A Jewish man is waiting in line to be knighted by the Queen of England. He is supposed to kneel and recite a sentence in Latin.
When it comes his turn, the Queen taps him on the shoulders with the sword -- and in the panic of excitement he forgets the Latin line. Thinking quickly, he recites the only other line he knows in a foreign language, which he remembers from the Passover Seder: "Mah nishtana ha-lailah ha-zeh mi-kol ha-leilot."
The puzzled Queen turns to her advisor and asks, "Why is this knight different from all other knights?"
Tuesday, March 30, 2004
Monday, March 29, 2004
Passover and History
A recent survey indicates that the Passover Sedar as recently replaces Yom Kippur as the most observed Jewish ritual. More Jews participate in a Sedar (to one extent or another) than fast on Yom Kippur.
How come?
In modern society, the idea of a conscience is going out of style. The idea that people walk around all year thinking that they are sinning, and need one day a year to clear their slate by fasting is not as popular as it once was. Today, we’re told that we can’t live every single day of the year (minus one) thinking that we’re sinning.
The new in thing is to tell yourself that you weren’t born yesterday, that you’ve got ancestors.
Ideally, it would be nice if all the holidays were kept by as many Jews who mark Passover, they do have one thing right. It is Passover, more than any other holiday, which ties us to our past. And it’s that tie to the past that has sustained us for all these years.
That’s probably one of the reasons why we recite Yiskor, the prayer for the memory of the departed, on the last day of Passover.
How come?
In modern society, the idea of a conscience is going out of style. The idea that people walk around all year thinking that they are sinning, and need one day a year to clear their slate by fasting is not as popular as it once was. Today, we’re told that we can’t live every single day of the year (minus one) thinking that we’re sinning.
The new in thing is to tell yourself that you weren’t born yesterday, that you’ve got ancestors.
Ideally, it would be nice if all the holidays were kept by as many Jews who mark Passover, they do have one thing right. It is Passover, more than any other holiday, which ties us to our past. And it’s that tie to the past that has sustained us for all these years.
That’s probably one of the reasons why we recite Yiskor, the prayer for the memory of the departed, on the last day of Passover.
Friday, March 26, 2004
Parashat Vayikra – Why animal offerings?
This weeks Torah portion presents a lengthy, detailed description of bringing korbanot in the Temple. The Hebrew work ‘korban’ is generally translated as offering or sacrifice. Neither of these is accurate.
“Sacrifice” implies giving up something. It implies that we are saying to G-d, ‘G-d, look how much I love you, instead of selling my finest lamb to pay for my physical needs, I’m giving it to you.”
“Offering” implies giving a gift to G-d. It smacks of paganism and implies that we’re trying to ‘buy off” G-d to get ourselves out of a bind, or to ask for a favour.
Neither of these come close to the meaning of the word “korban’; the word means ‘to come near”, as in to come closer to G-d. When we sin, we move away from G-d, and to move us closer, we bring korbanot Bringing the korban is a way to repair our relationship with G-d.
The korbanot are for our benefit, not G-d’s. The idea that G-d, the creator of the universe, needs, or even wants, us to bring him a nice roast lamb, or a wine or spice offering is blasphemous. G-d is not a physical being G-d doesn’t need to eat or drink. G-d doesn’t need to smell the burning incense. The korbanot are for us; we take the animals and elevate them onto the altar of God. This is a personal declaration of intent to elevate our material resources to a higher level - to direct it toward the service of God.
Today, without a Temple, we cannot bring korbanot. But by understanding the purpose of them (to bring us closer to G-d), we see that there are many ways that we can repair our relationship with G-d after we harm it with sin.
The story is told of Rabbi Yochanan walking on the outskirts of Jerusalem and Rabbi Yehoshua following him. When they saw the ruins of the Beit Hamikdash (Holy Temple), Rabbi Yehoshua said, "Woe to us. The place that atoned for sins is destroyed."
"My son," said Rabbi Yochanan, "We still have another means of atonement that is equal to the Beit Hamikdash : Chesed (acts of lovingkindness). As it is stated, 'Lovingkindness is what I want, and not sacrifices' (Hoshaia 6:6)." (Avos D'Reb Noson, ch. 4).
Atonement depends upon the individual regretting his actions, making amends, asking for forgiveness and verbally asking the Almighty to accept his plea for forgiveness. Perhaps doing acts of loving kindness aid in focusing an individual upon his larger relationship to the world and to the Almighty, thus placing him in a mode where he is able to examine mistakes and repair them.
Shabbat Shalom.
“Sacrifice” implies giving up something. It implies that we are saying to G-d, ‘G-d, look how much I love you, instead of selling my finest lamb to pay for my physical needs, I’m giving it to you.”
“Offering” implies giving a gift to G-d. It smacks of paganism and implies that we’re trying to ‘buy off” G-d to get ourselves out of a bind, or to ask for a favour.
Neither of these come close to the meaning of the word “korban’; the word means ‘to come near”, as in to come closer to G-d. When we sin, we move away from G-d, and to move us closer, we bring korbanot Bringing the korban is a way to repair our relationship with G-d.
The korbanot are for our benefit, not G-d’s. The idea that G-d, the creator of the universe, needs, or even wants, us to bring him a nice roast lamb, or a wine or spice offering is blasphemous. G-d is not a physical being G-d doesn’t need to eat or drink. G-d doesn’t need to smell the burning incense. The korbanot are for us; we take the animals and elevate them onto the altar of God. This is a personal declaration of intent to elevate our material resources to a higher level - to direct it toward the service of God.
Today, without a Temple, we cannot bring korbanot. But by understanding the purpose of them (to bring us closer to G-d), we see that there are many ways that we can repair our relationship with G-d after we harm it with sin.
The story is told of Rabbi Yochanan walking on the outskirts of Jerusalem and Rabbi Yehoshua following him. When they saw the ruins of the Beit Hamikdash (Holy Temple), Rabbi Yehoshua said, "Woe to us. The place that atoned for sins is destroyed."
