Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Tzav
There is so much wisdom contained in a grain of sand. Worlds are viewed through the lens of a microscope when we look at something as plan and innocuous as sand. And yet. There is always more. We look to Torah and heritage for worlds that inhere inside our world. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjGU3plNAdo
Sunday, October 12, 2008
V'Zot HaBerakha: And This is the Blessing
"And Moses, the servant of the Lord died there."
Like all mortals, Moses was destined to leave his body and be rejoined with his ancestors. Yet, by the Torah defining the point of death, it also enjoins the reader to understand that the death of Moses was physical. His spirit, resiliency, and devotion remain alive. That is why the Torah states that Moses died "there". As long as we turn back to the Torah and invest our souls in the work of understanding the Will of the Almighty the spirit of Moses continues to live.
In much the same way, the last Sidra of the Torah deliberately ells us that Moses was the servant of God. That is why the Radak interprets this word to be an invitation for all future generations to imitate the path of Moses. Any person can devote themselves to something larger than their mortal self. Just as a servant is solicitous to his master so too anyone can follow the path of Moses using the same principle, love.
And, what if we do not have the internal strength to master ourselves? what if we fall short? That is why teshuva, return, is always an option. With the holy day of Yom Kippur just past we become aware that our lives are a process of moving towards becoming whole. It must ever be a forward-moving process. Even if at times we move in the wrong direction, it is critical to never give up trying to refine our character, become a servant of God.
That is also why as the Torah winds to a close we immediately open it up at the other end and commence the process of renewal. The Torah is bound on wooden spindles that ever roll. We walk through life, make attempts at growth, reach the end of a phase of life and then begin again.
In fact, it is remarkable that we celebrate the Torah with unbridled enthusiasm now when we finish the Torah and not at Shavuot, the anniversary of the Giving of Torah. Why? The Torah is perfect. Measuring ourselves against its light we fall silent, awestruck by its enormity and boundless power. The reading of the Torah, by contrast, is an exercise in movement, becoming. That is why Simhat Torah outstrips Shavuot in sheer joy. When we conclude the Torah we celebrate our renewal along with the renewal of the endless cycle of learning, and growth.
The name of the Torah reading is V'zot HaBerakha, "This is the Blessing." The Midrash states that when the Lord God told Moses that his life was about to end, Moses complained. He told God how troubled his life was a leader was: he had to cajole the people, threaten them, plead with them, plead for them and now as it was all about to end, he had a single request of the One: Let me bless them.
The blessing is upon you.
Haftara Insight:
Almost seamlessly the Torah portion segues into the Hafatara. Moses, our Teacher, has died, and the position of leadership has passed to his disciple, Joshua. The promise of God to continue His protective shield and maintain the covenant with His people remains firmly planted. Yet, as before, the Holy One demands that we carry our part of the covenant. We are to remain pledged and true to the mitzvot. With these instructions and words of encouragement the people respond as they had at Mt. Sinai. They reaffirmed their commitment and fidelity to the Word of the Almighty.
A Matter of Law:
Rambam teaches that the last eight pesukim -- verses --of the Torah may be read without a minyan. This is because they are ancillary to the Torah. Lower in holiness than the rest of the five books these pesukim detail the death and praise the life of Moshe Rabbenu.
Because we are forbidden from reading the same Torah portion twice, this sidra is always reserved for the night of Simhat Torah, not Shabbat.
Like all mortals, Moses was destined to leave his body and be rejoined with his ancestors. Yet, by the Torah defining the point of death, it also enjoins the reader to understand that the death of Moses was physical. His spirit, resiliency, and devotion remain alive. That is why the Torah states that Moses died "there". As long as we turn back to the Torah and invest our souls in the work of understanding the Will of the Almighty the spirit of Moses continues to live.
In much the same way, the last Sidra of the Torah deliberately ells us that Moses was the servant of God. That is why the Radak interprets this word to be an invitation for all future generations to imitate the path of Moses. Any person can devote themselves to something larger than their mortal self. Just as a servant is solicitous to his master so too anyone can follow the path of Moses using the same principle, love.
And, what if we do not have the internal strength to master ourselves? what if we fall short? That is why teshuva, return, is always an option. With the holy day of Yom Kippur just past we become aware that our lives are a process of moving towards becoming whole. It must ever be a forward-moving process. Even if at times we move in the wrong direction, it is critical to never give up trying to refine our character, become a servant of God.
That is also why as the Torah winds to a close we immediately open it up at the other end and commence the process of renewal. The Torah is bound on wooden spindles that ever roll. We walk through life, make attempts at growth, reach the end of a phase of life and then begin again.
In fact, it is remarkable that we celebrate the Torah with unbridled enthusiasm now when we finish the Torah and not at Shavuot, the anniversary of the Giving of Torah. Why? The Torah is perfect. Measuring ourselves against its light we fall silent, awestruck by its enormity and boundless power. The reading of the Torah, by contrast, is an exercise in movement, becoming. That is why Simhat Torah outstrips Shavuot in sheer joy. When we conclude the Torah we celebrate our renewal along with the renewal of the endless cycle of learning, and growth.
