This week's Torah Gems were prepared by
Anochi Atoncha
Shabbat Parshat Va'etchanan
Shabbat Nachamu
Guard (Shamor) the Sabbath day to sanctify it, as Hashem, your God, commanded you (Devarim 5:12).
Rashi: Guard - But in the first version of the commandments it says 'remember (zachor).' Both words were said in the same utterance and as a single word, and they were heard as a single hearing.
Some earlier editions of Rashi read "Both words were said in the same utterance, and written as the same word"; that is, they miraculously appeared as a single word on the stone tablets (Artscroll Rashi)
Although there are other discrepancies between the wordings of the two versions of the Ten Commandments, they do not affect the plain meaning of the commandments. Rashi deals only with this one because it changes the entire nature of the commandment. For zachor (remember) implies a positive commandment, while shamor (guard) implies a negative one (Mizrachi.)
As we discussed in last week's Torah Gems, the words of a text possess no intrinsic meaning. Rather, they carry meaning as a boxcar carries cargo. The Rashi to our verse implies that whatever word Hashem actually spoke on Sinai, this word delivered (at least) two meanings: remember and guard.
Whereas we are able to hear and understand two meanings at once, most notation systems offer no way to describe the phenomenon in writing. Musical notation is the prominent exception. Indeed lyrics sung in a duet can provide shades of meaning as well as pitch.
Perhaps we may imagine that the commandments were sung in harmony by Hashem in multiple voices. Israel heard all the parts, but could only transcribe one set at a time. The rest of the meanings were transmitted orally down the chain of tradition to us today.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Shabbat Parshat Daevarim Shabbat Hazon
This week's Torah Gems were prepared by
Anochi Atoncha
Shabbat Parshat Daevarim
Shabbat Hazon
Eileh ha-DEVARIM asher diber Moshe el-kol-Yisroel
These are the WORDS which Moshe spoke to all Israel...
Polonius: ...What do you read, my lord?
Hamlet: Words, words, words (Act II, sc ii)
The underlying meaning of the root dalet-bet-resh (d-b-r) is uncertain, but probably means "go away" (Brown-Driver-Briggs). Gesenius suggests d-b-r means "range in order". A composite definition renders d-b-r as "go away in a particular direction."
Graphically, d-b-r may be represented as follows:
Fig. 1 (origin) (end point)
The arrow represents the root d-b-r itself. The arrow takes off from an origin, or starting point. The starting point may be God, a person's mouth, a corral, or a hive, as we will see shortly. The end point may be our ears, a patch of grass, or even the oblivion of death.
The arrow itself, the root d-b-r, branches in four directions in biblical Hebrew. Here are three of them:
1.
To go away into oblivion, to perish: This branch gives dever, pestilence, as in the fifth plague on Egypt (Shemot 9:1-7.)
2.
To lead away, to guide: This gives midbar and dover, the wilderness into which a shepherd leads cattle to graze; devorah, a swarm of bees that fly in a (bee) line; and dovrot, rafts that float away (Mlachim 5:23).
3.
To speak, to go away from the mouth in a sequence of words, as in l'dabber.
Branch number three gives us the title of our book. Devarim are words, things, and matters about which one speaks. They possess no intrinsic meaning, but they carry meaning as a boxcar carries cargo. Mathematicians may recognize devarim as vectors, constructs that possess only direction and magnitude. I prefer the biologists' definition of vector, i.e. a creature that carries a disease-causing agent on its back. For example, the deer tick itself doesn't carry Lyme disease: the tick is a vector that carries the germ that causes Lyme disease! L'havdil, devarim are vectors that transport meaning.
A useful analogy is the relationship of lock to key. A key may fit into many locks, but only certain pairs will fit correctly. Devarim may be thought of as keys that may fit into several locks, or meanings, but only certain key-lock pairs will convey meaning. A shared feature of devarim and keys is that both allow the existence of a master key: one key opens all members of a lock set; one devar unlocks a group of meanings.
We find the master key to understanding d-b-r in the fourth branch of meaning:
4.
Devir (dalet-vet-yud-resh) is a synonym for Kodesh Kodashim, the holy of holies, or the innermost chamber of the Beit HaMikdash. In the Shemona Esrei, the "avodah" prayer includes the words "v'hashayv et ha avodah li'devir baytecha" (restore the service to the holy of holies in Your house). The closest relation to devir is an Arabic word meaning "hindmost portion". Unlike the first three branches, devir refers to the origin of the vector, rather than to the end point.
The vector's origin is essential to understanding the meaning of d-b-r. Thus dever, pestilence, is judgment sent out by God. You send out your cattle from your corral/home to graze in the midbar. Devorah fly away from their hive/home led by their queen. And devarim are exquisitely sensitive to their speaker, or Speaker. The root d-b-r invites us to trace the arrow backwards to the origin where fuller understanding may be found.
Sefer Devarim is an invitation to trace words of Torah back to the Origin, where you may locate their essential meanings.
Ki mi-Tzion teitze torah, oo-DEVAR Hashem mYrushalim
For Torah goes forth from Zion, and the WORD of God from Jerusalem
Anochi Atoncha
Shabbat Parshat Daevarim
Shabbat Hazon
Eileh ha-DEVARIM asher diber Moshe el-kol-Yisroel
These are the WORDS which Moshe spoke to all Israel...
Polonius: ...What do you read, my lord?
Hamlet: Words, words, words (Act II, sc ii)
The underlying meaning of the root dalet-bet-resh (d-b-r) is uncertain, but probably means "go away" (Brown-Driver-Briggs). Gesenius suggests d-b-r means "range in order". A composite definition renders d-b-r as "go away in a particular direction."
Graphically, d-b-r may be represented as follows:
Fig. 1 (origin) (end point)
The arrow represents the root d-b-r itself. The arrow takes off from an origin, or starting point. The starting point may be God, a person's mouth, a corral, or a hive, as we will see shortly. The end point may be our ears, a patch of grass, or even the oblivion of death.
The arrow itself, the root d-b-r, branches in four directions in biblical Hebrew. Here are three of them:
1.
To go away into oblivion, to perish: This branch gives dever, pestilence, as in the fifth plague on Egypt (Shemot 9:1-7.)
2.
To lead away, to guide: This gives midbar and dover, the wilderness into which a shepherd leads cattle to graze; devorah, a swarm of bees that fly in a (bee) line; and dovrot, rafts that float away (Mlachim 5:23).
3.
To speak, to go away from the mouth in a sequence of words, as in l'dabber.
Branch number three gives us the title of our book. Devarim are words, things, and matters about which one speaks. They possess no intrinsic meaning, but they carry meaning as a boxcar carries cargo. Mathematicians may recognize devarim as vectors, constructs that possess only direction and magnitude. I prefer the biologists' definition of vector, i.e. a creature that carries a disease-causing agent on its back. For example, the deer tick itself doesn't carry Lyme disease: the tick is a vector that carries the germ that causes Lyme disease! L'havdil, devarim are vectors that transport meaning.
A useful analogy is the relationship of lock to key. A key may fit into many locks, but only certain pairs will fit correctly. Devarim may be thought of as keys that may fit into several locks, or meanings, but only certain key-lock pairs will convey meaning. A shared feature of devarim and keys is that both allow the existence of a master key: one key opens all members of a lock set; one devar unlocks a group of meanings.
We find the master key to understanding d-b-r in the fourth branch of meaning:
4.
Devir (dalet-vet-yud-resh) is a synonym for Kodesh Kodashim, the holy of holies, or the innermost chamber of the Beit HaMikdash. In the Shemona Esrei, the "avodah" prayer includes the words "v'hashayv et ha avodah li'devir baytecha" (restore the service to the holy of holies in Your house). The closest relation to devir is an Arabic word meaning "hindmost portion". Unlike the first three branches, devir refers to the origin of the vector, rather than to the end point.
The vector's origin is essential to understanding the meaning of d-b-r. Thus dever, pestilence, is judgment sent out by God. You send out your cattle from your corral/home to graze in the midbar. Devorah fly away from their hive/home led by their queen. And devarim are exquisitely sensitive to their speaker, or Speaker. The root d-b-r invites us to trace the arrow backwards to the origin where fuller understanding may be found.
Sefer Devarim is an invitation to trace words of Torah back to the Origin, where you may locate their essential meanings.
Ki mi-Tzion teitze torah, oo-DEVAR Hashem mYrushalim
For Torah goes forth from Zion, and the WORD of God from Jerusalem
Shabbat Parshat Pinchas
This week's Torah Gems were prepared by
Adam Solomon
Shabbat Parshat Pinchas
This week's parasha, Pinchas, is greatly concerned with the issue of leadership and the need to prepare for a transfer of power from one generation to another. This is in preparation for entering Eretz Israel. The tititular Pinchas and his descendants are awarded with the permanent status of kohen as a reward for his zealous actions in last week's parasha. According to the prolific French Medieval commentator Rashi, this was made explicit since Pinchas' birth preceded Aharon and his sons being anointed and as a result Pinchas and his offspring would not otherwise have been kohenim.
HaShem tells Moshe that he will not be entering Eretz Israel and that he needs to designate Joshua as a successor. In this instance, Moshe displays the humility for which he is so well known in our tradition and doesn't argue that he should be allowed to enter the land.
In preparation for a generational transfer and the subsequent conquest of Eretz Israel, another census is taken, inheritances among the tribes are designated. We also have the famous incident with Zelophehad's daughter's in which the initial laws of inheritance are amended to allow daughters to inherit if they have no brothers. To a modern eye this patriarchal bias is troubling, though we can take some comfort in realizing that even as Jewish law was being formulated, it was open to amendment and interpretation.
The parasha finishes with a description of some of the sacrifices to be offered on the festivals, going into some detail for the Sukkot sacrifices. Rashi notes that through the whole holiday of Sukkot sacrifices are made for the benefit of all the nations of the world, but on the last day only one is made, being for Israel alone. This last day (Shemini Atzeret) is a day for Jews and HaShem only -- making Shemini Atzeret into Sukkot's "after party", if you will.
"one bull, one ram". These correspond to Israel. [God said,] "Remain with Me a little longer." It expresses [His] affection [for Israel]. It is like children taking leave of their father, who says to them, "It is difficult for me to part with you; stay one more day." It is analogous to a king who made a banquet, etc. [and on the last day, his closest friend makes a small banquet for the king] as is stated in Tractate Sukkah [55b]. In the Midrash of R. Tanchuma (Pinchas 16) [it says]: The Torah teaches common courtesy. Someone who has a guest, [and wants him to feel at home,] on the first day, he should serve him fattened poultry, on the following day he should serve him fish, on the following day beef, on the following day pulses, and on the following day vegetables, progressively diminishing, as in the case of the festival bulls. - from Rashi's commentary on Pinchas
Former chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary, Rabbi Ismar Schorsch noted that Rashi departed from previous interpretations of Sukkot that were universalist in nature. It was traditionally thought that Sukkot was the time when HaShem decided how much rain the entire world would receive and the sacrifice of 70 bulls was on behalf of all the nations of the world. (see http://www.jtsa.edu/PreBuilt/ParashahArchives/5755/pinhas.shtml). I find the idea that we're in that select group that gets to hang out after the party for one more drink with the host captivating. I just hope that I remember this on Shemini Atzeret after a week of sukkah- hopping.
The Jewish values illustrated by this parasha are invaluable - humility in leadership, preparation for handing off responsibilities to the next generation, the importance of hospitality. These are values that I hope we can carry out of this Shabbat and into the rest of the week.
Shabbat Shalom,
Adam
Adam Solomon
Shabbat Parshat Pinchas
This week's parasha, Pinchas, is greatly concerned with the issue of leadership and the need to prepare for a transfer of power from one generation to another. This is in preparation for entering Eretz Israel. The tititular Pinchas and his descendants are awarded with the permanent status of kohen as a reward for his zealous actions in last week's parasha. According to the prolific French Medieval commentator Rashi, this was made explicit since Pinchas' birth preceded Aharon and his sons being anointed and as a result Pinchas and his offspring would not otherwise have been kohenim.
HaShem tells Moshe that he will not be entering Eretz Israel and that he needs to designate Joshua as a successor. In this instance, Moshe displays the humility for which he is so well known in our tradition and doesn't argue that he should be allowed to enter the land.
In preparation for a generational transfer and the subsequent conquest of Eretz Israel, another census is taken, inheritances among the tribes are designated. We also have the famous incident with Zelophehad's daughter's in which the initial laws of inheritance are amended to allow daughters to inherit if they have no brothers. To a modern eye this patriarchal bias is troubling, though we can take some comfort in realizing that even as Jewish law was being formulated, it was open to amendment and interpretation.
The parasha finishes with a description of some of the sacrifices to be offered on the festivals, going into some detail for the Sukkot sacrifices. Rashi notes that through the whole holiday of Sukkot sacrifices are made for the benefit of all the nations of the world, but on the last day only one is made, being for Israel alone. This last day (Shemini Atzeret) is a day for Jews and HaShem only -- making Shemini Atzeret into Sukkot's "after party", if you will.
"one bull, one ram". These correspond to Israel. [God said,] "Remain with Me a little longer." It expresses [His] affection [for Israel]. It is like children taking leave of their father, who says to them, "It is difficult for me to part with you; stay one more day." It is analogous to a king who made a banquet, etc. [and on the last day, his closest friend makes a small banquet for the king] as is stated in Tractate Sukkah [55b]. In the Midrash of R. Tanchuma (Pinchas 16) [it says]: The Torah teaches common courtesy. Someone who has a guest, [and wants him to feel at home,] on the first day, he should serve him fattened poultry, on the following day he should serve him fish, on the following day beef, on the following day pulses, and on the following day vegetables, progressively diminishing, as in the case of the festival bulls. - from Rashi's commentary on Pinchas
Former chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary, Rabbi Ismar Schorsch noted that Rashi departed from previous interpretations of Sukkot that were universalist in nature. It was traditionally thought that Sukkot was the time when HaShem decided how much rain the entire world would receive and the sacrifice of 70 bulls was on behalf of all the nations of the world. (see http://www.jtsa.edu/PreBuilt/ParashahArchives/5755/pinhas.shtml). I find the idea that we're in that select group that gets to hang out after the party for one more drink with the host captivating. I just hope that I remember this on Shemini Atzeret after a week of sukkah- hopping.
The Jewish values illustrated by this parasha are invaluable - humility in leadership, preparation for handing off responsibilities to the next generation, the importance of hospitality. These are values that I hope we can carry out of this Shabbat and into the rest of the week.