"My son," said Rabbi Yochanan, "We still have another means of atonement that is equal to the Beit Hamikdash : Chesed (acts of lovingkindness). As it is stated, 'Lovingkindness is what I want, and not sacrifices' (Hoshaia 6:6)." (Avos D'Reb Noson, ch. 4).
Atonement depends upon the individual regretting his actions, making amends, asking for forgiveness and verbally asking the Almighty to accept his plea for forgiveness. Perhaps doing acts of loving kindness aid in focusing an individual upon his larger relationship to the world and to the Almighty, thus placing him in a mode where he is able to examine mistakes and repair them.
Shabbat Shalom.
Thursday, March 25, 2004
Freedom vs. Happiness
In a recent lecture, Rabbi Kahn made an interesting point. He was talking about the difference between the English name of the second book of the Torah, “Exodus”, and the name the Rambam uses ‘Redemption”. I’ve talked about that before. He contends that both have to do with freedom, but Exodus is just a physical freedom from Egypt, while “Redemption” implies that real freedom requires an existential component (which we got at Sinai and through the Mishkan).
He draws an interesting parallel as way of example; he claims that in the history of the world, there has probably never been a time or place when people have had as much freedom as they do in some places today (like America). Does America being so free mean that people are really liberated?
In terms of existential pain, it seems to be a very sad state of affairs. You’ve probably never had a country with as much mental illness as you have today (by mental illness he means people in incredible amounts of psychological pain). People today have experience their Exodus, but not yet their redemption. They have physical freedom, but have no purpose for it. People are too free that they don’t know what they’re living for.
Physically being free without having some sort of a mandate can be a cruel form of torture. That’s why G-d didn’t only take the Jews out of Egypt, but also brought them to Mount Sinai and gave them their mandate, because without that they would not have true freedom.
He draws an interesting parallel as way of example; he claims that in the history of the world, there has probably never been a time or place when people have had as much freedom as they do in some places today (like America). Does America being so free mean that people are really liberated?
In terms of existential pain, it seems to be a very sad state of affairs. You’ve probably never had a country with as much mental illness as you have today (by mental illness he means people in incredible amounts of psychological pain). People today have experience their Exodus, but not yet their redemption. They have physical freedom, but have no purpose for it. People are too free that they don’t know what they’re living for.
Physically being free without having some sort of a mandate can be a cruel form of torture. That’s why G-d didn’t only take the Jews out of Egypt, but also brought them to Mount Sinai and gave them their mandate, because without that they would not have true freedom.
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
Order of the Books of the Torah
Chronologically, the book of Leviticus seems to be out of place. Exodus ends with the dedication of the Mishkan in the first month of the second year. Skip ahead one book to Numbers, and it picks up in the second month of the second year (and later backtracks to the first month of the second year). In terms of narrating a story, Numbers should come directly after Exodus; but in a thematic sense it’s quite clear that Leviticus follows Exodus. So it seems clear that G-d has chosen theme over chronology.
This tells us something about the purpose of the Torah. Its primary purpose is not as a book of history (although it certainly contains history), it’s primarily a book of law. The narrative is used to bind everything together, but the goal of the Torah is to transmit laws. There are several spots where events are out of order, and when we come across them we need to ask ourselves ‘why did the transmission of the laws in this section require the narrative to be out of order?”
Keeping this in mind will be a great help in understanding the Torah on a deeper level.
This tells us something about the purpose of the Torah. Its primary purpose is not as a book of history (although it certainly contains history), it’s primarily a book of law. The narrative is used to bind everything together, but the goal of the Torah is to transmit laws. There are several spots where events are out of order, and when we come across them we need to ask ourselves ‘why did the transmission of the laws in this section require the narrative to be out of order?”
Keeping this in mind will be a great help in understanding the Torah on a deeper level.
Monday, March 22, 2004
The Book of Vayikra (Leviticus)
This week we start reading the book of Vayikra.
When children are first introduced to the world of Torah, their learning is supposed to start with the book of Vayikra. This seems like a strange choice. The book deals with the laws of korbanot - sacrifices or offerings. These laws do not apply to day (since we no longer have a temple) and their purpose is a matter of much dispute among the most learned of adults, not to mention the fact the teaching children about animal sacrifices could be disturbing. If we, as adults, have trouble relating to this book, why would we teach it to children as an introduction to Torah? Why not start with the relatable stories of Genesis or Exodus?
The midrash addresses this issue and responds “Children are pure and sacrifices are pure. Let the pure occupy themselves with the pure.” (This, by the way, is in stark contrast to the Christian idea of “Original Sin”.) If we think about it, what impression would children get if their first introduction to the Torah would be the book of Genesis? The book starts with Adam and Eve disobeying the one commandment G-d gave them. Then moves on to fratricide (Cane killing Able), and continues to vicious sibling rivalries (Jacob and Essau, Joseph and his brothers.). Exodus is not much better. The book of Bamidbar (Numbers) could be called the book of complaining. Whatever the issue, the Jews were complaining and therefore had to wander aimlessly for forty years until a new generation arose, one free from the slave mentality of their parents. In Devarim (Deuteronomy) Moses exhorts the Jews not to repeat the mistakes of the past, which would further delay their entry into the land of Israel. While these books are all full of great examples of moral strength, an impressionable child might be left with a skewed picture of what Judaism teaches.
Teaching about the korbanot properly can instill in the child some of the most basic messages of Judaism. Rabbi Kelman says:
I would suggest that the most important message of the korbanot - especially as it relates to children - is the importance of sincerity. Time and time again the prophets protested the bringing of sacrifices by the Jewish people. They emphasized that the mere bringing of sacrifices was unacceptable, even hated by G-d (see Isiah 1:11-14). Atonement was not possible unless accompanied by a sincere desire to improve. Otherwise it is just a meaningless unwanted ritual. A true korban made one closer to G-d and had lasting impact on the person. We live in a world full of insincerity. The inculcation of this trait must begin at a tender age so at least our children can lead the way to sincere worship of G-d
When children are first introduced to the world of Torah, their learning is supposed to start with the book of Vayikra. This seems like a strange choice. The book deals with the laws of korbanot - sacrifices or offerings. These laws do not apply to day (since we no longer have a temple) and their purpose is a matter of much dispute among the most learned of adults, not to mention the fact the teaching children about animal sacrifices could be disturbing. If we, as adults, have trouble relating to this book, why would we teach it to children as an introduction to Torah? Why not start with the relatable stories of Genesis or Exodus?
