As we enter Day 5 of this battle with Hamas many out there are saying "told you so". Ever since Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, 3 years ago, Hamas has used its authority over the strip to implement their version of law and order over their people, and to stockpile weapons and rockets. Rather than promote co-existence, create life, and provide hope for the Palestinians living under their control - Hamas has decided on isolation, destruction, and death. At the end of the day, everyone wants to live in peace, go to work, be with family and create life; unfortunately the time for peace has yet to be realized. We read in the book of Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) 3:1-8 "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven;...A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace." I think we all realize where we are today and while it is important that we seek paths for peace, the road has yet to be paved - road maps are one thing, realities on the ground another.
As I turn on the news I see the protests against Israel across the U.S. and around the world. I read about anti-Semitic acts and hear terrible accusations made of Israel. I can't help but think "why is Israel so demonized?" I'm for peace and my thoughts are with the innocent victims and their families, however I can't figure out why Israel is still on probation? How is it that Russia can march into Georgia only to kill at will and take as they please, when there are millions on the African continent who are suffering at the hands of their own leadership, women and children raped, mutilated, enslaved for no other reason than the tribe they belong to. China, Iran, and the list goes on - so where are the protests? And yet when Israel defends her citizens from years of Hamas attacks - citizens of the world find a cause to unite.
Wherever there is a Jew in need, anywhere in the world, you better believe that this Jew and his/her community is not alone - Israel knows her place and responsibility for international Jewry. What is our role in this relationship?
Kol Yisrael Averim Zeh b'zeh - All of Israel is responsible one for the other. I believe that now is the time for us to act on this value. Read up on the news, write op-eds, talk to your friends and colleagues - there is a conversation being had and it involves us all; if you don't speak for yourself, someone else will.
Oseh shalom bimromav hu ya'aseh shalom--may God bring peace to the skies and peace to the ground below--bimheira biyameinu.
Praying for peace
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Friday, December 5, 2008
Thinking Shabbat...
I'd like to share a few lines of Shabbat. Consider reading through them, think about what they mean to you. Perhaps there is one that resonates more then any other?
שמור וזכור – Observe & Remember the Sabbath
Man is a messenger who forgot the message. (Heschel)
"Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy." (Exodus 20)
The Talmud defines the need for Sabbath candles as "shalom bayit".
The road to the sacred leads through the secular. (Heschel)
"The Sabbath is not for the sake of the weekdays, the weekdays are for the sake of the Sabbath… it is a palace in time which we build anew every week"
"You shall work during the six days and do all your tasks. But Saturday is the Shabbat to G-d your Lord. Do not do anything that constitutes work." (Exodus 20:8-10.)
The meaning of the Sabbath is to celebrate time rather than space. Six days a week we live under the tyranny of things in space; on the Sabbath we try to become attuned to holiness in time. It is a day when we are called upon to share in what is eternal in time, to turn from the results of creation to the mystery of creation; from the world of creation to the creation of the world. (Heschel)
שמור וזכור – Observe & Remember the Sabbath
Man is a messenger who forgot the message. (Heschel)
"Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy." (Exodus 20)
The Talmud defines the need for Sabbath candles as "shalom bayit".
The road to the sacred leads through the secular. (Heschel)
"The Sabbath is not for the sake of the weekdays, the weekdays are for the sake of the Sabbath… it is a palace in time which we build anew every week"
"You shall work during the six days and do all your tasks. But Saturday is the Shabbat to G-d your Lord. Do not do anything that constitutes work." (Exodus 20:8-10.)
The meaning of the Sabbath is to celebrate time rather than space. Six days a week we live under the tyranny of things in space; on the Sabbath we try to become attuned to holiness in time. It is a day when we are called upon to share in what is eternal in time, to turn from the results of creation to the mystery of creation; from the world of creation to the creation of the world. (Heschel)
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Sinai on Zion
As we trace Zionism’s pulse throughout history, from Abraham to this vey point in time, we see that every generation had its Zionist expression.
In Genesis 13:17, Abraham is urged to קוּם הִתְהַלֵּךְ בָּאָרֶץ, “Arise and walk the land…”, literally to walk on it. Thousands of years later, pioneers of the late 1800’s and early 1900’s did the same.
In the book of Numbers 13:30, upon return from scouting the land, G-d reacts to Caleb’s positive account of the land in contrast to the negative reports. G-d says: “But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him…him will I bring into the land...” The “other spirit” was the active expression of Zionism.
For those who experienced destruction and population transfer over 2,000 years ago, who lamented, in Psalm 137 “By the rivers of Babylon… we wept, when remembered Zion… If I forget thee, O Jerusalem…” Yearning to return home, overcoming dispersion, expulsion, inquisition, pogroms, genocide, and global apathy, in 1948, their dream became a reality. The State of Israel reflects Zionism as the active pursuant of Judaism’s collective drive, namely klal yisrael, and the ability to persevere beyond space and time.
Today a young assimilated Jew visits Israel for the first time, and as Ben Gurion once said of Moses, “something, he knows not what, pushes him to intervene.” – It is the spark of Zion from within.
Zionism is Assiyah, the active manifestation of the neshama yehudit, Judaism’s collective memory and spiritual identity.
- @ Sinai
In Genesis 13:17, Abraham is urged to קוּם הִתְהַלֵּךְ בָּאָרֶץ, “Arise and walk the land…”, literally to walk on it. Thousands of years later, pioneers of the late 1800’s and early 1900’s did the same.
In the book of Numbers 13:30, upon return from scouting the land, G-d reacts to Caleb’s positive account of the land in contrast to the negative reports. G-d says: “But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him…him will I bring into the land...” The “other spirit” was the active expression of Zionism.
