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Torah Learnings from Genesis
Torah Learnings from Exodus
Torah Learnings from Leviticus
Other Torah Learnings (Such as holidays)
Lech Lecha posted by Rabbi Siegel on 11/07/08 | Torah Portion: Lech Lecha
Book of Genesis
Chaps. 12:1-17:27
With this week’s Torah portion the journey of the Jewish people begins. Abraham is commanded by God:
“Go forth from your native land and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” (Gen. 12:1)
A new day dawns for a new people. Change, with all its requisite challenge, becomes the path to a new future embraced by a belief in the One God. This portion has coincided with another event of great historical significance-the election of a new President of the United States. My colleague, Rabbi Bradley Artson of the American Jewish University, offers the following reflection on the juxtaposition of recent events with this week’s Torah portion.
“No surprise that this week’s Torah portion weighs in on the notion of national greatness. Our father Abraham is summoned by a divine lure to leave the conventionality, habit, and limits of his childhood. He is invited to risk all and to gain all by venturing toward the unknown: "Go forth from your native land and from your father's house to the land that I will show you." Even in the wording of the invitation, God lets Abraham realize that it doesn't have to be the way it always was, that convention does not mandate destiny, that we are all invited to an open-ended journey in which our future is not determined for us. It is chosen by us. God invites Abraham to journey without an assigned destination. Traditionally the text has been read to mean that God (and the reader) can identify the destination in advance, while Abraham is asked to venture forth without knowing where he is headed. But I think the Torah is also indicating that God hasn't yet settled on the destination either: to the land that I will show you, later, as we locate it mutually. God and Abraham will create the future together, as co-creators of an open-ended tomorrow.
As inducement to Abraham to embrace his radical freedom, God entices him with a vision of what such liberty makes possible:
I will make of you a great nation
And I will bless you.
I will make your name great
And you shall be a blessing (12:2).
With this offering, God asks Abraham (and us) to leave behind our own idolatrous assumptions - the way it has always been, the resignation that it must always be that way. The world has often equated greatness with coercion - the ability to impose one's will on another, the power to force others to accede to our desire. Even some of Abraham's children have distorted this blessing into an endorsement of supremacy, coercion, and oppression.
But such a reading is wrong.
The God of Abraham is not about the imposition of force, about stripping creation of agency, novelty, and choice. Instead, we understand the Holy One as the constant, relentless striving toward innovation, freedom, partnership (the Bible calls it "covenant,") and love. One verse later, God weighs in to clarify our understanding of what it means to be a great nation:
All the families of the earth
Shall bless themselves by you (12:3)
A nation is great not by its ability to manipulate and to control, but to the degree that its actions elicit the grateful appreciation of the family of nations. We are Abraham's children to the degree that we are a "light to the nations," as the Prophet Isaiah reminds us -advocates for resolute shalom in a world of brutality and greed, champions for education and dignity in a world of oppression and utility, advocates for freedom and diversity against the smothering blanket of uniformity. Only if the families of the earth see us as a source of blessing are we truly a great nation.
This reality governs human society in the long run, for the God of Israel is the bubbling enzyme of history, the catalyst of freedom, diversity, and mutual care. We need not remain trapped by a mindless, endless, competition for resources in which there must be losers in order for there to be winners. Instead, Abraham (and his children) is invited to leave those old ways, those toxic habits, and to journey into the bracing sunlight of freedom, the oxygenating breathe of possibilities as yet unattempted.
The medieval Torah commentator, Rashi, sums up this blessing quite simply: He hears God tell Abraham "I will make known your character in the world."
My blessing for our new president and for our nation made new - thanks to the wisdom of our founders, our democratic institutions, and our citizenry - is that we, too, will stretch to be a great nation as the Torah understands national greatness: great not in ability to impose, but to inspire. Not in our capacity to hoard and consume, but in our desire to share and to elevate. Not in our selfishness and our narcissism, but in our sense of our expanded belonging and the responsibilities which go with that relating.”
May our great country be like Abraham in his time, “a blessing unto nations.”
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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Noah posted by Rabbi Siegel on 10/31/08 | Torah Portion: Noah
Book of Genesis
Chaps. 6:9-11:32
October 31, 2008
“And the Lord said to himself: Never again will I doom the earth because of man. . . Nor will I ever again destroy every living being, as I have done.” (Gen. 8:21)
Is it possible anger and disappointment clouded God’s judgment bringing about the great biblical flood? Most biblical commentators concede that seeing his dream of creation corrupting under the influence of humankind, God threw up his metaphorical arms in disgust and, like an artist dismayed by his own work, cast his canvas to the ground. Now, in an act of remorse, God enters a covenant with Noah and all future generations to never again doom the earth and its living beings to destruction. His eternal signature would be the appearance of a rainbow:
“I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it shall serve as a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.” (Gen. 9:13)
A covenant is an agreement or partnership requiring both parties to adhere to its mandate. In this instance, both God and humankind pledge to never again destroy this earth-the foundation upon which all living beings depend.
In the space of less than a century, our love affair with the comforts afforded by modern technology have brought our very survival on this earth into question. Former Vice President and Nobel laureate Al Gore, in his book “An Inconvenient Truth”, writes, “Many people today assume mistakenly that the Earth is so big that we humans cannot possibly have any major impact on the way our planet's ecological system operates. That may have been true at one time, but it is not the case any more. We have grown so numerous and our technologies have become so powerful that we are now capable of having a significant influence on many parts of the Earth's environment. The most vulnerable part of the Earth's ecological system is the atmosphere. It is vulnerable because it is so thin. Indeed, the Earth's atmosphere is so thin that we have the capacity to dramatically alter the concentration of some of it’s basic molecular components. In particular, we have vastly increased the amount of carbon dioxide--the most important of the so-called greenhouse gases.”
The “good news” is the recent rise in the price of oil has finally awakened the average American to environmental concerns, in general, and discovering alternative sources of energy, in particular. This new enhanced awareness comes at a good time-a national election. How we vote, and who we elect, will greatly determine the level of environmental leadership this country is willing to commit. “Drill, baby, drill” is not the answer, but a denial of the problem. Don’t be fooled by the latest catchword in alternative energy- “clean coal.” There is no such thing as “clean” coal. Since 1900, 104,000 miners in America have died in coal mines, many more have died from black lung disease, and coal is the single, greatest contributor to greenhouse gases. There are other alternatives that will not further threaten the environment. We must demand that the new administration heed this call and deal honestly and forthrightly with this issue.
Each year, as we read the Torah portion of Noah, we are reminded of our promise, commitment, partnership, and covenant with God to “never again” destroy this world. These are no longer just words.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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Bereisheet posted by Rabbi Siegel on 10/24/08 | Torah Portion: Bereisheet
Book of Genesis
Chaps. 1:1-6:8
October 24, 2008
The creation story in the first chapters of Genesis lifts me spiritually higher than God’s revelation on Sinai. Not because it’s true; it isn’t. Almost identical creation stories-though featuring far more mythological creatures-appear in ancient near eastern literature that pre-dates the Torah. The account in Genesis was never meant to be understood literally, but rather as a figurative, symbolic, and philosophical understanding of the works and deeds associated with the “One” God.
Each summer I embark on a road trip from my home in Houston to my hometown in Seattle. I am always asked, “Why?” Why take a week to drive several thousand miles when you can fly there within hours? Why waste precious vacation time driving endless hours through the ranch lands of east & west Texas, the flat plains of Oklahoma and Kansas, or the desert-like terrain of Utah? I do so to fully appreciate the beauty, enormity, and greatness of creation. In doing so, I spiritually encounter places “where heaven and earth touch!”
Driving through the Rocky Mountains of Colorado or the mountain ranges of Idaho is always a breath-taking experience. Pausing atop the Columbia River gorge near Vantage, Washington I stand in wonder at the awesome power of the river and the timeless presence of the gorge walls. At these moments I realize that the miles and miles of Kansas wheat fields are probably no less inspiring to the Kansas farmer; that the Utah desert is no less moving to another population of people. The real miracle of God’s creation is a world totally and completely fashioned in goodness and beauty. There are no blemishes in nature except those made by the footprint of humankind.
This Torah portion, read each year as we begin a new cycle of Torah reading, is meant to inspire us to open our eyes to the world of nature, in doing so begin re-discovering the goodness and beauty of God.
The crown of creation is humankind. Fashioned in “the image of God”, we are no less inspiring than the mountains, oceans, fields, and deserts. The only blemishes in our creation is when we try to change who we are to be something else. The late humorist Sam Levinson had five beauty tips for his granddaughter, and for all daughters and sons:
“For attractive lips, speak words of kindness,
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people,
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry,
For beautiful hair, let a child run his fingers through it once a day,
For poise, walk with the knowledge that you will never walk alone.”
Next time you find yourself asking, “Where is God?”, look in the mirror. Next time you find yourself wondering, “What is the essence of God?”, take a road trip!
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Sukkot 5769 posted by Rabbi Siegel on 10/17/08 | Sukkot
October 17, 2008
We are in the midst of the 8-day celebration of Sukkot. Sukkot is best described at the “Jewish” thanksgiving. The holiday revolves around a theme of returning to nature and giving thanks for its abundance. The central figure in the holiday is the Sukkah, or booth. Symbolizing the temporary dwellings of the Israelites in the desert, it also comes to remind us of our temporal existence. We depend on nature and the environment to sustain us. Sukkot celebrates the interrelationship of humankind and nature.
Another ritual object associated with the holiday is the Lulav, or palm branch. It is bound together with a myrtle branch on one side and a willow branch on the other. In the celebration of Sukkot, the Lulav is held together with an Etrog, or citron. The significance of these four species (lulav, myrtle, willow, and etrog) has been explained in a number of ways. My colleague, Rabbi David Seidenberg, offers a unique insight underscoring the significance of Sukkot in our day.
“Sukkot is about water. Everyday in ancient Israel the priests poured water on the altar and prayers from the blessings of water were made. The four species of the lulav are all about water too. The lulav itself, the date palm, was the most water-loving plant of the desert; the myrtle (hadas) needs the most water of the mountain plants; the etrog fruit among agricultural trees requires the most rains to grow; and of course the "willow of the brooks" (arvei nachal) are synonymous with abundant water, growing often with their roots right in the streams.”
