Happy Shavuot
Tomorrow evening begins the holiday of Shavuot. Unlike the festivals of Passover and Sukkot there is no seder to prepare and no sukkah to build and so Shavuot is the least observed of our major holidays and probably as well the least well known. This is rather ironic given that the holiday celebrates the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. Then again given that the central act of Shavuot is studying rather than eating one can understand why it is less compelling than the other holidays. (To learn more about Shavuot visit Tablet Magazine’s website.)
Nonetheless Torah is central to our lives, specifically Talmud Torah, the study of Torah. It has never been the mere act of reading Torah that is so important but studying and pouring over its words year in and year out. This of course is the essence of the weekly Torah reading cycle.
The mystical tradition of kabbalah gives us what has become one of the most important customs of the holiday, Tikkun L’eil Shavuot, an all night study session. Like preparing for a college final exam, the mystics spent the entire evening immersed in studying Torah in preparation to receive the Torah anew.
Interestingly people rarely translate the word “tikkun” when explaining this custom. The term means “repair” and is most often associated with the mystical phrase, “tikkun olam,” repair of the world, now linked with social action. The mystics however believed that tikkun olam was connected to observance and in particular the study of Torah rather than social action. Through the study of Torah, they argued, we repair the world.
That study and learning can help to transform the world is a centerpiece of Jewish belief. For the mystics, studying alone repaired. For me study must lead to action. The Talmud asks: “Which is greater, study or action?” The Rabbis answered, “Study is greater, because it leads to action.” We hope that our study we will not only better ourselves but our world. May our study help us to repair our world!
Nonetheless Torah is central to our lives, specifically Talmud Torah, the study of Torah. It has never been the mere act of reading Torah that is so important but studying and pouring over its words year in and year out. This of course is the essence of the weekly Torah reading cycle.
The mystical tradition of kabbalah gives us what has become one of the most important customs of the holiday, Tikkun L’eil Shavuot, an all night study session. Like preparing for a college final exam, the mystics spent the entire evening immersed in studying Torah in preparation to receive the Torah anew.
Interestingly people rarely translate the word “tikkun” when explaining this custom. The term means “repair” and is most often associated with the mystical phrase, “tikkun olam,” repair of the world, now linked with social action. The mystics however believed that tikkun olam was connected to observance and in particular the study of Torah rather than social action. Through the study of Torah, they argued, we repair the world.
That study and learning can help to transform the world is a centerpiece of Jewish belief. For the mystics, studying alone repaired. For me study must lead to action. The Talmud asks: “Which is greater, study or action?” The Rabbis answered, “Study is greater, because it leads to action.” We hope that our study we will not only better ourselves but our world. May our study help us to repair our world!
Hava Nagila in Kuwait
Singer's Performance of Hava Nagila Sparks Debate in Kuwait
Unfortunately most articles posted by MEMRI (The Middle East Media Research Institute, an organization devoted to translating the Arabic media into English) paint an unflattering view of the Arab world. Such is the reality of what is said in Arabic in Middle Eastern papers. The following story, however, is thankfully atypical. Below is the introduction from MEMRI's report. You can read more, especially the debate that ensued in Kuwait's daily paper, by following the link.
Unfortunately most articles posted by MEMRI (The Middle East Media Research Institute, an organization devoted to translating the Arabic media into English) paint an unflattering view of the Arab world. Such is the reality of what is said in Arabic in Middle Eastern papers. The following story, however, is thankfully atypical. Below is the introduction from MEMRI's report. You can read more, especially the debate that ensued in Kuwait's daily paper, by following the link.
On February 27 and 28, 2010, a Kuwaiti folk group headed by singer Ema Shah, which performs songs and dances from around the world, gave two concerts at the Kuwait University Alumni Club. In addition to songs in Arabic, English, Spanish and Japanese, the program included the Hebrew song "Hava Nagila," as well as some songs by Jewish French singer Enrico Macias. On the first night, the songs were received with warm applause by the audience. However, during the second performance, there was some protest from the audience and demands to remove the songs from the program.
Ema Shah rejected these demands. In an April 6, 2010 interview, she explained that her group performed folk music in order to connect people around the world and remove barriers created by extremists who oppose freedom, liberalism and democracy. She stressed that there was nothing in the song "Hava Nagila" that was offensive to Arabs, that performing a song in a foreign language is not tantamount to spying for a foreign country, and that art should not be mixed with politics. She added that Kuwait, which is not a theocracy, should uphold its laws of freedom of belief and expression, and that the Arabs should drop their racist attitude towards others.
O Jerusalem
O Jerusalem
Another Tablet Magazine article worth reading. We might prefer to believe in the mythic Jerusalem over the earthly, but Zionism means that we must face the reality. We can no longer live in an idealized Jerusalem. We must come to terms with how apart Jerusalem stands from the rest of Israel. As much as I love Jerusalem, the reality is not nearly as perfect. Liel Leibovitz writes:
Another Tablet Magazine article worth reading. We might prefer to believe in the mythic Jerusalem over the earthly, but Zionism means that we must face the reality. We can no longer live in an idealized Jerusalem. We must come to terms with how apart Jerusalem stands from the rest of Israel. As much as I love Jerusalem, the reality is not nearly as perfect. Liel Leibovitz writes:
One, of course, may disagree that a capital must, or can, represent its nation. We may argue whether or not Washington, D.C., say, embodies the United States, or what is quintessentially Dutch about The Hague. But Jerusalem has always been special: While it is an earthly city, it is, unlike most of the world’s capitals, also a theological concept, the sum of all the Jewish people’s yearnings and beliefs. When Israeli paratroopers reunified the city 43 years ago, many, like Kollek, believed that now, finally, heaven and earth would move a little bit nearer together and that the actual city would come as close as any actual city can to resembling the idyll Jews have been praying for. Now, however, it is becoming increasingly clear that the opposite is true: Jerusalem represents a narrow portion of the Jewish population, highlighting the conflicts and the differences that plague Israel, never further from heaven.
