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Torah Learnings from Genesis
Torah Learnings from Exodus
Torah Learnings from Leviticus
Other Torah Learnings (Such as holidays)
Va'ethanan posted by Rabbi Siegel on 07/23/10 | Torah Portion: Va’ethanan
Book of Deuteronomy
Chaps. 3:23-7:11
July 23, 2010
In 1995, Susan Smith, a 25-year old mother in South Carolina, strapped her two small boys into their car seats and then purposely allowed her car to roll into a lake taking the lives of both children. She was subsequently convicted of murder. Her minister speculated that she was witness to two presentations that night: “God made her a presentation and Satan made her a beautiful presentation.” After weighing them in her distraught mind, she opted for Satan’s. Were it so simple to define good and evil! Satan or the devil are not part of Judaism’s vocabulary, nor is original sin. Judaism teaches we have no one to blame but ourselves.
The centerpiece of this week’s Torah portion is the single-most important theological statement in Jewish life: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone (Deut. 6:4).” These words are followed by the following sentence: “Take to heart these instructions with which I charge you this day (Deut. 6:6).” The first statement, declaring God’s oneness, is not a prayer. We are not speaking to God, but are asked to listen; listen to these instructions which we are told to take to heart. What are these instructions? Mitzvot-commandments or obligations-reflecting God’s will and desire for humankind. The Torah understood that the heart was the internal mediator of humankind’s actions-good and bad.
Rabbi Ismar Schorsch notes, “Our lifelong challenge is to take what feels alien and unnatural to us and make it our own. The words “take to heart” identify the scene of the battle. It is within the hidden confines of the human heart that our impulses frustrate our ideals. The blood-stained pages of history are but a mirror of our conflicted hearts. To quote the prophet Jeremiah, “Most devious is the heart; it is perverse-who can fathom it?”
Judaism teaches there is no such thing as supernatural forces for evil. To rid this world of terror and disaster requires an effort to temper our inner turmoil; to open our hearts to the moral and ethical demands of the mitzvot-God’s blueprint for goodness. This will not result from attending a religious service on occasion or reciting a formula of blessings. Training the heart requires learning. After being told to “Take to heart,” the Torah goes on to state: “Teach your children and speak these words to them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up (Deut.6:7).” Regular and responsible Jewish education is our best hope for raising a generation that will not abuse its freedom of choice.
The Torah provides a lifetime of learning but nothing more important than understanding the words of this week’s portion.
Rabbi Howard Siegel |
In My Humble Opinion posted by Rabbi Siegel on 07/09/10 | In My Humble Opinion
July 9, 2010
This is a departure from the usual discussion of the weekly Torah portion. As one who is interested, entertained, and even informed by the world of sports, I found the “Lebron James” story a compelling opportunity to teach a different type of Torah referred to as Musar, a rabbinic literature devoted to ethics and doing the right thing.
On Thursday evening, July 8, 2010, a significant population tuned into ESPN (the cable sports network) to hear Lebron James (a 25-year old basketball phenom who has spent the past seven years playing professional basketball for the Cleveland Cavaliers) announce the team he would be playing for in the coming season. A few necessary facts for the uninformed: 1) Lebron James, who grew up in Akron, Ohio, signed a 7-year contract out of high school to play with Cleveland, the team he had grown up watching, 2) after completing the 7-year contract, James became a “free agent” able to negotiate with any other NBA team, 3) the best financial offer he received was from his home team in Cleveland, but 4) he decided to leave Cleveland and join the team in Miami where he felt he had a better chance of winning a league championship. These are the facts. It is also a fact that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the decision James made. Professional basketball is a business and Lebron James made a decision he felt was in his best interests. His chances of playing on a championship team are, in fact, much greater in Miami than had he chosen to remain in Cleveland. But, these are not all the facts.
Cleveland, like many communities in Ohio, has been hard hit by the recent recession. The number of people out of work is greater in Ohio than practically anywhere else. Amidst difficult times, Lebron James single-handedly lifted the spirits of thousands of Ohioans as he elevated the Cleveland Cavaliers from the dustpan of professional basketball to one of the “elite” teams. Cleveland is probably not the “garden spot” of America, but it is a part of the heartland of this great country. Sometimes one’s heart beats stronger and spirit rises higher by simply being associated with, in this case a sports team that bears your name. Somehow one is able to set aside, if just for a few moments, the worries and concerns of everyday life. Then, on Thursday evening, July 8, Lebron James announced he was leaving Cleveland because he wanted to be in a place where he could win a championship. It was, as he said, in “his best interests.”
As I noted, he did nothing wrong. This is America, a country founded on the notion of rugged individualism. Lebron James has the same right as any other American to pursue his dream. The question is, at what point does one become responsible not just for personal happiness and fulfillment, but for helping provide for those less fortunate? Lebron James was more than just a basketball player in Cleveland. He was the face of a city struggling to re-discover a future for itself and its residents. Whether one agrees or not, Lebron represented hope. He was a hometown hero who not only played a good game but made himself an active part of the community. His message of goodness, kindness, and hope resonated especially among children. He would be there for them; a hero they could depend on. Then, in an instant, he decided it was more important to win a championship than to be a champion.
Maybe Lebron James, at 25, is too young to realize that for thousands upon thousands of young and old, every time he took to the basketball court he was a champion. Every year he touched the lives of his hometown and home state he won a championship. Some day Lebron James will wear a NBA championship ring in Miami or wherever he may end up but will it be worth it? Can the presence of a ring on his finger ever equal the lives of so many who looked to him as an example of unselfishness, community-caring, and hope? Is this the lesson we want our youngsters to learn?
Two-thousand years ago, Hillel spoke these profound words: “If I am not for myself, who will be? But, if I am only concerned with myself, what sort of person am I? And, if not now, when?” At times, something that is right is still wrong. If we want to teach our children an important lesson in life, let it be Hillel’s words and not Lebron’s example.
Rabbi Howard Siegel |
Pinchas posted by Rabbi Siegel on 07/02/10 | Torah Portion: Pinchas
Book of Numbers
Chaps. 25:10-30:1
July 2, 2010
Last week’s Torah portion concluded with the zealous actions of the Israelite priest Pinchas: “Then one of the Israelites came and brought a Midianite woman over to his companions, in the sight of Moses and of the whole Israelite community who were weeping [because of a plague] at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. When Pinchas, son of Eleazer son of Aaron the priest, saw this, he left the assembly and, taking a spear in his hand, he followed the Israelite into the chamber and stabbed both of them, the Israelite and the woman, through the belly. Then the plague against the Israelites was checked (Num. 25:6-8).”
Zealotry, in the name of God, has in our time erected an almost impenetrable wall between peace and war, life and death. It comes as no surprise that Jews and Israel occupy a central role in this tragic drama. Rabbi Barry Leff, a former congregational rabbi in the United States who now lives in Israel, offers his thoughts on this Torah portion and its relationship to the events of our day.
“Pinchas is the Bible's great zealot. Last week we read how in a fit of zealotry, he killed a couple who were engaging in very naughty behavior in public by skewering the two of them with his spear.
There are those who say this is a time for Israelis to be more zealous, to be more like Pinchas, to rise up and defend ourselves in the most vigorous possible fashion.
I wrote a response to someone who said just that -- it's a little bit of a "vent," but I thought it's too good a vent not to share...so here you go:
I understand how people living in America – especially rabbis – can feel passionate about Israel and want to comment about what’s going on here. I certainly publicly shared lots of opinions about Israel while I still lived in the US.
However, now that I’ve made aliyah, I have to say that I’m bothered by people who from afar call for things like “Pinchas zealotry.” I’m the one who has to live with the consequences of Israeli chutzpah and stupidity.
If “Pinchas zealotry” is called for, it’s called for in moderates being as passionate about their position as the extremists. It’s certainly NOT a time to pick up spears and skewer anyone who offends our sensibilities. It’s time to be less “righteous” and more “wise.” It’s time to realize that a dinky country like Israel can’t take on the whole world. 1,941 years ago our ancestors thought they could take on Rome. They were wrong.
We can be “strong” and find ourselves an international pariah. We can be “strong” and find that we have no allies left. We can be “strong” and find ourselves subject to a REAL Boycott-Divestment-Sanctions campaign that could cripple our economy, and put many of us out of work.
Or we can act in a more intelligent fashion, let the world see that Hamas is the problem, not Israel. The Shalit family should organize marches to Gaza, not marches to the Prime Minister's residence. Hamas is the one holding their son prisoner, not Netanyahu. We can try and make friends with countries like Turkey instead of turning them into enemies.
We’re not going to be able to bully our way to peace. We’re going to have to negotiate our way to peace. We’re going to have make territorial compromises for peace. We’re going to have to act a little more humble and a little less self-righteous if we want peace.
The problem is not the morality of the IDF (Israeli army). The IDF is, indeed, one of the most moral fighting forces in the world. The problem is our political leaders need to stop putting our troops into situations where they have to face those difficult decisions, like whether to fire on an apartment building where gun fire is coming from, but where there are also a lot of innocent civilians. The problem isn’t the IDF, it’s the politicians.
It bugs me when people sitting in comfort in America call on Israelis to “kick ass,” when we’re the ones who will have to live with the consequences of stupid behavior. It bugs the hell out of me when some guy in Brooklyn calls on us to defend the settlements to the last of drop of MY children's blood, not his children's blood.
Sorry for the venting. Maybe it’s partly because I just came from taking my family on an outing to Castel--a site just outside Jerusalem where many fierce battles were fought during the War of Independence. At Castel I saw a monument listing the names of the men killed in the battle for that small patch of land. Life is precious. I want my kids to live in Israel at peace with her neighbors, including a Palestinian state. We need to be more like Aaron -- bikash shalom v'rodef shalom -- seek peace and pursue peace -- not more like Pinchas”.
Thanks Barry for sharing your thoughts.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
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Balak posted by Rabbi Siegel on 06/25/10 | Torah Portion: Balak
Book of Numbers
Chaps. 22:2-25:9
June 25, 2010
One of the most eloquent descriptions of the ancient Israelites is pronounced by one of the most despicable characters in the Bible. King Balak of Moab hires the sorcerer Balaam to place a curse on Moses and the Children of Israel. From atop a peak overlooking the Israelite camp Balaam prepares his curse. Lo and behold, instead of a curse the following words of praise come forth: “How fair are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel (Num. 24:5).”
From the mouth of a sorcerer came the phrase that would become part of every synagogue prayer service and often mounted above the synagogue entrance. How can this be bad? Many commentators, both medieval and contemporary, found difficulty associating such kind words with someone hired to destroy the very people he praised. One such commentator, Yaakov Yosef of Polnoye (17th century) writes, “What is the difference between a true prophet and a false one? The true prophet can be identified in most cases by their scoldings. They point out the blemishes and defects and want to break the measure. The false prophet flatters the people with sweet talk and sees none of the low land. “Peace, Peace, everything’s fine and there’s no need for correction.” Balaam does not sing from any great love of Israel, even though he has many songs and praises for Israel. On the contrary, he intends to entice Israel so that they will not do anything, so that they will no longer yearn to ascend higher and higher up the ladder.”
Years ago, as a summer camp counselor, I remember being told that the most popular counselor was not always the best. As a parent, I learned the same lesson. Seeking to be popular in the eyes of my children and hear them sing my praise did not necessarily correlate with being a good parent. Yaakov Yosef comes to teach that praise and popularity come at a cost- usually an inflated ego. To borrow from the vernacular, we “drink the Kool-Aid” and lose sight of who we really are. Growth seldom results from praise, but critique. Praise is important for self-esteem, but constructive criticism is the fuel that launches one’s self-esteem to even higher levels of achievement.
A good parent, effective teacher, and true prophet wants the people whose lives they touch to reach higher, to ascend the rungs of the ladder toward heaven. This sometimes translates into “tough love!”
Rabbi Howard Siegel |
Hukkat posted by Rabbi Siegel on 06/18/10 | Torah Portion: Hukkat
Book of Numbers
Chaps. 19:1-22:1
June 18, 2010
“The community was without water, and they joined against Moses and Aaron. . .The Presence of the Lord appeared to [Moses and Aaron], and the Lord spoke to Moses saying, “You and your brother Aaron take the rod and assemble the community, and before their very eyes order the rock to yield its water. . .Moses and Aaron assembled the congregation in front of the rock; and he said to them, “Listen, you rebels, shall we get water for you out of this rock?” And Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod. Out came copious water, and the community and their beasts drank.” (Num. 20:2, 6-8, 10-11)
The above “water from the rock” incident is followed immediately by a statement of God’s condemnation: “But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust Me enough to affirm My sanctity in the sight of the Israelite people, therefore you shall not lead this congregation into the land that I have given them.” (Num. 20:12) When Moses strikes the rock to draw water instead of speaking to it as God commanded, he is condemned to die in the wilderness. This is Moses and Aaron’s reward for 40 years of service? Commentators of every century have grappled with this question. Why was Moses, God’s own servant, being treated so harshly for what on appearance would seem a minor offense?
Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo ben Yitzhak-1040-1105) argues that Moses was responsible for diminishing the greatness of the miracle. Ibn Ezra (1092-1167) suggests Moses’ punishment is the result of needing to be told to perform the miracle rather than maintaining a faith in God. Still others suggest that Moses’ action of striking the rock, rather than speaking to it as God had asked, was done in public and in the presence of the Israelites, who might understand this as a lack of faith even on behalf of their leader. For this reason he and Aaron were harshly punished.
I find the explanation of Maimonides (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon-1135-1204) most compelling. Maimonides teaches that it was not the incident of striking the rock that Moses was being punished for, rather for losing his temper: “and [Moses] said to them, “Listen, you rebels, shall we get water for you out of this rock?” (Num. 20:10). At that moment, after nearly 40 years of leadership, it was clear that a change was necessary. By losing his temper, Moses had compromised the ongoing effectiveness of his leadership.
20th century psychologist B.F. Skinner is credited with being the father of behavioral modification. He developed the concept of “positive reinforcement.” One is more likely to change the behavior of a person or group through positive, rather than negative, stimuli. Losing one’s temper seldom results in the changes we strive for. The results are more likely to undermine than reinforce one’s efforts. This is what happened to Moses. For a split second he lost sight of who these people were and what was their immediate need. In doing so, he also lost his credibility as their leader. Lashing out at the Israelites made him no better than them.
Whether you are a leader, teacher, parent, or good friend, being able to exercise restraint in the face of crisis is a quality of greatness.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
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Hukkat posted by Rabbi Siegel on 06/18/10 | Torah Portion: Hukkat
Book of Numbers
Chaps. 19:1-22:1
June 18, 2010
“The community was without water, and they joined against Moses and Aaron. . .The Presence of the Lord appeared to [Moses and Aaron], and the Lord spoke to Moses saying, “You and your brother Aaron take the rod and assemble the community, and before their very eyes order the rock to yield its water. . .Moses and Aaron assembled the congregation in front of the rock; and he said to them, “Listen, you rebels, shall we get water for you out of this rock?” And Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod. Out came copious water, and the community and their beasts drank.” (Num. 20:2, 6-8, 10-11)
The above “water from the rock” incident is followed immediately by a statement of God's condemnation: “But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust Me enough to affirm My sanctity in the sight of the Israelite people, therefore you shall not lead this congregation into the land that I have given them.” (Num. 20:12) When Moses strikes the rock to draw water instead of speaking to it as God commanded, he is condemned to die in the wilderness. This is Moses and Aaron's reward for 40 years of service? Commentators of every century have grappled with this question. Why was Moses, God's own servant, being treated so harshly for what on appearance would seem a minor offense?
Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo ben Yitzhak-1040-1105) argues that Moses was responsible for diminishing the greatness of the miracle. Ibn Ezra (1092-1167) suggests Moses' punishment is the result of needing to be told to perform the miracle rather than maintaining a faith in God. Still others suggest that Moses' action of striking the rock, rather than speaking to it as God had asked, was done in public and in the presence of the Israelites, who might understand this as a lack of faith even on behalf of their leader. For this reason he and Aaron were harshly punished.
I find the explanation of Maimonides (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon-1135-1204) most compelling. Maimonides teaches that it was not the incident of striking the rock that Moses was being punished for, rather for losing his temper: “and [Moses] said to them, “Listen, you rebels, shall we get water for you out of this rock?” (Num. 20:10). At that moment, after nearly 40 years of leadership, it was clear that a change was necessary. By losing his temper, Moses had compromised the ongoing effectiveness of his leadership.
20th century psychologist B.F. Skinner is credited with being the father of behavioral modification. He developed the concept of “positive reinforcement.” One is more likely to change the behavior of a person or group through positive, rather than negative, stimuli. Losing one's temper seldom results in the changes we strive for. The results are more likely to undermine than reinforce one's efforts. This is what happened to Moses. For a split second he lost sight of who these people were and what was their immediate need. In doing so, he also lost his credibility as their leader. Lashing out at the Israelites made him no better than them.
Whether you are a leader, teacher, parent, or good friend, being able to exercise restraint in the face of crisis is a quality of greatness.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
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Korah posted by Rabbi Siegel on 06/11/10 | Torah Portion: Korah
Book of Numbers
Chaps. 16:1-18:32
June 11, 2010
“Now Korah betook himself, along with Dathan and Abiram, to rise up against Moses, together with two hundred and fifty Israelites, chieftains of the community. .They combined against Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! For all the community are holy, all of them, and he the Lord is in their midst. Why then do you raise yourselves above the Lord’s congregation? (Num. 16:1-3).”
With this pronouncement, Moses is confronted with the first major insurrection against his leadership. The campaign is led by a member of his own tribe, Korah. On the surface, it appears Korah has made a good case. He is arguing for a more democratic society. As the modern commentator Pinhas Peli writes, “While Moses commands the people saying, “You shall be holy” and makes demands of them in order that they should become holy, Korah says “everyone of them” is holy. He propagates a “people’s democracy.” He makes everybody happy!”
In the end, Korah’s campaign fails disastrously. He is remembered for all time as an example of demagoguery; a political leader seeking support by appealing to the popular desires and prejudices of the people with little regard for rational argument. Rather than take his case to Moses and Aaron as an individual, he works behind their backs in quietly building a coalition of followers based on rumors and innuendo. Then, all at once, he and his followers pounce. His arguments have a superficial ring to them, but when confronted with facts and substance, they ring hollow. The ancient Midrash (legends) suggest that ultimately Korah was only interested in seeking power and influence for himself.
There is a time and place for protests and acts of civil disobedience. In a democracy, such as ours, when after due process one’s rights and privileges are still denied, one arguably has the obligation to stand up and protest. First, one makes a case-gathers factual evidence, not rumors or second-hand hearsay. Then one takes their case to the proper authorities and then to the people. This is the privilege and responsibility of living in a democratic country.
As stated at the outset, Korah had the makings of a case. He might have even brought about change but for his personal ambition and unwillingness to first try to work with Moses and Aaron. Of all the traits necessary for effective leadership, the desire for power and influence is not one.
Rabbi Howard Siegel |
Shelach Lecha posted by Rabbi Siegel on 06/04/10 | Torah Portion: Shelach Lecha
Book of Numbers
Chaps. 13:1-15:41
June 4, 2010
Moses chooses 12 leaders, one from each tribe, to scout out the “Promised Land” and report back. He is certain the positive reports brought back by members of the Israelite tribes will re-instill confidence in himself, the mission, and the One God. What Moses failed to factor in was the possibility that not everyone would see this as a land “flowing with milk & honey.” And, of course they did not. Ten of the twelve spies report, “The people that dwell in the Land is powerful, the cities are fortified and very great, and they are like giants. . .we cannot conquer this people for they are too strong for us (Num. 13:28 & 31)!” Only Joshua and Caleb spoke favorably of the Promised Land.
It is an odd coincidence that the same week we read an account in the Torah disparaging the Land of Canaan, we also encounter disparaging accounts of the modern State of Israel in her actions against a flotilla of ships attempting to run the blockade of Gaza. In the Torah, it was 10 of the 12 tribal leaders who publicly denounced plans to enter Canaan. In our modern world, it is the leaders of nations who have denounced the State of Israel. Everyone has a different set of facts, opinions, and even video to explain the incident. Most of us do not live in Israel. Some among us visit Israel regularly, others on occasion, still others never have. Yet, a whole lot of us believe we know that Israel was right or wrong. I am re-printing below a piece that appeared in the New York Times Op-Ed page on Thursday, June 3, 2010. It is authored by a friend and colleague, Rabbi Daniel Gordis. Granted, this is just another opinion, but from someone who has a vested interest; he lives and raises his family in Israel:
“In the last few days, Jerusalem has been blanketed by an unusual combination of humiliation and steely determination. How is it, people here wondered aloud, that the same country that tripled its size in three lightning days in June 1967 and then pulled off the rescue at Entebbe nine years later now seems to botch everything?
We lost the 2006 war in Lebanon, believing — incorrectly — that our venerated air force could win the war from the skies. The strikes on Gaza in December 2008 were a military success, but we have utterly failed to convince the world that it was a defensive effort precipitated by eight years of Hamas’s firing Qassam rockets at us, killing and maiming and destroying any semblance of a normal life for Israelis living near the border. And then came Monday’s attack on the flotilla trying to break through the naval blockade of Gaza.
Yet, despite widespread criticism at the way the raid was conducted, few here doubted that stopping the flotilla was the right thing to do. Life in Gaza is unquestionably oppressive; no one in his right mind would choose to live there. But there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza; if anyone goes without food, shelter or medicine, that is by the choice of the Hamas government, which puts garnering international sympathy above taking care of its citizens. Israel has readily agreed to send into Gaza all the food and humanitarian supplies on the boats after they had been inspected for weapons.
Thus this flotilla was no “peace operation.” It was intended to break the blockade or to increase international pressure to end it. Its leaders, with the connivance of the Turkish government, set a trap, and Israel blundered smack into it.
But that does not make the blockade wrong. Hamas is a terrorist organization that completed its takeover of Gaza through brute force. It executes its political enemies at will. It is one of the world’s most misogynist regimes, allowing the murder of women for the slightest infraction of family honor.
Hamas kidnapped an Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, from Israeli territory and has held him for four years without giving the Red Cross any access to him, in violation of the most basic international standards of conduct. And, of course, Hamas openly insists that it will countenance no long-term peace with Israel; the resistance will not end, it says, until Israel is destroyed.
Like every other country, Israel has as its foremost obligation the protection of its citizens. Given that, why should it have allowed the flotilla to enter without inspecting its goods? If the United States were to impose a blockade on Iran (which seems unlikely), and another country dispatched a string of ships in a similar operation, is there any chance the United States Navy would let them through without inspection?
