How painful is the reading this week! That the Israelites were given instructions on making war against the Midianites is at once heartredning and difficult to understand. After all, everything that we learn from biblical instruction is antithetical to the idea of war.
We are told to emulate Aaron, to use a single example. Aaron always endeavored to make peace between feuding people and groups. Further, so many of the prayers we utter beseech God to send us an era when there will be no war. We pray for the Messiah who will release man from such pain. The prophets exhort the people to stop hating each other. What then are we to make of these laws that tell us to fight against the Midianite nation?
Were the laws to preserve the good people from the clutches of those who would destroy them? Certainly the cultures that surrounded the Israelite were worse than immoral, they were amoral. They had not gripes about child sacrifice. They were unconcerned with brutal force being used against the weak. That which is evil had become good; acts of goodness were construed as evil. Was the only response to this utter disregard for human life to wipe them out?
Moses was ordered to dispatch 12,000 men to the front; one thousand men from each of the twelve tribes. We can only imagine the absolute pain of this leader, Moses, who had fought so hard to preserve human life throughout his career.
The Torah indicates the rationale for the war in an earlier biblical segment: The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Oppose the Midianites and attack them, for they opposed you with their wiles with which they beguiled you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Kozbi, daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain on the day of the plague on account of Peor (Numbers 25:16-17).
Perhaps the reason for waging war against the Midiantes was the survival of the nascent Jewish people. Could the Torah be speaking of the inability of the Israelites to morally conquer the Midianites? Had the Jews met them perhaps the Israelites would have turned their back on God and enwrap themselves in the ways of this evil nation? If this is so, consider how different the world would be today if God had not commanded the attack.
Think: Cannot we simply let people who think differently than we do (nations that torture their own people, rampant acts of brutality in subcontinents, murder camps for learning how to kill) live their own lifestyle? Is not religion about improving oneself and refraining from judging others? The way of peace is the way of letting others choose their own path, is it not? In Kings II, 15:16, a tale is told of a wicked despot, Menachem of Tirtzah, who attacked a town killing all the males and splitting open all pregnant women. What then? Is the rationale for fighting against evil to change the world for the better or at least protect the weak? Is it to stop the rampages of those who inflict pain and subjugate others? Defend the innocent from those who would use and exploit them?
Both reasons are correct. If we do not attempt to stop evil, it will eventually overtake us. We will ultimately become that which we hate. There is also the moral imperative that we are to champion the cause of the defenseless. As the past Prime Minister of Israel, Golda Meir once said, “To be or not to be is not a question of compromise. Either you be or you don’t be.” At a time when we are confronted with evil, equivocation serves the purposes of the enemy. Perhaps the world ought to have learned this lesson at the time of the Holocaust. Or the Armenian genocide. Or Pol Pot. Or in Rwanda. Or in Darfur…..Yes, we have a responsibility to fight for the lives and wellbeing of others. We are “our brother’s keeper.”
The passage from this week also reveals, through the great teacher Rambam, that even when fighting an evil tyrant, you must never attack on all four sides. There must be an escape route for those who do not wish to fight. What does this say about the war on evil? That we are to allow them an escape route?
There is no getting around the issue that while we are taught the moral duty to fight against evil there is always the potential that we can become what we dread most. By waging war we may come to like the perverse notion that we enjoy hurting others. That is perhaps why we are also directed to not indiscriminately hurt those who want to flee conflict. And later, when we come to Deuteronomy 20:19 we will learn that a campaign that deforests tracts of land is also forbidden. The idea of the Torah is that at all costs we must preserve our own humanity, even while fighting evil. Perhaps this concept is best put by Golda Meir. “I can forgive the Arabs for hating us. I can forgive them for killing us. What I can never forgive them for is making our children into killers.”
Haftara Insight:
The great election of the prophet Jeremiah is told. Called upon by God, Jeremiah feels unworthy. God answers him by saying that he makes no mistakes. He is far more capable than Jeremiah recognizes or is willing to acknowledge. The Lord then spells out to His servant what He wants him to do. While the words are intended for Jeremiah they really speak powerfully to us.
