One Torah for All

Shabbat Shuva 5774

LISTENING

How often do people go to a lecture or a sermon, a movie or a discussion  only to come out afterwards being unable to tell anyone what was said?  How often do people go to services yet are unable to later explain what the prayers are about?

        Is it any wonder, then, that Moshe prepared a final ballad recounting [in brief]  the history and laws of the Israelites and introduces it to the People by telling them: ‘HaAzinu’, pay attention, listen well, hear me !?!  The other well known song of Torah is the Song of the Sea recounting and celebrating the escape of the Hebrews from the Egyptian chariots at the Sea of Reeds. 

        One can well imagine that the custom of using such ballads or songs is a very old one for teaching people, in a memorable way, their history and ancestry.  It was common in many cultures to do so especially given that the majority of people were illiterate, books [scrolls] were handwritten and often fragile, and people’s attention spans are limited.  He bards of old memorized these songs and brought them to many as they travelled the countryside.

        In a sense, Judaism brought an improvement to education by providing scrolls of the writings and songs to the Priests and other leaders in order that they be read to the masses [not just the royalty] on designated days of gathering [assembly].  Yet how much did the people retain after hearing the stories of history and laws?  Did they pursue a fair judicial system and select wise, honest judges and leaders?  Perhaps, sometimes…

        Yet then, as now, there were corruption and abuses of people by others including their leaders.  So when we teach how to live an honest, ethical life while others demonstrate how to get away with crimes, even murder, how likely are people to follow what we teach rather than what they see happening all around them?  Ye olde:  “Do as I say, not as I do.”

        So next time we pray, let us all be in listening mode.  Let us all reflect on whether we are actually following the teachings of our prayers and Torah.  Then, we pray, may we all discuss how we can listen well and apply what we hear to building good lives.  Shabbat Shalom and Shana Tovah!

Inscribe  for Sealing  5774   (*Tikun Olam = Repairing the world )

In this season we now do pray

To be sealed for a full year’s days.

With happiness and Health, Good and Peace –

Despite our failings – with joys increased.

Do we plea from our hearts with sincere intents

To pursue doing better in ev’ry way?

Or Do we try to con the Lord to give us life

So we can then bargain or cheat or bribe to stay?

If we choose this dark path of ill pursuits

Will we not hasten our likely demise?

Yet if we choose Tikun Olam  ^* and good deeds,

Are further continued blessings guaranteed?

The mysteries of the new year to come

Are not for us to truly understand.

We can only pray and try to better the World

In hopes that we and ours will flourish in this land.

The following is the submission to the Courier which was published on Oct. 4, 2013 with only minor editting in it (as seen with a picture derived from our recent events pictures at

Bereishit 5774, In the Beginning

          In the beginning there was nothing but HaShem!  That was a very long time ago.  There was no concept of what a day is.  Other than HaShem, there was no one around to have such a concept.  There were no appointments to keep.  Creation could move at a leisurely pace.  So solid bodies took a while to coalesce over a good stretch of time.  They reacted within themselves and to each other according to the natural laws like gravity.

          Some very energetically collapsed in upon themselves and became stars like our sun.  Others got overcome by the attraction of neighboring bodies.  As a result, what we know as the planet Earth got a moon to revolve around it.  This, too, took a goodly time period to happen.

          Then from within the internal processes of the planet, the seeds of vegetation began to sprout as accumulations of water in specific areas allowed undrenched land to be fruitful.  All this happened over a very good, goodly time.  Thus were the beginnings of life.

          When people live in sparsely populated areas, they also need to find a beginning of life – of spiritual life and thereby, comfort.  So in the beginning, there was [and still is] considerable need for spiritual enrichment among Jews in the tri-city area.  Existing community was welcoming only to those who met their pre-conceived notions of properly fitting.  The disenfranchised and disillusioned seemed to fade into unseen oblivion.

          There is hope, though, that the forces of nature [human?] will at some point find a constructive option for those in need.  Such indeed is the hope of Beit Torah:  that all will find community with spiritual comfort and enlightenment;  that the greater community find the path to work in unity towards common goals, thus bettering the world for all; that peaceful cooperation can be achieved despite [or perhaps because of] our differences.  To achieve this, it is therefore obvious that we must all start in the beginning.  Shabbat Shalom!

Babbling in Bavel – Bereishit (Genesis) 11:1-9, NOACH 5774

            In theory, everyone in this country speaks and understands English or at least has access to a translator for important proceedings.  Yet in practice, it seems that there is very little communication going on at nearly all levels of interactions.

            Listening to the news of current events sometimes sounds like reports of people babbling at each other, seemingly without any exchange of ideas, communication, or even willingness to understand each other. It is no wonder that government often seems dysfunctional!

            Then there are the family and spousal abuses, street violence, and the public verbal abuse of others who are not in agreement with the abusers.  This state of affairs is very uncomfortable for people who care deeply about the avoidance of Lashon HaRah, “the Evil Tongue”, slander, and gossip.  It even seems that the rapid technological advances in social and mass media only open the door to worse bullying, verbal abuse, slander, and gossip!

            Rabbi Steve Denker of Orange Village, Ohio, is of the opinion that while technological advances are neutral in value, the uses of the technology can be for bettering the world or can be abused through vile intents until society puts meaningful limits on these types of uses.

            So, too, he claims happened in Bavel as told in this week’s Parasha [portion] of Noach [ch.11:1-9] when the technology to fire bricks was developed.  The people probably did not realize the limitations of the new technology.  In arrogance or hyperbole they likely claimed extremely wonderful properties for their bricks.  This would not be an unusual sleazy business tactic for increasing sales.  So pushing the envelope by building too high led, literally, to the downfall of the project.

            During the ensuing repercussions, it is likely that accounts of what happened kept changing.  Finger pointing was likely.  Those who sold the bricks probably denied that they were safe to use in such a project.  Lots of people were talking but almost none were listening and even fewer were able to really understand what happened and why.

            Gee…  That sounds familiar…  Maybe peoples of every generation are prone to not listening and not understanding each other.  Divisiveness and unwillingness to negotiate and compromise when needed to preserve peace seem to be ever present.  Are we doomed to forever be in Bavel?  Or can we mature past that and learn to all speak and understand the same language?  A sobering discussion may come this Shabbat from this towering topic.  Shabbat Shalom!

Lech Lecha 5774, CAMEL ROYALS, Bereishit (Genesis) 12:1-13:18

            At the end of last week’s portion of Parashat Noach, we were told that Avram’s Father, Terach, took the family out of Ur to Hauran.  This week’s portion of Parashat Lech Lecha (go forth) starts with Avram again pulling up roots along with his sister/ wife Sarai and his nephew Lot.  This time they went south to Canaan, likely because (as we find out later) Avram’s uncle’s family was settled to the north in the Padan Aram (three rivers) area not far from Haran.