So, it’s Teddy Kollek’s Jerusalem—a Jerusalem I never knew—I commemorated on Yom Yerushalayim this year. By the time I was old enough to learn to appreciate the city, Ehud Olmert and his ultra-Orthodox associates were already in power, and the secular exodus from Jerusalem had begun in full force. But like the many Jews who pine not for the earthly city of Jerusalem but for Jerusalem that’s in our prayers and in our minds and in our hearts, the eternal capital of the Jewish people, I, too, yearn. One day, I pray, Jews will once again return to Jerusalem and rebuild it, Jews who have faith in the ancient traditions but also in the promise of a better future, Jews who feel as comfortable with Twitter as they do with their tefillin, Jews who are confident enough in their birthright to treat others with dignity and respect. If they ever come back to Jerusalem, these Jews will make it the city Teddy Kollek fought for, both particularly Jewish and truly international, a city, in other words, I would very much love.
Bamidbar
This week’s portion begins the fourth book of the Torah, Numbers. In Hebrew the portion and book are called, Bamidbar—in the wilderness, specifically in the wilderness of Sinai.
Isn’t it remarkable that nearly the entire Torah, from leaving Egypt in the beginning of Exodus to Moses’ death in the closing of Deuteronomy, occurs in this non-descript place, the wilderness? The most significant events in our early history occur in the midbar, wilderness. The Torah, our most treasured possession, is revealed not in some sacred precinct that we visit in yearly pilgrimages but instead on a mountain that has yet to be discovered. We know only that Mount Sinai is a mountain somewhere in the vast expanse of the Sinai desert. Our faith was born, and God revealed, in a deserted wilderness.
We spend a good deal of our lives building, decorating, painting and landscaping our homes as if they were our sacred towers, as if they contain revelation, as if they are where the most important truths are discovered. In fact this week’s Torah portion reminds us that revelation and truth are not to be found in homes or destinations but in the wilderness.
Our question for this week is: where is revelation best uncovered, where is truth discovered? According to this week’s Torah portion it is not where you would expect, but instead in a vast wilderness. Truth is uncovered while wandering through the wilderness. The root of the Hebrew word for wilderness, midbar, comes from davar, to speak. Words, and teachings, are uncovered in the midbar. We build our homes, expectantly, hoping that this is where truth will be revealed. In fact our greatest lessons are often in the most unexpected places. And this is the most important lesson found in the wilderness, bamidbar.
I am very practical when it comes to buildings. Homes are about comfort and security. I don’t mean to discount aesthetics. It has its value. A blooming garden can change a mood. A beautiful sculpture can brighten an entrance. But the fundamental meaning of our tradition is that we are never at home. We are always wandering. We are always in the wilderness. And it is in the wilderness where truth is discovered.
It is the unexpected places that offer the greatest lessons in our lives.
Isn’t it remarkable that nearly the entire Torah, from leaving Egypt in the beginning of Exodus to Moses’ death in the closing of Deuteronomy, occurs in this non-descript place, the wilderness? The most significant events in our early history occur in the midbar, wilderness. The Torah, our most treasured possession, is revealed not in some sacred precinct that we visit in yearly pilgrimages but instead on a mountain that has yet to be discovered. We know only that Mount Sinai is a mountain somewhere in the vast expanse of the Sinai desert. Our faith was born, and God revealed, in a deserted wilderness.
We spend a good deal of our lives building, decorating, painting and landscaping our homes as if they were our sacred towers, as if they contain revelation, as if they are where the most important truths are discovered. In fact this week’s Torah portion reminds us that revelation and truth are not to be found in homes or destinations but in the wilderness.
Our question for this week is: where is revelation best uncovered, where is truth discovered? According to this week’s Torah portion it is not where you would expect, but instead in a vast wilderness. Truth is uncovered while wandering through the wilderness. The root of the Hebrew word for wilderness, midbar, comes from davar, to speak. Words, and teachings, are uncovered in the midbar. We build our homes, expectantly, hoping that this is where truth will be revealed. In fact our greatest lessons are often in the most unexpected places. And this is the most important lesson found in the wilderness, bamidbar.
I am very practical when it comes to buildings. Homes are about comfort and security. I don’t mean to discount aesthetics. It has its value. A blooming garden can change a mood. A beautiful sculpture can brighten an entrance. But the fundamental meaning of our tradition is that we are never at home. We are always wandering. We are always in the wilderness. And it is in the wilderness where truth is discovered.
It is the unexpected places that offer the greatest lessons in our lives.
Supreme Court Justice
I have been reading with great interest the stories about the nomination of Elena Kagan to the US Supreme Court. I have always found the Supreme Court the most interesting of US institutions so such nominations renew my interest and admiration for the court. The fact that liberals are complaining that she is not as liberal as they would like, especially given some of her writings on the prosecution of terror suspects and the fact that conservatives are complaining that she is too liberal on such questions as gay and lesbian rights, might make her the perfect justice. The New York Times today editorialized that she lacks the opinion paper trail to determine her judicial mindset and therefore properly judge her credentials. All this complaining and negative editorializing actually comforts me. I believe there should be two simple qualifications for a Supreme Court justice. She must be an intellectual heavyweight and be exceedingly knowledgeable about the law. It would appear that Elena Kagan meets these qualifications. Her leanings, her politics, and even her religion and home state are secondary and unimportant. I have faith in the institution of the Supreme Court. I believe in the Talmud's machloket l'shem shamayim, arguing for the sake of heaven. I have faith that nine intelligent and knowledgeable people can listen, weigh arguments and then debate the pros and cons. Predispositions are meant to be cast aside and each issue openly challenged. The law lives through the interpretation of the courts and its justices. Together, through intellectual debate, these justices decide how to interpret the law. Hearing Ruth Bader Ginsburg speak at the Y (through our new 92Y Live program) about her friendship with Antonin Scalia despite their obvious intellectual disagreements restored this faith in the Supreme Court. It seems to this casual observer that Elena Kagan may very well be above politics and ideology (even if by her own design). This is exactly how the institution she might come to serve is supposed to behave. The Supreme Court is defined not by politics or ideology but by intellectual debate. May it always be so!
Song Cycle
Song Cycle
Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day, is celebrated on Wednesday. This day marks the reunification of Jerusalem following the 1967 Six Day War. The song, Yerushalayim shel Zahav, Jerusalem of Gold, symbolizes that event and this holiday more than any other song. Naomi Shemer's song is not without controversy. To learn more about the song and its convoluted history, this Tablet Magazine podcast is worth listening to. One question raised in the podcast should be pondered at length. Is our heavenly, mythic vision of Jerusalem a betrayal of the earthly return to history envisioned by modern Zionism?
Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day, is celebrated on Wednesday. This day marks the reunification of Jerusalem following the 1967 Six Day War. The song, Yerushalayim shel Zahav, Jerusalem of Gold, symbolizes that event and this holiday more than any other song. Naomi Shemer's song is not without controversy. To learn more about the song and its convoluted history, this Tablet Magazine podcast is worth listening to. One question raised in the podcast should be pondered at length. Is our heavenly, mythic vision of Jerusalem a betrayal of the earthly return to history envisioned by modern Zionism?
Behar-Behukotai Sermon
A number of people have asked me to share my answers to the questions I pose in my Thursday email. Although my sermons are mere responses to these questions, and never answers, I am thankful for the request. I share here a summary of Friday's drasha. For the full, detailed, version you have to come to Shabbat Services.
The Torah speaks with a certainty about life and death, reward and punishment that is contrary to our real world experience. "You shall observe My laws and faithfully keep My rules, that you may live upon the land in security..." As much as I would like to say that the more you observe the more you get it is not true.
So my question for this week is why should we observe. I reject the notion that we should observe out of reward and punishment. I don't want our Torah to become a protective amulet. This is demeaning to our greatest book. Such a view makes the Torah into a mere to do list.
Why observe? Why do Jewish things? Why eat matzah? Why give tzedakah? Why light Shabbat candles? Why not steal? Let us recall that doing Jewish things is about the ethical as much as about the ritual. There are two simple reasons why we observe. Observance gives meaning to our lives. It points to something bigger and something greater. And ritual observance points us toward our ethical obligations.
The grand purpose of our tradition is not the length of our own individual years but instead to better our world. According to our tradition, the world is waiting to be completed by our hands. The question of why bad things happen to good people will forever remain a mystery. You can do a lot or a little. I can't promise you long life. I can promise you a connection to something greater. I can promise you a life of meaning and a life of purpose.
Hold the Torah close to your heart. Study its words not out of fear of punishment, or promise of reward, but for the sake of something greater: a life of meaning, and even more important, a better world.
The Torah speaks with a certainty about life and death, reward and punishment that is contrary to our real world experience. "You shall observe My laws and faithfully keep My rules, that you may live upon the land in security..." As much as I would like to say that the more you observe the more you get it is not true.
So my question for this week is why should we observe. I reject the notion that we should observe out of reward and punishment. I don't want our Torah to become a protective amulet. This is demeaning to our greatest book. Such a view makes the Torah into a mere to do list.
Why observe? Why do Jewish things? Why eat matzah? Why give tzedakah? Why light Shabbat candles? Why not steal? Let us recall that doing Jewish things is about the ethical as much as about the ritual. There are two simple reasons why we observe. Observance gives meaning to our lives. It points to something bigger and something greater. And ritual observance points us toward our ethical obligations.
The grand purpose of our tradition is not the length of our own individual years but instead to better our world. According to our tradition, the world is waiting to be completed by our hands. The question of why bad things happen to good people will forever remain a mystery. You can do a lot or a little. I can't promise you long life. I can promise you a connection to something greater. I can promise you a life of meaning and a life of purpose.
Hold the Torah close to your heart. Study its words not out of fear of punishment, or promise of reward, but for the sake of something greater: a life of meaning, and even more important, a better world.
Forgive Not | The New Republic
Forgive Not | The New Republic
Gary Wills' recent piece is a powerful article about the failures of his Church. He writes: "All those who honor the name of Jesus are engaged in a joint search for the Jesus who will not be found in marble halls or wearing imperial costumes. He is forever on the run. He is the one who said, “Whatever you did to any of my brothers, even the lowliest [elackistoi], you did to me” (Matthew 25:41). That means that the priests abusing the vulnerable young were doing that to Jesus, raping Jesus. Any clerical functionary who shows more sympathy for the predator priests than for their victims instantly disqualifies himself as a follower of Jesus. The cardinals said they must care for their own, going to jail if necessary to protect a priest. We say the same thing, but the “our own” we care for are the victimized, the poor, the violated. They are Jesus." This identification with the suffering victims is a Christianity I most admire.
Gary Wills' recent piece is a powerful article about the failures of his Church. He writes: "All those who honor the name of Jesus are engaged in a joint search for the Jesus who will not be found in marble halls or wearing imperial costumes. He is forever on the run. He is the one who said, “Whatever you did to any of my brothers, even the lowliest [elackistoi], you did to me” (Matthew 25:41). That means that the priests abusing the vulnerable young were doing that to Jesus, raping Jesus. Any clerical functionary who shows more sympathy for the predator priests than for their victims instantly disqualifies himself as a follower of Jesus. The cardinals said they must care for their own, going to jail if necessary to protect a priest. We say the same thing, but the “our own” we care for are the victimized, the poor, the violated. They are Jesus." This identification with the suffering victims is a Christianity I most admire.
Connect to Care
Yesterday evening our congregation helped sponsor the Jericho Networking Event for those seeking employment as well as a B2B Professional Networking Meeting for employers. For more information about this community resource please visit the Connect to Care website here. What follows are my remarks from the event.
There are those who believe that their faith is a private matter spoken in hushed tones and observed within the confines of their homes. There are others who think that their Judaism is best practiced within the walls of their synagogues.
We believe however that our Judaism must reach beyond our homes and synagogues. These are places where our faith begins and from where it draws sustenance, but our Judaism must never end in the synagogue and home. The synagogue is but a means to an end of bringing healing to our world.
This evening is dedicated to this very task. We are keenly aware of the fact that there are those who continue to search for employment. As Jews we believe that there is meaning in labor and that everyone must be given the opportunity to find such meaning. We hope and pray that this evening’s program helps those searching for work to find employment and thereby find fulfillment in these jobs.
