parasha Ki Tetze, Moses, who will die soon, continues to deliver his ethical will, his review of 72 more of G-d’s commandments for the Israelites to follow so that it will go well with them and they may long remain in the land that God promised them. The context and overarching standard and persistent strategy of these commandments is the pursuit of justice. And often, in this listing, we learn that the behavior of a single individual in a single incident is important in maintaining the equilibrium of a healthy human society. Conflict, an inherent condition of human interaction, is discussed on the battlefield and in the home. In each case the commandment works to reduce the moral issue to its smallest essence so that the problem can be tackled and contained. The hubris of victory in war becomes the power of a soldier over his enemy and is expressed in the desire of a soldier for a woman captive. She is permitted to the soldier only once before she is given a period of mourning to adjust to her new circumstances. If the soldier changes his mind about her, he must give her her freedom. The Torah zooms in on two human beings and justice is defined as that which achieves a proper balance of conflicting interests. The commandment that keeps a groom at home with his bride, even as war prevails, understands that in life the good and the bad may travel in tandem. Justice insists on a future for humanity. The security of property is one of the reasons that governments are established. The exclusive right to possess, enjoy and dispose of a thing is challenged in this parasha by the definition of ownership. Lost property must be cared for and restored to the rightful owner, even as the Torah mandates that the owner of a field must not shake the olive tree twice and must leave sheaves for the poor. These corollaries to the commandment, “do not steal” teach responsibility and respect for one another. The owner of a building must build a railing on the roof to protect people walking on the roof. Life experiences continue to create a more nuanced understanding of justice. The parasha finishes with the warning to remember how the Amalekites attacked the weary Israelites in the desert. The commandments can serve to strengthen our society and suggest ways to deal with the humiliation of the defeated and the restoration of their properties. Shabbat Shalom, Naomi Fishman September 6, 2008/6 Elul, 5768 Shoftim Parashat Shoftim includes many laws that detail how the Israelites are supposed to live, once they settle down in the land G-d has promised them. It is interesting to note that while the parasha has many practical commandments, it is not at all clear how strictly these commandments were followed once the Israelites entered the land. In fact, we know for a fact that many of the commandments listed in parashat Shoftim were violated. For example, chapter 17 deals with the laws surrounding a king of Israel. This chapter almost seems as if it were written for King Solomon. King Solomon, who is known for his wisdom, violates just about every commandment in chapter 17. He has too many horses, too many wives, and too much wealth. The Torah warns that the king should follow these laws so his heart will not become arrogant and he won't stray from the commandments, so that he and his sons will lengthen their years over the kingdom. We see this warning being fulfilled, as Solomon's kingdom is split in two after his death. Although this commandment applies specifically to kings, there is an important lesson to be learned for everyone. As my father always
says, "everything in moderation." He probably got that quote from somewhere else, but I prefer to give him the credit. In any case, in
everything that we do, it is important to remember there must be limits. Too much of anything can be dangerous. Radical Islam being
a case in point. However, even in our own religion, we see people who take Judaism to the extreme, while comprising the unity of the
Jewish People. Moderating our opinions and being open to our neighbor's opinion can benefit ourselves, as well as all of the Jewish People.
Shabbat Shalom, Zumi Brody August 30, 2008/29 Av, 5768 Re'eh This week’s parasha – Re’eh opens with a verse that any teacher of grammar would immediately red-pencil. The verse: Deuteronomy 11:26-28: See (in the singular) today I place (lit. give) before you [all] (in the plural) blessing and curse. The blessing that you [all] adhere to God’s mitzvot … and the curse, if you [all] do not adhere… If we find such grammatical mish-mash, it is our obligation to ask – and hopefully discover a response to – “what might be the significance of this Torah inconsistency?” Please take a moment or two to discover what significance it might have for you before reading on. The Torah commentator, Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim of Luntchitz (1550-1619), author of the Kli Yakar (Precious Vessel), by which name he is popularly known, suggests that though blessing and curse are addressed to the community at large, every single individual and his/her conduct has an effect on the outcome. No individual should think that his/her simple misdeed cannot possibly matter. As Maimonides suggests in his Regulations of Repentance (Chapter 3, Paragraph 4) each person should see him/herself – and also see the entire world – as perfectly balanced between merits and faults, so that one act either way will tip the balance – either for good, or, God forbid, for evil. With its grammatical inconsistency the Torah might be suggesting how overwhelming is the importance of every individual’s every deed. The behavior of every person not only impacts him/herself, but the entire world as well. Individuals do make a difference. The GR”A (HaGaon Rabbenu Eliyahu of Vilna, popularly known as the Vilna Gaon) suggests that the significance of the Torah’s grammatical inconsistency is in the adhering or not adhering to God’s mitzvot. By being initially addressed to the individual – the Torah might be teaching that the individual has to choose his/her proper conduct independent of others. When the “it” of “everybody is doing it” is inappropriate, every person, having been addressed individually, must choose to refuse to follow the “everybody.” When the behavior is not evil, conformity is called for. However, when the conduct is bad, non-conformity is required. Though it is true in Judaism that the collective is of great importance - most frequently, taking priority over the individual - both the Kli Yakar and the Vilna Gaon place a great amount of stress on the importance of the individual within Judaism. Shabbat shalom, Rabbi Ephraim Zimand August 23, 2008/22 Av, 5768 Ekev This week's portion includes the verse upon which is based the obligation to recite the Grace After Meals. The text reads "and you shall eat and be satisfied and bless the Lord your God upon the land which is good." (Deuteronomy 8:10) The Talmud understands the first words "and you shall eat and be satisfied and bless the Lord your God" as the obligation to offer a prayer of thanksgiving to God after eating. The phrase "upon the land" instructs us to add a blessing of thanksgiving to God for giving us the land of Israel. And the words, "which is good" are taken to mean that an additional blessing thanking God for Jerusalem, the goodly spiritual center of the Land, is included as a third blessing. Here is the Biblical basis for the first three blessings of the Grace: Hazan - the blessing for food, Al Ha-Aretz - the blessing for the land, U'vnei Yerushalayim - the blessing for Jerusalem. (Berachot 48b) The question arises: Thanking God for food is completely understandable, but why include blessings for Israel and Jerusalem?
It can be
suggested that not only are we thanking God for the food that we've eaten, but
we are also expressing confidence that food will be provided in the future. The
place where this confidence is highest is in Israel where we are governed by
Jews, not in the Diaspora where we are not. In the Diaspora, we can never be
sure of the way we will be treated in the future, hence we can never be certain
where the next morsel will come from. Lest we think that the focus of Israel
is only land, the physical protection of Jews, we add the blessing of Jerusalem,
symbolic of the spirituality of Israel so necessary for its survival. A land
without a spiritual mission is the equivalent of a body without a soul. Extraordinary: In expressing gratitude to God for food we recount the basic themes that have carved out Jewish destiny and our dreams for the future - Israel, Jerusalem, exile and the hopes of ultimate redemption. Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Avi Weiss August 16, 2008/15 Av, 5768 Va'etchanan A great theme in this Parashah is the theme of prayer. Moshe Rabbenu details his own prayer to enter the Land of Israel (actually from the numerical value of the word v'etchanan it is derived that Moshe Rabbenu actually prayed 515 prayers -- no wonder Gd said "Enough!"). In addition, we have the Sh'ma in this portion, around which the morning and evening prayers are centered. A great physicist and student of Einstein's, John Archibald Wheeler, once commented that "human beings are the universe's way of knowing about itself." In a similar but more profound vein, our Sages tell us that the whole purpose of creation is for people to recognize the Creator. To this end, Gd has created humanity with a physical body, which is at the furthest reach away from Gd's transcendental Being, and then tells us "Return children of Adam -- people of the physical earth (adamah), return to Me and to your own inner spiritual essence." The whole process of creation is one of exile and redemption. And what is the means by which we can effectuate that redemption? One would have to say it is prayer. It follows that it is impossible for anyone, but especially Jews, to live without praying. Without prayer how can we connect with the Creator of all, and without that connection we are like a tree that has lost contact with its roots, doomed to wither and die. We need to pray as much as we need to breathe, or we become but a body with no spirit left. Since prayer is so vital for the fulfillment of Gd's plan for the universe, it is no wonder that the yetzer ha'ra is so assiduous in trying to get us to neglect it. It's too early to get up for minyan. I'm too busy. Prayer doesn't work for me. I can pray anywhere, any time -- I don't need a siddur. I never learned to pray properly. I'm too old. I'm too young. We've all used these excuses at one time or another -- and they all are nonsense. Moshe Rabbenu prayed 515 prayers, and always got the same answer – “No!” Did that stop him? Apparently not; Gd had to tell him to stop. There is a controversy as to whether prayer is a Biblical commandment (Rambam) or a Rabbinic one (Ramban), but everyone agrees that in times of trouble it is a Biblical commandment to pray to Gd for His help. We have to understand that our lives are not a given. Our health, our property, our children, none of this is to be taken for granted. It is a gift from Gd that must be continually renewed -- "Who renews in His goodness every day the work of Creation." But for that to happen takes prayer. Life's troubles come to remind us of that need. "Gd desires the prayers of the righteous." Why? Because when we pray we connect ourselves back to Gd, thereby fulfilling His purpose in creating us to begin with. When we pray, we are literally praying for our lives. What greater necessity can there be than this? So let us not be complacent about prayer. If the Patriarchs and Matriarchs and the great leaders of our faith all prayed, surely we need to also. King David tells us that Gd is close to all who call upon him sincerely. It is not beyond us. If we wind up not reaching the heights of Moshe Rabbenu, yet we will be elevated. The only defeat is not striving. Shabbat shalom, Rafi Rabinoff August 9, 2008/8 Av, 6768 Devarim You may be familiar with a particular quote from the noted philosopher, Yogi Berra, who said “It’s déjà vu all over again.” It would seem that one might have a similar reaction to Devarim. In this parasha, Moses reviews some important events of the previous forty years in the desert, in particular emphasizing the story of the spies as an unfortunate point in the history of the Jewish people. To be sure, it seems reasonable for Moses to stress the consequences of disobedience. However, these events have already been presented in ‘real time’, so to speak, in the Torah. If the Torah is predicated on conciseness of information, what might be the significance of the repetition? It is noteworthy that Devarim is the parasha that is always read before Tisha B’Av. This Shabbat, designated Shabbat Chazon, is so named from the opening verse of the corresponding Haftarah, the ‘vision’ of Isaiah. What we find is that Isaiah is even harsher in his language than Moses in chastising the Jewish people. In describing the events of his time, Isaiah goes so far as to compare the actions of the people to those of Sodom and Gomorrah, implying that such conduct led to the exile of the Jewish nation. What’s going on here? Why the continued rebukes by the prophets? Isn’t admonishing the Jewish people one time enough? We’ll obviously not. Being a stiff-necked people is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it has helped us survive despite enormous adversity over the millennia. On the other hand, it results in a certain degree of arrogance and defiance that leads us astray. Perhaps the prophets are saying that their visions will continue to be necessary and need to be repeated until they are finally understood. Isaiah says, “Learn to do good, seek justice, strengthen the victim, do justice for the orphan, take up the cause of the widow.” Is this finally understood by all, or should it be repeated perhaps one more time for those who might have missed it? Shabbat shalom, Paul Tesser August 2, 2008/Rosh Chodesh Av, 5768 Masei This week's parsha Masei is the last one in the Book of Numbers. This book begins in the Sinai wilderness and contains many of the Almighty's revelations to the children of Israel. In many ways this book portrays the children of Israel becoming organized to prosper in the future and establishes its religious practices through the Almighty's ordinances and commandments. Examples of the definition of religious practices include Aaron and his descendants’ activities as High Priest and Levites’ tasks to care for the Sanctuary. This book contains a structure of what is ritually acceptable or ritually unclean, e.g. concerning sexual interactions, and parameters for vows to abstain for certain types of conduct. In this process of organizing a society, Moses' spiritual and political leadership is challenged and relationships between the children of Israel and the Almighty undergo severe tests. In many instances the Israelites "tried the patience" of the Almighty. It can be argued that the Almighty is establishing these parameters so that the children of Israel will be faithful to the ordinances and commandments once they are settled in the Land of Canaan. The Haftorah (Jeremiah II 4-28) shows the Jewish people did not always follow many of these mitzvot, especially those concerning renouncing of idolatry. The review of the Book of Numbers brings us to the opening passage of Masei which raises a number of ideas. This passage says: "These are the journeys of the children of Israel" (Num 33:1). In looking at the path of the children of Israel, is there a single journey or multiple journeys as they moved from place to place? This parsha shows the forty-two "stations" from Egypt to the Promised Land. In this process, did the children of Israel's spiritual level move beyond old limits and find new parameters? The main goal