For those who experienced destruction and population transfer over 2,000 years ago, who lamented, in Psalm 137 “By the rivers of Babylon… we wept, when remembered Zion… If I forget thee, O Jerusalem…” Yearning to return home, overcoming dispersion, expulsion, inquisition, pogroms, genocide, and global apathy, in 1948, their dream became a reality. The State of Israel reflects Zionism as the active pursuant of Judaism’s collective drive, namely klal yisrael, and the ability to persevere beyond space and time.
Today a young assimilated Jew visits Israel for the first time, and as Ben Gurion once said of Moses, “something, he knows not what, pushes him to intervene.” – It is the spark of Zion from within.
Zionism is Assiyah, the active manifestation of the neshama yehudit, Judaism’s collective memory and spiritual identity.
- @ Sinai
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
"Anti-Zionism = Anti-Semitism"
"Anti-Zionism = Anti-Semitism"
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
". . . You declare, my friend, that you do not hate the Jews, you are merely 'anti-Zionist.' And I say, let the truth ring forth from the high mountain tops, let it echo through the valleys of God's green earth: When people criticize Zionism, they mean Jews--this is God's own truth.
"Antisemitism, the hatred of the Jewish people, has been and remains a blot on the soul of mankind. In this we are in full agreement. So know also this: anti-Zionist is inherently antisemitic, and ever will be so.
"Why is this? You know that Zionism is nothing less than the dream and ideal of the Jewish people returning to live in their own land. The Jewish people, the Scriptures tell us, once enjoyed a flourishing Commonwealth in the Holy Land. From this they were expelled by the Roman tyrant, the same Romans who cruelly murdered Our Lord. Driven from their homeland, their nation in ashes, forced to wander the globe, the Jewish people time and again suffered the lash of whichever tyrant happened to rule over them.
"The Negro people, my friend, know what it is to suffer the torment of tyranny under rulers not of our choosing. Our brothers in Africa have begged, pleaded, requested--DEMANDED the recognition and realization of our inborn right to live in peace under our own sovereignty in our own country.
"How easy it should be, for anyone who holds dear this inalienable right of all mankind, to understand and support the right of the Jewish People to live in their ancient Land of Israel. All men of good will exult in the fulfilment of God's promise, that his People should return in joy to rebuild their plundered land.
This is Zionism, nothing more, nothing less.
"And what is anti-Zionist? It is the denial to the Jewish people of a fundamental right that we justly claim for the people of Africa and freely accord all other nations of the Globe. It is discrimination against Jews, my friend, because they are Jews. In short, it is antisemitism.
"The antisemite rejoices at any opportunity to vent his malice. The times have made it unpopular, in the West, to proclaim openly a hatred of the Jews. This being the case, the antisemite must constantly seek new forms and forums for his poison. How he must revel in the new masquerade! He does not hate the Jews, he is just 'anti-Zionist'!
"My friend, I do not accuse you of deliberate antisemitism. I know you feel, as I do, a deep love of truth and justice and a revulsion for racism, prejudice, and discrimination. But I know you have been misled--as others have been--into thinking you can be 'anti-Zionist' and yet remain true to these heartfelt principles that you and I share.
Let my words echo in the depths of your soul: When people criticize Zionism, they mean Jews--make no mistake about it."
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
". . . You declare, my friend, that you do not hate the Jews, you are merely 'anti-Zionist.' And I say, let the truth ring forth from the high mountain tops, let it echo through the valleys of God's green earth: When people criticize Zionism, they mean Jews--this is God's own truth.
"Antisemitism, the hatred of the Jewish people, has been and remains a blot on the soul of mankind. In this we are in full agreement. So know also this: anti-Zionist is inherently antisemitic, and ever will be so.
"Why is this? You know that Zionism is nothing less than the dream and ideal of the Jewish people returning to live in their own land. The Jewish people, the Scriptures tell us, once enjoyed a flourishing Commonwealth in the Holy Land. From this they were expelled by the Roman tyrant, the same Romans who cruelly murdered Our Lord. Driven from their homeland, their nation in ashes, forced to wander the globe, the Jewish people time and again suffered the lash of whichever tyrant happened to rule over them.
"The Negro people, my friend, know what it is to suffer the torment of tyranny under rulers not of our choosing. Our brothers in Africa have begged, pleaded, requested--DEMANDED the recognition and realization of our inborn right to live in peace under our own sovereignty in our own country.
"How easy it should be, for anyone who holds dear this inalienable right of all mankind, to understand and support the right of the Jewish People to live in their ancient Land of Israel. All men of good will exult in the fulfilment of God's promise, that his People should return in joy to rebuild their plundered land.
This is Zionism, nothing more, nothing less.
"And what is anti-Zionist? It is the denial to the Jewish people of a fundamental right that we justly claim for the people of Africa and freely accord all other nations of the Globe. It is discrimination against Jews, my friend, because they are Jews. In short, it is antisemitism.
"The antisemite rejoices at any opportunity to vent his malice. The times have made it unpopular, in the West, to proclaim openly a hatred of the Jews. This being the case, the antisemite must constantly seek new forms and forums for his poison. How he must revel in the new masquerade! He does not hate the Jews, he is just 'anti-Zionist'!
"My friend, I do not accuse you of deliberate antisemitism. I know you feel, as I do, a deep love of truth and justice and a revulsion for racism, prejudice, and discrimination. But I know you have been misled--as others have been--into thinking you can be 'anti-Zionist' and yet remain true to these heartfelt principles that you and I share.