I am always honored to serve as the rabbi of the Jewish Congregation of Brookville. On this day in particular I am especially proud that our congregation has taken to heart the lesson that our Jewish faith must matter for the world and for others in order for it to matter for ourselves. I am proud that our leadership and in particular Jim Krantz and Jack Cohen have taken it upon themselves to give flesh to this vision. We are honored to be a part of our community’s efforts and I thank the UJA-Federation, Sid Jacobson JCC, Jericho Jewish Center and numerous congregations for joining together in this important effort.
I hope and pray that those among you searching for jobs find meaningful work that befits your experience and credentials. May God’s blessing combined with our efforts bring good fortune to our community and to our world. Amen.
There are those who believe that their faith is a private matter spoken in hushed tones and observed within the confines of their homes. There are others who think that their Judaism is best practiced within the walls of their synagogues.
We believe however that our Judaism must reach beyond our homes and synagogues. These are places where our faith begins and from where it draws sustenance, but our Judaism must never end in the synagogue and home. The synagogue is but a means to an end of bringing healing to our world.
This evening is dedicated to this very task. We are keenly aware of the fact that there are those who continue to search for employment. As Jews we believe that there is meaning in labor and that everyone must be given the opportunity to find such meaning. We hope and pray that this evening’s program helps those searching for work to find employment and thereby find fulfillment in these jobs.
I am always honored to serve as the rabbi of the Jewish Congregation of Brookville. On this day in particular I am especially proud that our congregation has taken to heart the lesson that our Jewish faith must matter for the world and for others in order for it to matter for ourselves. I am proud that our leadership and in particular Jim Krantz and Jack Cohen have taken it upon themselves to give flesh to this vision. We are honored to be a part of our community’s efforts and I thank the UJA-Federation, Sid Jacobson JCC, Jericho Jewish Center and numerous congregations for joining together in this important effort.
I hope and pray that those among you searching for jobs find meaningful work that befits your experience and credentials. May God’s blessing combined with our efforts bring good fortune to our community and to our world. Amen.
In the Toilet
In the Toilet
Shalom Auslander writes: "I think the first question you need to ask yourself when writing a book about the Holocaust is this: Who wants to read another book about the Holocaust? About any Holocaust. Because I sure as hell do not. I was once asked to review a book about the Holocaust, and I couldn’t even do it then—and that was a paid gig. If a Jew can’t even bring himself to read a book about the Holocaust for money, then, folks, something has gone terribly wrong. And so I set out not to write a book about the Holocaust but to write a book about the endless talk of genocide, about the glorification of suffering, about the possibility that “never forgetting” and “shutting the hell up about it for one god-damned minute” aren’t mutually exclusive." Read more here!
Shalom Auslander writes: "I think the first question you need to ask yourself when writing a book about the Holocaust is this: Who wants to read another book about the Holocaust? About any Holocaust. Because I sure as hell do not. I was once asked to review a book about the Holocaust, and I couldn’t even do it then—and that was a paid gig. If a Jew can’t even bring himself to read a book about the Holocaust for money, then, folks, something has gone terribly wrong. And so I set out not to write a book about the Holocaust but to write a book about the endless talk of genocide, about the glorification of suffering, about the possibility that “never forgetting” and “shutting the hell up about it for one god-damned minute” aren’t mutually exclusive." Read more here!
Behar-Behukotai
This week’s Torah portion is Behar-Behukotai and concludes the book of Leviticus. It describes the sabbatical and jubilee years. Every seventh year the land must lie fallow. In the seventh year even the land observes Shabbat. Every fiftieth year all debts are forgiven and everything and everyone returns to its original state. Freedom is restored to all people and every acre of land on this year. While the sabbatical year is still observed, although only in the State of Israel, the fiftieth jubilee year is not. However the command about the jubilee year forms the basis of the inscription on the Liberty Bell. The description of the jubilee year in Leviticus 25:10 reads: “Proclaim liberty throughout the land…” This verse was selected because the Liberty Bell marked the fiftieth anniversary of William Penn’s 1701 Charter of Privileges.
In Leviticus 26 the Torah also proclaims: “If you follow My laws and faithfully observe My commandments I will grant your rains in their season, so that the earth shall yield its produce and the trees of the field their fruit. Your threshing shall overtake the vintage, and your vintage shall overtake the sowing; you shall eat your fill of bread and dwell securely in your land.” (26:3-5)
The Torah says over and over again that if we observe mitzvot we will receive reward, that if we observe God’s Torah then there will be plenty and the land will never want. The reward is promised not in the next life but in the here and now. This of course begs the obvious question. Have you ever felt as if God is not keeping this promise? Each of us could cite far too many examples of friends, or family, who were not granted a full measure of years or natural disasters that destroyed cities and lives. So how are we to make sense of these verses?
There are of course those small minded Jews who see in such tragedies not a failure of God or an opportunity to examine themselves but a failure of other Jews. They say, “If only they were more observant…” These Jews examine not their own ways and their own failures. They do not re-examine their beliefs and theology. Instead they only speak about the failures of others. Worse still they blame tragedies on others. They speak with a certainty about God’s ways that should give every thinking person pause. God’s ways are mysterious. Who then can speak with such confidence?
Yet this is exactly how the Torah, our greatest book, speaks. Every verse is filled with certainty. “If…then” is its mode of thinking. “If you follow God’s commandments then you will receive rewards” is its mantra. Given the plain fact that the world does not live in accord with this precept, how are we to make sense of such verses? I refuse to cast blame on others. I refuse to weigh the benefits of observance according to a life and death calculus. I still, rather frequently, examine my own ways when confronted with a crisis. I, even more frequently, examine my faith.
And so let us examine our faith. Why do we do Jewish things? Why do we observe? Why do we go to Shabbat services? Why do we eat matzah? Why do we give tzedakah? Why do we not steal? Is it, as the Torah expounds, for the promise of reward or as this week’s Torah portion also states, out of fear of punishment. “If you reject My laws and spurn My rules, so that you do not observe all My commandments and you break My covenant, I in turn will do this to you: I will wreak misery upon you…” (26:15-16)
To my mind these statements are not good reasons to observe. Such notions of reward and punishment make the mezuzah into a protective amulet and the commandments a shield. Then why do Jewish things?