Israel will, of course, endure tremendous international condemnation for this week’s events. Sadly, though, we Israelis are becoming somewhat inured to such criticism. And we know that we dare not capitulate now.
It is no accident that Turkey sent the flotilla at this time. It is clearly cozying up to Iran these days, even teaming with Brazil to offer Tehran a deal on atomic fuel that would allow the mullahs to maintain their effort to build a nuclear arsenal. Ankara’s warmongering talk this week was not intended for global consumption; it was meant to show Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, that Turkey is playing a new role in the Middle East.
Iran finances Hezbollah and Hamas and does everything it can to weaken and marginalize Israel, inching toward its vision of a world without a Jewish state. The West has known of Iran’s nuclear intentions for well over a decade, but has effectively done nothing. Israelis understand that we — and we alone — will have to ensure our security and our survival.
The recent avalanche of international condemnation is very painful for Israelis, who remember the years in which we were seen as a beacon of democracy and sophistication in a repressive part of the world. Those days are gone, of course, because of the world’s impatience with the “occupation” of the West Bank and Gaza.
Our problem is that though most Israelis want peace with two states — one Jewish and one Palestinian, living side by side — we cannot find anyone to make a deal with us. A decade ago, President Bill Clinton and Prime Minister Ehud Barak, tried, but Yasir Arafat, the Palestinian leader, walked away. Now the supposedly moderate Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah, refuses to negotiate, as of course does Hamas.
Israelis are resigned to the fact that reason will not shake the world’s blatant double standard. Our blockade of Gaza is “criminal”; yet nobody mentions that Egypt has had a blockade of Gaza in place since 2007, and has never hesitated to use lethal force against those trying to break it. Israel’s attempt to enforce a blockade becomes an international crisis, while most of the world shrugs when North Korea sinks a South Korean ship. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared his willingness to sit with Fatah leaders any time, anywhere, but they insist on mere “proximity talks,” which they will probably now scuttle, using the flotilla as an excuse.
Israel’s geographic vulnerability means that we do not have the luxury of caving in to the world’s condemnation. We will have to gird ourselves for the long, dangerous and lonely road ahead, buoyed by hope that what ultimately prevails will be not what is momentarily popular, but rather what is just.”
The mistake of the ten spies was not in the factuality of their report, but its superficiality. The people occupying Canaan did live in fortified cities, were great in number and maybe even cast a giant shadow, but that was not the whole story. Nothing was said of their demeanor, personality, or character. There was no mention of the reason they needed to fortify themselves or the threats they faced nor the kind of society they lived in. Oblivious of who they might really be, the ten spies drew their conclusions based only on what they saw from a distance. Is there any difference between the Israelite spies of yesteryear and the condescending nations of today? I will let you answer that.
Rabbi Howard Siegel |
Memorial Day 2010 posted by Rabbi Siegel on 05/28/10 | Memorial Day
May 28, 2010
Freedom is not free. Anyone who pays taxes is acutely aware of this fact. The greatest awareness is borne by families whose fathers, mothers, sisters, and brothers paid the ultimate price for our right to enjoy the fruits of this great country. It is they who we pay homage to each year on Memorial Day. One of the most well-known expressions of sorrow and gratitude for those who gave their lives to protect our freedoms was written by Chaplain Rabbi Roland Gittelsohn, who served with the Marine Corps in the WWII battle of Iwo Jima in 1945. The circumstances leading up to his famous sermon are described in the article below:
The fight for Iwo Jima in 1945 was one of the bloodiest of World War II. A tiny island in the Pacific dominated by a volcanic mountain and pockmarked with caves Iwo Jima was the setting for a five-week, nonstop battle between 70,000 American Marines and an unknown number of deeply entrenched Japanese defenders. The courage and gallantry of the American forces, climaxed by the dramatic raising of the American flag over Mt. Suribachi, is memorialized in the Marine Corps monument in Washington, D.C. Less well-remembered, however, is that the battle occasioned an eloquent eulogy by a Marine Corps rabbi that has become an American classic.
Rabbi Roland B. Gittelsohn (1910-95), assigned to the Fifth Marine Division, was the first Jewish chaplain the Marine Corps ever appointed. The American invading force at Iwo Jima included approximately 1,500 Jewish Marines, and Rabbi Gittelsohn was in the thick of the fray, ministering to Marines of all faiths in the combat zone. He shared the fear, horror and despair of the fighting men, each of whom knew that each day might be his last. Roland Gittelsohn's tireless efforts to comfort the wounded and encourage the fearful won him three service ribbons.
When the fighting was over, Division Chaplain Warren Cuthriell, a Protestant minister, asked Rabbi Gittelsohn to deliver the memorial sermon at a combined religious service dedicating the Marine Cemetery. Cuthriell wanted all the fallen Marines (black and white, Protestant, Catholic and Jewish) honored in a single, nondenominational ceremony. Unfortunately, racial and religious prejudice was strong in the Marine Corps, as it was then throughout America. According to Rabbi Gittelsohn's autobiography, the majority of Christian chaplains objected to having a rabbi preach over predominantly Christian graves. The Catholic chaplains, in keeping with church doctrine opposed any form of joint religious service.
To his credit, Cuthriell refused to alter his plans. Gittelsohn, on the other hand, wanted to save his friend Cuthriell further embarrassment and so decided it was best not to deliver his sermon. Instead, three separate religious services were held. At the Jewish service, to a congregation of 70 or so who attended, Rabbi Gittelsohn delivered the powerful eulogy he originally wrote for the combined service:
Here lie men who loved America because their ancestors generations ago helped in her founding. And other men who loved her with equal passion because they themselves or their own fathers escaped from oppression to her blessed shores. Here lie officers and men, Negroes and Whites, rich men and poor, together. Here are Protestants, Catholics, and Jews together. Here no man prefers another because of his faith or despises him because of his color. Here there are no quotas of how many from each group are admitted or allowed. Among these men there is no discrimination. No prejudices. No hatred. Theirs is the highest and purest democracy...
Whosoever of us lifts his hand in hate against a brother, or who thinks himself superior to those who happen to be in the minority, makes of this ceremony and the bloody sacrifice it commemorates, an empty, hollow mockery. To this then, as our solemn sacred duty, do we the living now dedicate ourselves: To the right of Protestants, Catholics, and Jews, of White men and Negroes alike, to enjoy the democracy for which all of them have here paid the price...
We here solemnly swear this shall not be in vain. Out of this and from the suffering and sorrow of those who mourn this, will come, we promise, the birth of a new freedom for the sons of men everywhere.
Among Gittelsohn's listeners were three Protestant chaplains so incensed by the prejudice voiced by their colleagues that they boycotted their own service to attend Gittelsohn's. One of them borrowed the manuscript and, unknown to Gittelsohn, circulated several thousand copies to his regiment. Some Marines enclosed the copies in letters to their families. An avalanche of coverage resulted. Time magazine published excerpts, which wire services spread even further. The entire sermon was inserted into the Congressional Record, the Army released the eulogy for short-wave broadcast to American troops throughout the world and radio commentator Robert St. John read it on his program and on many succeeding Memorial Days.
In 1995, in his last major public appearance before his death, Gittelsohn reread a portion of the eulogy at the 50th commemoration ceremony at the Iwo Jima statue in Washington, D.C. In his autobiography, Gittelsohn reflected, “I have often wondered whether anyone would ever have heard of my Iwo Jima sermon had it not been for the bigoted attempt to ban it.”
Hannah Senesh, who fought and died fighting the Nazis in Yugoslavia, wrote: “There are stars whose light reaches the earth only after they themselves have disintegrated. And there are individuals whose memory lights the world after they have passed from it. These lights shine even in the darkest night and illumine our path. .”
May the memories of those who gave their lives to protect the freedoms and liberties of this great nation be a blessing to all who remember them.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
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Naso posted by Rabbi Siegel on 05/20/10 | Torah Portion: Naso
Book of Numbers
Chaps. 4:21-7:89
May 20, 2010
In the final chapter of this Torah portion, the chieftains of each of the 12 tribes contribute gifts to the completed portable sanctuary (Tabernacle). What is most interesting is that each chieftain presents the identical gift. The Torah devotes 88 verses to repeat 12 times the same gifts, only given by 12 different chieftains. Would it not have been easier, and more efficient, to have simply stated that the same gifts were given by each of the 12 chieftains?
The eminent 20th century Torah scholar Nehama Lebowitz notes, “The system by which Pharaoh degraded the Jewish people, setting them one against the other and appointing their own leaders to carry out his decrees is only too familiar to us in these days.” According to the Midrash (Jewish legend) these same chieftains were those officers who stepped forward and sacrificed themselves on behalf of the Israelites in Egypt. When quotas were not met, they were held responsible & beaten. For willingly accepting the punishment of Pharaoh, the Torah honors them by placing each of their names into its eternal record.
One might be elected or appointed to a position of leadership, but that alone does not make a leader. A leader is not distinguished by number of votes received, but qualities inherent within him. Good leaders are seldom people who seek out a position of leadership, rather they are people who are sought out. What are the qualities necessary to be an effective leader? I list 10 for your consideration:
1. Vision- a clear, vivid picture of where to go, as well as a firm grasp on what success looks like and how to achieve it.
2. Integrity-A person with integrity is the same on the inside as on the outside.
3. Dedication-Being willing to devote whatever time is necessary to accomplish a task or meet a goal.
4. Magnanimity-Giving credit where credit is due. Empowering people with the feeling they accomplished the goal themselves.
5. Humility-Recognizing that you are just another member of the people. .no better, no worse.
6. Openness-Being willing to listen to new ideas and welcome suggestions even if they do not conform to your usual way of thinking.
7. Creativity-The ability to think “outside the box”. As the late Robert Kennedy profoundly stated, “There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why? I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?”
8. Fairness-Dealing with everybody fairly and consistently.
9. Assertiveness-The ability to clearly state what one expects so there will be no misunderstanding.
10. A Sense of Humor-A Psychology professor once noted, “If you take life more than half seriously, you’ll go insane.” Being able to laugh at oneself and with others engenders effective leadership.
Our tradition maintains the ancient Israelite chieftains were defined not by their position in life, but the qualities they brought to life. Do you have what it takes?
Rabbi Howard Siegel
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Shavuot posted by Rabbi Siegel on 05/14/10 | Shavuot
May 14, 2010
We are living in a time when superficial is too often mistaken for real. When we are introduced to a stranger, what is the first question asked? “What do you do?”, as if the sum total of a person’s essence is captured in his professional pursuit. It offers an insight, but not the whole picture. For many people the question, “who am I?” is a daunting one. Am I defined by the clothes I wear, car I drive, the shape of my body or the job I work at? I hear myself replying to the question by saying, “I am a rabbi.” Is that who I really am? I am Howard Siegel who performs the functions of a rabbi (whatever they may be?!). The real question is, “Who is Howard Siegel?”, and that answer is not so simple.
Is Bar Mitzvah just being able to take Hebrew consonants and vowels, put them together with familiar melodies and make sounds on a Shabbat morning, or is it more? What is Torah? The superficial answer is the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, but is that all Torah is?
This week we celebrate the holiday of Shavuot. Seven weeks after leaving Egypt (celebrated by Passover), the ancient Israelites arrived at Mt. Sinai. There they encountered God, and there they received Torah. By accepting Torah, the Israelites became the Jewish people in a covenantal relationship with the One God. For some Jews, the Sinai event occurred once binding all Jews-present, past, and future-to this special holy covenant. For others, each Jew has a “Sinai moment” that opens his/her eyes to the rich tapestry of Jewish life. It is at that moment they enter the ancient covenant with God. Accepting Torah is much more than reading five books in the Bible!
Rabbi Harold Kushner writes, “Jews don’t read the Torah the way one reads a novel, for the plot. You don’t read it to see how it ends. Nor do you read it like a newspaper or a magazine article, skimming it to get the general idea. As a contemporary scholar has put it Jews read the Bible the way a person reads a love letter. When you read a love letter, you don’t just read it for content. You try to squeeze every last little bit of meaning out of it. (Why did he sign it “Yours” instead of “Love”? Why a dash instead of a comma?).”
Maybe this is the greatest compliment that can be paid to the relationship between the Jewish people and Torah; the metaphor of a love letter.
Rabbi Howard Siegel |
Behar/Behukotai posted by Rabbi Siegel on 05/08/10 | Torah Portion: Behar/Behukotai
Book of Leviticus
Chaps. 25:1-27:34
May 7, 2010
“The Lord spoke to Moses saying: Speak to the Israelite people and say to them. When anyone explicitly vows to the Lord the equivalent for a human being, the following scale shall apply, . . . from twenty to sixty years of age, the equivalent is fifty shekels of silver by the sanctuary weight.”
The conclusion of the Book of Leviticus brings an end to the Israelites extensive stay at Mt. Sinai. Before packing up and moving on, the final chapter of Leviticus is a reminder that their new portable sanctuary comes at a price. After receiving the Torah on Sinai, learning of the plans for a sanctuary, seeing it constructed, and celebrating its completion, the people are reminded that maintaining this place of God is costly. Nothing comes free. Even the “manna from heaven” came with strings attached!
The ancient form of taxation involved vowing something, or someone, to be given to the Temple. In the case of a human being, he/she was not actually given but redeemed from the requirement by paying a certain amount (in the case above, 50 shekels of silver). Whatever one brought to pay their Temple tax was valued and they would pay the value and redeem the object.
The Eitz Hayim Humash commentary asks a good question, “How do we measure the value of a person? The world at large values rich people more than poor people, economically productive people more than less productive, fertile women more than childless women, clever and attractive people more than others. In God’s temple, however, people are evaluated “by the sanctuary weight.” God views our worth differently than the world does.”
In our day, the synagogue should be a place where a person’s value is not measured in material or superficial terms. We live in a world that is obsessed with rich people, sports heroes, beautiful bodies and narcisstic pleasures. Enough! When one walks through the door into a synagogue sanctuary, they should be welcomed as one “fashioned in God’s image”; a co-sanctifier of God’s name.
After hurricane Katrina, NBC News realized that there exist other people-besides politicians and celebrities-who make a difference in this world. Since the hurricane, NBC has offered a special feature several times a week on their evening news entitled, “People Who Make A Difference.” They have traveled the country finding incredible human beings who are touching the lives of children, elderly, infirmed, and those in need of a gentle hand or kind smile. These are people who seldom appear on the front pages of daily life but without whom a meaningful life would not be possible. Borrowing an expression from the “material” world, their value is “priceless.”
Not surprising, most of these people who are making a difference happen to be religious and some are even Jews! The synagogue is a place-like the ancient Temple-where each person is a valued member regardless of who they are. As a result, many of these same people leave the synagogue intent on sharing their wealth of values and ethics with a world sorely in need.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
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Emor posted by Rabbi Siegel on 04/30/10 | Torah Portion: Emor
Book of Leviticus
Chaps. 21:1-24:23
April 30, 2010
“You shall not profane my Holy name, that I may be sanctified in the midst of the Israelite people-I the Lord who sanctify you.” (Lev. 22:32)
The Hebrew word for “sanctifying God’s name” is Kiddush Ha’Shem, and for profaning God’s name, Hillul Ha’shem. As children, we believed that cussing and swearing were the way one profaned God’s name. As adults, we should know better. The Eitz Hayim Humash commentary notes, “The public performance of a mitzvah not only benefits the one who does it but has an effect on those who see it, even as a violation of the Torah in public is more damaging than similar behavior done privately. This leads the ancient Sages to view the Sanctifying and Profaning of God’s name as essentially a public act. . . .The Talmud states that there is no greater achievement for a Jew than acting in a way that causes others to praise and respect the God of Israel and the Torah’s ways; and there is no graver sin for a Jew than acting in a way that causes people to think less of Israel’s God and Israel’s laws.”
We are responsible for what we say and do, especially in public. Several years ago, the owner of a nursing home in New York was indicted for mistreatment of his residents. The man happened to be a rabbi. In court he made certain to wear a kippah and insist he be referred to as Rabbi. His efforts to masquerade as a religious figure, wearing a cloak of ethical behavior, became an important part of his defense and a “shanda”-embarrassment and humiliation-for the Jewish community. In the end, he was convicted and sentenced to jail, but he took his Jewish community to prison with him. His actions were a “Hillul Ha’shem” because 1) of his treatment of the elderly in his care, and 2) his public display of Jewish self-righteousness. Each night as the court proceedings appeared on television news (both local & national), he shamed not only himself, but his community. We all suffered because of the misguided and selfish actions of one.
I am always cautious when using my title “Rabbi” in the public arena. Whether it be a letter to the editor or an e-mail posting on Facebook, when I use the title Rabbi I am involving more than just myself. I am including my entire Jewish community. Rabbi Bradley Artson notes, “Our deeds implicate those who love us and those who are connected to us through family and through culture. . . .When Jews engage in fraud, we shame the values cultivated by our tradition. When Jews express contempt against other Jews-either through word or deed-we betray our common ancestry and endanger our shared future. When Jews ignore the suffering of other people-in our own communities and around the world-we implicate the Source of humanity.”
What is true for Jews is true for everyone. When one chooses to become a public personality, their actions reflect upon the community they represent. Hillul Ha’shem-profaning God’s name-occurs when a Jew’s words and deeds trample the precepts of Torah, when a popular sports figure’s behavior flies in the face of community values, and when a public official’s actions discredit the Constitution he/she swore to uphold.
As Rabbi Artson concludes, “The kippah on your head, the mezuzah near your door, or the Star of David around your neck is a pledge to reflect the highest standards of Jewish morality. We are one.”
Rabbi Howard Siegel
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Israel Independence Day posted by Rabbi Siegel on 04/23/10 | Israel at 62
April 23, 2010
The State of Israel celebrated her 62nd birthday this week. While still a source of enthusiasm and excitement (especially in the large Jewish population centers of New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago), each year there is a growing number of ambivalent Jews, and Jewish institutions. Reasons abound for the decline in interest in Yom Ha’atzmaut/Israel Independence day. Today, there are probably more Jews born after the creation of the modern state than before. Jews are growing weary of the continuous struggle for survival with no apparent light at the end of the tunnel. American Jews-especially those born after 1948-are more likely to identify the United States as their homeland, and Israel as just another foreign country, albeit Jewish.
If the mood among American Jews toward Israel has been less than ecstatic, the same can be said of Israelis themselves. The popular leftist newspaper Ha’Aretz wrote on the occasion of Israel’s Independence Day, “Israel is isolated globally and embroiled in a conflict with the superpower whose friendship and support are vital to its very existence. It is devoid of any diplomatic plan aside from holding on to the territories and afraid of any movement,” the editorial said. “It wallows in a sense of existential threat that has only grown with time. It seizes on every instance of anti-Semitism, whether real or imagined, as a pretext for continued apathy and passivity.”
“Doom and Gloom” are popular characters these days. Whether it be the economy, the Iranian threat, or the Middle East, everyone seems to be wearing a frown (sometimes masked by a smile!). None of these are reasons to abandon hope, or for Jews to abandon Israel. The real story of the Jewish state is seldom told. Israel, only a fraction of one percent of the Middle East land mass and 2 percent of its population, has the highest ratio of university degrees per capita in the world. The country, by a large margin, produces more scientific papers per capita than any other nation in the world and has the highest number of scientists and technicians per capita in the world. With those achievements, it is not surprising that Israel has the highest number of PhD's and the highest number of physicians per capita in the world.
Israel also is the only nation in the world that entered the 21st century with a net gain in its number of trees.
Taking care of Jews around the world, the nation is the largest immigrant-absorbing nation on Earth while respecting other religions. It is the only country in the Middle East where the Christian population has grown over the last 50 years and is the only country in the Middle East where Christians, Muslims and Jews are all free to vote.
Despite all its success, Israel also leads the world in United Nations Security Council resolutions against the Jewish State. Of the 175 U.N. Security Council resolutions passed before 1990, 97 were directed against Israel. Of the 690 U.N. General Assembly resolutions voted on before 1990, 429 were directed against Israel.
Over the years, what has been the source of your greatest stress, anger, and indignation? If you give pause to think about the question, you will probably answer “family.” At times it feels as if we have endless patience for the dealings of strangers. Not so family. The reason is obvious. We have vested interest in family. They are a part of us and we expect more from them. When a son or daughter disappoints a parent, the parent doesn’t divorce them but works with them to attain mutually desired goals. The same Is true of Israel and the Jewish people. We are family. By definition, this means we are not going to always be in agreement, but neither will we abandon one another.
The strength and confidence exhibited by the Jewish community of the United States is the direct result of there being a State of Israel. Before 1948, the American Jew’s mantra was “Shah, Shtil/be silent”, don’t expose yourself to this anti-Semitic world. With the creation of Israel this all changed. American Jews were identified, and identified themselves, with a Jewish state capable of defending herself against enemies while opening her arms to those in need. Israel became a beacon of light educationally, culturally, technologically, scientifically, and spiritually. Israel and the Jewish people were, again, ONE. And, for the 62nd year there is no reason to abate our relationship nor our celebration of it.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
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Tazria/Metzora posted by Rabbi Siegel on 04/16/10 | Torah Portion: Tazria/Metzora
Book of Leviticus
Chaps. 12:1-15:33
April 16, 2010
This is a particularly difficult portion of Torah to understand. From its very beginning, one is challenged to ask why a new mother, after the long-awaited moment of childbirth, should be considered ritually “impure” (ta’may) for an extended period of time?
Baruch Levine, in his commentary to the Book of Leviticus, sheds some new insight into the meaning of this ritual:
“The rituals prescribed in the Torah regularly utilize the category of impurity for dealing with conditions that are life threatening. In ancient usage, “pure” (ta’hor) and “impure”(ta’may) correspond to what in modern health care is referred to as “immune” and “susceptible”, respectively. The childbearing mother was particularly vulnerable, and her child was in danger too, since mortality was widespread in pre-modern societies. By declaring the new mother “impure”, susceptible, the community sought to protect and shelter her.”
Judaism is a worship and celebration of the living, not the dead. Every effort is made to create, sustain, protect, and honor life. This is the meaning of “pure” (ta’hor): A spiritual & physical embrace of life; an “immunity” to life-threatening circumstance. When one does become “susceptible” (“impure”) to death, the community takes them aside and offers healing comfort and support until they can be restored to a state of “immunity”.