Let my words echo in the depths of your soul: When people criticize Zionism, they mean Jews--make no mistake about it."
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Doing the right thing
Genesis 18:1-3 "VaYera", and he saw/appeared...
וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו ה' בְּאֵלֹנֵי מַמְרֵא וְהוּא יֹשֵׁב פֶּתַח־הָאֹהֶל כְּחֹם הַיּוֹם: ב וַיִּשָּׂא עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה שְׁלֹשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים נִצָּבִים עָלָיו וַיַּרְא וַיָּרָץ לִקְרָאתָם מִפֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ אָרְצָה: ג וַיֹּאמַר אֲדֹנָי אִם־נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ אַל־נָא תַעֲבֹר מֵעַל עַבְדֶּךָ:
1. And the Lord appeared to him in the plains of Mamre; and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
2. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and, lo, three men stood by him; and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the ground,
3. And said, My Lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, pass not away, I beseech you, from your servant;
Rashi's commentary
(ב) וַיַּרְא. מַהוּ ”וַיַּרְא וַיַּרְא“ שְׁנֵי פְעָמִים, הָרִאשׁוֹן כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ, וְהַשֵּׁנִי לְשׁוֹן הֲבָנָה, נִסְתַּכֵּל שֶׁהָיוּ נִצָּבִים בְּמָקוֹם אֶחָד וְהֵבִין שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ רוֹצִים לְהַטְרִיחוֹ, (וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיּוֹדְעִים הָיוּ שֶׁיֵּצֵא לִקְרָאתָם עָמְדוּ בִמְקוֹמָם לִכְבוֹדוֹ, לְהַרְאוֹתוֹ שֶׁלֹּא רָצוּ לְהַטְרִיחוֹ, וְקָדַם הוּא וְרָץ לִקְרָאתָם, כָּךְ הַגִּרְסָא בְּרַשִׁ"י יָשָׁן) (בבא מציעא פו ע"ב), כְּתִיב "נִצָּבִים עָלָיו“ וּכְתִיב "וַיָּרָץ לִקְרָאתָם", כַּד חָזְיוּהָ דַּהֲוָה שָׁרֵי וְאָסַר פֵּרְשׁוּ הֵימֶנּוּ, מִיָּד ”וַיָּרָץ לִקְרָאתָם“:
2. Why is {Hebrew Ref} written twice [in this verse]? The first is as it seems [i.e., and saw], whereas, the second means "understanding:" he saw them remain standing in one place and he understood that they did not wish to trouble him. He then quickly ran towards them. In Bava Metzia28 [there is another explanation]: First it says: "Standing near him" and then it says: "He ran to greet them." [The answer is:] when they saw him as he was untying and tying [his bandages] they distanced themselves from him. Immediately, "He ran to greet them”
Torah from Sinai -
- A couple of questions regarding verse 2: Why is it that VaYera (he saw) appears twice? Seems kind of redundant, no? After all, didn't Avraham see the guests the first time around?
- Rashi above explains that the first time he saw them, the second time Avraham realized that the strangers did not want to bother him (he was recovering from his brit milah - circumcision), so Avraham greeted them.
- I'd like to add to this comment. If we read this together with verse 3 (see above), then we can't help but highlight that while Avraham is having a one-on-one with Gd, he has no problem turning from Gd's divine presence so that he could welcome potential guests! In fact, Avraham's double take was as a result of his recognizing the opportunity laid out before him - hachnasat orchim - the opportunity to invite guests to his home. Imagine yourself walking in the desert, no water, food, shelter, and the sun of course is beating down on you; now imagine that you come across a tent, and from it runs to you an individual pleading with you to come in and enjoy some food, drink, and shelter! Amazing, no? And so, Avraham knew that while he may be turning his back on Gd, Gd in fact would be waiting; On his double take Avraham saw and understood the opportunity laid out before him, Avraham was in fact doing Gd's work here on earth.
Do the right thing.
A piece from the Sinai Narrative, Reclaiming Jewish Memory
וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו ה' בְּאֵלֹנֵי מַמְרֵא וְהוּא יֹשֵׁב פֶּתַח־הָאֹהֶל כְּחֹם הַיּוֹם: ב וַיִּשָּׂא עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה שְׁלֹשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים נִצָּבִים עָלָיו וַיַּרְא וַיָּרָץ לִקְרָאתָם מִפֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ אָרְצָה: ג וַיֹּאמַר אֲדֹנָי אִם־נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ אַל־נָא תַעֲבֹר מֵעַל עַבְדֶּךָ:
1. And the Lord appeared to him in the plains of Mamre; and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
2. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and, lo, three men stood by him; and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the ground,
3. And said, My Lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, pass not away, I beseech you, from your servant;
Rashi's commentary
(ב) וַיַּרְא. מַהוּ ”וַיַּרְא וַיַּרְא“ שְׁנֵי פְעָמִים, הָרִאשׁוֹן כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ, וְהַשֵּׁנִי לְשׁוֹן הֲבָנָה, נִסְתַּכֵּל שֶׁהָיוּ נִצָּבִים בְּמָקוֹם אֶחָד וְהֵבִין שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ רוֹצִים לְהַטְרִיחוֹ, (וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיּוֹדְעִים הָיוּ שֶׁיֵּצֵא לִקְרָאתָם עָמְדוּ בִמְקוֹמָם לִכְבוֹדוֹ, לְהַרְאוֹתוֹ שֶׁלֹּא רָצוּ לְהַטְרִיחוֹ, וְקָדַם הוּא וְרָץ לִקְרָאתָם, כָּךְ הַגִּרְסָא בְּרַשִׁ"י יָשָׁן) (בבא מציעא פו ע"ב), כְּתִיב "נִצָּבִים עָלָיו“ וּכְתִיב "וַיָּרָץ לִקְרָאתָם", כַּד חָזְיוּהָ דַּהֲוָה שָׁרֵי וְאָסַר פֵּרְשׁוּ הֵימֶנּוּ, מִיָּד ”וַיָּרָץ לִקְרָאתָם“:
2. Why is {Hebrew Ref} written twice [in this verse]? The first is as it seems [i.e., and saw], whereas, the second means "understanding:" he saw them remain standing in one place and he understood that they did not wish to trouble him. He then quickly ran towards them. In Bava Metzia28 [there is another explanation]: First it says: "Standing near him" and then it says: "He ran to greet them." [The answer is:] when they saw him as he was untying and tying [his bandages] they distanced themselves from him. Immediately, "He ran to greet them”
Torah from Sinai -
- A couple of questions regarding verse 2: Why is it that VaYera (he saw) appears twice? Seems kind of redundant, no? After all, didn't Avraham see the guests the first time around?