Shabbat Shalom,
Adam
Shabbat Parshat Chukat-Balak
This week's Torah Gems were prepared by
Anochi Atoncha
Shabbat Parshat Chukat-Balak
Hukkat-Balak
Angelology - Part IV
The angel of Hashem said to Balaam, 'Go with the men, but only the word that I shall speak to you, that shall you speak.' (Bamidbar 22:35)
Rashi: But only - this means against your will...
Our verse occurs at the end of what is perhaps the strangest angel narrative in Tanakh. Balaam wakes early in the morning and saddles his donkey. Rashi explains that Balaam's hatred of Israel was so great that he couldn't wait for his servants to saddle the donkey, so that he could get on with the business of cursing Israel.
Hashem sends an angel to intercept Balaam, presumably to stop him from delivering a curse that might bring about Israel's destruction. But first the angel appears only to Balaam's donkey, blocking her path. After receiving a savage beating at the hands of her master, the donkey speaks:
"What have I done to you that you have struck me these three times?"
Balaam registers not even a hint of surprise that his donkey speaks! Instead, he answers her as though speaking to a servant.
"Because you have mocked me! If there were a sword in my hand I would now have killed you!"
The donkey said to Balaam, "is it not that I am your donkey, that you have ridden upon me from your inception until this day? Have I been accustomed to do such a thing to you?"
He said, "No."
Let us review the principles of angelology in the Tanakh and test them against the Balaam narrative.
1.
An angel's message changes the course of history.
King Balak had been gearing up to demolish Israel. Had Hashem not sent an angel to intercept Balaam, Balak may have succeeded.
2.
An angel's message compels Biblical characters to do things they wouldn't otherwise do.
If Balaam had meant to bless Israel rather than curse her, there would have been no need for an angel! Rather, Balaam was in such a hurry to curse Israel that he woke up early and saddled his talking donkey! Clearly, he needed to be stopped.
3.
An angel delivers one message, and then disappears.
Indeed, verse quoted at the top comprises the last words we hear from the angel. What distinguish this angel narrative are the angel's actions before he delivers his message to Balaam.
Why does the angel appear at first only to the donkey? Perhaps he hoped to carry out his mission by misdirecting donkey so that Balaam would never arrive at his destination. Why then does the angel cause the donkey to speak? Perhaps he hoped to scare Balaam into turning back. When this strategy fails, he finally appears to Balaam and speaks to him directly.
From this we may derive a fourth principle of angelology: If the angel doesn't deliver his message on the first try, he keeps at it until he succeeds. Another example of a persistent angel is found at Shoftim chapter 13 (the narrative of Manoach and his wife. Pay particular attention to the difficulty Manoach has understanding the angel's message. Also note the angel's dramatic exit strategy!)
Anochi Atoncha
Shabbat Parshat Chukat-Balak
Hukkat-Balak
Angelology - Part IV
The angel of Hashem said to Balaam, 'Go with the men, but only the word that I shall speak to you, that shall you speak.' (Bamidbar 22:35)
Rashi: But only - this means against your will...
Our verse occurs at the end of what is perhaps the strangest angel narrative in Tanakh. Balaam wakes early in the morning and saddles his donkey. Rashi explains that Balaam's hatred of Israel was so great that he couldn't wait for his servants to saddle the donkey, so that he could get on with the business of cursing Israel.
Hashem sends an angel to intercept Balaam, presumably to stop him from delivering a curse that might bring about Israel's destruction. But first the angel appears only to Balaam's donkey, blocking her path. After receiving a savage beating at the hands of her master, the donkey speaks:
"What have I done to you that you have struck me these three times?"
Balaam registers not even a hint of surprise that his donkey speaks! Instead, he answers her as though speaking to a servant.
"Because you have mocked me! If there were a sword in my hand I would now have killed you!"
The donkey said to Balaam, "is it not that I am your donkey, that you have ridden upon me from your inception until this day? Have I been accustomed to do such a thing to you?"
He said, "No."
Let us review the principles of angelology in the Tanakh and test them against the Balaam narrative.
1.
An angel's message changes the course of history.
King Balak had been gearing up to demolish Israel. Had Hashem not sent an angel to intercept Balaam, Balak may have succeeded.
2.
An angel's message compels Biblical characters to do things they wouldn't otherwise do.
If Balaam had meant to bless Israel rather than curse her, there would have been no need for an angel! Rather, Balaam was in such a hurry to curse Israel that he woke up early and saddled his talking donkey! Clearly, he needed to be stopped.
3.
An angel delivers one message, and then disappears.
Indeed, verse quoted at the top comprises the last words we hear from the angel. What distinguish this angel narrative are the angel's actions before he delivers his message to Balaam.
Why does the angel appear at first only to the donkey? Perhaps he hoped to carry out his mission by misdirecting donkey so that Balaam would never arrive at his destination. Why then does the angel cause the donkey to speak? Perhaps he hoped to scare Balaam into turning back. When this strategy fails, he finally appears to Balaam and speaks to him directly.
From this we may derive a fourth principle of angelology: If the angel doesn't deliver his message on the first try, he keeps at it until he succeeds. Another example of a persistent angel is found at Shoftim chapter 13 (the narrative of Manoach and his wife. Pay particular attention to the difficulty Manoach has understanding the angel's message. Also note the angel's dramatic exit strategy!)
Shabbat Parshat Korach
This week's Torah Gems were prepared by
Anochi Atoncha
Shabbat Parshat Korach
"If Hashem will create a creation, and the ground will open its mouth and swallow them and all that is theirs, and they will descend alive to the pit, then you shall know that these men have provoked Hashem!" (Bemidbar 16:30)
Rashi: If Hashem will create a creation - ...to put them to death through a death through which no person has died up to this point.
Associated Press - Tue Jun 23, 2009; EIN GEDI, Israel - Eli Raz was peering into a narrow hole in the Dead Sea shore when the earth opened up and swallowed him.
Clearly, a hole in the earth that swallows humans is not a new creation. To the contrary, in this part of the world this odd phenomenon happens all the time... most recently last Tuesday.
So what does the Torah mean when it says "b'riah yivra Hashem", Hashem will create a creation? Rashi, who appears to have known about Middle Eastern sink hole hazards, explains that it is not the hole itself that is the creation, rather it is the manner of death of Korach and his gang. In fact, verse 29 suggests that the rebels will die no matter what the outcome of Moses' challenge.
"If these men die like the death of all men, and the destiny of all men is visited upon them, it is not Hashem Who has sent me."
What kind of death is this? The Torah does not say. In fact, we are told twice that the men are swallowed alive by the earth! So it could be the case that punishment visited on the rebels is a kind of suspended death, in which they are forced to spend eternity in a hole, not dead, and yet not really alive.
But the punishment is worse even than this. Pirkei Avot teaches that "an argument for the sake of Heaven will endure; an argument not for the sake of Heaven will not endure." Korach's rebellion is then offered as the paradigm of the argument not for the sake for Heaven.
So Korach's punishment is that he and his co-conspirators must spend eternity bearing witness to the death of their argument with Moses.
Anochi Atoncha
Shabbat Parshat Korach
"If Hashem will create a creation, and the ground will open its mouth and swallow them and all that is theirs, and they will descend alive to the pit, then you shall know that these men have provoked Hashem!" (Bemidbar 16:30)
Rashi: If Hashem will create a creation - ...to put them to death through a death through which no person has died up to this point.
Associated Press - Tue Jun 23, 2009; EIN GEDI, Israel - Eli Raz was peering into a narrow hole in the Dead Sea shore when the earth opened up and swallowed him.
Clearly, a hole in the earth that swallows humans is not a new creation. To the contrary, in this part of the world this odd phenomenon happens all the time... most recently last Tuesday.
So what does the Torah mean when it says "b'riah yivra Hashem", Hashem will create a creation? Rashi, who appears to have known about Middle Eastern sink hole hazards, explains that it is not the hole itself that is the creation, rather it is the manner of death of Korach and his gang. In fact, verse 29 suggests that the rebels will die no matter what the outcome of Moses' challenge.
"If these men die like the death of all men, and the destiny of all men is visited upon them, it is not Hashem Who has sent me."
What kind of death is this? The Torah does not say. In fact, we are told twice that the men are swallowed alive by the earth! So it could be the case that punishment visited on the rebels is a kind of suspended death, in which they are forced to spend eternity in a hole, not dead, and yet not really alive.
But the punishment is worse even than this. Pirkei Avot teaches that "an argument for the sake of Heaven will endure; an argument not for the sake of Heaven will not endure." Korach's rebellion is then offered as the paradigm of the argument not for the sake for Heaven.
So Korach's punishment is that he and his co-conspirators must spend eternity bearing witness to the death of their argument with Moses.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Parashat Shlach L’cha
KI Torah Gems, Parashat Shlach L’cha
This week’s parasha features the famous incident of the 12 scouts sent to examine the Land of Israel. Ten of the spies bring a negative report (laced with some truth – that the land is flowing with milk and honey). On the basis of this, the children of Israel panic and to some extent repeat the sin of the golden calf. G-d threatens to destroy them and Moses intercedes on their behalf, again echoing the events surrounding the golden calf. The generation which committed the sins of the Golden Calf and lost faith due to the scouts’ report is destined to die out in the desert. They attempt to force an entry into the land against Moses’ instructions and fail disastrously.
Rashi, the prolific French medieval commentator, notes that in BT Megillah 23b the verse at chapter 14 line 27 is cited as the textual source for minyanim being composed of ten adults. “The Lord spoke further to Moses and Aaron, 27 "How much longer shall that wicked community keep muttering against Me?”. This means that our definition of what constitutes a community for prayer – the number of people that allow us to make the call to prayer, to say the various kinds of kaddish, and conduct a Torah reading – is derived from one of the low points of Jewish history. Indeed, it is traditionally understood that the day of the scouts’ negative report was the 9th of Av, the day that became the saddest day in the Jewish calendar.
I wonder if on some level deriving the minyan from the number of scouts who delivered the bad report represents a takkanah; an effort to repair our ancestors’ mistake. Every time we gather to daven in a minyan whether it is to bentch the birkat ha-mazon after kiddush or three times daily in the Rabb Chapel downstairs we’re undoing some of the damage done by the minyan of scouts who caused B’nei Israel to lose faith. A community of people can do damage or it can do mitzvot and acts of loving-kindness (gimilut chesed). In and of itself a community is a neutral entity, what we do with that community and the strength that it gives us is what counts.
This week’s parasha features the famous incident of the 12 scouts sent to examine the Land of Israel. Ten of the spies bring a negative report (laced with some truth – that the land is flowing with milk and honey). On the basis of this, the children of Israel panic and to some extent repeat the sin of the golden calf. G-d threatens to destroy them and Moses intercedes on their behalf, again echoing the events surrounding the golden calf. The generation which committed the sins of the Golden Calf and lost faith due to the scouts’ report is destined to die out in the desert. They attempt to force an entry into the land against Moses’ instructions and fail disastrously.
Rashi, the prolific French medieval commentator, notes that in BT Megillah 23b the verse at chapter 14 line 27 is cited as the textual source for minyanim being composed of ten adults. “The Lord spoke further to Moses and Aaron, 27 "How much longer shall that wicked community keep muttering against Me?”. This means that our definition of what constitutes a community for prayer – the number of people that allow us to make the call to prayer, to say the various kinds of kaddish, and conduct a Torah reading – is derived from one of the low points of Jewish history. Indeed, it is traditionally understood that the day of the scouts’ negative report was the 9th of Av, the day that became the saddest day in the Jewish calendar.
I wonder if on some level deriving the minyan from the number of scouts who delivered the bad report represents a takkanah; an effort to repair our ancestors’ mistake. Every time we gather to daven in a minyan whether it is to bentch the birkat ha-mazon after kiddush or three times daily in the Rabb Chapel downstairs we’re undoing some of the damage done by the minyan of scouts who caused B’nei Israel to lose faith. A community of people can do damage or it can do mitzvot and acts of loving-kindness (gimilut chesed). In and of itself a community is a neutral entity, what we do with that community and the strength that it gives us is what counts.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Shabbat Parshat Naso
Torah Gems -
June 5 2009 / 13 Sivan
This week's Torah Gems were prepared by
Anochi Atoncha
Shabbat Parshat Naso
The kohen shall now adjure the woman with the oath of the curse, and the kohen shall say to the woman, "May the Lord make you for a curse and an oath among your people, when the Lord causes your thigh to rupture and your belly to swell. For these curse-bearing waters shall enter your innards, causing the belly to swell and the thigh to rupture," and the woman shall say, "Amen, amen." Then the kohen shall write these curses on a scroll and erase it in the bitter water. (Bamidbar 5:21-23)
Great is peace! For to make peace between husband and wife, the Torah instructs that the name of G-d, written in holiness, should be blotted out in water. (TB Chullin 141a)
Parashat Sotah, regarding the suspected adulteress, is often misunderstood as an episode of unfair and unjust persecution of a wife by her husband. The quotation above from Tractate Chullin informs us that the rabbis understood the sotah ritual differently. They understood the ritual as a means to elevate the principle of shalom bayit (peace in the home).
Rav Tvi Leshem explains that the case of the sotah involves a woman who is not necessarily guilty of adultery, but neither is she necessarily innocent, as she has already been seen alone with a man who is not her husband:
[The woman's] flirtatious behavior leads her husband to formally warn her not to seclude herself with a certain main. Disregarding his warning, they again seclude themselves and there is now a halachic presumption that relations have taken place. If this is the case, her husband must divorce her. The sotah procedures come in order to permit husband and wife to remain together. According to Levinas, the importance of this procedure is that the case is taken out of the hands of the husband (who in the ancient world could simply murder his wife), and placed under the responsibility of an outside judicial body.
The sotah ritual is more a remedy for a jealous husband than a punishment for a wayward wife. The Torah recognizes that human passions can destroy marriages. In order to preserve shalom bayit, and by extension the integrity of the community at large, the Torah douses jealousy with water, and in so doing guides husbands and wives back into each others' arms.
June 5 2009 / 13 Sivan
This week's Torah Gems were prepared by
Anochi Atoncha
Shabbat Parshat Naso
The kohen shall now adjure the woman with the oath of the curse, and the kohen shall say to the woman, "May the Lord make you for a curse and an oath among your people, when the Lord causes your thigh to rupture and your belly to swell. For these curse-bearing waters shall enter your innards, causing the belly to swell and the thigh to rupture," and the woman shall say, "Amen, amen." Then the kohen shall write these curses on a scroll and erase it in the bitter water. (Bamidbar 5:21-23)
Great is peace! For to make peace between husband and wife, the Torah instructs that the name of G-d, written in holiness, should be blotted out in water. (TB Chullin 141a)
Parashat Sotah, regarding the suspected adulteress, is often misunderstood as an episode of unfair and unjust persecution of a wife by her husband. The quotation above from Tractate Chullin informs us that the rabbis understood the sotah ritual differently. They understood the ritual as a means to elevate the principle of shalom bayit (peace in the home).