Understanding the ritual categories of “pure” & “impure” in this manner explains why one washes his/her hands after leaving a cemetery or goes to the Mikveh (ritual bath) after participating in a “Tahara” (preparation of a body for burial). In both cases, one has confronted death and become “susceptible” to its dark side, such as depression. The symbolic act of ritual cleansing is spiritually powerful enough to restore one to a state of “Ta'hor” (purity) and turn one’s attention, again, to the task of living.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
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Shemini posted by Rabbi Siegel on 04/09/10 | Torah Portion: Shemini
Book of Leviticus
Chaps. 9:1-11:47
April 9, 2010
This Torah portion provides a list of the animals, birds, and fish a Jew is permitted to eat. They are termed “Kosher”, meaning “fit for consumption under Jewish law".
The Eitz Hayim Humash notes, “The overriding purpose of the dietary code is explicit: “You shall sanctify yourselves and be holy, for I am holy” (Lev. 9:44). The dietary laws constitute a way of sanctifying the act of eating. The eating of meat requires killing a living creature, constantly seen by the Torah as a compromise. These laws elevate the eating of meat to a level of sanctity by introducing categories of permitted and forbidden. For animals, eating is a matter of instinct; only human beings can choose on moral or religious grounds not to eat something otherwise available.”
It is the ability to consciously choose that distinguishes humankind from all of the rest of God’s creations. Our choices each day, from the clothes we put on in the morning to the verbal communications in the workplace reflect the type of person we are, or aspire to be. For the Jew, the beginnings of life are neutral; we are neither good nor bad. What we become is determined by both nature and nurture. Kashrut is a moral discipline for the Jew striving to give meaning to him/herself and discover the power of Godliness in the world. “If I can be so particular about the food I put into my mouth, how much more so words that come out.” “Even though I have an appetite for everything I see, as a human being I must choose to curb my appetites and appreciate what I have.” “The taking of life, even that of an animal, is something that should never be taken lightly.”
The late Rabbi Samuel Dresner wrote, “Judaism ennobles something ordinary and everyday with a code of what to eat and how to eat, by teaching us that every act of life can be hallowed, even the act of eating. As Abraham Heschel wrote, “Perhaps the essential message of Judaism is that in doing the finite, we can perceive the infinite.” In eating a slice of bread we can discover God; in drinking a cup of wine we can sanctify the Sabbath; in preparing a piece of meat we can learn something of the reverence of life. Our glory as humans is in our power to hallow, by means of which we not only overcome the beast within but even surpass the angels.”
Dennis Prager and Joseph Telushkin wrote in their book Questions People Ask About Judaism, “Every time a Jew sits down to eat a kosher meal he or she is reminded 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 irresponsibly, and that we are responsible for what happens to other beings (human and animal) even if we did not come into contact with them.”
Keeping Kosher is not about separating myself from others, nor is it for reasons of health. I do it as a concrete and visible reminder of my holy responsibility to the world I live in and those with whom I share it.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
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Passover posted by Rabbi Siegel on 03/26/10 | Passover
March 26, 2010
In the late 1970’s, African-American writer Alex Haley published the book “Roots” describing his family history dating back to a relative, Kunta Kinte, who was brought to America in 1767 and sold as a slave. In each subsequent generation, the descendents would sit with their children and relate the family story. As slaves, they never wanted to forget that they were once a proud, free people; warriors from Africa. As free people, they never wanted to forget from whence they came. Sound familiar? Their story is our story, only three-thousand years removed!
We, too, were once slaves, in the land of Egypt. Separated by over one-hundred generations, Jews continue to remind themselves of their roots. We should never forget from whence “we” came so we never become immune to the cry of others still suffering under the bondage of slavery. Slavery is alive and well today. Modern day slavery is any system by which an individual or group of human beings is controlled and forced to work for another without their consent or is deceived or manipulated into serving another. This can take many forms, including but not limited to forced labor, commercial sexual exploitation, human trafficking, forced marriage, debt bondage, religious slavery, and more.
Passover also teaches that modern-day slavery may be understood as a euphemism for human pain and suffering; the type seen in the faces of the poor, destitute, and distraught. They may not fit the traditional definition of “slave,” but in America their continued deprivation-whether it be homelessness, hunger, or lack of healthcare-is a stain upon a declaration made by this country on July 4, 1776: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all [people] are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The Declaration of Independence goes on to say, “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted.” “We” are the government. “We” bear the responsibility for helping our citizenry realize a fulfilling and enriching life. As Jews, our responsibility is even more pronounced because “we were slaves in the Land of Egypt,” and know all too well what can occur when people turn their back on other people.
There are any number of questions that can (and should) be asked at the Passover Seder table. Let me suggest an additional three. These questions, asked by Rabbi Hillel two thousand years ago, are as relevant today as they were when first asked:
“If I am not for myself, who will be?”
"If I am only for myself, what sort of person am I?
"If not now, When?"
The significance of Passover is found in their answer.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
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Vayakhel/Pekude posted by Rabbi Siegel on 03/12/10 | Torah Portion: Vayakhel-Pekude
Book of Exodus
Chaps. 39:22-40:38
March 12, 2010
Among the insightful attributes of the Torah is its understanding of the psychology of humankind. It would be much simpler to speak of life in “Pollyannaish” terms: Everyone grows up happily, attends school enthusiastically, succeeds in a chosen profession, embraces the ideals of Judaism willingly, and shows care, concern, and love for all humankind. One can hope and wish, but the Torah realizes this is not the case. As long as “people are people”, there will be differences among us. Some will succeed and others will not, some will care while others care less, some will make a difference and others will subtract! The choice lies not in the hand of fate, but in the responsibility of good parenting.
The final Torah portions in the Book of Exodus return to the process of building a portable sanctuary in the desert. The portion Vayakhel begins with the words, “And Moshe assembled all the congregation of the Children of Israel (Exo. 35:1).” After exhorting the people to observe the Sabbath day even in the process of building something as holy as the ancient Tabernacle, Moses informs them of the need for contributions of gold, silver, brass, fine linen, seal skins, acacia wood, and more. Here we learn that giving is an acquired, rather than innate quality. Not everyone knows how!
“And all the congregation of the Children of Israel departed from the presence of Moshe. And they came, every one whose heart uplifted him, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the Lord’s offering (Exo. 35:20-21).”
A contemporary Midrash (Jewish legend) teaches, “All came to the assembly to hear Moses' speech, “And Moses gathered together all the congregation of the Children of Israel,” but after he had finished saying what he had to say, “all the congregation of the Children of Israel departed” one by one. Later only the select few individuals “whose heart uplifted them” returned with their donations.”
From the very beginning, Judaism has taught that humankind is not born good, bad, or indifferent; we are simply born. Goodness is acquired. It is taught from birth, both by example and study. The teacher-in this instance the parent-becomes entrusted with the single-most important responsibility in life: Transmitting the moral/ethical values of Judaism to a child. In doing so, a child learns to distinguish between “good” and “bad”, “right” and “wrong.” A child also learns that goodness requires giving. Again, it is through the parent’s words and example that the child acquires the “uplifted heart” necessary to respond to the needs of the community.
The Jewish parent is entrusted with the responsibility to “uplift” the hearts of his/her children to become giving, caring, and loving people. It all begins in the home. It doesn’t come naturally, but Judaism is here to assist in the transmission.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
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Ki Tisa posted by Rabbi Siegel on 03/05/10 | Torah Portion: Ki Tisa (Shabbat Parah)
Book of Exodus
Chaps. 30:11-34:35
March 5, 2010
One should never underestimate the value of art in molding cultural attitudes and behavioral norms. The Encyclopedia Judaica notes, “Of all the major biblical figures, not excepting David, Jacob, Joseph, and Solomon, Moses has inspired the largest amount of creative endeavor in literature, art, and music.”
The most famous sculpture of Moses is the statue by Michelangelo in the San Pietro in Vincoli Church in Rome. What is most notable about the statue are the horns protruding from Moses’ head. The work was originally intended for the mausoleum of Pope Julius II. The image of Moses with horns appears in a number of medieval statues and paintings. The key to understanding “why” is found in the Torah portion Ki Tisa.
Moses has come down from Mt. Sinai with the first set of tablets only to find the Israelites worshipping a golden calf. In anger, Moses throws the tablets to the ground. After scolding the people for their loss of faith, he pleads with God for another moment of divine intimacy. The second revelation of God on Mt. Sinai is done in the absence of the Children of Israel. Moses returns to Mt. Sinai alone. A second set of tablets are prepared, further instruction is given to Moses, and, again, he returns to the Israelites.
Upon returning to the people, Moses is greeted by his brother Aaron who notices “the skin of [Moses} face sent forth beams”(Exo. 34:30). The Hebrew word “keren” is correctly translated as either “a ray of light” or a “horn”. In this context, the correct understanding of the word is “a ray of light” or “beams”. A later Latin translation of the Bible chose to translate the word as “horn”. Medieval artists, including Michelangelo, dependent upon Latin for their understanding of the Hebrew Bible, were misled into believing Moses had horns!
The impact of medieval church art on early Christian theology was, in this instance, devastating. The fires of anti-Semitism were fed by the notion that Jews, like their famous leader Moses, had horns. How important is it to understand a text, like the Hebrew Bible, in its original language? One small mistranslation has taken centuries to correct!
Rabbi Howard Siegel |
Purim 5770 posted by Rabbi Siegel on 02/26/10 | Purim Torah
February 26, 2010
The celebration of Purim begins on Saturday evening, February 27. Purim revolves around the Book of Esther. In the words of Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin, “The [Book] of Esther is a coming-of-age story; it is the story of a young Jewish woman who is transformed from bauble to strategist and ruler; it is the story of her struggle with her identity as a Jew. It is the story of a person whose actions helped her people become victors rather than victims. It is a story about a Jewish woman who passes as a Persian, is chosen to be queen, and has to come out of the closet to save her people.”
The Book of Esther has its heroes (Esther & Mordechai) and its villain (Haman). It is an old-fashioned melodrama with danger, excitement, and a lot of joy. In an age when we take life far too seriously, Purim is the “Jewish” opportunity to dress in costume, make a lot of noise, and celebrate the joy of living. A part of this joy is the ability to laugh, even at ourselves. In this spirit, today I teach some “Purim” Torah. Enjoy!
Rabbi Howard Siegel
To those of us who have children in our lives, whether they are our own, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or students...here is something to make you chuckle.
Whenever your children are out of control, you can take comfort from the thought that even God's omnipotence did not extend to His own children.
After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve.
And the first thing he said was "DON'T!"
"Don't what?" Adam replied.
"Don't eat the forbidden fruit." God said.
"Forbidden fruit? We have forbidden fruit?
"Hey Eve..we have forbidden fruit!"
" No Way!"
"Yes way!"
"Do NOT eat the fruit! " said God.
"Why?"
"Because I am your Father and I said so! " God replied, wondering why He hadn't stopped creation after making the elephants.
A few minutes later, God saw His children having an apple break and He was ticked!
"Didn't I tell you not to eat the fruit? " God asked.
"Uh huh," Adam replied.
"Then why did you? " said the Father.
"I don't know," said Eve.
"She started it! " Adam said.
"Did not! "
"Did too! "
"DID NOT! "
Having had it with the two of them, God's punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of their own. Thus the pattern was set and it has never changed.
BUT THERE IS REASSURANCE IN THE STORY! If you have persistently and lovingly tried to give children wisdom and they haven't taken it, don't be hard on yourself.
If God had trouble raising children, what makes you think it would be a piece of cake for you?
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT!
1. You spend the first two years of their life teaching them to walk and talk.
Then you spend the next sixteen telling them to sit down and shut up.
2. Grandchildren are God's reward for not killing your own children.
3. Mothers of teens now know why some animals eat their young.
4. Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said.
5. The main purpose of holding children's parties is to remind yourself that there are children more awful than your own.
6. We childproofed our homes, but they are still getting in.
ADVICE FOR THE DAY: Be nice to your kids. They will choose your nursing home one day.
AND FINALLY: If you have a lot of tension and you get a headache, do what it says on the aspirin bottle: TAKE TWO ASPIRIN AND “KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN!!”
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Terumah posted by Rabbi Siegel on 02/19/10 | Torah Portion: Terumah
Book of Exodus
Chaps. 25:1-27:19
February 19, 2010
“And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.” (Exo. 25:8)
This Torah portion presents the instructions for the building of a portable sanctuary. The sanctuary-referred to as the Mishkan-serves as the center for Israelite worship during the 40 years of wandering in the Sinai desert. More importantly, it becomes the blueprint for the construction of the 1st and 2nd Temples in Jerusalem.
Professor Ismar Schorsch notes, “The model society envisioned by the Torah would not long endure without a ritual link to the source of its inspiration.” Thus, the necessity to build a center for worship. The 10th century Jewish scholar, Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, known as Maimonides, recognized that animal sacrifice-so embedded in the minds & hearts of the former Israelite slaves-had to be continued if this new people were to emerge. In order to take control and re-define the sacrificial cult, it was necessary to create one center-the ancient Temple-that would be the only place sacrifices would be offered, and the priests and levites the only one’s permitted to perform the sacrificial ritual. As centuries past, so did the taste for animal sacrifice. Schorsch points out, “While the destruction of the Temple by the Romans (70 c.e.) was surely a political calamity, it did accelerate the development of the synagogue and a liturgy predicated on the spoken word, prayer, the reading of the Torah, and preaching. Unlike the Temple, the synagogue was portable, inclusive, and democratic. Without it, neither the church nor the mosque is conceivable-nor, for that matter, is the survival of Judaism in the Diaspora. Modern Jews deemed worship by sacrifice a stage in the history of Judaism to be transcended.”
The religious fundamentalism that has gripped Islam, is not without a less violent counterpart in Judaism. There are sects of Jews today (albeit, small in number) who long for the re-building of the ancient Temple in Jerusalem. For many of these Jews, the Western Wall (the last remaining remnant of the 2nd Temple) has become more than just a place to pray; but an idol to pray to. Many prayer books still contain the liturgical call to rebuild the Temple, but for the majority of Jews this is understood in metaphorical terms. The only reason for rebuilding the Temple would be to return to animal sacrifice. As a metaphor, the Temple’s rebuilding symbolizes a reunification of God, people, and the world in peace and harmony. A rebuilt Temple becomes a euphemism for the messianic era.
For Jews, the ultimate value is Jerusalem; not the Temple mount. The Temple mount (the present site of two mosques) is negotiable, Jerusalem is not. The ancient Temple, like the portable sanctuary described in the Torah portion, is an important part of the historical foundation upon which Judaism evolved. It served the early growth of Judaism in the same manner as the synagogue serves us now. An eternal people require a place of worship that mirrors eternity. For Jews, it is the Land of Israel whose heart is Jerusalem. As the 19th century Hasidic rebbe, Rabbi Nahman of Bretslav, so poignantly taught, “Wherever I go, I go to Jerusalem.”
Rabbi Howard Siegel |
Yitro posted by Rabbi Siegel on 02/05/10 | Torah Portion: Yitro
Book of Exodus
Chaps. 18:1-20:23
February 5, 2010
This Torah reading is an account of the single-most transformative moment in the history of the Jewish people-God’s revelation on Sinai. In a moment of thunder, lightening, and fire, a mountain lit up and a population of Hebrew slaves became the Jewish people. The acceptance of this pivotal moment is the cornerstone of Judaism, while it’s content is the subject of centuries of theological debate.
The traditional understanding of this seminal moment is that it occurred once, thousands of years ago, and by accepting the Torah, all Jews past, present, and future, became bound by commandments and obligations contained therein. Through the centuries this theological position was always a source of discussion and debate. After the 18th century emancipation of Western European Jewry, Jews began openly questioning their faith in relation to the new opportunities for learning and living in a more open society. By the 20th century, a number of new Jewish denominations (Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, etc) viewed the moment of revelation in many different ways.
The early 20th century German philosophers Martin Buber and Franz Rosenzweig introduced Judaism to existentialism (existence of the individual self as a free and responsible agent). Buber suggested that all God revealed on Sinai was him/herself. There were no words or commandments. Each individual was challenged to openly reveal themselves to God. Revelation was the moment a person-with honesty & openness-approached another equally honest and open. In this moment, and in the space between these two people, stood God. For Buber, “commandments” got in the way of the intimacy he called an “I-Thou” moment.
Franz Rosenzweig, a colleague of Buber, went one step further. He saw commandments and mitzvot as a necessary roadmap to reach the existential moment of Godliness described by Buber. Rosenzweig also departed from the notion that Sinai occurred only once. He wrote that each person has his/her own individual “Sinai” or “aha” moment; a time, place, or experience that changes a person forever.
Mordechai Kaplan, the 20th century father of Reconstructionism, denied the existence of a supernatural God. For Kaplan, God was a part of all life and an integral part of each human. His theology of naturalism also rejected any notion of a supernatural revelation. Kaplan substituted the word “folk ways” for “mitzvot.” Judaism’s essence is its social base, its ethnic presence. The Jews survive because they are a people with a common language, land, and folkways.
The early founders of Conservative Judaism understood revelation in symbolic rather than literal terms. The Torah, the constitution of Judaism, was the product of divinely-inspired people. God was the God of history and each generation understand God and Torah in relation to their times.
And on, and on. Perhaps the only dogma in Judaism is the requirement for a belief in “One” God. How we understand our moment of origin, the Revelation on Mt. Sinai, continues to be a matter of debate, discussion, and a constant belief in unity through diversity. This is the strength of Judaism.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
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Tu B'Shevat posted by Rabbi Siegel on 01/29/10 | Tu B’Shevat (15th of Shevat)
January 29, 2010
“Whenever someone destroys a useful artifact, or rips clothing, demolishes a building, plugs up a spring, or senselessly destroys food, it violates the spirit of the Torah’s “Bal Tashchit/Do Not Destroy” rule. Such actions are disgraceful.” (Maimonides, Mishnah Torah)
Tu B’Shevat, the new year of trees, is a minor celebration in the Jewish calendar. For most of the 20th century it was celebrated in religious schools by purchasing trees to be planted in Israel by the Jewish National Fund. This single-minded campaign is responsible for the remarkable reforesting of the Judean Hills and the Galilee region of Israel. In the late 20th century, with the increased concern over global warming, air & water pollution, and the destruction of the world’s rain forests, Tu B’Shevat gained renewed importance as the Jewish response to environmentalism.
In Leviticus 19:23 it is written, “And when you enter this land, you shall plant fruit-bearing trees.” Even the ancient rabbis understood the practical importance of trees-shelter & sustenance. In our time, and with a far more sophisticated knowledge of science, we have begun to understand our very survival as a species depends upon the growth and protection of trees.
Trees are the largest and longest living organisms on earth. To grow tall the tree has become a miracle of engineering and a complex chemical factory. It is able to take water and salts out of the earth and lift them up to the leaves, sometimes over 400 ft above. By means of photosynthesis the leaves combine the water and salts with carbon dioxide from the air to produce the nutrients which feed the tree. In this process, as well as wood, trees create many chemicals, seeds and fruit of great utility to humankind. Trees also remove carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, from the air.
Trees are of continued importance to the environment. Tropical rain forests are of particular significance; although they now occupy less than 6 per cent of the land surface of the earth they probably sustain more than half of the biological species on the planet.
There is now a real danger that in the not very distant future humankind will destroy a large proportion of the present population of species on earth and create an uninhabitable environment. Tu B’Shevat comes to teach it does not matter whether you believe environmental changes are caused by human negligence or is a natural phenomena. Since the creation of humankind we have assumed a responsibility as caretaker for this world we inherit. We can ill afford to shirk this responsibility. A concern for trees is only the beginning.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
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Bo posted by Rabbi Siegel on 01/22/10 | Torah Portion: Bo
Book of Exodus
Chaps. 10:1-13:16
January 22, 2010
Human beings possess an innate fear of darkness. Years ago, I was director of Camp Solomon Schechter in Olympia, WA. Each summer we took campers on an overnight hike into the adjoining woods. One of the purposes served by this exercise was teaching the campers a respect for the awesomeness of nature. As darkness fell upon the campsite, the first task at hand was building a campfire; not merely for warmth, but subconsciously as a separation from the fears that lurked in the darkness. After sitting around the campfire, we would gather the campers together for a “late night” walk in the woods. . .without flashlights. The slightest noise created fear among many of the campers. Everyone huddled closer together. The campers soon embraced the comfort provided by the light of the moon, but the fear remained until we returned to the safety of the campfire. No one likes to stand in the dark, physically or metaphysically.
Darkness was the 9th plague God brought upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians. The Egyptians worshipped the sun. Darkness was their greatest fear, especially when there was no proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. In fact, the final three plagues are united by the presence of darkness: In the 8th plague the locusts “darkened” the face of the earth and the 10th plague (death of the first-born) took place at midnight.
It is no coincidence that God is often discovered in the “night of our lives.” It is within moments of personal crisis that one turns to God for comfort. God becomes the primordial light when our world is enveloped in darkness. Rabbi Harold Kushner writes, “God is found in our insistence on finding our way through the valley of the shadow, knowing that there is evil in the world, knowing that some of the time the evil may overpower us, yet fearing no evil, “for Thou art with me.”
The 9th plague was intended to destroy the faith of the Egyptian people by blotting out their Sun god with 24-hour darkness. Without the light of hope, how long can one sustain life? Professor Ismar Schorsch writes, “That faith is a compassionate creator also helps to account for the unconventional fact that in Judaism the day begins at nightfall. Yet we greet the new day as our strength wanes because in the darkness we detect the light to come.”
Rabbi Howard Siegel |
Earthquake In Haiti posted by Rabbi Siegel on 01/15/10 | The Haiti Disaster: Emergency Assistance Needed
January 15, 2010
Today is not just a time to “learn” Torah, but to “live it.”
As many as 40,000 or more lives were lost in a matter of minutes in the massive earthquake that rocked Haiti. The larger the number the more difficult it becomes to comprehend. With the sight of dead bodies lying along a roadside or being loaded by a bulldozer into a dump truck, the television screen numbs our senses to the enormity of this disaster. “There, but for the grace of God, go I.”
This moment demands action. In this time of need, donating food and supplies is not as important as contributing money. There is a large number of agencies requesting financial assistance. There is an even larger number of individuals, posing as agencies, using this disaster as an opportunity for a scam. I want to make this easy for you. First, everyone who reads this notice can do something. In the early stages of recovery, the most important work is being done by the International Red Cross. You can text “HAITI” to “90999” and $10 will be donated automatically to the Red Cross and charged to your cell phone bill. For further information and larger donations, check the Red Cross website at redcross.org.