of the children of Israel is to obtain the Promised Land, but in attaining that goal, what spiritual and material goals are explicit or implied? The process of moving from Egypt to the Promised Land formed the identity of the children of Israel. We can ask, How have our individual "journeys" transcended our past limitations? or how will future journeys accomplish that goal? Shabbat Shalom, Steven Puro July 26, 2008/23 Tammuz, 5768 Mattot Parashat Mattot has a number of commandments that by modern standards seem out of date, or even immoral. The parasha begins by explaining the laws when a woman takes a vow. It then jumps to the Israelites’ war with the Midianites and concludes with the request by some of the tribes to settle east of the Jordan River. At first glance, the laws concerning a woman’s vow seem somewhat restrictive, as a woman needs her father’s or husband’s “permission” in order to take a vow which would prohibit her in some way. It appears that only an adult woman who is not married has complete freedom in choosing her vows. The next part of Mattot seems even more problematic. G-d instructs Moses to lead a war of vengeance against the Midianites. They kill all of the men, but initially do not kill the women and children. They are then instructed to kill everyone else, with the exception of the young female children. By today’s standards, I imagine the Israelites would have been called war criminals. The key words in the last sentence are, “by today’s standards.” I think one of the great lessons of this parasha is to avoid the trap of moral relativism. There can be no question that by the standards of “Western” society, these actions seem criminal. However, we also know that much of “Western” society deems the actions of the Israeli Defense Forces to be criminal as well. It is easy for many European countries that are only now experiencing terror first hand, to claim that Israel acts immorally when dealing with the Palestinians. They have not had to deal with over half a century of terrorism on a daily basis. They judge Israel based on their own, often skewed, moral values. Perhaps we are doing the same thing when we make moral judgments about the Israelites. We have no idea what it was like to be the only nation that worshipped one G-d, and was attempting to break free of all the immoral practices of the surrounding nations. Morality is not subjective. Ultimately, we need to look to G-d for our moral compass. Fortunately, He gave us the Torah to help guide us. Shabbat shalom, Zumi Brody July 19, 2008/16 Tammuz, 5768 Pinchas In Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) chapter 3, it states that there is a time to kill, a time to hate, and a time for war. It also states a time to heal, a time to love, and a time for peace. The trick is to know when it is the appropriate time to take action. In the end of Parshat Balak, Pinchas kills an Israelite man and the Midianite woman that was with him. In Parshat Pinchas, Pinchas’ actions are vindicated by G-d. Clearly it was a time to kill. According to Rashi, the Israelites accused Pinchas of murder, instead of applauding his actions. Had he lived today, I’m sure he would have been accused of using disproportionate force. The Israelites did not recognize that it was a time to kill, so G-d makes it clear that He approves of his actions by halting the plague that was among the Israelites, and granting Pinchas and his offspring eternal priesthood. G-d also gives Pinchas his covenant of peace. The Torah does not elaborate on what that covenant of peace is, but perhaps we can gain a greater understanding of this phrase by looking at Kohelet. There are many people and nations in the world today, especially in Europe, who seem to think that there never is a time for war. Unfortunately, we live in a world where negotiation is not always possible, and hesitation to confront aggression can lead to even greater violence in the future. The world learned this the hard way in World War II. We stand at another juncture where we have to decide if we should keep "negotiating" or take action. Pinchas recognized the appropriate time for action, and did not hesitate to do what had to be done. His actions spared the Israelites additional suffering and pain by halting G-d’s plague, and taking a stand against what he saw as a threat to his community. Perhaps this is the covenant of peace that G-d has granted Pinchas. By killing now, Pinchas prevented further deaths later and brought peace to the Israelites. Let’s hope our leaders recognize when it is a time for war, and when it is a time for peace. Shabbat Shalom, Zumi Brody July 12, 2008/9 Tammuz, 5768 Balak Balak, king of the Moabites, having seen what the Israelites did in battle against the Canaanites, Ammorites and Og, king of Bashan, joins with the Midianites to hire Bilam, a prophet of God, in an attempt to defeat Israel by other than military means. God, however, would not allow Bilam the words to crush the Israelites, but their own immorality kills 24,000 of them. Pinchas, son of Elazar, son of Aaron, by taking drastic action, puts a stop to the deaths.The Torah is not particularly known for its sense of humor. Yet this week’s Torah section contains some very subtle, albeit serious humor. After finally getting reluctant and limited approval from God, Bilam sets out on his donkey to join Balak. God is angered with him for the alacrity and intentions with which he undertakes this journey and places an angel on the road to bar his way. However, Bilam, the seer of God, does not see it, but his donkey does, becoming, thereby, as it were, God’s seer or prophet. Three times the donkey turns away from the angel. And three times Bilam strikes his donkey. After the third time, the torah says (nu. 22:28, 29), “God opened the mouth of the donkey who then said to Bilam, ‘What have I done to you that you have struck me these three times?’” Bilam responded to his donkey (Bilam, who is accustomed to hearing unusual voices, is, however, unable to distinguish between the communication of God and his donkey): “Because you have mocked me. Had I a sword in my hand, I would have killed you this instant.” Bilam is on his way to use words to annihilate the Children of Israel, God’s People, and yet he can do nothing to his donkey because he does not have a sword in his hand!The text is subtly humorous, but its message is clearly serious. One is a prophet of God, not necessarily because of inherent qualities, but because God chooses him/her. Even a donkey can be God’s seer, if God so chooses. The prophet’s ability to perform extraordinary deeds also flow from God. Bilam can no more defeat the Israelites for Balak than he can kill his donkey. His words can only have the effect God wants them to have. Rabbi Ephraim Zimand July 5, 2008/2 Tammuz, 5768 Chukat The theme of death runs through our Parashah. The opening section about the Parah Adumah (Red Cow) deals with removing the ritual impurity that comes from contact with a human corpse. Following this are sections dealing with the manner(s) in which human remains create and transmit impurity, with the death of Miriam the prophetess, sister of Moses and Aaron, and the death of Aaron as well. In the middle of these incidents, there is the incident of Moses’ striking the rock to bring forth water, rather than speaking to it as Gd commanded, thus causing his own death prior to entering the Land of Israel. Death was actually introduced to humanity by Adam and Eve, when they disobeyed Gd’s command. This disobedience – eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, caused a mixing of Good and Evil within Adam and Eve. The mission of mankind is to rectify the damage created by this sin and to return the world to its pre-sin state, which is a state of perfection and eternity – in essence, to sort out that which got mixed together. According to our Sages, with the advent of Abraham this mission became the mission of the Jewish people, either alone or as the vanguard. That mission will be completed at the time of the final Redemption. In Physics, mixing involves loss of information. For example, if you have an iron bar and you heat one end, there is information contained within the bar – one end can be distinguished from the other end as “the hot end.” However, as we all know, if the bar is left to itself, without a continuing source of heat at the hot end, eventually the heat spreads out over the whole bar and we can no longer distinguish one end from the other. The heat has gotten mixed up throughout the bar and information has been lost. This process is described by the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which states that mixing is inevitable in a closed system. The key to the Second Law’s validity is that it applies to a closed system, one that is isolated from inputs from the environment, like our iron bar when we turn off the source of heat. A living, eating, breathing organism is most assuredly not closed off from its environment. We can go further (and beyond strictly physical science) and say that a human being, who has a spiritual dimension, has the capability to be open to non-physical, spiritual inputs. Therefore we can grow and evolve and counter the influence of the Second Law of Thermodynamics. Ultimately, were we to open ourselves to the maximum extent to the transcendental realm (Ain Sof) we could provide a pipeline by which spiritual inputs could create perfect order in the world – a kind of transcendental physicist’s version of the final redemption. In this state all that was mixed together is separated out, each to its proper place. The Divine sparks have been liberated from their shells, in the language of the Kabbalists. When a person dies, Gd forbid, all this potential is cut off. The body becomes a closed system and begins to decay. Eventually it returns to the dust/earth from which it was taken. This decay is a natural process and subject to the Second Law, and generates impurity. The creation of Adam from the dust of the earth was a spiritual process given physical form, and embodies the expression of the highest level of Purity, that of Gd, in Whose image we were created. The narrative of Israel’s descent to Egypt, liberation from Egyptian bondage, and growth and maturation during the wandering in the desert and after the entry into the Land of Israel, is one of opportunities presented for Israel, and through it the world, to achieve perfection, and our failure to seize those opportunities. Interspersed with this narrative, however, is the soaring vision of possibilities enunciated by our Prophets, showing us that perfection is a real possibility, and the only reality worth striving for. This gives us the courage to keep moving forward, bringing Redemption to whatever portion of the world is in our purview, assured by Gd of the ultimate success of our mission. Shabbat shalom, Rafi Rabinoff
June 28, 2008/25 Sivan, 5768 Korach I have written this commentary in the theme of Star Wars. As you will soon see, every great idea comes from Judaism. And that is what makes Judaism so great! A long time ago in a desert far, far away…. THE TORAH Episode XXXVIII THE KORACH REBELLION The (evil) Korach, of the tribe of Levi, gathers an assembly of 250 Israelites, and rebels against Moses and Aaron (Jedi masters). Korach is upset because he doesn’t understand why Moses is the leader (Jedi master) and he isn’t. Korach feels someone else should be in charge of the Israelites. Maybe Korach feels it should be himself. Moses (being the smart Jedi he is) says that Hashem (Master of the Force) will choose who will be the leader. Korach and his followers agree (because they were clouded by the dark side). When Korach and his followers stood in front of the Mishkan (the great Jedi temple), Hashem shows them going against Him (going to the dark side) will never prevail over the forces of good. All that were loyal to Korach were swallowed up by the earth. The rebellion had ended, so we thought…. O.K., enough of Star Wars. In chapter 18, verses 15-17 the Torah explains the laws of the first born. This parasha just happens to be our first born, Ilan’s parasha. The Torah explains the Pidyon Haben (redemption of the first born). That means that when our son was one month old, we bought/redeemed Ilan back from a Kohen (Stuart Boxerman) with five silver shekels (dollars). Up until that point, Ilan belonged to Hashem. I had never experienced a Pidyon Haben before, and it was such a beautiful ceremony. We held the ceremony at our home and then had a delicious dinner. It is interesting to me that we needed to buy back our son from Hashem because he wasn’t ours. I feel that every single person is actually on loan from Hashem. We should be treating our bodies with respect. We should keep our bodies looking nice. That is why we shouldn’t put tattoos on our bodies, we shouldn’t fill our lungs with pollutants like cigarette smoke, we shouldn’t overeat, but we should try to keep fit. When we die, we are not buried with anything that fancy, but with a simple garment. We are buried in a manner that will easily return our bodies back to the earth. Our bodies are only on loan from Hashem while we are on this earth. Treating ourselves with respect shows that we are also treating Hashem with respect. In conclusion, the Torah is fascinating and gives us many ideas for movie plots and for living our lives to the fullest. With Torah as our guide we can live much more fulfilled lives. Shabbat shalom, Caryn Brody June 21, 2008/18 Sivan, 5768 Shelach Parashat Shelach contains the famous story of the spies. G-d instructs Moses to send one man from each tribe to spy out the land of Canaan. The spies spend 40 days in the land of Canaan and return to the Israelites in the wilderness. Ten of the spies provide what the Torah refers to as an evil report on the land. The Israelites accept the evil report and weep at the prospect of entering the land. G-d is angry. The people do not have faith in Him and He wants to annihilate the people. The question is why would G-d instruct Moses to send spies in the first place, if He expected the Israelites to have complete faith in him? It appears that G-d was testing the Israelites and they failed miserably. It is possible the ideal response would have been for the people to reject G-d’s command to send spies in the first place, since if they had complete faith in G-d, the particulars of the Land of Canaan should not make a difference. When the spies do return with a negative report, one assumes that the Israelites would have enough faith in G-d to bring them into the land safely, but instead they think it would be a better idea to go back to Egypt. It is at this point that G-d is fed up with the people and Moses has to “talk” G-d out of destroying the Israelites (again). Perhaps the moral of the story is to demonstrate that one has to have the “correct” amount of faith in G-d. By instructing Moses to send spies to the land, maybe G-d is indicating that while we should have faith in G-d, we should not come to the point where we are completely dependent on G-d for everything. On the other hand, we also need to be cognizant of the role G-d has played in our history and never mistakenly believe that everything we have achieved was by the power of man alone. We are all in a partnership with G-d and each one of us is responsible to do our part in order to bring about the complete redemption of the Jewish People to the land of Israel. In our generation, as in the generation of the Exodus, G-d has opened up the doorway to the land of Israel for all of the Jewish People. If we do not strive to walk through that doorway, G-d may be repeating his words to Moses from Chapter 14, verse 11, “How long will they not have faith in me, despite all the signs that I have performed in their midst?”