            So off they go with their camels south through slim pickings until they eventually get to Egypt.  There they are treated like royalty.  Sarai is accepted as Avram’s sister and taken into the Pharoah’s harem.  According to Josephus, Avram was a respected teacher of math, astronomy, etc. during his time in Egypt.  Then a malady affected the people and the livestock.  It was viewed as a curse plague.  According to Josephus, Lot convinced the Pharoah that it was a curse called down upon the Egyptians by Avram’s God, that the only way to break the curse was to return to Avram his wife Sarai.  Pharoah did so as it was extremely frowned upon to take another living man’s wife.  Further, to make sure he would not be accused of molesting Sarai, the Pharoah paid Avram and Lot a huge amount of wealth to (publicly) agree that Sarai had been untouched.

            At that time, there were no camel owners and breeders native to Canaan and Egypt.  They knew of camels to be part of the wealth of people of high standing from the east.  Camels were used by hired camel riders to relay messages among the wealthy.  Camels were used by traders of spices and other luxuries.  Avram’s family owned camels.  Were they royalty in Ur as Sarai’s name “Princess Priestess” might indicate?  Were they wealthy traders used to travelling the East/West (Ur & Babylon/ Hauran) and the North/South (Padan Aram/Canaan) trade routes?  Either way, when they got to the Western regions they were viewed and treated as royalty because they possessed camels.

Questions for discussion:  Why did the family leave Ur?  Where was Hauran? What is the significance of owning camels? What happens to women in the Pharoah’s harem?  Did Sarai mind being in the Pharoah’s harem?  Why were Avram and Lot given great wealth to leave Egypt?  Why were Avram and his family treated like royalty?  Did they live up to that concept of themselves?

            Some of these questions will be answered in the Torah readings of the weeks to come.  Other may forever be open to speculation.  What more can we learn about history and customs of those times that can help us better understand these Torah accounts of the Ancestors?  May enlightenment grow within us as we delve into and discuss these topics.  Shabbat Shalom!

VaYera 5774 – Emissaries and Family

            Last week’s portion Parashat Lech Lecha introduced the importance of family, both natural and adopted.  From the beginning when Avram left Hauran with his blood family and his entourage [Bereishit/ Genesis 12:5], the entourage effectively consisted of followers, voluntary or indentured.  All were considered part of the clan or tribe.  Hence, they effectively were extended family for Avram.

            When Lot was taken into captivity, Avram reacted with organized force to save the lives of his kinfolk, his family, along with the other captives [Bereishit 14:14].  To further demonstrate that all in the tribe were considered family, Avram had all the males circumcised in the covenantal ritual, thereby earning his name being changed to Avraham [Bereishit 17:23-27].

            This week in Parasha VaYera, we see differences in how Avraham views and treats extended family in comparison to his kinsman, nephew Lot.  When Avraham hears that S’dom, the city where his nephew’s family lives, is to be destroyed, he argues with HaShem to save them [Bereishit 18:13].  Yet when HaShem’s emissaries [messengers] are threatened by the townfolk, Lot offers them his two virgin daughters to do as they wished rather than hurt the messengers [Bereishit 19:1-10].  This never happened as the messengers barricaded the family in their home instead.

            In the end, Lot and his virgin daughters were saved.  However, after this story, we hear no more of them.  Neither do we learn about where HaShem’s messengers [who warned Lot to flee] went. 

            Noah was the righteous man in the context of his generation.  He saved as much of his family as he could when faced with the Deluge.  Avraham was the righteous man for all generations who tried to save as many as he could in times of duress.  We will learn that even those he sent away to live elsewhere [like Lot or Ishmael] were still cared for by him despite the distances.

            Are we given the stories of family interactions to compare them and learn which of the family relationships we should try to emulate?  If so, on what basis can we decide which parts to emulate and which to avoid?  What do these Torah stories teach us about protecting extended family and maintaining Shlom Bayit, Peace in the home?  Throughout our lives we need to tackle these very questions.  This Shabbat our extended family will start to try to ferret out a few of the pertinent answers to these questions.  Join us.  Shabbat Shalom!

CHAYEI SARAH 5774, More Camels and More Family
    Every year we note that it seems strange that this portion, Parashat Chayei Sarah (the Life of Sarah), starts with the death of Sarah.  Then we note that the value of women in Canaan of those times was generally evaluated by the accomplishments of their sons.  In this case, her natural son Isaac and her adopted son Ishmael are the sons of Sarah whose stories we read about.
    Yet to Avraham, Sarah was worth much more than her offspring.  She was his companion of many years, his co-conspirator during their travels in Egypt and to Abimelech, his confidant, and the love of his life as evidenced by his considerable efforts in securing her a properly elegant burial place.  The status of women in the family as partners and equals, especially in the home, is seen not only in Sarah’s life but also in this week’s parasha when Rifka is asked if she is willing to leave her home and go to be the wife of her father’s cousin.  In other words: she could have refused!
    However there were additional enticements.  There were gifts for her and her family.  There were stories of the glory of Avraham’s travels and accomplishments.  There were camels transporting the people and goods to the north for her family and then available to bring her and her attendants south to her intended, should only she agree to go.  There was the promise of adventures for her, too, in the strange land to the south.  After all, camels belonged to the wealthy and well travelled, even as far as Egypt!  Next week we will read about the continuing independence of Rifka as a loving, life partner to Yitzchak.
    While women of the nations of Canaan may have been treated as second class citizens, women of Terach’s family line were not.  What does that mean for modern Jews regarding how we treat each other?  How should we teach the well known Jewish wisdom of respect for each other, avoiding lashon haRah, and not embarrassing each other.  What does that mean for praying at the kotel, riding in buses, and the uses of tefillin and tallitim?  Some might say it is a feminist view, but how can that be true when the goal is equal respect for all?  We here at Beit Torah are all family.  Shabbat Shalom!

Toldot 5774 - Keeping it all in the Family

          The portion of Parashat Toldot is the only portion in which star Yitzchak and Rivka.  We know from previous parashot that Yitzchak valued family relations even as his father, Avraham, did.  For instance, he and his brother Ishmael both buried their father Avraham together.

            This week’s parasha further supports the idea that Yitzchak and Ishmael considered themselves family when Yitzchak’s son Esau took his cousin, Mahalath, daughter of Ishmael, to wife [Bereishit (Genesis) 28:9].  Further, this is reminiscent of Esau’s mother Rifka marrying her father’s cousin, Yitzchak.  Apparently, keeping it all in the family made the parents happier.  

            Speaking of parents, Rivka’s likely quite elderly father, Bethuel, took Avraham’s servant’s request as a sign from HaSHem and wanted his daughter to be married to Yitzchak [Bereishit 26:50].  However, the family respected each other in that generation and asked Rivka if she was amenable to the match.  She would not have been required to go if she objected. [Bereishit 26:58]

            SO Rivka and Yitzchak were joined in marriage.  Yet they did not get pregnant right away.  When finally they do, it is Rivka who talks with HaShem.  She is the one who gets HaShem’s prediction of the future for her sons.  Did she know she would have no more sons?  Was the twin pregnancy so difficult that it led to later infertility?  We do not know.  We do know that there are only two sons recorded in Torah.  They, Yaacov and Esau, grow up as good examples of the sibling rivalry reminding us of the earlier story of Cain and Abel.  Fortunately people had matured a bit by then and all will end well.  The brothers will overcome their differences and maintain good family ties a decade and a half later.