A Matter of Law:
Words, vows, promises bear great legal weight in Judaism. When we say we are going to do something it is critical that we fulfill or word. Else wise, one brings their reputation, their people, and God into disrepute. Words are never so simple meaningless as to have no bearing on others or the universe. If one makes a vow and cannot do it they must seek release from the Court of Law. There are two kinds of vows: shavua and neder. Both are referred to in the great service of Kol Nidre.
Showing posts with label peace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label peace. Show all posts
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Thursday, June 5, 2008
B'haalotkha
We are called Israel.
Our name is taken from the patriarch, Jacob, who refused to relinquish his hold on the Angel that assaulted him in the night. Jacob fought him. Who among us would do the same? Who would have the temerity to contest a Messenger of God? The name Israel is descriptive. It means he who has struggled with God and has prevailed. Genesis 32:29
Why not just leave well enough alone? Why wrestle the angel? Why grip him until dawn? Why refuse to relinquish hold on him until Jacob received his blessing?
Idea: Had Jacob not had this chutzpah, the Jewish people would not exist today.
Much later, in Numbers 36, the unthinkable happens. Zelophad dies. Zelophad? While he was a man who might have been swiftly forgotten by time, circumstances changed this. Zelophad left behind several unmarried daughters. The rules of inheritance of the Israelite nation stated that only males could be heirs. What did this mean for Zelophad’s daughters? That they would lose their rightful inheritance when they reached the Promised Land. They took their case to Moses. Moses heard their pleas and changed the law so that they would receive their family allotment when they finally arrived.
It is remarkable that the chutzpah of these woman changed law of Israel. They lived up to the real inner meaning of the name of Israel. They fought for what they believed they deserved like their forebear.
In this Torah portion, those who attended to the dead were denied participation in the celebration of Passover. At that time only people in a state of ritual purity could eat the Paschal sacrifice. Since the Angel of Death did not take time off for the Exodus holiday some Jews were going to be excluded. The Talmud states that the real complaint came from the people that were carrying coffin of Joseph from Egypt. Here they were involved in doing a great mitzvah…and prevented from doing another.
These impure folks took their case to Moses. Feeling deprived of participation in the community celebration they asked him if there was a way they could also be part of the mitzvah of Passover. Because they made the request, a second Passover was given to them one month later, Pesach Sheni. Like the daughters of Zelophad, they sought justice and received it. Like Jacob, they were willing to take a risk, and wrestle God, if necessary to be a part of the community. From just a few people, Israelite law was changed.
Why not remain silent? These men and woman did not want to be deprived of the mitzvah of the Paschal sacrifice. Still, why not be silent? Perhaps that is not what God wants from us. Maybe God wants from us a total and silent acquiescence. In fact, the Sages, of blessed memory tell us, this whole Torah portion only comes as a result of the merit, their holy chutzpah! God does not want out silence. He wants our voice. God wants our involvement. He yearns for us to be partners in a universe that continues to grow.
There is so much loneliness in everyone. In the Torah, Adam is so lonely he feels he might die without companionship. Moses is often spoken of the lonely man of deep faith. The solitude of Abraham is well known. Moshe Hayyim Luzzatto declares that even God is lonely.
Can it be that the initial question of God in the Garden of Eden – “Where are you?” never had a response. When Adam and Havvah hid among the trees of the Garden after eating the fruit God asked them the same question that has parsed the universe since that time. In reading the holy Torah we have heard the response to the hanging question, heneni, --Here am I-- several times. The giants among us answer: the Abrahams, Jacobs, Moses, bearers of the tomb of Joseph, the daughters of Zelophad and…..
Haftarah Insight:
There is a vision of a Golden menorah; the same one spoken of the the Torah reading. There is a noticeable difference, though. Here, the Kohen Gadol, High Priest, is wearing filthy garments - not the kind the Kohen Gadol ought to wear. That is because he symbolizes exile and suffering. Yet, God Himself demands that the adversaries of the Jews remove the filthy clothes from the Kohen Gadol and restore him to his glory. That redemption was demonstrated in the Hanukka story and will come again promises Zechariah.