- Rashi above explains that the first time he saw them, the second time Avraham realized that the strangers did not want to bother him (he was recovering from his brit milah - circumcision), so Avraham greeted them.
- I'd like to add to this comment. If we read this together with verse 3 (see above), then we can't help but highlight that while Avraham is having a one-on-one with Gd, he has no problem turning from Gd's divine presence so that he could welcome potential guests! In fact, Avraham's double take was as a result of his recognizing the opportunity laid out before him - hachnasat orchim - the opportunity to invite guests to his home. Imagine yourself walking in the desert, no water, food, shelter, and the sun of course is beating down on you; now imagine that you come across a tent, and from it runs to you an individual pleading with you to come in and enjoy some food, drink, and shelter! Amazing, no? And so, Avraham knew that while he may be turning his back on Gd, Gd in fact would be waiting; On his double take Avraham saw and understood the opportunity laid out before him, Avraham was in fact doing Gd's work here on earth.
Do the right thing.
A piece from the Sinai Narrative, Reclaiming Jewish Memory
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Yitzchak Rabin - 13 years
I remember the first time it hit me, the value and fragility of Klal Yisrael, Jewish Peoplehood. It was the assassination of Yitzchak Rabin (zl’) in 1995; I was studying at Haifa University. Jews from Israel to North America and around the world reacted to the assassination in shock and grief. No one knew what would be next. Soon enough questions were asked: Who did it? Was it an Arab? A Jew? What would happen to the government? Would the Peace Process survive? What would be tomorrow?!
13 years ago today (11/4), Yitzchak Rabin, Israel’s first native Prime Minister, is remembered; a Jew who dedicated himself to his people, to defending his land, and to peace and co-existence.
We read in Genesis 13:17 God telling Abraham: "קום התהלך בארץ...", “Arise, walk about the land”; I read it as – get to know yourself, live a little, experience life, then go forth and reveal your purpose. Rabin indeed walked the land, tilled it, defended it, and knew just how precious its existence is. Soon his life’s journey brought him to a purpose no one thought existed – living in peace. Signing a peace agreement with King Hussein of Jordan, in 1994, Rabin explained: “Your Majesty, We have both seen a lot in our lifetime. We have both seen too much suffering. What will you leave to your children? What will I leave to my grandchildren?”
Like Avraham Avinu, who went forth, leaving all that was familiar to him behind, so too Yitzhak Rabin pursued a path not taken before. Let us find the strength to do the same, to get up and go forth – at times to a place we may not know with our minds, yet recognize with our hearts.
"od loh avdah tikvateinu..."
13 years ago today (11/4), Yitzchak Rabin, Israel’s first native Prime Minister, is remembered; a Jew who dedicated himself to his people, to defending his land, and to peace and co-existence.
We read in Genesis 13:17 God telling Abraham: "קום התהלך בארץ...", “Arise, walk about the land”; I read it as – get to know yourself, live a little, experience life, then go forth and reveal your purpose. Rabin indeed walked the land, tilled it, defended it, and knew just how precious its existence is. Soon his life’s journey brought him to a purpose no one thought existed – living in peace. Signing a peace agreement with King Hussein of Jordan, in 1994, Rabin explained: “Your Majesty, We have both seen a lot in our lifetime. We have both seen too much suffering. What will you leave to your children? What will I leave to my grandchildren?”
Like Avraham Avinu, who went forth, leaving all that was familiar to him behind, so too Yitzhak Rabin pursued a path not taken before. Let us find the strength to do the same, to get up and go forth – at times to a place we may not know with our minds, yet recognize with our hearts.
"od loh avdah tikvateinu..."
Get up and go! Lech L'cha!
Remember the first time you left your home, your family, and everything that was familiar to you? Perhaps it was college? Or simply moving on as is symbolic of growth and maturity? It may of not been an easy move, though in hindsight we all admit the great value of moving on, moving forward.
In this week’s Torah portion our forefather, Abraham, experiences a life altering moment we can relate to. In Genesis 12:1 - Lech L’cha, (Go forth for yourself),
וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל־אַבְרָם לֶךְ־לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ
“And Gd said to Abram, go forth from your country, and your family (or ancestry), and your father’s house…”
When I read this verse, it is obvious that Abraham is on a mission, but the idea of “going forth”, leaving as a process – your country, your family, your home… so emphasized, pushes us to think a bit deeper about what it means to leave that which is familiar, towards the great potential of that which is unknown.