“Each of these species represents one of the primary habitats of the land of Israel: the desert, the mountain, the lowland (sh'feilah in Hebrew), and the river or riparian habitats. Each of these habitats is distinguished of course by how much rainfall and how much groundwater are found there. Together, the four species make a bioregional map of the land of Israel, and they each hold in greatest abundance the rains that fell in their region from the year that has passed. Bringing these four together, we wave them in all directions around us, up and down, praying that the coming year will again bring enough water for each of these species to grow and thrive, and with them all the species of each habitat. All the other explanations you may have heard for the four lulav species are beautiful midrashim (legends), but this is the ground-level reason for it all. We are praying, fundamentally, for the climate, for the stability and sufficiency of the rain and sun, on which every being living upon the land, plant or animal, depends.”
“How can we make our prayers heard? We can make them heard by hearing them ourselves. All ecosystems are connected, and we cannot harm one without harming the others. When we pray for abundance and sustenance while living in ways that destroy our climate, it is like praying with a dried-out lulav, or worse, praying for health while eating poisons and toxins. Since we must pray for these things, let us also pray for the wisdom and ability to act consistently with our prayers, to change how we live so that we might live sustainably on the earth, as the Torah enjoins us: Uvacharta bachayim! Choose life!”
When asked, “How important are these ancient holidays we celebrate?”, the answer is clear: They are of ultimate importance, no more so than Sukkot!
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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Ha'azinu posted by Rabbi Siegel on 10/10/08 | Torah Portion: Ha’azinu
Book of Deuteronomy
Chaps. 32:1-52
October 10, 2008
The dynamics of effective leadership: You are the leader of a project. It’s the end of a difficult period (day, week, month, year, etc.). You faced numerous challenges to the tasks at hand, and even your leadership. In spite of the workers incompetence and insolence, you succeeded. The project is completed. All that remains is bidding adieu to the workforce. Do you thank them for their efforts or remind them if they ever hope to work again they must “clean up their act!” There are three leadership models to choose from- 1) Forget the past and honor them for the work they did. Let them feel good about themselves. After all, you may need to employ them in a future project, 2) thank them for their work while gently encouraging them to improve their skills so you may someday work together in a future project, or 3) simply let the workers know how disappointed you were with their work.
Moses has come to the end of his mission. The excitement and expectation that accompanied the initial exodus from Egypt has long since been forgotten. From the time the Israelites entered the Sinai wilderness until they arrived at the doorstep of the Promised Land, they complained, rebelled, and even built an idol to worship. Now, in his final moments, Moses is called upon to give a final charge to the Israelites. What does he say? This week’s Torah portion contains a poem Moses composed for the occasion.
The poem expresses two themes: 1) The greatness of God:
The Rock! His deeds are perfect,
Yea, all His ways are just;
A faithful God, never false,
True and upright is He.
-Deut. 32:4
2) The stubbornness and unreliability of the Israelites:
Children unworthy of Him-
That crooked, perverse generation-
Their baseness has played Him false.
Do you thus requite the Lord,
O dull and witless people?
Is not he the Father who created you,
Fashioned you and made you endure!
-Deut. 32:5-6
Most of us would probably opt for leadership style 1 or 2. Moses chooses 3! Forty years of dealing with this “stiff-necked people” has taken its toll on the “leader of the band.” His message is not one of encouragement or challenge. Instead, it is the catharsis of an old man who lived his entire life in pursuit of an ideal, only to be disappointed in the end. The Israelites will realize the dream under the leadership of someone else.
In the end, Moses has forgotten his own mission. He was charged with facilitating the creation of a new People in their own land. It was never about “him;” always about “them.” Many years ago, a summer camp director taught me an important lesson: “A good leader is one who when the work is done, his charges say “we did it ourselves!”
Maybe this is why Moses was not permitted to enter the Promised Land? Food for thought!
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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Nitzavim posted by Rabbi Siegel on 09/26/08 | Torah Portion: Nitzavim
Book of Deuteronomy
Chaps. 29:9-30:20
September 26, 2008
“You stand this day, all of you, before the Lord your God. .” (Deut. 29:9)
Moses concludes his final instructions to the Israelites prior to entering the Promised Land. In a final ceremony, the gathered mass accepts the covenant with God. It is not a coincidence that this Torah portion is read every year just prior to Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year). Just as the Israelites have completed their journey in the Sinai wilderness, so to Jews have completed a year that found us at times wandering in our own personal wilderness. Just as the Israelites are called upon to accept the covenant with God in preparation for entering a new era in the life of the Jewish people, so to are Jews called upon on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to re-accept a covenant with God in preparation for a better, more fulfilling year.
Starting anew is not as simple as it seems. Rosh Hashanah is the time to evaluate the past year; to assess the paths taken, the difficulties encountered, the mistakes made, and the lessons learned. It is also the time for drawing up a “game plan” for the year ahead. What are our personal goals? Are they achievable? If so, how?
The following is one of my favorite parables for this time of year.
There was a poor countrywomen who had many children. They were always begging for food, but she had none to give them. One day she found an egg.
She called her children and said, “Children, children, we’ve nothing to worry about any more; I’ve found an egg. And, being an shrewd woman, I’ll not eat the egg, but shall ask my neighbor for permission to set it under her setting hen, until a chick is hatched. For I am a wise woman! And we’ll not eat the chick, but will set her on eggs, and the eggs will hatch into chickens in their turn will hatch many eggs, and we’ll have many chickens and many eggs. But I’m a sensible woman, I am! I’ll not eat the chickens and not eat their eggs, but shall sell them and buy a heifer. And I’ll not eat the heifer, but shall raise it to a cow, and not eat the cow until it produces calves. And I’ll not eat it then, either, and we’ll have cows and calves. For I am a shrewd woman! And I’ll sell the cows and the calves and buy a field, and we’ll have fields and cows and calves, and we won’t need anything any more!”
The countrywoman continued to speak in this manner as she played with the egg. Suddenly it fell out of her hands and broke.
The parable goes on to say: “That is how we are. When Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur arrive, every person resolves to begin, again, thinking in his/her heart, “I’ll do this and I’ll do that.” But the days slip by in mere deliberation, and thought doesn’t lead to action, and what is worse, the person who made the resolution may fall even lower.”
In the coming week, all the Jewish people will “stand before God.” We will use words of prayer to express hopes and intentions for the coming year, but unless they are accompanied by deeds and actions, the words will remain stillborn on our lips.
May we all be inscribed and sealed for a year of happiness, health, and peace.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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Ki Tavo posted by Rabbi Siegel on 09/19/08 | Torah Portion: Ki Tavo
Book of Deuteronomy
Chaps. 26:1-29:8
September 19, 2008
For Moses, the end draws near. The journey is completed. The Israelites have been reminded of their obligations to their people, their land, and their God. Now Moses brings closure to 40 years of “people-building” with a ceremony of rewards & punishments. If they follow God’s path of mitzvot, these will be their gains. If they choose not to follow, these will be their losses.
The list of blessings and curses in Ki Tavo is interestingly unbalanced. There are 55 verses of curse and only 14 verses of blessing! What we have is a unique insight into human behavior and further evidence of God’s existence.
Humankind is not born with an innate sense of good. Neither are we born with a natural inclination toward evil. People are simply born! Unlike the animal world which is instinctively wired, humankind develops instincts based on background and environment. An infant is born into an existence of complete selfishness. Everything is done for him/her. As the infant grows into adolescence, the child begins learning responsibility; not just for oneself, but for community, as well. He/she learns how good and wonderful the world can be. This alone does not compel the youngster to abandon his/her narcissistic roots. Therefore, the parent/teacher instructs the child in the consequences of not assuming responsibility.
The Israelites, after 40 years of adolescence, prepare to take on the responsibilities of adulthood. Like many children, they’ve learned their lessons the hard way. Now, in a concluding ceremony, they are reminded if they want the blessings of a good place to live, children, wealth, and peaceful interaction with neighbors and friends, they’d better heed the words of the Torah; not to, could be disastrous.
The Torah portion reminds all of us that the good life is the result of taking obligation, responsibility and commitment seriously.
A colleague of mine was asked, “How do you know God exists?” He responded, “There is no other way to explain why people choose to do good!” Our sense of responsibility, though not innate, is divinely-inspired!
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Hurricane Ike posted by Rabbi Siegel on 09/12/08 | Hurricane Ike
September 12, 2008
For those living in Houston, or along the Texas coastline, we await the unknown. Veterans of Hurricanes Carla (1961), Elisha (1983), or Rita (2005) will tell you that no news report or satellite picture can ever prepare you for the actual reality. It is impossible to appreciate the incredible strength of these forces of nature, nor realize the devastation and destruction they are capable of doing, until you have lived through one. It is also in these moments of crisis that God becomes a presence in so many lives. Rabbi David Wolpe once wrote, “God is discovered in the night of our lives.” So true.
In the liturgy for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur it is written, “The great shofar is sounded. A still, small voice is heard.” For us, the “great shofar” is a metaphor for the storm that lies ahead, and God is the “still small voice.” The strength of God’s presence is not in the storm, but in the hope, comfort, and personal strength his/her presence brings to each of us facing the unknown.
A local colleague, Rabbi Ranon Teller of Congregation Brith Shalom, compiled the following excerpts from Jewish literature to aid and comfort those in the proverbial “line of fire.”
Prayers for the home while sheltering from the storm
Hashkeeveinu (“Help Us Lie Down”)
Help us, Oh God, to lie down in peace, and awaken us again to life. Spread over us Your shelter of peace; guide us with Your wisdom. Protect us with Your mercy. Shield us from wind and rain. Shelter us in the shadow of wings, O God, who watches over us and delivers us. Guard our homes and our families. Grant us life and peace, now and always. Spread over us the shelter of Your peace. Praised are You, Oh God, who spreads the shelter of peace over us, over all people, and over Jerusalem.
Gevurot (Strength)
Your might, Oh God, is boundless. Great is Your saving power. Your love sustains us, Your great love gives us life. You support the falling, heal the ailing, free the confined. What power can compare to yours? You are the Source of life and deliverance. Praised are You, Oh God, Source of all.
Psalm 93
Oh God, our God, the Source of all.
You set the earth on a sure foundation. You created a world that stands firm.
The rivers may rise and rage, the waters may pound and pulsate, the floods may swirl and storm.
Yet above the crash of the sea and its mighty breakers is our God, supreme.
Your wisdom and strength never fail.
Blessing upon seeing a storm
Barukh ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melekh Ha-olam, she-kocho u-g'vurato malei olam.
Praised are You Our God, Master of the Universe, Source of All, whose power and might fill the world.