The name of the Torah reading is V'zot HaBerakha, "This is the Blessing." The Midrash states that when the Lord God told Moses that his life was about to end, Moses complained. He told God how troubled his life was a leader was: he had to cajole the people, threaten them, plead with them, plead for them and now as it was all about to end, he had a single request of the One: Let me bless them.
The blessing is upon you.
Haftara Insight:
Almost seamlessly the Torah portion segues into the Hafatara. Moses, our Teacher, has died, and the position of leadership has passed to his disciple, Joshua. The promise of God to continue His protective shield and maintain the covenant with His people remains firmly planted. Yet, as before, the Holy One demands that we carry our part of the covenant. We are to remain pledged and true to the mitzvot. With these instructions and words of encouragement the people respond as they had at Mt. Sinai. They reaffirmed their commitment and fidelity to the Word of the Almighty.
A Matter of Law:
Rambam teaches that the last eight pesukim -- verses --of the Torah may be read without a minyan. This is because they are ancillary to the Torah. Lower in holiness than the rest of the five books these pesukim detail the death and praise the life of Moshe Rabbenu.
Because we are forbidden from reading the same Torah portion twice, this sidra is always reserved for the night of Simhat Torah, not Shabbat.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Ha'azinu
In the modern era when we enjoy and take great naches from the new country of Israel we often remind ourselves of the miraculousness of her existence. She is the culmination of dreams and prayers that remained strong for two thousand years of exile. The fact that she still lives is remarkable given the ongoing threats that have continued unabated since her birth. Yet, Moses speaks even to our time. He announces to vast unknown generations that miracles abound when Jews place their trust in the Lord, God.
Perhaps one of the worst crimes against our self that we commit is to minimize the miracles of our time. In one old apocryphal tale a king asks his vizier for proof of the existence of God. The adviser answered, “The Jews, sire, the Jews.”
Much the same point is made by the Hafetz Hayim. The Hafetz Hayim once asked a man how he was feeling. The man responded to the master that things could be much better.
The Hafetz Hayim answered the man, “How do you know? How can you be really sure that things could be better? Perhaps you are wrong. Maybe life is exactly as it ought to be and if the balance were disturbed, your life would be much worse.”
I believe the Hafetz Hayim was deliberately telling the man to look at his life and like it. It is far too easy to be dismissive of what we have as we jealously look across to our neighbor and salivate with envy. The way of doubt is easy. The way of faith, on the other hand, is to appreciate what God has presented to us.
It is no great hochma, wisdom, to be dismissive. It is easy to be critical. It is easy to take pot-shots and shoot holes into beliefs. For those who wish to write-off America as hopelessly corrupt and a failure they can cite case after case to bolster their argument. Take a great leader and place under a microscope all their flaws and their dark underbelly strips away all the good things they did. One can criticize Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Maimonides, Akiva, anyone and find a world that is devoid of models of behavior. Schindler was a drinker, Freud was a druggie, Kennedy a womanizer. What is left? What have we proven? That we are smarter than they? No, only that there is no goodness in the world.
The Hazon Ish makes a similar point in speaking about a tailor. Someone watching sees him with a pair of scissors cutting strips of fabric from many bolts of cloth. The observer says to himself, what a mess. Why is this man ruining all these fine stretches of fabric? Only when the tailor does his work in crafting a master piece of clothing does it become apparent to all what he was doing. That is the way of God, says the Hazon Ish. We see only a fragment of what he does. Instead of making judgments, faith dictates that we observe and accept.
Perhaps that is also why the Israeli nation anthem nods to this principle when it states that this new national identity is the fruition of a two thousand year old promise. Israel came about, this implies, because God was the guiding force throughout the epochs. Israel came to be when God ordained that it was time. Because the people kept the prayers alive, the vision and dream undimmed, it came to pass.
A Matter of Law:
We all have debts. Some are larger than others. They, at times seem to consume our waking and sleeping hours. The Sages warn however that the honor of another person overwhelms even such an obligation. At no time are we ever permitted to embarrass another person for the sake of a loan or debt they have not repaid.
Haftara Insight:
An old man, King David readies himself to take leave of this universe. His powerful words so resonate with us that they are often used at funerals even today. They express the notion that God is above death. He is the ultimate rock of existence. Knowing that the Holy One reigns forever makes even death less frightening.
More, God redeems and forgives us for our earthly sins. That is the greatness of the love of God.
Perhaps one of the worst crimes against our self that we commit is to minimize the miracles of our time. In one old apocryphal tale a king asks his vizier for proof of the existence of God. The adviser answered, “The Jews, sire, the Jews.”
Much the same point is made by the Hafetz Hayim. The Hafetz Hayim once asked a man how he was feeling. The man responded to the master that things could be much better.
The Hafetz Hayim answered the man, “How do you know? How can you be really sure that things could be better? Perhaps you are wrong. Maybe life is exactly as it ought to be and if the balance were disturbed, your life would be much worse.”
I believe the Hafetz Hayim was deliberately telling the man to look at his life and like it. It is far too easy to be dismissive of what we have as we jealously look across to our neighbor and salivate with envy. The way of doubt is easy. The way of faith, on the other hand, is to appreciate what God has presented to us.