Later on in Genesis 13:17, again Avraham is urged to קוּם הִתְהַלֵּךְ בָּאָרֶץ,“Arise and walk the land…”, literally walk on it. For some this commandment is kind of redundant, after all, Avraham was commanded to “Go Forth” to land at the very start?! An early 18th century commentator, Chaim b. Moshe, Or HaChaim, explains that this quote is where the rabbis derive the halacha, or Jewish Law, pertaining to acquisition, the term is known as a Hazaka - if one does not take ownership over one’s land, then it no longer belongs to that person. As a matter of fact when the Ottoman Empire controlled the land, this law was in effect; if one did not plant a tree, or till the land for seven years, the land no longer belonged to that person. Makes sense when we think about all those trees planted in Israel by the early pioneers, while under ottoman rule.
This concept makes just as much sense in our lives today, simply put we are the ones that need to “roll out of bed”, take the first steps, and own our decisions. I am of the belief that each of us has been given a destiny, a purpose, yet we are the ones who need to act and help to reveal the destiny which lies before us.
Abraham required a whole lot of compromise: his country, his ancestry, and the home he grew up in, basically everything that was familiar to him. Yet through the act of leaving, Abraham in fact arrived and found his purpose.
Lech L’cha - Get up and go forth!
In this week’s Torah portion our forefather, Abraham, experiences a life altering moment we can relate to. In Genesis 12:1 - Lech L’cha, (Go forth for yourself),
וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל־אַבְרָם לֶךְ־לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ
“And Gd said to Abram, go forth from your country, and your family (or ancestry), and your father’s house…”
When I read this verse, it is obvious that Abraham is on a mission, but the idea of “going forth”, leaving as a process – your country, your family, your home… so emphasized, pushes us to think a bit deeper about what it means to leave that which is familiar, towards the great potential of that which is unknown.
Later on in Genesis 13:17, again Avraham is urged to קוּם הִתְהַלֵּךְ בָּאָרֶץ,“Arise and walk the land…”, literally walk on it. For some this commandment is kind of redundant, after all, Avraham was commanded to “Go Forth” to land at the very start?! An early 18th century commentator, Chaim b. Moshe, Or HaChaim, explains that this quote is where the rabbis derive the halacha, or Jewish Law, pertaining to acquisition, the term is known as a Hazaka - if one does not take ownership over one’s land, then it no longer belongs to that person. As a matter of fact when the Ottoman Empire controlled the land, this law was in effect; if one did not plant a tree, or till the land for seven years, the land no longer belonged to that person. Makes sense when we think about all those trees planted in Israel by the early pioneers, while under ottoman rule.
This concept makes just as much sense in our lives today, simply put we are the ones that need to “roll out of bed”, take the first steps, and own our decisions. I am of the belief that each of us has been given a destiny, a purpose, yet we are the ones who need to act and help to reveal the destiny which lies before us.
Abraham required a whole lot of compromise: his country, his ancestry, and the home he grew up in, basically everything that was familiar to him. Yet through the act of leaving, Abraham in fact arrived and found his purpose.
Lech L’cha - Get up and go forth!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Happy Holy Day... Sukkot
Friends,
We just finished off the High Holy Day Marathon, prayed, cried, laughed, reflected, ate, fasted and of course repented... Are we done yet? Think again, Sukkot is upon us. One of three festivals (Passover & Shavuot), reflecting historical, agricultural, and mystical significance.
Rabbi Eliezer explains that the Sukkah mentioned in the Torah, the Bible, (Leviticus 23:43) were Ananei Kavod, clouds of divine glory that hovered over the Israelites as they made their way through the wilderness at Sinai. Rabbi Akiva speaks of Sukkot mamash, an actual physical sukkah - one the Israelites dwelt in throughout their journey in Sinai.
Today we follow Rabbi Akiva, after all it is what we do, eat and dwell in the Sukkah. And yet today, sitting in the Sukkah has ever more significance for us and our generation. As we experience humility in the face of great change in our society, sitting in the sukkah is a reminder of all that we have - a roof over our heads, warmth and comfort, food on our table, and pretty much everything we need (& probably want).
Having gone through the Days of Awe (Rosh HaShanna - Yom Kippur), let us not forget all that we prayed for, all that we hope for; during this Holy Day period, let's think of all that we are thankful for, all that we have, and let us pray for those who do not have...
In peace and blessings -
Happy Holy Day
We just finished off the High Holy Day Marathon, prayed, cried, laughed, reflected, ate, fasted and of course repented... Are we done yet? Think again, Sukkot is upon us. One of three festivals (Passover & Shavuot), reflecting historical, agricultural, and mystical significance.
Rabbi Eliezer explains that the Sukkah mentioned in the Torah, the Bible, (Leviticus 23:43) were Ananei Kavod, clouds of divine glory that hovered over the Israelites as they made their way through the wilderness at Sinai. Rabbi Akiva speaks of Sukkot mamash, an actual physical sukkah - one the Israelites dwelt in throughout their journey in Sinai.
Today we follow Rabbi Akiva, after all it is what we do, eat and dwell in the Sukkah. And yet today, sitting in the Sukkah has ever more significance for us and our generation. As we experience humility in the face of great change in our society, sitting in the sukkah is a reminder of all that we have - a roof over our heads, warmth and comfort, food on our table, and pretty much everything we need (& probably want).
Having gone through the Days of Awe (Rosh HaShanna - Yom Kippur), let us not forget all that we prayed for, all that we hope for; during this Holy Day period, let's think of all that we are thankful for, all that we have, and let us pray for those who do not have...