Rav Tvi Leshem explains that the case of the sotah involves a woman who is not necessarily guilty of adultery, but neither is she necessarily innocent, as she has already been seen alone with a man who is not her husband:
[The woman's] flirtatious behavior leads her husband to formally warn her not to seclude herself with a certain main. Disregarding his warning, they again seclude themselves and there is now a halachic presumption that relations have taken place. If this is the case, her husband must divorce her. The sotah procedures come in order to permit husband and wife to remain together. According to Levinas, the importance of this procedure is that the case is taken out of the hands of the husband (who in the ancient world could simply murder his wife), and placed under the responsibility of an outside judicial body.
The sotah ritual is more a remedy for a jealous husband than a punishment for a wayward wife. The Torah recognizes that human passions can destroy marriages. In order to preserve shalom bayit, and by extension the integrity of the community at large, the Torah douses jealousy with water, and in so doing guides husbands and wives back into each others' arms.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Shabbat Parshat Bamidbar
Torah Gems - May 22 2009 / 28 Iyar
This week's Torah Gems were prepared by
Francine Aaron
Shabbat Parshat Bamidbar
The first parsha of the book of Numbers, Bamidbar, discusses the census of the men of military age; the arrangement and order in which the people were to proceed on their journey; and the work of the Levites.
There is an interesting connection between the census and the work of the Levites.The census of the men of military age was to be done personally - by a head count.They were to pass before Moses and Aaron and give their names.This is an extremely respectful way of counting.It is God's way of showing the importance of each individual, and showing that each individual should be looked at carefully and seen clearly.This is appropriate looking.
Concerning the work of the Levites which was to take care of the Tabernacle and its furniture and guard it and carry it, Moses and Aaron are told several times to take great care that only those whose job it is may lookthe Tabernacle and its contents.Chaptergoes into very great detail about how the parts of the Tabernacle were to be wrapped when in transit, so that no danger would befall the Kohatites, whose job it was to carry the Tabernacle.If they were to see the actual items uncovered it would be considered inappropriate looking and the punishment was severe.Why? One commentator (Hirsch) says the danger is that the object might come to be considered more important than the spirit which it represents
- thus losing sight of what really matters. We are shown how extremely important it is to see to the heart of the matter.
In between the census and the work of the Levites, is the arrangement of the group and the order in which they were to journey.They are to proceed in a formation which surrounds the Tabernacle
- each tribe having its specific place in the outer square, and the Levites in the inner square, with the Tabernacle, which is the heart of the people, in the center.God, like a good parent, shows the people how to maintain order, so that they will be seen as a group which knows what it is doing, and a group to be respected and taken seriously, and therefore a group which will succeed.
Shabbat Shalom
Francine Aaron
This week's Torah Gems were prepared by
Francine Aaron
Shabbat Parshat Bamidbar
The first parsha of the book of Numbers, Bamidbar, discusses the census of the men of military age; the arrangement and order in which the people were to proceed on their journey; and the work of the Levites.
There is an interesting connection between the census and the work of the Levites.The census of the men of military age was to be done personally - by a head count.They were to pass before Moses and Aaron and give their names.This is an extremely respectful way of counting.It is God's way of showing the importance of each individual, and showing that each individual should be looked at carefully and seen clearly.This is appropriate looking.
Concerning the work of the Levites which was to take care of the Tabernacle and its furniture and guard it and carry it, Moses and Aaron are told several times to take great care that only those whose job it is may lookthe Tabernacle and its contents.Chaptergoes into very great detail about how the parts of the Tabernacle were to be wrapped when in transit, so that no danger would befall the Kohatites, whose job it was to carry the Tabernacle.If they were to see the actual items uncovered it would be considered inappropriate looking and the punishment was severe.Why? One commentator (Hirsch) says the danger is that the object might come to be considered more important than the spirit which it represents
- thus losing sight of what really matters. We are shown how extremely important it is to see to the heart of the matter.
In between the census and the work of the Levites, is the arrangement of the group and the order in which they were to journey.They are to proceed in a formation which surrounds the Tabernacle
- each tribe having its specific place in the outer square, and the Levites in the inner square, with the Tabernacle, which is the heart of the people, in the center.God, like a good parent, shows the people how to maintain order, so that they will be seen as a group which knows what it is doing, and a group to be respected and taken seriously, and therefore a group which will succeed.
Shabbat Shalom
Francine Aaron
Friday, May 15, 2009
Shabbat Parshat Behar-Bechukotai
This week's Torah Gems were prepared by Jennifer Rudin
Shabbat Parshat Behar-Bechukotai
Assorted thoughts on the parshiot compiled by, and commented on, by Jennifer Rudin
The Parshah in a Nutshell (www.chabad.org)On the mountain of Sinai, G-d communicates to Moses the laws of the sabbatical year: every seventh year, all work on the land should cease, and its produce becomes free for the taking for all, man and beast.Seven sabbatical cycles are followed by a fiftieth year -- the jubilee year, on which work on the land ceases, all indentured servants are set free, and all ancestral estates in the Holy Land that have been sold revert to their original owners. Additional laws governing the sale of lands and the prohibitions against fraud and usury are also given.G-d promises that if the people of Israel will keep His commandments, they will enjoy material prosperity and dwell secure in their homeland. But He also delivers a harsh "rebuke" warning of the exile, persecution and other evils that will befall them if they abandon their covenant with Him. Nevertheless, "Even when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away; nor will I ever abhor them, to destroy them and to break My covenant with them; for I am the L-rd their G-d."The Parshah concludes with the rules on how to calculate the value of different types of pledges made to G-d.
What did we really receive at Mt. Sinai?
And G-d spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying... (Leviticus 25:1)What has the sabbatical year to do with Mount Sinai? Were not all commandments given on Sinai? But the verse wishes to tell us: just as with the Sabbatical year both its general principle and its minute details were ordained on Mount Sinai, so, too, was it with all the Commandments--their general principle as well as their minute details were ordained on Mount Sinai.(Torat Kohanim; Rashi)Rabbi Ishmael says: The general principles of the Torah were given at Sinai, and the details [when G-d spoke to Moses] in the Tent of Meeting.Rabbi Akiva says: The general principle and the details were given at Sinai. They were then repeated in the Tent of Meeting, and enjoined a third time in the Plains of Moab.Believing that each of us, each and every one of us, were present at Sinai on the very day that G-d spoke to us we might ask ourselves, what did we hear that day, that very day, with our own ears? Did we hear general principles and do we then develop and infer the details later, throughout our lives? Did we hear both the principles and the details on that day and is it our task to synthesize and integrate that which we heard into our very being throughout our lives? Or, did we "hear" nothing at all? Was it the visceral experience of standing at Sinai that informs our day-to-day lives challenging us to grapple with our personal and communal experience, to make sense of what we lived, and to live what makes sense?
We just got here and we're already taking a break?
When you come into the land which I give you, the land shall rest a sabbath unto G-d (25:2)What an interesting concept. We have traveled forty years through the desert, away from a life of slavery, towards a life of freedom and all that was Divinely promised to us, and when we arrive the first thing we are told to do is take a break, slow down, survey our new surroundings, take some time to understand this, our ultimate destination. Can you even imagine that in this day and age? You have a goal, let's say buying a home. You develop a plan, search for the perfect place, jump through the hoops of purchasing your new home and when you finally get the keys, you unlock the door, walk in and wait...change nothing for a year, just live in the place where you have arrived. It might be hard to imagine doing but if you could what a gift it would be. A year to settle in. To survey your new surroundings. To develop an understanding of, and appreciation for, the place where you have finally arrived. Imagine the impact of this shmitah year on your entire future. Just imagine, and the next time you arrive at your newest destination, think about giving it a try, if not for a year at least for a few days. Understanding your new reality before attempting to alter it could make all the difference in the world. This week is brought to you by the number 7...If this week's portion was a Sesame Street episode, it would begin, "This week is being brought to you by the number "7" and the concept "Shabbat." In verse 26:18 God promises to discipline the Israelites 'sevenfold' for their sins and the Rabbis then find the seven steps (one leading to the next- from not studying Torah and doing the Mitzvot all the way to denying God and God's covenant) hinted in the Torah text (Lev. 26:14-5). Rashi furher enumerates seven punishments (on Lev. 26:31) found in the preceding verses to parallel these seven sins. Seven is a key number in Judaism, and this week we are in the middle of three cycles of seven: the regular seven day weekly cycle, the seven weeks of counting between Pesach and Shavuot, and this week's portion that talks about the largest cycle: the seven year cycle ending with the Sabbatical year, and the sevenfold cycle of 49 years that concludes with the jubilee year. There are actually two sabbatical years described in the Torah. In our portion, the focus is on the agricultural (environmental) application. The land is to lie fallow, a Shabbat for the land. In Deuteronomy, the seventh year is called 'shmitah', and all outstanding debts are cancelled. The Torah connects how we treat the land to our relationship with the poor. Just as the weekly Shabbat restores our spirit, the sabbatical and jubilee years were to help society as a whole redefine itself in non-economic terms. Although there is historical evidence that some of the agricultural restrictions were observed, the Rabbis understood that the financial hardships of the sabbatical and jubilee years were not practical, and various legal loopholes virtually abrogated the restrictions of the shmitah year. The jubilee year, (where land was to revert to its original owners, and Hebrew slaves receive their liberty) perhaps reflects a utopian vision that was likely an expression of a social ideal, and was not ever practiced. This week, we are also in the middle of the period of counting-- called 'sefirat ha'omer' between Passover and Shavuot. The structure of the seven weeks of counting of the Omer, 7x7=49 days plus Shavuot-- the fiftieth day parallels the seven times seven years plus the 50th Yovel (Jubilee) year. Shavuot is a renewal of the covenant between God and the Jewish people, like the Jubilee year was a renewal of contracts. The word 'sefirah' (counting) also has another meaning (and connection to seven). In the Kabbalistic sphere, God's emanations were described with ten attributes, and the first three, Chochmah, Binah and Daat (different kinds of wisdom) are solely in the divine realm. The remaining seven emanations, also called sefirot, serve as a map of attributes that we can manifest in our lives. Naturally, there is a tradition that links these seven kabbalistic 'sefirot' with each week of counting the omer.
In honour of this week's recognition of the important role of the number 7 in Jewish life, here are seven ways to save the planet...
1. Make a list of your water usage and decide how you could reduce your use.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and appliances and replace them with energy saving ones.
3. Go for a walk in nature; read Psalm 104.
4. Plant some seeds, design a garden, or plant a tree.
5. Reduce the amount of garbage you produce by composting, recycling and purchasing less.
6. Avoid using your car. Cycle, walk, or use public transit.
7. Eat healthy, locally grown food.
Shabbat Parshat Behar-Bechukotai
Assorted thoughts on the parshiot compiled by, and commented on, by Jennifer Rudin
The Parshah in a Nutshell (www.chabad.org)On the mountain of Sinai, G-d communicates to Moses the laws of the sabbatical year: every seventh year, all work on the land should cease, and its produce becomes free for the taking for all, man and beast.Seven sabbatical cycles are followed by a fiftieth year -- the jubilee year, on which work on the land ceases, all indentured servants are set free, and all ancestral estates in the Holy Land that have been sold revert to their original owners. Additional laws governing the sale of lands and the prohibitions against fraud and usury are also given.G-d promises that if the people of Israel will keep His commandments, they will enjoy material prosperity and dwell secure in their homeland. But He also delivers a harsh "rebuke" warning of the exile, persecution and other evils that will befall them if they abandon their covenant with Him. Nevertheless, "Even when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away; nor will I ever abhor them, to destroy them and to break My covenant with them; for I am the L-rd their G-d."The Parshah concludes with the rules on how to calculate the value of different types of pledges made to G-d.
What did we really receive at Mt. Sinai?
And G-d spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying... (Leviticus 25:1)What has the sabbatical year to do with Mount Sinai? Were not all commandments given on Sinai? But the verse wishes to tell us: just as with the Sabbatical year both its general principle and its minute details were ordained on Mount Sinai, so, too, was it with all the Commandments--their general principle as well as their minute details were ordained on Mount Sinai.(Torat Kohanim; Rashi)Rabbi Ishmael says: The general principles of the Torah were given at Sinai, and the details [when G-d spoke to Moses] in the Tent of Meeting.Rabbi Akiva says: The general principle and the details were given at Sinai. They were then repeated in the Tent of Meeting, and enjoined a third time in the Plains of Moab.Believing that each of us, each and every one of us, were present at Sinai on the very day that G-d spoke to us we might ask ourselves, what did we hear that day, that very day, with our own ears? Did we hear general principles and do we then develop and infer the details later, throughout our lives? Did we hear both the principles and the details on that day and is it our task to synthesize and integrate that which we heard into our very being throughout our lives? Or, did we "hear" nothing at all? Was it the visceral experience of standing at Sinai that informs our day-to-day lives challenging us to grapple with our personal and communal experience, to make sense of what we lived, and to live what makes sense?
We just got here and we're already taking a break?