It is no great hochma, wisdom, to be dismissive. It is easy to be critical. It is easy to take pot-shots and shoot holes into beliefs. For those who wish to write-off America as hopelessly corrupt and a failure they can cite case after case to bolster their argument. Take a great leader and place under a microscope all their flaws and their dark underbelly strips away all the good things they did. One can criticize Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Maimonides, Akiva, anyone and find a world that is devoid of models of behavior. Schindler was a drinker, Freud was a druggie, Kennedy a womanizer. What is left? What have we proven? That we are smarter than they? No, only that there is no goodness in the world.
The Hazon Ish makes a similar point in speaking about a tailor. Someone watching sees him with a pair of scissors cutting strips of fabric from many bolts of cloth. The observer says to himself, what a mess. Why is this man ruining all these fine stretches of fabric? Only when the tailor does his work in crafting a master piece of clothing does it become apparent to all what he was doing. That is the way of God, says the Hazon Ish. We see only a fragment of what he does. Instead of making judgments, faith dictates that we observe and accept.
Perhaps that is also why the Israeli nation anthem nods to this principle when it states that this new national identity is the fruition of a two thousand year old promise. Israel came about, this implies, because God was the guiding force throughout the epochs. Israel came to be when God ordained that it was time. Because the people kept the prayers alive, the vision and dream undimmed, it came to pass.
A Matter of Law:
We all have debts. Some are larger than others. They, at times seem to consume our waking and sleeping hours. The Sages warn however that the honor of another person overwhelms even such an obligation. At no time are we ever permitted to embarrass another person for the sake of a loan or debt they have not repaid.
Haftara Insight:
An old man, King David readies himself to take leave of this universe. His powerful words so resonate with us that they are often used at funerals even today. They express the notion that God is above death. He is the ultimate rock of existence. Knowing that the Holy One reigns forever makes even death less frightening.
More, God redeems and forgives us for our earthly sins. That is the greatness of the love of God.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Vayeylech
Moses, in one of his last talks to the Jewish people sings a song that is both lyrical and enigmatic. One statement stands out among them all. Moses claims that now that he is aged, one hundred-twenty years old!, that he can no longer come or go" (Deut. 31:2). An admission of his waning strength Moses confesses to his people, in effect, that his bones ache and his joints no longer function as they used to. He is old, tired. Not much later the Torah informs us that “Moses was 120 years old when he died; his eye was not dim, and his force was not abated" (Deut. 34:7). How can Moses be at once old and ailing and vital and energetic on the other?
There is a powerful lesson here about self-deprecation verses revealing the shortcomings of others. I have no doubt Moses was full of fatigue and weary from many life-long struggles. He lived through tumultuous and painful times. Orphaned in a reed basket, Moses knew the courts of Pharaoh. He lost all that royalty in a pique of righteous indignation. The king-cum-shepherd was then coerced into becoming the great liberator of his people only to endure hardship and trial through the next forty years. No wonder he was tired!
Yet, it is not fitting for others to tell how weak the aged leader had become. It serves no good purpose to degrade another human being even if we are just agreeing with them! Lashon ha-ra, is often translated as gossip. But what if the lashon ha-ra is really true? Said for no reason other than idle chatter such statements are inflammatory and evil. Lashon ha-ra does not have to be a lie. It may be true! Its truth or falsehood is irrelevant to the fact that negative statements about another person should not be uttered.
Rashi explains that he means: he is no longer was able to maneuver in Torah. In other words, the wellsprings of Torah have been closed to him.
In addition to the physical fatigue and strain that Moses felt was also a sudden shift in leadership. The transfer of the mantle of leadership from Moses to Joshua was also happening now. The appointed successor to Moses was carefully instructed and trained and then brought into his new position to ensure a seamless transition. That could not have been easy for Moses.
Rashi, in fact, makes mention of the pain that Moses must have felt when Joshua moved into his place. He informs us that the Lord had also begin to transition from one leader to the next. Rashi is relying on an ancient midrash.
The Yalkut Shimoni cites: Moses went to visit Joshua in his tent. Joshua peered out from the folds of his home, saw Moses coming and ran out to greet him. Together they went to the Tent of Meeting. In the past the Holy One, blessed be He, would reveal to His faithful servant what needed to be done. On this occasion, Moses walked to the left of his servant, Joshua. This was sign that Moses was moving away from his key post.
When the two arrived at the Tent of Meeting the Shechina fell not on Moses, but Joshua. When the Will of the Lord was revealed to Joshua the two men exited together. Moses inquired, "What did the Lord God tell you?" Joshua replied that just as he did not share with him what God had said to him, Joshua would observe the same silence.
Moses was aghast, horrified. With this one exclusion, Moses felt his world begin to collapse all around him. For Moses this was the moment when age crushed his spirit like nothing else in all his years. The pangs of being left out and jealousy overwhelmed Moses. It was, he claimed, worse than one hundred deaths!
The feelings of another human being- even if we view them as steely characters with no signs of aging or cracks are all vulnerable.