The most important immediate Jewish response to the Haiti earthquake disaster is the American Jewish World Service. If you wish to donate to their efforts go to their website: www.ajws.org.
Torah’s teaching this week is “doing nothing is not an option”.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
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Shemot posted by Rabbi Siegel on 01/08/10 | Torah Portion: Shemot
Book of Exodus
Chaps. 1:1-6:1
January 8, 2010
[This week’s Torah teaching is written by my colleague Rabbi Joyce Newmark of Teaneck, New Jersey. It’s good!]
As we begin reading the book of Shemot/Exodus, the Torah's narrative transitions from the story of a family - Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - to the story of the Jewish people and the two events that shaped our identity - the exodus from Egypt and the giving of Torah at Mount Sinai.
We begin with an account of the birth and early life of Moses. This story's central event is God's revelation and call to Moses at the burning bush. The Torah tells us that one day Moses was tending his father-in-law's sheep when he noticed a burning thorn bush. Moses says, “I must turn aside to look at this marvelous sight.” Then we read, “When God saw that he had turned aside to look, God called to him.” We can easily understand this passage to mean that the burning bush was a test - that it was only after Moses decided to stop and take notice of it that God decided to call him.
It has been suggested that the bush had been burning for some time and that many people had seen it, said to themselves, “Oh, a burning bush, that's cool” - and just kept on walking. What distinguished Moses was that he saw the bush, recognized it as something extraordinary, and stopped to investigate it and try to understand what it meant.
Rabbi Lawrence Kushner sees another test in the burning bush, because the Torah tells us, “the bush was not consumed.” Rabbi Kushner writes: “How long would you have to watch wood burn before you could know whether or not it actually was being consumed? Even dry kindling wood is not burned up for several minutes. . . . God wanted to find out whether or not Moses could pay attention to something for more than a few minutes.” In other words, God wanted a leader who understood that important tasks often require a significant commitment of time.
Today we seem to live in an “attention deficit” culture. Here's something new - try it once, if it's not everything you hoped for, forget it, and move on to the next new thing. For example, every fall (and now in winter and summer as well), television networks heavily promote the season's new shows, but if the ratings are disappointing after one or two episodes, the show is cancelled, never to be seen again.
It's not just television shows. People want instant success and gratification from their jobs, their friends, their fitness programs, and their family lives. “Been there, done that, it didn't work, so I'm outta here.” A congregant once told me she had come to shul one Friday night, “but it wasn't spiritual, so I won't be coming back.”
If you watch a TV show once and decide that it's not for you, there's no real harm done. But the things that matter - a career, good health and fitness, marriage, parenting, a relationship with God - take time. Sometimes you have to invest a lot of time before you see results. If you refuse to make that investment, you will be left with nothing.
Moses turned away from his daily routine to see a burning bush. He stood and watched it and thought about it, and, finally, he realized that the bush continued to burn but was not consumed. It was then that God called to him, because God knew that although taking the Israelites out of Egypt and leading them to the Promised Land would take 40 years, and that those years would be filled with frustration and disappointments, Moses would not abandon his mission - because God's promise was worth waiting for.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
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Vayehi posted by Rabbi Siegel on 01/01/10 | Torah Portion: Vayehi
Book of Genesis
Chaps. 47:28-50:26
January 1, 2010
This portion brings to a close the Book of Genesis. The Patriarchal & Matriarchal period of Jewish history comes to an end. Jacob, after living the final 17 years of his life in Egypt in the care of his son, Joseph, dies. Jacob’s sons fear that following the death of their father, their brother Joseph will finally unleash his vengeance against them for trying to kill him in his youth. Their fears are unfounded as Joseph explains to them:
"Have no fear, for am I in place of God? Though you intended me harm, God intended it for good, in order to accomplish what is now the case, to keep alive a numerous people. Thus did [Joseph] comfort them and speak straight to their hearts (Genesis 50:19-20)."
At no point in Joseph's life did he ever express anger against those who disagreed with him. As a youth, his world view was contrary to that of the rest of his family, including his father. Yet, he never forced his brothers, through acts of verbal coercion, to accept his opinions and outlooks. Joseph gave the appearance of one who, at worst, respectfully disagreed with views he did not share. He understood what his brothers never would: the difference in the pursuit of "truth," as opposed to self-interest.
The famous Scottish author, Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) wrote, "In a controversy, the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves." Anger is not a positive emotion. After having been involved in an argument, if the first response is, "that makes me so angry," then one is no longer interested in the argument, only the "self."
Remember the "good ole days" in Congress, when a Republican would vigorously debate a Democrat and then share dinner together in the evening? The Talmud notes that the ancient schools of Shammai & Hillel, who disagreed with one another on almost every aspect of Jewish observance and law, married their daughters to each other's sons. They understood that the aim of their arguments was not victory, but common progress.
Joseph seemed to know he served a greater purpose than just his own personal aggrandizement. He understood there was a "truth" bigger than him and his brothers. He wasn't willing to waste his precious time in anger, enmity, hatred, or vengeance. He saw the bigger picture; the future. It is only fitting that his death bring to a close the first chapter in the history of the Jewish people.
Happy New Year!
Rabbi Howard Siegel
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Hanukah posted by Rabbi Siegel on 12/11/09 | First Night of Hanukah
December 11, 2009
Hanukah is a wonderful celebration that has captured the attention and imagination of more Jews than any other Jewish celebration of the year. The Hebrew School version of the Hanukah story portrays the “few overcoming the many” in a battle for religious freedom capped off by the “miracle of oil” (one day’s supply of oil keeping the ancient Temple menorah lit for eight days). The story of the ancient Maccabees, and the celebration of Hanukah, are historical realities, albeit, often embellished. This Friday’s edition of the New York Times contained an op-ed piece written by David Brooks, himself a Jew, entitled “The Story of Hanukah.” I have included the article below. Though brief, it offers an “adult” understanding of the history of Hanukah and a more sophisticated insight into the importance of this much-celebrated occasion.
“Tonight Jewish kids will light the menorah, spin their dreidels and get their presents, but Hanukkah is the most adult of holidays. It commemorates an event in which the good guys did horrible things, the bad guys did good things and in which everybody is flummoxed by insoluble conflicts that remain with us today. It’s a holiday that accurately reflects how politics is, how history is, how life is.
With the spread of Greek culture, Alexander’s Empire, and the smaller empires that succeeded it, brought modernizing ideas and institutions to the Middle East. At its best, Hellenistic culture emphasized the power of reason and the importance of individual conscience. It brought theaters, gymnasiums and debating societies to the cities. It raised living standards, especially in places like Jerusalem.
Many Jewish reformers embraced these improvements. The Greeks had one central idea: their aspirations to create an advanced universal culture. And the Jews had their own central idea: the idea of one true God. The reformers wanted to merge these two ideas.
Urbane Jews assimilated parts of Greek culture into their own, taking Greek names like Jason, exercising in the gymnasium and prospering within Greek institutions. Not all Jews assimilated. Some resisted quietly. Others fled to the hills. But Jerusalem did well. The Seleucid dynasty, which had political control over the area, was not merely tolerant; it used imperial money to help promote the diverse religions within its sphere.
In 167 B.C., however, the Seleucid king, Antiochus IV, issued a series of decrees defiling the temple, confiscating wealth and banning Jewish practice, under penalty of death. It’s unclear why he did this. Some historians believe that extremist Jewish reformers were in control and were hoping to wipe out what they saw as the primitive remnants of their faith. Others believe Antiochus thought the Jews were disloyal fifth columnists in his struggle against the Egyptians and, hence, was hoping to assimilate them into his nation.
Regardless, those who refused to eat pork were killed in an early case of pure religious martyrdom.
As Jeffrey Goldberg, who is writing a book on this period, points out, the Jews were slow to revolt. The cultural pressure on Jewish practice had been mounting; it was only when it hit an insane political level that Jewish traditionalists took up arms. When they did, the first person they killed was a fellow Jew.
In the town of Modin, a Jew who was attempting to perform a sacrifice on a new Greek altar was slaughtered by Mattathias, the old head of a priestly family. Mattathias’s five sons, led by Judah Maccabee, then led an insurgent revolt against the regime.
The Jewish civil war raised questions: Who is a Jew? Who gets to define the right level of observance? It also created a spiritual crisis. This was not a battle between tribes. It was a battle between theologies and threw up all sorts of issues about why bad things happen to faithful believers and what happens in the afterlife — issues that would reverberate in the region for centuries, to epic effect.
The Maccabees are best understood as moderate fanatics. They were not in total revolt against Greek culture. They used Greek constitutional language to explain themselves. They created a festival to commemorate their triumph (which is part of Greek, not Jewish, culture). Before long, they were electing their priests.
On the other hand, they were fighting heroically for their traditions and the survival of their faith. If they found uncircumcised Jews, they performed forced circumcisions. They had no interest in religious liberty within the Jewish community and believed religion was a collective regimen, not an individual choice.
They were not the last bunch of angry, bearded religious guys to win an insurgency campaign against a great power in the Middle East, but they may have been among the first. They retook Jerusalem in 164 B.C. and rededicated the temple. Their regime quickly became corrupt, brutal and reactionary. The concept of reform had been discredited by the Hellenizing extremists. Practice stagnated. Scholarship withered. The Maccabees became religious oppressors themselves, fatefully inviting the Romans into Jerusalem.
Generations of Sunday school teachers have turned Hanukkah into the story of unified Jewish bravery against an anti-Semitic Hellenic empire. Settlers in the West Bank tell it as a story of how the Jewish hard-core defeated the corrupt, assimilated Jewish masses. Rabbis later added the lamp miracle to give God at least a bit part in the proceedings.
But there is no erasing the complex ironies of the events, the way progress, heroism and brutality weave through all sides. The Maccabees heroically preserved the Jewish faith. But there is no honest way to tell their story as a self-congratulatory morality tale. The lesson of Hanukkah is that even the struggles that saved a people are dappled with tragic irony, complexity and unattractive choices.”
What do you think about Hanukah, now? How does it speak to us today? Hmm.
Rabbi Howard Siegel |
Vayishlach posted by Rabbi Siegel on 12/04/09 | Torah Portion: Vayishlach
Book of Genesis
Chaps. 32:4-36:43
December 4, 2009
To date, the patriarch Jacob’s life has been one of deception and disappointment. From birth, Jacob was to be the “chosen one”-the son who would carry on the journey of his grandfather Abraham. Could it be that parental expectations were too great? Did Jacob believe the only way he could please his mother Rebecca’s hopes for him was by taking advantage of others? Did the pressure of growing up in the tent of Isaac and Rebecca destroy Jacob’s self-esteem and undermine his confidence?
In the 50’s and 60’s there were a number of TV sitcoms purporting to reflect a normal American family. There was Ozzie & Harriet where every evening the family sat down to a meal and discussed inane happenings of the day. Curiously, never once did the father Ozzie go to work! Leave It To Beaver chronicled the daily routine of little Beaver Cleaver and his older brother Wally. Each day began with a family breakfast and concluded with a family dinner. Father Knows Best injected the caring physician and father into the mix. Any family that didn’t measure up to these standards was considered dysfunctional. The truth is more of us than not encountered some level of dysfunction in growing up. Most of us entered adult life carrying at least some troubling baggage from youth.
In trying to understand Jacob’s story, there is the gnawing question, “Who’s fault is it?” Did his parents, his mother in particular, permanently injure his character through unreal expectations? How about us? Are we permanently maimed by being raised in a dysfunctional environment? Is our parents divorce the reason for our bitterness and unhappiness? Was the lack of parental attention and affection the reason we are the way we are today? The answer to all these questions is maybe yes, maybe no. The questions that should be asked are, “Are we living a life of excuses? Do we have to be the way we are? Can we change?”
In this week’s Torah portion, Jacob has a dream in which he enters into a wrestling match with an angel. In the end, he prevails and as a condition for releasing the angel Jacob demands a blessing. The angel responds, “What is your name?” He replied, “Jacob.” Said he, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with beings divine and human, and prevailed (Gen. 32:28-29).” If we understand the angel as a metaphor for Jacob’s conscience, then we have a person grappling with who he was and who he wants to be. In the end, Jacob prevails. He realizes he cannot escape his past but neither does he have to be defined by it. No longer will he be Jacob (literally, “he who held on to the heel of his brother”), but Israel (literally, “he who wrestled with God”).
None of us can deny our past. It is a part of who we are. Like Jacob, we possess the power to change the elements of personality and character we are not proud of. If we can learn to accept that a certain level of dysfunction occurs in the lives of all children, then as adults we have the ability to sift through the baggage of youth and make of ourselves the type of person our parents wanted us to be. The late Rabbi Mordechai Kaplan said it best when he wrote, “We [each individual human] possess the power making for salvation.”
Rabbi Howard Siegel
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Vayetze posted by Rabbi Siegel on 11/27/09 | Torah Portion: Vayetze
Book of Genesis
Chaps. 28:10-32:3
November 27, 2009
Among the secular holidays, Thanksgiving stands out as a time when we tend to focus on the past; memories of Thanksgiving gatherings and family celebrations from our youth. For many, it’s a day to reflectively understand what our parents and family members mean to us. Sure, they made a few mistakes, but who doesn’t? Perhaps, they were not everything we wanted them to be, but as we grew older it was amazing how much they learned (with a nod to Mark Twain)! One’s maturity is directly linked to the moment he/she is able to finally reconcile childhood issues of growing up with a love for those closest to us.
It took the patriarch Jacob 20 years to learn this lesson. Fearing a reprisal from his brother Esau for cheating him out of first his birthright and later his blessing, Jacob runs away from home taking refuge with his Uncle Laban. After 20 years, 2 wives, 2 handmaids, 12 sons, and 1 daughter, Jacob approaches his uncle and requests, “Give me leave to go back to my own homeland (Gen. 30:25).” Having nurtured his own large family and acquired great wealth, Jacob realizes an emptiness still exists; a longing to re-connect with his brother and those who made his life possible. It was time to go home.
Thanksgiving is about going home! It’s about re-visiting memories of good times and bad with the people who shaped our lives. Unlike a birthday, anniversary, or even Hanukkah celebration, people seldom bring material gifts to the Thanksgiving table, instead they bring something more important. . .themselves. The gift brought on Thanksgiving is another chance to love and be loved, to cherish and be cherished, by those who in spite of moments of disappointment still mean a great deal to us. It is no surprise that Thanksgiving is the busiest time of year for the travel industry. Human beings seem to possess an innate desire to re-connect.
The meaning of Thanksgiving, the significance of “going home,” is captured in the words of Rabbi Harold Kushner who shares the following story: “I was sitting on a beach one summer day, watching two children, a boy and a girl, playing in the sand. They were hard at work building an elaborate sand castle by the water’s edge, with gates and towers and moats and internal passages. Just when they had nearly finished their project, a big wave came along and knocked it down, reducing it to a heap of wet sand. I expected the children to burst into tears, devastated by what had happened to all their hard work. But they surprised me. Instead, they ran up the shore away from the water, laughing and holding hands, and sat down to build another castle. I realized that they had taught me an important lesson. All the things in our lives, all the complicated structures we spend so much time and energy creating, are built on sand. Only our relationships to other people endure. Sooner or later, the wave will come along and knock down what we have worked so hard to build up. When that happens, only the person who has somebody’s hand to hold will be able to laugh.”
Happy Thanksgiving weekend!
Rabbi Howard Siegel
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Toldot posted by Rabbi Siegel on 11/20/09 | Torah Portion: Toldot
Book of Genesis
Chaps. 26:1-28:9
November 20, 2009
Alan Dershowitz teaches and preaches law in the classroom, courtroom, and on television. His expert interest in constitutional law goes beyond just the U.S. Constitution to include the constitution of the Jewish people: Torah. He has even authored a text entitled “The Genesis of Justice”; a commentary on the Book of Genesis.
Dershowitz writes, “The entire Book of Genesis is about the early development of justice in human society. Jacob is born into a world with few rules and many inconsistent precedents regarding deception. His father and grandfather, Isaac and Abraham, pretended their wives were their sisters in order to save their own lives. Moreover, his God is inconsistent in carrying out threats and promises. The result is a violent and lawless world.”
A considerable body of Midrash (Jewish legend) was written to find moral justification for Jacob’s early behavior. He is a person who cheats his twin brother, Esau, out of his birthright: “And Esau said to Jacob: Let me swallow, I pray, some of this red, red lentil soup for I am faint. . . . And Jacob said to Esau: Sell me first your birthright (Gen. 25:30 & 31)”. Then Jacob attempts to cheat his brother out of his rightful blessing by disguising himself as Esau: “And Jacob said to his father: I am Esau, your first-born son (Gen. 27:19)”).
If one is honest to the text, there can be no moral justification for Jacob’s early actions. The most that can be said is he was acting in the same manner as his father and grandfather, both of whom saved their lives by asking their wives to pass themselves off as their respective sisters (with regard to Abraham, see Gen. 12:11-20, and with regard to Isaac, see Gen. 26:1-12). In a world still lacking in lawful and ethical standards, deception was treated as “just another way” of doing business. Jacob followed in the footsteps of his ancestors.
As a child, I was taught “when you have a dance, you have to pay the band,” meaning, unless you’re willing to accept the consequences of your actions, don’t do it! Jacob paid the price for his deception; he was deceived by his Uncle Laban. He also suffered from the later actions of his own sons who deceived him into believing his beloved son, Joseph, was dead.
As parents we must be constantly aware of the example we set for our children, and as adults we must be able to embrace the maturity required to leave the unnecessary baggage of youth behind.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
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Chaye Sarah posted by Rabbi Siegel on 11/12/09 | Torah Portion: Haye Sarah
Book of Genesis
Chaps. 23:1-25:18
November 12, 2009
“And the life of Sarah was a hundred years and seven years and twenty years: these were the years of the life of Sarah.”
(Gen. 23:1)
Whenever the Torah begins with the phrase “and the life of. . .”, it is coming to report a death. What is curious about the above verse is the way in which the Torah reports Sarah’s age at death. It could have simply written, “and the life of Sarah was a hundred and twenty-seven years.” Instead, it writes “a hundred years and seven years and twenty years.” The repetition of the word “years” prompted the 10th century Bible scholar Rabbi Shlomo ben Yitzhaki (known by the acronym “Rashi”) to explain, “The reason the word “year” is written at every term is to tell you that each term must be explained by itself as a complete number. At the age of one hundred she was a a woman of twenty in regard to her innocence. . .and when she was twenty she was as beautiful as when she was seven.”
Rashi teaches that one’s chronological age is merely a number, not a measure of one’s life. Sarah was as vibrant in spirit at 100 as she was at 20, and at 20 as youthful as at 7! No artificial makeover was necessary. Sarah was who she always was. Lest we think times were different then; people were less vain, don’t forget it was this same Sarah who, when told by God she would give birth to a son in her nineties, laughed and said, “Now that I am withered, am I to have enjoyment-with my husband so old?” She was conscious of the physical toll life had taken, but refused to let it define her.
With the aging of the 20th century “baby boomers”, a culture of “youth” has taken hold. Many people today define themselves not in terms of who they are, but what they look like. To paraphrase Rashi, what is important is not to be at hundred years like you were at twenty, but to physically appear at hundred years like you were at twenty! Entire industries have been created to make this dream a reality. A worship of God has been replaced by a worship of the body.
If the goal in Jewish life is to emulate God then being young at hundred means maintaining the youthful drive for a better world, continued intellectual pursuit and a moral/ethical innocence. The body is merely the shell serving as a vehicle for the character and personality of our strivings. As with any vehicle, we have the responsibility to keep it in shape, but it can never be a replacement for who we really are.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
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Vayera posted by Rabbi Siegel on 11/06/09 | Torah Portion: Vayera
Book of Genesis
Chaps. 18:1-22:24
November 6, 2009
When there exists a tension between human love and divine will, what wins out? Does one’s love for family and friends take precedence over divine expectation or does God’s will trump all?
Sarah says to Abraham, “Cast out that slave woman and her son (Gen. 21:10).” “The matter distressed Abraham greatly, for it concerned his [first-born] son [Ishmael]. . . . [And God said to Abraham] As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a nation of him, too, for he is your seed (Gen. 21:11 & 13).” Abraham thus expelled Hagar and Ishmael from his house.
Sarah’s jealousy toward the son of her handmaid drives her to demand their expulsion. Abraham demonstrates a strong sense of compassion and concern, but his natural feelings give way to the divine scheme in which Isaac, Ishmael, and their descendents will have a special place in history.
The same theme occurs in the concluding section of this Torah portion when God tells Abraham: “Take your son, your favored one, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the heights that I will point out to you (Gen. 22:2).” Does Abraham argue with God for the life of his son? “Early the next morning, Abraham saddled his ass and took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. . .and set out for the place of which God had told him (Gen. 22:3).”
After expelling his first son, Ishmael, God now demands that Abraham offer up his other son, Isaac, as a sacrifice. Here, too, Abraham’s love for his child is pitted against the demands of God. Rabbi Gunther Plaut points out, “Both deal with the mysterious purposes of the One who encompasses the whole world and is at the same time the guiding Force of the people of Abraham and Isaac.”
Abraham’s behavior seems so foreign to us. Like Job, it’s easy to believe in God when it requires little demand or sacrifice, but when confronted with ultimate sacrifice (in the case of Abraham, his own son) are we still willing to heed a divine calling? In truth, God exists in this world only when good people heed the divine command to work toward bettering the lives of those around them, even at the risk of sacrifice. Professor Abraham Joshua Heschel said it best when he remarked, “God is waiting on every road that leads from intention to action, from desire to satisfaction.”
In the end, it was only a test, but-according to which midrash (legend) you read-Abraham was willing to act on God’s command. The medieval commentator Joseph Albo wrote, “The reward for potential good deeds is less than the reward for actual good deeds.” That Abraham was willing to not just give “lip service” to God’s word, but to act on it demonstrated the depth of his faith, commitment, and devotion to God and the future of the Jewish people.
There is a famous phrase in the Siddur (prayer book) that concludes a moment of personal meditation: May the words of [our] mouths and the meditations of [our] hearts be acceptable to You, O Lord. I might add, “and may there acceptance result not in more words but worthy deeds.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
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Lech Lecha posted by Rabbi Siegel on 10/30/09 | Torah Portion: Lech Lecha
Book of Genesis
Chaps. 12:1-17:27
October 30, 2009
The founders of the modern State of Israel envisioned a mass aliyah (immigration) from wherever a Jew lived, including North America. It never happened. With a few exceptions, Israel has remained an ingathering for Jews living in oppression-Yemen, Syria, former Soviet Union, Argentina (during its economic fall-out), and Ethiopia. Even non-Jewish refugees-like the Vietnamese “boat people” of the ‘70’s-found sanctuary in Israel. The reticence of a Jewish population to leave its land of birth, even for a State of Israel, is not an historical anomaly.