Closing Prayer
Even in this time of distress, grant me the privilege of the liberating joy of Shabbat. Fill my heart with gladness. Show me the path of life, the fullness of Your presence, the bliss of feeling close to You. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to You, Oh God, my Rock and my Redeemer. May the One who brings peace in the upper worlds, bring peace to us, the State of Texas, and to all people. Amen.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Shoftim posted by Rabbi Siegel on 09/05/08 | Torah Portion: Shoftim
Book of Deuteronomy
Chaps. 16:18-21:9
“You shall appoint magistrates and officials for your tribes, in all the settlements that the Lord your God is giving you, and they shall govern the people with due justice. . . . Justice, justice shall you pursue!” (Deut. 16:18, 20)
With the conclusion of the two political conventions, and the formal launch of the Presidential campaign, this teaching is quite timely! In the weeks ahead, as in the recent past, we will continue to be barraged with “smoke and mirrors” to cloud our reason and divert our attention from what we should be seeking in a new leader. What does the Jewish tradition suggest are the qualifications to serve as a “magistrate and official”?
There are any number of answers to the above question, but let me limit it to three primary qualities: Hesed (“Kindness & Caring”), Binah (“Understanding”), and Day’ah (“Knowledge”). One who wishes to bear the mantle of leadership must, first and foremost, be a person who is liked and respected by those he/she wishes to lead. “Kindness & Caring” means being able to empathize with the cries of the poor as well as the rich. While a government’s chief concern is for it’s citizenry, a leader’s chief concern must extend to the welfare and well-being of all people who wish to share in the American dream.
An effective leader must be not just an outstanding but an understanding individual. In Kabalistic (mystic) terms, Binah (Understanding) is “processed wisdom,” or deductive learning. A leader must be able to gather all the facts and necessary knowledge, process them, and rationally determine the correct path to follow. However, to achieve understanding a leader must first possess the requisite knowledge, Day'ah, to carry out the responsibilities of office. This is analogous to an automobile. A car requires fuel and an engine to run. For a leader, the fuel-pure energy-is knowledge and the engine-refining the energy-is understanding.
Several political pundits have accused the candidates of being to much about personality and not enough about substance. By implication, the best candidate is the most substantive, regardless of personality. Not true! The leadership model I have presented suggests the most successful candidate is one who possesses a personality of kindness, a sharp intellect, and the constant desire to pursue understanding through knowledge. Amidst the fog and haze of political spin, it is these qualities we should look for in the next President of the United States.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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Standing Up! posted by Rabbi Siegel on 08/30/08 | One Month Until Rosh Hashanah
August 29, 2008
As a child I was taught if you don’t stand for something, you stand for nothing. This message resonated in the presence of 80,000 Americans gathered to hear the Democratic nominee for President. Next week, the same message will be on display at the Republican convention in St. Paul, MN. Coincidentally, Sunday and Monday mark the beginning of the Hebrew month of Elul, which means the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) is only one month away. In preparation for Rosh Hashanah, Jews typically spend the next 30 days taking stock of their successes and failures during the past year. It is a time to ask oneself, “What is it I stand for?”
With a hope you will ponder this question in the days and weeks ahead, I am including a rather off-beat poem with a timely message. Enjoy and learn!
The Lesson Of The Moth
I was talking to a moth
the other evening
he was trying to break into
an electric light bulb
and fry himself on the wires
why do you fellows
pull this stunt I asked him
because it is the conventional
thing for moths or why
if that had been an uncovered
candle instead of an electric
light bulb you would
now be a small unsightly cinder
have you no sense
plenty of it he answered
but at times we get tired
of using it
we get bored with the routine
and crave beauty
and excitement
fire is beautiful
and we know that if we get
too close it will kill us
but what does that matter
it is better to be happy
for a moment
and be burned up with beauty
than to live a long time
and be bored all the while
so we wad all our life up
into one little roll
and then we shoot the roll
that is what life is for
it is better to be a part of beauty
for one instant and then cease to
exist than to exist forever
and never be a part of beauty
our attitude toward life
is come easy go easy
we are like human beings
used to be before they became
too civilized to enjoy themselves
and before I could argue him
out of his philosophy
he went and immolated himself on a patent cigar lighter
I do not agree with him
myself I would rather have
half the happiness and twice
the longevity
but at the same time I wish
there was something I wanted
as badly as he wanted to fry himself
-Don Marquis
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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Ekev posted by Rabbi Siegel on 08/22/08 | Torah Portion: Ekev
Book of Deuteronomy
Chaps. 7:12-11:25
August 22, 2008
As I stood in line to board a Southwest Airlines flight, I could hear the pilot behind me discussing the stock market with another passenger. As he approached me, I jokingly commented, “I hope your flying is as good as your investing!” He stopped, pulled out a pair of inch-thick glasses and replied, “Don’t worry, with my new glasses I can finally see the runway for landings!” As the flight landed in Houston, one of the flight attendants began singing over the P.A. system, “The first name of my airline is S-O-U-T-H, the last name of my airline is W-E-S-T. . . .” I thought to myself, “these people really like what they’re doing!” It’s not a coincidence that Southwest is consistently among the best airlines in the industry.
In the Torah portion Ekev, Moses tries to empower the Israelites to continue the process of people/nation building after they enter the “Promised Land.” He says to them:
“Know, then, that it is not for any virtue of yours that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to occupy; for you are a stiffnecked people.” (Deut. 9:6).
Do statements like this really motivate one? Maybe in biblical times, but in a “post-modern” era attacks on a person’s (or people’s) self-esteem not only produces negative results but can end in a lawsuit!
One of Moses’ greatest attributes is also the source of his greatest weakness: He’s human. As such, he’s given to occasional anger, dismay, and disappointment. After 40 years, he is still not certain this people understand their God, much less their mission in history. He is dismayed and disappointed in not being permitted to finally enter the Land he could only dream of. And, he’s embittered by the fact that this “Stiff-necked people” will enter in his stead. His admonishment of their lack of virtue is understandable, but not acceptable.
In last week’s Torah portion we read, “And you shall love the Lord, your God. “ (Deut. 6:5). Rabbi Shlomo ben Yitzhaki, better known as “Rashi”, explains this verse to mean, “He who serves his master out of fear, if the master troubles him too much, he will leave and go away.” Moses can be forgiven for being human, but a leader will never inspire through fear and intimidation, and neither will an employer. Only love, compassion and understanding are omnipotent. Just as Rashi understood this, so does Herb Kelleher, owner and president of Southwest Airlines. I thank him for teaching me some Torah!
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Vacation posted by Rabbi Siegel on 08/09/08 | Rabbi Siegel is on vacation. His Torah lessons will continue on Friday, August 29, 2008. Until then, check out the archives by clicking below. |
Mas'ei posted by Rabbi Siegel on 08/01/08 | Torah Portion: Mas’ei
Book of Numbers
Chaps. 33:1-36:13
August 1, 2008
If you are a fan of football you recognize the name Brett Favre (pronounced FaRve). He spent the past 16 years as quarterback of the legendary Green Bay Packers. Over these many years, he was seldom blessed with the most outstanding pass receivers, or runners, or offensive line. Nonetheless, every year his team was in contention. His name became synonymous with everything that was good about competitive sports. At the end of last season Brett announced his retirement from football. The Packers and their fans were sad to see him leave, but it was time to move on with a new quarterback and new team leadership. A month ago, Brett Favre announced his desire to come out of retirement and return to the Green Bay Packers. Even though the team would probably have a better chance of winning in the short term with Brett rather than an untested replacement, they knew he was no longer in their plans for the future. At this moment, the Packers seem resolved to move on. Brett continues to have a difficult time “letting go.”
This week’s Torah portion, the final one in the Book of Numbers, marks the end of the Israelites journey through the desert. The time has come for Moses to hand over the reigns of leadership to Joshua, his younger protégé. The legends of the ancient rabbis (Midrash) tell of Moses’ difficulty in letting go. For 40 years, Moses successfully guided a “stiff-necked people” through an untamed wilderness only to be told that Joshua would take over. It would be Joshua who would finally lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. According to the Midrash, Moses pleaded with God to spare his life and let him lead the Israelites forward. He called upon witnesses from among the people to speak on his behalf. In the end, the future of the Israelite nation required new leadership and direction. It required Moses “letting go.”
Among the most difficult tasks in life is “letting go.” Whether it is sending children into the world as young adults or retiring from a job that defined one’s existence for so many years, we all have to eventually “let go.” Everyone says how wonderful it will be to move on in life, begin anew, face new challenges, set out for new horizons. Unfortunately, these are only words. Too often our actions, like those of the biblical giant Moses or the more earthly Brett Favre, betray our words.
Learning to “let go” can be more fulfilling than learning to “accept.” It is something we ought to be prepared for, but never are. It is one of the moments in life that inevitably must happen. Letting go is not about failure or diminished skills, it is about not allowing the past to hold a veto over the future.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Mattot posted by Rabbi Siegel on 07/25/08 | Torah Portion: Mattot
Book of Numbers
Chaps. 30:2-32:41
July 25, 2008
A Zionist is one who longs to live in Israel, the Land of Zion. The roots of biblical Zionism go back to the promise God made to Moses and the Israelites when they were still in Egypt. The modern Zionism of the early 20th century culminated in the creation of the State of Israel in 1948. Most American Jews still identify themselves as Zionists even though they have no intention or, for that matter, longing to live in Israel. Can one consider themselves a Zionist and not be living in Israel? What are the boundaries to defining oneself as a Zionist? These questions were no less relevant in the time of Moses.
In this Torah portion, the tribes of Reuben and Gad, who own a great number of cattle, approach Moses with the request to settle the lands of Jazer and Gilead on the east side of the Jordan River. They claim these lands are more suitable for cattle-raising than the lands promised them in Canaan. Moses wastes no time in replying, “Are your brothers to go to war while you stay here? (Num. 32:6)” The ancient rabbis suggest these tribes show greater concern for their cattle than for human beings, more attention to their possessions than to their own flesh and blood. After Moses’ stinging reprimand, the two tribes strike a deal with Moses allowing them to settle east of the Jordan River in exchange for their participation in the battle to acquire the Promised Land.
Pinchas Peli recalls the following exchange which took place at the Zionist Executive Committee meeting in Jerusalem during the grave days of the War of Liberation in 1948. “The veteran American leader Rabbi Israel Goldstein declared at that time that the Jews of the United States and the Jews of Israel were partners in the struggle for the Jewish state about to be established. The partnership-said Goldstein-is in the Hebrew word damim, which means both blood and money. We American Jews, he said, put our damim-money-into the partnership. You, Israeli Jews, give your damim-blood.