Shabbat Shalom June 14, 2008/11 Sivan, 5768 Beha'alotecha (In honor of the 11th anniversary of Daniel’s, Eve’s and Shoshanah’s B’nai Mitzvah) Although we usually translate the name of our parashah as “When you light (the menorah)…” the literal meaning is “When you cause to go up…” as the flames of the menorah’s lamps go up. Of course, going up and the opposite have a spiritual meaning as well – we can go up in holiness, or otherwise, depending on our choice of actions. The reason for this mobility is that we are imperfect human beings, put on this earth to perfect ourselves. True perfection is only in the realm of the Divine. However, because we are finite creatures, we can only do an imperfect job. It is instructive to see how various figures in our tradition react to imperfection. In our parashah, Moses is the butt of the Israelites’ complaining to the point where he begs G-d to relieve him of the task. G-d’s response is to “take some of the spirit” which is on Moses and give it to the 70 elders, so that they could share the burden. Perhaps in this we may discern some of the impatience Moses has for imperfection, which later showed up in his striking the rock to obtain water. Moses was so close to perfection that imperfection simply could not be comprehended. In the Mishnah we have the debates between Bet Hillel and Bet Shammai. Bet Hillel generally takes the more lenient view, allowing for human imperfection. In our day, “the Halachah is according to Bet Hillel” but our Midrashim tell us that in the world to come, the world of perfection, such leniency will not be necessary and the Halachah will be according to Bet Shammai. We also learn of the “four who entered Paradise” – R. Akiva, ben Zoma, ben Azzai and Elisha ben Abuyah. One died – unable to return to our imperfect world. One went mad, unable to bear the contrast between the two worlds. Elisha ben Abuyah became a heretic. Perhaps having seen perfection, he could not abide its lack, could not see the value in the process of self-perfection, became embittered and blamed G-d for the human condition. Only R. Akiva “went in peace and came back in peace.” He who had once been an ignorant shepherd and hater of the Rabbis, had lived a life of growth and unfolding of his potential. Perhaps his take on perfection was that it was something to be earned and that the ability to earn it was G-d’s greatest gift to humankind. From this vantage point he could look on those still on the path with compassion, having been there himself. What is the lesson in this for us? We each have a Divine spark within us that lets us know when we do something right and when we fall short of the mark. I think we need to approach our lives with the attitude of R. Akiva. We should be perfectionists – holding ourselves to the highest standard. If we set the bar any lower we’ll never accomplish anything. On the other hand, we should always “remember that we are dust.” When we fall, we need to never give in to despair. We need to be compassionate to ourselves, and always continue striving.
Shabbat shalom, June 7, 2008/4 Sivan, 5768 Naso Although it seems as if this portion, Naso, is just a series of activities surrounding the mobile Ark in the desert, there is more to it. The beginning tells of the specific assignments of Levite clans to defined tasks pertaining to caring for the Ark as well as the Levite census: the Gershonites are assigned mostly soft goods; the Merarites carry the building structural elements; the Kohanim performed the ceremonies. The Torah specifically delineates the duties and also specifically states that these duties were under the supervision of Moses and Aaron. Each of these are stated individually, thus giving emphasis to the importance of the task specified by God, dictated to Moses and administered by Aaron directly. Next is a short section detailing what was to be done if a person wronged a fellow human. That person was to realize his guilt, confess the wrong and make restitution. If a husband suspected his wife of infidelity he was not to fly off the handle and harm her or anyone else. She was to be taken to the priest who would perform a ceremony, which would save her if innocent and curse her if not. Next, the ritual of the Nazirite is detailed, specifically outlining the consequences of the vow of the Nazirite. Lastly are the twelve days of the consecration of the Ark and its great ceremony. Each tribe sent a leader and the exact same offering, regardless of the size of the tribe or its relative position, toward the initial use of the Ark. It seems obvious that the Torah must be saying something important by specifically enumerating each type and quantity of the offering and the name of the tribal leader twelve separate times in the same words and trope. I believe that this is what brings this Torah portion together. Naso started by denoting the importance of specific tasks given to specific groups, thus implying that all tasks assigned by God were important, one not necessarily greater than another. It was both an obligation and an honor to be the bearer of a specific curtain or plank. In the midsection we see how individual errors and personal vows are resolved. Finally, we see that it is more important to be a part of the collective Jewish people than to stand out with separate observance, even if done with zeal for God. Despite God’s desire for us to be very aware of personal responsibility in the areas of observance and sin, He also wishes that we see ourselves as part of the whole people, taking responsibility for the collective well being. This is later echoed in the Book of Esther when Mordechai implies that if Esther did not stand up for her people, then someone else would. We should each take some pride in doing our religious, and secular for that matter, obligations since doing so honors God and brings blessings upon our people when we do well. Shabbat shalom, Phil Brick May 31, 2008/26 Iyar, 5768 Bamidbar This week’s sidra, Bamidbar, begins the fourth book of the Torah-Bamidbar (Numbers). Being an engineer by education and a business manager by profession, I have always been fascinated and intrigued by the use of numbers. The parashah begins with God requesting Moses to take another census of the children of Israel--this time on the first day of the second month in the second year after leaving Egypt. My first thought when I began to delve into the sidra was – What is God’s fascination and intrigue with numbers? Didn’t God just request Moses to take a census at Sinai? In that census the total number of the congregation was calculated by having each person to be counted donate a half shekel, and then counting the coins. The coins were to be used to help finance the building of the Tabernacle. In this new census, no such contribution was mandated. In fact, each person (males of the age of 20 and above) was to be individually counted and each was to be associated with his tribe and the house of his father. Surely, I thought, God must have some purpose in mind for all this counting and for the different approaches. I was happy to find out I was not alone in wondering about God’s message regarding the numerous census taking. It seems the sages have spent a great deal of time contemplating their meaning, the significance of the differences in the methods, and their frequencies. Rashbam (Rashi’s grandson) provides the briefest and most direct explanation. The Israelites were preparing to go to war, to take over the land which God had promised to their forefathers, and it was necessary for Moses to know how many troops he would have and how to divide them for the ensuing battles. This suggestion receives confirmation because the Levites were not counted in the census as they were forbidden to participate in battle. Although this certainly may have been a reason for taking the census, I much preferred the thoughts of Nahmanides. He reasoned that the multiple counts were necessary to emphasize to the people the miracle of our existence. We had come down to Egypt with 70 souls and were now leaving Egypt for freedom, in a relatively short timeframe, with great multitudes. He further pointed out that this census took place after pestilence and plague, emphasizing Jewish history and the fact that we have never succumbed to suffering and persecution, but instead have prospered and multiplied. Yet another thought of Nahminides was related to the method of this census, whereby each person was counted as an individual, demonstrating the importance of every person to the makeup of the whole. Each Jew counts. Each Jew is important and without each one of us the nation will not, cannot survive. Hopefully in our time, we too will witness and experience klal Yisroel. Shabbat shalom, Jerry Chervitz May 24, 2008/19 Iyar, 5768 Bechukotai Bechukotai is the last parashah in the book of Leviticus. Leviticus contains detailed rules and laws concerning sacrifices, priestly duties, the laws of sanctity and other various laws. In Bechukotai, God tells us what the consequences will be as a result of following or disobeying all these commandments. And so, it seems at first glance that it is clear what the rewards and punishments of our choices will be. But is it really so clear? What is the meaning of the first sentence, “If ye walk in my ordinances, and keep my commandments, and do them”? Does this statement mean that we must follow all 613 commandments to be rewarded? Commentators have expressed differing views regarding this question. Several first century Talmudic commentators had the following opinions: Rabbi Hama Ben Hanina says that "all the commandments of the Torah were given to human beings in order to safeguard them from their inclination to make evil choices;” Rabbi Eleazar’s view is that the Jewish people were given a package, “If you observe what is in the Torah, God told the people, then you will be saved by the sword. If you do not live according to the Torah then you will be destroyed by the sword.” Rashi, the famous commentator who lived in the 10th century, believed the first statement in Bechukotai is an admonition that “you should study the Torah laboriously with the intention to take heed and to fulfill its teachings.” We tend to agree with Rashi because it is impossible to observe all the commandments, but our intention should be to study and do what we are able to do. We also feel as other commentators have maintained, that the subject of why human beings are rewarded or punished, why we are at peace or suffer, is beyond human comprehension. However, also revealed in this parashah is that God is compassionate and forgiving. Perhaps just as parents ultimately love their children no matter what they do, God loves us as well. God says in the parashah, “And yet for all that when they are in the land of their enemies I will not despise them nor will I abhor them and destroy them utterly and to break my covenant with them for I am the Lord their God.”
Shabbat Shalom, May 17, 2008/12 Iyar, 5768 Behar Parashat Behar deals primarily with issues of social justice. The parasha begins with the laws of Shmita, where the Israelites are instructed to allow the land to rest every seven years. It continues with the laws of the Jubilee year, real estate laws, poverty, and concludes with the laws of slavery. The common thread with all of these laws is that they deal with how the Israelites should treat their fellow man. When I recently reread the parasha, I was struggling to find a unique insight. Then I started thinking of how this commentary would look if it were written 150 years ago. Back then there was no State of Israel, and very few Jews, if any, were engaged in agriculture on land that was owned by Jews in the land of Israel. The laws of Shmita had been almost entirely theoretical for more than a thousand years. Today, the laws of Shmita have moved from the theoretical to the practical, as the Jewish People have reclaimed their ancestral homeland. This is an excellent demonstration of the Torah being for Jews of all generations, and not just a specific time period. We can never be sure when laws that appear to be theoretical in the Torah will once again become practical.