It was not the idealistic initiative of Abraham to pick up, leave his parents and place of birth, and head for an unknown location (Canaan). It was God who had to tell Abraham, in no uncertain words, “Lech Lecha”-literally, “Get outta here!” Had he not heeded this command, the theological prominence of a belief in One God may not have taken root; the Jewish people might never have been.
In the 5th century b.c.e., when the Persian leader Cyrus permitted Jews to return from exile in Persia to rebuild the 2nd Temple in Jerusalem, only a handful complied. The majority of the Jewish exiles were quite comfortable where they were. Even when times were not so good, Jews still identified with the lands of their birth. During the 15th century Inquisition in Spain, more than half the Jewish population chose to convert to Catholicism rather than face the prospect of expulsion. During the days leading up to the Holocaust, most German Jews refused to believe that the “Fatherland” would turn on them.
We live at a rare moment in history; a time when a strong and vibrant Jewish state exists. Yet, American Jews remain unwilling to give up their land of birth, even for a Jewish homeland. As a people we have never strived to be separate and apart but accepted and included. Even as we dreamt and prayed for a “Shevat Tzion”-Return to the Land of Zion, we unconsciously wanted nothing more than to be considered “normal” like everyone else. Though history continually reminds us we are not like everyone else, we still refuse to give up the dream. This is why every generation needs an Abraham to be reminded at least once, “Lech Lecha”-Get Outta Here! Except in our day, we have a place to go!
Rabbi Howard Siegel |
Noah posted by Rabbi Siegel on 10/23/09 | Torah Portion: Noah
Book of Genesis
Chaps. 6:9-11:32
October 23, 2009
Having recently concluded another holiday season, we should keep in mind it’s primary message: Tshuvah/repent, return, and begin, again. One should not wait until next year to evaluate the worthiness of one’s deeds, actions, and words. This is a process that goes on “24/7.” In part, this is the message delivered in the story of Noah and the Ark.
“The earth became corrupt before God; the earth was filled with lawlessness. . . God said to Noah, ‘I have decided to put an end to all flesh, for the earth is filled with lawlessness because of them: I am about to destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an ark. . .” (Gen. 6:11-14). Targum Onkelos, an ancient Aramaic translation of the Torah, tried to understand God’s reasoning and purpose by offering a twist to the translation of Gen. 6:3. The original Hebrew seemed to express a frustration on behalf of God toward his/her creation: “My breath shall not abide in man forever, since he is but flesh; let the days allowed him be 120 years.” Onkelos translated the verse, “And God said this evil generation shall not endure before Me forever; for they are flesh and their deeds are evil. I will grant them an extension of 120 years, to see if they repent.”
The 10th century French Bible scholar, Rashi, picked up on the Aramaic translation and further noted, “God instructed Noah to begin building his ark long before the onset of the flood in the hope that people would ask him its purpose and be moved to repent.”
Understood in this manner, it was never God’s desire to destroy the earth. People would see Noah building this ark and ask him, “Why?” He would tell them God has given up on humankind and intends to destroy the world. They, in turn, would work to rehabilitate society and God would rescind the order. We know what happened!
The message is clear. We always have the chance to re-direct our actions, until it’s too late. We know we are depleting our natural resources and polluting the environment. We have been warned of what might happen if we do nothing. While there are those who refuse to accept scientific evidence of human harm to the environment, there are many more who are investing time and money in alternative energy sources and “green” technology. Whether humankind has a significant impact on global warming or not, learning to live a more ecologically-balanced life style can only be good for us and the world we live in.
The teachings of some of the ancient scholars suggest it was not God who destroyed the world but humankind through collective inaction to the threat that stood before them. Is it any different for us, in our day?
Rabbi Howard Siegel |
Bereishet posted by Rabbi Siegel on 10/16/09 | Torah Portion: Bereishet
Chaps. 1:1-6:8
October 16, 2009
And we begin, again! The 1st chapter of Genesis contains the famous creation story. On the 6th day God created humankind. In an ancient legend (midrash) it is written, “When the Holy One came to create Adam, the ministering angels formed themselves into groups and parties, some of them saying, “Let him be created,” while others urged, “Let him not be created.” Love said, “Let him be created, because he will dispense acts of love”; Truth said, “Let him not be created, because he will be a creature of lies”; Righteousness said, “Let him be created because he will perform righteous deeds”; Peace said, “Let him not be created, because he will lead to confrontation and war.” What did God do? He took Truth and cast it to the earth. Said the ministering angels before the Holy One, “Sovereign of the universe! Why do you cast away Truth?” God responded, “Let truth spring up from the earth (Psalm 85:12).”
The 18th century Eastern European Torah scholar Menahem Mendel of Kotzk (affectionately known as the “Kotzker Rebbe”) was confused by the above teaching. He explained it as follows: “What good would it do to only banish Truth? Peace, which had also argued against the creation of human beings, still remained. The answer is that in banishing Truth, obviously there would be Peace. For the root of quarreling is that everyone battles for his own truth. But if Truth is pushed off to one side, then there is nothing left to argue about, no one to denounce Peace!”
In the universe of faith, there exists one source of Truth-God. Having cast Truth to the earth, the Midrash describes an ideal peaceful world committed to the life-long search for Truth. The teaching also realizes then, as now, when individuals or communities of individuals invest themselves with their own truth, the result is division, confrontation, and war.
There are universal truths, national truths, political truths, and worst of all, religious truths. My god is greater than your god. My god requires the annihilation of disbelievers and heretics. My god only grants salvation to people who swear their allegiance to him. My god does not permit the evils of modern medicine. My god hates your god because your god is godless, and so on.
The midrash and the commentary of the Kotzker Rebbe are making the same point: The Light of Truth gives off more than one ray. Ours is not to denounce other religious traditions, but to respect them and work with them in a common and peaceful search for the ultimate good-Truth. The search begins this week as we embark on a new cycle of Torah study.
Rabbi Howard Siegel |
Sukkot 5770 posted by Rabbi Siegel on 10/02/09 | Sukkot
October 2, 2009
(reprint from 2006)
This evening marks the beginning of the eight-day festival of Sukkot. A "Sukkah" is a small structure-often referred to as a "booth"- that in former times was constructed in the fields during the autumn harvest for the farmer to live in while protecting his crops from theft. The holiday is referred to in the Torah where the "Sukkah" has become synonymous with the tents the Israelites lived in during their 40 years of wandering.
In our day, Jewish tradition calls upon Jews to construct a Sukkah outside the comforts of their home. Many eat their meals in the Sukkah during the festival and some even sleep in it. Jewish law is rather precise with regard to how the Sukkah is built. The walls may be constructed of any material. Two complete walls and a part of a third will satisfy the minimum requirements and it should be strong enough to withstand the impact of ordinary winds. It is a temporary structure erected in the open air, under the sky and the ceiling is to be covered with cut branches. The branches on top should be loose enough so that one can see the sky, yet thick enough so that the shadow it casts on the ground exceeds the light thrown by the sun.
Sukkot is the Jewish thanksgiving. As such, it is also traditional to decorate the Sukkah with various fruits and vegetables symbolizing the harvest.
Rabbi Harold Kushner suggests a more contemporary understanding of the Sukkah and the holiday of Sukkot (plural of "Sukkah"). Rabbi Kushner sees the temporary, often flimsy, construction of a Sukkah as a way of saying "when part of your world collapses, make due with what you have left!” The holiday of Sukkot teaches us that Thanksgiving is about giving thanks for all the blessings we have: Those we take for granted, those we discover in times of crisis, and those that still remain when all else is gone.
What better place to appreciate-at least once a year-what we have than a Sukkah which reflects how little we need when we have God.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center
Director |
Rosh Hashanah 5770 posted by Rabbi Siegel on 09/18/09 | Rosh Hashanah 5770
September 18, 2009
Rosh Hashanah-the beginning of a new year of Jewish life & living-is defined by change; things change, time changes, and so do people. Nature instinctively sheds its seasonal appearance only to re-emerge with renewed beauty in the spring. Humankind is not so instinctive. For us, change becomes a choice. We can shed the habits and behavior that have held us back, or not. As the Torah so poignantly states, “I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life!” (Deut. 30:19).
My colleague and friend, Rabbi Elie Spitz, offers the following teaching on this, the eve of a new year: “Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel said that we should live our lives as if painting a work of art. I read that infrared photographs of the Mona Lisa revealed that Leonardo da Vinci had repainted parts of his masterpiece. “Aha,” I thought, “we can repaint.”
“Each relationship provides a canvas. Where we have failed our children or our life partners, we can repaint or fill in the canvas. Repair is often adding a bit more love, steadiness, or attention to make up for past conflict, neglect, or foolishness. Like a work of art, our relationships need the perspective of a full canvas, allowing us to appreciate the dark lines, drab patches, and the bright colors. These different moods and moments can be part of a coherent, attractive whole.”
“The meaning of the word Tshuvah is “to return.” This is the season for teshuvah. We can re-vision, revise and augment the canvases of our lives. We can make them more whole, more holy, more evocative of an embracing smile with each act, with each stroke of color.”
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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Shoftim posted by Rabbi Siegel on 08/21/09 | Torah Portion: Shoftim
Book of Deuteronomy
Chaps. 16:18-21:9
August 21, 2009
“Justice, Justice shall you pursue that you may thrive and occupy the land that the Lord your God is giving you” (Deut. 16:20)
This pithy verse is the foundation piece and moral underpinning of Jewish law and practice. Abraham Joshua Heschel suggests this statement implies more that just respecting and following justice; “we must actively pursue it!”
The New York Times reported this morning, “Over ferocious American objections, Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, the only person convicted in the1988 Lockerbie jet bombing, flew home to a jubilant welcome in Libya on Thursday night after the Scottish government ordered his release on compassionate grounds. . . .he had served 8 years of a 27-year minimum sentence on charges of murdering 270 people in Britain’s worst terrorist episode.” Mr. Megrahi is reported suffering terminal prostate cancer and has only months to live.
The person responsible for making the decision to release Megrahi on compassionate grounds was Scotland’s justice minister, Kenny MacAskill. In his statement to the press, MacAskill said, "Mr. Al Megrahi did not show his victims any comfort or compassion. They were not allowed to return to the bosom of their families to see out their lives, let alone their dying days. No compassion was shown by him to them. But that alone is not a reason for us to deny compassion to him and his family in his final days. Our justice system demands that judgment be imposed but compassion be available. Our beliefs dictate that justice be served, but mercy be shown. Compassion and mercy are about upholding the beliefs that we seek to live by, remaining true to our values as a people. No matter the severity of the provocation or the atrocity perpetrated. For these reasons - and these reasons alone - it is my decision that Mr. Abdel baset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi, convicted in 2001 for the Lockerbie bombing, now terminally ill with prostate cancer, be released on compassionate grounds and allowed to return to Libya to die."
Several countries, including the United States, protested vehemently the actions of the Scottish government. How can a dispassionate murderer of 270 innocent civilians be shown compassion? At the very least, shouldn’t he be required to serve out his sentence even if it means dying in prison? Where is the logic and reason in permitting him to spend his final days with his family, when he so callously took the same privilege away from 270 others? Sounds like a “no-brainer,” except for one matter: what does “Justice, Justice You Shall Pursue” mean?
Many biblical and rabbinic commentators agree that the repetition of the word “Justice” conveys the idea that the pursuit of justice is not only the responsibility of government, of judges within society, but also a mitzvah for each individual. One may not say, “Let the courts worry about right and wrong or justice and injustice. I will remain silent.” Mr. MacAskill’s decision is a challenge to our moral/ethical value system. Because the perpetrator showed no compassion in his actions, should we respond to him in like fashion? He was not sentenced to death, but to a minimum prison term of 27 years. As the minister stated, “Our beliefs dictate that justice be served, but mercy be shown. Compassion and mercy are about upholding the beliefs that we seek to live by, remaining true to our values as a people. No matter the severity of the provocation or the atrocity perpetrated.” Justice is not about vengeance, it is about maintaining a social contract protecting the rights and freedoms of individuals. Is compassion not also an element in justice?
I am as perplexed as you are with this action, but a large degree of my perplexity is in trying to make sense of justice, mercy, compassion, and the gut reaction to seek vengeance. I do not want to present the perpetrator with even a posthumous victory knowing I abandoned my ideals to stoop to his level.
Elie Wiesel tells the following story: “There was a righteous man of Sodom, who walked the streets protesting against the injustice of his city. People made fun of him, derided him. Finally, a young person asked: “Why do you continue your protest against evil; can't you see no one is paying attention to you?” He answered, “I’ll tell you why I continue. In the beginning I thought I would change people. Today, I know I cannot. Yet, if I continue my protest, at least I will prevent others from changing me.”
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Eikev posted by Rabbi Siegel on 08/07/09 | Torah Portion: Eikev
Book of Deuteronomy
Chaps. 7:12-11:25
August 7, 2009
Terrorism has made a large percentage of Americans distrustful of Arabs and Muslims. Illegal immigration has hardened the hearts of many toward Mexicans. Torah speaks loudly and clearly to a growing dispassion and insensitivity toward other races and creeds.
“For the Lord your God is God supreme and Lord supreme, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who shows no favor and takes no bribe, but upholds the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and befriends the stranger, providing him with food and clothing. You too must befriend the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” (Deut. 10:17-19)
The injunction to remember “you were strangers in the Land of Egypt,” appears no less than 36 times in the Hebrew Bible. The fact it is mentioned so many times suggests at least two concerns: 1) It must be of utmost importance, and 2) it must be a significant problem even among the ancient Israelites. Modernity has not wiped clean humankind’s continued inclination toward making judgments about others based on racial, geographical or theological persuasion. Whether it be the African-American man in Bellaire, Texas, shot by police in front of his home for being suspected of stealing his own car, or a person sending friends e-mail messages containing mean and spiteful attachments attacking Arabs, or neo-conservative organizations committed to denying any basic human right to illegal immigrants. In many instances the perpetrators deny being racists, portraying themselves as the last line of defense for the American way of life. 2,000 years ago, yesterday, or today, this is why the Bible needs to reiterate over and over again, “You too must befriend the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”
The late contemporary Torah commentator, Pinchas Peli, eloquently frames the discussion: “The proper treatment of the stranger which the Bible requires of us does not remain in the realm of lofty ideals paying lip-service to human rights in general. It is spelled out over and over again, in concrete terms. It must be expressed in equality in law and justice (Leviticus 24:22), in equal working conditions and equal pay for labor (Deuteronomy 24:14), an equal share in welfare support (Leviticus 25:35), and above all in respect and love. This last requirement, love, being the hardest, is repeated several times, and reaches its peak in the Code of Holiness (Leviticus 19:33): “And if the stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. The stranger. . .shall be to you as the home-born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”
Peli goes on to note, “Love him like yourself” could very well mean, love him because he is like yourself.” There are bad people in this world, but because some of them are Arab or Muslim does not mean all Arabs and Muslims are innately bad. There are illegal immigrants who have engaged in harmful criminal activity, but this should not cast aspersion on the those who entered this country, without the proper papers, in search of a better life for them and their families. Bigotry and racism have an uncanny way of appearing in the guise of “justice and righteousness.” The Bible emphatically instructs us to beware, never forgetting our responsibility to all humanity, especially the downtrodden. Remember, we “were strangers in Egypt.” We know all too well what it was like.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Va'et'chanan posted by Rabbi Siegel on 07/31/09 | Torah Portion: Va’et’chanan
Book of Deuteronomy
Chaps. 3:23-7:11
July 31, 2009
“Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Ehad”
Hear, O Israel! The Lord is Our God, the Lord alone (Deut. 6:4)
This single verse is commonly referred to as the most important statement, or prayer, in Jewish life. The Eitz Hayim Chumash commentary writes, “How did the “Shema” become the quintessential Jewish prayer, when technically it is not a prayer at all? (Prayers are addressed to God; the Shema is addressed to the Israelites.) Probably because it contains in just a few lines the basic theological commitments of Judaism: That there is a God; that there is only one God; that God is not only singular but also unique-no other being is like God; that the Jewish people have a specially intimate relationship with God and that we are commanded as Jews to love God wholeheartedly, to study God’s word, and to teach God’s word to our children.”
One midrash (Jewish legend) suggests the origin of this verse came in the final moments of Jacob’s life. His name had been changed from “Jacob” to “Israel.” As death approached, his sons gathered around to assure him they would carry on his traditions and those of their great grandfather Abraham-Listen, our father Israel, we share your belief that The Lord Is Our God, The Lord Alone.
The most important words in this one-line Jewish pledge of allegiance are the first (“Shema/Listen”) and the last “Ehad/The Lord Alone”).
Listen! Prayer is not just about talking to God, but listening to what God has to say. For the Jew, God’s word is the Torah. The late chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary, Professor Louis Finkelstein, wrote, “When I pray, I speak to God. When I study Torah, God speaks to me.” The imminent 20th century theologian Abraham Joshua Heschel expanded upon this theme by writing, “Jewish prayer is an act of listening. We do not bring forth our own words. The self is silent; the spirit of the people Israel speaks. In prayer, we listen to what the words convey.”
The Lord Alone! Another profound rabbi, scholar, and theologian of the 20th century, Rabbi Milton Steinberg, had this to say with regard to the “oneness” of God. “What do we mean when we proclaim that God is one? First, we reject the claim that God is none, that there is no God and the world is the product of random chance. Second, we reject the claim that God is two, a god of good and a god of evil. Jewish theology does not explain evil by positing a devil, a force of wickedness as powerful as God. Human misuse of our power to choose causes most of the evil in the world. And third, we reject the claim God is many, that there are many deities, each specializing in one aspect of life or another. Only when God is One can we speak of a single moral law, of behavior being right or wrong in the sight of God.”
And the Jew recites these words every morning and evening. They are the centerpiece of the Shaharit (morning) and Ma’ariv (evening) religious service. They are often the first Hebrew prayer a child learns and the final spoken words prior to death. It is one brief verse whose depth of meaning is limitless; whose place in time infinite.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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Devarim posted by Rabbi Siegel on 07/24/09 | Torah Portion: Devarim
Book of Deuteronomy
Chaps. 1:1-3:22
“These are the words that Moses addressed to all Israel on the other side of the Jordan” (Deut. 1:1). And, with this introductory statement the final book of the Torah (Deuteronomy) begins. Ostensibly, the book is a collection of final discourses delivered by Moses to the Israelites prior to their entry into the Promised Land. The speeches are a combination of the history of 40-years in the desert and final behavioral/moral instructions for entering the Promised Land. On the surface, a good portion of these discourses can be taken as the words of an angry old man-Moses-who has put up with this stiff-necked people only to be deprived of accompanying them into the Land flowing with milk and honey. In point of fact, the truths Torah teaches are almost never on the surface.
The 18th century Torah scholar Rabbi Simchah Bunem of Prszysucha explains the first verse of Deuteronomy (“These are the words. . .”): “The word that Moses spoke depended on all Israel, to each one according to his or her character and age, his or her understanding and level of perception, each one according to his or her measure.” How could Moses deliver one speech to all Israel? Rabbi Bunem suggests that there exists a significant difference between “speaking” and “hearing.” Moses might have delivered one speech, but it was heard in many different ways. The words were understood according to one’s character, age, experience, and intellect. Moses said what he said, but the people heard what they wanted to hear.
The High Holidays (Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur) are an opportunity for the congregational rabbi to reach more congregants at one time in one place than any other time of the year. Therefore, the rabbi invests considerable time in preparing his/her High Holiday sermons. Ideas are formulated, rough drafts written and then re-written, edited and then re-edited until a final well-crafted sermon is in place. The moment arrives, the words are spoken, and the rabbi takes solace in knowing his/her message has been delivered. Then, the service ends. Having “been there and done that”, it never ceases to amaze me how many different interpretations and understandings are given this one speech. Some of my best sermons were successful not for the spoken message I had intended, but for what was actually heard.
Whether it be in a synagogue, classroom, political rally, or a simple conversation, one parses the spoken word in relation to themselves and their concerns. The vibrancy of Judaism lies in its willingness to celebrate different ideas, interpret different meanings, and respect the diversity in humankind. We are all witnesses to the same symphony of words, yet we each in our own way “march to the beat of a different drummer.”
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
On Vacation posted by Rabbi Siegel on 07/02/09 | Rabbi Siegel is on vacation. Weekly Torah postings will return on Friday, July 24, 2009. Until then, please check the archives by clicking on the "Archives" button on the bottom of this page. |
Shelach Lecha posted by Rabbi Siegel on 06/19/09 | Torah Portion: Shelach Lecha
Book of Numbers
Chaps. 13:1-15:41
June 19, 2009
“The Lord said to Moses: Send some men to explore the Land of Canaan, which I am giving the Israelites (Numbers 13:1).”
This week’s Torah portion deals with a fact-finding mission to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the Promised Land. Moses assigns twelve leaders-one from each tribe-to scout out the land and report back. The chosen men perform their task and ten of the twelve report that the Promised Land is not so promising! The rest of the Torah portion presents a challenge to Moses’ leadership and the entire mission. There is much to be said, written, and learned from these chapters in the Book of Numbers. On this particular week, I want to focus on one verse (above), and, within the verse, one word: Explore!
This will be the last Torah posting until the first week in August. On Monday, I set out on my annual trip to the land of my youth: the Pacific Northwest. As a youngster, I remember traveling with my mother and grandparents on long road trips on hot summer days to this place or that. I can still hear myself reciting those time-honored words, “Are we there, yet?” The proverbial “apples do not fall far from the trees”. As an adult, I much prefer the “road” trip to flying. Especially the 5-day journey between Houston and Seattle. There are so many different routes one may take. One can choose to travel from Texas to Denver, through the Rockies to Salt Lake City, through Idaho, and across Washington state. Or, go north through Oklahoma, Kansas, Wyoming, and western Montana. Maybe you want to cut through Yellowstone or Glacier National Park. The trip might include the famous Independence Pass in the Rockies leading to Aspen, Colorado or from the Grand Tetons in Wyoming to Sun Valley/Ketchum, Idaho. It’s all there, and more. God’s creations and beauty just waiting to be discovered, explored, pondered and meditated. This cannot be achieved from 40,000 feet up, traveling at speeds in excess of 500 miles per hour. It can barely be accomplished at 60 miles per hour, but at least you have the opportunity to pull over, stop and smell the roses!
