While the Torah reading for this week is Sh'lach L'cha, I want to take a page from last week's reading (which included a discussion of the Menorah for the Tabernacle) because of a connection to Father's day, which the secular calendar tells me arrives this Sunday. And it's a bit more of a personal comment than usual.
My friend and former colleague Liz Hirsch told me about an interesting d’var torah she heard about the menorah. The menorah can be looked at in two very different ways: it can be viewed as a tree with roots going into the ground, and it can be seen as a tree with branches going upward.
Our observance of Father's Day can be connected to this essential Jewish icon, because fathers serve the same purpose as the menorah - they give us roots, and they point us the way ahead.
As I grow older, I often think about my Dad, who died in 1989. He wasn’t one to offer much advice (orders and directions, yes; advice, not so much). He was not a pontificator, although he was certainly opinionated. We could argue about sports, and we could REALLY argue about politics. He (and I) loved that interaction, even as we turned red in the face or slammed fists on the table.
On rare occasions, he made his point by deliberately NOT telling me what to do. One of the most exasperating experiences I ever had was when I had narrowed down my selection of colleges (where I had been accepted) to two, and I desperately wanted him to tell me which to select. He refused, saying that either would be fine.
It was much later that I realized that his refusal was a wonderful “teaching moment.” Like a menorah, my father had provided my roots, and now was pointing me forward, well aware that I would need to make critical choices throughout my life. Confident in the roots he had given me, he wanted me to take my own steps forward, even if I was to stumble. This was a gift beyond measure.
Shabbat Shalom, and Happy Father's Day.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
B'haalot'cha
Before getting to my weekly d'var, I want to express some thoughts about the tragedy this week in Washington, resulting in the death of Stephen T. Johns, a security officer at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
America is experiencing an increase in fringe/hate/terrorism actions. A doctor is murdered (in his church!) because he performs abortions; a soldier is slain outside a recruiting office by an American convert to Islam who believes we are committing war crimes in Iraq; Jewish institutions are targeted for violence in the Bronx; and now Officer Johns is killed by an anti-Semite quite well known in Holocaust-denier circles. The Department of Homeland Security issued a report in January cautioning about an uptick in these kinds of attacks because of the economic climate (a bad economy is always a breeding ground for anti-Semitism) and because we now have an African American President. The report seems to have been unfortunately prescient.
I participated in a brief memorial service yesterday for Officer Johns at the Holocaust Museum, an interfaith convocation organized by our local Jewish Community Relations Council. As Jews and as Jewish professionals, we need to continue to stand up and speak out against terror, anti-Semitism, and extremism. As R. Tarphon said (Pirke Avot 2:21), "The work is not yours to finish; but you are not free to desist from it."
B’haalot’cha
Numbers 8:1 - 12:16
Précis: The parasha begins with a description of the making of the Menorah, a central Jewish symbol. Next, the Levites are given added directions in their roles. The parasha returns to narrative with a recounting of a "second Passover" celebration. Next comes a discussion of the making of silver trumpets. The cloud of God’s Presence lifts, and the march of the People through the wilderness from Sinai begins. Details are offered about how they proceeded through the desert, led by the Ark. The people begin to murmur again about the lack of meat. God provides the people with meat – after which they are struck with a severe plague. This time, even Miriam and Aaron seem to have complaints about Moses, cast in terms of their critique about his “Cushite woman.” Moses is, as usual, vindicated at the end.
Numbers 9:6-13 “And it happened that there were men who were defiled by human corpses and could not do the Passover offering on that day, and they drew near before Moses and before Aaron on that day. And these men said to them, ‘We are defiled by human corpses. Why should we be withheld from offering the Lord’s sacrifice at its fixed time in the midst of the Israelites?’ …And the Lord spoke to Moses saying… ‘Any man who may be defiled by corpse or on a distant journey…and would do the Passover sacrifice of the Lord, in the second month on the fourteenth day, they shall do it…’”
In recent years, it’s become a statement of conventional wisdom that America is the "Land of Second Chances:" politicians, sports figures, and celebrities of all kinds are offered a second, third (or even a fourth) chance.