A Matter of Law:
Under no conditions may we ever utter words of lashon ha-ra, gossip. See what happened to Miriam when she came to say some unkind - perhaps even true - words about Moses' wife? We are told to curb our instincts for gossip.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
D'var Acher
We are known by many different names; each name depicts a part of our personality or the relationship to the person who is referencing us. It name might describe our temper, knowledge or any number of personality qualities. Aaron is the paragon of modesty and peace-maker. He was renowned for his ability to restore harmony when there was discord. Though his determinedly kind disposition he invariably found ways to soothe fits of anger or jealousy.
Our name is taken from the patriarch, Jacob, who refused to relinquish his hold on the Angel that assaulted him in the night. Jacob fought him. Who among us would do the same? Who would have the temerity to contest a Messenger of God? The name Israel is descriptive. It means he who has struggled with God and has prevailed. Genesis 32:29
Why not just leave well enough alone? Why wrestle the angel? Why grip him until dawn? Why refuse to relinquish hold on him until Jacob received his blessing?
Idea: Had Jacob not had this chutzpah, the Jewish people would not exist today.
Much later, in Numbers 36, the unthinkable happens. Zelophad dies. Zelophad? While he was a man who might have been swiftly forgotten by time, circumstances changed this. Zelophad left behind several unmarried daughters. The rules of inheritance of the Israelite nation stated that only males could be heirs. What did this mean for Zelophad’s daughters? That they would lose their rightful inheritance when they reached the Promised Land. They took their case to Moses. Moses heard their pleas and changed the law so that they would receive their family allotment when they finally arrived.
It is remarkable that the chutzpah of these woman changed law of Israel. They lived up to the real inner meaning of the name of Israel. They fought for what they believed they deserved like their forebear.
In this Torah portion, those who attended to the dead were denied participation in the celebration of Passover. At that time only people in a state of ritual purity could eat the Paschal sacrifice. Since the Angel of Death did not take time off for the Exodus holiday some Jews were going to be excluded. The Talmud states that the real complaint came from the people that were carrying coffin of Joseph from Egypt. Here they were involved in doing a great mitzvah…and prevented from doing another.
These impure folks took their case to Moses. Feeling deprived of participation in the community celebration they asked him if there was a way they could also be part of the mitzvah of Passover. Because they made the request, a second Passover was given to them one month later, Pesach Sheni. Like the daughters of Zelophad, they sought justice and received it. Like Jacob, they were willing to take a risk, and wrestle God, if necessary to be a part of the community. From just a few people, Israelite law was changed.
Why not remain silent? These men and woman did not want to be deprived of the mitzvah of the Paschal sacrifice. Still, why not be silent? Perhaps that is not what God wants from us. Maybe God wants from us a total and silent acquiescence. In fact, the Sages, of blessed memory tell us, this whole Torah portion only comes as a result of the merit, their holy chutzpah! God does not want out silence. He wants our voice. God wants our involvement. He yearns for us to be partners in a universe that continues to grow.
There is so much loneliness in everyone. In the Torah, Adam is so lonely he feels he might die without companionship. Moses is often spoken of the lonely man of deep faith. The solitude of Abraham is well known. Moshe Hayyim Luzzatto declares that even God is lonely.
Can it be that the initial question of God in the Garden of Eden – “Where are you?” never had a response. When Adam and Havvah hid among the trees of the Garden after eating the fruit God asked them the same question that has parsed the universe since that time. In reading the holy Torah we have heard the response to the hanging question, heneni, --Here am I-- several times. The giants among us answer: the Abrahams, Jacobs, Moses, bearers of the tomb of Joseph, the daughters of Zelophad and…..
Haftarah Insight:
There is a vision of a Golden menorah; the same one spoken of the the Torah reading. There is a noticeable difference, though. Here, the Kohen Gadol, High Priest, is wearing filthy garments - not the kind the Kohen Gadol ought to wear. That is because he symbolizes exile and suffering. Yet, God Himself demands that the adversaries of the Jews remove the filthy clothes from the Kohen Gadol and restore him to his glory. That redemption was demonstrated in the Hanukka story and will come again promises Zechariah.