For the next few weeks I will travel to different towns & cities, visit old friends (in particular, 4 high school buddies in Whitefish, Montana), spend time with children & grandchildren, and be inspired by the wheat fields and mountains, lakes and oceans, and the people who inhabit these places. Coincidentally, this was the same mission directive given my Moses to the 12 scouts.
In a world determined to go places and do things more quickly, sometimes one needs to slow down. Next week I plan to be standing on a mountain, or swimming in a lake, or taking in an ocean sunset from an island in Puget Sound. What better way to seek inspiration and meaning than through exploration of God’s world. Maybe just once, leave the plane at home and take the car!
Have a restful and fulfilling summer.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
|
B'ha-alot'kha posted by Rabbi Siegel on 06/13/09 | Torah Portion: B’ha-alot’kha
Book of Numbers
Chaps. 8:1-12:16
June 12, 2009
Speaking of “tooting one’s own horn,” chapter 10 of the Book of Numbers begins by stating:
“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Make for yourself two silver trumpets.”
The Torah goes on to explain that the horns will be sounded to assemble the people, when going to war, and for joyous occasions and holidays. The Eitz Hayim Humash commentary notes, “At God’s command, the trumpets sound and the people assemble in marching formation. The use of the trumpets is Israel’s response to the divine signal of God.”
This really has nothing to do with “tooting one’s own horn;” quite the opposite. The horn is a humanly-created instrument of God. It is sounded not to draw attention to itself or the one sounding it, but to God.
Rabbi Bradley Artson of the American Jewish University writes, “A beautiful trumpet, even in the midst of producing music, doesn’t draw attention to itself. It is the music it produces, not the horn, which people focus on. So too, say the sages, by making ourselves trumpets we focus attention on the God in whose service we delight. Our music is the sacred deeds we perform while still living.”
In keeping with Rabbi Artson’s interpretation, the trumpet becomes a powerful metaphor for life, itself. Life, like the trumpet, is a divine gift God has bestowed upon humankind. It is the Shechina-God’s divine presence-on earth. One exercises the “trumpet of life” by playing it’s divine notes, or mitzvot, the divine score of deeds for a better life and a better world.
The beauty of our notes is exhibited in the way we raise our children, volunteer in our communities, reach out to the needy, the homeless, the disenfranchised. None of this has to do with bringing attention to the individual self, but to the collective body of humanity, all of whom possess the ability to strengthen the orchestra of life by actively participating in it’s symphony.
Rabbi Artson concludes his remarks by writing, “Our goodness is the earthly reflection of God’s divine kindness (hesed). Our performance of mitzvot is our eager gratitude for the gift of life. Our passion for Judaism is our joyous delight in God’s bounty and in the beauty of our heritage. We are the trumpets, but God wrote the score.”
Living life is hardly mundane. It is, in fact, an art form; and a divine one, at that!
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
|
Naso posted by Rabbi Siegel on 06/05/09 | Torah Portion: Naso
Book of Numbers
Chaps. 4:21-7:89
June 5, 2009
"The Lord bless you and protect you. The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you.
The Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace."
(Num. 6:24-26)
The above is commonly referred to as the priestly benediction. It has become a centerpiece of prayer for both Jews and Christians. The middle line is of particular interest-"The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you." The message: In spite of our shortcomings we can still hope and pray for God to deal with us kindly and show us grace. It is the word “grace” (“hanun” in Hebrew) that is a source of confusion for many. What is Grace?
For Christians, the concept of Godly Grace has a very different meaning than for Jews. Rabbi Lawrence Hoffman, in the book Christianity In Jewish Terms, writes, “I think we are dealing with two somewhat different modes of spirituality. The Christian doctrine of grace, defined broadly as divine love or favor offered to us even though we do not merit it. It follows that, as sinners, we deserve nothing. If, then we find God reaching out to us anyway, we must be the recipients of God’s grace, and the proper response cannot be anything but gratitude for a gift we do not merit.”
With regard to Jews, Hoffman writes, “Jews also have the notion of grace, namely, God’s covenantal choosing of Israel, first through Abraham and then with the gift of Torah. In its precovenantel state, Israel did not merit Torah. God gave it as an act of grace, in the same way that for Christians God sent Jesus. But once Torah has been given, Jews enter into a covenant with God.”
In both Christian and Jewish belief, Grace was a gift from God given regardless of merit. For Jews, God’s Grace is the gift of Torah, for Christians it is the gift of Jesus. Christianity further developed the sense of human inadequacy or lack of merit even after Jesus. The sinful nature of humankind became a foundation piece in Christian belief and showing gratitude for God’s kindness toward sinners the mainstay in their liturgy. Rabbi Hoffman notes, “. . For Judaism, the gift of Torah provided the potential for becoming worthy, a state that had been impossible when there were no commandments to perform.” Jewish liturgy is built on the bracha (blessing). Jewish worship is less gratitude to God, then praise for God. Jews praise God for the opportunity (through Torah) to better themselves and those around them.
Understanding God’s gift of Grace is understanding the unique theological differences between Christianity and Judaism. Ultimately, the Divine light of truth gives off more than one ray!
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Bemidbar posted by Rabbi Siegel on 05/22/09 | Torah Portion: Bemidbar
Book of Numbers
Chaps. 1:1-4:20
May 22, 2009
Bemidbar is the beginning of the 4th book of the Torah (Numbers). It opens with the report that “the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai ( Num. 1:1).” After spending an entire year at Mt. Sinai, the Israelites are finally preparing to continue a journey that will take another 38 years!
Most of the lives of those who departed Egypt was spent “in a wilderness.” The aspirations of the Israelites were far greater than the reality they encountered. The result? Countless complaints about not enough food or water, poor leadership, etc. They expected the Garden of Eden; instead they found a “wilderness”.
What is it that elevates a “wilderness” to such a prominent position in Jewish history? According to the Midrash Bemidbar Rabbah (one of the oldest rabbinic books of Torah legend), the ancient rabbis inferred “that the Torah was given to the accompaniment of three things: fire, water, and wilderness. . . . Why was the giving of the Torah marked by these three features? To indicate that as these are free to all humankind, so also are the words of the Torah free [to all humankind].
Rabbi Bradley Artson suggests this Midrash comes to “warn Jews not to mistake this gift as exclusively ours, that the possession of Torah does not make us more worthwhile, more valuable or better than others. To the contrary, our tradition views our relationship with God as distinct not because it confers special privileges, but because it bestows additional responsibilities; responsibilities to all humankind.”
Why, then, does this all take place in a “wilderness”? The Midrash continues by stating, “Anyone who does not throw himself open to all like a “wilderness” cannot acquire wisdom and Torah.” The wilderness is a real-life metaphor for the accessibility of God, not just to Jews but to all people.
It took 40 years of wandering for the Israelites to discover themselves as a people, and it took 40 years of wilderness for this people to discover their responsibility to all humankind!
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Emor posted by Rabbi Siegel on 05/08/09 | Torah Portion: Emor
Book of Leviticus
Chaps. 21-24
May 8, 2009
A Friday evening Shabbat meal tradition is the presence of two loaves of Challah (braided-bread) on the dinner table. The origin of this custom is found in this Torah portion where it states: “You shall take choice flour and bake of it twelve loaves. . . Place them on the pure table before the Lord in two rows, six to a row.” (Lev. 24:5-6) Since the destruction of the 2nd Temple in 70 c.e., we have modified the ritual by including only two loaves of Challah on the table-each representing one of the six-loaf rows present in the ancient Temple.
The Babylonian Talmud states, “a great miracle was performed in the Tent of Meeting; the sacred loaves of bread never grew stale.” The contemporary Torah scholar Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch understood the Talmud’s interpretation in figurative rather than literal terms. He said the message the rabbis were conveying was the idea that the ancient Temple was immune to the process of boredom and habit that affect so many religious institutions. Their rituals never grew stale!
Today a growing number of Jews are displaying their displeasure with the boring routine and spiritless worship of the institutional synagogue by voting with their feet. Several decades ago, the late Professor Abraham Joshua Heschel described non-Orthodox synagogues as places where “prayers lie still-born on the lips” of worshippers. While serving a congregation in Minneapolis, I invited former Vice-President Walter Mondale to speak during a Shabbat morning service. As the son of a preacher, he was accustomed to arrive prior to the beginning of a religious service, which he did. The service began at 9:30 am, concluding at 12:15 pm. As we reached the final hymn of Adon Olam, Vice-President Mondale leaned over to me saying, “You know, both my wife and I are preachers kids. We have both attended a lot of church services, but I have never been at one this long!”
Every rabbi, priest, minister, or lay leader needs to realize that people are only able to take so much good at one time and then the law of diminishing returns sets in. Sometimes doing less is more. Though, it is not the length of the service that makes for a spiritually-fulfilling experience, but the content contained therein. Peoples souls are touched in different ways, individually and communally. The ancient rabbis understood this. When asked, “what should the practice be with regard to this or that matter?”, the rabbis responded “Puk v’Hasi”- Go out and see what the people are doing. This was good advice then, and remains so today. Religious leaders need to seek direction by first focusing attention on the current needs, concerns, and desires of their congregants. Don’t let the “loaves of Challah” go stale!
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Aharei Mot-Kedoshim posted by Rabbi Siegel on 05/01/09 | Torah Portion: Aharei Mot-Kedoshim
Book of Leviticus
Chaps. 16:1-20:27
May 2, 2009
The Book of Leviticus, chapter 19:2 states, “You shall be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.” As a kid, the last thing I wanted to be called was “holy.” That meant I spent too much time in the synagogue, recited too many prayers, and participated in too many strange rituals. It also suggested I did not know how to have fun!
At a later stage in life I learned that holiness was the reason for Jewish choseness. The Jewish people were holier than others. As I intellectually matured I began to understand Jews were not “chosen” because they were holy, but were chosen to be holy. The Eitz Hayim Chumash writes, “To be holy is to rise to partake in some measure of the special qualities of God, the source of holiness. Holiness is the highest level of human behavior, human beings at their most.” Those who sought to emulate the moral/ethical qualities of God, in fact raised themselves above the rest of us. One is not “chosen” because they are Jewish, but because he/she chose to seek a higher ethical standard of living.
This all made sense until I recently reviewed the teachings of the 20th century Jewish religious existentialist, Martin Buber. Buber took issue with the notion of anyone being superior to anyone else, either because of birth status or perceived level of spiritual achievement. Buber would argue that God did not create communities, but individuals. As creations of God, we stand as equals. All of humanity is “fashioned in the image of God.” Holiness, therefore, is not the dominion of an elite few, but the possession of the masses. For Martin Buber, holiness is found in relationship. It is discovered when we learn to recognize the divinity of God present in the other person.
There is a common practice that occurs in churches and synagogues-shaking hands. The only difference is when it occurs. At the end of the Sabbath service, it is customary for Jews to greet one another with a “Shabbat Shalom.” We are not instructed to do it, we just do it. . . . Sometimes. . . And with some people, and then we depart. Many churches incorporate a greeting of peace into their religious service. In the midst of prayer, the pastor or priest will instruct the congregation to extend one another a greeting of peace. The service will stop and those present will walk up to friends and strangers with a smile, a handshake, and words of greeting. Encountering this practice for the first time, I felt self-conscious and a bit out of place. The discomfort lasted only a couple of seconds until someone grasped my hand, smiled and conveyed greetings. Then, I did the same. With each new person I encountered I felt more comfortable and began to see this as more than a simple handshake, but an embrace of our common humanity; recognition of our innate Godliness.
To achieve holiness is to see holiness in our friends and even our enemies. We are all fashioned “in the image of God.” We just need to open our eyes.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Yom Ha'Shoah posted by Rabbi Siegel on 04/24/09 | Yom Ha’Shoah/Holocaust Remembrance Day
April 24, 2009
This past Tuesday was the annual commemoration of “Yom Ha’Shoah”-Holocaust Remembrance Day. Over 60 years have passed since the liberation of the Concentration Camps and destruction of the German Nazi regime. Memories are fleeting. Even after the last Holocaust survivor has died, the world will have to continue commemorating Yom Ha’Shoah. Not doing so will guarantee its happening, again. Today, even with the benefit of survivors, eyewitnesses, film, photographs, and a meticulously-written record, there are still those who publicly deny or question there having been a Holocaust. More troubling are the growing number of people who believe them.
Why the Jews? The list of notable anti-Semites (e.g. Voltaire, Wagner, Martin Luther to name a few) could fill the pages of an entire book. There will always be a group of ignorant, uneducated people who hate, in spite. But, when they are joined by intellectuals, scientists, poets, and enlightened theologians, we have reason for concern.
Professor Michael Curtis of Rutgers University offers the following insight: “Everybody has a people that they hate, a group you don’t like, that are threatening to you. But the uniqueness of anti-Semitism lies in the fact that no other people in the world have been charged simultaneously with alienation from society and with cosmopolitanism; with being capitalist exploiters and also revolutionary communists; with having a materialistic mentality or being a people of the book. We are accused of being both militant aggressors and cowardly pacifists; adherents to a superstitious religion and agents of modernism. We uphold a rigid law and are also morally decadent. We have a chosen people mentality and an inferior human nature; we are both arrogant and timid; individualist and communally adherent; we are guilty of both the crucifixion of Jesus to Christians and to others we are held to account for the invention of Christianity. Everything and its opposite becomes an explanation for anti-Semitism.”
It is so difficult to fathom how a people who-in modern times alone-have given the world the likes of Sarah Bernhardt, Louis Brandeis, Jonas Salk, Martin Buber, Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, the Marx Brothers, Golda Meir, George Gershwin, Franz Kafka, Emma Lazarus, and Gertrude Stein, could be referred to as a “gutter religion” and condemned to annihilation. I just do not understand. What I do understand is the Jewish people, in spite of misfortune, continue to follow a path dictated by Torah, legislated by the ancient rabbis, and passed down from generation to generation. We continue to work for what we know can be achieved-a better world free of hate and bigotry. Anne Frank, in her famous diary, summed it up when she wrote, “I still believe that people are really good at heart.” Not only do I believe this, but I will effort to make it so.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
|
Shemini posted by Rabbi Siegel on 04/17/09 | Torah Portion: Shemini
Book of Leviticus
Chaps. 9:1-11:47
April 17, 2009
How does one explain an observant Jew’s obsession with the food they eat? This portion of Torah enunciates the distinction between the living creatures that may be eaten and those that are forbidden. “These are the creatures that you may eat from among all the land animals: any animal that has a split hoof and chews its cud-such you may eat (Lev. 11: 2-3).” The Torah goes on to state, “These you may eat of all that live in water: anything in water, whether in the seas or in the streams, that has fins and scales-these you may eat (Lev. 11:9).”
The obsession is not with the eating of food, but the striving for holiness. All the great religions wrestle with the question of “How to become holy?” Some religious traditions answer by having the right feeling or the right belief. Judaism does not disagree with the importance of feelings and beliefs, but that is not where holiness begins. The roots of Holiness are in the action, not the word.
The late Rabbi Samuel Dresner wrote an outstanding introduction to the practice of Kashrut in our day. In his essay he writes, “Judaism would argue that it is precisely with these seeming trivialities, the habitual and apparently inconsequential, that we must commence in order to create the holy person. And what is more common, more ordinary, more seemingly inconsequential than the process of eating? It is precisely here that Judaism would have us begin the task of hallowing the everyday. For how we approach food may be more significant than reflecting on dogma. . . . More important than what one thinks, Judaism teaches, is what one does.”
The simple act of eating a piece of meat requires a Jew to demonstrate a reverence for life, a distain for cruelty to animals, and a respect for all God’s creations. Dresner concludes his essay by stating, “Philosophy and diet, thought and practice, inner attitude and outward observance-this combination has characterized Judaism since earliest times. It is the very essence of the Jewish religion.”
Curbing one’s appetite, disciplining one’s cravings, regimenting one’s most instinctive response are not actions of self-denial but statements of holiness. If we can learn to dignify and sanctify the food that goes in our mouth, how much more so the words and actions that come out?
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
|
Passover posted by Rabbi Siegel on 04/03/09 | Passover
April 3, 2009
The holiday of Passover begins Wednesday evening, April 8, 2009, with the first of two evening Seders. The popularity of Passover among Jews (Hanukkah is the only holiday celebrated by more Jews) is due, in part, to the fact the central location for the celebration is the home. What also makes Passover unique among Jewish celebrations is learning trumps food in the home Seder observance. Still, for many, remembering the tyranny of slavery in Egypt takes a back seat to the tyranny of the Haggadah. For the less well-informed, following the Haggadah from page to page can be a torturous experience!
In the hope of making your Seder more inspirational and educational, I offer the following suggestions to enhance the celebration:
1. Rock & Lotion-The leader begins the “Maggid” (story) section of the Seder by first passing around pieces of rock (symbolizing “Avdut”/slavery) and then packets of hand lotion (symbolizing “Herut”/freedom).
2. The Fifth Question-Are there only 4 questions? Participants are asked to think of a “fifth” question they might ask and the other guests are asked to try to answer it.
3. Beet Instead of Bone-Vegetarians commonly use a roasted beet on the Seder plate in the place of the shank bone.
4. The Afikomen Gifts-Why not take a few moments and purchase some interesting items from the local $ store.
5. Parting the Red Sea-At the appropriate time in the Seder two guests each hold a blue sheet up and the other participants (especially kids, but everyone should join in) pass between the sheets. This can be done at the point in the Seder when the phrase, “We should all see ourselves as if we personally left Egypt” is said.
6. Crossing The Red Sea-Place a small red bowl of water on the floor and ask all present to “cross over” the bowl symbolizing the departure from Egypt.
7. The Persian Scallion Battle-Each person beats another with a green scallion (on the back) during the recitation of “Dayeinu.” This Persian tradition was done to remind us of slavery.
8. Building Pyramids-This is a great activity for toddlers. While the Seder is going on, give them Legos and challenge them to build pyramids as the Israelites did in Egypt.
9. The Cup of Elijah-Leave the cup of Elijah empty until the end of the Seder and then ask each participant to contribute a small portion of their wine to fill the cup. This reminds us that if the Messiah is to come, we must all work together to bring about this day.
10. The Freedom Plate-A Plate is set-aside at the beginning of the “Maggid” (story) section. Participants are asked to place an object on the plate that symbolizes their personal liberation. People are then asked to explain the meaning of their object.
11. Miriam’s Cup-Some place a 2nd cup on the Seder plate filled with water. This cup is designated as “Miriam’s Cup” and reminds us of the important contribution Miriam and the women made to the liberation from Egypt (and today!). In contrast, the Cup of Elijah is the hope for redemption at the end of time, while the Cup of Miriam is a hope for redemption in our present lives.
12. Playing Cards At The Table- Each person at the Seder is given three cards: an “Ask A Question” card; a “Share A Passover Memory” card, and a “Lead a Reading or Song” card (each in a different color). During the Seder, each person is encouraged to use each of the cards and then hand the card to the leader. When someone has handed in the third card, we all cheer. How do we make sure everyone uses his or her cards? Simple: dessert is served only to those people who have no cards left!
Any of these 12 suggestions can make for a livelier, and more meaningful, Passover Seder. Try them. . . . And have a Happy Passover!
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
|
Vayikra posted by Rabbi Siegel on 03/27/09 | Torah Portion: Vayikra
Book of Leviticus
Chaps. 1:1-5:26
March 27, 2009
A contemporary Torah commentator writes, “Leviticus is a difficult book for a modern person to read with reverence and appreciation. Its main subject matter-animal offerings and ritual impurity-seems remote from contemporary concerns.” So true!
There are two terms popularly used in describing the levitical rituals: offering & sacrifice. Similarly, in Hebrew there are also two expressions: Zevach & Kor’ban. What is the difference between an “offering” and a “sacrifice”? In modern terms, an offering is usually associated with charitable giving. It is something nice to do. A sacrifice is also an act of charitable giving, but at a recognizable cost to the giver.
The Hebrew word “Kor’ban” literally means, “to bring near.” The animal sacrifice brought by the ancient Jew was for the purpose of bringing himself nearer to God. What made the sacrifice worthwhile was the relationship, the closeness, formed between the ancient Israelite and God. In many ways, the sacrificial cult was a metaphor for the ultimate importance of relationships with family and friends; all who are fashioned “in the image of God.”
For the contemporary person, the word “sacrifice” is a common presence in many conversations. “Look what I have to sacrifice to make this happen,” “I am sacrificing my time on behalf of this cause,” etc. A colleague, Rabbi Aaron Rubinger, writes, “But the critical issue is: what are those sacrifices? Are they appropriate sacrifices? You see, so many people, for the sake of providing their family with more, will sacrifice what? Their time with their loved ones! They'll sacrifice the hours that they spend at home with their kids, or the opportunities of having dinner with their family, all for the sake of more stuff! The book of Leviticus, with its great emphasis on bringing the proper sacrifice, I think would suggest to us that that is absolutely backwards!”
Herein lies the lesson of the Book of Leviticus: Make your sacrifices proper sacrifices. The ancients did not sacrifice God, they sacrificed to God. Their sacrifices were for the sake of creating, enhancing, and savoring a loving relationship. So, too, in our time. Personal sacrifice should be measured against the quality of the time we spend with those whom we love. Sacrificing a few hours of work to spend with family and friends always trumps sacrificing family and friends for work.
Finally, the revolutionary difference between the sacrificial cult of the ancient Israelites and the other Near Eastern religions was human sacrifice. The Israelites forbade it. Sacrificing a human being was considered Hilul Ha’Shem-a profanation of God. In our day, one who makes “things” more important than “people”, is in fact practicing human sacrifice and profaning God’s presence.
My uncle used to say, “You can break material objects and replace them. Losing a friend is irreplaceable.” Who says the Book of Leviticus cannot be read with “reverence and appreciation”!
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
|
Vayakhel/Pekudai posted by Rabbi Siegel on 03/20/09 | Torah Portion: Vayakhel/Pekudai
Book of Exodus
Chaps. 35:1-40:38
March 20, 2009
One can possess every possible academic degree, experience every possible situation, have bestowed upon him/her the honorific title of “expert”, and still not be capable of providing the necessary leadership to handle a nation in crisis. An effective leader must not only be knowledgeable of the “facts on the ground,” but able to transcend and empathize with the pain in the hearts of those whom he/she leads.