In peace and blessings -
Happy Holy Day
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Whose choice is it anyway?
The times are a changing, economies tumbling here in the U.S. and around the world, geo-political movements, Iran, Iraq, Russia, wars in Africa, Darfur, Genocide, environmental crises, the changing heads of state both here in the U.S. and in Israel, and much much more.
So great are these events in our society, that we may often feel as though they are beyond our reach, it is all out of our hands - and yet our tradition suggests otherwise.
Jacob in Beresheit, the Book of Genesis, dreamt of angels on a ladder, rising to the heavens and descending to earth, in Gen. 28:12, the ladder was “set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven”, Jacob had the choice of elevating his soul, or remain in a state of being with no improvement. We learn about this a couple of weeks ago in parshat Nitzavim (Deuteronomy 29:9), we read: “I have set before thee this day life and death, (the verse continues and suggests that we keep God’s commandments and ordinances; then thou shalt live and multiply, But if thy heart turn away, and worship other gods; I declare unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish;) therefore choose life…”
Well in fact I wonder what is it that the text is trying to tell me. Of course I want to choose life, wouldn't that be obvious? So then what is the text emphasizing? That we should worship the God of Israel and not other gods? I can see that, however the text seems to be screaming out something more than the fact that we ought to worship the God of Israel, the text seems to be suggesting that we have a choice in the matter!
Our sources have differing views on free will and the idea of choice; The Talmud, Judaism’s “case law”, takes a heavenly stance and argues that "No man can touch that which has been prepared in advance for his friend" (Yoma 38b), Kohelet, the Book of Ecclesiastes explains that “Never does a snake bite... or a government interfere in men's lives unless incited to do so from on high", here we see that both the Talmud and Kohelet argue for divinely inspired pre-determination.
On the other hand, the Rambam, Moses Maimonides, famous 12th century Jewish philosopher and legal writer, explains:
"רשות לכל אדם נתונה אם רצה להטות עצמו לדרך טובה ולהיות צדיק...ואם רצה להטות עצמו לדרך רעה...הרשות בידו..." (הלכות תשובה פרק ה' הלכה א)
“Man is capable either of rising to noble heights or of falling into a life of sin – the choice is his.”
I believe the quote assists us in understanding what it means to choose life. Our tradition is hinting of another important factor related to having the choice – the permission to choose. The term הרשות בידו used in the end of the Rambam’s quote is translated in English to “the choice is his”. Yet it omits the last word “b’yado”, in his hand, and fails to provide us with another take on the Rambam’s passage. In Hebrew the term הרשות בידו literally means “the permission is in his hand”. In English it is translated as choice. So we have choice, but what permission, or Reshut, is the Rambam talking about? The Rambam continues and explains that each and every individual has the capability, the permission if you will, to do what is right or what is wrong – the permission to do what is right or what is wrong.
So where does this permission come from?
I understand this permission to make choices as a result of those same choices we previously made. The verse in the Torah tells us that we are granted the permission to continue to choose, so long as we make the right choices and choose life and goodness.
An interesting point in the Deuteronomy verse is the acknowledgement of God’s role in our lives when God suggests: CHOOSE LIFE! To clarify this point, the text highlights God’s-self, admitting that we in fact have a choice.
So we choose the life we live… but what does it mean to choose life? Perhaps it means living a life of compassion for others (V’ahavta l’re’acha kamocha), giving tzedakah, seeking justice (tzedek tzedek tirdof), or caring for the environment.
Let’s take the environmental crisis the world faces today; if we continue to drain the earth of her natural resources such as water, oil, and the destruction of rain forests (to name a few), and humanity continues to take - only to give back our waste, then we ought not be surprised when earth in return offers a changing of climate and water levels, spreading arid land, famine, earthquakes, hurricanes, and more.
And so - we choose life! While Israel’s environmental policy requires lots of improvement, just as every country in the world – pollution is a problem – we cannot ignore all that has been accomplished by the Jewish People for the land of Israel over the past 100 years: greening the land, maintaining desertification, recycling sewage waters for agricultural purposes, the water-drip system, green houses scattered across the Negev desert, and additional ecological and agricultural advances that rival no other country or environmental organization in the world. And so through these decisions, permission is granted to choose in the form of continuous environmental development and improvment.
Similarly for each of us, when we look in the mirror and reflect on our actions, we will reveal that like Jacob in Genesis, the choice is ours – permission to maintain choice all depends on… well, the choices we make.
Every moment of our lives is filled with choices and every second that passes represents potential for bringing goodness to our lives and the lives of those around us. The choices we make carry consequences - these consequences are what permit us to have the option to choose. As the option in the verse mentioned above reads: “I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil…” God in fact urges us to “choose life”, for in reality - in death, choices are no longer ours.
So great are these events in our society, that we may often feel as though they are beyond our reach, it is all out of our hands - and yet our tradition suggests otherwise.
Jacob in Beresheit, the Book of Genesis, dreamt of angels on a ladder, rising to the heavens and descending to earth, in Gen. 28:12, the ladder was “set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven”, Jacob had the choice of elevating his soul, or remain in a state of being with no improvement. We learn about this a couple of weeks ago in parshat Nitzavim (Deuteronomy 29:9), we read: “I have set before thee this day life and death, (the verse continues and suggests that we keep God’s commandments and ordinances; then thou shalt live and multiply, But if thy heart turn away, and worship other gods; I declare unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish;) therefore choose life…”
Well in fact I wonder what is it that the text is trying to tell me. Of course I want to choose life, wouldn't that be obvious? So then what is the text emphasizing? That we should worship the God of Israel and not other gods? I can see that, however the text seems to be screaming out something more than the fact that we ought to worship the God of Israel, the text seems to be suggesting that we have a choice in the matter!