When you come into the land which I give you, the land shall rest a sabbath unto G-d (25:2)What an interesting concept. We have traveled forty years through the desert, away from a life of slavery, towards a life of freedom and all that was Divinely promised to us, and when we arrive the first thing we are told to do is take a break, slow down, survey our new surroundings, take some time to understand this, our ultimate destination. Can you even imagine that in this day and age? You have a goal, let's say buying a home. You develop a plan, search for the perfect place, jump through the hoops of purchasing your new home and when you finally get the keys, you unlock the door, walk in and wait...change nothing for a year, just live in the place where you have arrived. It might be hard to imagine doing but if you could what a gift it would be. A year to settle in. To survey your new surroundings. To develop an understanding of, and appreciation for, the place where you have finally arrived. Imagine the impact of this shmitah year on your entire future. Just imagine, and the next time you arrive at your newest destination, think about giving it a try, if not for a year at least for a few days. Understanding your new reality before attempting to alter it could make all the difference in the world. This week is brought to you by the number 7...If this week's portion was a Sesame Street episode, it would begin, "This week is being brought to you by the number "7" and the concept "Shabbat." In verse 26:18 God promises to discipline the Israelites 'sevenfold' for their sins and the Rabbis then find the seven steps (one leading to the next- from not studying Torah and doing the Mitzvot all the way to denying God and God's covenant) hinted in the Torah text (Lev. 26:14-5). Rashi furher enumerates seven punishments (on Lev. 26:31) found in the preceding verses to parallel these seven sins. Seven is a key number in Judaism, and this week we are in the middle of three cycles of seven: the regular seven day weekly cycle, the seven weeks of counting between Pesach and Shavuot, and this week's portion that talks about the largest cycle: the seven year cycle ending with the Sabbatical year, and the sevenfold cycle of 49 years that concludes with the jubilee year. There are actually two sabbatical years described in the Torah. In our portion, the focus is on the agricultural (environmental) application. The land is to lie fallow, a Shabbat for the land. In Deuteronomy, the seventh year is called 'shmitah', and all outstanding debts are cancelled. The Torah connects how we treat the land to our relationship with the poor. Just as the weekly Shabbat restores our spirit, the sabbatical and jubilee years were to help society as a whole redefine itself in non-economic terms. Although there is historical evidence that some of the agricultural restrictions were observed, the Rabbis understood that the financial hardships of the sabbatical and jubilee years were not practical, and various legal loopholes virtually abrogated the restrictions of the shmitah year. The jubilee year, (where land was to revert to its original owners, and Hebrew slaves receive their liberty) perhaps reflects a utopian vision that was likely an expression of a social ideal, and was not ever practiced. This week, we are also in the middle of the period of counting-- called 'sefirat ha'omer' between Passover and Shavuot. The structure of the seven weeks of counting of the Omer, 7x7=49 days plus Shavuot-- the fiftieth day parallels the seven times seven years plus the 50th Yovel (Jubilee) year. Shavuot is a renewal of the covenant between God and the Jewish people, like the Jubilee year was a renewal of contracts. The word 'sefirah' (counting) also has another meaning (and connection to seven). In the Kabbalistic sphere, God's emanations were described with ten attributes, and the first three, Chochmah, Binah and Daat (different kinds of wisdom) are solely in the divine realm. The remaining seven emanations, also called sefirot, serve as a map of attributes that we can manifest in our lives. Naturally, there is a tradition that links these seven kabbalistic 'sefirot' with each week of counting the omer.
In honour of this week's recognition of the important role of the number 7 in Jewish life, here are seven ways to save the planet...
1. Make a list of your water usage and decide how you could reduce your use.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and appliances and replace them with energy saving ones.
3. Go for a walk in nature; read Psalm 104.
4. Plant some seeds, design a garden, or plant a tree.
5. Reduce the amount of garbage you produce by composting, recycling and purchasing less.
6. Avoid using your car. Cycle, walk, or use public transit.
7. Eat healthy, locally grown food.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Shabbat Parshat Acharay Mos-Kedoshim
Torah Gems - May 1
2009 / 7 Iyar
This week's Torah Gems were prepared by
Danny Margolis
Shabbat Parshat Acharay Mos-Kedoshim
Parashot Aharei Mot, Kedoshim
(dedicated to Ellen & Gabe Margolis, their immediate and extended families and friends, on the occasion of their celebrating many life cycle milestones)
The rabbis call the third Book of the Humash - Torat HaKohanim, תורת הכהנים - the Priests' Handbook or Torah. Though we are all called a "kingdom of priests and a holy nation," the kohamin are entrusted with specific responsibilities to maintain the nation's purity.
With Aharei Mot we enter the section of VaYikra labeled the "Holiness Code". (Ch. 17:1 -26:46) This parashah and the next 4 address the sanctification of topics as: shehitah (ritual slaughter and sensitivity to animals); family and social relationships; sexual behavior; Temple artifacts; property - real and human; all leading to the climactic blessings and curses. Embedded in the priests' Torah we also learn some of the most basic ethical principles of our tradition, including:
Correct Slaughter - Sensitivity to Animals; LifeBlood; Family;
Ethics, Relationships Morality (Ch. 19)
Family Morality, and more
It's quite a set of expectations! How can we prioritize these expectations? Which ones, if any, should we try to fulfill, if we have to make choices? Are there mitzvot that are more important to God? How would we know?
Chapter 17, verse 10, for example, comes in the midst of several verses reminding us of the prohibition on consuming blood; even the ritual use of an animal's blood for the purpose of expiation of our sins is carried out according to the strictest rules of sensitivity to the animal and the notion that all blood is considered the "life force" of God's creatures.
ונתתי פני בנפש האכלת את הדם (ויקרא יז:10)
"...I will set My face against the person who partakes of the blood..." (Lev. 17:10)
This is so critical an element of early Judaism that God will "cut off" (vi'hikhrati) the violator Himself. And if anyone of the house of Israel or of the strangers residing among them partakes of any blood, not that only of consecrated animals, "I will set my face against that person,,. and I will cut him off." If we treat an animal's blood cavalierly, God knows we will likely treat human life carelessly.
God says, "I will set My face against the person" (vi'natati fanai). Rashi explains this enigmatic comment as follows: "Even p'nai sheli - My leisure, i.e., I will turn away (poneh) from all My affairs (even My spare time) and concern Myself only with him [the violator]." Rashi plays on the word root p'n'h, connoting "face", "turn", and, when an aleph is interposed, "free time" or "leisure". He also has God declaring that He will change His priorities, take time from His "affairs" and "concerns", His "business" ('asakai), and "deal" ('osek) with the egregious violator of a cardinal principle of Judaism. [Note: 'Osek is the same word in the b'rakhah we say each day when we "engage deeply in the words of the Torah" so we know that when occupied with His "affairs," God is not just fiddling around.]
God will turn aside, take precious time to act directly and punish anyone who violates the core lifeblood prohibition. God is not confused among the important, the meaningful and the urgent!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Parashat Kedoshim continues the theme of the struggle to become and remain "holy".
Speak to the whole Israelite community and say to them: You shall be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy. ((Lev. 19:2 ) -
20:7-8 - You shall sanctify yourselves and be holy, for I the Lord am your God. You shall faithfully observe My laws: I the Lord make you holy.
20:26 -You shall be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy, and I have set you apart from other peoples to be Mine.
We, the places we inhabit, the communities we help construct and support all must have the right criteria to be holy. "'HaMakkom'" (The Place) is one of The Holy One's names... the identification of "the Place" with The Holy One, Blessed Be He, turns every place where one meets God into a makkom, as expressed by the Kotzker Rebbi: "Where does God dwell? Wherever one brings him into his heart."
Rabbi J. B. Soloveitchik expresses a similar idea, in the course of a Halakhic analysis of the concept of kedushah. (See "Days of Repentance and Holiness" in Divrei Hashkafa (Yerushalayim, Dept. of Torah Ed. and Culture in the Diaspora, 5755, pp. 117-119).) He notes that from a Halakhic standpoint, there is no inherent holiness in objects or places per se. Sanctification of place or time is but the result of an intentional human action, in which one sanctifies something as an instrument for the service of the Creator - who is infinite, incomprehensible, omnipresent and found in every object. So it is with 'objects of heaven': One sanctifies an animal for a sacrifice - or money or some object for the Temple - by speech; a Torah scribe sanctifies a Torah scroll, tephillin or mezuzah by the very writing for the sake of fulfilling a mitzvah; the Bet Hamikdash itself was sanctified by the erection of walls which separated it from the unhallowed areas outside it, etc. Even the Shabbat day, whose holiness is "set forever" from the six days of creation, is sanctified by the kiddush over the wine, in which man expresses his agreement with the sanctity of the Shabbat.
Rabbi Jonathan Chipman -http://www.netivot-shalom.org.il
Friday, April 24, 2009
Shabbat Parshat Tazria-Metzora Rosh Chodesh Iyar
This week's Torah Gems were prepared by
Adam Solomon
Shabbat Parshat Tazria-Metzora
Rosh Chodesh Iyar
In this week's parasha, Tazria-Metzora, there is an in depth discussion of the phenomenon of tzora'at. Tzora'at is sometimes erroneously translated as leprosy, though it is clear that it is not the same disease as Hanson's disease. Tzora'at was viewed as a loss of life-force, and it is interesting to compare actions a sufferer was to take with those of mourning. Someone afflicted with tzora'at tore his clothing and was supposed to cover his face up to his mustache. Today Jewish mourners tear their clothing. Covering one's face in the manner described was also a Jewish mourning practice in the past.
One action that someone afflicted with tzora'at was supposed to observe was calling out "impure, impure" as they walked down the road. Rashi, the prolific French medieval commentator, notes that in Torat Kohanim it says this is done to warn others of the sufferer's impure state. Then why is there the repetition of the word "impure"? Sometimes when a repition like this occurs in the Torah it is done for emphasis. Other times, it means there are two meanings implied.
Rabbi Moshe Elefant of the OU mentioned one possibility during a daf yomi lesson. One of the two repitions of the word "impure" is indeed to warn people of the sufferer's impure state, the other repitition, though, is a request for people to daven for a complete and speedy healing of the person with tzora'at.
Traditionally, it is understood that one of the causes of tzora'at is the sin of lashon ha'ra. By asking for (and hopefully receiving), other people's compassion perhaps the sufferer of tzora'at is repairing damage that lashon ha'ra causes the community. I think the Torah is also saying that it is more important to give compassion to the sick rather than blaming them for their illness. How often when someone has a disease like lung cancer are we quick to ask that first question "did they smoke" rather than offering our hope for a refuah shleymah? Specifically, we'd be engaging in lashon ha'ra in that instance - it might be true, but it doesn't matter. What's required from us when someone is suffering is our compassion and prayers. Trying to understand why bad things happen is an understandable impulse, but it not necessarily a constructive or helpful one.
When Cantor Michelle Mason was an intern at KI she pointed out that processes for declaring someone afflicted and cured of tzora'at involved cohenim. Cohenim normally avoided situations when they would be exposed to ritual impurity, because it made them temporarily ineligible to participate in the Temple worship services. Yet, in the case of tzora'at, they were directly commanded to diagnose the affliction and thereby expose themselves to ritual impurity. Cantor Mason posited that the personal involvement of the cohenim was a comfort to someone afflicted with tzora'at.
Since we are supposed to be a nation of priests, I hope that we take inspiration from this week's parasha to offer comfort and prayer for people who are sick.
Adam Solomon
Shabbat Parshat Tazria-Metzora
Rosh Chodesh Iyar
In this week's parasha, Tazria-Metzora, there is an in depth discussion of the phenomenon of tzora'at. Tzora'at is sometimes erroneously translated as leprosy, though it is clear that it is not the same disease as Hanson's disease. Tzora'at was viewed as a loss of life-force, and it is interesting to compare actions a sufferer was to take with those of mourning. Someone afflicted with tzora'at tore his clothing and was supposed to cover his face up to his mustache. Today Jewish mourners tear their clothing. Covering one's face in the manner described was also a Jewish mourning practice in the past.
One action that someone afflicted with tzora'at was supposed to observe was calling out "impure, impure" as they walked down the road. Rashi, the prolific French medieval commentator, notes that in Torat Kohanim it says this is done to warn others of the sufferer's impure state. Then why is there the repetition of the word "impure"? Sometimes when a repition like this occurs in the Torah it is done for emphasis. Other times, it means there are two meanings implied.
Rabbi Moshe Elefant of the OU mentioned one possibility during a daf yomi lesson. One of the two repitions of the word "impure" is indeed to warn people of the sufferer's impure state, the other repitition, though, is a request for people to daven for a complete and speedy healing of the person with tzora'at.
Traditionally, it is understood that one of the causes of tzora'at is the sin of lashon ha'ra. By asking for (and hopefully receiving), other people's compassion perhaps the sufferer of tzora'at is repairing damage that lashon ha'ra causes the community. I think the Torah is also saying that it is more important to give compassion to the sick rather than blaming them for their illness. How often when someone has a disease like lung cancer are we quick to ask that first question "did they smoke" rather than offering our hope for a refuah shleymah? Specifically, we'd be engaging in lashon ha'ra in that instance - it might be true, but it doesn't matter. What's required from us when someone is suffering is our compassion and prayers. Trying to understand why bad things happen is an understandable impulse, but it not necessarily a constructive or helpful one.
When Cantor Michelle Mason was an intern at KI she pointed out that processes for declaring someone afflicted and cured of tzora'at involved cohenim. Cohenim normally avoided situations when they would be exposed to ritual impurity, because it made them temporarily ineligible to participate in the Temple worship services. Yet, in the case of tzora'at, they were directly commanded to diagnose the affliction and thereby expose themselves to ritual impurity. Cantor Mason posited that the personal involvement of the cohenim was a comfort to someone afflicted with tzora'at.
Since we are supposed to be a nation of priests, I hope that we take inspiration from this week's parasha to offer comfort and prayer for people who are sick.
Shabbat Parshat Shemini
This week's Torah Gems were prepared by
Jodi Hecht
Shabbat Parshat Shemini
Parshat Shemini seems to be divided between the events of the untimely and tragic deaths of Aaron's two eldest sons and Hashem's commandments to Aaron listing the pure and impure animals to eat. It's a little unsettling that these two events are juxtaposed. Perhaps Hashem is sending us a wake up call to pay attention - what follows about the Jewish dietary laws is important. However the placement suggests that the fate of Aaron's sons may befall the Jews if we fail to adhere to Hashem's orders.
Parshat Shemini refers to four categories of animals: land, water, air and insects. Hashem commands that we should only eat land animals that chew their cuds and have split hooves. We may eat only animals from the water that have both fins and scales. The Parshat tells us not to eat birds of prey. Some Talmudic interpretations suggest that eating these foods would give Jewish souls the characteristics of docility and gentleness. Finally we are permitted to eat the six-legged insects that hop. I have always wondered why grasshoppers and locusts are explicitly described in the Torah. Was there ever a custom to eat them in the Jewish community? Are they considered meat or pareve by modern kashrut standards?
It's wonderful to think that with a common set of dietary laws, you could share a meal with a Jew anywhere around the world. One single Jew is connected to a whole community.
This Shabbat may you enjoy your Galiforme soup, roasted Bovine (ruminant ungulate), simmered Salmonidae, chocolate covered Orthoptera, lots of fruits and vegetables and of course leavened Triticum.
Shabbat Shalom.
Jodi Hecht
Shabbat Parshat Shemini
Parshat Shemini seems to be divided between the events of the untimely and tragic deaths of Aaron's two eldest sons and Hashem's commandments to Aaron listing the pure and impure animals to eat. It's a little unsettling that these two events are juxtaposed. Perhaps Hashem is sending us a wake up call to pay attention - what follows about the Jewish dietary laws is important. However the placement suggests that the fate of Aaron's sons may befall the Jews if we fail to adhere to Hashem's orders.
Parshat Shemini refers to four categories of animals: land, water, air and insects. Hashem commands that we should only eat land animals that chew their cuds and have split hooves. We may eat only animals from the water that have both fins and scales. The Parshat tells us not to eat birds of prey. Some Talmudic interpretations suggest that eating these foods would give Jewish souls the characteristics of docility and gentleness. Finally we are permitted to eat the six-legged insects that hop. I have always wondered why grasshoppers and locusts are explicitly described in the Torah. Was there ever a custom to eat them in the Jewish community? Are they considered meat or pareve by modern kashrut standards?