            In the meantime, Rivka and Yitzchak shlepped the family to Gerar, the territory of the Philistines along the Mediterranean coast.  We read that Yitzchak had been told by HaShem to go there to avoid the drought and famine in the land.  Gerar, though, was fertile.  So they stayed there a while under the pretense that Rivka was Yitzchak’s sister.  Family lore may have saved Yitzchak’s life.  On the other hand, maybe he was saved by Abimelech who is said by some to be the same Abimelech who dealt with the same ruse when Avraham and Sarah came by.  It is possible he was only a couple decades older than Yitchak and hence still alive.  Alternatively, he could have been Abimelech’s son or even someone unrelated by the same name yet familiar with the family or Gerar lore.  Regardless, Rivka stayed in the family.   Only when back in Beersheva [the well of sheva, seven] was the voice of HaShem heard again, this time by Yitzchak when HaShem reassured him that all would be well and reaffirmed the promises made to Avraham, his father. 

            So when Yaacov needed to marry and needed to let his brother cool down, he was sent to family to find a wife.  Throughout, family ties were kept and honored.  How are family ties honored today?  What can we learn from the Ancestors about how to manage our families?  Can we learn Shalom Bayit [Peace in the Home] from these stories?  SHABBAT SHALOM!

Vayetzei …and Then There is Family… 5774

        During these last weeks we have been discussing many aspects of family.  Loyalty to each other, protectiveness of each other, respect for each other, and pragmatic running of family affairs are some of the admirable aspects of family relations.  We have read about dishonesty, willingness to throw some family members to the dogs for selfish ends, threats of violence to family members, and in this week’s portion of Parashat VaYetzei, willingness to unfairly take advantage of family members.

          Yet, to whom should we turn in times of crisis if not family?  Yitzchak and Ishmael turned to each other when burying their father, Avraham.  When Esau saw how distressed his parents were over his having married two local women, he turned to his uncle to help out.  So then he married his cousin to placate his parents.  When Yaakov was being threatened with violence by his brother, his mother urged him to turn to family, to his uncle Laban.  She thought that her brother was trustworthy, but she had not really been with her brother for decades.  So Yaakov went to Laban to seek a wife and to be in a protected place.

          Apparently though, Laban had changed over the years.  Despite his gracious welcoming of his nephew, he takes advantage of Yaacov’s difficulties to demand 7 years of labor for the privilege of marrying his daughter Rachel.  Instead of Rachel being wed to Yaakov, though, her sister Leah was given as the bride (breach of contract?).

          What thoughts went through Yaakov’s mind over this deception?  Did he think it was poetic justice given the “deception” at his mother’s urging that led to him getting his father’s blessing?  Did he accept Laban’s claim that the oldest daughter needed to be married first?  Did his love for Rachel make him willing to put up with his uncle’s con to get him to work twice as long for his love?

          Yet Laban continued to abuse and take advantage of Yaacov through constantly worsening unfair earnings contracts and refusal of his sons and shepherds to accept Yaacov as an equal.  When fear of Laban gripped Yaacov, Rachel, and Leah, they resolved to escape Laban’s clutches.  They - not just Yaacov.

          Is our lesson here that no matter how much we love our family members, they too are imperfect human beings and we should be wary of potentials for discord and abuse by them?  Trust needs to be earned.  Does that give us the right to be deceptive in protecting ourselves?  Does that allow us to take revenge on those of the family who abuse us? – or do we need to strive for Shalom Bayit (Peace in the Home) even so?  Shabbat Shalom!

VaYishlach 5774 – Strategic Choices: Pursuing Peace in the Family
    The beginning of Chapter 32 in Bereishit (Genesis) closed off last week’s portion of Parashat VaYeishev with the sealing of a peace pact between Laban and Yaacov.  Of course it was a pact of the “don’t show your face again in these parts or I’ll kill you” type.  Nonetheless, the pact was successful in keeping the Peace in the Family.
    At the beginning of this week’s portion of Parashat VaYishlach (the rest of Ch. 32 and 33 to be discussed here), Yaacov fears he will not be able to make Peace with his brother Esau.  He is tormented with “what-if’s”.  Will show casing his wives and children soften his brother’s attitude?  Will gifts of livestock placate him?  If Esau is willing to be violent against women and children, can half of the women and children be saved by splitting the family into two sections and locating them far from each other?  What strategy will work best?
    With agonizing over what to do, it is no wonder that Yaacov did not sleep all night!  We are told that after fighting all night, Yaacov had a limp and a new name:  Yisrael.  How he got them has led to much speculation among which is the hypothesis that Esau sent an (unsuccessful) assassin with whom Yaacov fought all night.
    In any case, Yisrael is alive in the morning and able to meet with Esau.  Much to his surprise, Esau embraces him as long lost family and offers to help him resettle.  Nonetheless, Yisrael still does not trust Esau and begs off saying that the young children and young livestock can only travel slowly.
    Was Esau truly welcoming with a troop of 400 men behind him?  Were Yisrael’s fears justified?  Was Yisrael truly concerned for the young or were the young just an excuse to justify his refusal of Esau’s help?
    We may never know the motivations behind the events that unfolded.  However the ultimate outcome is worth noting.  Peace in the Family was achieved.
    In this age of open discussion on domestic abuse and violence in families, we find ourselves in dire need of strategies useful in keeping Shlom Bayit, Peace in the Home.  Are there lessons in these Torah stories that can help us achieve the goal of Shlom Bayit?  If so, what are they and how can we apply them?  May we at Beit Torah ( www.onetorah.org ), during this Shabbat, reflect on the dysfunctions of our families and ponder on how we, too, can achieve Shlom Bayit despite them.  Shabbat Shalom!  

VaYeishev 5774 – Sibling Rivalry

          The environment in which we raise our children is a major factor determining how they react to the world around them.  Can we truly love all our children equally?  Even if we could, would others [including the children] perceive it as equal?  Are we able to instill in them the abhorrence of violence?  Can we succeed in making all of them feel important to us and loved?

            Any parent will tell you that it is a constant challenge to keep Shlom Bayit [Peace in the Home] among all the children and adults.  Some are more successful than others in meeting that challenge.

            Yaacov faced that challenge as well even as we discover in this week’s portion of Parashat VaYeishev.  He has twelve sons by his wives and their handmaids.  However, only the youngest two were sons of his beloved late wife, Rachel.  Was it natural for Yaacov to dote on them given his continued mourning for Rachel?  Was he trying to comfort Yosef over the death of his dear mother whom he undoubtedly missed?

            Yet doting on one or some of the sons gives fodder to jealousy among the others.  Did Yaacov, in his grief, realize how his doting on Yosef would affect his other sons?  Was his blindness to the effects actually a part of HaShem’s plan to get Yosef to Egypt?

            If it were just Yaacov spoiling Yosef, maybe the older brothers would not have hatched a plot to sell Yosef to Ishmaelites.  However, Yosef was spoiled and, s any spoiled child, did not have the maturity and wisdom to hold his tongue so as not to aggravate his brothers.  Yet magnificent dreams are something we all long to share!  Perhaps, though, the dreams were HaShem’s way of assuring that Yosef would end up in Egypt.  Was Yad HaShem, the Hand of HaShem, guiding Yaacov’s family?  If so, apparently, just to make sure the brothers did not change their minds to sell Yosef as a slave, HaShem sent Midianite traders to pull Yosef from the pit and sell him into slavery.