Just last week Moses was confronted by a people whose faith in him and God was so weak that they turned to an idol (“Golden Calf”) for security. After having just experienced God’s theophany on Mt. Sinai, having been told “you shall have no graven image before me,” they fall back on their former pagan beliefs. At this point, the entire future of the Israelite nation-and the Jewish people-rested upon Moses’ response to crisis. He could not be faulted for giving up on this “stiff-necked people”, but he did not. He could not be blamed for lashing out at their lack of faith despite the efforts expended to procure their freedom, but he did not. What Moses does is, “convoke the whole Israelite community” (Exo. 35:1). He does not forget the past events, but he presents them with challenges for the future. He tells them how they, together, will build a sanctuary to God both physically and spiritually. Physically, they will construct a portable place of worship in the desert. Spiritually, they will set aside one complete day each week (the Shabbat) to build for God a sanctuary of holiness in time. Moses has gathered the people together not to scold, but to inspire. In a moment of crisis, he appeals to their pride in one another to realize, in the words of the late Mordechai Kaplan, “Every Jew depends on fellow Jews for the energy, resources, and courage wherewith to be a Jew.” This is the example of good, visionary leadership.
The “Golden Calf” incident was not to be forgotten, nor were the issues arising from transforming slaves into a free people. Moses first goal was to create a people with a cohesive, positive, and forward-looking attitude. Achieving this set the tone for solving existing problems.
The Torah is not so ancient that we cannot learn from it today. Each day the media reminds us of our economic despair. Many refer to it as a Recession. Undoubtedly, those who have lost jobs see this as a Depression. In the absence of a positive vision, it is natural to cast blame rather than seek solution. The current fixation is on the executives of AIG who received bonuses even after contributing to the economic downturn. The next step is to blame government for letting all this happen. Through all this blame and insinuation a pall of doubt is cast on the leadership of the new administration. Last night, the President of the United States appeared on the “Tonight Show” with Jay Leno. He became the first sitting president to appear on late night TV. The President understood that he needed to take his message to the people. He attracted a far different (and more varied) viewing audience on the “Tonight Show” than he would speaking from the White House. His message was not one of recrimination, but determination. His goal, like that of Moses thousands of years ago, was to infuse in the American people a spirit of hope and a willingness to work with him in meeting the difficult challenges ahead. Regardless of his intellectual qualities, the President’s ability to empathize with the people, transcend their fears, and lift them up, are qualities of effective leadership. A speech or TV appearance is not going to solve the issues of the day, but it can galvanize a spirit of unity and cooperation. As Moses proved, working together in concert with a common faith and trust, even if it takes 40 years of wandering, we CAN overcome!
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Ki Tissa posted by Rabbi Siegel on 03/13/09 | Torah Portion: Ki Tissa
Book of Exodus
Chaps. 32:1-34:35
March 13, 2009
Michael Walzer, in his book Exodus and Revolution, suggests that Moses is the prototypical revolutionary leader and the exodus from Egypt is a political document. A successful revolution does not conclude with a military victory, a coup, or for that matter “crossing the Red Sea.” It is what comes next that makes the difference.
The seminal moment in the formation of the United States was not the Revolutionary War victory, but the acceptance of a Constitution. For the Israelites, it was not crossing the Red Sea, but accepting the Torah on Mt. Sinai. In both instances a road map for freedom and independence was accepted by a fledgling population. The actual realization of the ideas, and acceptance of the obligations contained within these documents, would take generations to fully appreciate. The United States had to fight a Civil War before being able to appreciate the moral/ethical strength of the Constitution. The Israelites had to build an idol at the foot of Sinai before realizing the spiritual strengths of Torah.
Today’s Torah portion contains the famous account of the “Golden Calf.” Having not yet returned from Mt. Sinai, the Israelites fear that there leader, Moses, has abandoned them in the desert. They know of Torah, and they know of the One God, but their primal fears cause them to fall back on a more familiar source of security-an idol. Moses returns to the people with the tablets of God in hand, sees them worshipping a Golden Calf, and breaks the tablets.
As disappointing as it must have been for Moses to witness the Israelites continued lack of faith in their new-found freedom, why does he compound this by destroying the very reason they left Egypt? A modern commentary, entitled “Meshekh Hokhmah”, responds to this question : “There is nothing intrinsically holy in the world save God, to whom alone reverence, praise and homage is due. The Holy comes into being in response to specific Divine commandments, as for example those calling on us to build God a house of worship. Now we may understand why Moses on perceiving the physical and mental state of the people promptly broke the Tablets. He feared they would deify them as they had done the calf. Had he brought them the Tablets intact, they would have substituted them for the calf and not reformed their ways. But now that he had broken the Tablets, they realized how far they had fallen short of true faith. . . . . and by this, Moses had demonstrated that the Tablets of God, themselves, possessed no intrinsic holiness.”
Professor Abraham Joshua Heschel follows up on this theme by noting, “Judaism teaches us to be attached to holiness in time [not space], to be attached to sacred events [not things], to learn how to consecrate sanctuaries that emerge from the magnificent stream of a year. The Sabbaths are our great cathedrals!”
Nahum Sarna noted that the ancient place of worship, or even today’s synagogue, “enshrines the concept of the holiness of space; the Sabbath embodies the concept of the holiness of time. The latter always takes precedence over the former.” It is not mere coincidence that the section of Torah immediately preceding the story of the Golden Calf implores the ancient Israelites to observe the Sabbath (Exo. 31:13-18). It is a statement of the importance of seeking holiness in time. The point is driven home when Moses breaks the tablets demonstrating their spiritual emptiness unless, and until, the Israelites are willing to fill them with a holiness discovered in the sanctity of time. This is a discovery that would take time, patience, and forty years of wandering. How far along the road of discovery are you?
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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Purim 5769 posted by Rabbi Siegel on 03/06/09 | Purim 5769/2009
March 6, 2009
The holiday of Purim-celebrated this year on Monday evening, March 9-Tuesday, March 10-can not come soon enough! Based on the Book of Esther, a tale dating back to the 6th century BCE, Purim is a day of pure, unadulterated fun & celebration-regardless of the state of the economy!
While there is a serious side to the Book of Esther, it is more like a good Marvel comic with bigger than life heroes and villains. There is the amoral King, the Darth Vadar-type villain, the voluptuous heroine, the handsome (?) hero and, of course, the ever present life-or-death struggle between good & evil. Everyone needs at least one day when they can “blow off steam” and take life a bit less seriously. For Jews, that day is Purim. If it didn’t already exist, we’d have to invent it!
Most Jews think of Purim as a “children’s festival.” After all, it is customary to wear costumes and shake noisemakers every time evil Haman’s name is read from the Book of Esther. On the other hand, too many adults have forgotten the joys of childhood that once allowed us to laugh and smile even in the face of adversity. Purim is a return to those days of innocence, to a time of ideals and goodness and hope. Maybe, just maybe, the craziness of the day might re-instill the too long absent attributes of youth. With this in mind, I share some “Purim” Torah sent to me by a good friend:
At the Russian Military Academy, a top General gave a lecture on 'Potential Problems and Military Strategy'.
At the end of the lecture he asked if there are any questions. An officer stood up and asked: 'Will there be a third world war? Will Russia take part in it?' The General answered both questions in the affirmative.
Another officer asked: 'Who will be the enemy? The General: 'All indications point to China.'
All the audience is shocked.
The officer asks: 'General, we are only 150 million, there are 5 Billion Chinese. Can we win at all?' The General: 'Just think about this. In modern warfare, it is not the quantity that matters but the quality. For example, in the Middle East
we have had a few wars recently where 5 million Jews fought against 50 million Arabs, and Israel was always victorious.'
After a small pause the smartest officer asked, 'Do we have enough Jews?'
Have a happy Purim!
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
|
Terumah posted by Rabbi Siegel on 02/27/09 | Torah Portion: Terumah
Book of Exodus
Chaps. 25:1-27:19
February 27, 2009
After the excitement of leaving Egypt, crossing the Red Sea, and witnessing God’s revelation on Mt. Sinai, the ancient Israelites are faced with reality: It is time to build a new life. The first project is the construction of a portable place of worship in the desert. Like all good religious building projects, success, in no small part, is dependent on the financial support of the adherents. With regard to the portable sanctuary (Mishkan/Tabernacle), “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.” (Exo. 25:1-2)
Not every member of the community was obligated to give to the building of a structure that would be used by the entire community; only those “whose heart” moved them. The portable sanctuary represented God’s presence among the people. It had to be funded by people who reflected God’s values. The actions of these “special” people would not only construct a sanctuary, but serve as an example for others.
This week we were introduced to one such “Holy Exemplar”. Near the conclusion of President Obama’s speech to Congress on Tuesday evening, the President introduced the audience to Leonard Abess, CEO of City National Bank of Florida. He recently sold his bank, City National, for nearly $1 billion. It was privately held, in his name. No stock. He cashed out of his company, took a $60 million bonus, “and gave it out to all 399 people who worked for him, plus another 72 who used to work for him. He didn't tell anyone, but when the local newspaper found out, he simply said, ''I knew some of these people since I was 7 years old. I didn't feel right getting the money myself."
While speaking with colleagues from Florida, I learned that Mr. Abess is an active member and philanthropist in his Jewish community. One colleague reported that in the 80’s his congregation was unable to pay a construction loan and was desperately seeking a mortgage. Leonard Abess personally worked with the congregation and his bank to give them a deal they otherwise would not have been able to secure. Leonard, himself, belonged to another synagogue in the area.
Just having the means to make a difference is nothing without the “heart" felt desire to do so. The present economy is a test to the mettle of the American people. It is not a question of whether or not we’ll survive; we will. The question is “how”? Will we continue to look for someone on whom to place the blame or channel our energies toward finding a solution? In seeking a solution, can we willingly make the necessary sacrifices to help the few for the sake of the many, or selfishly blame others for their own personal financial misfortunes? Can we become the “Holy Exemplars” for our children, grandchildren, friends, and community?
President Obama introduced Leonard Abess, and other similar exemplars, by stating, “. . in my life, I have learned that hope is found in unlikely places; that inspiration often comes not from those with the most power or celebrity, but from the dreams and aspirations of Americans who are anything but ordinary.” This reference is to the same people God refers to in Exodus, those “whose heart so move them!”
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
|
Mishpatim posted by Rabbi Siegel on 02/20/09 | Torah Portion: Mishpatim
Book of Exodus
Chaps. 21:1-24:18
February 20, 2009
For the Jew, the literal word is not the final word in understanding Torah. The Judaism we celebrate today is largely the product of the ancient rabbis of the first centuries CE. In transforming Judaism from a biblical to a modern tradition, they introduced a method for making Torah relevant to generations present and future. Their methodology of Torah study can be simplified into four levels:
P’shat-first understand the “literal meaning” of the verse
Remez-then, look for the interpretative meaning
Drash-discover the homiletical/moral lesson learned from this verse
Sod-pursue the hidden, mystical meaning
By means of these four levels of understanding, the ancient rabbis empowered every generation with the authority to interpret the meaning of Torah in their times. They also made clear that the Torah is a God-inspired document. As mere mortals, we cannot hope to completely understand the reasoning or moral underpinning of every verse (thus, the notion of Sod/hidden meaning).
This week’s Torah portion contains two good examples of rabbinic method. The famous principle of lex talionis/retaliation is stated in Exo. 21:24-25, “. . Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, hand for a hand, foot for a foot, burn for a burn, wound for a wound, bruise for a bruise.” There is no doubt in the context of biblical times these verses were meant to be understood literally. Their origin is attributed to King Hamurabi of Babylonia in the 18th century BCE. However, later rabbinic literature never understood it this way. The Talmud understands "an eye for an eye" as meaning that someone who damage's an eye must pay the value of that eye. An eye's worth for an eye. The Remez (interpretive meaning) and Drash (moral lesson) become as important as the P’shat (literal meaning) in understanding this portion of Torah.
Another example is Exo. 22:17, where it is written “You shall not let a sorceress (witch) live.” This verse, understood literally, became the basis for executing innocent women in 17th century Salem Massachusetts. However, already by the 2nd century CE the ancient rabbis understood this verse to mean “you shall not provide a witch with a livelihood.” Today, the Wiccan religion-the modern religious practice of witchcraft-bears no semblance to the ancient taboos addressed by the Torah. This verse requires a re-interpretation and understanding in our own day.
By placing Torah at the center of Jewish practice, the Jew is recognizing the centrality of God’s presence and the never-ending evolution of God’s word.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Yitro posted by Rabbi Siegel on 02/13/09 | Torah Portion: Yitro
Book of Exodus
Chaps. 18:1-20:23
February 13, 2009
What are they, the “Ten Commandments”, “Ten Statements”, or “Decalogue”? The Torah does not specify a name for the most famous verses in Bible. The beginning of Chapter 20 of Exodus simply says, “God spoke these (devarim) words, saying. .” Someone mistakenly translated the Hebrew “Aseret Devarim” as “Ten Commandments.” A commandment in Hebrew is “Mitzvah”. In fact, the term “commandment” is not used in the context of this section. The Jewish scholars of ancient Alexandria in Egypt (who authored the Septuagint-Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible) referred to this section in Greek as the Deca Logoi. This gave rise to the more accurate English title of “Decalogue.” The ancient rabbis of the early centuries of the common era referred to this passage as the “Aseret Ha’dibrot”-Ten Statements. Regardless of title, their moral/ethical importance is undeniable.
Since this teaching is being offered on the eve of the Sabbath, let’s take a closer look at the 4th commandment (or statement): “Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God: you shall not do any work. .” (Exo. 20:8-10). Jews have understood these words to imply that normal labors of the week cease on the seventh day. The Eitz Hayim Humash notes, “by proscribing work and creativity on the seventh day, and by ordering that nature be kept inviolate one day a week, the Torah places a limit on human autonomy and restores nature to its original state of pure freedom.” Freedom is strengthened by “legislating the inalienable right of every human being” to a day off once a week!
Some Torah scholars challenged the above interpretation. It is written “Six days shall you labor and do all your WORK.” If one loves what they are doing, is it still considered “labor” and “work”? Perhaps these words are meant for those who must labor at jobs they don’t like. All work, with the exception of efforts involved in saving lives, is prohibited on the Sabbath. “Work too often leads to economic competitiveness in which we see other people as rivals, obstacles to our success. Shabbat comes as a truce in those economic struggles.”
Abraham Joshua Heschel, in his book The Sabbath writes, “Six days a week we wrestle with the world, wringing profit from the earth; on the Sabbath we especially care for the seed of eternity planted in the soul. The world has our hands, but our soul belongs to Someone Else. Six days a week we seek to dominate the world; on the seventh day we try to dominate the self.”
Shabbat Shalom-may we all enjoy a Sabbath of peace!
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
B'Shalach posted by Rabbi Siegel on 02/06/09 | Torah Portion: B’Shalach
Book of Exodus
Chaps. 13:17-17:16
February 6, 2009
This portion of Torah marks the departure of the Israelites from Egypt. The reality of their freedom does not settle in until they miraculously cross the Red Sea ahead of the Egyptian army. Then, amidst great exaltation, Moses breaks into song, “The Lord is my strength and might; He is become my deliverance. This is my God and I will enshrine Him.” (Exo. 15:2). As Moses completes his song, his sister Miriam takes up a timbrel and leads the women in dance and song declaring, “Sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously” (Exo. 15:21). Indeed, “from every mountainside let freedom ring!”
Being told one’s free and exercising one’s freedom are two different matters. No sooner had the Israelites celebration of freedom from Egypt calmed down, then the complaints began: “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots, when we ate our fill of bread! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to starve this whole congregation to death” (Exo. 16:3). It took the ancient Israelites 40 years of wandering in the desert to understand that with freedom comes responsibility to oneself, one’s family, and one’s community. While most reasonable people would eschew slavery as immoral, it can be easier and more comfortable than freedom. If one is willing to accept occasional beatings and degradation, in return for their work they are fed, housed, and cared for. On the other hand, freedom requires the individual to take personal responsibility for his/her life. It is no wonder the ancient Israelites had such difficulty accommodating themselves to their new reality. They had spent several generations as wards of the state. The Israelites path to freedom can be summed up in the words of the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche who wrote, “How is freedom measured in individuals as in nations? By the resistance that has to be overcome.”
It is one thing to declare a mission to bring freedom and democracy to nations suffering under the rule of dictatorship or corrupt government, it quite another task to accomplish it. As Franklin Roosevelt stated in 1936, “In the truest sense freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved.” It is the result of years of patient learning and practice that a nation or individual is able to declare themselves truly free.
I opposed going to war with Iraq. Many knew then what the US government only learned later: Deposing Sadaam Hussein would result in immediate celebration but, by itself, would not create a free democratic Iraq. I now counsel patience. As it took the Israelites 40 years to adapt to the inherent responsibilities of being a free people, it will take the Iraqis at least a generation to find a path of accommodation for their religious needs and political desires. These tensions, sixty years later, are still a matter of concern even for the State of Israel.
Being a servant for others is easier than being the master of one’s destiny, but it is lacking in the exercise of the human spirit: to challenge and to grow. In conclusion, the French author and philosopher Albert Camus profoundly observed that “freedom is not a gift received from a State or a leader but a possession to be won every day by the effort of each and the union of all.”
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
|
Va'era posted by Rabbi Siegel on 01/23/09 | Torah Portion: Va’era
Book of Exodus
Chaps. 6:2-9:35
January 23, 2009
The fear of aging has supplanted the fear of death as the greatest concern of modern-day society. As the baby boomer generation becomes increasingly more grey, the emphasis on “looking young” becomes even more important. Take a look at recent covers of the magazine “Modern Maturity” (published by the American Association of Retired People). It features a sexy photo of Susan Sarandon, Jamie Lee Curtis, or some other icon of beauty who is over 50. The message: You can get old and maintain your good looks!
This Torah portion contains an important insight into aging. Exo. 7:7 reads, "And Moshe was 80 years old, and Aaron 83, when they spoke to Pharaoh." Why does the narrative digress from the high drama, confrontations, plagues and diplomatic maneuverings, to mention the ages of Aaron and Moshe?
The 12th century scholar, Avraham Ibn Ezra, offers an answer: "In all of Scripture, we find no other prophets recorded as having prophesied in their old age, save these two. Because their eminence is far above all the other prophets."
Ibn Ezra points out that Moshe and Aaron supply the core of Jewish revelation; other prophets only remind us of their essential teachings. And they were open to receiving and transmitting these revolutionary religious ideas at the ages of 80 and 83! No wonder the Mishnah teaching in Pirke Avot/ “Ethics of our Ancestors” declares, “80 is the age of greatness!”
Rabbi Shamai Kanter writes, “Not only does advancing age bring wisdom derived from experience. It can also be a time of creativity and growth. You probably remember some of these facts: that Wolfgang Von Goethe wrote his poetic masterpiece, Faust, at 80; that Henrietta Szold founded Hadassah at 60, and founded Youth Aliyah at 70.
But did you know that the great cellist, Pablo Casals, at age 90, continued to practice for six hours a day? When people asked him why, he replied, "Because I am still improving!"
The author of Psalm 92 said it more succinctly: "They shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the Lord, they shall flourish. . . even in old age they will be fruitful, filled with vigor and strength."
The final words belong to the late General Douglas Macarthur who said, “You are as young as your faith. You are as old as your doubt. You are as young as your hope, as old as your despair. In the central place in your heart there is a recording chamber, and as long as it receives the message of beauty, hope, cheer and courage, so long are you young."
Do the “50’s” have to be the new “30’s” to make one feel worthy and able? I take issue with George Bernard Shaw who said, “Youth is wasted on the young.” In fact, youth is a state of mind not determined by the look of one’s hands, but the deeds they continue to produce.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
|
Vayehi posted by Rabbi Siegel on 01/02/09 | Torah Portion: Vayehi
Book of Genesis
Chaps. 47:28-50:26
January 2, 2009
Death is probably not the most timely subject to begin a new year. However, the final portion of the Book of Genesis details the death of Jacob and later his son, Joseph. Of special interest are the burial customs of their times.
In preparation for Jacob’s burial, Joseph “ordered the physicians in his service to embalm his father, and the physicians embalmed [Jacob].” (Gen. 50:2)
The fact there is no protest of Joseph’s decision to embalm his father suggests that it was probably the custom among not just the Egyptians but most of the ancient near eastern tribes. Jewish burial and mourning customs have evolved since biblical times. Normative Jewish practice over the past 2,000 years has forbade the embalming of the dead except where required by law for purposes of transporting the body for burial. One might argue this was the case even in Jacob’s time. Embalming prevents the decay of the body and Joseph wished to return Jacob to his homeland in Canaan for burial. Still, there are several reasons why Jews do not embalm.
First, embalming delays burial. Jewish tradition encourages immediate burial of the dead. This was probably done in ancient times to protect the health of the community, while some commentators trace the practice to the verse in Genesis 3:19- “Dust you are and to dust you shall return.”
Second, embalming prevents the natural decay of the body and is actually a desecration of the body. The body is a gift on loan that God has provided to protect the sanctity of the soul. As with any item on loan, one does not have the right to change, mutilate or desecrate. Or, in this instance, unnaturally interfere with life’s natural process.
Third, embalming was opposed because it interfered with the mourner’s necessary acceptance of the reality of death. Rabbi Maurice Lamm, author of The Jewish Way In Death & Mourning, notes “the art of the embalmer is the art of complete denial. Embalming seeks to create an illusion, and, to the extent that it succeeds, it only hinders the mourner from recovering from [the grief of loss].” In other words, embalming is an effort to make the dead still alive, and in doing so the mourner is prevented from coming to terms with the finality of death.
As we enter a new calendar year in which we hope for better times and better lives, this is a good place to begin. After all, death should be seen as a re-affirmation of life. We do not pretend that it does not happen, rather death is a reminder of our mortality; another reason to choose life, embrace life, and live life. . now!
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Miketz posted by Rabbi Siegel on 12/26/08 | Torah Portion: Miketz
Book of Genesis
Chaps. 41:1-44:17
December 26, 2008
Dedicated to Mike, Mitch, David & Joel-my “band of brothers”
The remaining Torah portions in the Book of Genesis chronicle the lives, times, and struggles of Jacob’s “favorite” son Joseph and his siblings; a “band of brothers.” Theirs is a relationship strained by jealousy, but in times of crisis bonded together by a common faith and trust in one another. Led by Judah, the brothers take out their frustration with Joseph’s “favorite son” status by casting him into a pit, later to be sold into slavery in Egypt. Assuming Joseph had died, the brothers and their grieving father carry on their lives while Joseph uses his cunning to rise in the political ranks of Egyptian hierarchy. Only the Pharaoh is more powerful. After years apart, the brothers go down to Egypt to seek food during a famine. There, they come before Joseph whom they do not recognize. At a critical moment, Joseph realizes his special bond with this brothers, reveals himself to them, and becomes, again, a “band of brothers.”