It's wonderful to think that with a common set of dietary laws, you could share a meal with a Jew anywhere around the world. One single Jew is connected to a whole community.
This Shabbat may you enjoy your Galiforme soup, roasted Bovine (ruminant ungulate), simmered Salmonidae, chocolate covered Orthoptera, lots of fruits and vegetables and of course leavened Triticum.
Shabbat Shalom.
Shabbat Chol Hamoed Pesach
This week's Torah Gems were prepared by
Bruce Weinstock
Shabbat Chol Hamoed Pesach
Exodus 33:13-14
"Now, if I have truly gained Your favor, let me know Your ways (d'rachecha) that I may know you and continue in your favor. Consider, too, that this nation is your people.
And He said, 'I will go in the lead and will lighten your burden.' "
The verses above are the second and third verses of the Torah reading done every year for The Sabbath of Passover. The scene occurs shortly after the incident of the Golden Calf. In the prior chapters, G-d has made it clear that despite agreeing to not annihilate the people and have the offspring of Moses be the sole inheritor of the land, all is not forgiven. G-d will no longer lead the people through the wilderness, but will send an angel to show the way. G-d is withdrawing.
Our reading this Shabbat starts with the successful attempt by Moses to have G-d reconsider and have G-d come close again and lead the people through the wilderness.
I was struck by the juxtaposition of two concepts in the same verse. What does Moses knowing G-d's ways have to do with G-d considering "too, that the nation is your people". Further, what was so compelling about Moses' argument?
The Talmud in Brachot 7a discusses the components of effective prayer and examines this line as an example. It explains that by asking to know G-d's ways, Moses is asking the ultimate question about how G-d and the world functions... What is the reason that G-d's ways include a good life for some of the righteous and suffering of some of the righteous while granting suffering to some of the wicked but a good life to some of the wicked. The Talmud continues by offering many conflicting views of G-d's answer.
Among these many answers, Rabbi Meir suggests that G-d gives a non-answer. He tells Moses that G-d's Mercy and Favor are powerful, but unpredictable. We now can see that by eliciting this answer with his skillful question, Moses has given G-d an opening. Moses has in effect said 'Your WAY is at times to grant Mercy when observable indicators call for Justice. Well, "consider, too, that this nation is your people." If any moment calls for asking your Mercy to outweigh your Justice, this one does.'
Another Talmudic master suggests that the influence of a righteous or wicked parent will often challenge the ability of a person to remain true to one's own righteous or wicked nature. The successes or failures to meet these challenges may not be visible to onlookers, but they are powerful in shaping the future and shaping the reward or punishment. Once again, by asking his skillful question, Moses has reminded G-d of the righteousness of the forefathers and consideration of Mercy.
The Etz Chaim Chumash points out the wonderful pun in Moses' request. The word D'rachecha can mean WAY in the highly cosmological sense of the essence of G-d's nature. It can also mean the WAY or physical path through the wilderness.
The Talmud discussion of the influence of family on the righteous and wicked hinted to me of the four children of the Seder. Rabbi Miriam Spitzer suggests an alternative translation to the Haggaddah verse "Kneged arba banim dibra Torah". She notes that the typical translation "the Torah alludes to four children" could alternatively be rendered as "the Torah speaks 'k'neged' AGAINST the notion that there are four children". There is only one. We are all variations on that one child....The Righteous, Wicked, Simple, Unable child." Applying our Torah reading to Rabbi Spitzer's insight, we can see that our Seder traditions reach out to touch all that we are. We address our highly spiritual intellectual selves who want to know everything we can about G-d's WAYS. We simultaneously address our simple physical selves who just need to eat and be shown the correct WAY of what to do.
We can now return to the Talmud master who spoke to the power of the influence of our ancestors. At the Seder, perhaps more strongly than anywhere else, we recognize the influence of immediate family, ancestral family, and the adopted family comprised of those sitting around our tables who help shape our righteousness and our wickedness. At our Seders we and our families will be engaging and rebellious and ask simple questions and simply observe. May we successfully use the powerful influence of our seders to seek out G-d's path. May they help us better find the right opportunities in our lives to encourage mercy to outweigh justice.
Chag Sameach and Shabbat Shalom.
PARASHAT Tzav
This week's Torah Gems were prepared by
Anochi Atoncha
PARASHAT Tzav
Shabbat Hagadol
"Behold, I send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of Hashem. And he will cause the hearts of fathers to return to their sons and the hearts of sons to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with utter destruction." (Malachi 3:23-24)
When we read these verses at the end of the prophetic reading on Shabbat HaGadol, our custom is to repeat the penultimate verse. According to Rashi, we do this to end the reading on a positive note. We do the same when we read the end of Isaiah (on Shabbat Rosh Chodesh), Eichah (on Tisha B'Av), and Kohelet (on Shabbat Chol HaMoed Sukkot.)
We observe a variation of this custom at the public reading of Jonah during Mincha Yom Kippur. At the conclusion of the book we skip to the final verses of Micah, which are far more uplifting than the strange abrupt ending of Jonah.
It would seem self-evident that public readings during holidays should end on an upbeat. But on closer inspection, the reasons for re-reading the penultimate verse are not at all obvious.
Take our verse as an example. First, it is important to note that these words are the last words spoken by a prophet in the Tanakh. These final words prophesy the coming of the Messianic era. And these are the last words of prophecy that we hear before Pesach, the redemption holiday par excellence.
Perhaps the sages felt that 'utter destruction' (cherem) is not exactly the sentiment that we want to take with us to the seder. Under what circumstances does Hashem come and destroy the land, if fathers' and sons' hearts do not turn toward each other, or if Elijah does not come and cause the turnings to happen? It seems to me that if Elijah arranges the meetings, the turning of the hearts will surely follow. Therefore utter destruction is presented only as a grim alternative to utter redemption.
But what about the beginning of the verse? The prophet describes Elijah's mission primarily as a series of reunions between fathers and sons. According to Malachi, reinforcement of family bonds is the proximate cause of the coming of the Messiah. On the eve of Pesach, when families reunite at the seder table, this is a perfectly stunning message. The seeds of Messianic redemption are sown in every home where the door is opened for Elijah.
Anochi Atoncha
PARASHAT Tzav
Shabbat Hagadol
"Behold, I send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of Hashem. And he will cause the hearts of fathers to return to their sons and the hearts of sons to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with utter destruction." (Malachi 3:23-24)
When we read these verses at the end of the prophetic reading on Shabbat HaGadol, our custom is to repeat the penultimate verse. According to Rashi, we do this to end the reading on a positive note. We do the same when we read the end of Isaiah (on Shabbat Rosh Chodesh), Eichah (on Tisha B'Av), and Kohelet (on Shabbat Chol HaMoed Sukkot.)
We observe a variation of this custom at the public reading of Jonah during Mincha Yom Kippur. At the conclusion of the book we skip to the final verses of Micah, which are far more uplifting than the strange abrupt ending of Jonah.
It would seem self-evident that public readings during holidays should end on an upbeat. But on closer inspection, the reasons for re-reading the penultimate verse are not at all obvious.
Take our verse as an example. First, it is important to note that these words are the last words spoken by a prophet in the Tanakh. These final words prophesy the coming of the Messianic era. And these are the last words of prophecy that we hear before Pesach, the redemption holiday par excellence.
Perhaps the sages felt that 'utter destruction' (cherem) is not exactly the sentiment that we want to take with us to the seder. Under what circumstances does Hashem come and destroy the land, if fathers' and sons' hearts do not turn toward each other, or if Elijah does not come and cause the turnings to happen? It seems to me that if Elijah arranges the meetings, the turning of the hearts will surely follow. Therefore utter destruction is presented only as a grim alternative to utter redemption.
But what about the beginning of the verse? The prophet describes Elijah's mission primarily as a series of reunions between fathers and sons. According to Malachi, reinforcement of family bonds is the proximate cause of the coming of the Messiah. On the eve of Pesach, when families reunite at the seder table, this is a perfectly stunning message. The seeds of Messianic redemption are sown in every home where the door is opened for Elijah.
PARASHAT Vayikra
This week's Torah Gems were prepared by
Anochi Atoncha
PARASHAT Vayikra
"If (asher) a ruler sins, and commits one from among all the commandments of Hashem that may not be done - unintentionally - and becomes guilty." (Vayikra 4:22)
Rashi: "If a ruler sins": The word "asher" here is related to "ashrei = fortunately", as if to say fortunate is the generation whose ruler sets his heart to bring an atonement for his unintentional sin. All the more so that he has regrets over his intentional sins.
Our verse appears in the course of a long list of sins and their corresponding offerings. The majority of these begin with the formula "If (im) so-and-so should sin in such-and-such a manner..." Rashi comes to explain the unique substitution of the word "asher" for "im". Rashi's difficulty, according to Concordantzia Chadasha, is that this is the only place in all of Tanakh where asher could be taken to mean "if."
Rashi, citing Torat Kohanim, prefers a homiletical explanation over a grammatical one. He draws attention to the similarity between the words 'asher' and 'ashrei', implying that the Torah hints here as to one deeper meaning of the verse. Rashi often resorts to midrashic or aggadic explanations when a grammatical difficulty cannot be resolved another way.
Whereas homiletic explanations are always welcome, in our case we may have missed an opportunity to explore another deeper meaning of the verse.
Concordanztia Chadasha suggests that that asher here may also mean "in the event that", or "when." Now the verse begins 'When a ruler sins..."
This changes our understanding of the verse as a whole. The Torah is no longer commanding what sacrifice a ruler must bring if he sins, the Torah is commanding what he must do when he sins, as if it is a foregone conclusion that a ruler will sin.
Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The Torah recognizes that positions of power sets up conditions that cause rulers to sin.
Rashi understands this insight, but he soft-pedals it. Then he adds a further point regarding the relation between rulers and the people. Our verse commands that rulers bring sacrifices for unintentional sins. A ruler who follows such a commandment will surely bring sacrifices for intentional sins. Such a God-fearing ruler will never allow himself to be corrupted by power.
Anochi Atoncha
PARASHAT Vayikra
"If (asher) a ruler sins, and commits one from among all the commandments of Hashem that may not be done - unintentionally - and becomes guilty." (Vayikra 4:22)
Rashi: "If a ruler sins": The word "asher" here is related to "ashrei = fortunately", as if to say fortunate is the generation whose ruler sets his heart to bring an atonement for his unintentional sin. All the more so that he has regrets over his intentional sins.
Our verse appears in the course of a long list of sins and their corresponding offerings. The majority of these begin with the formula "If (im) so-and-so should sin in such-and-such a manner..." Rashi comes to explain the unique substitution of the word "asher" for "im". Rashi's difficulty, according to Concordantzia Chadasha, is that this is the only place in all of Tanakh where asher could be taken to mean "if."
Rashi, citing Torat Kohanim, prefers a homiletical explanation over a grammatical one. He draws attention to the similarity between the words 'asher' and 'ashrei', implying that the Torah hints here as to one deeper meaning of the verse. Rashi often resorts to midrashic or aggadic explanations when a grammatical difficulty cannot be resolved another way.
Whereas homiletic explanations are always welcome, in our case we may have missed an opportunity to explore another deeper meaning of the verse.
Concordanztia Chadasha suggests that that asher here may also mean "in the event that", or "when." Now the verse begins 'When a ruler sins..."
This changes our understanding of the verse as a whole. The Torah is no longer commanding what sacrifice a ruler must bring if he sins, the Torah is commanding what he must do when he sins, as if it is a foregone conclusion that a ruler will sin.
Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The Torah recognizes that positions of power sets up conditions that cause rulers to sin.
Rashi understands this insight, but he soft-pedals it. Then he adds a further point regarding the relation between rulers and the people. Our verse commands that rulers bring sacrifices for unintentional sins. A ruler who follows such a commandment will surely bring sacrifices for intentional sins. Such a God-fearing ruler will never allow himself to be corrupted by power.
PARASHAT Vayakhel Shabbat Pekude Shabbat Hachodesh
This week's Torah Gems were prepared by
Francine Aaron
PARASHAT Vayakhel
Shabbat Pekude
Shabbat Hachodesh
* Vayikhal starts with work, when it should be done (six days) and when it should not be done (on the seventh, Shabbat). We are commanded two things - to work and to cease from work. Sometimes people forget the first part - to work. The Torah frowns upon laziness.
* The practicality of the Torah is wonderful, and brings on a smile. In chapter 39 sentence 23, in the directions for the hole necessary for the head opening of a robe, we are told to put a binding around the edges of the hole so that it won't tear. Those of us who sew have taken this suggestion and we buy seam binding for this purpose; two sentences later we are told that the hem of the robe should have embroidered pomegranates with a gold bell in between each pomegranate. Just in case we didn't understand, the next sentence describes specifically: bell, pomegranate, bell, pomegranate. That's nice. Very user friendly.
* The work involved in building the tabernacle and the furniture and equipment and robes was truly a labor of love. The word "heart" (lev) is mentioned 12 times: Chapter 35, sentence 5; 10; 21; 22; 25; 26; 29; 34. Chapter 36, sentence 1; and 3 times in sentence 2.
* Those who think that the details of the building of the tabernacle and its equipment are superfluous should try to describe their work desk in words, so that it can be taken apart and reconstructed in the exact way.
* Artists play an important role in these chapters. Bezalel (which means in the shadow of God) is described as being filled with the spirit of God, and is wise of heart, and has wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. Wise of heart - courageous (French - coeur - heart). It takes courage to be an artist, to make choices, and to be confident of one's choice. This is a gift (spirit) of God given to all those who create.
* Vayikhal relates closely to our synagogue Kehillath Israel. The same root "kahal" (congregation; assembly) is in both. Hopefully just as in Vayikhal when the Israelites gave their time, and services, and donations willingly and from the heart, so too may we at Kehillath Israel give willingly of our time and donations to our synagogue and to all good causes, and may we too get to the point where we can say like Moses (36:6) Enough, Enough - we don't need any more.
Francine Aaron
PARASHAT Vayakhel
Shabbat Pekude
Shabbat Hachodesh
* Vayikhal starts with work, when it should be done (six days) and when it should not be done (on the seventh, Shabbat). We are commanded two things - to work and to cease from work. Sometimes people forget the first part - to work. The Torah frowns upon laziness.
* The practicality of the Torah is wonderful, and brings on a smile. In chapter 39 sentence 23, in the directions for the hole necessary for the head opening of a robe, we are told to put a binding around the edges of the hole so that it won't tear. Those of us who sew have taken this suggestion and we buy seam binding for this purpose; two sentences later we are told that the hem of the robe should have embroidered pomegranates with a gold bell in between each pomegranate. Just in case we didn't understand, the next sentence describes specifically: bell, pomegranate, bell, pomegranate. That's nice. Very user friendly.