In Leviticus 26 the Torah also proclaims: “If you follow My laws and faithfully observe My commandments I will grant your rains in their season, so that the earth shall yield its produce and the trees of the field their fruit. Your threshing shall overtake the vintage, and your vintage shall overtake the sowing; you shall eat your fill of bread and dwell securely in your land.” (26:3-5)
The Torah says over and over again that if we observe mitzvot we will receive reward, that if we observe God’s Torah then there will be plenty and the land will never want. The reward is promised not in the next life but in the here and now. This of course begs the obvious question. Have you ever felt as if God is not keeping this promise? Each of us could cite far too many examples of friends, or family, who were not granted a full measure of years or natural disasters that destroyed cities and lives. So how are we to make sense of these verses?
There are of course those small minded Jews who see in such tragedies not a failure of God or an opportunity to examine themselves but a failure of other Jews. They say, “If only they were more observant…” These Jews examine not their own ways and their own failures. They do not re-examine their beliefs and theology. Instead they only speak about the failures of others. Worse still they blame tragedies on others. They speak with a certainty about God’s ways that should give every thinking person pause. God’s ways are mysterious. Who then can speak with such confidence?
Yet this is exactly how the Torah, our greatest book, speaks. Every verse is filled with certainty. “If…then” is its mode of thinking. “If you follow God’s commandments then you will receive rewards” is its mantra. Given the plain fact that the world does not live in accord with this precept, how are we to make sense of such verses? I refuse to cast blame on others. I refuse to weigh the benefits of observance according to a life and death calculus. I still, rather frequently, examine my own ways when confronted with a crisis. I, even more frequently, examine my faith.
And so let us examine our faith. Why do we do Jewish things? Why do we observe? Why do we go to Shabbat services? Why do we eat matzah? Why do we give tzedakah? Why do we not steal? Is it, as the Torah expounds, for the promise of reward or as this week’s Torah portion also states, out of fear of punishment. “If you reject My laws and spurn My rules, so that you do not observe all My commandments and you break My covenant, I in turn will do this to you: I will wreak misery upon you…” (26:15-16)
To my mind these statements are not good reasons to observe. Such notions of reward and punishment make the mezuzah into a protective amulet and the commandments a shield. Then why do Jewish things?
Church Scandal
There are times when the power of theology bends reality and creates a better world for ourselves and our children. And there are other times when theology blinds us and distorts reality. The vision exalted by our prophets is an example of the former. The latter describes the current situation of the Catholic Church. Abraham Joshua Heschel and Martin Luther King are as well examples of the power of theology to transform reality for the better. Theology and faith in God can summon us to be better, can call us to transform our world. Faith is intended to give us strength day in and day out. It is our source of confidence during troubling times. This is why it saddens me to read of the growing scandal in the Catholic Church. Today I read yet another article about the church's handling of priests accused of pedophilia. Pope Benedict appears to have addressed this issue more forthrightly than any of his predecessors. Yet there still appears to be a tendency to blame the crimes of priests on contemporary sexual mores rather than looking more closely within the church and in particular examining its theology of sex. I admit I am biased. I am of course Jewish and not Catholic. I fail to understand celibacy. I do not believe that sexual passion can be suppressed. I believe it can be framed. Judaism frames sex within the holiness of marriage. Suppressing such a powerful drive leads to pain, confusion and… I have no doubt that many priests are faithful to their vow of celibacy. I also know that there are rabbis and ministers who abuse the power of their pulpit, using it primarily for the fulfillment of their own passions. Despite this I do understand one part of the theory of celibacy. It offers the priest the ability to be singularly devoted to his calling. He can do what is best for his church. His entire life can be about providing meaning for others. His theology need not ever be compromised, in particular by the concerns of a spouse or family. Sometimes I wonder what sacrifices my family has been called to make by my choice. What have they lost in order that I can devote myself to this life of providing meaning for others? I prefer of course this balancing act. (I hope my children do as well.) I would have it no other way. I believe I am a better rabbi, not only because of the choices that were made for me, that I am a son and a brother, but more importantly because of the choices I made for myself, that I am a husband and a father. There are times when I admire Catholic theology. I admire the Catholic Church and Pope John Paul II for using the power of theology and faith to help bring down the Berlin Wall and end the tyranny of Communism. In the cases we read about today, however, the church's theology is drawing a veil over reality. It would be best if the Church examined itself and in this case allowed reality to bend theology. Sometimes that makes for the more powerful faith.
Up in the Air
Up in the Air
This Etgar Keret story is wonderfully funny. A quote to tantalize: "And strangely enough, for me, those flights don’t just mean eating the heated-up TV dinner that the sardonic copywriter for the airlines decided to call a “High Altitude Delight.” They’re a kind of meditative disengagement from the world. Flights are expansive moments when the phone doesn’t ring and the Internet doesn’t work. The maxim that flying time is wasted time liberates me from my anxieties and guilt feelings, and it strips me of all ambitions, leaving room for a different sort of existence. A happy, idiotic existence, the kind that doesn’t try to make the most of time but is satisfied with merely finding the most enjoyable way to spend it." The irony of our modern connected existence is of course just this, that you have to be flying at 28,000 feet in order to be free. Keret's description of reading the inflight catalog recalls a recent experience when my son Ari and I entertained ourselves during take off and landing with a contest of who could find the most ridiculous product in the catalog. We laughed together during take off. Then the iPods were turned back on. We laughed together during landing. Then we reconnected to our wired world...
This Etgar Keret story is wonderfully funny. A quote to tantalize: "And strangely enough, for me, those flights don’t just mean eating the heated-up TV dinner that the sardonic copywriter for the airlines decided to call a “High Altitude Delight.” They’re a kind of meditative disengagement from the world. Flights are expansive moments when the phone doesn’t ring and the Internet doesn’t work. The maxim that flying time is wasted time liberates me from my anxieties and guilt feelings, and it strips me of all ambitions, leaving room for a different sort of existence. A happy, idiotic existence, the kind that doesn’t try to make the most of time but is satisfied with merely finding the most enjoyable way to spend it." The irony of our modern connected existence is of course just this, that you have to be flying at 28,000 feet in order to be free. Keret's description of reading the inflight catalog recalls a recent experience when my son Ari and I entertained ourselves during take off and landing with a contest of who could find the most ridiculous product in the catalog. We laughed together during take off. Then the iPods were turned back on. We laughed together during landing. Then we reconnected to our wired world...