            Still the basic dynamics of family, whether functional or dysfunctional, were important to this outcome. HaShem did not change human nature and reactions but rather used them to cause a severe dysfunction.  So we can learn for ourselves from this story about some of the things to avoid if we strive for Shlom Bayit.  What are they?  Have we been able to use this wisdom in our own lives?  May we all learn to apply the wisdom of this story to our own modern lives and modern families!  Shabbat Shalom!

Miketz 5774 Birkat HaChodesh, Chanukah, Family Reunions

          Reuniting a family filled with guilt and grief, jealousies and regrets, is at best an unenviable challenge.  A father who refuses to be comforted over the loss of his beloved late wife’s older son Yosef and who clings to her younger son has become frail and perhaps somewhat senile.  His other sons tiptoe around him out of guilt over their part in causing the loss of Yosef.

          How would we heal and reunite the family if we were doing the screenplay of the story?  It would certainly not be a quick fix.  Indeed Torah will need this week’s portion of Parashat Mikeitz and next week’s portion to finally get the family reunited, albeit in Egypt.

          Could the reunion have occurred with less in drama and difficult events?  Did Dina need to be raped to cause Rachel to die from the additional rigors of fleeing during childbirth?  Was Rachel’s death needed for Yisrael to favor Yosef over his brothers?  Was Yosef’s telling of his dreams necessary to cause his brothers to be angry with him and threaten to sell him to the Egyptians?  Were the Midianite traders needed to assure that Yosef would indeed be taken to Egypt?  Was throwing Yosef in jail the only way to bring Yosef’s dream interpreting ability to the attention of the Pharoah by the formerly imprisoned butler?  Did the baker have to die to prove the accuracy of Yosef’s dream interpretations? What other way could events have unfolded for Yosef to be appointed food vizier of Egypt?

          Were all these things required to happen before the family could be reunited?  What things are required to happen before our families can be reunited?  Thanksgiving?  Pesach?  Yom Kippur?  What things are required to happen before we can be reunited with our spiritual selves, with our faith, and with our religious roots?

          Fortunately it is likely to be far less complicated for us to make amends among family members, to improve communications, and somehow reunite us with our families, our faith, and our religious roots – if only we try – especially in times of need or common distress.  What experiences have we had in trying to succeed at reunions?  Have they helped us achieve Shlom Bayit, Peace in the Home?  Shabbat Shalom!

VaYigash 5774 Relocation

          Most of us like to settle down in one place with people we love and in a healthy environment.  We like to feel secure that way.  Going along with this dream life must also be a means to keep the food on the table and the roof overhead.  Some are truly blessed to be able to live that dream.  Yitzchak and Rifka seemed to be mostly so blessed.

            Yet unforeseen events can rip up our dreams in a blink.  Invasions and war tore the second Temple away from us and displaced or killed tens of thousands.  Natural disasters can wipe out dreams and hopes.  Some survivors will come back to rebuild.  Others will relocate after such a trauma.  Both tactics are seen in the biblical stories. 

            In this week’s portion, Parashat VaYigash, a long-term famine ravages Canaan.  For those able to travel to Egypt, the option of relocation was possible.  Even if these folk had to sell themselves into indentured servitude, they could still survive the famine.  For those of means, they could relocate and move their businesses or agriculture into Egypt.  Yet some clearly relocated with the intent of returning to Canaan after the dangers of the famine passed.  This is made clear by the text and by the requests of Yisrael and Yosef to be buried in the ‘promised land’.

            Did others of those who relocated to Egypt have the hope that they too would return to where ever they came from?  Perhaps these were part of the mixed multitude who later fled the plagues.

            We repeatedly read in the Torah stories that relocation occurred during times of disasters.  Famine caused Avram and Sarai to go to Egypt.  They then returned to the Land.  Many taken into slavery during the wars returned when freed to do so such as the approximately 10% returning from Babylonian exile.  Today some in the Galut [Diaspora] make aliya and claim the right of return.

            Yet not all have the luxury and logistics that allow them to easily relocate.  Think of the masses of refugees with no-where to go after an earthquake or a typhoon or war or drought and famine.  Think of those so down-trodden by a loss of job, foreclosure, discrimination, shunning, mental illness, or so on that they become homeless.  Can efforts by compassionate people even begin to meet the needs of the local people?  Sometimes relocation of the needy to places with more resources is the best choice available.  Yet many would object to being torn away from friends and maybe family.  Still, despite being uprooted, these relocated people have a better chance of getting back on their feet and staying alive.  Such indeed seems to be one of this week’s primary themes in Torah:  that it is okay to give up possessions and land if that is what is needed to stay alive.  Some may be with the hope of possibly returning one day, but only if they can find a way to relocate and start over might they stay alive to pursue that dream.

            Who do we know who have relocated and why?  How can we help those who need to relocate but do not have the resources to do so?  Should we?   Shabbat Shalom!

VaYechi 5774:  Endings, Beginnings, and Redistribution

            As this week we finish the Book of Genesis, Bereishit, we come to many endings within the words of this week’s portion, Parashat VaYechi.  After the end to living in Canaan and after 17 years living in Goshen, Yaacov (Yisrael) gives his deathbed blessings to all his sons and Yosef’s two oldest sons.  He has made Yosef promise to bury him in the family burial cave.

          The funeral procession included the royalty of Egypt in attendance.  It marked the end of a generation, the generation of Yaacov.  It also marked the beginning of a new generation, the generation of the tribes of Yisrael, each with its own character: Reuven with his lusts for sex and power;  Shimon and Levi angry and vengeful, prone to the unethical and lawless, to be scattered among all Yisrael;  the royal beauty of Judah with the wiles for ruling;  Zebulun of the sea; Issachar subservient and loyal even at the expense of freedom;  Dan maintaining independence, at times by nepharious plots; Gad suffering ups and downs and ups again;  Asher with a gift for producing delicacies; fleet footed Naphtali reveling in the surrounding beauty; Joseph (including both Ephraim and Menasheh) able to turn the arrows of outrageous fortune into blessings; and Benjamin succeeding in overcoming all adversities yet generous in sharing the wealth from success.  VaYechi – and they all lived, each according to his own nature was able to receive a share of the inheritance in a redistribution that regarded ethical behaviour as worthiness.  Hence birth order did not determine the value of the heir.

          We later learn that repentance and ethical behaviour can overcome the negative aspects of Yisrael’s ethical will.  Although still dispersed among all of Israel, Levi gained stature in the Priesthood and Kohanim.

          Was Yisrael predicting the effects of karma?  Of environmental influences?  Of tribal tendencies?  The deathbed descriptions sound more related to the later tribal fortunes in the Promised Land.  However, in the meantime the tribes need to make the best of their relocated settlements in Egypt.

          Why didn’t they return to the Promised Land once the famine was gone?  Why do any of us resist relocation even for essential reasons?  Once relocated, why do any of us cling to the new location?  Are endings and new beginnings so frightening?  In any case, our chapter, our parasha, our first book of Torah ends with the death of Yosef, a promise to bury his bones in the Promised Land when the tribes return, and new beginnings in Egypt for the tribes of Yisrael.  What endings and new beginnings do we need to deal with in our lives today?  Let us reflect and share about them this Shabbat.  Shabbat Shalom!