At this point Rabbi Meir Bar-Ilan, the leader of the religious Zionists, rose to reply to Rabbi Goldstein: Indeed, he said, we are partners in the word damim, but what an immense difference between the two partners! When an Israeli Jew gives his blood for this people, he gives it to the last drop: Is there an American Jew who would give to his last dollar? Moreover, when Israeli parents send their child into battle-it hurts them very much. Is there an American Jew who would give until it hurts? Then Rabbi Bar-Ilan noted, “Oh yes, there are those who start hurting as soon as they give their first dollar!”
Zionism is not a commitment to a government or political entity; it is an unconditional commitment to a Land and a People. The question is the same for us now as it was for the tribes of Reuben and Gad then, how committed are we?
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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Pinchas posted by Rabbi Siegel on 07/18/08 | Torah Portion: Pinchas
Book of Numbers
Chaps. 25:10-30:1
July 18, 2008
Pinchas-priest and grandson of Aaron-has his “fifteen minutes of fame” at the conclusion of last week’s Torah portion when an Israelite man brought a Midianite woman into the presence of the Israelites. Pinchas, viewing this relationship as an act of desecration, “Stabbed both of them (Num. 25:8).” It would appear from this week’s portion that his extreme zealousness was, in fact, rewarded by Torah. God turns to Moses and tells him, regarding the actions of Pinchas, “I grant him My pact of friendship (Num. 25:12).”
Over the ages there have been biblical commentators and Midrash (Jewish legends) supporting the deadly actions of Pinchas. There are a greater number of Torah scholars troubled by his display of zealotry. In the Babylonian Talmudic tractate of Sanhedrin (82a), “Rabbi Hisda said: If the zealot comes to the Bet Din (Jewish court) to receive counsel [regarding whether it is permitted for him to take the lives of the Israelite man and Midianite woman cohabiting together], we do not instruct him to do so [even though it be permitted by Jewish law].” Extremism, even when seemingly warranted, is unacceptable.
We live in a time that tests this teaching. Terrorism and extremism are at war with moderation and diplomacy. This is not a war of ideology or relative positions of good. This is a war of Good vs. Evil, and one we can ill afford to lose. Regardless of how committed one is to the “rightness” of their cause, suicide (or homicide) bombings are “evil.” The tragedy of 9/11 is a monument to the “dark side” of human existence. The wanton destruction of even one human life is a desecration of God’s Divine Presence. In response, retaliation becomes necessary, not so revenge. Retaliation is a measured response to surgically remove the elements responsible for the evil. Revenge is an emotional response often devoid of reason with no regard for the moral/ethical dimension of justice.
It is easy at times like this to adopt the self-righteous and zealous position of Pinchas. It is more difficult to stay the course; to fight the immorality of extremism with weapons of reason, intelligence, and enlightenment. Professor Abraham Joshua Heschel taught, “The power to make distinctions is a primary operation of intelligence. We distinguish between white and black, beautiful and ugly, pleasant and unpleasant, gain and loss, good and evil, right and wrong. The fate of humankind depends upon the realization that the distinction between good and evil, right and wrong, is superior to all other distinctions.”
The preservation of “good” demands that we not become like them.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Balak posted by Rabbi Siegel on 07/12/08 | Torah Portion: Balak
Book of Numbers
Numbers 22:2-25:9
July 11, 2008
As the Israelites continue their 40-year journey in the desert they encounter, and successfully defeat, a tribe of Canaanites in the Negev and Amorites in Transjordan. Only the land of Moab separates the Israelites from the “Promised Land.” Balak, the King of Moab, realizes his army is no match militarily for the Israelites. He decides to try another method.
According to rabbinic legend (Midrash), Moses was noted for his oratorical skills, especially with regard to prayer. His prayers were able to move God to act on his concerns. The ancient rabbis suggest that Balak, being aware of this extraordinary skill, decided to employ a professional curser, Balaam, who was also noted for his linguistic talent. He was chosen to place a destructive curse on the Children of Israel. Words would become the weapon of choice in the battle against the Israelites. We know words can be hurtful and helpful, disheartening and inspiring, but is the world a better place because of a victory of words or actions?
Regardless of the efficacy of Moses prayer, Judaism has always been a tradition of “deed over creed.” What you do is ultimately more important than what you believe. As Rabbi Ismar Schorsch notes, “In Judaism behavior takes priority over belief. Faith without deeds will not change the world.”
If one were asked to list terms best defining the Jewish experience, it is likely the list would include ethics, moral behavior, acts of loving-kindness, charity (Tzedakah), etc. Mentions of Jewish ritual are less likely. This does not mean that Jewish ritual is merely perfunctory. On the contrary! Rabbi Schorsch links “deed & creed” by teaching, “The best way to infuse the world with holiness is by harnessing the self. As long as ritual is tethered to that aspiration, it can provide us with the discipline to move beyond ourselves.” Putting faith into action, words into deeds, there is hope for this world we live in.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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The 4th of July posted by Rabbi Siegel on 07/04/08 | The 4th of July
July 4, 2008
I have just returned from an interesting 10-day car trip through Germany. In the 1960’s, children of the Nazi perpetrators of the Holocaust began requesting to know what it was their parents were hiding or shoving beneath the carpet of time. It was the children of Nazis who demanded Germany come to terms with its past. As a result of their activism, today every large (and many small) city has a “Judishe Museum” (Jewish museum) detailing the history of the Jews in their particular city. Additionally, there are a number of Holocaust museums chronicling the event from the beginnings of the Nazi movement to the Nuremburg trials that followed the war. One might say the Germans have been as meticulous in explaining the Holocaust as they were in perpetrating it!
From the site of the Wannsee conference (where the “Final Solution” was proposed) on the outskirts of Berlin to the Nazi Documentation Center in Nuremburg to Hitler’s “Eagle’s Nest” in the Bavarian town of Obersalzburg, a clear pattern of events enfolded leading to the rise of the Nazi party in Germany. In the early 1920’s, Germany was facing a severe economic crisis. Playing on the fears of the public, the National Socialist party created a scapegoat in the Jews, gypsies, and any other group that was non-Aryan or immigrant. In this manner, Hitler was able to gain support and political clout. The next step was to paint these non-Aryans as a clear and present threat to Germany making it necessary to curtail the civil liberties of certain citizens of Germany. In 1935, the Nuremburg laws were put into effect. They defined “Who is A German” (a person with four German grandparents) and “Who is a Jew” (a person with at least three Jewish grandparents). They also prohibited intermarriages and extramarital affairs between Jews and Germans. A second law stripped away the German citizenship of persons not considered of German blood. The Nazis then used their newly-gained power and popularity to enact laws that allowed them to advance their cause. In the end, any semblance of democracy had disappeared. The rest is history.
Today, the 4th of July, we celebrate an experiment in democracy that continues to safeguard the rights and freedoms of its residents. No national constitution has offered more hope and protection to all citizens, minorities, and foreign nationals within our borders than that of the United States. Our continued independence relies on a constant and vigilant defense of the Constitution. To this end, we all need to remember what can happen to the fabric of a society who erodes the foundation upon which they exist. We must be mindful of those who would blame the economic hardships of today on “illegal immigrants.” We must be equally concerned of wholesale efforts to search out and deport these scapegoats of our time. Similarly, we need to be on guard against a government who would erode our civil liberties in the name of “national security.” We have seen this all before. We, as Jews, know better than anyone else where this can lead. We have a special responsibility to stand up against efforts to circumvent the Constitution.
We Americans have much to be thankful for on this Independence Day. Most of all, we should be thankful for those in every generation who rose not only to defend our country in times of war, but those who rose to defend our Constitution even in times of peace.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
On Vacation posted by Rabbi Siegel on 06/17/08 | Rabbi Howard Siegel will be on vacation for two weeks. Torah learning will return on Friday, July 4, 2008 |
B'ha-alot'kha posted by Rabbi Siegel on 06/14/08 | Torah Portion: B’ha-a lot’kha
Book of Numbers
Chaps. 8:1-12:16
June 13, 2008
The art of complaining became a recognizable personality trait of the Israelites in the desert. In the Book of Exodus, the Israelites complained that it would have been better to have remained in Egypt where there was at least food to eat, then suffer hunger in the desert. Later they complained that there was not enough water to drink. And, in this Torah portion, “. . The Israelites wept and said, “If only we had meat to eat. We remember we used to eat free in Egypt. . . Now, there is nothing but this manna to look to.” (Num. 11:5-6)
For Moses, the hardest task was not having to respond to the people’s complaints, but having to listen to them! “Moses heard the people weeping, every clan apart, each person at the entrance of his tent.” Moses expresses his frustration by saying to God, “Why have You dealt ill with Your servant, and why have I not enjoyed Your favor, that You have laid the burden of all this people upon me?” (Num. 11:10-11)
The following story surfaced during the final days of the former Soviet Union:
“How was life in the country where you come from?” The question was asked of a new immigrant, just arrived in Israel from the USSR.
“I could not complain,” was the answer.
“And how were your living quarters there?”
Again the same answer: “Well, I couldn’t complain.”
“And your standard of living?”
And again: “I couldn’t complain.”
“If everything was so swell, why then did you come here?”
“Oh,” replied the new immigrant, “here, thank God, I can complain!”
A free person has the right and responsibility to speak out against acts of injustice. When water and food were scarce, the Israelites complaints were justified. When later Moses heard the people weeping, murmuring, and whining for no clear reason, he came before God and said, “Enough!”
When a people do not speak out because of fear of retribution, the governing body no longer is held accountable for its actions. A government unaccountable to its people usually becomes repressive Freedom of speech and expression does not mean one can say anything they wish. For example, one cannot shout “fire” in a crowded theatre if there isn’t one. In Canada, the “Hate Laws” prohibit speech that is antagonistic or threatening to an ethnic group. The United States has a more liberal and expansive understanding of this basic human right but still invokes limits to certain types of speech.
Some Biblical commentators interpret the Israelite complaints as indicative of how unappreciative they were for their new-found freedom. I prefer to view their concerns as a positive example of a people-new to freedom-discovering their basic right to stand up for themselves against acts of injustice and cruelty. In learning this lesson, they also learn that free speech has its limits. Whining, for no justifiable reason, is unacceptable (tell that to your children and/or grandchildren)!