Our sources have differing views on free will and the idea of choice; The Talmud, Judaism’s “case law”, takes a heavenly stance and argues that "No man can touch that which has been prepared in advance for his friend" (Yoma 38b), Kohelet, the Book of Ecclesiastes explains that “Never does a snake bite... or a government interfere in men's lives unless incited to do so from on high", here we see that both the Talmud and Kohelet argue for divinely inspired pre-determination.
On the other hand, the Rambam, Moses Maimonides, famous 12th century Jewish philosopher and legal writer, explains:
"רשות לכל אדם נתונה אם רצה להטות עצמו לדרך טובה ולהיות צדיק...ואם רצה להטות עצמו לדרך רעה...הרשות בידו..." (הלכות תשובה פרק ה' הלכה א)
“Man is capable either of rising to noble heights or of falling into a life of sin – the choice is his.”
I believe the quote assists us in understanding what it means to choose life. Our tradition is hinting of another important factor related to having the choice – the permission to choose. The term הרשות בידו used in the end of the Rambam’s quote is translated in English to “the choice is his”. Yet it omits the last word “b’yado”, in his hand, and fails to provide us with another take on the Rambam’s passage. In Hebrew the term הרשות בידו literally means “the permission is in his hand”. In English it is translated as choice. So we have choice, but what permission, or Reshut, is the Rambam talking about? The Rambam continues and explains that each and every individual has the capability, the permission if you will, to do what is right or what is wrong – the permission to do what is right or what is wrong.
So where does this permission come from?
I understand this permission to make choices as a result of those same choices we previously made. The verse in the Torah tells us that we are granted the permission to continue to choose, so long as we make the right choices and choose life and goodness.
An interesting point in the Deuteronomy verse is the acknowledgement of God’s role in our lives when God suggests: CHOOSE LIFE! To clarify this point, the text highlights God’s-self, admitting that we in fact have a choice.
So we choose the life we live… but what does it mean to choose life? Perhaps it means living a life of compassion for others (V’ahavta l’re’acha kamocha), giving tzedakah, seeking justice (tzedek tzedek tirdof), or caring for the environment.
Let’s take the environmental crisis the world faces today; if we continue to drain the earth of her natural resources such as water, oil, and the destruction of rain forests (to name a few), and humanity continues to take - only to give back our waste, then we ought not be surprised when earth in return offers a changing of climate and water levels, spreading arid land, famine, earthquakes, hurricanes, and more.
And so - we choose life! While Israel’s environmental policy requires lots of improvement, just as every country in the world – pollution is a problem – we cannot ignore all that has been accomplished by the Jewish People for the land of Israel over the past 100 years: greening the land, maintaining desertification, recycling sewage waters for agricultural purposes, the water-drip system, green houses scattered across the Negev desert, and additional ecological and agricultural advances that rival no other country or environmental organization in the world. And so through these decisions, permission is granted to choose in the form of continuous environmental development and improvment.
Similarly for each of us, when we look in the mirror and reflect on our actions, we will reveal that like Jacob in Genesis, the choice is ours – permission to maintain choice all depends on… well, the choices we make.
Every moment of our lives is filled with choices and every second that passes represents potential for bringing goodness to our lives and the lives of those around us. The choices we make carry consequences - these consequences are what permit us to have the option to choose. As the option in the verse mentioned above reads: “I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil…” God in fact urges us to “choose life”, for in reality - in death, choices are no longer ours.
Monday, September 29, 2008
An enlightened New Year - Shanna Tova 5769
Shalom,
As we reflect and prepare for our entry into another space and time, I would like to share with you some of my reflections.
The only references to this period of judgment we are entering is found in Leviticus 23:23, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall you have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of horns, a holy gathering.” and one in Numbers 29:1, “And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have an holy gathering; you shall do no labor; it is a day of blowing (the horn) for you.”
In each there is no mention of Rosh HaShanna rather – יום תרועה - A blasting day.
And so you may ask, then what does this reference to “a day of blowing the horn…” mean?
There are commentators that take this verse and apply it to the mitzvah of hearing the Shofar. The Talmud (Tractate Megillah 20a) explains that from here we learn that the Shofar is permitted to be heard all day, any time of the day – as it is said יוֹם תְּרוּעָה – a day of blasting.
R’ Shalom Noach Barzofsky, a early 20th century Hasidic master, explains, the language being used, “you should have a day of blasting”, יוֹם תְּרוּעָה יִהְיֶה לָכֶם: is not in command form, it does not tell us to “go and blast the shofar” as it would have said: Litko’ah shofar. Instead the language is passive. He goes further and explains that Rosh HaShanna, the very day itself, is in fact Yom Teru’a, a day whose core is a constant blast, a constant sounding of the horn; the essence of this day of judgement, the whole day itself, is one huge spiritual blast.
I pray we all merit a taste of such spiritual awareness and find ourselves living life as it should be.
Wishing us a year of health, happiness, and purpose.
Shanna Tova t’katevu u’techateimu
As we reflect and prepare for our entry into another space and time, I would like to share with you some of my reflections.
The only references to this period of judgment we are entering is found in Leviticus 23:23, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall you have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of horns, a holy gathering.” and one in Numbers 29:1, “And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have an holy gathering; you shall do no labor; it is a day of blowing (the horn) for you.”