Perhaps it is important to read this parasha as the New Year dawns and as we get ready to approach our Maker and ask forgiveness. It all begins with sensitivity.
Haftara Insight:
This is Shabbat Shuva. We are directed by Hosea to return to God, reform our behavior and ask the Lord for forgiveness. Wedged between Rosh Hashanna and Yom Kippur we are told to become introspective and assess who, or what, we have become. Hosea furthers this idea by warning us not to place our trust in the powers other than the One. God alone is the source of our salvation.
A Matter of Law:The mitzvah of writing a sefer Torah appears in this parasha. While most of us are unqualified to write a Torah we are still obligated to do so through the hands of others.
30:1-2 is not a done-deal. Teshuva is a force that moves earth and heaven The power of repentance redeems and even potentially changes the course of history.
There is a powerful lesson here about self-deprecation verses revealing the shortcomings of others. I have no doubt Moses was full of fatigue and weary from many life-long struggles. He lived through tumultuous and painful times. Orphaned in a reed basket, Moses knew the courts of Pharaoh. He lost all that royalty in a pique of righteous indignation. The king-cum-shepherd was then coerced into becoming the great liberator of his people only to endure hardship and trial through the next forty years. No wonder he was tired!
Yet, it is not fitting for others to tell how weak the aged leader had become. It serves no good purpose to degrade another human being even if we are just agreeing with them! Lashon ha-ra, is often translated as gossip. But what if the lashon ha-ra is really true? Said for no reason other than idle chatter such statements are inflammatory and evil. Lashon ha-ra does not have to be a lie. It may be true! Its truth or falsehood is irrelevant to the fact that negative statements about another person should not be uttered.
Rashi explains that he means: he is no longer was able to maneuver in Torah. In other words, the wellsprings of Torah have been closed to him.
In addition to the physical fatigue and strain that Moses felt was also a sudden shift in leadership. The transfer of the mantle of leadership from Moses to Joshua was also happening now. The appointed successor to Moses was carefully instructed and trained and then brought into his new position to ensure a seamless transition. That could not have been easy for Moses.
Rashi, in fact, makes mention of the pain that Moses must have felt when Joshua moved into his place. He informs us that the Lord had also begin to transition from one leader to the next. Rashi is relying on an ancient midrash.
The Yalkut Shimoni cites: Moses went to visit Joshua in his tent. Joshua peered out from the folds of his home, saw Moses coming and ran out to greet him. Together they went to the Tent of Meeting. In the past the Holy One, blessed be He, would reveal to His faithful servant what needed to be done. On this occasion, Moses walked to the left of his servant, Joshua. This was sign that Moses was moving away from his key post.
When the two arrived at the Tent of Meeting the Shechina fell not on Moses, but Joshua. When the Will of the Lord was revealed to Joshua the two men exited together. Moses inquired, "What did the Lord God tell you?" Joshua replied that just as he did not share with him what God had said to him, Joshua would observe the same silence.
Moses was aghast, horrified. With this one exclusion, Moses felt his world begin to collapse all around him. For Moses this was the moment when age crushed his spirit like nothing else in all his years. The pangs of being left out and jealousy overwhelmed Moses. It was, he claimed, worse than one hundred deaths!
The feelings of another human being- even if we view them as steely characters with no signs of aging or cracks are all vulnerable.
Perhaps it is important to read this parasha as the New Year dawns and as we get ready to approach our Maker and ask forgiveness. It all begins with sensitivity.
Haftara Insight:
This is Shabbat Shuva. We are directed by Hosea to return to God, reform our behavior and ask the Lord for forgiveness. Wedged between Rosh Hashanna and Yom Kippur we are told to become introspective and assess who, or what, we have become. Hosea furthers this idea by warning us not to place our trust in the powers other than the One. God alone is the source of our salvation.
A Matter of Law:The mitzvah of writing a sefer Torah appears in this parasha. While most of us are unqualified to write a Torah we are still obligated to do so through the hands of others.
30:1-2 is not a done-deal. Teshuva is a force that moves earth and heaven The power of repentance redeems and even potentially changes the course of history.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Nitzavim: All of You
The parsha includes the compelling and slightly enigmatic phrase, "all of you who are standing before me today."
The Talmud has a fascinating interpretation for this pasuk. It says that both the body and soul will be held accountable to the Holy One in the aftermath of life. The soul cannot claim that it was coerced and the body also has no excuse for its actions. Here is how it phrases the idea:
A blind man and a lame man are hired by a farmer to watch his precious crops. The owner forbade them from eating any fruit. Yet, when the crops were harvested there was a paltry yield. The owner was suspicious. The two watchmen claimed they took nothing. How could they?
The blind man said, "It was not me. I cannot see!"
The lame man said, "It could not have been me. I cannot walk!"
The owner then placed the lame man on the back of the blind man and punished them together.1
Pirkay Avot takes another tack. It pronounces that no person should ever cut themselves off from a community. 2 What it observes is that all of us are an entity, an organism. We have a responsibility toward one another that stems from this Torah portion. Rambam further emphasizes this idea when he states that when a person cuts themselves off from the body of Israel and does not feel their pain or experience their joy totally severs his connection from them in the world-to-come as well. 3
The connective tissue that binds us must be inviolate. That is what all of you- in the parasha means. More specifically, it means – all of you - throughout all time.