Shemot 5774 – To Save a Child

How far would you go to save a child?

          Yisrael moved to Egypt to save his children from famine in last week’s parasha.  Even though the political climate changed, the midwives [Shifra and Puah] of the Hebrews tell the Pharoah that Hebrew women give birth before the midwives can arrive [Shemot/ Exodus 1:15-19] in order to save the sons in this week’s portion, Parashat Shemot.

          Moshe’s mother put him in a caulked basket among the reeds along the Nile in hopes that the daughter of Pharoah would save her son [Shemot 2:3-6].  HaShem heard the cries of his children and drafted Moshe to save Yisrael, all of Yisrael’s children [Shemot 3:9-10].  For HaShem, it is stated, regards Yisrael as HaShem’s firstborn son [Shemot 4:22].

          To save her son, Zipporah has him circumcised [Shemot 4:25-26].  Was she being a zealous convert to the practices of her husband?  It is not clear why she felt compelled to do so despite the many stories offered in explanation over the years.  What is clear is that she feared for her son’s life and felt circumcision was the only way to ensure his safety.

          What would we do to save our child’s life?  We hear of parents who do not eat so that their children can eat.  We know of parents who swallow their pride and beg for food and clothing so that they can feed and clothe their children.  There are some organizations which collect donations to ’save the children’.  Yet do they do so with strings attached?  Do we donate to the needy with expectations of something in return?  Do we donate to the needy without any thought as to how to help them become self-supporting and no longer needy?  Do the children we help ‘save’ have a future to be saved for?

          How best can we save our children?  Whose children should we save?  Are there any children we should not save?  What does it mean to save them?  Are children in juvenile detention worth saving?  If so, how can we save them once they have become ensnared in the penal system?

          These are not questions we can easily answer in a Shabbat discussion.  However, we sure can get a start on searching for answers this Shabbat.  Shabbat Shalom!

VaEra 5774 – Moshe, HaShem’s Faithful Servant

          We continue this week with the second portion of Exodus/ Shemot, Parashat VaEra.  The first third of the parasha is covered in this year’s first triennial reading.  It reviews the generations of the Children of Yisrael in Egypt.  Moshe is disheartened after he fails to convince them to join him in opposing Pharoah.  Blaming himself, he tells HaShem that he can not speak convincingly with the Pharoah.  So HaShem tells him to let his brother, Aaron, speak with Pharoah.  However, HaShem warns Moshe that even the words of Aaron will not initially lead to the release of the People, that HaShem intends to harden the heart of Pharoah and show many signs and wonders to convince all that it is HaShem, and only HaShem, who will bring the Children of Yisrael out of bondage.

          So in the first third of the parasha the stage is set to enter into battle with the Pharoah thereby allowing HaShem to visit upon this arrogant Pharoah many plagues.  These plagues will then show Pharoah the insignificance of his gods and the supreme power of HaShem.

          HaShem is asking a great deal of Moshe.  HaShem wants Moshe to have complete faith in the Holy One and to follow HaShem’s directives unquestioningly.

          Perhaps this section is meant to emphasize the greatness of Moshe.  Despite his fears and doubts as well as despite the opposition he faces from his own people, Moshe continues along the path that HaShem has set out before him.

          How many of us today are able to have such faith?  We all have our fears and doubts.  Are we brave enough to overcome them and still follow the path of HaShem?  At times we think we have recognized Yad HaShem [the hand of the Holy One] guiding our steps.  Yet are we able to let ourselves flow forward under HaShem’s guidance to totally give ourselves to HaShem?

          Do we even know what the path of HaShem is?  Can we even consistently recognize Yad HaShem when it is revealed to us?  Do we have complete faith in HaShem?  Is that even possible?

Many questions to ask, few answers to find…  Shabbat Shalom!

Bo 5774 From Darkness to Light

            What an appropriate season for us to be reading about the plagues of darkness leading to the light of Freedom!  So this week we read in our portion of Parashat Bo that after the first seven ‘plagues’ [all of which can be explained by the at least four closely spaced volcanic explosions, at least one massive, and corresponding tsunamis from Thera] there are three more ‘plagues’.

            So we open with a strong wind from the east bringing locusts to darken the skies and to devour any remaining plant produce.  Pharoah still has his food stores, so he wasn’t very motivated to let anyone leave his realm.  A strong wind from the [N] west then blew all the locusts into the Sea of Reeds.  Briefly it was light again, but almost immediately this was followed by darkness so thick that it could be touched.  Talk about pollution!

            A volcano when it explodes is like an atomic bomb without radioactivity, a really large one in the case of Thera around 1628 BCE.  The most massive of the Thera explosions was four times the power of Krakatoa [which adversely affected the entire world] and 50 times the magnitude of Mt. St. Helens which caused adverse effects to water, people, and other animals even 500 miles away.  Each explosion starts with a massive outward wind followed by wind carried particulates and ash which fall along the path as per the effects of size, shape, and weight.  Then there is a strong reverse wind as the vacuum created by the explosive force sucks the surrounding air back in.  Thera was only about 500 miles from Egypt.  The tsunami(s) from Thera devastated Crete to the south [Crete was N and NW of Egypt] and would have inundated the Egyptian, Philistinian, Canaanite, and other Mediterranean shores.  Could this and refugees from the volcano be the sources of the unrest described to be in the land along the coastal route to Canaan? 

            Effects of Thera were felt throughout the Northern hemisphere including China, Europe, the Mediterranean bordering areas, etc.  Multiple volcanoes and earthquakes were reported to have happened during this time period in the world even as are described for the Sinai in Torah during the Exodus years.

            The darkness settled and then was dispersed.  [Independent other reports of the darkness varied from 3 to 9 days depending on where the witness was located.]  The ground would have been covered with particulates.  Did Moshe understand the dynamics of volcanoes?  Had he seen their effects during his travels?  Had he interviewed survivors?

            Regardless, at this point Moshe directed the Children of Yisrael to ‘borrow’ as much from their neighbors as possible and to get ready to leave at a moment’s notice.  Did he know what was yet to come?  Did he instead have faith that some further ‘plague’ was sure to come?

            So the Children of Yisrael ate livestock [lambs] during their waiting to leave.  Perhaps they did not bake since they did not know how much time it would be before they would be leaving.  In any case, since they were in Goshen and had not suffered the thick darkness, their grain stores would not have been contaminated by precipitating particles from the darkness.  So what did the Egyptians eat?

            The Egyptians loathed shepherds.  Hence they were more likely to eat non-meat products.  Since fresh produce was eliminated by the plagues, and most livestock had weakened and/or perished from the plagues, they would have turned to their food storage pits.  These pits were normally covered by bitumen, but now they were also layered with cooled fiery hail, particulates and ash from the darkness, and who knows what else given the chaos [maybe even dead vermin and beasts who were seeking food or even fecal contamination from them?].