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Shavuot posted by Rabbi Siegel on 06/06/08 | Shavuot
June 6, 2008
This Sunday evening, June 8, 2008, is the beginning of the holiday of Shavuot. The name Shavuot means “weeks” and is celebrated 7 weeks after Passover. According to the account in the Book of Exodus, the Israelites arrived at Mt. Sinai 50 days after departing Egypt. There, God revealed the Law (Torah) to Moses and, in accepting it, the Jewish people were born. Each year we celebrate the moment of “receiving Torah” on Sinai by spiritually re-committing ourselves; making that moment a constant in our lives.
Amidst the celebration of all Jewish holidays is a brief moment to remember family and friends, known as Yizkor. As time passes, inevitably the memories of dearly departed also pass. Yizkor is not just regularly-scheduled opportunities to honor their memory, but to allow the memory of how they lived and what they were about to impact our lives.
Over the past quarter century, a number of famous businesses have ceased to exist. In their day, each was known for some contribution it made to the marketplace. Pan Am Airlines, with its spherical logo, was among the first major international airlines. Pan Am closed for good in 1991, but they are still associated with some of the glamour of air travel. Do you remember Woolworth’s? Maybe they didn’t introduce the “5 & Dime” concept of shopping, but they were an important part of the middle class of America in the mid-20th century. Like many businesses, they expanded beyond their financial capability and eventually had to close all their stores. They did re-open under the name “Foot Locker.” There are more recent passings of financial institutions such as Paine Webber (known today as UBS) and the buy-out of E.F. Hutton (who do we listen to now?). These businesses, and so many others like them (American Motors, Eastern Airlines, TWA, Compaq computers to name a few) came and went. Nothing it seems last forever, but the impact they made on the marketplace and pop culture continues.
The sad truth is that in 100 years (or less!), we will have all passed, as well as our children and children’s children. Despite best efforts most of us will be forgotten. Yet the memories we create for our family and friends today can have a positive effect generations from now, even if we are no longer remembered.
Immortality is not about remembering a name, but passing on a tradition; giving future generations the same chance to celebrate the gift of life and, in turn, (borrowing from Hollywood!) “Pay It Forward.”
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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B'midbar posted by Rabbi Siegel on 05/30/08 | Torah Portion: B’midbar
Book of Numbers
Chaps. 1:1-4:20
May 30, 2008
The 4th book of the Torah is called in Hebrew B’midbar, meaning “in the wilderness.” This is derived from the 1st verse in the book that reads, “On the first day of the second month, in the second year following the exodus from the land of Egypt, the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai. .” (Num. 1:1)
What is it about a “wilderness” that makes it an appropriate location for the beginning of the Jewish people? God could have chosen a more elaborate setting for revealing his Law to Moses and the Israelites. Instead, he appeared on Mt. Sinai located amidst an arid wasteland. According to the commentary in the Eitz Hayim Humash, “this should remind us that the Torah was given in a wilderness, a place accessible to all, a site that belonged to no one people, and that it was given to a people with no real property and few possessions.” The Talmud states, “One should be as open as a wilderness to receive the Torah”
Eitz Hayim continues, “The wilderness, untouched by human settlement, offered a contrast to Egypt, which was dominated by monuments fashioned by human hands. Thus it was fitting stage for God’s being proclaimed sovereign of the world. We may even see a parallel between the revelation at Sinai (when God imposed moral order in the midst of a wilderness) and the creation of the world (when God imposed natural order on chaos).”
One may choose to view a “wilderness” as a barren wasteland lacking in substance and offering little hope, or one may see the “wilderness” as open space; an opportunity to reach out and explore new realities, embrace new commitments invigorated with new hopes. This is the proverbial “glass half-full or half-empty.” It took 40 years, and a generation born in the Sinai wilderness, to create the foundations of a people capable of seeing their surroundings as non-threatening. Only then were they able to enter a new land with new moral/ethical responsibilities formulated in the openness and acceptance of a wilderness.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
|
Memorial Day 2008 posted by Rabbi Siegel on 05/23/08 | Memorial Day Weekend
May 23, 2008
Memorial day was officially proclaimed in 1868 to honor those who died in the Civil War. Over the years, it has come to commemorate and honor all who have died to protect the liberties and freedoms guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution. One such freedom enumerated in the Bill of Rights is the 1st Amendment to the Constitution- “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
World War II was a battle for racial domination and the annihilation of an entire people because of their religious identification. Memorial Day remembers the heroic efforts of American soldiers to defeat Nazi Germany and bring an end to the religious genocide.
Sixty years later, the obscene appearance of religious intolerance again appears in the words of a supposed “lover of Israel”-Evangelical Pastor John Hagee of San Antonio. In a sermon delivered in the late 1990’s, Pastor Hagee said the Bible prophesied Hitler’s brutality. “How is God going to bring them back to the land (of Israel)? The answer is fishers and hunters.” Mr. Hagee said, referring to how Jews ended up in the modern state of Israel. “A hunter is someone who comes with a gun and forces you. Hitler was a hunter.” Hagee goes on to say, “That will be offensive to some people. Well, dear heart, be offended. I didn’t write it. Jeremiah wrote it. It was the truth and it is the truth.”
Pastor Hagee is correct, his remarks are offensive. He is wrong though when he claims he knows the truth. I cannot believe in a God who would wantonly murder 6,000,000 Jews in an effort to get them to re-locate to Israel. Furthermore, I cannot accept a Bible whose Prophets would make such claims. God did not have 6,000,000 Jews put to death. Hitler was not a tool of God. The Prophet Jeremiah did not prophecy the coming of Hitler. I do not believe Rev. Hagee is an anti-Semite, but his belief and ideology is no less dangerous.
Pastor Hagee, a darling of the Houston Jewish community, has raised over 30 million dollars for Israel. Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, stated in a New York Times article, “This is a man who has some profound ambivalence about Jews. On the one hand, he has a love for Israel. But on the other, that was a sermon and he said Jews were punished by God for not going to Israel, that the divine plan that brought Israel into being included the Holocaust and Hitler as God’s instrument.”
All of this emerges from Rev. Hagee’s dispensationalist belief that the Israelites return to the Promised Land is required for the second coming of Jesus. In other words, the Jews are a necessary pawn in Hagee’s religious drama. What makes his remarks so frightening is the fact that had he been in a position of religious leadership during WW II, he probably would have remained silent to Hitler’s atrocities. Even of greater concern is what he might do or who he might support in the future in his efforts to bring all the Jews to Israel.
The founding fathers of the United States had people like Pastor Hagee in mind when they drafted the 1st Amendment. Memorial Day is a time to remember what we, as a nation, are about and what thousands have made the ultimate sacrifice to protect. It is not just “freedom of religion,” but also “freedom from religion” and the religious bigotry that is masked in self-righteousness.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Behar posted by Rabbi Siegel on 05/16/08 | Torah Portion: Behar
Book of Leviticus
Chaps. 25:1-26:2
May 16, 2008
“If your kinsman, falling into poverty, comes under your authority, and you shall strengthen him. . (Lev. 25:35)”
In the mid-90’s, in response to the first major welfare legislation reform in 30 years, Rabbi Elliot Dorff authored a pastoral letter entitled, You Shall Strengthen Him: A Rabbinic Letter on the Poor. Rabbi Dorff noted, “The Jewish tradition is rich in concepts that express the value of every human life. These include saving or guarding human life, the importance of community, compassion, the dignity of being God’s creature, and human aspirations for holiness. Even the Hebrew word Tzedakah, means justice. We care for the poor because it is the “just” and “righteous” thing to do.”
Rabbi Dorff was concerned in1996 for cuts in housing subsidies, food stamps, aid to families with dependent children, and direct cash payments. Changes that would do more to further a “culture of poverty” among the poor than erase it. Our rich biblical and rabbinic tradition implores us to continue striving on behalf of the “have nots” in society.
With regard to the poor, the book of Leviticus tells us not to exact from [the poor] advance or accrued interest. . . Let him live by your side as your kinsman. Do not lend him your money at advance interest, or give him your food at accrued interest (Lev. 25:36-37). The book of Deuteronomy teaches, You shall open your hand [to the poor person] and provide him sufficient for his need whatever it may be (Deut. 15:8).
Basing their teachings on the above verses, the ancient rabbis (2nd century CE) taught that a person’s former status had to be taken into account in assessing his/her need. Families had the responsibility to teach their children a craft so they would be gainfully employed. Maimonides (12th century CE) taught that the highest and best form of assistance is attained by the person who comes to the aid of another before he reaches the stage of actual poverty in the form of a loan, or formation of a business partnership , or assistance in obtaining some employment for him.
Rabbi Dorff concluded, “We are all, Judaism insists, God’s children, created in the divine image. The poor must be afforded the real opportunity of gainful employment, under circumstances that support that employment. Even those who, for the moment, cannot do so, or fail to do so, must be afforded protections that recognize and maintain their dignity, as children of God.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Emor posted by Rabbi Siegel on 05/11/08 | Torah Portion: Emor
Book of Leviticus
Chaps. 21:1-24:23
In referring to the ancient priests, God says, “They shall be Holy (Lev. 21:6).” Pinhas Peli remarks, “Holiness is the Jewish answer to the problem of human existence. Humankind has always sought to ascribe some metaphysical meaning to physical life, suggesting that if a person is not somehow more than human, he is less than human. Thus, attempts to transcend temporal life through art, eros, religion and immortality. Judaism taught that it is holiness that can add this extra dimension to our lives, not by escaping from life, but rather by striving to “be holy” in this world and in this life.”
For the ancient priest, “holiness” required a certain separation in the face of death. Peli points out, “In the face of the fascination with death in ancient (and modern) religions, with people looking to temple and priest for “pie in the sky when you die,” we find the following command: “The Lord said to Moses, speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron and say to them: None shall defile himself for any dead person among his people (Lev. 21:1).”
Having experienced the gaudy death rituals of Egypt-with embalming, dressing, and placing the body in a tomb or pyramid to rise to the gods-the Torah strictly forbids the priests from dealing with the dead; from making Judaism into a death cult.
The priests are commanded to maintain themselves in a state of holiness so they may inspire the people to pursue the glory of God in life, rather than death. In doing so, the priests were forbidden to come into contact with a corpse. Many Cohanim today choose not to enter a cemetery, even for a funeral, in respect for this tradition. The Torah had the wisdom, as well, to suggest that this tradition has nothing to do with some demonic attitude toward the dead. In fact, a priest is permitted to enter the cemetery to bury his family members. Peli teaches, “It is not death that defiles the priest, but the shifting of the weight of his duties from the living to the dead.”