The other issue in
the parasha that I would like to address pertains to the redemption of a
Jewish indentured servant. Once again, it would appear that the laws pertaining
to the redemption of a Jewish indentured servant are theoretical. While we may
not have the opportunity today to redeem Jewish indentured servants, we
certainly have the opportunity to help redeem Jewish captives. Jonathan Pollard
has been in captivity for the past twenty two years in various maximum-security
prisons in America. He sacrificed his freedom for the welfare of the State of
Israel. The least that we can do, as American Jews, is try to help redeem this
Jewish captive who has been in captivity for far too long. Zumi Brody May 10, 2008/5 Iyar, 5768 Emor A central idea of Emor is the Torah precept of the sanctification of the name of G-d, kiddush ha-shem, which is a continuation of last week's parashah, Kedoshim. Emor is a broad ranging parashah which raises questions concerning how can individuals attain holiness to be able to sanctify G-d's name? The parashah contains laws governing the Kohanim, laws of Shabbos and the Holy Days of the year, and the major mitzvot associated with them--such as the counting of the Omer. Are observing these holidays a means for an individual to aspire on the path to kiddush ha-shem? Interestingly, the holidays and mitzvot attached to them are briefly described; and this limited analysis leads to substantial Midrashic and Rabbinic commentary about them. What is the process through which individuals can engage in the positive precept of kiddush ha-shem? One indicator is that this sanctification occurs through keeping the commandments and not engaging in the negative precept of profaning the Almighty's name with unacceptable behavior. A fair interpretation of this parashah indicates that the required behavior applies to the entire children of Israel. We find an important idea in our Passover seder and this parashah. In Lev 22, 31-33 the central thought is "...I will be sanctified among the children of Israel: I am the Lord who sanctifies you and brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your G-d: I am the Lord." In this parashah there are laws of sanctity pertaining to priests as a path for them to pursue holiness. Specific behaviors are required for priests and members of their families to demonstrate their role, as Ibn Ezra argues, as custodians of the Torah. For example, the High Priest, Kohen Gadol, is required to marry a virgin and prohibited from marrying a widow, a divorced, or a profaned woman. This provision maintains a genetic and hereditary linkage for the Jewish people (see Lev 21:13-15) This behavior and other required behavior allows the Kohen Gadol to have an unblemished character in order to make offerings for the Jewish people to the Almighty. In our daily life, to what extent do we judge others' character and values based upon their behavior? Shabbat Shalom Steven Puro May 3, 2008/28 Nissan, 5768 Kedoshim “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel .. Be holy! as I, HaShem, your Gd am Holy.” Rashi comments that this command was given to the entire congregation because all the rest of the Torah depends on it. But what does it mean to be holy? Rashi goes on to explain that it means to separate oneself from sin and immorality. Ramban, in a famous exposition takes this idea a step further: Kadesh et atzm’cha b’mutar lach – Sanctify yourself with what is permitted to you. That is, make yourself holy not simply by avoiding what is prohibited, but also by not overindulging in what is permitted. The Torah itself gives some detailed instructions in the verses that follow these opening verses of the Parashah: Revere parents, keep Shabbat, care for the poor and disadvantaged. In fact, just as the spiritual heights of the giving of the Torah in Parashat Yitro are followed by the seemingly mundane commandments of Mishpatim, so the great spiritual commandment “Be Holy!” is followed by what appear to be mundane aspects of daily living. How can we understand this? The ultimate source of kedushah is, as our verse tells us, HaShem. The root meaning of the word kadosh is separate, especially in the sense of being separated out for a purpose. Since H” is One and unique (see Rambam’s 2nd Principle of Jewish belief) it follows that H” is transcendental to and utterly separate from the world of space, time and differences. This is the ultimate source of kedushah. However it is just as true that H” is intimately involved in every detail of the running of the universe – this is our belief in hashgachah pratit or Divine Providence. The fact that H” can be at once transcendental to the world, and yet actively involved in it as well, I think gives us a clue to help understand this imperative to holiness. Our Sages tell us that when we stood at Mt. Sinai and received the Torah we returned to the state of Adam before the sin in the Garden of Eden. The point of the giving of Torah was and is to allow us to rectify that sin. Adam’s sin is described as “eating” from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and our tradition explains that this means that Good and Evil, spirituality and materiality, soul and body, both were incorporated, and mixed up, in Adam’s nature, and through Adam, in the nature of the cosmos as a whole. It is our job to separate them back out. (Those with some understanding of the physical sciences will recognize the Second Law of Thermodynamics at work here!) In the language of the medieval Kabbalists, our job is to “liberate the Divine sparks from the shells (kelippot) in which they are imprisoned.” It is for this reason that we are enjoined to “be holy” – to separate ourselves from attachment to the physical world. Once this separation takes place, once both the spiritual nature of life and the physical nature of life have regained their full integrity, then they can become reintegrated. Our tradition doesn’t go down the neo-Platonic path of denigrating the physical. The physical world is as much Gd’s creation as the most spiritual of beings; only it needs to be sanctified, rectified, suffused with holiness. In the expression of our Sages, we need to bring the Shechina out of exile, back down to earth. We must remember at all times that our actions are fraught with the greatest significance. Everything we do has the potential to redeem a part of the cosmos – to infuse into whatever part of creation we are dealing with the Holiness of the Creator. When we avoid doing a melachah on Shabbat, or make the effort to come to minyan during the week, and pray with concentration and with our whole heart, or deal honestly with others in business, or do a kindness for a stranger – we bring the Redemption that much closer. Then we as individuals, our society, and indeed the universe as a whole, will be fully reflective of Gd – transcendental Holiness will be apparent on the surface of even the most concrete material forms. This is truly a life worth living. I would like to add the following in the wake of the murders at Mercaz HaRav: It is up to Klal Yisrael to maintain its distinction from the other nations, our kedushah. This is our way of separating out the Tov from the Ra. It has been noticed by our Rabbis that if we don't voluntarily keep aloof, the nations of the world maintain the distinction. Nothing could have brought this point out more forcefully than the sight of Palestinians celebrating the murder of the Yeshiva students. They, by their depraved speech and actions, throw in everyone's faces the glaring distinction between good and evil, between purity and holiness on one side, and filth and degradation on the other. They are the painful antidote to the fuzzy-thinking moral relativism and anything-goes mentality that unfortunately pervades much thinking in the West, and, unfortunately, in the State of Israel as well. May the merits of those who died with words of Torah on their lips help sustain us. Shabbat Shalom, Bob Rabinoff April 26, 2008/21 Nissan, 5768 A Thought for Pesach
The only
events in Jewish history that are powerfully remembered are those which
have become part of Jewish ritual. Consider the Exodus from Egypt. It is
remembered precisely because of the Seder ritual, which serves as a
paradigm for the way ritual works.
Shabbat Shalom, April 19, 2008/14 Nissan, 5768 Acharei Mot Parashat Acharei Mot speaks in detail about the Yom Kippur service that Aaron performed in the Mishkan. It opens with G-d giving instructions to Moses for Aaron after the death of Aaron’s two sons. It seems odd that the Torah would mention this incident again, when it does not appear to have any connection to the parasha. Additionally, the instructions for atonement seem to be a one-man show, without the participation of the rest of the nation. It must have been difficult for Aaron to receive these instructions immediately after the death of his two sons. He is given the instructions to atone for himself, his household, and the entire community, yet his own children were not given this opportunity. One would expect that Aaron would be angry at G-d for the death of his two sons. However, the Torah seems to indicate that Aaron had accepted the will of G-d by keeping quiet after the death of his sons. Many people have a tendency to blame G-d when dealing with loss. It is often hard to understand how G-d could let certain things happen. I have often wondered how G-d could let something like the Holocaust take place. How much more so would it have been natural for Aaron to blame G-d, when G-d was directly responsible for the death of his two sons? Perhaps the Torah is teaching us the proper way to atone. It is difficult to atone for your sins if you don’t accept responsibility for your own actions. Aaron’s acceptance of G-d’s will makes him the ideal person to atone for all of Israel. We can’t always understand G-d’s will, but by the acceptance of His actions, we can atone for ourselves, for our families, and for all of Israel. Shabbat shalom, Zumi Brody April 12, 2008/7 Nissan, 5768 Metzorah Leprosy, the subject of our parsha, is traditionally associated with the sin of slander. Thus, there is a similarity between the Hebrew word for leprosy -metzora - and the Hebrew words for speaking evil about another - motze shaim ra. The Torah reminds us of the danger of bad speech. The ability to speak has the capacity to raise a human being above the lower animal world. Hence, Rabbi Yehudah Halevi labels the human being as medaber, one who speaks. Speech is what sets the human being apart. But, the greater the potential to do good, the greater the possibility for that potential to turn into evil. Speech can raise one to the highest level, but if abused, it can sink us to the lowest depth. Indeed, injurious speech has enormous ramifications. Although when we were kids, we would say "sticks and bones can break my bones, but names can never harm me," it is actually not true. Words and name-calling can actually hurt deeply. It also should be remembered that while a word is a word and a deed is a deed, words lead to deeds. Once a word has been said, it is almost impossible to take back, for a spoken word spreads to others in ways that can never be undone. A few years back, Charlie Ward, the New York Knickerbockers basketball player, uttered words that really hurt. He repeated the often-heard lie that it was the Jews who murdered Jesus. He compounded his mistake by adding that even today Jews continue to persecute Christians. Not only did those words lead to great pain, they can lead to, and have led to, tragic ramifications. Such comments have been used historically to justify Christian anti-Semitism. When, during the Crusades, Jews were murdered, Christians claimed that it was in retribution for the Jewish murder of Jesus. The Jews, they reasoned, had to be punished. These words not only spread to so many in those times, but their consequences have been felt through the generations. Professor Raul Hilberg in the Destruction of the European Jews, noted the parallel between Nazi anti-Semitism, and anti-Jewish legislation practiced by the Church. Hilberg refers to the churches anti-Jewish legislation as “fifteen hundred years of destructive activity.”
A
rabbinic tale: A rabbi was once asked, what is the most expensive meat. He
responded, "tongue." And the next day the rabbi was asked what is the least
expensive meat. Here, too, he responded, "tongue." Such is the challenge of
speech. One that the Torah reminds us about this week, and one that we should
all take to heart. April 5, 2008/29 Adar II, 5768 Tazria
This
week’s portion begins with discussing a mother’s ritual status after
childbirth. The Torah tells us that she
becomes temeiah (commonly translated, spiritually impure) " as at
the time of her menstruation (niddah)." (Leviticus 12:2) In the very next
sentence, the Torah points out that if the
child born is a male, circumcision is to take place on the eighth day. March 29, 2008/22 Adar II, 5768 Shemini How individuals or representatives of a people might attain holiness during a lifetime is a central thought in the portion of Shemini. This portion considers the time of the consecration of the members of the priesthood for Israelites. Rashi suggests close relationships between the holiness of the Almighty and the holiness of the Israelites. Lev 11:45 reinforces this classic thought, and an idea oft-stated during recent Passover seders: "For I am the Lord that brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your G-d; ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy." Foremost, the priests and their lineal descendants had to show holiness in observing laws and commandments which contain both positive and negative precepts. In the Tent of Meeting, Aaron follows Moses’ specific commands from the Lord to atone for himself and then to atone for the Israelites. This atonement occurs through bringing the sacrificial offering of the people. An absence of holiness can be a key to unraveling reasons for the death of Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron, before the Almighty in the Sanctuary. Commentators have asked what behavior or what abandonment of commandments were involved? One suggestion often given is that they were intoxicated. Another approach may provide a closer and direct link. The portion informs us that priests and Israelites were beginning to establish elements of holiness. Nadab and Abihu entered the inner sanctuary without proper respect for the holiness and sanctity of that environment where individuals come closest to the Almighty. They contravened laws concerning the Priesthood, and replaced human authority for the Lord's authority. The latter occurred when they chose to use a fire other than that which would descend from the Lord, and then when they offered a strange fire before the Lord (Lev 10:1). These specific behaviors stained the holiness of the inner sanctuary and diminished the ideal that priests would represent the highest standards of holiness. Nadib and Abihu received rapid punishment. Can their deaths be seen as a burnt-offering to sanctify the name of the Lord and maintain parameters of holiness for the society? Shabbat shalom, Steve Puro March 22, 2008/15 Adar II, 5768 Tzav This week’s parashah is titled Tzav, which means command. In Tzav the various offerings are discussed as they relate to the Kohanim. The rituals and procedures for elevation, meal, peace, sin, guilt, and thanksgiving offerings are commanded to the Kohanim, the proper procedure for koshering vessels and implements which may have become unclean or unusable. The Kohanim are also told what to do with Pigul, disqualified or rejected offerings. The last section of the parashah describes in detail the consecration ceremony for the Kohanim. It is interesting to note that the commands that Hashem gives through Moses are directed to Aaron and the Kohanim. However, in the second half of the parashah there are two specific commands given to B’nai Israel as a whole. The first is a prohibition against eating fat. The second is a prohibition against consuming blood. The penalty for violating these commandments is the infractor’s soul being cut off. Why are such important commandments with such severe consequences for all of B’nai Israel placed in the middle of commandments directed to a small portion of the overall population, the Kohanim?