Emor
This week’s Torah portion is Emor and describes the holiday cycle. “These are My fixed times, the fixed times of the Lord, which you shall proclaim as sacred occasions…” (Leviticus 23:2)
Whereas last week we delved into the ethical mitzvot, this chapter details rituals commandments. The following holidays are described: Shabbat, Passover, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot. Notice that our favorites of Hanukkah and Purim are not mentioned. These, it should be noted, are nowhere to be found in the Torah. This is why they are accorded minor status in the tradition, despite our fondness for them and especially our children’s love for them.
Of particular note as well is the order of the holidays. Shabbat stands at the head of the list. Also the Jewish year began with Passover not Rosh Hashanah during biblical times. During those times our holidays were constructed around our people’s agricultural sentiments. For farmers the year began with the Spring and was marked by the holiday of Passover. With the exception of Shabbat there were no holidays during the Winter in biblical times. Sukkot marked the end of seasons, and the conclusion of the harvests, in the Fall which is why it was the most important holiday called, “he-chag,” the holiday in the Torah. Shavuot marked the summer’s first fruits. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur rather than being the most important days of the year were instead a prelude to the concluding holiday of Sukkot.
As the Jewish people moved farther away from the land, and in particular from farming the land, the calendar shifted. Rosh Hashanah became the season of personal introspection and repentance. The holidays of Passover, Sukkot and Shavuot came to emphasize their roots in the Jewish history of slavery, wandering and receiving of the Torah over their agricultural themes. Passover was connected in particular to the beginning of the barley harvest, Shavuot the first fruits and wheat harvest and Sukkot the conclusion of the farming season.
We of course live in a time when we are disconnected from the agricultural calendar. Our children have little sense of connection between the foods they eat and the seasons that give rise to particular fruits and vegetables. They have no idea that strawberries are for example a summer fruit. In our supermarkets you can find strawberries all year round. They are imported from other countries or grown in hothouses during the Fall, Winter and early Spring. We can now enjoy summer fruits all year round.
My question for this Shabbat is what have we lost as a consequence of this detachment from growing our own food? It is obvious what we have gained. (I love strawberries!) It is more difficult to discern what we have lost. And so at a time when our food is wrapped in cellophane and grown in countries thousands of miles away would it serve us well to recover the distant agricultural themes of our holidays? What would we and our children gain by reconnecting with these themes?
Whereas last week we delved into the ethical mitzvot, this chapter details rituals commandments. The following holidays are described: Shabbat, Passover, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot. Notice that our favorites of Hanukkah and Purim are not mentioned. These, it should be noted, are nowhere to be found in the Torah. This is why they are accorded minor status in the tradition, despite our fondness for them and especially our children’s love for them.
Of particular note as well is the order of the holidays. Shabbat stands at the head of the list. Also the Jewish year began with Passover not Rosh Hashanah during biblical times. During those times our holidays were constructed around our people’s agricultural sentiments. For farmers the year began with the Spring and was marked by the holiday of Passover. With the exception of Shabbat there were no holidays during the Winter in biblical times. Sukkot marked the end of seasons, and the conclusion of the harvests, in the Fall which is why it was the most important holiday called, “he-chag,” the holiday in the Torah. Shavuot marked the summer’s first fruits. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur rather than being the most important days of the year were instead a prelude to the concluding holiday of Sukkot.
As the Jewish people moved farther away from the land, and in particular from farming the land, the calendar shifted. Rosh Hashanah became the season of personal introspection and repentance. The holidays of Passover, Sukkot and Shavuot came to emphasize their roots in the Jewish history of slavery, wandering and receiving of the Torah over their agricultural themes. Passover was connected in particular to the beginning of the barley harvest, Shavuot the first fruits and wheat harvest and Sukkot the conclusion of the farming season.
We of course live in a time when we are disconnected from the agricultural calendar. Our children have little sense of connection between the foods they eat and the seasons that give rise to particular fruits and vegetables. They have no idea that strawberries are for example a summer fruit. In our supermarkets you can find strawberries all year round. They are imported from other countries or grown in hothouses during the Fall, Winter and early Spring. We can now enjoy summer fruits all year round.
My question for this Shabbat is what have we lost as a consequence of this detachment from growing our own food? It is obvious what we have gained. (I love strawberries!) It is more difficult to discern what we have lost. And so at a time when our food is wrapped in cellophane and grown in countries thousands of miles away would it serve us well to recover the distant agricultural themes of our holidays? What would we and our children gain by reconnecting with these themes?
Minority Report | The New Republic
Minority Report | The New Republic
This is a very interesting and informative article about the inner workings of Human Rights Watch and in particular its biased treatment of Israel. There is more to be gleaned from a full reading, but one quote should suffice. Birnbaum writes, "There are roughly as many reports on Israel as on Iran, Syria, and Libya combined."
This is a very interesting and informative article about the inner workings of Human Rights Watch and in particular its biased treatment of Israel. There is more to be gleaned from a full reading, but one quote should suffice. Birnbaum writes, "There are roughly as many reports on Israel as on Iran, Syria, and Libya combined."
Addendum
The video released by Hamas, and explored in my previous post, comes only two days after Israel permitted the daughter of Hamas' top security official in Gaza to pass though Israel on her way to seek urgent medical treatment in Jordan. The daughter of Hamas Interior Minister Fathi Hamad left Gaza on Friday for an Israeli hospital, where she was airlifted to Jordan. Hamad once headed the armed wing of Hamas that released the Shalit video. He now oversees all of Hamas' security forces. How is that for bitter irony! And as my friend and colleague, Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, points out in his blog, Israel has tried to negotiate for Shalit's release, offering nearly 1,000 prisoners in exchange, but Hamas changes its request over and over again, making it impossible to reach any compromise.