The midrash addresses this issue and responds “Children are pure and sacrifices are pure. Let the pure occupy themselves with the pure.” (This, by the way, is in stark contrast to the Christian idea of “Original Sin”.) If we think about it, what impression would children get if their first introduction to the Torah would be the book of Genesis? The book starts with Adam and Eve disobeying the one commandment G-d gave them. Then moves on to fratricide (Cane killing Able), and continues to vicious sibling rivalries (Jacob and Essau, Joseph and his brothers.). Exodus is not much better. The book of Bamidbar (Numbers) could be called the book of complaining. Whatever the issue, the Jews were complaining and therefore had to wander aimlessly for forty years until a new generation arose, one free from the slave mentality of their parents. In Devarim (Deuteronomy) Moses exhorts the Jews not to repeat the mistakes of the past, which would further delay their entry into the land of Israel. While these books are all full of great examples of moral strength, an impressionable child might be left with a skewed picture of what Judaism teaches.
Teaching about the korbanot properly can instill in the child some of the most basic messages of Judaism. Rabbi Kelman says:
I would suggest that the most important message of the korbanot - especially as it relates to children - is the importance of sincerity. Time and time again the prophets protested the bringing of sacrifices by the Jewish people. They emphasized that the mere bringing of sacrifices was unacceptable, even hated by G-d (see Isiah 1:11-14). Atonement was not possible unless accompanied by a sincere desire to improve. Otherwise it is just a meaningless unwanted ritual. A true korban made one closer to G-d and had lasting impact on the person. We live in a world full of insincerity. The inculcation of this trait must begin at a tender age so at least our children can lead the way to sincere worship of G-d
Friday, March 19, 2004
Parashat Vayakhel – P’Kudei
This week, finish the book of Exodus by reading about the completion of the Mishkan. "In the first month of the second year on the first of the month the tabernacle was erected" [40:2]. Interestingly, it was exactly one year earlier that G-d said to Moses “this month shall be the head month to you. It shall be the first month of the year" [12:1]. So the year Jewish calendar starts with both the physical redemption from Egypt and the spiritual redemption obtained by building the Mishkan both happened on the same day, the first of Nisan, the first day of the Jewish year.
Following the creation of the calendar (which is the first commandment given to the Nation of Israel), we get a series of commandments relating to Passover. In all of these commandments, the timing is very important. The law is not to refrain form eating bread for a week, it to refrain from eating bread on a specific week. Doing it a week early or late is not fulfilling the commandment. It’s not only in the stock market that timing is everything!
Rabbi Kelman says “Each one of us in our personal lives can easily fall prey to doing the right thing at the wrong time. Waiting too long to apologize, spending more time at home just as the kids are starting to move out, taking on religious stringency’s before one is ready, or even davening shacharit before dawn. We must learn to sanctify time by using it appropriately. It is the pathway to redemption.”
Shabbat Shalom!
Following the creation of the calendar (which is the first commandment given to the Nation of Israel), we get a series of commandments relating to Passover. In all of these commandments, the timing is very important. The law is not to refrain form eating bread for a week, it to refrain from eating bread on a specific week. Doing it a week early or late is not fulfilling the commandment. It’s not only in the stock market that timing is everything!
Rabbi Kelman says “Each one of us in our personal lives can easily fall prey to doing the right thing at the wrong time. Waiting too long to apologize, spending more time at home just as the kids are starting to move out, taking on religious stringency’s before one is ready, or even davening shacharit before dawn. We must learn to sanctify time by using it appropriately. It is the pathway to redemption.”
Shabbat Shalom!
Monday, March 15, 2004
What’s in a name?
This week we finish reading the second book of the Torah, the book of Exodus. Maimonides refers to this book as “The Book of the Redemption”. Where as in the modern world titles are often selected to increase sales, Biblically speaking, the titles that our sages give to these books can provide valuable insight into the book itself.
The Christian’s titled the book Exodus, because the exodus from Egypt is the main event of the book. The Jewish title of “Redemption” seems to be referring to the same event (the redemption is being freed from Egypt), but if the main point of the book is the exodus from Egypt, why doesn’t the book end somewhere around chapter 16, when the Jews leave Egypt, or cross the Sea of Reeds, or get the 10 commandments. Why does it go on for 20 more chapters?
The key is that in Jewish consciousness, leaving Egypt wasn’t the goal; it was a means to an end. The end was the building of the Mishkan (the portable temple), and through the Mishkan bringing G-d presence into the world. The redemption wasn’t complete until we read in the closing lines of the book “And the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the Mishkan.” It’s not until the Mishkan is complete and G-d presence enters the world that the book can come to a close.
So in a few weeks when Jews all over the world gather on Passover to remember the Exodus, let’s think about why we were brought out of Egypt and what freedom really means to the Jewish people (something that’ll talk about as we get closer to Passover).
The Christian’s titled the book Exodus, because the exodus from Egypt is the main event of the book. The Jewish title of “Redemption” seems to be referring to the same event (the redemption is being freed from Egypt), but if the main point of the book is the exodus from Egypt, why doesn’t the book end somewhere around chapter 16, when the Jews leave Egypt, or cross the Sea of Reeds, or get the 10 commandments. Why does it go on for 20 more chapters?
The key is that in Jewish consciousness, leaving Egypt wasn’t the goal; it was a means to an end. The end was the building of the Mishkan (the portable temple), and through the Mishkan bringing G-d presence into the world. The redemption wasn’t complete until we read in the closing lines of the book “And the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the Mishkan.” It’s not until the Mishkan is complete and G-d presence enters the world that the book can come to a close.
So in a few weeks when Jews all over the world gather on Passover to remember the Exodus, let’s think about why we were brought out of Egypt and what freedom really means to the Jewish people (something that’ll talk about as we get closer to Passover).