One
possible explanation could be that these commandments, being where they are, are
to stress the importance of the Torah as a whole. That is, all of it applies to
all of B’nai Israel. At first glance it may seem that this parashah
and its commandments would only be relevant to Kohanim. Close study shows
that it contains commandments that have a very important bearing on the entire
nation of Israel.
Shabbat shalom, Adam Bell March 15,2008/8 Adar II, 5768 Vayikrah
The
Torah in this week's portion informs us
that when one brings an animal sacrifice, the person leans down on the
head of the animal (semikhah). (Leviticus 1:4) It is then that the
individual confesses the sin that precipitated the bringing of the
sacrifice. March 8, 2008/1 Adar II, 5768 Pekude The word Mishkan (tabernacle) is doubled in the first pasuk of our parashah. Rashi quotes Midrash Tanchuma: “Twice – hinting at the Temple which served as ‘collateral’ [mashkon] through its two destructions for Israel’s sins.” Our Sages tell us that were Moshe Rabbeinu to have entered the Land of Israel and constructed the Temple, that Temple could never have been destroyed, and Gd, as it were, would have been forced to take His anger out on the people, rather than the wood and stones of the Temple(s), and we would have been destroyed. However when the Third Temple is built by Mashiach, may it happen speedily in our time, there will be no need for this kind of “collateral,” and the Third Temple will indeed last forever. Presumably we will no longer need collateral because we will no longer sin. In light of our Sages oft-quoted dictum “The prisoner cannot free himself” we must question how human beings will be transformed from creatures who sin more often than not, to creatures that do not sin. Ultimately the transformation must come from Gd. This answer leads us to another question, which really goes to the heart of the nature of our existence as individuals. In the universe we see all kinds of activity, and we appear to take part in that activity. But who is really acting? If we turn towards the end of the parashah we find: (40:17-18) It was in the first month of the second year, on the first of the month that the Mishkan was erected. Moses erected the Mishkan… The Rabbis comment on the use of the passive construction in verse 17: Moshe asked Gd how anyone could erect this massive structure. Gd told him to put in a little bit of effort (hishtadlut) and the whole thing would then go by itself. Torah appears to be telling us that while it appears that we are acting and accomplishing, in reality everything that happens in creation happens according to the Will of the Creator. This debate is reflected in the Talmud as well. The Tanna R. Shimon b. Yochai indicates that if Jews were to devote themselves wholeheartedly to Torah, there would be no need to work for a livelihood; Gd would see to it that we would have everything we need without our undertaking activity from our side. The Amora Abaye comments that “many have tried this but very few have succeeded.” From this it appears that our evaluation of the role of hishtadlut in fact depends on our spiritual level. For those on the level of Moshe Rabbeinu or R. Shimon b. Yochai, Gd does everything. For the rest of us, our activity is real and without it we would not survive! Finally we find both expressions in Rambam’s 13 Principles. In the first principle we affirm our belief that “the Creator, Blessed is His Name, … alone did, does and will do all actions” (my translation). But in the eleventh we state that He “rewards with good those who observe His commandments and punishes those who violate His commandments.” If Gd is the sole Actor, there is no room for reward and punishment (and, as Rambam forcefully states elsewhere, if this were so the entire basis of Torah and of Judaism would be undermined). Reward and punishment depend crucially on our ability to act independently on the basis of our own choices. I believe that framing this question as an either-or proposition is an incorrect approach. Perhaps the reality is more quantum-mechanical, where multiple possibilities coexist at all times. In such a world we must accept paradox for what it is, rather than trying to reduce it to one of a set of mutually exclusive choices. Ultimately our evaluation of the nature of creation depends on our perspective. Our perspective is not Gd’s, and although Gd’s may be the ultimate Reality, our perspective is also legitimate. In fact, since it is our perspective, we have no choice but to adopt it as the basis on which we live our lives. Thus we must strike a balance at all times, exerting ourselves while always remembering that ultimately it is “by His Word that all things are created.” Shabbat shalom, Rafi Rabinoff March 1, 2008/24 Adar - I, 5768 Vayakhel The main part of this parashah is the description of how the Tabernacle was built. It goes into explicit measurements and details concerning who contributed and who was the artisan in charge of the project. While building the Tabernacle was significant, if we accept that every aspect of the Torah is significant, there must be a reason for the details being relayed to us. Another consideration is the placement of this parashah. Chronologically the building of the Tabernacle did not follow immediately after the incident with the golden calf. The Israelites had sinned mightily and atoned; is their reward the building of the Tabernacle as a visible sign that G-d is with them? Or is there more to it? If G-d is everywhere, why does He need a Tabernacle to be with the Israelites? There is no way for us to know the workings of G-d, but a possible explanation could be that G-d did not want or need a Tabernacle at all. The question then arises, why did He have the Israelites build one and why is it described so explicitly in the Torah? A possible answer is that G-d did not need a Tabernacle, the Israelites did. They were a slave people who had not adjusted to freedom. The fact that this parashah follows the incident with the golden calf illustrates the point that the Israelites could not deal without their leader Moses. To the Israelites he was their conduit to G-d. Even though he was not a priest, he was the instrument that G-d had utilized to free them and perform miracles. The Israelites needed a symbol that could represent another method of communing with G-d, since they did not yet realize that they could do so directly. The slave mentality kept them from appreciating that G-d was everywhere and available to all, even a slave or an ex-slave. There certainly would come a time when Moses would no longer be with the Israelites. Thus, the Israelites needed a symbol that could be with them even after Moses was gone. The creation of the Tabernacle was not under Moses directly. Moses told the Israelites what G-d wanted, a then unknown artisan to do the work. G-d did not provide the materials, the Israelites did. The Tabernacle became a part of them because they contributed to its creation. They gave generously so that they could have ownership. Women gave up their mirrors. Thus the people had a symbol that could go with them to the Promised Land. A representation that the next generations could be brought up knowing they were worthy of serving G-d and accept that He would listen to them and that they were His chosen people. By relaying this history the Torah illustrates G-d’s divine qualities, all forgiving, all loving and knowing what is in our hearts even if we do not always understand our own motivations. G-d is always ready to accept us back to Him even with our frailties as long as we have a desire to repent our sins and let Him into our hearts.
Shabbat shalom, February 23, 2008/17 Adar -I, 5768 Ki Tissa Show Us Your Glory! One of the most striking and emotionally tense moments in the entire Torah occurs in this week’s Parasha. Moshe, in a fit of spiritual passion, exclaims to God, “Please! Show me Your glory!” (Ex. 33:18). Moshe, it seems, had a dream: to experience an intense moment of unbridled God-consciousness. We can picture Moshe, utterly exhausted from pleading on behalf of the Jewish people after their sin with the golden calf. He is finally triumphant in securing God’s promise to always lead and love our people. After having worked so hard for the needs of the Jewish people, he allows himself to ask for his one wish. In the words of the great commentator Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, 1040-1105, Troyes, France), “Moshe perceived that it was a time of God’s good will, and his words were accepted, so he continued to ask that God show him the appearance of His glory.” We would expect that God would grant Moshe’s wish. After all, Moshe was a pretty holy guy. He did split the sea and receive the Two Tablets and all. Yet instead God tells Moshe, “you cannot see My face, for no person shall see Me and live” (33:20). This is generally understood to mean that no matter how great a person you are, even if you are “holy Moses,” pure God-consciousness and spiritual connection are unachievable. As usual, however, the Talmud comes and complicates things (in a good way of course!). The Gemara in Brachot 7a comments on this verse, “So said God to Moses: When I wanted to show you My face in the burning bush, you did not want to look, as it says, ‘And Moses hid his face, for he feared to look upon God’ (Exodus 3:6). Now that you want to, I am not willing.” Clearly, pure God-consciousness and spiritual connection are achievable! Was God being stubborn? Was God saying, “You had your chance”? That may be one reading of the Talmudic text, but after a second reading, I believe the Talmud is teaching us an important lesson about spirituality and finding God in our lives. Approaching God at an “opportune” time and seeking a spiritual connection is not the correct path to experiencing God’s glory. Rather, we must be conscious and aware of the moments that God approaches us. These may be moments when we are called upon to perform a mitzvah, do an act of kindness for another, or be a loving parent or child. All these are “burning bush” moments. Will we be there to answer God’s call? Many of us have the same dream as Moshe - to experience a deep and spiritual relationship with God and Judaism. If we seek out the burning bushes in our lives, those moments when we are called on to become God’s partners, then we will surely merit to experience that which Moshe dreamed about--a clear and beautiful vision of God’s glory. Shabbat Shalom! Ross Shapiro, Rabbinical Student-YCT February 16, 2008/10 Adar-I, 5768 Tetzaveh Don’t Judge a Priest by His Garments In this week’s portion the Torah devotes an entire chapter (Exodus 28) to describe the clothing of the Kohanim, Aaron and his sons. Does G-d really care how many lazuli stones are in Aaron’s ephod? Garments both conceal and reveal. They say, “clothes make the man.” On one hand, as much as people don’t want to admit it, first impressions are often superficial. On the other hand, we can actively transcend the surface to truly reveal the person. The Talmud says, “G-d wears the world like a garment.” We cannot see Him without opening our eyes to the world around us; but only seeing Him at that level is superficial. We must also abandon reason and logic and have faith. In this way, we transcend the visible world hoping to truly experience G-d. Two weeks ago, we read that the Children of Israel heard the Revelation and responded: “Na’aseh v’nishmah”; “We will do, and we will hear.” Active performance of the mitzvoth elevates us so we may transcend the physical world. This week marks Karli’s and my fifth wedding anniversary. A comedian once compared marriage to the Temple service, saying, “People still make sacrifices at the altar.” Sacrifice is scary, but also important. Our ancestors were thankful for the opportunity to use sacrifices to approach G-d. Similarly, we all must sacrifice some of our rationality and ego to become stronger through interpersonal relationships. May we all have the strength to transcend the superficial to become closer to each other and to G-d. Shabbat Shalom, Danny Sherwinter February 9, 2008/3 Adar-I, 5768 Terumah In this week’s parashah, Terumah, G-d gives instructions to the Israelites for building the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. Unlike most of the previous portions in Bereshit and Shemot, this is not a story – it is simply a listing of instructions. But it is not so simple. One notes how detailed these instructions are. Not only does G-d include very specific materials to be used, and measurements for the building; these instructions pertain to all its furnishings as well. These instructions given by G-d are actually told to Moses: “The Lord spoke to Moses,” and Moses, in turn, is to deliver these directions to the Israelites. This Tabernacle is a holy place – it is to house the “presence of G-d.” It will hold the tablets with the Ten Commandments written upon them. Within this space, G-d also includes instructions for the aron (ark), the shulhan (table) and the menorah (lamp-stand) as well as the cloths for the tent, the planks, a screen and curtains. It struck me how important all these details were, as even in the Chumash we use at our synagogue, there are pictures showing what these spaces should all look like. You will note very few other pictures in the entire text. I also found it interesting that as specific as G-d directed, even down to half measurements “two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide,” our synagogues today and for centuries have been all different. The materials are different, the colors used are different, the shapes of the buildings are different, and the layouts are all different. Recently, on a trip to Israel, while visiting the Museum of the Diaspora, I enjoyed an exhibit with model synagogues of the past from many countries of the Diaspora. All these models were vastly varied. Each synagogue took on the look and culture of its Jewish people, from its shape to the materials used. Although G-d had commanded the Israelites to build this first Tabernacle to look a certain way, later the Jews used creativity, as the synagogues were representative of each individual culture and society. Just as Jewish people are all different, every synagogue is different. But all synagogues are connected by the people inside – Jewish people, who have the obligation to study Torah, and live by its teachings. Shabbat shalom, Sue Weintraub February 2, 2008/26 Shevat, 5768 Mishpatim The parashah Mishpatim follows on the heels of the Revelation at Sinai and the recitation of the Decalogue. Although the Decalogue seems to cover the full range of responsibilities that people have to God and to each other, the Decalogue in and of itself could not have been intended as being a comprehensive guide for human obligations. This is evidenced by the legislation that is greatly elaborated upon in Mishpatim. Indeed, the remainder of the Torah is primarily legislative in character. Yet something paradoxical immediately presents itself. The people of Israel had just emerged after centuries of slavery in Egypt. One might expect, if not in the Decalogue itself, then perhaps in the subsequent expanded civil legislation, that there be a total prohibition of involuntary servitude. In fact, what we see is that Mishpatim begins with regulations concerning bondsmen, clearly indicating that the Torah permitted bondage. How can this be reconciled? Slavery, as an institution, had been part of virtually every past culture, and regrettably remains in force in many present day societies. Moreover, we know that slavery was part of the way of life of our patriarchs even before they journeyed to Egypt. When the Jewish people were liberated and transformed into an independent nation, it would have been difficult to suddenly and completely eliminate certain practices that were deeply rooted parts of their prevailing culture. What had become different, however, is that the Torah, while acknowledging bondage, emphasized the rights of the individual even in the case of a bondsman or slave. Moreover, the Torah legislates that there be a time limit to the length of servitude. It is also noteworthy that the rights of Jewish bondsmen are the first individual rights that are expanded upon in Mishpatim. Contrast this with the institution of slavery as it existed in the United States at the time of its founding. The original constitution of the United States, including the Bill of Rights, made virtually no reference at all to slavery, let alone granting any rights to slaves or provisions for their freedom. In fact, the constitution specifically prohibited addressing any issues of slavery for a period of twenty years after its ratification. Ultimately, it took much longer and, of course, a civil war was necessary with the subsequent amending of the constitution to resolve this issue. While it is true that the Torah is immutable, human behavior is not. It is a tremendous testament to the humanity of the Jewish people that by using the Torah as a moral compass, practices that are objectionable by modern standards, yet were common place in our history, were voluntarily abandoned even though they were permitted by the Torah. We can only hope that other peoples will follow these examples. Shabbat shalom, Paul Tesser January 26, 2008/19 Shevat, 5768 Yitro The parashah Yitro describes the preparation of the nation of Israel (B’nai Yisrael) for the Giving of the Torah, and carefully specifies the Giving of the Torah, which occurred on Shavuot. How would you envision your individual or collective reaction as part of B’nai Yisrael, if you found yourself preparing for G-d’s Revelation at Sinai? In this context there is importance in suggesting G-d’s relation to the people of Israel. The people lived as slaves all their lives under Pharaoh; and by what actions could G-d change that mentality? This mentality could be most easily altered through real events, especially taking them out of Egypt and the house of bondage, and creating a personal relationship by speaking directly to them. G-d offers a major promise to the people with the following words: “And now, if you hear My voice and observe My covenant, you shall be to Me the most beloved treasure of all peoples, for Mine is the entire world.” (Ex 19:5). B’nai Yisrael’s knowledge and experience of real events deepens acceptance of Torah and its commandments, and also leads to future communal and national projects. How we recognize these events and their importance is significant for our individual development and for the direction of B’nai Yisrael.