In the final book of the Torah, Deuteronomy, the Jew is emphatically told when faced with the choice between the worship of life or death, “choose life (Deut. 30:19).”
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
|
Israel's 60th Birthday posted by Rabbi Siegel on 05/02/08 | Yom Ha’atzmaut/Israel’s 60th Birthday
May 2, 2008
Yossi Harel passed away at the age of 90, one week before the State of Israel’s 60th Independence Day celebration. Yossi, born Yosef Hamburger in Jerusalem (1918), represented the sixth generation of his family to be born in Israel. His early years were nondescript. It was reported that he had a troubled youth, and after a series of failed jobs left his family at age 14 to join a Jewish paramilitary organization known as the “Haganah.” Yossi was destined to be more than a young rabble-rouser looking for adventure.
In 1939, Britain, who then controlled the pre-State of Israel land known as Palestine, restricted the number of Jews who could enter to 75,000. The restriction was made at a time when Jews were being deported by the thousands to Nazi death camps. After the war (not unlike before the war), most of the concentration camp survivors had no where to go. With the encouragement of a young, fledgling Zionist movement, many began the long, treacherous trek to Palestine. Yossi Harel commanded the main clandestine effort to bring these war refugees to the future State of Israel. His command included four large boats to transport these Jews through the British blockade and into the port of Haifa.
Of the four boats, Yossi named one of them the Exodus as a reminder of a previous biblical journey from “slavery to freedom.” The Exodus never made it to shore in Palestine, but its crew of former concentration camp prisoners sang aloud “Hatikvah”(the soon-to-be anthem of the State of Israel) as they were turned away from the port of Haifa.
The tale of Yossi Harel and the Exodus became the basis for Leon Uris’ famous book by the same title. In the 1960’s the book was made into the movie Exodus in which the actor Paul Newman portrayed Yossi, using the name Ari Ben Canaan.
The obituary in the New York Times notes after the establishment of the State of Israel, “Mr. Harel was a bodyguard for Chaim Weitzman, Israel’s first president, a top official in Israel’s post-independence navy and then a naval architecture student in the United States.” Yossi would continue to serve the State of Israel in a variety of covert operations.
The United States has come to regard the generation of Americans who fought and endured WWII as our “greatest generation.” For Jews, and the State of Israel, we can proudly refer to that same generation as “our” greatest. You may never have heard of Yossi Harel if I had not chosen to mention his passing. For him, and a significant number of others like him, that would have been just fine. These were people who devoted most of their lives to guaranteeing that “Never, Again!” would Jews be left with no place to turn, and no one to turn to.
Is the current State of Israel the Messianic dream of 2,000 years? Probably not. Then, again, she is only 60 years old, and look how far She/We have come. Happy Birthday, Israel!
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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A Passover Thought posted by Rabbi Siegel on 04/25/08 | Passover 5768
April 25, 2008
The many faces of Passover-Hag Ha’Matzot (the holiday of Matzah), Hag Ha’Pesah (the holiday of the Paschal lamb), and Hag Ha’Aviv (the holiday of the Spring).
Conveniently located in the middle of the Jewish year (between Rosh Hashanah & Rosh Hashanah) Passover has special meaning this year as the “Spring” festival. Spring is the time of rebirth. As the chill of winter passes, new blossoms of hope spring forth. For many, this has been a difficult first half of the year. We need what Passover has to offer.
The new year was ushered in with a financial downturn in the mortgage lending industry signaling the ominous beginning of an economic recession, the war in Iraq and Afghanistan showed no signs of ending, the prospects for a peace between Israel and her neighbors appeared even more distant, and genocide and hunger continued in Darfur. And this was only the first half of the year! Enter Passover.
Amidst a Passover story of liberation and freedom is a thread of hope for the human spirit in the theme of Spring. Just as the barren trees of winter cast a lifeless appearance only to recapture their strength and beauty in the Spring, so to the human spirit also has the capacity for rebirth.
The present economic downturn, while casting a pall over the building industry, does not appear to be dissuading Americans from building hope and pursuing dreams. There is a bipartisan consensus on the need to expeditiously end our involvement in Iraq and focus more attention on the terrorist build-up in Afghanistan. Amidst the firing of missiles on Israel from Gaza, and subsequent retaliation, peace talks continue. With each passing day, more attention is brought to the suffering in Darfur and more pressure is being applied to those nations who can make a difference.
The human spirit, the gift of God, is imbued with limitless strength and courage. Its character is indestructible. Who would have ever thought a lowly collection of slaves could stand up against the might of Pharaoh, and prevail? Who would have ever believed that the “dream” of a Jewish state would actually come true? This is why we have Passover, to remind us of who we are and what we’re made of. Especially, this year.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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Aharei Mot posted by Rabbi Siegel on 04/18/08 | Torah Portion: Aharei Mot
Leviticus 16:1-18:30
April 18, 2008
I do not recall another time in my life when being labeled “religious” was considered an insult rather than a badge of honor. In our day, religious fundamentalism has created a “black & white” world. You are either a true believer in the most fundamentalist sense or a non-believer. Religious denominations and movements in the middle are being marginalized. The guiding principle behind today’s religious fundamentalism is the belief that every action and reaction is an act of God. Hurricane Katrina was divine punishment for the sins of New Orleans and 9/11 was divine punishment for America’s denial of Islamic sovereignty in the Middle East.
This Torah portion Aharei Mot (literally, “after the death”) comes after the tragic death of Aaron’s two sons. Nothing could have been more crushing to Aaron than losing both his sons on the day he is formally installed as High Priest. With regard to the event, the Torah simply states, “Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu each took his fire pan, put fire in it, and laid incense on it; and they offered before the Lord alien fire, which God had not enjoined upon them. And fire came forth from the Lord and consumed them; thus they died at the instance of the Lord (Lev. 10:1-2).” For centuries, rabbis and Bible scholars have wrestled with the meaning of this senseless loss. The Torah calls the offering of Nadab and Abihu “alien fire,” but is this sufficient reason for God to take their lives? Is this what the “fear of God” means; fear that God will do some awful harm to us if we don’t follow his/her every word?
Edward Greenstein, professor of Bible at Tel Aviv University, suggests otherwise. Professor Greenstein says, “The death of Aaron’s sons was not the result of a miscue in the prescribed choreography of the Tabernacle. Their fate convey the far deeper and more unsettling truth that no amount of elaborate, awesome, and precisely executed ritual should ever leave us with the illusion that we have brought God under human control. . . The religion of the Torah is not a set of magical techniques to get God to do our bidding, but rather a quest to invest our lives with meaning.” Professor Ismar Schoresh further explains, “early in the Book of Leviticus we are put on notice that all our cultic precautions will not spare us the intractable grief of sudden calamity.”
Tragedy happens. It can strike in the morning, at night, or in the case of Aaron, during a moment of great exaltation. Death is not a weapon of divine punishment, but a reality of being mortal. God is not found in the destructive winds of the hurricane, the impact of a jetliner crashing into a building, or the “alien fire” of well-meaning priests. God is discovered in our response to the disaster.
Rabbi Harold Kushner, in his monumental work When Bad Things Happen To Good People, writes, “We do not love God because He protects us from all harm and keeps evil things from happening to us. We do not love God because we are afraid of Him, or because He will hurt us if we turn our back to Him. We love God because He is God, because He is the author of all the beauty and the order around us, the source of our strength and the hope and courage within us, and of other people’s strength and hope and courage with which we are helped in our time of need.”
As we approach the beginning of Passover on Saturday evening, April 19, 2008, let me wish you all a happy and fulfilling celebration.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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Metzora posted by Rabbi Siegel on 04/11/08 | Torah Portion: Metzora
Book of Leviticus
Chaps. 14:1-15:33
April 11, 2008
The word “Metzora” is literally defined as “Leprosy.” This Torah portion continues a discussion of spiritual “purity” and “impurity.” The ancient generations of the Bible associated skin ailments with Divine punishment. In the Book of Numbers, Miriam, sister of Moses, is suddenly struck with leprosy after speaking ill of her brother behind his back. The ancient rabbis took this example one step further. They interpreted the word “Metzora” as an acronym for “Motzi Shem Rah” or, in English, “slander.”
The late 19th century Eastern European scholar Rabbi Israel Meir Ha’Cohen Kagan devoted his life to teaching and writing about the evils of slander and gossip. He became known by the name of his most famous writing, Hafetz Hayim (he who desires life); a name that comes from the verse in Psalm 34, “Whoso is the man that desires life (Hafetz Hayim)-keep your tongue from speaking evil.” Contemporary Bible scholar, Pinhas Peli, relates the following story: One day, the Hafetz Hayim journeyed from the big city of Warsaw to the small town of Radeen where he lived. On the train he got into a conversation with the man next to him who was also going to Radeen. “I am going,” his fellow traveler announced, “to try to get a blessing from the famous saint, the great scholar, the author of the “Hafetz Hayim.” The Rabbi felt uneasy hearing these flattering words about himself and said, “You are most likely mistaken. The person you are going to is not much of a saint or scholar.” The stranger became enraged at his ignorant and insolent traveling companion and angrily slapped his face. The Hafetz Hayim kept silent and did not react.
How shocked was the enthusiast upon arriving in town and making his way to the house of the Hafetz Hayim to find here the very person whose face he had slapped. He fell to his feet crying and begging for his forgiveness.
The Hafetz Hayim however smiled at him good-heartedly: “You should not have to beg for my forgiveness. On the contrary, it is I who owe you thanks for teaching me a new important lesson on the very same subject with which I have dealt all my life. I learned from you that one should beware not only against slandering others, but should not even slander himself. I made a derogatory statement about myself to you, but was punished on the spot for doing so. Thank you.”
There is nothing wrong with appreciating your own personal greatness. In several weeks, we will read the famous verse from Leviticus: “Love Your Neighbor Like Yourself.” The implication is before you can “love your neighbor,” you need to learn to “love yourself.” Erich Fromm, in his work The Art of Loving, teaches that self-love is a requirement for loving another. In many failed relationships one party becomes dependent on the other for perceived failings within him/herself. In a loving relationship, the two parties already feel good about themselves, and want to share this goodness with each other.