Friday, March 12, 2004
Parahat Ki Tasi
I’ve talked a little about the events of this weeks Torah portion already. The key event this week is the incident of the Golden Calf. This event is probably the one that has generated the most commentary in the entire bible. I can’t possibly do it justice, but what I want to do is talk about one issue and one meta issue that this story brings up.
First a brief run down of events, remember that the text of the Torah is not always if chronological order. The Jewish nation left Egypt, crossed the Sea of Reeds and is camped at the foot of Mount Sinai. G-d speaks to the entire Jewish nation and gives them the 10 Commandments. Moses is told to go up the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights so that G-d can give him the entire Torah. Moses does so and G-d gives him all 613 commandments, and the principles of how to apply them – the Oral Law (the written torah is dictated to Moses over the next 40 years in the desert). The Jewish Nation miscounts the 40 days and thinks they are up without Moses returning; they think he has died. The “mixed multitudes’ build an idol. Moses comes down after the 40 days are up and sees what has happened. He smashes the tablets, crushes the golden calf and deals with the problem. Once that is done he goes back up the mountain to plead with G-d to have mercy on the people. G-d has mercy; Moses engraves the new set of tablets and comes back down. The day that Moses comes back down is Yom Kippur. It’s the first time that the entire nation pleaded with G-d for mercy and forgiveness. That’s why we do the same every year.
So the obvious question to ask is how, after just hearing G-d seek directly to you and tell you not to engage in idolatry, how can you go and build an idol? The answer has 2 parts, what did they build, and who build it.
Don’t think for a second that after experiencing what the people just did that they would make an idol to replace G-d. What they were doing is making a replacement for Moses. When the people looked at Moses, they could feel G-d’s presence. Now that they thought Moses was dead, they were afraid they would loose that feeling. They wanted to build something that would show them that G-d was still with them. So they were not worshiping another G-d, but they did make a graven image, which was expectedly forbidden in the 10 Commandments, hence the punishment.
The other part of the answer is who built it? The text tells us that it was the “mixed multitudes’. What does that mean. The Midrash tells us that after the 10 plagues, when the Jews left Egypt, many Egyptians were so impressed by what they saw, that they joined the Jews and went out of Egypt with them. Moses accepted them as ‘converts”. Various sources tell us that there were as many as 600,000 of them. The problem was that they grew up as worshiping idols, and that’s how they knew how to relate to G-d. So when the going got tough, some of them reverted partially back to their old ways.
The midrashim tell us that the number of people who were actively involved in the building and worshiping of the Golden Calf numbered about 3000. Which is 1/10th of 1% of the total group camped at the mountain. Most of the Jews had nothing to do with it. Their sin was that they did nothing to stop it.
That brings us to the meta issue that I wanted to talk about. If it was only 3000 Egyptian converts who were involved, why does the text of the Torah put the blame on all of Israel? The concept is that of collective punishment. The Jewish people are all parts of a whole (that’s why at the start of this week’s portion, Moses takes a census by collecting a half shekel - not a full shekel - from each person). And this whole has a collective mission in this world. This responsibility is to bring the truth of one G-d to the world. Because of this awesome mission, we have to be accountable for our fellow Jews. To borrow fro an earlier Torah portion; “Am I my brother’s keeper”? For the Jews the answer is yes.
This is an idea that we as a people exhibit to this very day. Every time a Jew, anywhere in the world, does anything wrong, we all fell a little bit of sadness. Because we know that we are all parts of one body. This, of course, relates back to my Kippah discussion of a few days ago.
Shabbat Shalom.
First a brief run down of events, remember that the text of the Torah is not always if chronological order. The Jewish nation left Egypt, crossed the Sea of Reeds and is camped at the foot of Mount Sinai. G-d speaks to the entire Jewish nation and gives them the 10 Commandments. Moses is told to go up the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights so that G-d can give him the entire Torah. Moses does so and G-d gives him all 613 commandments, and the principles of how to apply them – the Oral Law (the written torah is dictated to Moses over the next 40 years in the desert). The Jewish Nation miscounts the 40 days and thinks they are up without Moses returning; they think he has died. The “mixed multitudes’ build an idol. Moses comes down after the 40 days are up and sees what has happened. He smashes the tablets, crushes the golden calf and deals with the problem. Once that is done he goes back up the mountain to plead with G-d to have mercy on the people. G-d has mercy; Moses engraves the new set of tablets and comes back down. The day that Moses comes back down is Yom Kippur. It’s the first time that the entire nation pleaded with G-d for mercy and forgiveness. That’s why we do the same every year.
So the obvious question to ask is how, after just hearing G-d seek directly to you and tell you not to engage in idolatry, how can you go and build an idol? The answer has 2 parts, what did they build, and who build it.
Don’t think for a second that after experiencing what the people just did that they would make an idol to replace G-d. What they were doing is making a replacement for Moses. When the people looked at Moses, they could feel G-d’s presence. Now that they thought Moses was dead, they were afraid they would loose that feeling. They wanted to build something that would show them that G-d was still with them. So they were not worshiping another G-d, but they did make a graven image, which was expectedly forbidden in the 10 Commandments, hence the punishment.
The other part of the answer is who built it? The text tells us that it was the “mixed multitudes’. What does that mean. The Midrash tells us that after the 10 plagues, when the Jews left Egypt, many Egyptians were so impressed by what they saw, that they joined the Jews and went out of Egypt with them. Moses accepted them as ‘converts”. Various sources tell us that there were as many as 600,000 of them. The problem was that they grew up as worshiping idols, and that’s how they knew how to relate to G-d. So when the going got tough, some of them reverted partially back to their old ways.
The midrashim tell us that the number of people who were actively involved in the building and worshiping of the Golden Calf numbered about 3000. Which is 1/10th of 1% of the total group camped at the mountain. Most of the Jews had nothing to do with it. Their sin was that they did nothing to stop it.