Shabbat shalom,
January 19, 2008/12 Shevat, 5768 Beshallach This week’s parashah, parshat Beshallach seems to be the parashah of complaining. When being pursued by Pharaoh and his army the Children of Israel complain to Moses saying “You had to take us out here to die? We could have just as easily been buried in Egypt.” Moses then leads the people through the Sea of Reeds. Following the parting of the Sea of Reeds, they journey to Marah, where there is nothing to drink except bitter water. Once again the Israelites complain about having nothing to drink. With G-d’s help, Moses makes the water sweet and solves the problem. Then they complain about having nothing to eat and G-d sends the manna to feed them. The final complaint is about water, and again Moses solves the problem. It is difficult to comprehend how the Israelites can continue to complain after G-d has led them out of slavery in Egypt. One would think that they would have faith that G-d would provide for them. On the other hand, after enduring hundreds of years of slavery, it is not completely surprising that the Israelites are complainers. It seems as if the Israelites have gone to both extremes. As slaves, they were completely dependent on their own labor and had to work for everything. Nothing was provided for them. Once they were liberated, they became completely dependent on G-d for everything. Perhaps the lesson of this week’s parshah is to find a middle ground. The Midrash expounds upon the story of the crossing of the Sea of Reeds. The People are reluctant to go into the water, as they fear they will drown. One man, Nachshon Ben Aminadav, who would later become the leader of the tribe of Judah, takes the initiative and enters the water. When the water is up to his neck, the water then parts. We can learn from this that we should not always wait for G-d or our fellow human being to take action. Sometimes, it is up to us to take this initiative. One way to accomplish this is to volunteer to write the weekly insight into the parshah. We always assume that someone else will write and that it will somehow get done. However, it is up to each one of us to take the initative and write at least one insight a year. Just like all of the Israelites benefited from Nachshon’s actions, so too will the entire congregation benefit from each fresh new perspective into the Torah. Shabbat Shalom Zumi Brody January 12, 2008/5 Shevat, 5768 Bo
This week's portion records the first commandment given by God to the
Jewish people. "This month shall be to you the beginning of months; it
shall be the first month of the year to you." (Exodus 12:2) What makes
this mitzvah important enough to be the first legislated?
Shabbat Shalom, January 5, 2008/21 Tevet, 5768 Vayera At the Passover seder, we gather with family and friends to celebrate the release from Egyptian bondage of the children of Israel. Within the Haggadah, the story, the passage containing plagues that the Lord brought upon the Egyptian people, their animals, and the land, receives particular attention. In this week's parashah, Vayera, and next week's, Bo, there is discussion of these ten plagues. An initial question that can be considered is what were the goals and purposes of the plagues? Several replies can be suggested to view the Almighty's goals and purposes of these devastating plagues. A few prominent themes in Vayera are that the plagues demonstrated that the all powerful G-d is the G-d of Israel; that the children of Israel shall be released from Egypt to serve the Lord; that Egyptians and the children of Israel shall know that he is the Lord, G-d of Israel; and that Pharaoh must submit to the Lord's demands as conveyed through Moses. An idea that captures some of these themes is that the G-d of Israel brought plagues to show his existence and his control over the natural world. Egyptians had multiple gods and they worshipped inanimate natural objects, such as the Nile River. Many of their gods, often through astrologers and magicians, claimed wondrous individual events, such as turning rods into serpents (Ex VII:10-12). In contrast, the G-d of Israel claimed and showed that he could change the nature of things at will. The G-d of Israel had to overcome the disbelief—or in terms of modern psychology, the cognitive dissonance—of the Egyptian population and Pharaoh’s arrogance and stubbornness. In this parashah, we find that the scope of the plagues increases and the dynamic elements of the G-d of Israel's control over nature is shown. For example, the plagues prior to gnats were stationary and of limited geographic scope while later plagues were mobile and encompassed the entire nation. Further, the later plagues, such as the gnat plague, specifically excluded residences of Israelites (Ex VIII 18-19). The plagues provided clear evidence to Israelites that the Lord, G-d of Israel, was a protector of their interests. Earlier in this parashah (Ex VI:7), prior to the plagues, the Lord asks Moses to convey the following message to the leaders of the tribes of Israel: "I will take you to ME for a people, and I will be to you a G-d, and ye shall know that I am the Lord your G-d, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians." The leaders and children of Israel do not heed this message from Moses. Nachmanides argues that bringing forth of plagues was evidence of the Lord's miracles performed for the sake of Israel. This analysis leads to the interesting suggestion that the plagues brought additional knowledge about the all-knowing and all-powerful G-d of Israel to the children of Israel. Shabbat Shalom, Steven Puro Dec. 29, 2007/20 Tevet, 5768 Shemot I am always struck by how many self-improvement books perpetually make it to the best-seller lists. Such titles as Become A Better You, Getting Things Done, and Your Best Life Now are typical. What is it about human nature that creates a continuous need for motivation and reassurance? In Shemot, Moses is portrayed as someone who is certainly in need of a motivational seminar. When God first reveals Himself to Moses, the exchange is quite involved and rather intriguing. God charges Moses with the task of taking the Children of Israel out of Egypt; Moses then readily declines this challenge. In fact, four times Moses expresses reservations about his ability to carry out the task that God gives to him. Initially, Moses seems to display humility, which is quite understandable given such a daunting undertaking, when he suggests that he is unworthy of the task. God reassures Moses that He will be with him, which would seem to be motivation enough. But Moses continues to express self-doubt. Moses proceeds to express his concern that the Children of Israel will ask him for the Name of God who will be delivering them. Moses implies here that the Israelites will not believe him without some type of evidence. God again reassures Moses, but he seems to still be in need of tangible proof. God then demonstrates three miracles, symbolically agreeing that actions can speak louder than words. Moses yet again refuses by indicating that his lack of eloquence makes him unqualified. God appears to lose patience with Moses, and speaks to him in harsher terms, perhaps indicating that Moses is not within his right to refuse this mission. Of course, after their lengthy dialogue, Moses, possibly reluctantly, finally accepts the challenge. William Shakespeare said, “Some men are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.” Where does Moses fit in this spectrum? The Rambam stated that Moses was the greatest of the Prophets. Does this mean that Moses was uniquely qualified for the task of delivering the Jewish people, and for that reason was chosen by God? Or does his litany of refusals suggest that he was, in fact, initially quite ordinary when first approached by God? As the original “motivational best seller,” the Torah may support the idea that most everyone is initially unprepared to meet great challenges when forced by circumstance to face them. Nonetheless, when the cause is just, despite initial reservations, greatness can be achieved by even the most humble of individuals. Shabbat Shalom, Paul Tesser Dec. 22, 2007/13 Tevet, 5768 Vayechi In Vayechi, the last parashah in Genesis, there is an exploration of future generations of the twelve tribes of Israel. We find that both Jacob, the Patriarch, and Joseph, his son, die in this portion. Substantially more attention is given to Jacob's passing, his instructions to future generations, and instructions concerning the lineage of future leaders. Jacob instructs each of the twelve tribes to take heed of the Almighty through their own skills and virtues. Future generations are reminded and mandated to keep the Almighty's statutes, commandments, and ordinances. In an important decision, Jacob rules that Joseph's two sons who were born in Egypt are within the people of Israel in order to continue the generational lineage. Jacob's authority and vision requires that Ephraim, the younger of Joseph's two sons, rather than Manasseh—the first born son—will have the task of unifying the tribes of Israel and making them into one nation in the land (Ezekiel 38:20-22). To maintain the generational line, Joseph forgives his brothers to insure continuity and unity within the Jewish people. He argues that G-d caused the brothers' acts against him for a greater good (Gen 50:20). A possible approach for this parashah is the question of how future generations of Israel will behave so that their sons and others are able to carry forth the heritage of Israel? Let us consider in this parashah how Jacob and Joseph's behavior reflect their heritage. As one example, both Jacob and Joseph specified and demanded in the strongest terms that they not be buried in Egypt but in the land the Israel people would inherit. The reasons for this request were that they were "strangers in the land" of Egypt, and that Egyptian culture and idolatrous religious practices were sharply contrary to Judaism. In the current complex culture, we can inquire how our way of life allows the next generation of Jews to accept what we have taught them? Joseph's last words to future generations contain the central promise of the Almighty to the Jewish people. In Gen 50:24 Joseph says "but G-d will surely remember you, and bring you up out of this land into the land which HE swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob." This central promise is continued throughout the Book of Exodus. The wisdom of past, current, and future generations will establish the Almighty's relation to the Jewish people. Shabbat Shalom Steven Puro Dec. 15, 2007/6 Tevet, 5768 Vayigash Vayigash tells the story of the reunion between Joseph and his brothers, leading ultimately to the multi-generation “sojourn” of the Children of Israel in Egypt. When Joseph threatened to hold Benjamin, Judah offered himself as a substitute, fearing that the loss of Benjamin would cause Jacob to lose his will to live. Joseph then emotionally revealed himself to Judah and the rest of the brothers, who cried on each other’s shoulders with relief and joy at this amazing reunion. This part of our history brings to mind the good feelings associated with coming together with our families after a long absence. All the catching up we do with our relatives at holidays, simchas, even funerals is an echo of the amazing discovery by Joseph’s brothers that Joseph was essentially the Chief Operating Officer of Egypt, Inc., and of Joseph’s relief that his father was still alive and well. When we see children in our families grown up and established in a business or profession, we feel the same amazement and happiness that the brothers felt when they saw how well Joseph had done. Despite starting out as a “disadvantaged” young man, destined for slavery or worse, Joseph’s heritage, including his devotion to God, led him to ultimate success.