Note that the Israelites are standing at the border of Israel. That is the precise location where they find themselves as the Divine command comes to them. The word stand is pivotal. Like the Amidah that we recite, which also means standing and is the same root word as here, the Jewish nation is poised to enter into the holy land. They stand – this exact word is used -before they cross over.
Likewise, each Jew needs to be focused and at attention when about to make any upward spiritual movement. Crossing over to a higher spiritual level is not simple and usually does not come without effort. We must try to approach God. Aliyah means ascending and one cannot go up without expending energy.
"All of you" also degrades any social standing. Any arbitrary or contrived social ladder is destroyed when taking into account the body of the people. Every member of the Israelites is vital. From the water-carrier to the kohen gadol each member is counted and needed. There is not a single person person that is expendable because they do not have the education, or breeding or money that others can claim. --All of you -- means that God needs every one of us especially the ones who stand at the margins. Remember that the vaunted Elijah may be one of them….
Midrash also reflects on the idea of Moses incorporating all those who stand before him this day. Later, Moses goes on to elaborate that even those who are not present. How can it be that if everyone is present, someone might be missing? Midrash answers that the call of Moses is to unborn generations. Those yet to come –you and I and the many generations in between were also part of the assemblage. 4
Those who move are comprised of flesh and blood. We are people given the task of conquering the world. Continually moving to conquer new realms we are rarely still. Yet, in another realm, those who stand still are the angels. That is why when we pray we place our feet together during the kedusha and do not budge from that place. We are imitating the angels on High who sing Kadosh, kadosh, kadosh to the glory of the One.
Idea: When we commanded to stand we are being asked by the Eternal One to imitate the angels. Perhaps it is intentional that we read this parsha before the Holy Days. On the first of Tishray we are to try to become as perfect before God as possible.
1. Sanhedrin 91b
2. Pirkay Avot 2:5
3. Laws of Repentance 3:11
4. Tanchuma and Sforno
Haftara Insight:
Despair gives way to excitement and rejoicing as this Haftara reading practically shouts outs in exuberance. No longer will there be any mourning. In its place will come flowing and abundant love. No longer silent we will send our message of hope and deliverance to the world.
Jerusalem will rejoice. Even its walls will convulse with song. Powerfully, Isaiah tells us for the sake of Zion to never be silent again!
A Matter of Law:
The mitzvah of writing a sefer Torah appears in this parasha. While most of us are unqualified to write a Torah we are still obligated to do so through the hands of others.
30:1-2 is not a done-deal. Teshuva is a force that moves earth and heaven The power of repentance redeems and even potentially changes the course of history.
The Talmud has a fascinating interpretation for this pasuk. It says that both the body and soul will be held accountable to the Holy One in the aftermath of life. The soul cannot claim that it was coerced and the body also has no excuse for its actions. Here is how it phrases the idea:
A blind man and a lame man are hired by a farmer to watch his precious crops. The owner forbade them from eating any fruit. Yet, when the crops were harvested there was a paltry yield. The owner was suspicious. The two watchmen claimed they took nothing. How could they?
The blind man said, "It was not me. I cannot see!"
The lame man said, "It could not have been me. I cannot walk!"
The owner then placed the lame man on the back of the blind man and punished them together.1
Pirkay Avot takes another tack. It pronounces that no person should ever cut themselves off from a community. 2 What it observes is that all of us are an entity, an organism. We have a responsibility toward one another that stems from this Torah portion. Rambam further emphasizes this idea when he states that when a person cuts themselves off from the body of Israel and does not feel their pain or experience their joy totally severs his connection from them in the world-to-come as well. 3
The connective tissue that binds us must be inviolate. That is what all of you- in the parasha means. More specifically, it means – all of you - throughout all time.
Note that the Israelites are standing at the border of Israel. That is the precise location where they find themselves as the Divine command comes to them. The word stand is pivotal. Like the Amidah that we recite, which also means standing and is the same root word as here, the Jewish nation is poised to enter into the holy land. They stand – this exact word is used -before they cross over.
Likewise, each Jew needs to be focused and at attention when about to make any upward spiritual movement. Crossing over to a higher spiritual level is not simple and usually does not come without effort. We must try to approach God. Aliyah means ascending and one cannot go up without expending energy.
"All of you" also degrades any social standing. Any arbitrary or contrived social ladder is destroyed when taking into account the body of the people. Every member of the Israelites is vital. From the water-carrier to the kohen gadol each member is counted and needed. There is not a single person person that is expendable because they do not have the education, or breeding or money that others can claim. --All of you -- means that God needs every one of us especially the ones who stand at the margins. Remember that the vaunted Elijah may be one of them….