That brings us to the meta issue that I wanted to talk about. If it was only 3000 Egyptian converts who were involved, why does the text of the Torah put the blame on all of Israel? The concept is that of collective punishment. The Jewish people are all parts of a whole (that’s why at the start of this week’s portion, Moses takes a census by collecting a half shekel - not a full shekel - from each person). And this whole has a collective mission in this world. This responsibility is to bring the truth of one G-d to the world. Because of this awesome mission, we have to be accountable for our fellow Jews. To borrow fro an earlier Torah portion; “Am I my brother’s keeper”? For the Jews the answer is yes.
This is an idea that we as a people exhibit to this very day. Every time a Jew, anywhere in the world, does anything wrong, we all fell a little bit of sadness. Because we know that we are all parts of one body. This, of course, relates back to my Kippah discussion of a few days ago.
Shabbat Shalom.
Thursday, March 11, 2004
The Jewish Theological Seminary
I went to an information session last night from the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) to hear about the rabbinical school. I’ve never really said this publicly before, it’s always been an interest of mine to become a Rabbi. I don’t know if I’d want to be a full time pulpit Rabbi, but there are other things that a Rabbi can do; only about half the graduates from JTS go on to take full time pulpit positions.
People are eventually going to realize that this whole computer industry is really just a fad, and I need to plan for the day when people realize that the abacus is really a much better tool. OK, maybe not. But the truth is, as much as I enjoy the computer industry, especially human factors, it just doesn’t engage me the same way that studying a page of Talmud does.
Would I ‘retire’ from the high tech field and work full time as a Rabbi? Would I stay in the tech field and do the Rabbi work part time? I don’t know. But I could see that 10 years from now I might want to think about making a career change to something more fulfilling. That would make me a Rabbi by 45 (it’s a 5 year program), and could work the rest of my career in that field.
The session really rekindled my latent interest in the Rabbinate. This will certainly be something to think about.
People are eventually going to realize that this whole computer industry is really just a fad, and I need to plan for the day when people realize that the abacus is really a much better tool. OK, maybe not. But the truth is, as much as I enjoy the computer industry, especially human factors, it just doesn’t engage me the same way that studying a page of Talmud does.
Would I ‘retire’ from the high tech field and work full time as a Rabbi? Would I stay in the tech field and do the Rabbi work part time? I don’t know. But I could see that 10 years from now I might want to think about making a career change to something more fulfilling. That would make me a Rabbi by 45 (it’s a 5 year program), and could work the rest of my career in that field.
The session really rekindled my latent interest in the Rabbinate. This will certainly be something to think about.
Wednesday, March 10, 2004
To Kippah or Not To Kippah
When one starts the process of becoming a Bal Tesuvah (someone who was raised non religious, and decides to return to traditional Judaism), there are two paths one can take. You can outwardly transform yourself overnight and immediately start keeping all the observances, even though they will be meaningless to you at first, and then grow into the meaning. Or you can take it slow, and learn about the observances and start doing them at the same time.
I’m on the second path, mostly because I never really made a conscious decision to do this; it has been a natural consequence of my learning. But I’ve now reached that point where I need to make a decision about the boldest and most visually apparent Jewish observance. Do I start to wear a kippah at all times?
Wearing a kippah makes a bold statement. You’re identifying yourself to the world as an observant Jew. There are responsibilities that come with that. Suddenly you actions will reflect on the entire Jewish people. I know that I’m not quite ready for that yet. I still will go and eat at a non-kosher restaurant (but eat vegetarian), I’m not completely Shommer Shabbas (but getting there). And to see a kippah wearing Jew eating at the Pickle Barrel is not the right message that I want to send.
But on the other side, I’m running into difficulties in my tesuvah because I’m not wearing kippah. Even those who don’t feel there is a religious obligation to cover your head at all times (and in fact the requirement to do so is just a custom, not a commandment) agree that it is a requirement to wear one when performing rituals. I have been trying to perform more of the regular rituals of the day; saying blessings before and after eating, ritually washing before eating bread, saying the afternoon prayers… but you can’t do these without a kippah. So I need to keep a kippah with me at all times, and pop it on and off when needed. I wonder if that had something to do with why wearing it at all times became the custom – it’s just easier.
While I continue to struggle with this issue, I suspect that it’s just a matter of time before I start to proudly wear a kippah at all times. There are certainly social implications that go with all that, so I’m sure I’ll talk about this more when I’m closer to making that decision.
I’m on the second path, mostly because I never really made a conscious decision to do this; it has been a natural consequence of my learning. But I’ve now reached that point where I need to make a decision about the boldest and most visually apparent Jewish observance. Do I start to wear a kippah at all times?
Wearing a kippah makes a bold statement. You’re identifying yourself to the world as an observant Jew. There are responsibilities that come with that. Suddenly you actions will reflect on the entire Jewish people. I know that I’m not quite ready for that yet. I still will go and eat at a non-kosher restaurant (but eat vegetarian), I’m not completely Shommer Shabbas (but getting there). And to see a kippah wearing Jew eating at the Pickle Barrel is not the right message that I want to send.
But on the other side, I’m running into difficulties in my tesuvah because I’m not wearing kippah. Even those who don’t feel there is a religious obligation to cover your head at all times (and in fact the requirement to do so is just a custom, not a commandment) agree that it is a requirement to wear one when performing rituals. I have been trying to perform more of the regular rituals of the day; saying blessings before and after eating, ritually washing before eating bread, saying the afternoon prayers… but you can’t do these without a kippah. So I need to keep a kippah with me at all times, and pop it on and off when needed. I wonder if that had something to do with why wearing it at all times became the custom – it’s just easier.
While I continue to struggle with this issue, I suspect that it’s just a matter of time before I start to proudly wear a kippah at all times. There are certainly social implications that go with all that, so I’m sure I’ll talk about this more when I’m closer to making that decision.
Tuesday, March 09, 2004
Why do bad things happen to good people?
(This post is based on an article by Rabbi Benjamin Belch)
This is really the ultimate theological question. It’s one that has troubled all the great Jewish thinkers, including the greatest of all, Moses. In this week’s Torah Portion, Moses asks this question to The One Who Knows The Answer.
At first glance the passage appears cryptic, but even if you don’t understand it, it one of those passages that you know is meaningful.
Here’s the text:
The impression this gives on the surface is that Moses is asking to see G-d’s face, G-d refuses, but lets Moses sneak a peak at his mighty shoulder blades.