* The work involved in building the tabernacle and the furniture and equipment and robes was truly a labor of love. The word "heart" (lev) is mentioned 12 times: Chapter 35, sentence 5; 10; 21; 22; 25; 26; 29; 34. Chapter 36, sentence 1; and 3 times in sentence 2.
* Those who think that the details of the building of the tabernacle and its equipment are superfluous should try to describe their work desk in words, so that it can be taken apart and reconstructed in the exact way.
* Artists play an important role in these chapters. Bezalel (which means in the shadow of God) is described as being filled with the spirit of God, and is wise of heart, and has wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. Wise of heart - courageous (French - coeur - heart). It takes courage to be an artist, to make choices, and to be confident of one's choice. This is a gift (spirit) of God given to all those who create.
* Vayikhal relates closely to our synagogue Kehillath Israel. The same root "kahal" (congregation; assembly) is in both. Hopefully just as in Vayikhal when the Israelites gave their time, and services, and donations willingly and from the heart, so too may we at Kehillath Israel give willingly of our time and donations to our synagogue and to all good causes, and may we too get to the point where we can say like Moses (36:6) Enough, Enough - we don't need any more.
PARASHAT Terumah
This week's Torah Gems were prepared by
Francine Aaron
PARASHAT Terumah
Parshat Terumah teaches us the importance of willingly contributing to the construction and maintenance of a place of worship - today it is the synagogue. In sentence 2 of chapter 25 the Torah says specifically that it should be a donation from the heart ("libo" - his heart). The word "terumah" means a contribution and it has in it a smaller word "ram" which means "high" because when one donates, one is raised to a higher level.
In this parsha we are given extremely great details of the dimensions and materials to be used in constructing the sanctuary, the ark, the menorah and all the instruments to be used in performing the various tasks. It is true that the Israelites had to build the items because God commanded them to do so, just as we must obey all of God's commandments simply because we were told to do so, but very often there is a beneficial by-product which we can understand, and in this case the by-product is the very useful one of learning skills which would be necessary when the people would enter Israel. The generation who learned these skills would pass on the knowledge to their children. Carpenters, weavers, embroiderers, goldsmiths, silversmiths, jewelers, artists, sculptors, bakers, furriers, dyers, engravers, tailors, potters, perfumers - these are all arts of a very advanced society, and would give the Israelites a good head start in settling the land. They might also use these skills during their sojourn in the desert to trade with other desert peoples.
And from the detailed instructions which God gives to Moses we can learn a lesson for our lives - that if we must pay such close attention to tangible items - how much more so should we be careful and pay close attention to the actions of our lives - and connect our acts and thoughts to the teachings of the Torah.
Francine Aaron
PARASHAT Terumah
Parshat Terumah teaches us the importance of willingly contributing to the construction and maintenance of a place of worship - today it is the synagogue. In sentence 2 of chapter 25 the Torah says specifically that it should be a donation from the heart ("libo" - his heart). The word "terumah" means a contribution and it has in it a smaller word "ram" which means "high" because when one donates, one is raised to a higher level.
In this parsha we are given extremely great details of the dimensions and materials to be used in constructing the sanctuary, the ark, the menorah and all the instruments to be used in performing the various tasks. It is true that the Israelites had to build the items because God commanded them to do so, just as we must obey all of God's commandments simply because we were told to do so, but very often there is a beneficial by-product which we can understand, and in this case the by-product is the very useful one of learning skills which would be necessary when the people would enter Israel. The generation who learned these skills would pass on the knowledge to their children. Carpenters, weavers, embroiderers, goldsmiths, silversmiths, jewelers, artists, sculptors, bakers, furriers, dyers, engravers, tailors, potters, perfumers - these are all arts of a very advanced society, and would give the Israelites a good head start in settling the land. They might also use these skills during their sojourn in the desert to trade with other desert peoples.
And from the detailed instructions which God gives to Moses we can learn a lesson for our lives - that if we must pay such close attention to tangible items - how much more so should we be careful and pay close attention to the actions of our lives - and connect our acts and thoughts to the teachings of the Torah.
PARASHAT Mishpatim
This week's Torah Gems were prepared by
Anochi Atoncha
PARASHAT Mishpatim
Mishpatim - Dangerous Property
The tradition teaches us that every word of the Torah is chosen deliberately and purposefully. This rule applies even when a word's meaning changes from one verse to the next! In this week's parasha, words based on the root bet-ayin-resh appear in verses Shemot 22:4 and 22:5, but with different significations in each verse. What follows is verse 22:4 with all words translated into English except for those based on the root bet-ayin-resh, for reasons that will become clear further on.
"If a man shall ya-v-er a field or vineyard, or he either lets his bi-y-roh loose, or he oo-v-y-air it in another man's field, from the best of his field and the best of his vineyard shall he pay."
Rashi's interpretation: "ya-v-er, b-i-roh, oo-vi-ayr: these have the sense of 'animal', as in Bemidbar 20:4 ...we and our animals (oo-v-i-ray-nu)"
According to Rashi, a translation of verse 22:4 might sound like this: If a man shall let an animal graze a field or vineyard, or he either lets his animal run loose, or he grazes it in another man's field...
The Talmud provides the source of Rashi's interpretation. Much of the first chapter of Tractate Bava Kamma is derived from our verse. The ox is taken as the paradigmatic "dangerous property" that can damage another man's field or vineyard if not properly supervised.
But this interpretation presents a difficulty: Shemot 22:4 and Bemidbar 20:4 are the only places in Tanakh where bet-ayin-resh is understood to signify 'animal.' Elsewhere, the root usually signifies 'fire', either real or metaphoric. This is the sense of the root in Shemot 22:5:
"If a fire shall go forth and find thorns, and a stack of grain or a standing crop or a field is consumed, the one who kindled (ha-ma-vir) the fire (ha-b-ay-rah) shall make restitution."
Now read verse 22:4 using the more common signification of bet-ayin-resh:
"If a man shall kindle a field or vineyard - whether he sets the fire or allows his fire to burn another man's field - from the best of his field and the best of his vineyard shall he pay."
Why does the tradition hold that bet-ayin-resh means 'animal' when the verse makes sense with the common signification 'fire'?
Perhaps the difficulty could be resolved by tracing the derivation of the root bet-ayin-resh. According to Brown-Driver-Briggs, the earliest Hebrew signification of bet-ayin-resh was 'seek out, collect, glean.' From here significations emerged meaning 'consume' as a fire consumes. Simultaneously, the root branched into significations for animals that seek out and consume in the same unrestrained manner as fire.
Fire and oxen share the characteristic that they go out and destroy crops and vineyards because it is their nature to do so. They both travel to damage, and both must be watched carefully. But fire and oxen differ in that the latter possess ruach chayim (the breath of life) and the former does not. Oxen inadvertently do damage in the process of natural pleasurable activities such as eating and scratching. If the Torah had taught us only fire, and not oxen, we might have thought that we are liable only for damages done by inanimate objects and not by live animals (Bava Kamma 2a.)
In these two verses, the Torah explodes bet-ayin-resh into several pieces, each of which teaches us new insights as to the nature dangerous property. The English translations of verses 22:4 and 22:5 do not permit us to understand the nature of dangerous property as deeply unless we appreciate the Torah's deliberate choice of words based on bet-ayin-resh.
For further consideration:
On the night before Pesach, we perform the Bedikat Chametz, the search for any remaining crumbs of bread in our homes. The prayer we say is translated as follows:
"Blessed are You, Hashem, Sovereign of the universe, Who makes us holy with His mitzvahs, and commands us regarding the destruction (biur, using the root bet-ayin-resh) of chametz."
Why is the Bedikat Chametz sanctified with a blessing over destruction, when the ritual destruction of chametz (not coincidentally, by fire) does not occur until the next day?
Anochi Atoncha
PARASHAT Mishpatim
Mishpatim - Dangerous Property
The tradition teaches us that every word of the Torah is chosen deliberately and purposefully. This rule applies even when a word's meaning changes from one verse to the next! In this week's parasha, words based on the root bet-ayin-resh appear in verses Shemot 22:4 and 22:5, but with different significations in each verse. What follows is verse 22:4 with all words translated into English except for those based on the root bet-ayin-resh, for reasons that will become clear further on.
"If a man shall ya-v-er a field or vineyard, or he either lets his bi-y-roh loose, or he oo-v-y-air it in another man's field, from the best of his field and the best of his vineyard shall he pay."
Rashi's interpretation: "ya-v-er, b-i-roh, oo-vi-ayr: these have the sense of 'animal', as in Bemidbar 20:4 ...we and our animals (oo-v-i-ray-nu)"
According to Rashi, a translation of verse 22:4 might sound like this: If a man shall let an animal graze a field or vineyard, or he either lets his animal run loose, or he grazes it in another man's field...
The Talmud provides the source of Rashi's interpretation. Much of the first chapter of Tractate Bava Kamma is derived from our verse. The ox is taken as the paradigmatic "dangerous property" that can damage another man's field or vineyard if not properly supervised.
But this interpretation presents a difficulty: Shemot 22:4 and Bemidbar 20:4 are the only places in Tanakh where bet-ayin-resh is understood to signify 'animal.' Elsewhere, the root usually signifies 'fire', either real or metaphoric. This is the sense of the root in Shemot 22:5:
"If a fire shall go forth and find thorns, and a stack of grain or a standing crop or a field is consumed, the one who kindled (ha-ma-vir) the fire (ha-b-ay-rah) shall make restitution."
Now read verse 22:4 using the more common signification of bet-ayin-resh:
"If a man shall kindle a field or vineyard - whether he sets the fire or allows his fire to burn another man's field - from the best of his field and the best of his vineyard shall he pay."
Why does the tradition hold that bet-ayin-resh means 'animal' when the verse makes sense with the common signification 'fire'?
Perhaps the difficulty could be resolved by tracing the derivation of the root bet-ayin-resh. According to Brown-Driver-Briggs, the earliest Hebrew signification of bet-ayin-resh was 'seek out, collect, glean.' From here significations emerged meaning 'consume' as a fire consumes. Simultaneously, the root branched into significations for animals that seek out and consume in the same unrestrained manner as fire.
Fire and oxen share the characteristic that they go out and destroy crops and vineyards because it is their nature to do so. They both travel to damage, and both must be watched carefully. But fire and oxen differ in that the latter possess ruach chayim (the breath of life) and the former does not. Oxen inadvertently do damage in the process of natural pleasurable activities such as eating and scratching. If the Torah had taught us only fire, and not oxen, we might have thought that we are liable only for damages done by inanimate objects and not by live animals (Bava Kamma 2a.)
In these two verses, the Torah explodes bet-ayin-resh into several pieces, each of which teaches us new insights as to the nature dangerous property. The English translations of verses 22:4 and 22:5 do not permit us to understand the nature of dangerous property as deeply unless we appreciate the Torah's deliberate choice of words based on bet-ayin-resh.
For further consideration:
On the night before Pesach, we perform the Bedikat Chametz, the search for any remaining crumbs of bread in our homes. The prayer we say is translated as follows:
"Blessed are You, Hashem, Sovereign of the universe, Who makes us holy with His mitzvahs, and commands us regarding the destruction (biur, using the root bet-ayin-resh) of chametz."
Why is the Bedikat Chametz sanctified with a blessing over destruction, when the ritual destruction of chametz (not coincidentally, by fire) does not occur until the next day?
PARASHAT Beshallach
This week's Torah Gems were prepared by
Jodi Hecht
PARASHAT Beshallach
This week in Parshat Beshallach we read that Pharaoh finally agrees to let the Jews out of Egypt. The Jews leave quickly and begin a path to an uncertain but hopefully better future in the Promised Land. However, Pharaoh's mind is changed and he sends his Egyptian army to pursue the Jews. Trapped by the oncoming Egyptian army and the powerful Red Sea, Moses raises his staff and Hashem miraculously the sea splits and the Jews cross safely. In an equally spectacular but now sobering act, Moses lowers his staff and Hashem allows the wall of water to come crashing down destroying the Egyptian army. Deeply grateful to Hashem, Moses and Miriam lead the men and women respectfully in a song of praise.
The Jews have much to praise and be thankful for in this Parshat. In one Chasidic online source Parshat Beshallach is considered Shabbat Shira or the "Song Sabbath". In this Parshat it says that Miriam takes a timbrel (or tambourine) and leads the women in song. There is good reason to be thankful as Hashem is certainly present and active in the lives of these Jews. I am struck however as to why Miriam brought a tambourine with her in the first place. One would have thought this would not be an essential item to bring on this perilous journey. The Parshat describes the Jews distress on the long and arduous voyage through the desert. Within three days they are thirsty and hungry and extremely disheartened. And yet in a succession of miracles, Hashem provides enough "fresh" water, meat and bread in the form of manna and instructs the Jews to rest on the seventh day. Even in the midst of the attacks by Amalek, Hashem protects the Jews.
Perhaps Miriam had some insight that praising Hashem for life itself was necessary. Perhaps Miriam knew that song and particularly voices raised together would lift the spirits of the wandering Jews. Both music and dance can transcend the physical discomforts.
This Shabbat may you take a moment to sing a thanks for your own Jewish lives.
Shabbat Shalom
Jodi Hecht
PARASHAT Beshallach
This week in Parshat Beshallach we read that Pharaoh finally agrees to let the Jews out of Egypt. The Jews leave quickly and begin a path to an uncertain but hopefully better future in the Promised Land. However, Pharaoh's mind is changed and he sends his Egyptian army to pursue the Jews. Trapped by the oncoming Egyptian army and the powerful Red Sea, Moses raises his staff and Hashem miraculously the sea splits and the Jews cross safely. In an equally spectacular but now sobering act, Moses lowers his staff and Hashem allows the wall of water to come crashing down destroying the Egyptian army. Deeply grateful to Hashem, Moses and Miriam lead the men and women respectfully in a song of praise.
The Jews have much to praise and be thankful for in this Parshat. In one Chasidic online source Parshat Beshallach is considered Shabbat Shira or the "Song Sabbath". In this Parshat it says that Miriam takes a timbrel (or tambourine) and leads the women in song. There is good reason to be thankful as Hashem is certainly present and active in the lives of these Jews. I am struck however as to why Miriam brought a tambourine with her in the first place. One would have thought this would not be an essential item to bring on this perilous journey. The Parshat describes the Jews distress on the long and arduous voyage through the desert. Within three days they are thirsty and hungry and extremely disheartened. And yet in a succession of miracles, Hashem provides enough "fresh" water, meat and bread in the form of manna and instructs the Jews to rest on the seventh day. Even in the midst of the attacks by Amalek, Hashem protects the Jews.