A Matter of Law:
Under no conditions may we ever utter words of lashon ha-ra, gossip. See what happened to Miriam when she came to say some unkind - perhaps even true - words about Moses' wife? We are told to curb our instincts for gossip.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
D'var Acher
We are known by many different names; each name depicts a part of our personality or the relationship to the person who is referencing us. It name might describe our temper, knowledge or any number of personality qualities. Aaron is the paragon of modesty and peace-maker. He was renowned for his ability to restore harmony when there was discord. Though his determinedly kind disposition he invariably found ways to soothe fits of anger or jealousy.
Aaron spoke up for his brother Moses when Moses was too shy to speak with Pharaoh. Aaron interceded when the Jews threatened one another during the building of the golden calf. He patched up couples that were on the brink of divorce.
The Medzibozer Rebbe commented that when Aaron passed away, he was “gathered unto his people.” (Bamidbar 20) This means, said the Rebbe, that he was so beloved that when Aaron died the entire people mourned, as the man of peace was no longer among them.
The Torah challenges us to ask, “What do I stand for?” “How do people think of me?” “What is the name by which I am known?”
The answer will depend on how we treat one another. Torah tells us how to act but it is up to us to follow its teachings.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
B'hukotai: The Blessing
At the end of every Amida comes the prayer for peace.
The conclusion of the Priestly blessing contains the blessing for peace. Numbers 6:26
Me'am Loez reminds us that the can even erase the holy name of God in order to make peace between a wife and husband.
As the congregation ends it service with the Kaddish Shalem the final phrase is a hope of a universe of peace.
The Sages, of blessed memory, went so far as to note that only one face of the moon can ever be seen from the earth. They pondered why the other side did not reveal itself and reasoned that the unseen side of the moon must be defective, somehow wrong. God went on to create the heavens in such a way as to preserve the dignity of the moon! That is why we are never permitted to see it.
A glowing image of a life imagined is presented in the parasha of B’hukotai. First rain and produce are promised by God. Then comes a harvest of unparalleled proportions. The crops will be so abundant that the seasons of growth will run into one another. “You will eat your bread until you are full and dwell securely in the land.” Dangerous beasts will pose not threat. Warfare will not exist. “And I will give you peace.”
The midrash tells that when Aaron died 80,000 mourners attended his funeral. And every one of them was named Aaron! Aaron, the prince of peace, was vigilant for signs of fracture in a family. When he heard a couple quarreling or found out that a woman and man had grown distant Aaron would approach them. He would find the right words and actions to bring the couple back together. When they reconciled and bore a son they named him after the peace-maker. Devarim rabba, Shoftim
What does this story teach? Peace comes only after the act. Aaron was able to reconcile two people who had come to hate one another after effort. Hand-wringing accomplishes nothing. Talking with others about the problem makes no difference except to bring about more frustration. Only Aaron’s engagement in the world made him an instrument of peace.
The same is true of the Amida. Only after the prayers asking God for wisdom and healing, opening the heart to Jerusalem and the voices of our ancestors, does the word “shalom” enter our prayers and mind. In other words what the Amida is subtly trying to communicate is that peace comes as a result of effort; it is not a reward for simply breathing.
The Kaddish Shalem offers the same moral: ask God, pray for welfare, pour energy and action into making a change and peace is the ultimate reward. Just as the midrash indicates that even the moon’s pride is protected (and we perform the same action when we say the blessing over wine on Shabbat. Remember, we cover the Hallah-bread because we are not supposed to make the berakha of the wine superior, ie. first, to the one over bread) so too we extrapolate the idea of protecting the fragile ego of another person a priority. 'Is it not more important to do so between family members?' asks Aaron.
It is vital to note in this parasha that has so many magnificent blessings in it, nowhere does God promise us peace until we choose to act in concert with Him. The Holy One, blessed be He, tells that He will pour unending blessings on us and all we have to do is sit and “eat our bread until full.”