This is, of course, absurd.
Moses knew that G-d has no form and therefore can not be seem by human eyes. The Talmud tells us that Moses was not asking to “see” G-d, but to “see” G-d’s “glory”, so that he can understand G-d’s plan. Basically, Moses wanted to know why good things happen to bad people.
To attempt to understand the profound wisdom in G-d’s response, we need to look at it piece by piece.
It doesn’t come across well in English, but in the Hebrew, it’s important to note that, of the many names of G-d, the one that is used here is the ones that represent kindness and compassion. We are told that ALL of G-d’s goodness will be testimony to the merciful qualities of the Almighty. What this is saying is that our perception of pain and suffering will change once we have seen it “all”. Once we can see it all (which we can not do from our perspective in this world), we will see why every strict judgment is really an act of love. It’s like a parent punishing a child. The child sees his suffering, but later looks back on it and sees it was all necessary acts of love.
This is not G-d saying “Leave me alone, I’ll do whatever I want.” What G-d is saying is that “I will be gracious to the one I will be gracious to, not the one you think I should be gracious to.” Maimonides explains that G-d judges a person’s deeds qualitatively, not quantitatively. One terrible deed can wipe out a lifetime of good deeds, and one great act can balance many sins. Only G-d knows the real values of our actions. What G-d is telling Moses (and us) is the he knows who is really righteous, who is really deserving of grace and compassion. Don’t presume to improve on his judgement.
Moses wants to “see” G-d’s way. But G-d is saying that “as long as you’re alive, you won’t be able to ‘see’”. The entire picture is not visible from our limited perspective.
Moses is told that to understand why there is evil in the world; you need to stand as a partner beside G-d, not as a passive observer down below. When G-d created the world, he purposely left it incomplete, so that man can play a part in perfecting the world. God allows for sickness so man can play a role in inventing cures.
In the words of Rabbi Belch, “God allows for droughts so that man can participate in bringing the world closer to its ideal state by inventing new irrigation methods and by building dams and desalinization plants. So the evil in the world only points up the work we still have to do. Evil is a manifestation of a world that is still incomplete, waiting for man to do his part and finish the job.”
This is the key part of the answer. G-d is telling Moses that because man is bound by time (unlike G-d) we are unable to understand events as they happen, it’s only after the fact that it might be possible for us to understand what happened.
As Kierkegaard so powerfully put it, "Life can only be understood backward, but it must be lived forward."
Rabbi Belch sums it up better than I possibly could, so I’ll leave him to do it:
This is really the ultimate theological question. It’s one that has troubled all the great Jewish thinkers, including the greatest of all, Moses. In this week’s Torah Portion, Moses asks this question to The One Who Knows The Answer.
At first glance the passage appears cryptic, but even if you don’t understand it, it one of those passages that you know is meaningful.
Here’s the text:
- Moses then said [to G-d]: "Please grant me a vision of Your Glory." He [G-d] said, "I will cause all My goodness to pass before you and will proclaim the name of the Lord in your presence. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will be compassionate to whom I will be compassionate." And He said, "You cannot see My Presence and live." And the Lord said, "Behold there is a place alongside Me, and you shall set yourself on the rock. When My Glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with My Hand until I pass by. Then I will remove My Hand and you will see My Back, but My Face shall not be seen." (Exodus 33: 18-23)
The impression this gives on the surface is that Moses is asking to see G-d’s face, G-d refuses, but lets Moses sneak a peak at his mighty shoulder blades.
This is, of course, absurd.
Moses knew that G-d has no form and therefore can not be seem by human eyes. The Talmud tells us that Moses was not asking to “see” G-d, but to “see” G-d’s “glory”, so that he can understand G-d’s plan. Basically, Moses wanted to know why good things happen to bad people.
To attempt to understand the profound wisdom in G-d’s response, we need to look at it piece by piece.
- "I will cause all My goodness to pass before you and you will proclaim the name of the Lord in your presence."
It doesn’t come across well in English, but in the Hebrew, it’s important to note that, of the many names of G-d, the one that is used here is the ones that represent kindness and compassion. We are told that ALL of G-d’s goodness will be testimony to the merciful qualities of the Almighty. What this is saying is that our perception of pain and suffering will change once we have seen it “all”. Once we can see it all (which we can not do from our perspective in this world), we will see why every strict judgment is really an act of love. It’s like a parent punishing a child. The child sees his suffering, but later looks back on it and sees it was all necessary acts of love.
- "I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will be compassionate to whom I will be compassionate."
This is not G-d saying “Leave me alone, I’ll do whatever I want.” What G-d is saying is that “I will be gracious to the one I will be gracious to, not the one you think I should be gracious to.” Maimonides explains that G-d judges a person’s deeds qualitatively, not quantitatively. One terrible deed can wipe out a lifetime of good deeds, and one great act can balance many sins. Only G-d knows the real values of our actions. What G-d is telling Moses (and us) is the he knows who is really righteous, who is really deserving of grace and compassion. Don’t presume to improve on his judgement.
- "And He [God] said, 'You cannot see My Presence and live.'"
Moses wants to “see” G-d’s way. But G-d is saying that “as long as you’re alive, you won’t be able to ‘see’”. The entire picture is not visible from our limited perspective.
- "And the Lord said, 'Behold there is a place alongside Me, and you shall set yourself on the rock."
Moses is told that to understand why there is evil in the world; you need to stand as a partner beside G-d, not as a passive observer down below. When G-d created the world, he purposely left it incomplete, so that man can play a part in perfecting the world. God allows for sickness so man can play a role in inventing cures.
In the words of Rabbi Belch, “God allows for droughts so that man can participate in bringing the world closer to its ideal state by inventing new irrigation methods and by building dams and desalinization plants. So the evil in the world only points up the work we still have to do. Evil is a manifestation of a world that is still incomplete, waiting for man to do his part and finish the job.”
- "When My Glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with My Hand until I pass by. Then I will remove My Hand and you will see My Back, but My Face shall not be seen."