            It was Egyptian custom to feed the firstborn of their children and livestock from the first portions taken from the food storage pits.  These portions would have been the most contaminated.  So when the firstborn started to sicken and die, Moshe proclaimed it was time to go, to go away from the darkness of their lives towards the light of freedom and independence.

No one ever said that HaShem does not use volcanoes to perform miracles…  Shabbat Shalom!

BeShalach 5774 New Beginnings

            After hundreds of years as indentured servants in Egypt, the Children of Yisrael are suddenly able to break the bonds and escape to freedom.  Yet with so much time under subjugation, have the Children of Yisrael forgotten the skills to live as freed people?  Moshe certainly had experienced free living, but can he sufficiently teach the others how to survive under freedom, how to be decisive, and how to protect against potential dangers?

            The first decision we read about in this week’s portion of Parashat BeShalach [when they were sent forth] was the decision as to which way to go.  In this case, the path they needed to take to go east was dictated by the “unrest” along the coastal route.  If indeed they are after the first three of the four Thera volcanic explosions, it follows that tsunamis and refugees would have contributed greatly to such “unrest”.  “Philistines” is translated as “invaders” as, indeed, refugees from the sea could well have been viewed as.  Could this be when the name started to be applied to parts of this coastal strip of land?

            Not many decisions were made about following the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night.  It was a good strategy to use large smudge pots to keep the spread out masses together [more or less].  They were certainly not experienced enough to go off on their own…  (sub)urban dwellers in the wilderness… Smudge pots were also set up at the rear of the entourage to give “cloud” cover from the pursuing Egyptians.

            Then this week’s portion describes the first real challenge to the Children of Yisrael.  The marshlands of the Sea of Reeds [think Everglades?] needed to be crossed.   A strong wind blowing to the east split the waters.  [This wind is consistent with the aftereffects of the milder 4^th Thera volcanic explosion.]  So the decision needed to be made:  surrender to the pursuing Egyptians and go back to Egypt to a harsh life they were familiar with or go forward into the unknown with faith that the waters would not come crashing back down on them.  With great cajoling and encouragement did the Children of Yisrael decide to go forward and cross through the marsh with the wind blowing all through the night.

            The Egyptians followed.  Marshland, however, is soft.  The heavy chariots sank in partially.  Going got to be very slow.  Then the dawn came and the strong wind ceased.  The Egyptians saw the waters returning, but they could not get back to the shore before the waters overtook them.  There is an archaeological find from the area.  It is carving stating that “here drowned Pharoah Thom”.  Does that mean that the Pharoah of the pursuit was Thom as in Pithom?  Perhaps it was the handiwork of a later tour guide trying to drum up business to visit historical sites?

            Regardless, upon the drowning of Pharoah and his hosts, Moshe and Miriam led the Children of Yisrael in song, dance and celebration.  Is it appropriate to rejoice in the death of your oppressors, of your enemies, or of those who disagree with you?  Does not HaShem bewail the loss of every creature’s life, man or beast or horse?  For all are HaShem’s creations and all are equally loved by HaShem despite our flaws.  Still the challenges of freedom are just starting.  The People are not able to find food and water on their own.  Also a strategy will now be needed to try to protect the lagging weak and elderly from the vicious, murderous attacks by the Amalekites.  Sadly, many will be lost.  Unlike the trees that are starting their annual new Tu B’shvat [15^th of Shvat, 1/16/14] beginnings this week, even now many of us will be lost as we continue to try to learn the survival skills needed to live in freedom.  Can we succeed?   Shabbat Shalom!

Yitro 5774  Overwhelming Overload

            So here we come this week to the central core of who we are:  the People of the Law!

            Initially in this portion of Parashat Yitro, it seems that Moshe has bitten off more than he can chew.  The vast majority of the people who precipitously followed him and fled Egypt had no clue as to how to survive trekking in the wilderness.  It is likely they had never travelled outside of Egypt before in their lives.  In Egypt their lives were governed [nearly totally] by the Egyptian bureaucracy.  So it was natural for them to expect that Moshe would have the answers for everything.

            Given this, Moshe tried to oblige them as the Pharoahs would have in holding court.  As would happen to any of us under these circumstances, Moshe was overwhelmed.  They all had been living by a code of laws in Egypt.  Now Moshe was trying to administer these laws judiciously even to the extent of giving up his family life!

            Sometimes we actually notice that with age comes wisdom.  Moshe’s father-in-law, Yitro, was a prime example of such wisdom.

            So Yitro meets with Moshe in the wilderness not far from Mt. Sinai [Horeb].  Wisely he advises Moshe not to work himself to death, to delegate.  Hence a multi-tiered judicial system was set up with Moshe as the decider for final appeals of the most difficult cases… and his family, his wife and sons, rejoined him.

            Yet Moshe is still very busy.  Egyptian laws just don’t really suit the wilderness environment.  SO high up on Mt. Sinai Moshe hobnobs to figure out what laws are ethical and valid for a freed people.  How to get the people to accept them? 

            A good start is the pronouncement of the first ten by the voice of HaShem [at least in this version of the three presented in Exodus/Shemot].  The people were so convinced that they asked Moshe to talk with HaShem and be an intermediary for them so that they would not need to hear the voice of HaShem directly again.

            What phenomenal leadership!  If we are faced with disputes among the people around us, are we able to make peace among them?  How would we handle such discord?  Can we succeed even at the closest level of relationships?  Are we successful in preserving peace in the home, Shlom Bayit?  If so, how can that apply to larger venues?  If not, what lessons in this Parasha can help to build Shlom Bayit?  If we do not have peace at home, how can we succeed to make peace in any other venue?  Can we ever have answers for such core questions?  Shabbat Shalom!

Mishpatim 5774 Laws Then and Now

          People are a stiff-necked and rowdy bunch.  Many are greedy, dishonest, and/or power hungry.  Without laws on how to treat each other and ways to ensure compliance, the weak will fall prey to the strong.

            Ten laws are not enough to keep the rowdy in line.  So this week’s portion of Parashat Mishpatim tries to build that legal framework with about 53 laws.  They fall into several categories.  Treatment of servants; treatment of wives, virgins, and daughters;  treatment of strangers, widows, and orphans; treatment of thieves and bearers of false testimonies/reports; and treatment of kidnappers all expand upon the laws we heard last week.  Reinterpretation of the Hammurabian code is another section.  Dedication of the firstborn to the Levites appears to set up the Levites early on as landless royalty of some sort.

            Some laws such as shmita [letting farm land lay fallow every 7^th year] relate to agriculture which is not useful in desert wanderings.  Indeed the Holy Days’ directives also seem to need to be in the presence of an agricultural society.

            For a people wandering in the desert, the laws about how to treat each other seem appropriate to prevent anarchy.  Even the modified Hammurabian code of the VALUE OF AN EYE for an EYE would not have been out of place.

            However, laws regarding agriculture and Holy Days seem out of place.  Some Rabbis claim that the future was being prepared for with HaShem knowing what would be needed.  They refuse to accept the facts of Torah analyses which point to multiple authors, editors, and redactors of the Torah with the writing we now have starting no earlier than the late Kings period [ie. approx. the time of Solomon].  During these times, agricultural laws and Holy Day traditions would have been very important to know.  Hence they were essential to be included in the Books of the Laws.  Editors and Redactors would have acted accordingly, supplementing the oldest of the accounts with pertinent information for their times – just like notes in the margins and/or commentaries.