The verses we study here contain an often overlooked curiosity: Pesach Sheini, or the second Passover. The text tells us that when the first Passover was celebrated by the Israelites in the desert, certain members of the People were ritually impure (because of contact with a dead body) and were thus not allowed to observe the Passover at its appointed time (in the first month). Given that membership in the community was importantly expressed by observing the Passover, these "impure" ones ask Moses for an accommodation. Moses turns to God, who creates a second chance opportunity.
While the observance of Pesach Sheini seems to have ended with the destruction of the Second Temple, this passage remains of interest, because of its unusual nature. After all, there is no exception made for any other holiday. But unlike other holidays, Passover was central to the creation of the Jewish People, and to the inclusion of individuals within the polity.
On another level, we can learn from this brief narrative that Judaism believes that human beings are to be allowed a second chance. Things are never too late, and there never comes a time when we are permitted to stop trying.
America is experiencing an increase in fringe/hate/terrorism actions. A doctor is murdered (in his church!) because he performs abortions; a soldier is slain outside a recruiting office by an American convert to Islam who believes we are committing war crimes in Iraq; Jewish institutions are targeted for violence in the Bronx; and now Officer Johns is killed by an anti-Semite quite well known in Holocaust-denier circles. The Department of Homeland Security issued a report in January cautioning about an uptick in these kinds of attacks because of the economic climate (a bad economy is always a breeding ground for anti-Semitism) and because we now have an African American President. The report seems to have been unfortunately prescient.
I participated in a brief memorial service yesterday for Officer Johns at the Holocaust Museum, an interfaith convocation organized by our local Jewish Community Relations Council. As Jews and as Jewish professionals, we need to continue to stand up and speak out against terror, anti-Semitism, and extremism. As R. Tarphon said (Pirke Avot 2:21), "The work is not yours to finish; but you are not free to desist from it."
B’haalot’cha
Numbers 8:1 - 12:16
Précis: The parasha begins with a description of the making of the Menorah, a central Jewish symbol. Next, the Levites are given added directions in their roles. The parasha returns to narrative with a recounting of a "second Passover" celebration. Next comes a discussion of the making of silver trumpets. The cloud of God’s Presence lifts, and the march of the People through the wilderness from Sinai begins. Details are offered about how they proceeded through the desert, led by the Ark. The people begin to murmur again about the lack of meat. God provides the people with meat – after which they are struck with a severe plague. This time, even Miriam and Aaron seem to have complaints about Moses, cast in terms of their critique about his “Cushite woman.” Moses is, as usual, vindicated at the end.
Numbers 9:6-13 “And it happened that there were men who were defiled by human corpses and could not do the Passover offering on that day, and they drew near before Moses and before Aaron on that day. And these men said to them, ‘We are defiled by human corpses. Why should we be withheld from offering the Lord’s sacrifice at its fixed time in the midst of the Israelites?’ …And the Lord spoke to Moses saying… ‘Any man who may be defiled by corpse or on a distant journey…and would do the Passover sacrifice of the Lord, in the second month on the fourteenth day, they shall do it…’”
In recent years, it’s become a statement of conventional wisdom that America is the "Land of Second Chances:" politicians, sports figures, and celebrities of all kinds are offered a second, third (or even a fourth) chance.
The verses we study here contain an often overlooked curiosity: Pesach Sheini, or the second Passover. The text tells us that when the first Passover was celebrated by the Israelites in the desert, certain members of the People were ritually impure (because of contact with a dead body) and were thus not allowed to observe the Passover at its appointed time (in the first month). Given that membership in the community was importantly expressed by observing the Passover, these "impure" ones ask Moses for an accommodation. Moses turns to God, who creates a second chance opportunity.
While the observance of Pesach Sheini seems to have ended with the destruction of the Second Temple, this passage remains of interest, because of its unusual nature. After all, there is no exception made for any other holiday. But unlike other holidays, Passover was central to the creation of the Jewish People, and to the inclusion of individuals within the polity.
On another level, we can learn from this brief narrative that Judaism believes that human beings are to be allowed a second chance. Things are never too late, and there never comes a time when we are permitted to stop trying.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
“Surely, this Instruction which I command you this day is not too baffling for you, nor is it far off. It is not in the heavens, that you should say, “Who among us can go up to the heavens and get it for us and teach us, so that we may observe it?” Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who among us can cross to the other side of the sea and get it for us and teach us, so that we may observe it?” No, the thing is very close to you, in your mouth, and in your heart, so do it.”