Perhaps Miriam had some insight that praising Hashem for life itself was necessary. Perhaps Miriam knew that song and particularly voices raised together would lift the spirits of the wandering Jews. Both music and dance can transcend the physical discomforts.
This Shabbat may you take a moment to sing a thanks for your own Jewish lives.
Shabbat Shalom
PARASHAT Bo
This week's Torah Gems were prepared by
Adam Solomon
PARASHAT Bo
Parashat Bo is our source of laws of Passover. The parasha also recounts the first Passover celebration, even as it was happening. What does it mean that the first Passover festival was celebrated before Exodus actually happened? Why would our ancestors in slavery have to have eaten the symbolic foods of slavery, matza and bitter herbs, while still slaves?
Perhaps the answer lies in the Torah's anticipation of 'the wicked child's' question, "what does this mean to you?" Even before the actual Exodus takes place the foundation was laid for the Passover Seder. The Exodus is a liminal moment - I was going to say that it divided Jewish history, but perhaps it would be better to say that it started Jewish history. Prior to the Exodus we were a family, in Egypt we became a nation, but with the Exodus the Jewish people became independent actors in history.
The vigil of the original Exodus night is to be reenacted - in the era of the Temple in Jerusalem this would also have involved the paschal sacrifice. As Rashi, the prolific French medieval rabbi notes, details regarding this are expanded upon in BT Pesachim. Just as we left Egypt as a group, in Jerusalem the sacrifices were offered in large groups. Three different shifts were admitted to the Temple to do the sacrifice (the only one that non-Cohanim performed). In tractate Pesachim there is an extensive description of the ceremony.
The sacrifices were then roasted whole and eaten by families or groups of people who had signed up to participate together. Additional sacrifices were also prepared so that not only would there be plenty of food, but that the last bite people would eat would be from the paschal offering and that it would be that particular course which satisfied them.
Typically today the Passover Seder is a family affair - even with guests it doesn't seem to have the national flavor that Temple-era Passovers must have had and that the original Exodus certainly did. Of course with KI's community-wide second Seder on Thursday, April 9th, we will have an opportunity to come together in a manner similar to the gatherings described in Pesachim (if you would like to help with this year's second Seder contact the office).
Perhaps by creating the beginnings of the Seder and commanding the eating of symbolic foods, Hashem was giving the Jewish people the tools they would need to educate future generations even before Exodus! These tools anticipated and encouraged the questioning that children raised in freedom would ask.
Adam Solomon
PARASHAT Bo
Parashat Bo is our source of laws of Passover. The parasha also recounts the first Passover celebration, even as it was happening. What does it mean that the first Passover festival was celebrated before Exodus actually happened? Why would our ancestors in slavery have to have eaten the symbolic foods of slavery, matza and bitter herbs, while still slaves?
Perhaps the answer lies in the Torah's anticipation of 'the wicked child's' question, "what does this mean to you?" Even before the actual Exodus takes place the foundation was laid for the Passover Seder. The Exodus is a liminal moment - I was going to say that it divided Jewish history, but perhaps it would be better to say that it started Jewish history. Prior to the Exodus we were a family, in Egypt we became a nation, but with the Exodus the Jewish people became independent actors in history.
The vigil of the original Exodus night is to be reenacted - in the era of the Temple in Jerusalem this would also have involved the paschal sacrifice. As Rashi, the prolific French medieval rabbi notes, details regarding this are expanded upon in BT Pesachim. Just as we left Egypt as a group, in Jerusalem the sacrifices were offered in large groups. Three different shifts were admitted to the Temple to do the sacrifice (the only one that non-Cohanim performed). In tractate Pesachim there is an extensive description of the ceremony.
The sacrifices were then roasted whole and eaten by families or groups of people who had signed up to participate together. Additional sacrifices were also prepared so that not only would there be plenty of food, but that the last bite people would eat would be from the paschal offering and that it would be that particular course which satisfied them.
Typically today the Passover Seder is a family affair - even with guests it doesn't seem to have the national flavor that Temple-era Passovers must have had and that the original Exodus certainly did. Of course with KI's community-wide second Seder on Thursday, April 9th, we will have an opportunity to come together in a manner similar to the gatherings described in Pesachim (if you would like to help with this year's second Seder contact the office).
Perhaps by creating the beginnings of the Seder and commanding the eating of symbolic foods, Hashem was giving the Jewish people the tools they would need to educate future generations even before Exodus! These tools anticipated and encouraged the questioning that children raised in freedom would ask.
PARASHAT Va'era
This week's Torah Gems were prepared by
Anochi Atoncha
PARASHAT Va'era
"I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob with [the name] El-Shaddai, but [with] My name YHWH, I did not become known to them (Shmot 6:2)"
Can the Everlasting change? Or is it that Hashem remains the same; it is we who change?
Rabbi Hamilton taught us this week that Hashem's words to Moses in our pasuk indicate an evolution in Hashem's relationship to Am Yisroel. This is a liberating event, according to Rabbi Hamilton: Just as Hashem's relationship to us evolves, so can we grow and evolve in our relationship to Hashem. In other words, we needn't feel we ought to 'know' Hashem by the same name now as we did when we were children.
But a change in the relationship between Hashem and Am Yisroel doesn't mean that Hashem changes over time: WE DO.
Our relationship with Hashem may be thought of as a rotating orange. As the orange rotates, it maintains a superficial sameness. On closer inspection, however, we may notice subtle changes at the surface.
As an orange in the hand of the philosopher, so are we in Hashem's Hand. We change, rotate, or evolve, but Hashem remains changeless. As we rotate, our relation with respect to the Unmoving necessitates different perspective, even different names.
In Sefer Shmot, when Am Yisroel emerges as a people, Hashem reveals the attribute of mercy, previously unknown to Am Yisroel, who had until recently lived on the other side of the orange.
Anochi Atoncha
PARASHAT Va'era
"I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob with [the name] El-Shaddai, but [with] My name YHWH, I did not become known to them (Shmot 6:2)"
Can the Everlasting change? Or is it that Hashem remains the same; it is we who change?
Rabbi Hamilton taught us this week that Hashem's words to Moses in our pasuk indicate an evolution in Hashem's relationship to Am Yisroel. This is a liberating event, according to Rabbi Hamilton: Just as Hashem's relationship to us evolves, so can we grow and evolve in our relationship to Hashem. In other words, we needn't feel we ought to 'know' Hashem by the same name now as we did when we were children.
But a change in the relationship between Hashem and Am Yisroel doesn't mean that Hashem changes over time: WE DO.
Our relationship with Hashem may be thought of as a rotating orange. As the orange rotates, it maintains a superficial sameness. On closer inspection, however, we may notice subtle changes at the surface.
As an orange in the hand of the philosopher, so are we in Hashem's Hand. We change, rotate, or evolve, but Hashem remains changeless. As we rotate, our relation with respect to the Unmoving necessitates different perspective, even different names.
In Sefer Shmot, when Am Yisroel emerges as a people, Hashem reveals the attribute of mercy, previously unknown to Am Yisroel, who had until recently lived on the other side of the orange.
Parsha Tetzaveh
This week's Torah Gems were prepared by
Larry Sochrin
Parsha Tetzaveh
Children who have little patience for textbooks will happily sit in front of a computer reviewing the same lessons, and that's often true for others who prefer looking at news on a computer screen or iPhone rather than reading a newspaper. There are several interpretations of part of this week's Parsha, Tetzaveh, one of which appeals to the same technologically fascinated people among us, but raises some issues.
In Tetzaveh, G-d gives Moshe directions to create garments for Aaron to wear when officiating as the Kohen Gadol (High Priest). Among those quite colorful but somewhat strange sounding garments is something called a Choshen or Breastplate of Judgment. This has twelve stones mounted on it, each inscribed with the name of one of the tribes.
"Ruby, chrysolithe, beryl... turquoise, sapphire, diamond... ligure, agate, jasper.... emerald, shoham, jade." (28:17-20)
As reported at aish.com, this English rendition is but one of several possible translations of the Hebrew "odem, pitedah, bareket, nofech, sapir, yahalom, leshem, shvo, achlamah, tarshish, shoham, yashpei." It notes that a comprehensive anthology of renditions is presented in "The Living Torah" by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan (Moznaim 1985).
According to a Midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 2:7), in addition to the names of the tribes, the stones also contained the words, "Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Shivtei Yeshurun (righteous tribes)," so the Breastplate contained all 22 letters of the Holy Tongue (Talmud).
When in use, the Breastplate held something extra. "And you shall put in the Breastplate of Judgment the Urim and the Tumim." (28:30)
As confusing as this all is, it seemed to have captured the imagination of many. There are homemade and antique versions of the Breastplate of Judgment being sold these days on eBay, at flea markets, by church sisterhoods, and elsewhere.
Commentators have at least three different views of how this worked.
According to Etz Chaim's commentary, the Urim and Tumim may have been the actual mechanism that Aaron used to make decisions, lots he drew or something similar. This may have been the equivalent in biblical times of Aaron reaching into the breastplate and seeing whether he'd drawn the short straw. Many feel that the rocks on the Breastplate were there just to remind Aaron of all the people, and to keep that reminder close to his heart.
One translation has G-d telling Moses that after he puts in the Urim and Tumim, when Aaron goes in before the Lord, he "will hear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart continually." So in this case, it appears to be a mechanism to allow Aaron to hear G-d's judgment.
But many others saw the entire setup as a visual display communication device for G-d to use to communicate his decisions to Aaron, possibly the computer of those days.
The Urim and Tumim ("illuminator and verifier") was an inscription of the Name of G-d. Inserted in the folds of the Breastplate, it caused the letters inscribed on its stones to light up in response to queries posed by the community leaders, as it is written (Number 27:21): "And [Joshua] shall stand before Elazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of the Urim before G-d: by this word shall they go out, and by this word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him." This is why it was called the "Breastplate of Judgment," since it decided and determined things for the people. (Rashi; Talmud)
When Aaron needed to judge a situation, some stones would light up on the Breastplate and then he would have to decide how to assemble the letters on those stones. The Urim, parchment with G-d's ineffable name written on it and inserted by Moses each time Aaron needed to judge, would cause the stones to light up, and the Tumim would help Aaron to decide which way to assemble those letters to get the correct judgment. Amazingly, the light bulb was actually not invented until thousands of years later, first by Humphry Davy in 1860, then improved upon by several people including the best known in 1879, Thomas Alva Edison. So if the Breastplate truly worked by having letters on stones light up, the people must have marveled at seeing such a phenomenon, as miraculous as other G-d created miracles in the Torah. But just as many of G-d's other miracles, such as the plagues, relate back to G-d's work at Creation, perhaps we can relate this one to the first day of Creation, when G-d said "Let there be light."
So anyone who might consider the Torah anachronistic should think again. At least one respected interpretation of this week's Parsha makes it truly ahead of its time, with G-d providing a computer or communications aid for Aaron to use thousands of years before such technology would be discovered. Just as computers and cell phone texting devices manage to hold the attention of today's people, especially children, it appears that G-d may have had his own way of capturing the attention of his people, B'nai Yisrael, the children of Israel. Or maybe Parsha Tetzaveh presents a time when G-d just wanted to give everyone a preview of things to come.
Larry Sochrin
Parsha Tetzaveh
Children who have little patience for textbooks will happily sit in front of a computer reviewing the same lessons, and that's often true for others who prefer looking at news on a computer screen or iPhone rather than reading a newspaper. There are several interpretations of part of this week's Parsha, Tetzaveh, one of which appeals to the same technologically fascinated people among us, but raises some issues.
In Tetzaveh, G-d gives Moshe directions to create garments for Aaron to wear when officiating as the Kohen Gadol (High Priest). Among those quite colorful but somewhat strange sounding garments is something called a Choshen or Breastplate of Judgment. This has twelve stones mounted on it, each inscribed with the name of one of the tribes.
"Ruby, chrysolithe, beryl... turquoise, sapphire, diamond... ligure, agate, jasper.... emerald, shoham, jade." (28:17-20)
As reported at aish.com, this English rendition is but one of several possible translations of the Hebrew "odem, pitedah, bareket, nofech, sapir, yahalom, leshem, shvo, achlamah, tarshish, shoham, yashpei." It notes that a comprehensive anthology of renditions is presented in "The Living Torah" by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan (Moznaim 1985).
According to a Midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 2:7), in addition to the names of the tribes, the stones also contained the words, "Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Shivtei Yeshurun (righteous tribes)," so the Breastplate contained all 22 letters of the Holy Tongue (Talmud).
When in use, the Breastplate held something extra. "And you shall put in the Breastplate of Judgment the Urim and the Tumim." (28:30)
As confusing as this all is, it seemed to have captured the imagination of many. There are homemade and antique versions of the Breastplate of Judgment being sold these days on eBay, at flea markets, by church sisterhoods, and elsewhere.
Commentators have at least three different views of how this worked.
According to Etz Chaim's commentary, the Urim and Tumim may have been the actual mechanism that Aaron used to make decisions, lots he drew or something similar. This may have been the equivalent in biblical times of Aaron reaching into the breastplate and seeing whether he'd drawn the short straw. Many feel that the rocks on the Breastplate were there just to remind Aaron of all the people, and to keep that reminder close to his heart.
One translation has G-d telling Moses that after he puts in the Urim and Tumim, when Aaron goes in before the Lord, he "will hear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart continually." So in this case, it appears to be a mechanism to allow Aaron to hear G-d's judgment.
But many others saw the entire setup as a visual display communication device for G-d to use to communicate his decisions to Aaron, possibly the computer of those days.
The Urim and Tumim ("illuminator and verifier") was an inscription of the Name of G-d. Inserted in the folds of the Breastplate, it caused the letters inscribed on its stones to light up in response to queries posed by the community leaders, as it is written (Number 27:21): "And [Joshua] shall stand before Elazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of the Urim before G-d: by this word shall they go out, and by this word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him." This is why it was called the "Breastplate of Judgment," since it decided and determined things for the people. (Rashi; Talmud)
When Aaron needed to judge a situation, some stones would light up on the Breastplate and then he would have to decide how to assemble the letters on those stones. The Urim, parchment with G-d's ineffable name written on it and inserted by Moses each time Aaron needed to judge, would cause the stones to light up, and the Tumim would help Aaron to decide which way to assemble those letters to get the correct judgment. Amazingly, the light bulb was actually not invented until thousands of years later, first by Humphry Davy in 1860, then improved upon by several people including the best known in 1879, Thomas Alva Edison. So if the Breastplate truly worked by having letters on stones light up, the people must have marveled at seeing such a phenomenon, as miraculous as other G-d created miracles in the Torah. But just as many of G-d's other miracles, such as the plagues, relate back to G-d's work at Creation, perhaps we can relate this one to the first day of Creation, when G-d said "Let there be light."