In each there is no mention of Rosh HaShanna rather – יום תרועה - A blasting day.
And so you may ask, then what does this reference to “a day of blowing the horn…” mean?
There are commentators that take this verse and apply it to the mitzvah of hearing the Shofar. The Talmud (Tractate Megillah 20a) explains that from here we learn that the Shofar is permitted to be heard all day, any time of the day – as it is said יוֹם תְּרוּעָה – a day of blasting.
R’ Shalom Noach Barzofsky, a early 20th century Hasidic master, explains, the language being used, “you should have a day of blasting”, יוֹם תְּרוּעָה יִהְיֶה לָכֶם: is not in command form, it does not tell us to “go and blast the shofar” as it would have said: Litko’ah shofar. Instead the language is passive. He goes further and explains that Rosh HaShanna, the very day itself, is in fact Yom Teru’a, a day whose core is a constant blast, a constant sounding of the horn; the essence of this day of judgement, the whole day itself, is one huge spiritual blast.
I pray we all merit a taste of such spiritual awareness and find ourselves living life as it should be.
Wishing us a year of health, happiness, and purpose.
Shanna Tova t’katevu u’techateimu
Monday, September 1, 2008
Re'eh - Continuous Revelations
Shalom friends,
This week I had the priviledge of traveling to Poland with a good friend from the age of 5 (or so), Gil Weisblum. His father is a Holocaust survivor. Gil traveled with his family on a trip to Poland 15 years ago and saw “all that was needed to be seen”; his father’s village, the concentration camps, etc… Yet there was one stop he didn’t make, it was to his ancestor’s grave in Ljensk, Rabbi Elimelech Weisblum. Rabbi Elimelech was a Hasidic master, in the 18th century (1717), with a great following and lots of Torah to teach. And so, when Gil told me he was finally making this most meaningful pilgramige back to Poland, to visit this site, I thought this was an opportunity I did not want to miss.
My family also survived the Holocaust, my mother was born in Poland and made Aliyah at the age of 3. I thought, here I could visit the grave of a tzaddik, be a part of my friend’s journey, and personally fulfill a wish I had to visit and explore my own roots.
And yet, on this trip we experienced something we could not anticipate earlier – a transformative experience. There is something about memory that I find extraordinarily meaningful, it is through memory, connecting with our past, that we find ourselves equipped to live with meaning in the present and into the future. This trip was not only a Holocaust or “family roots” trip. It was a journey through one chapter of the Jewish narrative, a chapter overlooked - in the face of death and horror. On this journey we found sparks of light, remnants of a rich Jewish life, pre-Holocaust, saturated in learning, spiritual elevation, and community.
This week’s Torah portion, in Sefer Devarim (Deuteronomy), is Re’eh (See). The Israelites are to “See” (or behold) all the mitzvoth, commandments, and requirements God has put before them.
During our stop at Rabbi Elimelech’s grave, we studied some of his Torah, his commentary on this specifc Torah portion. In it Rabbi Elimelech speaks of the word Re’eh, and it’s present tense; not merely something that occurred at a specific moment, but rather a constant act, a continuous “seeing”.
In life we often find ourselves pushing forward, wanting to do things, in an attempt to realize our dreams and find meaning. It is important to look ahead and one day realize our aspirations, yet at times, tapping into our memory, looking back, is what provides us with the ability to See all that is constantly before us.
Shabbat shalom
This week I had the priviledge of traveling to Poland with a good friend from the age of 5 (or so), Gil Weisblum. His father is a Holocaust survivor. Gil traveled with his family on a trip to Poland 15 years ago and saw “all that was needed to be seen”; his father’s village, the concentration camps, etc… Yet there was one stop he didn’t make, it was to his ancestor’s grave in Ljensk, Rabbi Elimelech Weisblum. Rabbi Elimelech was a Hasidic master, in the 18th century (1717), with a great following and lots of Torah to teach. And so, when Gil told me he was finally making this most meaningful pilgramige back to Poland, to visit this site, I thought this was an opportunity I did not want to miss.
My family also survived the Holocaust, my mother was born in Poland and made Aliyah at the age of 3. I thought, here I could visit the grave of a tzaddik, be a part of my friend’s journey, and personally fulfill a wish I had to visit and explore my own roots.
And yet, on this trip we experienced something we could not anticipate earlier – a transformative experience. There is something about memory that I find extraordinarily meaningful, it is through memory, connecting with our past, that we find ourselves equipped to live with meaning in the present and into the future. This trip was not only a Holocaust or “family roots” trip. It was a journey through one chapter of the Jewish narrative, a chapter overlooked - in the face of death and horror. On this journey we found sparks of light, remnants of a rich Jewish life, pre-Holocaust, saturated in learning, spiritual elevation, and community.
This week’s Torah portion, in Sefer Devarim (Deuteronomy), is Re’eh (See). The Israelites are to “See” (or behold) all the mitzvoth, commandments, and requirements God has put before them.
During our stop at Rabbi Elimelech’s grave, we studied some of his Torah, his commentary on this specifc Torah portion. In it Rabbi Elimelech speaks of the word Re’eh, and it’s present tense; not merely something that occurred at a specific moment, but rather a constant act, a continuous “seeing”.
In life we often find ourselves pushing forward, wanting to do things, in an attempt to realize our dreams and find meaning. It is important to look ahead and one day realize our aspirations, yet at times, tapping into our memory, looking back, is what provides us with the ability to See all that is constantly before us.
Shabbat shalom
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Profile of a Rabbinical Student
JTS profiled me for their website. Check it out at http://www.jtsa.edu/x10636.xml
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