Deuteronomy 30:11-14
The Jewish tradition is rich in commentary about the five Books of Moses. While trite, it is true that Jews are the "People of the Book." Interpretation of text has never been the exclusive province of the clergy: our history is replete with commentaries - oral and written - prepared and expounded upon by lay people.
Part of the tradition of examination of Torah comes through a review of the weekly reading, and drawing lessons from the reading as they may apply to our lives. In 5761, corresponding to the year 2000-2001 of the secular calendar, I began an effort to prepare a weekly comment ("drash" or “d’var torah”) on the parasha. I intended at that time to find some lessons that would be of particular interest to Executive Directors of temples and synagogues. Over time, this expanded to Jewish professionals, and, at times to management principles in general (albeit from a Jewish perspective). From time to time, the news of the day has served as a different focus for interpretative reading of the weekly text. With a few exceptions, I kept at the task regularly through the years.
By sharing them with friends and peers across the country (and around the world, thanks to the internet) I realized a hope: that I could stimulate additional conversation and discussion among readers of the weekly message. In so doing, I’m following the tradition of Jewish learning which requires partners in study: “Chevrutah”. And now with this blog, I hope that we can expand the discussion, and bring our learning to others.
Every week, matters of moral imperatives are raised. Ideas of good and evil, reward and punishment and moral choices echo across the centuries to us. When faced with daily choices, we need to include in our decision-making process the moral truths of our tradition. In a nutshell, this is what this effort of Torah study and analysis has been all about: find the moral pathway, and use one's free will to make the moral decision.
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch has written, “Our tradition teaches that people experience revelation differently. ‘The divine word spoke to each and every person according to his particular capacity’ (Peskita d’Rav Kahana 12:25). There is no ‘one,’ ‘authoritative,’ or ‘literal’ understanding. ‘Just as a hammer strikes the rock and it shatters into many pieces, so does a single verse of Torah yield many meanings.’ (Sanhedrin 34a).’ (One People, Two Worlds Shocken Books, NY, 2002.)
Deuteronomy 30:11-14
The Jewish tradition is rich in commentary about the five Books of Moses. While trite, it is true that Jews are the "People of the Book." Interpretation of text has never been the exclusive province of the clergy: our history is replete with commentaries - oral and written - prepared and expounded upon by lay people.
Part of the tradition of examination of Torah comes through a review of the weekly reading, and drawing lessons from the reading as they may apply to our lives. In 5761, corresponding to the year 2000-2001 of the secular calendar, I began an effort to prepare a weekly comment ("drash" or “d’var torah”) on the parasha. I intended at that time to find some lessons that would be of particular interest to Executive Directors of temples and synagogues. Over time, this expanded to Jewish professionals, and, at times to management principles in general (albeit from a Jewish perspective). From time to time, the news of the day has served as a different focus for interpretative reading of the weekly text. With a few exceptions, I kept at the task regularly through the years.
By sharing them with friends and peers across the country (and around the world, thanks to the internet) I realized a hope: that I could stimulate additional conversation and discussion among readers of the weekly message. In so doing, I’m following the tradition of Jewish learning which requires partners in study: “Chevrutah”. And now with this blog, I hope that we can expand the discussion, and bring our learning to others.
Every week, matters of moral imperatives are raised. Ideas of good and evil, reward and punishment and moral choices echo across the centuries to us. When faced with daily choices, we need to include in our decision-making process the moral truths of our tradition. In a nutshell, this is what this effort of Torah study and analysis has been all about: find the moral pathway, and use one's free will to make the moral decision.
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch has written, “Our tradition teaches that people experience revelation differently. ‘The divine word spoke to each and every person according to his particular capacity’ (Peskita d’Rav Kahana 12:25). There is no ‘one,’ ‘authoritative,’ or ‘literal’ understanding. ‘Just as a hammer strikes the rock and it shatters into many pieces, so does a single verse of Torah yield many meanings.’ (Sanhedrin 34a).’ (One People, Two Worlds Shocken Books, NY, 2002.)
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