This is the key part of the answer. G-d is telling Moses that because man is bound by time (unlike G-d) we are unable to understand events as they happen, it’s only after the fact that it might be possible for us to understand what happened.
As Kierkegaard so powerfully put it, "Life can only be understood backward, but it must be lived forward."
Rabbi Belch sums it up better than I possibly could, so I’ll leave him to do it:
- The Biblical exchange between God and Moses teaches us to beware of assumptions that are incomplete and erroneous, assumptions that lead us to question the goodness of God.
Moses says to God, in effect, "God, I want to honor you totally, but my lack of understanding of Your ways interferes. How can I honor you completely when I see good people who have it bad and bad people who have it good?"
God says, "Hold off, I question two of your premises."
"Which premises?"
"Number one, don't be so quick when you call some people good and others bad, because you don't know for sure. Number two, when you say they have it bad or they have it good, are you sure of your definitions? Are you sure you know what you are talking about? You are not positive. And you can't be positive because you can't see My face. You will only be able to see it in retrospect. In retrospect a terrible thing could be the best thing. Sometimes it will take you years to see. Sometimes you will never see, not in your days on Earth anyway."
….
A wife says to me, "My husband got sick, he remained sick for the rest of his days, and then he died. Where is the good in that? Don't tell me to wait for the end of the story. I have seen the end of the story. He died."
Yet God tells us, "Man cannot see Me and live." We don't have the entire picture even at the time of death. Death is the gateway to the great beyond -- and that very description reminds us that there is more after our earthly passage. What is still not clear during our finite existence, God seems to be saying, will be possible to comprehend once we are blessed with the divine perspective of eternity.
Friday, March 05, 2004
Parashat T'tzave
This weeks Torah portion deals with the construction of the Mishkan (the portable sanctuary, or the Tabernacle). As Jew’s, we’re so used to the idea of “G-d’s house” (The Mishkan, the Temple, a Shul, a Synagogue…) that we don’t really appreciate what a strange idea it is. If G-d is infinite and transcendent, how can his presence be localized in one particular spot?
Even though this portion comes before next week’s episode of the Golden Calf, if we reconstruct the timeline, it seems that the instructions for building the Mishkan are given after the Golden Calf. That raises a key question; is the Mishkan built as a result of the Golden Calf, or in spite of it? In other words, was the Mishan part of the original plan, or did G-d see the Golden Calf and realize that we needed something physical to help us relate to an infinite G-d?
It being a response to the Golden Calf seems to be a logical answer, but that means that it would have been preferable not to have it, but it was given to us because we needed it. Mimonities has a strong opinion in his writings that it must have been part of the original plan. The Temple was the most Holly things in Judaism; he could not believe that it could have been plan B.
That begs the question, why do we need a Temple. Mimonities answers that the point of the Mishkan (and the Temple) is to take the experience of the revelation at Sinai and institutionalize it. Take the “one night stand” (so to speak) if the revelation at Sinai, and turn that into an ongoing relationship between the Jewish people and G-d. We need to make the revelation a part of our daily consciousness. We need to look at Torah every day as if it is new, as if we have just accepted it.
I think that much of the difficulty steams from a misunderstanding of what the Temple is. The term "House of G-d" is not just misleading, it’s almost blasphemous. The idea that G-d can be localized in just one place is inconsistent with the idea that G-d is everywhere, or as I recently heard it said, G-d is anywhere you allow him to be. The Torah says (which was latter copied by another famous book/movie) "If you build it, I will come".
But were will G-d come to. Most people say that the where, is into the Temple. But that steams from a mistranslation of the verse. The verse does not say "Build me a house and I will dwell in it"; it says "Build be a house and I will dwell in you". That's the key. The Temple is not a place for G-d to live, it a means of opening up each of us so we can allow G-d into our lives and into the world.
And that’s the key to understanding the Temple. It’s a constant reminder that the acceptance of Torah is not something that our ancestors did at Sinai; it’s something we each do every day so that we can allow G-d into our lives.
Shabbat Shalom.
Even though this portion comes before next week’s episode of the Golden Calf, if we reconstruct the timeline, it seems that the instructions for building the Mishkan are given after the Golden Calf. That raises a key question; is the Mishkan built as a result of the Golden Calf, or in spite of it? In other words, was the Mishan part of the original plan, or did G-d see the Golden Calf and realize that we needed something physical to help us relate to an infinite G-d?
It being a response to the Golden Calf seems to be a logical answer, but that means that it would have been preferable not to have it, but it was given to us because we needed it. Mimonities has a strong opinion in his writings that it must have been part of the original plan. The Temple was the most Holly things in Judaism; he could not believe that it could have been plan B.
That begs the question, why do we need a Temple. Mimonities answers that the point of the Mishkan (and the Temple) is to take the experience of the revelation at Sinai and institutionalize it. Take the “one night stand” (so to speak) if the revelation at Sinai, and turn that into an ongoing relationship between the Jewish people and G-d. We need to make the revelation a part of our daily consciousness. We need to look at Torah every day as if it is new, as if we have just accepted it.
I think that much of the difficulty steams from a misunderstanding of what the Temple is. The term "House of G-d" is not just misleading, it’s almost blasphemous. The idea that G-d can be localized in just one place is inconsistent with the idea that G-d is everywhere, or as I recently heard it said, G-d is anywhere you allow him to be. The Torah says (which was latter copied by another famous book/movie) "If you build it, I will come".
But were will G-d come to. Most people say that the where, is into the Temple. But that steams from a mistranslation of the verse. The verse does not say "Build me a house and I will dwell in it"; it says "Build be a house and I will dwell in you". That's the key. The Temple is not a place for G-d to live, it a means of opening up each of us so we can allow G-d into our lives and into the world.
And that’s the key to understanding the Temple. It’s a constant reminder that the acceptance of Torah is not something that our ancestors did at Sinai; it’s something we each do every day so that we can allow G-d into our lives.
Shabbat Shalom.
Thursday, March 04, 2004
Purim 2
Today is the Fast of Esther. This day is to mark the three days of fasting all the Jews of Shushan did in preparation for Esther going before the Queen to plead ask for the Jews to be saved from Haman’s evil plan.