            Hence Judaism was and continues to be a religion capable of flexibility to embrace the needs of modern times.  Which of the laws are relevant to us today?  What should we do with laws that can no longer be applied?  How do out-of-date laws affect our beliefs and our abilities to do Tikun Olam?  May we use this Shabbat to explore what laws seem to be universal for all times – and the ways we can adhere to them.  Shabbat Shalom!

Terumah 5774 Freewill Donations

          Last week we discussed a variety of laws used in the wilderness and some later during Temple times.  This week’s portion of Parashat Terumah discusses freewill donations to build and maintain the Tabernacle first during the wanderings and later on the Temple Mount.  What though is “freewill”?  To give a donation, the people would first have to accept the laws and the regulations designed to enforce them.  Then they would need to want to build the Tabernacle and maintain it.

          In biblical times, every kingdom had its own Temple[s].  So it would be natural that the people would want a competing Temple, more beautiful and exalted than all others.  Freewill donations would then be an expression of that deep desire!

          Today we do not have such vainglorious religious structures.  Perhaps the Vatican is closest in concept.  However, even in Catholicism, religion is not totally centralized.  Churches, mosques, temples, ashrams, monasteries, etc., are present all across the globe.  There still might be that wish to build and maintain the most beautiful place of worship, but the expression of that wish would be more on the local level.  Further, many places have replaced freewill donations with required membership dues.  What a way to create a subclass of financially distraught/ embarrassed disenfranchised needy!  Either that or they become beggars for the alms the institution is willing to hand out…

          So let’s ask the critical questions of modern people:  Do we accept the laws of Torah?  Do we want to support temples, synagogues, and/or schuls to teach these laws?  Do we want to support them to enforce these laws?  If so, do we choose to pay dues as our “freewill donations”?  If not, to where will we pay our “freewill donations”?

          As we now have an extra leap-year month [Adar I] to ponder such deep questions, will we use the “extra” time to figure this all out?  At least we will have an extra month to figure out where we can get the best Hamantaschen this year!  May we come this Shabbat ready to share to where we think our “freewill donations” can best be directed and where we should avoid…  Shabbat Shalom!

Tetzaveh 5774 What Makes a Mishkan?

          What was the purpose of a Mishkan, i.e. a Tabernacle?  It was to house and guard the tablets of the Law placed in the ark of the covenant.  So why is there the hubbub of a fancy building and royally dressed Priests?  If we really wanted all that glitter, we could be Catholic and go to the Vatican.  [although, even Pope Francis I probably would not approve…]

          Do we need to see a spectacular, costly building and garb so adorned that we never could nor would even try to dress in such?  We no longer need a place for [animal] sacrifices.  We no longer have Priests to tell us what to do to be ‘good Jews’.  So, do we need a Mishkan or a Temple?

          We do have the concept of each of us being part of a Priestly nation.  In death, traditional modern Jewish funeral garb is an imperfect copy of the Priestly garb described in Torah, which is then encased in a shroud.  Outwardly none of us should be seen in life as set apart from others in any sanctified manner.

          We do treasure the Law of Moshe even though we are not sure where the Tablets are.  We no longer have the twelve pillars of the words of Torah constructed when the People entered the Promised Land.  How then can we guard those Laws?  Can we build a Mishkan within our hearts and display its contents in the way we live our lives?

          Perhaps the message of this week’s portion of Parashat Tetzaveh is that we each need to adorn our spirits in a priestly garb so that we can tend to the tasks of our covenant, such as through tikun olam, in the Mishkan of the entire Earth.  If so, how best can we achieve building that Mishkan?

SHABBAT SHALOM!

Ki Tisa 5774 Broken Tablets, Broken Covenant?

          Exodus , Shemot 31:18-19 & 32:1-6

            Does a stiff-necked people deserve to be the Chosen of HaShem?  HaShem and Moshe were royally pissed off over the golden calf, so much so that they forced the people to drink water with the ashes of the burnt idol.  This caused a plague of heavy metal poisoning.

            Did that assuage the wraths of Moshe and HaShem?  It seems not since shortly thereafter HaShem tells Moshe and the People that HaShem will not be with them when they fight for the Promised Land for fear that the wrath of HaShem will let them be destroyed.  Further, Moshe was so disgusted that he moved his Tent of Meeting to outside the camp.  Although he later relented and moved back, at least temporarily, it seems he carried his anger with him for a long time to come.

            Did the people hold fast thereafter to one G-d, avoiding idols and the like?  Did they keep Shabbat [the Sabbath]?  Throughout our history there have been ups and downs in how steadfast we cling to basic Jewish precepts.  There were many occasions that the Temples were defiled by pagan worship and sacrifices.  Not all these lapses in faith were caused by invaders.  Some were at the hands of corrupted royalty and/or Priests! 

            How angry was HaShem over such deviations from ‘proper’ observances?   

            Since Temple times there have been many changes in the way different groups observed their Judaism.  Where though can we draw the line as to which of these changes would anger HaShem?  :

·         Pedophilia in orthodox yeshivot?

·         Second class citizenship of women?

·         Rejection of keeping kosher?

·         Lack of keeping Shabbat?

·         Celebration of non-Jewish holidays, especially in mixed families?

·         Domestic abuse?

            Who has the right to judge which of the changes would anger HaShem so much as to cause rejection of those people as Jews?  We are taught that only HaShem has the right to judge.  So how then are we to react to supposedly orthodox politicians and MK’s in Israel when they proclaim that the non-orthodox are not Jews but rather a different religion?

            The founder of my seminary, Rabbi Gelberman of blessed memory used to teach: “The opinions of others about me are none of my business.”  Although the Prophet Ezra wanted all intermarried Jews to leave their spouses, the Prophet Isaiah taught that if a person keeps the Sabbath, that person should be welcome as an equal within the Jewish Community.  Perhaps this is a piece of wisdom we should remind and share with the MK’s declaring judgements upon others.  How we should respond is a deep discussion topic for this Shabbat…  Shabbat Shalom!

Vayakhel 5774 Silver and Gold and Copper, Oh My!!!

            What makes us delight in gawking at opulence?  We flock to museums and eagerly tour historic buildings such as churches and temples, parliaments and palaces.  Is it to wonder at how such wealth could be accumulated and at what human cost?  Is it a dream that maybe we, too, could live in the imagined luxury of the times we glimpse?  What purpose though does all that gold, silver, copper, etc. serve?  How much of it do we really need in order to have a good life?

            This week’s portion of Parashat VaYakhel continues to go on about how to decorate the Tabernacle after a strong repetition admonishing the People to keep Shabbat [the Sabbath].  There were both men and women who took the admonishment to heart.  Hence both men and women thereafter prayed at the entrance to the Tabernacle [ch. 37:8].  

            At first the goal of ornamentation was to honor and glorify HaShem through the beautification of the Tabernacle and thereby the Holy of Holies containing the ark with the tablets of the covenant.  Free will donations funded the project maintenance initially.  However structures became permanent and a royalty was established, much to the consternation of Samuel who established the first school of music, prayer, composition, etc. for Priests and Prophets as well as anointed the first king [albeit reluctantly].  Taxes and tithes were levied, sometimes used to build and maintain the Temple and sometimes used to feed the greeds and corruptions of the administrators/ officials.