Our own families share the same heritage as Joseph – we are
all Children of Israel – and thus have the same potential for success in
life, even with a shaky start. Joseph remains a model, not only for
all of us and our families, but for the State of Israel as well. December 8, 2007/28 Kislev, 5768 Miketz (Shabbat Chanukah) Joseph became a very powerful man in Egypt and his brothers came to Egypt for food. In the story, we see that Joseph hid himself from his brothers and he manipulated their transactions by hiding their payments in the bags of grain. Immediately upon seeing his brothers, why did Joseph hide himself? Why did he not run into their arms and reunite as their brother? Some of our texts remind us of earlier dreams in which Joseph interprets that all of his brothers bow down to him as king. Some would say that is the reason that Joseph must hold Simon and force his other brothers to return to Canaan and bring Benjamin back to Egypt. We are told that the dreams must be fulfilled in their sequence. Please look at Chapter 42, verses 21 through 23, and you will see that the brothers emotionally respond to the request. The brothers expressed anguish over what they had done to Joseph and felt that they were now being punished for their actions. Joseph heard their words and wept. The famine brought Joseph’s brothers to Egypt and God brought them in need of food. God fulfilled the vision of the brothers bowing to Joseph the moment that they appeared to him, and Joseph knew it. The question is why Joseph maintained the charade. The answer is what I share with you this Shabbat: Repentance. Joseph needed to see if his brothers were cruel men who would deceive or would they do anything they could to protect Benjamin and the last strength of Jacob. The latter is what Joseph saw. Joseph remembered not his vision from God, but God’s promise to Abraham. Who would be the seeds of the Jewish people? Would it be the two sons of Joseph or all of the grandchildren of Jacob? Here again, Joseph’s heart was moved to the latter. Joseph saw that his brothers wanted forgiveness for the way they treated him and they wanted no harm to come to Benjamin. Joseph could reunite the family of Jacob and work toward fulfilling the promise God made to Abraham. Forgiveness is a powerful lesson through all of Torah. After Shabbat, perhaps you can call an old friend whom you have not spoken to in a long time and catch up. Forgive whatever has kept you apart. Believe in them as Joseph believed in the good of his brothers. Shabbat Shalom , Mark Seigel December 1, 2007/21 Kislev, 5768 Vayeshev Chanukah celebrates the miracle of the Hasmonean victory over the Syrian Greeks. What is forgotten is that their dynasty did not last. Why not? Ramban suggests that the disintegration of Hasmonean rule was due to their usurping too much power. (See Kiddushim 66a) By birth, the Hasmoneans came from the tribe of Levi, and could become priests. In the end, however, Judah Aristobulus, the grandson of Judah Maccabee assumed a second role, that of king. Here the Hasmoneans overstepped their bounds as kingship is confined to the tribe of Judah. (Genesis 49:10) There is much logic to the idea that priest and king remain separate. Kingship deals with the politics of running the state, taking into account aspects of civil administration and international relations. Priesthood on the other hand, focuses on spirituality; on how to connect to God. Of course, the teachings of the priest give shape and direction to the state. Still, it can be suggested that kingship and priesthood should remain apart, in order to separate religion and politics. The distinct responsibility of king and priest is part of a larger system of Jewish checks and balances. The prophet for example, served as the teacher of ethical consciousness rooted in God’s word; and the Sanhedrin was the judicial/legislative branch of government.
Not
coincidentally, in the same week in which we begin celebrating
Chanukah, we begin reading the Biblical
narrative of Yosef (Joseph) and his brothers. Yosef dreams that he will
rule over the family. Yehuda leads the brothers in removing this threat by
selling Yosef. In this sense, each seeks to become the sole heir of
Yaacov (Jacob). (See Sforno, Genesis 37:18) The Joseph story breaks this pattern in that, in the end, all of Yaacov’s children were included. No wonder, Yosef and Yehudah and for that matter, all of the brothers are blessed by Yaacov. Indeed, their descendents form the tribes of Israel, each included in the community of Israel while having distinct roles to fulfill. One of the challenges of Chanukah is to learn from the mistake made by the Hasmoneans; to understand that attempts to usurp the roles of others are counter productive. Crucial to the continuity of Judaism is for each of us to make space for the other and recognize the respective roles every individual plays—as reflected by Yaacov’s sons and ultimately the tribes of Israel.
November 24, 2007/14 Kislev, 5768 Vayishlach In Parashah Vayishlach, Jacob completes his journey home back to the Promised Land. This journey home is in many ways similar to the return of the Jewish People to the modern State of Israel. There are many lessons we can learn from Jacob in this parashah, both individually and as a people. In the beginning of the parashah, Jacob sends messengers to his brother Esau in order to facilitate his reunion with his older brother. The Stone Chumash translates Malachim as angels, instead of messengers. This is a midrashic interpretation, and I feel it to be a very misleading one, so we learn not to trust every translation we read in the Stone Chumash. The messengers inform Jacob that Esau is coming with 400 men. Jacob has two responses to this news. The first response is to divide his camp in two, so that if Esau’s intentions are hostile, at least one camp will survive. The second response is to pray to G-d and ask for deliverance from his brother. We learn from this that putting our faith in G-d can give us the strength to persevere over any obstacles and challenges that may stand in our way. However, it is also necessary to take action and not just “wait” for G-d to rescue us. Before Jacob’s encounter with Esau, he has a struggle with what is commonly believed to be an angel. As a result of this struggle Jacob is renamed Yisrael (Israel), he who has struggled with G-d. We learn from this one of the fundamental traits of our People, which is our questioning nature and our desire to always “struggle” for the truth. For Jacob, the struggle with the angel may have been a metaphor for his own personal struggle. Even after dividing his camp into two, and praying to G-d for a safe return home, Jacob must still have had doubts about returning home to Canaan. He had left his home of twenty years, as well as the home of his wives and his children’s birthplace. He left the comforts of his existence, and went into the unknown. I find myself to be in a similar situation as Jacob. Like Jacob, I am returning to the land that was promised to my people. I am heading into the unknown, leaving behind the comforts of the life that I have known. I am putting my faith in G-d, but I’m also trying to make whatever preparations I can to prepare me and my family for our new life in Israel. This was not a decision that was made lightly, and like Jacob, I, too, had to struggle to overcome my doubts. My wish for all of the Jewish People is that each Jew can overcome whatever struggle he/she may encounter to make him/her a better Jew and a better person. Shabbat Shalom, Zumi Brody November 17, 2007/7 Kislev, 5768 Vayetze In Vayetze and the following parashah we will follow Jacob's journey as he encounters a spiritual search and a twenty-year personal exile from his own land. The struggle between Jacob and Esau takes on new complexity in Jacob's journey. Jacob's journey and many of our journeys can be seen from different perspectives. The plain interpretation is that Jacob is fleeing from Esau and going to Padan-Aram. Another interpretation could be that Jacob's journey will establish his relationship with the Almighty. As part of these activities, Jacob is seeking paths to become a righteous person. We recognize that he will become the Patriarch of Israel as part of his lineage from Abraham and Isaac.
In Vayetze we find Jacob making vows or promises which will define his relationships to the Almighty. There are both explicit and implicit elements in his and our vows or promises to the Almighty. The idea of Jacob's vow is puzzling. The key phrases are from Bereishit 28:20-21 which say: If G-d will be with me, and will protect me on the way that I go...so that I come again to my father's home in peace; then shall the Lord be my G-d. Is Jacob's vow creating a new relationship with the Almighty in stipulating a series of conditions that the Almighty is required to fulfill? Another view can be that Jacob is praying to the Almighty for protection and an ability to fulfill his spiritual commitment. Rashi adds depth to these ideas. He argues that Jacob is requesting that the Almighty keep his promises to Jacob and the land of Israel, so that Jacob will be able to fulfill his promises to return to this place and build a temple to the Almighty.
As Jacob engages in these journeys during the next several parashiot, we can ask whether his standards of conduct are worthy of the
Almighty's promises and protection? This idea introduces a central question of Midrashic interpretation concerning what promises are given
to a righteous person in this world.