As a rule, Jewish holidays have two aspects; a spiritual side (special prayers) and a physical side (eating special foods). There are two exceptions to this rule; Yom Kippur, which is purely spiritual (you eat a big meal the day before to prepare for the fast), and Purim, which is purely physical (you fast the ay before to prepare for the party). The commentaries argue, that this rule still holds – they argue that Yom Kippur and Purim are two halves of the same day.
The commentators also make a very interesting statement; they say that Purim is in fact a holier day than Yom Kippur. After all, the full name for Yom Kippur is Yom Ha’Kippurim, which literally translated is “A day like Purim”. How can Purim, a day of drinking and parting, be holier than Yom Kippur, a day of fasting and praying?
Unlike secular holidays which merely mark an anniversary of an event, Jewish holidays have a theme and are designed so every Jew can spiritually internalize these themes. The theme of Passover is freedom, the theme of Purim is joy, and the theme of Rosh Ha’Shana is renewal. In that way, Jewish holidays are an opportunity for grow closer to G-d. The goal of growing closer to G-d is just as true on Purim as it is on Yom Kippur.
On Yom Kippur you feel the spirituality… the fasting, the prayer… It’s easy to connect to G-d on a day like that. But on Purim, making that connection is not so easy (after all, you are supposed to get partly drunk). Just like G-d’s face was hidden during the events of Purim (and G-d name does not appear in the Book of Esther), it’s not clear how we connect to G-d on Purim. But if you understand how G-d operates in the world, you see G-d face in the events of Purim, and in the Purim celebrations today.
Someone who is able to connect to G-d on Purim has grown much more that if they connect to G-d on Yom Kippur. That’s why the commentators say that Purim is holier than Yom Kippur.
Have an easy fast.
As a rule, Jewish holidays have two aspects; a spiritual side (special prayers) and a physical side (eating special foods). There are two exceptions to this rule; Yom Kippur, which is purely spiritual (you eat a big meal the day before to prepare for the fast), and Purim, which is purely physical (you fast the ay before to prepare for the party). The commentaries argue, that this rule still holds – they argue that Yom Kippur and Purim are two halves of the same day.
The commentators also make a very interesting statement; they say that Purim is in fact a holier day than Yom Kippur. After all, the full name for Yom Kippur is Yom Ha’Kippurim, which literally translated is “A day like Purim”. How can Purim, a day of drinking and parting, be holier than Yom Kippur, a day of fasting and praying?
Unlike secular holidays which merely mark an anniversary of an event, Jewish holidays have a theme and are designed so every Jew can spiritually internalize these themes. The theme of Passover is freedom, the theme of Purim is joy, and the theme of Rosh Ha’Shana is renewal. In that way, Jewish holidays are an opportunity for grow closer to G-d. The goal of growing closer to G-d is just as true on Purim as it is on Yom Kippur.
On Yom Kippur you feel the spirituality… the fasting, the prayer… It’s easy to connect to G-d on a day like that. But on Purim, making that connection is not so easy (after all, you are supposed to get partly drunk). Just like G-d’s face was hidden during the events of Purim (and G-d name does not appear in the Book of Esther), it’s not clear how we connect to G-d on Purim. But if you understand how G-d operates in the world, you see G-d face in the events of Purim, and in the Purim celebrations today.
Someone who is able to connect to G-d on Purim has grown much more that if they connect to G-d on Yom Kippur. That’s why the commentators say that Purim is holier than Yom Kippur.
Have an easy fast.
Tuesday, March 02, 2004
Purim 1
With Purim coming up this Sunday, I thought I’d spend most of the week talking about Purim.
The book of Esther is unique among all books of the Bible; it is the only one that does not mention the name of G-d. Despite this, many (including myself) argue that it is in the book of Esther that the face of G-d is most clearly seen.
This morning my Rabbi pointed out that not only does the name of G-d not appear; it seems that it was purposely left out. There are several places where you would expect to see some mention of G-d. When Mordechai is telling Esther to speak to the King on the Jew’s behalf, you would expect him to say that “Maybe it was for this reason that G-d put you in this position”, but instead we read “And who knows if it is not for just such a time that you reached this royal position.” When Esther tells Mordechai (and all Jews) to fast for her, she doesn’t ask for them to pray to G-d.
There are many opinions why this is so. One is that Mordechai and Esther compiled the story as letters that were sent to Jews across the Empire. Since they could not be sure that the letters would be treated with the proper respect required for a document containing the name of G-d, they wrote the book without it.
Another explanation is that they were trying to capture in the written story, the idea that G-d presence was hidden, and it wasn’t until after the fact that you can see the hand of G-d. This is really a model for how we relate to G-d today. It’s hard to see G-d in our day to day life; it’s too easy to pass things off as coincidence. But after the fact, once you have some perspective, you see how things came together just right, and you realize that it was all part of G-d’s plan.
The book of Esther is unique among all books of the Bible; it is the only one that does not mention the name of G-d. Despite this, many (including myself) argue that it is in the book of Esther that the face of G-d is most clearly seen.
This morning my Rabbi pointed out that not only does the name of G-d not appear; it seems that it was purposely left out. There are several places where you would expect to see some mention of G-d. When Mordechai is telling Esther to speak to the King on the Jew’s behalf, you would expect him to say that “Maybe it was for this reason that G-d put you in this position”, but instead we read “And who knows if it is not for just such a time that you reached this royal position.” When Esther tells Mordechai (and all Jews) to fast for her, she doesn’t ask for them to pray to G-d.
There are many opinions why this is so. One is that Mordechai and Esther compiled the story as letters that were sent to Jews across the Empire. Since they could not be sure that the letters would be treated with the proper respect required for a document containing the name of G-d, they wrote the book without it.
Another explanation is that they were trying to capture in the written story, the idea that G-d presence was hidden, and it wasn’t until after the fact that you can see the hand of G-d. This is really a model for how we relate to G-d today. It’s hard to see G-d in our day to day life; it’s too easy to pass things off as coincidence. But after the fact, once you have some perspective, you see how things came together just right, and you realize that it was all part of G-d’s plan.
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