Midrash also reflects on the idea of Moses incorporating all those who stand before him this day. Later, Moses goes on to elaborate that even those who are not present. How can it be that if everyone is present, someone might be missing? Midrash answers that the call of Moses is to unborn generations. Those yet to come –you and I and the many generations in between were also part of the assemblage. 4
Those who move are comprised of flesh and blood. We are people given the task of conquering the world. Continually moving to conquer new realms we are rarely still. Yet, in another realm, those who stand still are the angels. That is why when we pray we place our feet together during the kedusha and do not budge from that place. We are imitating the angels on High who sing Kadosh, kadosh, kadosh to the glory of the One.
Idea: When we commanded to stand we are being asked by the Eternal One to imitate the angels. Perhaps it is intentional that we read this parsha before the Holy Days. On the first of Tishray we are to try to become as perfect before God as possible.
1. Sanhedrin 91b
2. Pirkay Avot 2:5
3. Laws of Repentance 3:11
4. Tanchuma and Sforno
Haftara Insight:
Despair gives way to excitement and rejoicing as this Haftara reading practically shouts outs in exuberance. No longer will there be any mourning. In its place will come flowing and abundant love. No longer silent we will send our message of hope and deliverance to the world.
Jerusalem will rejoice. Even its walls will convulse with song. Powerfully, Isaiah tells us for the sake of Zion to never be silent again!
A Matter of Law:
The mitzvah of writing a sefer Torah appears in this parasha. While most of us are unqualified to write a Torah we are still obligated to do so through the hands of others.
30:1-2 is not a done-deal. Teshuva is a force that moves earth and heaven The power of repentance redeems and even potentially changes the course of history.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Ki Tavo: My Father, an Aramean?
When the first fruits, or bikkkurim in Hebrew, were brought to the Temple, the farmer who brought them was supposed to declare, “My father was destroyed by wandering Aramean….” The Talmud tells us that this phrase is so powerful and compelling that it needs to be repeated at the Passover seder.1 Why? What does the sentence mean?
One interpretation of this phrase is that it refers back to Laban who attempted to murder Jacob. The Passover Haggadda uses this interpretation to define how ruthless Laban was: While Pharaoh only wanted to murder the Israelite boys, the plot of Laban would obliterate the Jewish nation had he succeeded in murdering the patriarch Jacob!
However, there is an entirely different possibility for this text. It might also mean that Jacob – my father - was wandering while in the land of Aram. If this reading is correct, the meaning of the Torah text changes to a statement about the patriarch’s impoverishment, not that Laban was out to kill him.2 That is to say we are to be reminded of the protection of God over Jacob while he was vulnerable and in exile.
This reading is compelling because for the past two thousand years the condition of the Jew has been the same as this journey of Jacob. Dependent upon the mercy of distant rulers and the whims of local authorities, the Jew has been in a long state of exile. Imagine what this would mean to our ancient ancestors as they ate their bread of affliction in constant dread of expulsion, or worse.
Reb Tzadok Hakohen of Lublin reads this segment of the Torah with a slightly different nuance. His understanding posits that Laban sought to take away from Jacob his father-hood. That is to say, Laban was jealous that Jacob was wealthy and destined to be the progenitor of the nascent Jewish people. Laban hoped to supplant young Jacob and become the patriarch in his stead. It was not his physical life that Laban wanted to end but his spiritual legacy.
The passage arises at the Passover Seder at the time of the second cup of wine. At that moment that participant is consumed with the idea that the Lord God took us from the depths of despair and raised us to a covenanted nation at Sinai. If this is the real intent of the text in Deuteronomy then, in its context, the humble farmer who brings his first fruits to the Temple is expressing the single notion of Deliverance. This farmer acknowledges through these words his moral an, spiritual and physical impoverishment. It is only through the great gift of God that he is able to present his first fruits to the Kohen at the Temple. It is as if he is saying, “If not for You, God, I would have nothing.”
One more idea. The phrase- a wandering Aramean – was only to be recited after the Jews had entered the Land of Israel. Until that time they were not to use those words. The graduation of the Israelites from desert nomads to inhabitants of the land made it imperative to never forget their roots. In much the same way, we who live in freedom repeat those ancient words to recall our humble beginnings.
Musar: The seeds of prayer are placed into the earth with the ever-resent thought that everything belongs to God. I am only here because He wills it.
1 Pesachim 116a
2 See Rashbam
Haftara Insight:
The series of prophetic readings that align with the topical thread of consolation reaches its apogee this week. Isaiah calls to the survivors of devastation to arise and allow their soulful self to shine outward. That inner luster will act as a beacon to the nations of the world. They will all witness the grandeur of the people of Jacob. The time for tears is over. The time of jubilation has begun....
A Matter of Law:
The parsha makes special mention of the widow, the orphan and the stranger. In Jewish society if any of these people are marginalized it is wicked. Our responsibility is to make sure there are no needy among these three groups. Accursed is the person who allows the Torah to be abrogated in his community. J.Sotah 7:4
One interpretation of this phrase is that it refers back to Laban who attempted to murder Jacob. The Passover Haggadda uses this interpretation to define how ruthless Laban was: While Pharaoh only wanted to murder the Israelite boys, the plot of Laban would obliterate the Jewish nation had he succeeded in murdering the patriarch Jacob!