That does not sound difficult, does it? What is so difficult about being full? Being full means being satisfied. It means sharing our gifts. It means an end to jealousy. When we are full we do not feel an insatiable hunger to get what they have or better. It means that we work to eradicate hatred from our hearts because we are content with the numerous gifts we possess. Being “full” means that we try to share with others the message of reconciliation and hope. “You will eat your bread until you are full” teaches us to work for goodness. Peace will then be ours to hold.
Haftarah Insight:
Jeremiah is the voice of hope. He cries out for his people to listen to the words of Torah. "Take it into your heart!" he begs. "Let your soul's light shine through the veil of indifference!"
A Matter of Law:
"Immerse yourself in the study and practice of Torah."
- Rabbi Yehuda Leib of Prague
The conclusion of the Priestly blessing contains the blessing for peace. Numbers 6:26
Me'am Loez reminds us that the can even erase the holy name of God in order to make peace between a wife and husband.
As the congregation ends it service with the Kaddish Shalem the final phrase is a hope of a universe of peace.
The Sages, of blessed memory, went so far as to note that only one face of the moon can ever be seen from the earth. They pondered why the other side did not reveal itself and reasoned that the unseen side of the moon must be defective, somehow wrong. God went on to create the heavens in such a way as to preserve the dignity of the moon! That is why we are never permitted to see it.
A glowing image of a life imagined is presented in the parasha of B’hukotai. First rain and produce are promised by God. Then comes a harvest of unparalleled proportions. The crops will be so abundant that the seasons of growth will run into one another. “You will eat your bread until you are full and dwell securely in the land.” Dangerous beasts will pose not threat. Warfare will not exist. “And I will give you peace.”
The midrash tells that when Aaron died 80,000 mourners attended his funeral. And every one of them was named Aaron! Aaron, the prince of peace, was vigilant for signs of fracture in a family. When he heard a couple quarreling or found out that a woman and man had grown distant Aaron would approach them. He would find the right words and actions to bring the couple back together. When they reconciled and bore a son they named him after the peace-maker. Devarim rabba, Shoftim
What does this story teach? Peace comes only after the act. Aaron was able to reconcile two people who had come to hate one another after effort. Hand-wringing accomplishes nothing. Talking with others about the problem makes no difference except to bring about more frustration. Only Aaron’s engagement in the world made him an instrument of peace.
The same is true of the Amida. Only after the prayers asking God for wisdom and healing, opening the heart to Jerusalem and the voices of our ancestors, does the word “shalom” enter our prayers and mind. In other words what the Amida is subtly trying to communicate is that peace comes as a result of effort; it is not a reward for simply breathing.
The Kaddish Shalem offers the same moral: ask God, pray for welfare, pour energy and action into making a change and peace is the ultimate reward. Just as the midrash indicates that even the moon’s pride is protected (and we perform the same action when we say the blessing over wine on Shabbat. Remember, we cover the Hallah-bread because we are not supposed to make the berakha of the wine superior, ie. first, to the one over bread) so too we extrapolate the idea of protecting the fragile ego of another person a priority. 'Is it not more important to do so between family members?' asks Aaron.
It is vital to note in this parasha that has so many magnificent blessings in it, nowhere does God promise us peace until we choose to act in concert with Him. The Holy One, blessed be He, tells that He will pour unending blessings on us and all we have to do is sit and “eat our bread until full.”
That does not sound difficult, does it? What is so difficult about being full? Being full means being satisfied. It means sharing our gifts. It means an end to jealousy. When we are full we do not feel an insatiable hunger to get what they have or better. It means that we work to eradicate hatred from our hearts because we are content with the numerous gifts we possess. Being “full” means that we try to share with others the message of reconciliation and hope. “You will eat your bread until you are full” teaches us to work for goodness. Peace will then be ours to hold.
Haftarah Insight:
Jeremiah is the voice of hope. He cries out for his people to listen to the words of Torah. "Take it into your heart!" he begs. "Let your soul's light shine through the veil of indifference!"
A Matter of Law:
"Immerse yourself in the study and practice of Torah."
- Rabbi Yehuda Leib of Prague
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