New Hamas Cartoon
Hamas released a cartoon depicting an aging Noam Shalit walking Israel's empty streets still waiting for Gilad, who was kidnapped by Hamas in June 2006. The father dreams of his son returning in a flag draped coffin as happened with Goldwasser and Regev in July 2008. The cartoon concludes with the statement "There is still hope..." If Israel were to release thousands of prisoners and stop responding to rocket attacks then Shalit will be returned. This appears to be the implication and intent of the sophisticated cartoon, as well as the suggestion that Israel's streets will be empty in the future. You can watch the video here:
Let's be honest and forthright. These are Israel's enemies. They are people who prey on a father's feelings. Israel by contrast always tries to minimize civilian casualties and despite Goldstone's biased report, adhere to the highest ethical standards in waging war. Israel is engaged in what is called asymmetrical warfare (where the opposing forces hide in schools and mosques). This involves greater civilian losses. Golda Meir famously said, "We can forgive the Arabs for killing our children. We cannot forgive them for forcing us to kill their children." Israel never intentionally targets civilians. Hamas's strategy is based on targeting civilians (both their own and Israel's), in the past organizing homicide bombings against those drinking coffee in cafes or riding buses or shopping in malls. Let us be thankful that Israel's forces have been successful in preventing terrorist attacks in recent years. Here they are targeting the feelings of a young soldier's parents and family, as well as that of the entire Israeli populace. The choices Israel faces are wrenching. If it trades captured terrorists for Shalit will it be encouraging more terrorist acts and more kidnappings? If it refuses to make such a deal then is it abandoning its soldiers and their families? I remain skeptical that there can be peace with such enemies. Despite this I will not let go of my prayers. They are always filled with hope for peace. Shalom is our greatest hope. For now I will be content with sheket, quiet, although Israel's streets will never be emptied and quiet.
Let's be honest and forthright. These are Israel's enemies. They are people who prey on a father's feelings. Israel by contrast always tries to minimize civilian casualties and despite Goldstone's biased report, adhere to the highest ethical standards in waging war. Israel is engaged in what is called asymmetrical warfare (where the opposing forces hide in schools and mosques). This involves greater civilian losses. Golda Meir famously said, "We can forgive the Arabs for killing our children. We cannot forgive them for forcing us to kill their children." Israel never intentionally targets civilians. Hamas's strategy is based on targeting civilians (both their own and Israel's), in the past organizing homicide bombings against those drinking coffee in cafes or riding buses or shopping in malls. Let us be thankful that Israel's forces have been successful in preventing terrorist attacks in recent years. Here they are targeting the feelings of a young soldier's parents and family, as well as that of the entire Israeli populace. The choices Israel faces are wrenching. If it trades captured terrorists for Shalit will it be encouraging more terrorist acts and more kidnappings? If it refuses to make such a deal then is it abandoning its soldiers and their families? I remain skeptical that there can be peace with such enemies. Despite this I will not let go of my prayers. They are always filled with hope for peace. Shalom is our greatest hope. For now I will be content with sheket, quiet, although Israel's streets will never be emptied and quiet.
Captive Audience
Captive Audience
Now you can say that you read about this upcoming TV series here.
Now you can say that you read about this upcoming TV series here.
Aharei Mot-Kedoshim
This week’s Torah portion is a double portion, Aharei Mot-Kedoshim, Leviticus 16-20. Occasionally we have to double up on portions in order to finish the reading cycle by Simhat Torah and so this week we are blessed with a reading that is filled with many different ideas.
This being Leviticus there is of course instructions about a sacrifice. It is not any ordinary sacrifice described here but the Yom Kippur scapegoat offering. We are also given detailed instructions about sexual mores. Rather than saying a husband should only have sex with his wife and a wife only with her husband, Leviticus 18 provides a detailed listing enumerating with whom you should not have sex. “Don’t have sex with your sister… Don’t have sex with animals…” (Thank God that was clarified!) “Don’t have sex with your neighbor’s wife…” In biblical parlance the chapter reads, “Do not uncover the nakedness of your sister… Do not lie with your neighbor’s wife…” It is in this chapter that homosexual sex is also explicitly forbidden by the Torah. It should be noted that in all these cases Judaism legislates against actions not feelings. (If you are interested in learning more about these sexual laws and my interpretation of them, listen to this week’s podcast.)
What is most intriguing is that the entire chapter is introduced by the phrase, “You shall not copy the practices of the land of Egypt where you dwelt, or of the land of Canaan to which I am taking you; nor shall you follow their laws. My rules alone shall you observe…” There is a clear and unmistakable sense in these chapters that the Jewish people must be set apart by their observance and in particular their behavior. It is in this context that chapter 19 is introduced. This chapter contains a fabulous collection of ethical laws. “Love your neighbor as yourself!” (Lest one become confused this is of course a different kind of love. Sex and love are not the same. They only become one within the holiness of marriage.) There is also the command, “Love the stranger for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”
And of pressing note vis-à-vis this week’s news, “You shall not falsify measures of length, weight, or capacity. You shall have an honest balance, honest weights…” (Leviticus 19:35-36) This brings me to my question for tomorrow evening’s Shabbat service. The work week began with reports of the SEC filing charges against Goldman Sachs. Did Goldman knowingly falsify measures? Were their complicated financial instruments rigged to benefit those who were shorting the mortgage markets? Did Paulson’s firm play too active a role in creating these instruments?
Some might be saying to themselves, “I can’t believe he is taking on every controversial issue in one missive!” But such is the nature of Torah. If the Torah is going to speak to our times, we have to allow it to tackle our most pressing problems and dilemmas. Part of the mystery of Torah is the coincidence of its portions with contemporary events. Let Torah speak to today’s issues!
Others might be saying that when it comes to Wall Street and the economy I am simplifying matters. Yet for all the times my friends have tried to explain to me the idea of shorting a stock I still fail to grasp it. I don’t understand how you can bet against anyone. The nature of my work is to always bet for everyone, never against. I always bet on people succeeding, and more importantly doing right.
In these verses about honest weights the Torah seems to be speaking about someone who placed their finger on the scales weighing it in his favor or about somehow who used a weight that was purposely mislabeled. It was not speaking about complicated financial instruments. Or was it? Can the Torah’s laws about honest weights and measures be applied to today’s problems? As Jews should we be guided by a higher law than the laws of the land in which we live? Perhaps what is legal is not always ethical.
I am a simple man when it comes to matters of right and wrong. When it comes to matters of the heart, I am, like everyone else, more complicated. In Hebrew “honest” is rendered from tzedek which can also be translated as “just.” And so when does “complicated” become deceitful, and unjust?