            What do we beautify today to honor HaShem?  We no longer have a Holy of Holies nor a Temple.  We do have Torah scrolls and often buildings used for religious and community events, practices, and celebrations.  For some reason we focus on adorning them.  Maybe it is because we do not have a Tabernacle or maybe “to keep up with the Jones’s [Cohen’s?]”.  With what do we adorn these items and places?  Precious metals and stones, metal substitutes, needlework, tapestries and other art work are possibilities.  One would hope that they are all made by folk who wish to honor and glorify HaShem.  We can also adorn with songs, prayers, poems, stories, music, and other ephemeral works of the heart.  Are there cost considerations in how we adorn?  Do we need to adorn?  If so, what do we need to adorn?  How do we decide how to adorn?  How should we decide on how best to use our limited budgets?  Are Tikun Olam and doing Mitzvot ways to honor and glorify HaShem?

            What are the gold and silver and copper of modern times?  How do you honor and glorify HaShem now?  How will you in the future?  This Shabbat we will explore the in’s and out’s of the gold, silver, and copper culture.  We hope, thereby, to enrich ourselves.  Shabbat Shalom!

Spices and Gold Leaves 5774 Pekudei

          In this last portion of Exodus, Shemot, called Parashat Pekudei, we learn more about how the Tabernacle was adorned.  Among the many parts of the Tabernacle to be built were those including gold accoutrements and pure gold ones.  Like in Parashat Teruma, a distinction is made between items made with pure solid gold such as chains, leaves to overlay the altar of incense, and bells [ch. 25:11; 39:15, 25] and items that might have been electroplated or coated with gold such as gold jewelry and metal rings.

          So it makes sense that the golden calf, which was never described as pure gold but rather as molten in and on a mold, was a gold covered flammable scaffold in the shape of a calf [Ch. 32:4,45 & Etz Chaim, p. 531].  Yet as lovely as all that gold covering and pure gold was to the eyes, perhaps much more important was the use of fragrant spices and incense [e.g. ch. 40:15, 27] for the nose.  Think about it.  There was no deodorant.  There were no air conditioners.  If people worked in a closed tent such as the Tent of Meeting, there was little circulation of air.  How often did people bathe back then?

          Even in later times when the departed were placed on shelves in catacombs instead of being buried, incense and spices were very important.  Once the Romans forbade burials within the vicinities of cities, catacombs became the burial sites most frequently used.  With only long vertical air shafts to provide a wee bit of fresh air to the tunnels of putrefaction, incense was in common usage placed by the shelves of the deceased.  This was even more so for the artists charged with decorating the shelf areas of those dearly departed.

          Today our remnant of incense and spices use is in Havdalah, the ceremony separating the Holy from the everyday.  What truly is the meaning of spices used in our modern days?  Let us join together this week at the end of Shabbat for Havdalah and check out the spices!  Shabbat Shalom!

VaYikra 5774 Modern Sacrifices

          Where is HaShem?  Is HaShem in the Tablets of the Covenant?  Was HaShem in the Mishkan [Tabernacle] housing the Ark?  Was HaShem in the cloud filling the Tent of Meeting or was there incomplete combustion of the fire feeding materials and incense?  One certainly would not want to be in the presence of such a cloud if only in order to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning!

            If HaShem is everywhere, do we need to face east when praying?  Where would we face if we were exploring Mars? 

            A more modern concept is one of Shechinah Mekomit, a site of Holy Presence within our houses of prayer, the aron [closet] containing the Torot, or even just the Torah scroll itself.  Yet the Holy Presence is everywhere or so we are taught.

            Then what is the modern purpose of the Shechinat Mekomit?  Perhaps it serves as a point of focus for meditations and prayers.  Perhaps it increases the sense of community and common purpose for people knowing that in our houses of prayer we are focused on the same Holy Words and Scrolls as in all other Jewish houses of prayer.  Nonetheless, we are not worshipping the Scriptures but rather using them to guide us in our meditations, prayers, and pursuit of Mitzvot [Good Deeds] so that we can get closer to HaShem, the Holy One.

            We start the Book of Leviticus, VaYikra, this week.  It is perhaps the least appreciated and least liked of the five books of Moshe.  Many think it is a manual for the conduct of Levites especially with regards to sacrifices.  Hence they consider it irrelevant to Modern Jews.  Yet we are called a Priestly Nation, so there might be some relevant lessons in Leviticus for us.

            Both Maimonides and Abarvanel felt that animal sacrifices were a remnant of outside cultures and not something that HaShem wanted.  Early sacrifices were probably by people trying to bribe their gods to give them favors or at least not do them harm.  Later they expanded to include thanks for good fortune and sacrifices to sustain the livelihoods of the Priests and Prophets.  What sacrifices can we give today in order to gain favor from HaShem or to meaningfully give thanks for good fortune?  Shekalim?  Are we willing to sacrifice a bit of our time this Shabbat in order to better understand the sacrifices of Jews today and of ourselves?  

                                                                                Shabbat Shalom!

 Shabbat Zachor / Tzav;  How Can We Wipe Out Amalek?

Shemini/ Parah 5774 -  Kosher Fire Safety

Kosher Fire Safety

          Stop, drop, and roll! Modern safety wisdom if you catch on fire is fairly widespread, but only useful if it is a relatively slow burn and in a safe place to roll.  Would ?stop, drop, and roll? have helped Aaron?s sons Nadab and Abihu? Probably not.  If we carefully read this week?s portion of Parashat Shemini, we realize based on the fire safety rules laid out and other observations in Torah that Aaron?s sons went in to the sanctuary with an unusual combination of untried flammable items and with their anointing oil soaked hair wild, free, and loose.  They might also have been alcohol inundated from the week of preparations.

          Regardless, they turned their backs on the open flame in order to exit and their hair caught fire in a flash-over ?strange? fire.  Their heads were totally burned, but their clothes remained relatively whole, intact enough that they could be dragged completely away by their clothes.  In the wake of this horror, Moshe gave the Priests a list of precautions needed to prevent any re-occurrence of such a horror.  For instance, they would need to wear untorn clothing and to tie back their hair.  Further, they would need to enter and leave the tabernacle sanctuary while facing the open fire therein in order to prevent the oils or alcohol upon them from catching fire. [Vayikra, Leviticus 10:1-9]

          The following chapter is all about what is and what is not kosher.  Odd connection?  Maybe.  Yet maybe these two topics are together to point out needed safety teachings:  kosher fire prevention and safety followed by safe and kosher eating habits geared to prevent acquiring some of the worst food-borne diseases like cholera or trichinosis and to prevent disease from contaminated utensils.

          There are those who say the rules are just because HaShem says so.  Still, wouldn?t HaShem want us to live safe, good lives by using safe eating and fire use practices ? even as we tell our children not to put their fingers in the electric sockets?  What do you think?  May we gladly share our thoughts on Torah safety rules this Shabbat over Kabbalat Shabbat dinner.    Shabbat Shalom!