So anyone who might consider the Torah anachronistic should think again. At least one respected interpretation of this week's Parsha makes it truly ahead of its time, with G-d providing a computer or communications aid for Aaron to use thousands of years before such technology would be discovered. Just as computers and cell phone texting devices manage to hold the attention of today's people, especially children, it appears that G-d may have had his own way of capturing the attention of his people, B'nai Yisrael, the children of Israel. Or maybe Parsha Tetzaveh presents a time when G-d just wanted to give everyone a preview of things to come.
PARASHAT Shemot
PARASHAT Shemot
One of the themes in Parashat Shemot that I find compelling is the role of women in the beginning of the parasha. Pharaoh's underestimation of women leads to Moses' survival and thus to Pharaoh's eventual downfall/the liberation from slavery.
From the start Pharaoh decrees against Jewish men only, seeing the Jewish people in Egypt as a potential military threat/fifth column. Rashi, the prolific French medieval commentator, however says that Pharaoh decreed against the males only because of a prediction by his astrologers predicting Moses' birth. I'm not sure how to square this with the text of the parasha which explicitly states that the Egyptians felt threatened by the possibility of the Israelites allying themselves with foreign attackers.
This decree is subverted by the two midwives, Shifra and Puach. It is interesting that in a section of the parasha with no names given, Shifra and Puach are called out by name. All the major characters go without names at this point (and some will continue to remain nameless, though our Midrashic tradition fills in the gaps). Is it possible that remembering Shifra and Puach by name is a reward itself, aside from the households (i.e., children) given to them by G
-d? Shifra and Puach may not have been Israelite. Were they the first instance of Righteous Gentiles protecting Jews from persecution?
Rashi notes that the Israelite women are compared to animals which do not need midwives to deliver babies. The Israelite women are less than human in Pharaoh's eyes.
Midrash famously has Miriam convincing her father Amram to decide for the Jewish people to continue having children despite Pharaoh's decree. Amram hadn't wanted to bring boys into the world only to have the Egyptians kill them. Miriam protests that Amram has decreed against all children while Pharaoh only decreed against the males.
When Moses is placed in his basket - really an ark, the same word as used for Noach's ark - he's watched over by his sister Miriam. This liminal event - the risky travel of the baby who will bring liberation to the Israelites - is guarded by her.
Closer to home for Pharaoh, he is deceived by his daughter, unnamed in the text, traditionally known as Batya - daughter of HaShem. Batya goes down to the river to bathe. Why? Surely there were baths in her palace. As was noted in my daughter's class at KI Religious School, midrash holds that Batya was rebelling against her father's decree. In protest, was she converting to Judaism and the river was serving as her mikvah? Could it be that Batya was going down to the river to try to rescue a Jewish baby?
Batya then arranges with Miriam to have Yocheved be Moses' wet nurse. Yocheved then raises Moses and doesn't bring him back to Batya until "he matures" (two years old in the midrash).
The infant Moses is protected every step of the way by women. Shifra and Puach protect him and every other Jewish child. Miriam follows him from the riverbank while he is in his ark/basket. Pharaoh's daughter, Batya, adopts him, names him, and gives him back to his biological mother so she can raise him under the guise of being his nurse.
Sometimes finding non
-patriarchal angles on our tradition can be difficult. As the father of two daughters, it is something that I try to bring to the fore when we discuss Torah. It's particularly gratifying to find it so close to the surface in so important a parasha as Shemot.
One of the themes in Parashat Shemot that I find compelling is the role of women in the beginning of the parasha. Pharaoh's underestimation of women leads to Moses' survival and thus to Pharaoh's eventual downfall/the liberation from slavery.
From the start Pharaoh decrees against Jewish men only, seeing the Jewish people in Egypt as a potential military threat/fifth column. Rashi, the prolific French medieval commentator, however says that Pharaoh decreed against the males only because of a prediction by his astrologers predicting Moses' birth. I'm not sure how to square this with the text of the parasha which explicitly states that the Egyptians felt threatened by the possibility of the Israelites allying themselves with foreign attackers.
This decree is subverted by the two midwives, Shifra and Puach. It is interesting that in a section of the parasha with no names given, Shifra and Puach are called out by name. All the major characters go without names at this point (and some will continue to remain nameless, though our Midrashic tradition fills in the gaps). Is it possible that remembering Shifra and Puach by name is a reward itself, aside from the households (i.e., children) given to them by G
-d? Shifra and Puach may not have been Israelite. Were they the first instance of Righteous Gentiles protecting Jews from persecution?
Rashi notes that the Israelite women are compared to animals which do not need midwives to deliver babies. The Israelite women are less than human in Pharaoh's eyes.
Midrash famously has Miriam convincing her father Amram to decide for the Jewish people to continue having children despite Pharaoh's decree. Amram hadn't wanted to bring boys into the world only to have the Egyptians kill them. Miriam protests that Amram has decreed against all children while Pharaoh only decreed against the males.
When Moses is placed in his basket - really an ark, the same word as used for Noach's ark - he's watched over by his sister Miriam. This liminal event - the risky travel of the baby who will bring liberation to the Israelites - is guarded by her.
Closer to home for Pharaoh, he is deceived by his daughter, unnamed in the text, traditionally known as Batya - daughter of HaShem. Batya goes down to the river to bathe. Why? Surely there were baths in her palace. As was noted in my daughter's class at KI Religious School, midrash holds that Batya was rebelling against her father's decree. In protest, was she converting to Judaism and the river was serving as her mikvah? Could it be that Batya was going down to the river to try to rescue a Jewish baby?
Batya then arranges with Miriam to have Yocheved be Moses' wet nurse. Yocheved then raises Moses and doesn't bring him back to Batya until "he matures" (two years old in the midrash).
The infant Moses is protected every step of the way by women. Shifra and Puach protect him and every other Jewish child. Miriam follows him from the riverbank while he is in his ark/basket. Pharaoh's daughter, Batya, adopts him, names him, and gives him back to his biological mother so she can raise him under the guise of being his nurse.
Sometimes finding non
-patriarchal angles on our tradition can be difficult. As the father of two daughters, it is something that I try to bring to the fore when we discuss Torah. It's particularly gratifying to find it so close to the surface in so important a parasha as Shemot.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
PARASHAT Vayeshev
Torah Gems - December 19th
2008 / 22 Kislev
This week's Torah Gems were prepared by
Anochi Atoncha
Angelology - Part III
A man found [Joseph], and behold! -- he was blundering in the field; the man asked him, saying, "What do you seek?" (Beresheit 37:15)
Yonaton ben Uziel Gavriel, in the form of a man, found Joseph...
Oznaim LaTorah Why was Gavriel sent from Heaven to show Joseph the way to his brothers? After all, his brothers were planning to kill Joseph, or at best, to sell him into slavery! Could it be that God sent the angel in order to relieve Jacob's burden of guilt, inasmuch as he knew his sons hated and were jealous of Joseph?
Rather, the angel came to show Joseph the way to Egypt, to teach us that the entire episode comes from Hashem. The time had come for Jacob and his sons to descend to Egypt. The matter was hidden from Jacob's wisdom and intellect, and he sent the son of his old age, whom he loved as much as life itself, to his brothers, who were planning to kill him. Therefore the Holy One, Blessed be He, sent an angel to protect Joseph on the way to Egypt.
Yonaton ben Uziel and Oznaim LaTorah address a problem with our text: who is this unnamed man and what is he doing in the field? The tradition teaches that Torah does not waste words. Every seemingly trivial detail must convey meaning. So it must be with a seemingly chance encounter between Joseph and an unnamed man.
The traditional interpretation holds that the man is an angel. The text provides several clues as to his identity: first, the man finds Joseph, rather than the other way around, as though the man had been looking for Joseph; second, the Torah states 'the man asked [Joseph], saying... (Va'y'shalayhu ha-ish laymor).' In Sefer Beresheit, the combination of verbs derived from the roots shin-alef-lamed + alef-mem-resh usually refers to communication with a malakh, human or Divine (e.g. 24:47, 32:18, 32:30). Finally there is the curious exchange between Joseph and the man:
And [Joseph] said, "My brothers do I seek; tell me, please, where they are pasturing." The man said: "They have journeyed on from here, for I heard them saying, 'Let us go to Dothan.'" (37:16-17)
The man's answer begins with a seemingly superfluous comment: 'they have journeyed on from here.' This is obvious! Rather, the man is conveying a secret to Joseph that only a Divine being could know: that they had 'moved on from brotherhood with Joseph [for] they sought a legal basis to kill him' (Rashi to 37:17.) Furthermore, the man knows exactly where the brothers are, even recounting a supposedly overheard conversation, without first asking Joseph for any further information as to the boys' identity!
Oznaim LaTorah explains why Hashem sent an angel to Joseph. If He hadn't done so, the narrative would have ground to a screeching halt right here in Chapter 37 of Beresheit. There would be no descent into Egypt, no enslavement, no redemption, and no Sinai! Instead, the Torah teaches that Hashem guides Israel to Sinai and beyond.
One more phrase in our text deserves comment. It is the angel's wonderfully-phrased question to Joseph 'what do you seek?' (ma t'vakesh:) If we accept that the angel already knows that Joseph is seeking his brothers, why doesn't he ask 'whom do you seek?' Perhaps the angel is actually asking Joseph a philosophical question. Perhaps he is asking the boy Joseph to tell us what he has planned for his life. Will he carry on lording it over his brothers like a spoiled child, or will he grow up and respect them as equals like a grown man ought to? Though the question is surely rhetorical, it must have sounded harsh to Joseph's ears. Perhaps this is why the tradition identifies this angel as Gavriel, the angel of severity.PARASHAT Vayishlach
Torah Gems - December 12th
2008 / 15 Kislev
This week's Torah Gems were prepared by
Rabbi Nechama Goldberg
PARASHAT Vayishlach
The Last Kiss
A kiss is so commonplace that we take it for granted - a kiss hello or goodbye, or perhaps as a sign of affection. It is something we do every day. So, it is somewhat surprising that kissing is mentioned a mere 11 times in Torah. Eight of those times it involves Jacob and does not stem from affection or sincerity.
The first instance occurs while Jacob is in the process of deceiving his father. Isaac asks that Jacob lean over and kiss him so that he may smell the scent of his son to identify him. Jacob leans over to kiss Isaac in the hopes that Isaac will believe that Jacob is really Esau. The kiss is not an expression of love, but a gesture of deception. (Gen. 27:26-27.)
The next kiss is an impulsive act of a self-centered youth when Jacob first spies Rachel and kisses her. (Gen. 29:11.)When Rachel brings Jacob home to her father Lavan, Lavan kisses Jacob. (Gen. 29:13.) As the story develops, we know that there is no love lost between Jacob and Lavan. Their relationship is built on deception and lies.
At the end of 20 years of service to Lavan, Jacob is fleeing with his wives, his children and his flocks. Lavan pursues him and upon not finding the
household idols that were stolen, he uses the excuse that he did not have the opportunity to kiss his daughters and grandsons goodbye. (Gen. 31:28.) We don't associate warmth or demonstrative emotion with Lavan, so when he kisses the family goodbye, we are not moved. (Gen. 32:1.)
We arrive at the kiss in our parashah, Vayishlach. Jacob is sleep deprived. He has just wrestled with an angel. He has been injured. He is afraid of the coming reunion with Esau. Esau, on the other hand, has had 20 years to heal, to forgive, to grow and to prosper. He approaches the reunion with great enthusiasm. Esau runs to greet Jacob, embracing him, falling on his neck and kissing him. (Gen. 33:4.) Here is the one sincere kiss offered to Jacob and Jacob does not know how to accept it. Jacob is cowering and addresses Esau in an ingratiating manner referring to himself as "your servant" and to Esau as "my lord." When Esau urges Jacob to travel home with him, Jacob declines, saying that he will follow shortly thereafter. Instead of following, Jacob heads in the opposite direction.
It takes Jacob a long time before he can give or receive a kiss with emotional engagement and sincerity. It only happens after Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers, forgives them and kisses them. (Gen. 45:15.) As Jacob's life is coming to an end, he asks Joseph to bring his sons so that Jacob can bless them. Jacob's last kiss is for his grandsons, Ephraim and Menashe, before he offers his last will and testament to his sons. (Gen. 48:10.) As Jacob concludes this testament, he draws his last breath and is gathered to his people.
Joseph weeps over his father and lovingly places one final kiss on his lips. (Gen. 50:1.)
PARASHAT Toldot
Torah Gems - November 28th 2008 / 1 Kislev
This week's Torah Gems were prepared by
PARASHAT Toldot
"And the children struggled together within her..." (Beresheit 25:22)
The twins Jacob and Esau are not merely struggling together. The verb the Torah uses here, va'yitrotzatzu, suggests they are struggling against one another. The root of the verb is resh
-tzade, meaning "run". The tzade is repeated, rendering the root resh-tzade-tzade. In ancient Hebrew, duplication of the second letter of a two-letter root suggests intensification. In this case, the verb is not only intensified, it is transformed from the intransitive "run" to the transitive "trample, crush, as underfoot." The verb is presented in the hitpalel, or reflexive, form. This suggests that whatever the twins were doing, they were doing it to each other. A more literal translation of the verse gives "And the children crushed each other within her..."Elsewhere in Tanakh, resh
-tzade-tzade also suggests crushing, either real or metaphoric."...[A]nd you will be only cheated and downtrodden (ratzootz) all the days." (Devarim 28:33)
"They broke and crushed (rotz'tzu) the children of Israel..." (Shoftim 10:8)
"You have relied on the support of this splintered (ratzootz) cane..." (M'lachim II 18:21)
"You crushed (ritzatzta) the head of Leviathan..." (Tehillim 74:14)
The Torah's choice of a reflexive verb based on resh
-tzade-tzade (crush) suggests that Jacob and Esau not only trampled each other with their feet inside of Rebecca, but that in so doing they also inflicted injuries on each other. In fact, their original injuries prefigure the injuries they will inflict on one another in life. Jacob humiliates Esau through the purchase of the latter's birthright for a mess of pottage (25: 29-34.) Esau, via an angel, cripples Jacob during the wrestling match at the Wadi Jabbok (32:25-30.)Jacob's and Esau's injuries never heal, and yet the two become brothers again. At the beginning of Chapter 33 they meet after years apart and weep in each other's arms. At the end of Chapter 35, Jacob and Esau bury their father Isaac together.
The Jacob
-Esau narratives teach that Teshuvah (return, or in this case reconciliation) is attainable even after a lifetime of epic fighting, injuring, and separation. How much more so is Teshuvah available to us after the relatively minor injuries we inflict on one another!
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