As the Hafetz Hayim teaches, slandering others is never good but usually results from low self-esteem and acts of self-deprecation. All one needs to know is that we are ALL fashioned in the “image of God”; we are, each and every one of us, special.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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Tazria posted by Rabbi Siegel on 04/04/08 | Torah Portion: Tazria
Book of Leviticus
Chaps. 12:1-13:59
April 4, 2008
From biblical times through the emergence of rabbinic Judaism in the first centuries of the common era, Jewish laws and customs were legislated by men for women. A reading of this Torah portion suggests the workings of the female body-from menstruation to pregnancy to birth-were a mystery to the ancient rabbis and those who preceded them. Wherever a “cloud of mystery” existed, it was always an indication of God’s unrevealed presence.
With regard to birth, the ancient rabbis wrestled with the status of the unborn fetus. Was it an independent human life or an appendage of the woman? For the purpose of protecting the life of the pregnant mother, the rabbis concurred that life-as we know it-begins at birth. Therefore, if a woman’s life is endangered by the pregnancy, one is required to do all that is possible to save her even if it means destroying the fetus.
Still, the ancient rabbis sought to understand more completely the status of the unborn fetus. The following story is told in the Talmudic tractate of Niddah: “The fetus when it is in its mother’s womb, is folded like a notebook, its head rests on its two temples, its two elbows on its two legs and its two heels against its buttocks. Its head lies between its knees, its mouth is closed and its navel is open, and it eats what its mother eats and drinks what its mother drinks. . . A light burns above its head and it looks and sees from one end of the world to the other. . . There is no time in which a person enjoys greater happiness than in those days. . . It learns the entire Torah and as it is about to be born, an angel approaches, slaps it on its mouth and causes it to forget all the Torah.” The result of the angel’s action is the indentation in our upper lip!
This cute story suggests there is life before there is life! For the unborn fetus, his/her expulsion from the womb is nothing less than death, itself; only to be greeted by a hearty “Mazal Tov” as a new life is born. So to, for us who have been born. All we know for certain is we are born and will someday die. This doesn’t mean birth is the beginning of life nor death the end. The Jewish mystics of the 11th & 12th century teach that our very soul is like an eternal fetus passing continually from one womb to another; from one life to another.
The task at hand is to “repair this world.” The souls of humankind-God’s presence in the world-will continue to reincarnate themselves until this task is completed.
Spiritual food for thought.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Shemini posted by Rabbi Siegel on 03/28/08 | Torah Portion: Shemini
Book of Leviticus
Chaps. 9:1-11:47
March 28, 2008
The Jewish dietary laws are the source of more conjecture and mystery than any other section of Torah. Why keep Kosher? What is the rationale? The great 11th century Jewish thinker Maimonides suggested the reason for Kashrut was to achieve good health. Going back 2,000 years, the Jewish philosopher Philo found a symbolic meaning in the observance: Permission to eat an animal that chews its cud (like a cow) and has split hoofs teaches us that a person grows in wisdom only if he/she repeats and “chews” over what he/she studies. Another conjecture is that Kashrut exists to separate the Jews from their non-Jewish environment. In effect, its purpose is to bring Jews together.
The common thread that passes through all these suggested meanings is that this Torah portion from Leviticus, which sets the foundation for the dietary laws, is another effort to invoke in the Jew a reverence for life.
The first Torah portion in Genesis teaches that in an ideal world humankind would live a vegetarian life style. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were told to eat only of the fruits and vegetables. In a famous passage from the Book of Isaiah the prophet describes the messianic era as a time when everyone (man and animal) will return to the vegetarian ideal- “And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones will lie down together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox (Isaiah 11:7).” Realizing humankind’s difficulty in curbing their appetite for meat, the Torah (and the later rabbis) ordained the laws of Kashrut as a compromise.
Contemporary Torah commentator Pinchas Peli summarizes the nature of this compromise: “Accordingly, the laws of Kashrut come to teach us that a Jew’s first preference should be a vegetarian meal. If however one cannot control a craving for meat, it should be kosher meat, which would serve as a reminder that the animal being eaten is a creature of God, that the death of such a creature cannot be taken lightly, that hunting for sport is forbidden, that we cannot treat any living thing callously, and that we are responsible for what happens to other beings (human and animal) even if we did not personally come in contact with them.”
The word “Kosher” does not mean holy or blessed by a rabbi. It means “proper” and “fit”. The purpose of Kashrut is to reinforce in the Jew a reverence for every single life. If a calf is confined and force-fed in the interest of providing a veal cutlet, even though it is kosher, it is not kosher. Seal fur and skin used in the fashion industry, but coming from baby seals that have been clubbed to death, are not kosher to be worn.
The ultimate hope derived from observance of the Jewish dietary laws is that by showing grace, care, compassion, and concern for the food we eat, we will discipline ourselves to extend these same attributes to the other aspects of our daily life; on a familial, communal, and global level.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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Purim 5768 posted by Rabbi Siegel on 03/21/08 | Torah Portion: Purim
March 21, 2008
Today is the celebration of Purim, a holiday that takes on the trappings of a large costume party replete with food, drink, noisemakers, and loads of fun. At the center of the revelry is the biblical Book of Esther. The book, describing the tenuous nature of Jewish life in a non-Jewish country (Persia), is read aloud in its entirety. It’s a story of a beautiful Jewish woman, Esther, who with the help of her guardian/cousin Mordechai, enters a beauty contest and is selected to be the next Queen of Persia. As Esther prepares for the competition, she is coached by Mordechai not to reveal she is Jewish or a part of the Jewish people. At the same time, the Persian King’s chief advisor, Haman, is told that Mordechai the Jew (as he is referred to throughout the book) refuses to bow down to him when he passes. Enraged by Mordechai’s display of dishonor, coupled with the fact he is a Jew, Haman decides to seek the King’s permission to have him put to death and to go about destroying all the Jews of Persia. In the end, “all’s well that ends well”: Esther reveals her lineage to the King and tells of the threat to her and her people. The King then hangs Haman and turns the tables on those who would do harm to the Jews of Persia.
One of the themes that comes forth from this book is the fact that anti-Semitism (a collective hatred for a people just because they are) continues to exist just beneath the surface of civility. A mere scratch of the surface (Mordechai failing to bow before Haman) brings the ugliness of anti-Semitism to the surface.
Racism is no different. As a nation we have pretended since the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that racism is a disappearing feature of the American citizenry. In fact, it still exists just beneath the surface. The case in point is the furor being raised over Barak Obama’s association with Pastor Wright. As Jews, we historically know too well what it feels like to be excluded, oppressed, vilified, and even enslaved. My good friend and colleague, Rabbi Arnold Resnicoff served this nation as a Naval Intelligence officer in Viet Nam and later as a Navy Chaplain for over 20 years. He eloquently describes the conundrum we face when he writes, “Even though I know that many (but certainly not all) churches in the African American community take their preaching cues from the hyperbole of what they call "the Old Testament Prophets," condemning leaders and whole peoples for the sake of sounding the alarm and waking up listeners to action and repentance, there is much that [Pastor Wright] said that is impossible for me to defend. I cannot defend a religious leader who says that AIDS may have been invented by Whites to infect Blacks -- but, on the other hand, I cannot imagine what it was like to be part of the Black community when the news came out about experiments our government conducted on African-Americans with diseases like syphilis, infecting black men without their knowledge, and then withholding treatment, to track progress of the disease. I cannot defend the idea that 9/11 was punishment -- deserved punishment for our sins as a nation -- even though I can hear the echoes of prophetic voices who blamed the destruction of the ancient Temple on the hatred among us.”
The experience of Mordechai and Esther in their time and the national debate going on in ours requires us to be more understanding of one people’s frustration with a nation that continues to judge them by the color of their skin. Barak Obama might or might not be a good president, but this needs to be decided on his ability to address an economy that worsens each day and a war that threatens to bankrupt us.
We Jews only have to go back 60 years to know the result of willful hatred. We bear a special responsibility to work for the removal hatred and racism from the national consciousness of this great country.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Vayikra posted by Rabbi Siegel on 03/14/08 | Torah Portion: Vayikra
Book of Leviticus
Chaps. 1:1-5:26
There is a comfort in knowing what, how, and when to do. The Eitz Hayim Pentateuch commentary notes, “The Modern temper tends to discount prescribed ritual in favor of spontaneous religious expression. Yet something in the human soul responds to ritual, whether it be the formality of a traditional wedding or the rituals of a sporting event or a public meeting. There is something comforting about the familiar, the recognizable, the predictable.”
The Book of Leviticus is a detailed handbook of the rites and rituals that surrounded the ancient sacrificial cult-both in the desert and later in the Temples. Animal sacrifice was a vestige of ancient Near Eastern religions that was adopted by the Israelites and centuries later replaced by prayer. Nonetheless, the basic ritual framework that guided the sacrificial cult-and is the subject matter of the Book of Leviticus-continued as the framework for prayer. In the ancient Temple each day there was a morning (Shaharit) sacrifice; in today’s synagogue each day there is a morning (Shaharit) prayer service. The Temple had an afternoon (Mincha) offering; today’s daily regimen includes an afternoon (Mincha) prayer service. Just as specified Holy Days were celebrated in the ancient Temple, today they find their same celebration, and observances, in our homes and synagogues. Daily Jewish ritual is no less a part of the lives of Jews today than it was thousands of years ago.
Rabbi Ismar Schorsch writes, “Ritual is a way of giving voice to ultimate values. Each of us needs a sense of holiness to navigate the relentless secularity of our lives.” Several years ago there was a popular TV program entitled “30 Something.” It was a joyful, and painful, study of the lives of a young couple-one Jewish, the other Christian-struggling with the issues of work, relationship, and parenthood. For most of the year, they were able to deal with their religious differences by being indifferent. They seemed to be guided only by the moral and ethical values of secularism. Then came the Hanukkah/Christmas episode. Suddenly, each felt an existential loneliness for those “unimportant” important moments that once-and maybe still-gave definition to their lives. After realizing the spiritual vacuum and unconnectedness of their lives, Hope (the Christian) is seen lighting a Hanukkah menorah while Michael (the Jew) hauls in a Christmas tree. Whether the solution solves or exacerbates the problem is secondary to an innate desire to find wholeness and meaning in ritual.
In a world that is changing by the moment, there is nothing wrong with seeking an anchor; a way to hold on to the moments in life that give definition to who we are, meaning to our life, and hope in the future. Each weekday morning I rise at 6:15 am to attend a prayer service at 7:00 am. There, I put on my Tallit (prayer shawl) and Tefillin (phylacteries), just as my ancestors have have done, and I pronounce prayers in the same manner they have been said over thousands of years. Not only do I connect with my God, but I connect with who I am and what I am about. Then, as the service concludes at 7:45 am, I get in my car and begin the day.