Shabbat Shalom,
Steven Puro November 10, 2007/29 Cheshvan Toldot In this week’s parsha, toldot, there are several sections to the overall story but the theme that I will discuss is how this may be the first instance of how a leader was selected for a role rather than assuming leadership based upon birth order. Just as was the case with his father, Avraham, Yitzchak becomes older before he starts to consider passing on his innermost blessing. Furthermore, he does not conceive a legitimate heir with Rivkah until he is quite old. There were no democracies, no votes, no caucuses, and no campaign finance reform, so that in keeping with tradition at the time, leadership was to be transferred to the firstborn. Ordinarily, it is obvious and certain (manifest destiny) that the firstborn will inherit power, but something is not right in this family. We are told of twin sons, Esav and Yaakov, who are not very similar in appearance and personality. Throughout the parsha, it is implied that Esav is not so worthy of this leadership role. He is hairy, red, likes to hunt in the fields, takes a wife outside of the community, and does not appear to understand the meaning of being a thoughtful leader. Such a man cannot lead a Jewish nation and it is up to others to successfully wrestle the birthright and blessings from Esav to the rightful Jewish leader. We learn that this is orchestrated by Rivkah and Yaakov, but also we are told several times that Yitzchak was very old before he even considers giving his blessings. He cannot even see his son clearly enough to distinguish his face. “Come closer- whether you are really my son Esav or not." Is it by design that he waits until he is old and unable to see before this ritual? If he is blind at the time, what a great excuse for making a mistake as he did. The fact that Yitzchak is blind may be a metaphor. He may not be able to assess the worthiness of his sons and he even seems to recognize his own inability to distinguish between the twins. Another possibility is that he realizes that the one who comes to him with conviction, disguised or not, is truly the worthy son. Perhaps all of this was a subconscious test by him to see which son was more dedicated and intelligent enough to get back to him sooner. He even notes how quickly Yaakov was able to secure food and prepare a feast. What was Esav thinking? Here is the defining moment in his life and he is taking his time getting back to Yitzchak. The point is that Yitzchak may realize that he himself cannot break with the usual and customary process of naming the first born as the next leader. He has his own personal bias in that he favors Esav, the child who is more athletic and strong. But that is his personal bias as a father, not a leader. It is difficult to separate his own fatherly bias from determining what is right for the greater good of the Jewish people. Perhaps this really was a caucus of sorts allowing the rightful leader to take over power at a critical time for this young nation. In any case, this is Torah showing us that it is not necessarily the case that first born sons should always be given higher priority. Why did Yaakov not come out first? Why did G-d speak to Rivkah and let her know that the “older son will serve the younger one?” It is because the torah is teaching us that this practice of passing along your heritage to the firstborn son is not a sound one. Rather, we must evaluate each child on his or her merit, without prior bias, to determine who is a worthy leader. This parsha is democracy at work. Morty Rinder November 3, 2007/22 Cheshvan, 5768 Chaye Sarah As he buys a burial plot for his wife, Sarah, Avraham (Abraham) identified himself as a ger toshav (Genesis 23:4). The term is enigmatic. Ger means alien while toshav means resident. How could Avraham be both? On a simple level, Avraham tells the children of Heth that he came to their community as a stranger, but now has settled in. Alternatively, the Midrash interprets Avraham declaring: I am prepared to conduct myself as a stranger and pay for the burial plot. If, however, you rebuff me, I will take it as a citizen who already owns the land that God had promised to the Jewish people. Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchick sees it differently. For him, Avraham is defining the status of the Jew living amongst foreigners. No matter how comfortable a Jew may feel among others, in the end, the Jew is a stranger and is viewed as different by his neighbors. Another thought comes to mind. Avraham was a very successful man. He introduced the revolutionary idea of monotheism, and, indeed is chosen to be the father of the Jewish nation. Still, as he buries his wife, he emotionally cries out that as accomplished as he may be, in the end he is vulnerable, with glaring weaknesses and frailties—just like everyone else. Hence, ger toshav encapsulates the human condition. As much as a person is a toshav, a “resident” in control of life, in the same breath one is a ger, a “stranger”—here one day and gone the next. Commenting on the verse recited every Friday night which speaks of the rivers clapping hands and the trees dancing, (Psalms 98:5), Rav Shlomo Carlebach, whose thirteenth yahrzeit (anniversary of death) will soon be celebrated, said: “You know, beautiful friends, the way we are living. One day I’m so good, the next day I’m in the lowest dumps…I want you to know nature is very real. When a tree sees I’m happy, the tree says, ‘hey, wait ‘til I see you tomorrow.’ One day I say I’m so holy, then the rivers will say ‘wait ‘til tomorrow’…. One day the whole world will be good forever. One day there’ll be joy forever. So every Friday night when we receive Shabbos, I’m crying, I’m begging, Master of the world, [like the rivers and trees] let it be forever, let it be for real…. Let us hear the great trumpet [that will announce the eternal Shabbos], let us hear the greatest message, from now on everything good and holy will be forever.” But until that time, in the words of Rav Shlomo, “nothing lasts forever.” All joy, says the Talmud, must be tempered with trembling (Berakhot 30b). We are all, in the words of Avraham, a ger toshav. Such is the way of the world. Shabbat Shalom Rabbi Avi Weiss October 27, 2007/15 Cheshvan, 5768 Vayera The Akedah, The Binding of Isaac, is at once fascinating and repelling. It pushes the limits of comprehension when one tries to understand how God could command a father to sacrifice his son, and how a father would be willing to perform the actual sacrifice. That Isaac is not sacrificed does not make the story any less enigmatic. Indeed, one paradox of the Akedah is the apparent suspension of Jewish ethics since one might consider it always morally objectionable to take an innocent life. However, Abraham seems to have made the ethical decision that in his case committing the gravest of sins would be justified in order to demonstrate higher principles, i.e., reverence and obedience to God. Another paradox of the Akedah relates to the issue of free will. Does Abraham really have a choice here? Since God is omniscient, and knows all future events, then why the need for a test? One idea, of course, is that the test is not for God to find out about Abraham, but rather for Abraham to learn about himself. But it still begs the theological issue of how can there be free will if all is predetermined by God. Even Albert Einstein weighed in on this saying, “God does not play dice with universe.” Yet we seem secure in our belief that we have free choice. I will invoke yet another theological paradox: Since God is omnipotent, can He create a situation where He Himself does not know the outcome? Consider the alternative. And it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham and said to him… “Take your son, your only one, whom you love—Isaac—and…bring him up there as an offering.” And Abraham replied, “How can You ask me to do this? I have entered into a covenant with You, and You have already commanded that myself and my offspring shall keep this covenant. Offering Isaac as a sacrifice would be a violation of this covenant.” And Abraham continued, “Isaac is righteous. As I believed when I interceded on behalf of Sodom, and as I still believe, it would be unjust to bring death upon the righteous.” And God said, “You have proven yourself to be a man of justice and compassion. Because you withheld your son, even after I commanded you to sacrifice him, I know you are committed to the covenant and I shall surely bless you and your offspring…” Not to sound like Forrest Gump, but perhaps there can be both a destiny and an element of uncertainty at the same time. We should consider that there may not have been a right or wrong way for Abraham to respond to this trial; his destiny as the father of a multitude of nations was already sealed. However, he was faced with an agonizing decision, and no matter how responded, he would prove his worth. Like Abraham, the choices we make define our mettle. When each of us is confronted with a significant moral dilemma, we sometimes doubt our ability to make an appropriate decision. We should reflect on the qualities of Abraham and consider what allowed him to demonstrate his worthiness as he proceeded through his ten trials. Abraham always seemed to act in a selfless, humble manner and recognized a greater good. We should gain some measure of assurance in knowing we will usually make proper choices if our decisions are guided by good intention, proper judgment, and reflect these ideals as emanated from Torah Shabbat Shalom Paul Tesser October 20, 2007/8 Cheshvan Lech Lecha Why did Gd choose Abraham to receive His blessings? Before Gd’s command in Parsha Lech Lecha, the Torah tells us only where Avram was born, the name of his father but not his mother, that his wife was Sarai who was barren, and some other family names including his nephew Lot. Avram’s father Terah took them from Ur Kasdim to go to Canaan but stopped in Haran instead. The midrashim of our sages, ancient and modern, explain further. Avram, growing up as the son of an idol maker, rejected the worship of clay idols and the sun, moon, and stars. Growing up without a role model or teacher to guide him, he reasoned that there could be only one Gd, and rather than deny Gd he let Nimrod throw him into the fiery furnace. Both in Ur Kasdim and in Haran, Avram made converts among the men and Sarai among the women. Rabbi Shlomo Riskin of Efrat has a rather modern explanation. “Abraham, unlike the earlier twenty generations [10 from Adam to Noah, 10 more to Abraham] - was a husband and pater-familias, an individual dedicated to his wife together with whom he set out to establish family continuity and world influence. The first Jew must - first and foremost - have the capacity to establish the first committed family! … Only with Abraham do the names of the wives begin to appear in the Bible.” Where the Torah text says that Abraham pitched “her tent,” the Midrash explains “Abraham always honored his wife by pitching her tent before his own.” (Stone Chumash) In “Parsha Potpourri” Oizer Alport writes that when Gd took Abraham outside and commanded him to count the stars “if you can count them,” both Gd and Abraham knew this was an impossible task. Yet knowing he could not finish, Abraham “quickly went outside, looked up in the sky, and began counting, “One, two, three.” We know that Gd tested Abraham ten times, but as with the 613 mitzvot, there are different opinions about what makes up the individual tests. In the Stone Chumash it is written that “a Heavenly test is one that forces a person to choose between Gd’s will and his own nature or understanding of what is right.” Gd spoke to Abraham because He knew that Abraham had chosen and would continue to choose Gd. Consider the command to sacrifice Isaac in next week’s parsha. Abraham was the Ivri (the Hebrew) not only because he crossed the Euphrates River to come to Canaan, but also because he crossed over from the mindset of idolatry into which he was born to a new way of thinking: a belief in one Gd. Shabbat Shalom. Susan Fleminger October 13, 2007/1 Cheshvan, 5768 Noach “Noach was an ish tzadik tamim in his generations – Noach walked with Gd.” In a well-known comment, Rashi says: “In his generations”: Some of our Sages teach this as praise – certainly if he had been in a generation of tzadikim he would have been a greater tzadik. Some teach this as denigration – in comparison to his generation he was a tzadik; had he lived in Avraham’s generation he wouldn’t have been considered anything [special]. In other statements it appears that our Sages come down more heavily on the side of the second opinion. For example, Noach walks with Gd – as a child who needs a parent’s support. Avraham walks before Gd – independently. Noach’s behavior with regard to the people who were wiped out in the flood is contrasted unfavorably to Avraham’s behavior with regard to Sodom – Avraham prayed and cajoled to try to save the Sodomites, whereas Noach apparently just built his Ark but was not particularly active in trying to reform the members of his generation. Finally, we can contrast the second and third Mishnahs in Chapter 5 of Pirke Avot: There were 10 generations from Adam to Noach … until He brought upon them the waters of the Flood. There were 10 generations from Noach to Avraham … until our forefather Abraham came and received the reward of them all. Noach was simply saved from perishing – but so were all the other animals. Avraham, perhaps we can say because of his commitment to and involvement with others, received whatever reward those generations might have claimed had they not acted to “anger Him increasingly.” It is obvious that we are affected by the quality of our environment. If we’re in a smoky room, we can’t see clearly even if we have Ted Williams’ eyesight. If we live in a depraved generation, it’s very hard to maintain our integrity either as individuals or as a community. It appears that in the latter situation there are two approaches. One can isolate oneself from the larger society, as in an Ark, or one can engage with the society and try to improve it – Avraham Avinu’s approach. We see both these approaches being taken by different sectors of our Jewish community. There are those who attempt to isolate themselves as much as they can from the violence and immorality that they see everywhere, and to create ideal communities in which they can live pure Torah values. This requires a tremendous amount of energy erecting and maintaining “separation barriers” to fight against the Second Law of Thermodynamics (law of diffusion). I do not wish to imply any criticism of this approach; certainly separation of good and evil, after they got mixed up in the sin of Adam and Eve, is a valid spiritual approach. The other approach is active engagement with the society in an attempt to spread Torah values outward – to do nothing less than redeem the world. This approach is much more dangerous. Instead of external separation barriers we must be able to erect internal separation barriers that allow for interaction with an unredeemed world in such a way that foreign and malevolent values cannot enter. We need to have our oases – homes, shuls, yeshivas – where indeed we keep out the drek that tries to intrude. However this approach, I believe, is also more rewarding. Even in the most depraved world there are sparks of holiness imprisoned, and it is our job to get them out. That is why mitzvot are (often) performed with physical objects, and that is why our halachah is filled with instructions how to interact with the physical, and often non-Jewish world in a proper fashion. Noach is described as a completely righteous man in his generations. Perhaps in his generations there was no choice but to retreat and save himself. Perhaps our generation is getting to that level. But I think it is clear that our Sages, in general, prefer Avraham’s approach of active participation in the work of redemption. Rafi Rabinoff October 6, 2007/24 Tishrei, 5768 Bereshit Parashat Bereishit is the beginning. It is the beginning of the Torah and it is the beginning of God's creating. God created many things and saw that it was good. In Chapter 2 verses 1-3 God created Shabbat by not creating at all. I think that (Shabbat) is very good! I grew up going to school 5 days a week and looking forward to the weekend. The weekend for me was nice because I could sleep in, watch television and do nothing or what ever I wanted to do. I never knew of Shabbat. And when I found out about Shabbat and what people do or don’t do on Shabbat, I thought it was strange. My first real experience with Shabbat came when I went to Camp Sabra, a residential camp in Lake of the Ozarks. The environment changed. We no longer had the same activities. The food was different, too. But I took what I learned about Shabbat and brought it home to teach my parents. Each summer at camp I learned more. I wanted to try it for myself. I wanted to observe Shabbat in my own way; I wanted to make it a special day that I looked forward to having. Friday night came, I lit the candles and said the blessing, I drank grape juice after saying a very shortened Kiddush (I didn’t know the full version), I made motzi and ate challah (I didn’t know there was a hand washing blessing beforehand) and I also went to Friday night services. For Shabbat, I tried not to go shopping or spend money. I used the time to hang out with friends and I would listen to Jewish music (hey, this was my version of Shabbat). I really enjoyed it. What would have made it better would have been my family joining me in any of it! As I grew and learned more, I realized I wasn’t doing Shabbat exactly the right way but it was still very special to me. I would love for everyone to experience Shabbat. It is really nice to take a break from the rest of the week. It is nice not having the television, computer, cell phone or anything else on. It is nice sitting down with the kids and playing a card or board game with them. It is also nice reading on the couch and watching the candles burn down when everyone else is asleep and the house is completely quiet. Granted there are some difficult things about Shabbat, like preparing for meals before hand, staying up late every Thursday night making challah and walking a mile to synagogue. But I would have to say it is all worth it. I am passing on a tradition to my children and I am passing on wonderful memories. My kids really look forward to Shabbat. They know because it is Shabbat they can’t turn on the TV. But they look forward to their abba being home, playing outside, eating in the dining room, getting their blessings, drinking grape juice, and going to “shul." As you can tell, Shabbat is very important and meaningful to me. I love that I am continuing a tradition that started over three thousand years ago. And that is why I think Shabbat is very good! Shabbat Shalom Caryn Brody
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