However, there is an entirely different possibility for this text. It might also mean that Jacob – my father - was wandering while in the land of Aram. If this reading is correct, the meaning of the Torah text changes to a statement about the patriarch’s impoverishment, not that Laban was out to kill him.2 That is to say we are to be reminded of the protection of God over Jacob while he was vulnerable and in exile.
This reading is compelling because for the past two thousand years the condition of the Jew has been the same as this journey of Jacob. Dependent upon the mercy of distant rulers and the whims of local authorities, the Jew has been in a long state of exile. Imagine what this would mean to our ancient ancestors as they ate their bread of affliction in constant dread of expulsion, or worse.
Reb Tzadok Hakohen of Lublin reads this segment of the Torah with a slightly different nuance. His understanding posits that Laban sought to take away from Jacob his father-hood. That is to say, Laban was jealous that Jacob was wealthy and destined to be the progenitor of the nascent Jewish people. Laban hoped to supplant young Jacob and become the patriarch in his stead. It was not his physical life that Laban wanted to end but his spiritual legacy.
The passage arises at the Passover Seder at the time of the second cup of wine. At that moment that participant is consumed with the idea that the Lord God took us from the depths of despair and raised us to a covenanted nation at Sinai. If this is the real intent of the text in Deuteronomy then, in its context, the humble farmer who brings his first fruits to the Temple is expressing the single notion of Deliverance. This farmer acknowledges through these words his moral an, spiritual and physical impoverishment. It is only through the great gift of God that he is able to present his first fruits to the Kohen at the Temple. It is as if he is saying, “If not for You, God, I would have nothing.”
One more idea. The phrase- a wandering Aramean – was only to be recited after the Jews had entered the Land of Israel. Until that time they were not to use those words. The graduation of the Israelites from desert nomads to inhabitants of the land made it imperative to never forget their roots. In much the same way, we who live in freedom repeat those ancient words to recall our humble beginnings.
Musar: The seeds of prayer are placed into the earth with the ever-resent thought that everything belongs to God. I am only here because He wills it.
1 Pesachim 116a
2 See Rashbam
Haftara Insight:
The series of prophetic readings that align with the topical thread of consolation reaches its apogee this week. Isaiah calls to the survivors of devastation to arise and allow their soulful self to shine outward. That inner luster will act as a beacon to the nations of the world. They will all witness the grandeur of the people of Jacob. The time for tears is over. The time of jubilation has begun....
A Matter of Law:
The parsha makes special mention of the widow, the orphan and the stranger. In Jewish society if any of these people are marginalized it is wicked. Our responsibility is to make sure there are no needy among these three groups. Accursed is the person who allows the Torah to be abrogated in his community. J.Sotah 7:4
Monday, September 8, 2008
Ki Tetze: The Many Faces of a Line
What does the Torah mean?
This question underlies every commentary on the Holy Text since the time of its giving. In fact in the first chapter of Deuteronomy it states that the Torah shall be explained explicitly. 1 This is taken to mean that even when the Torah was given it required wisdom to extract meaning from its inner core.
That is why the life of the Torah is so exciting and stretches for eons as sages have wrung new meaning from ancient text. A simple example opens the reading of this week. Torah says that when this nation goes off to war and a solider sees a woman with whom he becomes infatuated….
On the surface level the Torah is explicit about what is often permitted, or overlooked, at times of war. Those who are most vulnerable- even from the enemy side- require protection.
One of the great sages noted that this passage immediately follows the law of the Egla arufa, the broken calf. This juxtaposition points to how seemingly trivial things can cause whole nations to go to war. The egla arufa refers to a corpse that is found outside a city. The closest city needs to do something to declaim responsibility for the death. Distances are measured, notes are taken, and words of confession and piety are spoken all for this nameless corpse. Then the Torah tells about the spoils of war. It seems to imply, says this sage, that for lack of culpability, someone taking responsibility, because of one death, hundreds or thousands might die. We must be ever vigilant to do the right thing and not turn away from being responsible.2
Musar: Avalanches start with a snowflake. They grow and gain velocity until they bury everything in their path. Grudges have the same growth pattern.
Others say the reason the two passages are next to one another is because of the thread of death that runs through both. We are urged to realize the fundamental principle that cuts through every act of war- death will result. The passages are meant to make us think not about glory but the ultimate result that comes from saber rattling; burying corpses.
Musar: we must never allow ourselves to become so carried away by the moment that we lose track of our humanity, our soul.
That same empathy resonates through the next passages as the captor must let the woman sit shiva for her dead relatives. He must watch as she tears her clothes and morns the part of her life that has been cut down. Torah clearly intends for the reader to have pathos and leads him away from reckless bravado.
Musar: it does not matter whether someone deserves to suffer or not. The only thing that matters is that at once we never identify with the victimizer and that our arms will be stretched out toward the victim.
The war described in this parsha describes a woman from a Canaanite nation that is taken captive. The word used from the captive being taken to the land of the victor is the same as the word for repentance, teshuva. What the Talmud understands from this seemingly obvious passage is something far deeper. Rabbi Simon says that when a person comes- even from a people that is utterly opposed to the Jewish nation – and seeks to embrace the faith of Abraham they need to be fully welcomed. 3
Musar: Who has wandered so far away from the Light of God they are no longer redeemable? No one.