Spontaneous is good, but as was quoted above, “the human soul responds to ritual.”
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Pekuday/Shekalim posted by Rabbi Siegel on 03/07/08 | Torah Portion: Pekuday/Shabbat Shekalim
Book of Exodus
Chaps. 38:21-40:38
March 7, 2008
The final portion of the Book of Exodus deals exclusively with a detailed accounting of all the expenditures involved in building the ancient sanctuary in the desert. In a faith-based community, such as that of the Israelites, why is it necessary for Moses to immediately give an accounting? He even produces his financial records without being asked!
The Midrash (ancients legends and commentary) writes, “Some Israelites knew that they would have taken advantage of handling all that gold and silver for their own enrichment. They suspected Moses of being no better than they were. . . The family that prepared the incense for the Temple services would never let their relatives wear perfume, lest some people suspect them of using Temple incense for their personal benefit. The official who supervised the shekel offering would wear a special garment with no pockets and no long sleeves when he did so, so that no one could suspect him of pocketing public funds.” The Midrash teaches that community leaders must be above suspicion. Jewish Law requires governing leaders to act “Leef’nim Me’shoret Ha’din-not just in mere accordance with the law, but on an even higher moral/ethical plane.
In this campaign year, no candidate wants to appear as a “negative” campaigner. In the past, “negative” campaigning has meant personal attacks on a candidate’s character through often embarrassing revelations that had no bearing on the issues and were often, themselves, untrue. In this year’s presidential campaign (to date!), attacking Obama’s political team for a meeting with Canadian governmental officials regarding NAFTA or demanding Hillary Clinton disclose her tax returns and White House papers, has been labeled “negative” campaigning. The Torah suggests the opposite.
A person aspiring to the highest position in government must first acquire the respect of those whom he/she wishes to lead. Only then will the prospective leader be in a position to effectively address the issues. Moses realized this even before the Israelites did. Before anyone could question where their contributions went, he made a full unsolicited accounting of all the expenditures that went into building the ancient sanctuary. Asking Senator Clinton to disclose her tax returns is a legitimate, and arguably important, request to make of one who will be making the same request of the electorate she hopes to lead. Asking Senator Obama to explain the actions of his organization with regard to meeting with a foreign government is also a legitimate and important request to make of one who wishes to represent the electorate to the nations of the world. Effective leadership is by example. The “most” effective leadership is when a candidate (or official) makes the transparency disclosers him/herself without having to be asked.
There has only been one Moses, and maybe none others since. It is legitimate to judge future leadership against the model of Moses; not expecting them to have reached his level, but knowing they are at least aspiring to.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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Vayakhel posted by Rabbi Siegel on 02/29/08 | Torah Portion: Vayakhel
Book of Exodus
Chaps. 35:1-38:20
February 29, 2008
As we near the conclusion of the Book of Exodus, the portion Vayakhel recapitulates the instructions for building the ancient sanctuary in the desert. Rabbi Ismar Schorsch refers to the Book of Exodus as “an orgy of architectural details.” Thirteen of the final sixteen chapters of Exodus are concerned with the construction of the sanctuary. Why so much attention to this act of building? In the beginning stages of creating a “people”, are there not other details of equal importance?
In fact, in our day how much attention is lavished on building or remodeling the synagogue? When asked the most important moments in a synagogue community’s history, inevitably the times of building, adding on, or re-locating the physical structure are mentioned; and, with good reason. These are the times when a community exhibits its collective pride and proudly expresses its identity.
A legend told in the Talmudic tractate of Berachot says Bezalel, the sanctuary designer and builder, mystically used the very same Hebrew letters to build the ancient sanctuary as were used by God in the creation of the world. The suggestion is that the building of the sanctuary is a microcosm of God’s original act of creation. Jon Levenson, in his book Creation and the Persistence of Evil, says the linking of the creation of the world to the building of the ancient sanctuary “is to underscore the depiction of the sanctuary as a world, that is, an ordered, supportive, and obedient environment, and the depiction of the world as a sanctuary, that is, a place in which the reign of God is visible and unchallenged. . . . To view creation within the precincts of the Temple is to summon up an ideal world that is far from the mundane reality of profane life and its persistent evil.”
Every time we engage in building a new House of Worship we are attempting to re-capture the Divine ideals, that were the foundation of God’s creation, in a Holy space. We celebrate this Divine Space for its potential to touch lives and cause positive God-like changes in the world. Jews in our day have often been heard to say, “the cement never sets on Jewish life.” Until we can make this world worthy of God’s kingdom, we will continue to seek guidance in sanctuaries of faith and inspiration.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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Ki Tissa posted by Rabbi Siegel on 02/22/08 | Torah Portion: Ki Tissa
Book of Exodus
Chaps. 30:11-34:35
February 22, 2008
In a curious juxtaposition, the Book of Exodus concludes the instructions for building a portable sanctuary in the desert (“Just as I have commanded you, they shall do” (Exo. 31:11) with the command to observe the Sabbath (“Speak to the Israelite people and say: Nevertheless, you must keep My Sabbaths. .” (Exo. 31:13). The ancient rabbis noted that even something as “holy” as building a sanctuary to God must be halted in observance of the Sabbath. The Eitz Hayim Pentateuch commentary writes, “If there is a conflict between the holiness of space and the holiness of time, the holiness of time takes precedence. Time came first; the first thing that God sanctified was the Shabbat. It is accessible to everyone. One cannot defer it or return to it. If one misses the moment, it is gone forever.”
There is no harm in appreciating the beauties of natural surroundings or finding inspiration in the works of human hands, but it is the preciousness and sanctity of time that too often alludes us. My mother passed away less than a week ago. During the final moments of her life, in preparation for her funeral, and in this week of mourning, we-family & friends-shared countless memories of moments in time. Conversations began with, “Do you remember when. .” and usually concluded with a sigh, smile, or even a tear. In describing my mother’s life to friends who didn’t know her, I inevitably painted a portrait of time. Through all of this, I have come to realize that my mother is not of the flesh, but of the spirit. While her physical presence bore the limitations of mortality, her true essence was measured in moments of time. The more time we had to spend together, the more moments there were to remember and inspire.
The Sabbath is a celebration of moments of time. Abraham Joshua Heschel tells us “it is a day on which we are called upon to share in what is eternal in time, to turn from the results of creation to the mystery of creation.” The Sabbath is a day defined by “a jug of wine, a loaf of bread, and Thou”; a moment to peer through the window of timeless eternity and glimpse the Messianic era. The Sabbath is a moving away from the daily chores defined by space, and embracing the warmth, compassion, and spiritual significance of time.
In a world of objects, people too often become just another “thing.” The Shabbat is the Jew’s weekly reminder that we are more than just an object; we are defined by more than just physical presence. We exist in moments that touch lives, create memories, and preserve hope and faith in humankind. My mother now exists in time. I am thankful for my moments with her and cherish the memories she has left behind. I am only sorry that I didn’t spend more time appreciating not what she was, but who she was.
May the memory of Dena Kleinman be bound up in the bundle of life eternal and may we all be refreshed with meaning and purpose in the Sabbath that lies ahead. Shabbat Shalom.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Terumah posted by Rabbi Siegel on 02/08/08 | Torah Portion: Terumah
Book of Exodus
Chaps. 25:1-27:19
February 8, 2008
“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Tell the Israelite people to bring Me gifts; you shall accept gifts for Me from every person whose heart so moves him. . . And let them build me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.” (Exo. 25:1 & 2, 8)
The act of giving is among the most revered and honored attributes a person may acquire. The fact is “giving” is not natural. On the contrary, we are more instinctively inclined to take, possess, and enrich our self, even at the expense of others. This is not to suggest that humankind is not capable of acts of kindness and compassion. Most of us would consider ourselves basically good. Yet, we search for every possible loophole to save us from paying taxes. What are taxes but ways of providing for the needs of the community. How many philanthropic foundations would there be if there was no tax shelter for charitable giving? How many would give significant sums if there was nothing received in return?
As the ancient Israelites prepare to build a portable sanctuary in the desert, every person is requested to contribute to the cause. There is one caveat. Only those “whose heart so moves him” need participate! In its most pristine state, charitable giving is done regardless of tax benefit. One gives because it is the right thing to do. A commentary in the Eitz Hayim Humash states, “One who gives receives something in return-the sense of being generous and making a worthy undertaking possible, the sense of sharing with others in an important venture, the sense of self-worth that comes from knowing that we can give away something of value without feeling diminished.”
The Bible scholar Pinhas Peli suggests that among the ancient Israelites there were probably a number of wealthy families that could have personally underwritten the costs for building the sanctuary, yet the campaign slogan was, “you shall accept gifts for Me from every person. . “ It was important that every Israelite was empowered with a sense of ownership & partnership in this new covenant with the One God. Professor Ismar Schorsch notes, “The lasting lesson of the Tabernacle is the supreme importance of voluntarism in the conduct of the Jewish polity. The twin values of tzedakah (acts of giving) and gemilut hasidim (acts of lovingkindness), combined to make of voluntarism the communal ethos.”
We do not live in the “ideal” world. People give of themselves and their means for various reasons-tax deductions, personal honors, or just because they want to. In the end, the dollar given begrudgingly is of the same value as the one given whole-heartedly. What remains important is the ongoing need to teach and practice the ethic of giving among ourselves, our children and grandchildren.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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Mishpatim posted by Rabbi Siegel on 02/01/08 | Torah Portion: Mishpatim
Book of Exodus
Chaps. 21:1-24:18
February 1, 2008
It is not surprising that a woman’s right to an abortion is as important an issue in presidential politics as the ongoing war in Iraq and the failing economy. Over the past eight years, the present Administration has made a person’s position on abortion the litmus test for nomination or appointment to a position in the government and the judiciary. This week’s Torah portion contains the Jewish view on the question as to when life begins:
“When men fight, and one of them pushes a pregnant woman and a miscarriage results, but no other damage ensues, the one responsible shall be fined according as the woman’s husband may exact from him, the payment to be based on reckoning. But if other damage ensues, the penalty shall be life for life. . .” (Exo. 21:22-23)
Professor Ismar Schorsch, former Chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary, summarizes the meaning of this verse: “We are dealing with a case of inadvertent injury, a pregnant woman caught too close to a brawl. If she loses her baby but is otherwise unharmed, the punishment for the culprit is monetary compensation to the husb |
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