At Shabbat Services we will explore these questions further. There, for at least that brief hour, all of the world’s controversies will be solved. On Shabbat we taste perfection. Shabbat Shalom!
This being Leviticus there is of course instructions about a sacrifice. It is not any ordinary sacrifice described here but the Yom Kippur scapegoat offering. We are also given detailed instructions about sexual mores. Rather than saying a husband should only have sex with his wife and a wife only with her husband, Leviticus 18 provides a detailed listing enumerating with whom you should not have sex. “Don’t have sex with your sister… Don’t have sex with animals…” (Thank God that was clarified!) “Don’t have sex with your neighbor’s wife…” In biblical parlance the chapter reads, “Do not uncover the nakedness of your sister… Do not lie with your neighbor’s wife…” It is in this chapter that homosexual sex is also explicitly forbidden by the Torah. It should be noted that in all these cases Judaism legislates against actions not feelings. (If you are interested in learning more about these sexual laws and my interpretation of them, listen to this week’s podcast.)
What is most intriguing is that the entire chapter is introduced by the phrase, “You shall not copy the practices of the land of Egypt where you dwelt, or of the land of Canaan to which I am taking you; nor shall you follow their laws. My rules alone shall you observe…” There is a clear and unmistakable sense in these chapters that the Jewish people must be set apart by their observance and in particular their behavior. It is in this context that chapter 19 is introduced. This chapter contains a fabulous collection of ethical laws. “Love your neighbor as yourself!” (Lest one become confused this is of course a different kind of love. Sex and love are not the same. They only become one within the holiness of marriage.) There is also the command, “Love the stranger for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”
And of pressing note vis-à-vis this week’s news, “You shall not falsify measures of length, weight, or capacity. You shall have an honest balance, honest weights…” (Leviticus 19:35-36) This brings me to my question for tomorrow evening’s Shabbat service. The work week began with reports of the SEC filing charges against Goldman Sachs. Did Goldman knowingly falsify measures? Were their complicated financial instruments rigged to benefit those who were shorting the mortgage markets? Did Paulson’s firm play too active a role in creating these instruments?
Some might be saying to themselves, “I can’t believe he is taking on every controversial issue in one missive!” But such is the nature of Torah. If the Torah is going to speak to our times, we have to allow it to tackle our most pressing problems and dilemmas. Part of the mystery of Torah is the coincidence of its portions with contemporary events. Let Torah speak to today’s issues!
Others might be saying that when it comes to Wall Street and the economy I am simplifying matters. Yet for all the times my friends have tried to explain to me the idea of shorting a stock I still fail to grasp it. I don’t understand how you can bet against anyone. The nature of my work is to always bet for everyone, never against. I always bet on people succeeding, and more importantly doing right.
In these verses about honest weights the Torah seems to be speaking about someone who placed their finger on the scales weighing it in his favor or about somehow who used a weight that was purposely mislabeled. It was not speaking about complicated financial instruments. Or was it? Can the Torah’s laws about honest weights and measures be applied to today’s problems? As Jews should we be guided by a higher law than the laws of the land in which we live? Perhaps what is legal is not always ethical.
I am a simple man when it comes to matters of right and wrong. When it comes to matters of the heart, I am, like everyone else, more complicated. In Hebrew “honest” is rendered from tzedek which can also be translated as “just.” And so when does “complicated” become deceitful, and unjust?
At Shabbat Services we will explore these questions further. There, for at least that brief hour, all of the world’s controversies will be solved. On Shabbat we taste perfection. Shabbat Shalom!
Happy Yom Haatzmaut
Today is the celebration of 62 years of Israel's independence. There will be plenty of time to write about the struggles and challenges, threats and worries Israel faces, but for now I wish only to focus on the positive. For thousands of years we dreamed of a state, we prayed over and over again for our return to the land of Israel. Our generation can touch this dream. It is real. Israel lives. Israel thrives. Our ancient prayers find modern life in the State of Israel. What a remarkable achievement! What an unparalleled blessing!
Today, Prime Minister Netanyahu delivered the following message to the diaspora communities:
Israel's Independence Day celebrates a double miracle in the life of the Jewish people.
The first miracle is the restoration of Jewish sovereignty. There is no other example that I know of in the history of nations in which a scattered people, practically left for dead, has been able to re-assert its national life.
The second miracle is what we've done since the establishment of the Jewish state. Israel is in fact becoming a regional economic power and one of the world's leading technological powers.
All the powers of creativity and genius in the Jewish people are bursting forth in every area: in science; in technology; in medicine; in the arts. This incredible burst of creativity promises a great future for the Jewish people and for all mankind.
This double miracle is a testament to the life-force of the Jewish people. It's a testament to the deep wells of hope we carry inside us and to the deep connection that we have both to our past and to our future. The two miracles that have already occurred are only the beginning.
If we stand together, if we remain committed to our common destiny, there's nothing we cannot achieve.
Chag Sameach!
Sincerely,
Benjamin Netanyahu
Jerusalem, Israel
What a privilege it is to live in our time! "To be a free people in our own land."
Today, Prime Minister Netanyahu delivered the following message to the diaspora communities:
Israel's Independence Day celebrates a double miracle in the life of the Jewish people.
The first miracle is the restoration of Jewish sovereignty. There is no other example that I know of in the history of nations in which a scattered people, practically left for dead, has been able to re-assert its national life.
The second miracle is what we've done since the establishment of the Jewish state. Israel is in fact becoming a regional economic power and one of the world's leading technological powers.
All the powers of creativity and genius in the Jewish people are bursting forth in every area: in science; in technology; in medicine; in the arts. This incredible burst of creativity promises a great future for the Jewish people and for all mankind.
This double miracle is a testament to the life-force of the Jewish people. It's a testament to the deep wells of hope we carry inside us and to the deep connection that we have both to our past and to our future. The two miracles that have already occurred are only the beginning.
If we stand together, if we remain committed to our common destiny, there's nothing we cannot achieve.
Chag Sameach!
Sincerely,
Benjamin Netanyahu
Jerusalem, Israel
What a privilege it is to live in our time! "To be a free people in our own land."