Another commentator goes even further. He asks, would we have assumed that a proselyte, convert, from the Caananites would be welcomed into the Jewish people had god not permitted it? 4 Probably not. Although the question goes unspoken, we still need to ask ourselves if we need to be more strict, unforgiving than the good Lord God?
Musar: The lesson of God is the lesson of kindness. We lose nothing by forgiving others.
1 Deut 1:5
2 Baal Haturmin
3 Sotah 35b
4 M’or HaShemesh
Haftara Insight:
Shame and disgrace are the two sentiments that underlie this prophetic reading. While they have the potential to overwhelm us, God tells us that we are not forgotten. The covenant remains intact. Even though we abrogated our part of the agreement God remains firmly rooted to the pact of our ancestors. Isaiah declares the eternal nature of the compassion of the Holy One. You are loved, he says.
A Matter of Law:
A painful halacha is found in this reading that relates to a child who is uncontrollable. He will not listen to the voice of his parents. His actions are antithetical to all godly matters. The parents try to teach him ethical behavior but ultimately give up because he is wild, rebellious. The Law demands the child be put to death.
While this law was seldom, if ever, practiced, it decidedly points to the deepest pain of a parent; Their child rejects their learning and direction.
This question underlies every commentary on the Holy Text since the time of its giving. In fact in the first chapter of Deuteronomy it states that the Torah shall be explained explicitly. 1 This is taken to mean that even when the Torah was given it required wisdom to extract meaning from its inner core.
That is why the life of the Torah is so exciting and stretches for eons as sages have wrung new meaning from ancient text. A simple example opens the reading of this week. Torah says that when this nation goes off to war and a solider sees a woman with whom he becomes infatuated….
On the surface level the Torah is explicit about what is often permitted, or overlooked, at times of war. Those who are most vulnerable- even from the enemy side- require protection.
One of the great sages noted that this passage immediately follows the law of the Egla arufa, the broken calf. This juxtaposition points to how seemingly trivial things can cause whole nations to go to war. The egla arufa refers to a corpse that is found outside a city. The closest city needs to do something to declaim responsibility for the death. Distances are measured, notes are taken, and words of confession and piety are spoken all for this nameless corpse. Then the Torah tells about the spoils of war. It seems to imply, says this sage, that for lack of culpability, someone taking responsibility, because of one death, hundreds or thousands might die. We must be ever vigilant to do the right thing and not turn away from being responsible.2
Musar: Avalanches start with a snowflake. They grow and gain velocity until they bury everything in their path. Grudges have the same growth pattern.
Others say the reason the two passages are next to one another is because of the thread of death that runs through both. We are urged to realize the fundamental principle that cuts through every act of war- death will result. The passages are meant to make us think not about glory but the ultimate result that comes from saber rattling; burying corpses.
Musar: we must never allow ourselves to become so carried away by the moment that we lose track of our humanity, our soul.
That same empathy resonates through the next passages as the captor must let the woman sit shiva for her dead relatives. He must watch as she tears her clothes and morns the part of her life that has been cut down. Torah clearly intends for the reader to have pathos and leads him away from reckless bravado.
Musar: it does not matter whether someone deserves to suffer or not. The only thing that matters is that at once we never identify with the victimizer and that our arms will be stretched out toward the victim.
The war described in this parsha describes a woman from a Canaanite nation that is taken captive. The word used from the captive being taken to the land of the victor is the same as the word for repentance, teshuva. What the Talmud understands from this seemingly obvious passage is something far deeper. Rabbi Simon says that when a person comes- even from a people that is utterly opposed to the Jewish nation – and seeks to embrace the faith of Abraham they need to be fully welcomed. 3
Musar: Who has wandered so far away from the Light of God they are no longer redeemable? No one.
Another commentator goes even further. He asks, would we have assumed that a proselyte, convert, from the Caananites would be welcomed into the Jewish people had god not permitted it? 4 Probably not. Although the question goes unspoken, we still need to ask ourselves if we need to be more strict, unforgiving than the good Lord God?
Musar: The lesson of God is the lesson of kindness. We lose nothing by forgiving others.
1 Deut 1:5
2 Baal Haturmin
3 Sotah 35b
4 M’or HaShemesh
Haftara Insight:
Shame and disgrace are the two sentiments that underlie this prophetic reading. While they have the potential to overwhelm us, God tells us that we are not forgotten. The covenant remains intact. Even though we abrogated our part of the agreement God remains firmly rooted to the pact of our ancestors. Isaiah declares the eternal nature of the compassion of the Holy One. You are loved, he says.
A Matter of Law:
A painful halacha is found in this reading that relates to a child who is uncontrollable. He will not listen to the voice of his parents. His actions are antithetical to all godly matters. The parents try to teach him ethical behavior but ultimately give up because he is wild, rebellious. The Law demands the child be put to death.
While this law was seldom, if ever, practiced, it decidedly points to the deepest pain of a parent; Their child rejects their learning and direction.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