In 1969, the popular rock band the “Hollies” recorded a song whose message reflects this biblical account and continues to speak to us:
The road is long
With many a winding turn
That leads us to who knows where
Who knows when.
But I’m strong
Strong enough to carry him
He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother
So on we go
His welfare is of my concern
No burden is he to bear
We’ll get there.
For I know
He would not encumber me
He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother.
If I’m laden at all
I’m laden with sadness
That everyone’s heart
Isn’t filled with the gladness
Of love for one another.
It’s a long, long road
From which there is no return
While we’re on the way to there
Why not share.
And the load
Doesn’t weigh me down at all
He ain’t heavy, he’ my brother.
Joseph realized that “it’s a long road from which there is no return,” and reconciled himself with those whom he was meant to be traveling the paths of life. Whether we be blessed by special relationships with siblings, close friends, or both, it is they who give meaning to our lives, purpose to our strivings, and the strength and courage to see it through. At times they carry us and at other times we bear their burden. Our bond is deeper than just friendship, it is brother and sisterhood. Years may separate us, but time cannot waste away the bonds that bind us together. We are a “band of brothers.” Nothing is stronger. Nothing more sacred.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
|
Hanukkah 5769/2009 posted by Rabbi Siegel on 12/19/08 | Hanukkah 5769/2008
December 19, 2008
The 8-day celebration of Hanukkah begins Sunday evening, December 21st. Though a “minor” festival on the Jewish calendar, it is celebrated my more Jews than any other Jewish holiday. Marshall Sklare, credited for being the “father of American Jewish sociology,” noted several reasons for the popularity of Hanukkah: 1) It has a strong children’s component, 2) it requires little knowledge of specific Jewish ritual (all one needs is an 8-branch menorah and Hanukkah candles), 3) it is celebrated in close proximity to a holiday celebration of the majority culture (in this instance, Christmas), and 4) the home is the central location for observance. None of the above have anything to do with the significance and meaning of the celebration and for many this isn’t important. What is, is the connection it creates between the Jew and his/her Judaism.
In fact, the historical background and religious meaning of Hanukkah can be confusing. On one hand, the holiday celebrates the military victory of a small band of Jews-known as the “Maccabees”-against an army of Syrians in 164 B.C.E. On the other hand, it celebrates the re-dedication of the ancient Temple and the miracle of a small amount of oil (enough to light the ancient Temple menorah for one day) that lasts eight days. Then, again, some suggest the “miracle” was the military victory of the “few against the many.”
After the destruction of the ancient Temple and Jerusalem in 70 C.E., followed shortly by the disastrous Jewish revolt against the Romans in 135 C.E., the sages wanted to discourage any possibility of future ill-conceived military campaigns. Rabbi Reuven Hammer notes, “Indeed that fear became enshrined in Jewish law and tradition and resulted in teaching that we should never again try to use human means to restore Jewish independence but must accept the rule of the nations and wait patiently for the Messiah.” For this reason, the rabbis of the 2nd century defined the “miracle” of Hanukkah in relation to the oil and menorah. Even the prophetic passage read on Hanukkah from the Book of Zechariah states: “Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit said the Lord of hosts.” (Zech. 4:6)
How does one reconcile conflicting historical and religious explanations for the celebration of Hanukkah? Is it military might or ethical right that prevails? Rabbi Hammer explains, “First, there are times when we must fight for our independence and the right to live freely as Jews. Second, we must not allow military might in and of itself to become the goal of our existence. Third, ultimately our success depends not alone on might but on right and on the purity of our cause. And finally, when all is said and done it is God’s spirit and light that prevails in this world and that we are God’s partners in bringing that about. That is no less a miracle than the cruse of oil.”
Happy Hanukkah!
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Va'yishlah posted by Rabbi Siegel on 12/12/08 | Torah Portion: Va’yishlah
Book of Genesis
Chaps. 32:4-36:43
December 12, 2008
Recently, research appeared in medical journals and media outlets claiming that some forms of breast cancer actually cure themselves without aggressive treatments of radiation or chemotherapy. I asked my physician what he thought of this. He was not happy with the dispersion of this information. He feared many people might make the fatal decision of doing nothing in hope that the condition will cure itself.
For visionary leaders, doing nothing is seldom an option. In this Torah portion, Jacob’s only daughter, Dena, is raped by Shechem ben Hamor, son of a local tribal leader. Jacob’s immediate response is not to offer comfort to his daughter or seek justice for this hideous act, but to remain silent.
“Jacob heard that [Shechem] had defiled his daughter Dinah; but since his sons were in the field with his cattle, Jacob kept silent. . . Meanwhile Jacob’s sons, having heard the news, came in from the field. The men were distressed and angry because [Shechem] had committed an outrage in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter.” (Gen. 34:5 & 7)
In the presence of silence and absence of leadership, two of Jacob’s sons take it upon themselves to avenge the rape by killing all the inhabitants of Shechem’s village. In some instances “silence is golden,” but too often it results in disaster.
In the years immediately preceding the beginning of World War II, and in the early stages of the war, there were ominous signs pointing to the destruction of European Jewry. Until 1943, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration took a position opposing US involvement in rescuing the Jews. Being silent and doing nothing was an easier position and more politically expedient. And, in the end, cost millions of lives.
In our own day, a genocide continues in Darfur and an epidemic of Cholera reportedly threatens half the population of Zimbabwe (population: 12 million). International leaders have demonstrated concern, but they continue to do little or nothing. The consequences of ambivalence will be devastating.
What makes Jacob such a compelling biblical figure is his willingness to recognize his shortcomings and change. He does, though not in time to save the villagers from the hands of his sons. Henry Morgentheau, then Treasury Secretary to FDR, and Congress compelled FDR to finally establish the War Refugee Board which ultimately played a major role in rescuing an estimated 200,000 Jews from the Holocaust. Will our leadership today, and that of the other nations of the world, also recognize the necessity to act; this time, before it is too late?
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Vayeitze posted by Rabbi Siegel on 12/06/08 | Torah Portion: Vayetzei
Book of Genesis
Chaps. 28:10-32:3
December 5, 2008
Having cheated his twin brother Esau out of his birthright and blessing, Jacob is advised by his mother, Rebecca, that it is too dangerous for him to remain at home. She tells him to leave Canaan and flee to her brother Laban’s home. At a young age, Jacob is compelled to involuntarily leave his home to protect himself from the perceived wrath of his brother. Under these circumstances, it is understandable that he might be gripped by fear and anxiety. In moments of grave crisis, who can he turn to? Jacob’s parents are no longer there to assist. It is in the night of Jacob’s life that he discovers God’s presence.
In a vision while sleeping, his life begins to take on a new moral order. “He had a dream; a stairway was set on the ground and its top reached to the sky, and angels of God were going up and down on it. And the Lord was standing beside him and He said . . . . Remember, I am with you: I will protect you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised.” (Gen. 28:12, 13, 15)
Our most profound discoveries of self often occur in the darkness of life. It is when we are in crisis and most vulnerable that we understand what we were never able to before. Infancy is about never having to struggle with higher meaning. Good parenting is about providing for a child’s every need-food, clothing, shelter, affection, and protection. The young child doesn’t think twice about the existence of God. For him/her, the parent is God. The first “night” encountered in growing up is the moment the young adolescent transcends the limits of childhood and confronts adulthood. The psalmist writes, “Though my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will take me in.” (Psalm 27:10). I am certain the author of this psalm does not believe that parents routinely abandon their children. Rather, it is understandable that young adults might translate the fear of new surroundings and responsibilities as a sign of parental abandonment. It is a part of growing up. For many young people, like Jacob, it is the beginning of spiritual recognition. It is the initial comprehension of a spiritual force in our lives providing support, strength, and protection.
Rabbi David Wolpe, in his book Why Faith Matters, writes, “There are moments in every life when suffering or difficulty opens the way for understanding. Still, the darkness does not only obscure, it also clears a path for the receptive soul.”
It is, in fact, because we walk “in the shadow of the Valley of Death” (Psalm 23:4), that we are open to, and capable of, discovering that “It is you who light my lamp; the Lord, my God, lights up my darkness.” (Psalm 18:29)
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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Thanksgiving 2008 posted by Rabbi Siegel on 11/21/08 | Thanksgiving 2008
Most American civil holidays are celebrated as a day off from work or school. The commemoration of the particular day’s actual meaning is usually observed by a small cadre of citizens. Thanksgiving is the exception. A majority of Americans actually gather together for a Thanksgiving meal in honor of the blessings that have been brought to their lives.
In the best and worst of times, America is still the greatest country on the face of the earth. Being the “greatest” doesn’t mean having the strongest military presence or boasting the strongest economy. In better times, America’s greatness has included both of the above. Today we are being increasingly more economically-challenged. Yet, how many other countries in the world have a constitution that proclaims “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America” and then tirelessly protect the sanctity of these words. Even in worst of times, an American always believes things will be better. We have good reason. It has happened countless times in our history. When the proverbial “light at the end of the tunnel” seemed dimmest, an American was there to offer hope for a brighter day. Maybe it was Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, John Kennedy, Martin Luther King. And maybe it was also Lyndon Baines Johnson.
Historian Louis Gomolak suggested that Lyndon Johnson broke the law to get European Jews into the US during the rise of Nazism in the 30’s. In Prologue: LBJ's Foreign Affairs Background, 1908-1948, he states, "...[D]espite an all-out effort to stop Jewish immigration by Roosevelt's new anti-Semitic assistant secretary of state, Breckinridge Long, Congressman Lyndon B. Johnson secretly began smuggling European Jews into Texas, say dozens of members of the Austin Jewish Community. False passports and one-way visas were obtainable first in Cuba, and when that source dried up then in Mexico." Historian James Smallwood writes, "It is correct that Johnson did not risk his life, but he committed illegal acts to save the Jews. It can be proved that LBJ saved some 42 from the Nazis. Indirect evidence says he probably saved about 400.”
The fact few know of the courageous actions of LBJ is because they were in violation of law. Today hundreds of Jews (maybe thousands if you count the offspring) can give thanks that a brave American congressman realized at times even the law must be violated in the interest of humanity.
There is so much-and so many-to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving. May America continue to be the shining example of freedom of speech, freedom of religion and the freedom to just be-and may we give thanks to those who protect and defend these sacred freedoms for all people.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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Vayera posted by Rabbi Siegel on 11/14/08 | Torah Portion: Vayera
Book of Genesis
Chaps. 18:1-22:24
November 14, 2008
A friend reports to you that last night God came to him in a vision, telling him to take his son to a distant mountain, climb the mountain and take the boy’s life as a sacrifice to God. We have a name for this sort of person: a fundamentalist religious fanatic or, in light of current world events, a terrorist! Except, this is precisely what God asks of Abraham in this week’s Torah portion:
“And [God] said, “Take your son, your favored one, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the heights that I will point out to you.” (Gen. 22:2)
Without a word of protest, “Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and put it on his son Isaac. . . .And the two of them walked on together.” (Gen. 22:6 & 8) In the final moment, as Abraham raises the knife to slaughter his son, a voice comes from heaven saying, “Do not raise your hand against the boy, or do anything to him.” (Gen. 22:12) In the end, it was just a test of Abraham’s faith.
There are those who say he passed the test while others suggest he failed. If true faith means accepting “God’s word” without question, then Abraham succeeded. But, if true faith demands a moral/ethical standard against which even God’s word is measured, then he failed.
This single story has prompted Torah scholars of every generation to try to make sense of Abraham’s actions and God’s request. One of the most profound insights comes from the great 19th century Hasidic leader Rabbi Yehudah Leib Alter of Ger: “A person like Abraham, one who serves out of love, would be naturally drawn to follow God’s will with all his heart and innards. Each of his limbs is drawn by its very nature to fulfill the will of God; their very life is the divine command. But in this case it really wasn’t God’s will that he slaughter Isaac! Abraham’s heart discerning this felt no love or attachment to God in this act, since it was not God’s true will. That was the trial. That is also why Abraham insisted that God try him no more, that God never be far from him again. For Abraham’s path was that of love.”
Rabbi Arthur Green expands on the teaching of the Rebbe of Ger by noting, “Having survived that trial, one in which he felt abandoned by the God of love, Abraham is given the strength to say: “No more!” Never again should I or my children have to choose between love and the divine command. In this story, both man and God are tried, tested, and refined, never to be the same again.”
The lesson of Abraham is clear: Taking lives in the name of God profanes God’s name. God’s place is not with the perpetrator, but with the victim. This is the same Abraham who is the father of monotheism for Jews, Christians, and Muslims. If only his words could be spoken, heard, and discerned by all of us.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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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
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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
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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 husband. . . If the woman herself should lose her life, the assailant would be executed by the court. What is particularly evident is the lesser punishment exacted in the death of the fetus. . . Clearly the Torah implies that the fetus is not to be regarded as a person. There is no death sentence but only financial restitution in the case of a miscarriage.”
In the early centuries of the common era, the ancient rabbis applied this verse to an actual instance of abortion when they legislated, “If a woman is having difficulty giving birth, it is permitted to cut up the fetus inside her womb and take it out limb by limb, because her life takes precedence. If the greater part of the fetus has emerged from her womb it must not be touched, because one life must not be taken to save another. (Mishnah Ohalot 7:6)” Their understanding is that the fetus does not become a “human life”, with the protections therewith extended, until it has literally been born. Prior to birth, the sanctity of the mother’s life takes precedence.
On the basis of these previous teachings, Rabbi Isaac Klein, a leading decisor of Jewish law, concluded in 1959 that while abortion is morally wrong, it can be performed for therapeutic reasons of a both physical and mental nature. That is, in addition to concern for the woman’s physical life, we must also be concerned for her mental health, as well.
For the Jew, the issue of abortion has no place in the arena of politics and public policy. Abortion is not a “black & white” issue that can be legislated, but one with complexities that require individual kindness, compassion, and understanding.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Bo posted by Rabbi Siegel on 01/11/08 | Torah Portion: Bo
Book of Exodus
Chaps. 10:1-13:16
After seven devastating plagues, a crack in Pharaoh’s armor begins to appear. Moses threatens Egypt with a plague of locusts. Pharaoh’s advisors ask: “How long shall this man be a snare to us. Let the men go (Exo. 10:7)!”
Pharaoh finally heeds the words of his court and tells Moses to “Go and worship your God (Exo. 10:8)!” But, just take the men! Pharaoh is concerned that Moses will not return to Egypt. Moses refuses to leave anyone or anything behind. . . . Enter the plague of locusts followed by the plague of darkness! Again, Pharaoh is ready to deal, but this time he will let Moses take everything with exception of the cattle. Moses argues that everything must be taken to worship God because “We do not know with what we must serve the Lord, until we get there (Exo. 10:26)!”
The late contemporary Torah scholar Pinchas Peli explains, “Those last words, to all appearances uttered by Moses as a factual statement in a diplomatic exchange, express at the same time a profound theological truth. They teach us that when it comes to the worship of God, one should not expect to find ready-made formulas. True worship of God requires ever-new wonder and discovery through painful trial and error, ever-new decision and leaps of faith.”
The story is told of Rabbi Haim of Sandz, one of the great Hassidic masters of the 19th century. Once, he stood at the window of the house of studies as his students were passing by: “Come here”, he called over to one of them, “Tell me, if you would happen to come across a wallet full of money on the Shabbat, when a Jew is not allowed to handle money, what would you do? Would you pick it up?”
“Of course not,” the young hassid rushed to answer. “You fool, you,” the master retorted, as he called over another young student: “And you, what would you do in a similar situation? Will you pick up and take the wallet full of money?”
“Oh, yes!” replied the young hassid, after hearing the reprimand the master bestowed on his friend. “You sinner, you!” the master scolded the second hassid and called over a third one: “And what would you do?” he inquired.
The third hassid, after having listened to the master’s rebuke of the two young hassidim who preceded him, replied hesitantly: “Well, I do not know. At finding the wallet full of money, I would struggle with myself in deciding whether or not to take it. I hope I would be able to make the right decision.” “At last we have the real answer,” Reb Haim turned to his disciples. Truly, “we shall not know how we are to worship God until we get there.”
Lesson: Take everything with you!
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
|
Va'era posted by Rabbi Siegel on 01/04/08 | Torah Portion: Va’era
Book of Exodus
Chaps. 6:2-9:35
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Go and tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites depart from his land.” But Moses appealed to the Lord, saying, “The Israelites would not listen to me; how then should Pharaoh heed me, a man of impeded speech!” (Exo. 6:10-12)
Moses first attempt to seek the release of the Israelite slaves failed miserably. Pharaoh was not going to listen to reason or to Moses’ God. Not only were Moses and Aaron immediately dispatched from Pharaoh’s presence, but the taskmasters were ordered to increase the workload of the Israelites. When God tells Moses to try again, his response is “the Israelites don’t listen to me, why should Pharaoh?” Rabbi Harold Kushner notes, “Leaders derive their power and legitimacy from the willingness of people to listen to them.”
Effective leadership is not inherited or bestowed by the power of a few, but is derived from the masses; from those one wishes to lead. As we officially begin to consider a new leader for the United States, it’s the people, not the party or the pundits, who will ultimately decide. For the past several months the American public has been “told” by media and political spin doctors who the leading candidates are. Finally, beginning last night in Iowa, the people had their chance to weigh in. Almost twice as many voters turned out to caucus in Iowa than did in 2004. Most of the newcomers to the Iowa political process were young, between the ages of 17 & 24. They felt they could make a difference, and they did. The message to the candidates-on both sides-is LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE. The successful candidate will be the one who listens and, in turn, delivers a message that is listened to!
Moses had God on his side, but even that was not enough. What his leadership would mean for the people was more convincing than the influence of those who stood with him. Moses responsibility was to make God’s message one that reflected the needs and aspirations of the Israelites.
To the extent the Iowa caucuses reflect the American people, the candidates would do well to heed the words of Rabbi Kushner and the example of Moses.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Shemot posted by Rabbi Siegel on 12/28/07 | Torah Portion: Shemot
Book of Exodus
Chaps. 1:1-6:1
December 28, 2007
In 1956, Cecile B. DeMille released his epic film “The Ten Commandments” starring Charlton Heston as Moses and Yul Brynner as Ramses, the Pharaoh. The film wove together the story line in the Book of Exodus with ancient legends (Midrash). Moses was portrayed as the “white knight in shining armor,” and Ramses the “evil emperor.” In 1998, Jeffrey Katzenberg produced an animated version of the Exodus story entitled “The Prince of Egypt.” This version combined the story in Exodus with a modern Midrash (legend/interpretation). Katzenberg portrays Moses and Ramses as step-brothers and childhood friends. The animated film suggests that in his youth, Moses assimilated all the cultural traits of Egypt. His best friend was none other than Ramses.
As they grew up, they grew apart. Ramses became the Pharaoh and Moses the leader of a slave people. Rabbi Ismar Schoresh, in his review of “The Prince of Egypt,” notes “[Moses and Ramses] frequent confrontations as national leaders are softened by memory of a time when their individual lives were not yet freighted with such gravity.” There is even a note of sorrow for Ramses, the only Egyptian to survive the Red Sea.
Katzenberg’s creative additions to the Exodus story serve to enhance an important Jewish principle: One does not demonize his enemy, nor rejoice at his downfall. In the Book of Deuteronomy it is taught, “You shall not abhor an Egyptian, for you were a stranger in his land (Deut. 23:8).” Though the Israelites suffered through a period of bondage at the hands of the Egyptians, we dare not forget that it was this same people who rescued Jacob and his sons from famine and extended warmth and hospitality to the early Israelites-strangers in their midst! In an act of human decency, even for one who was once an enemy, we extend the olive branch of peace and friendship.
In the weeks ahead, we will read of the plagues brought upon an intransigent Pharaoh and the Egyptian citizenry. As we read these passages, we should not lose sight of the famous Midrash in which God rebukes the angels for celebrating the destruction of the Egyptian army in the Red Sea: “The works of my hands are drowning in the sea, and you want to sing (Talmud Sanhedrin 39b)?” The Egyptians are no less my people than are the Israelites!
The story of Israel’s liberation from Egypt is another opportunity to remind us that one should never demonize or belittle another, even an enemy. In doing so, we belittle the Divine spark waiting to be discovered in all humankind.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Vayehi posted by Rabbi Siegel on 12/21/07 | Torah Portion: Vayehi
Book of Genesis
Chaps. 47:28-50:26
December 21, 2007
Most of my Torah commentaries try to understand the text in an interpretive rather than critical manner. As we reach the end of the book of Genesis, there is an historical reality worth noting.
The trials and tribulations of Jacob occupy more space in Genesis than any other patriarch. For this reason, Jacob’s every move is examined beneath the microscope of spiritual significance for meaning in our lives. Jacob’s early character is defined by acts of selfishness-cheating his brother out of his birthright, fooling his father into giving him the blessing intended for Esau. The Torah also makes it clear that of the two twins-Jacob & Esau-Jacob was his mother’s favorite. Even after experiencing a life-changing epiphany, Jacob still insists on loving his wife Rachel more than his other wife Leah, and showing favoritism to Rachel’s sons (Joseph & Benjamin) over his others.
In this week’s Torah portion, as Jacob nears death he calls his children together for words of instruction and blessing. Even here, in his last moments, he is apparently unable to abandon his bad habits. Ancient tradition called upon the father to bestow final blessings on his children in the order of their birth. Jacob’s first born is Reuven, yet his first blessing is given to Joseph. He then proceeds to tell Joseph that his two sons-Manasseh & Ephraim- “who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, shall be mine no less that Reuvan and Simon (Gen. 48:5).” Later commentators explain this to mean that Joseph’s two sons will have an equal inheritance of their grandfather’s estate along with Jacob’s other sons; an arrangement not made with any of his other children! Jacob was hardly a role model for effective parenting during his life, and now even as he approaches death!
Let’s examine Jacob’s actions in relation to the historical reality of his times. What Jacob is doing here is designating Joseph (not Reuven) as the first born for inheritance purposes. In ancient law, the first born received two shares of inheritance, while the other sons received one. Hence, the two portions to be received by Joseph are given instead to his sons, Manasseh & Ephraim.
The bigger picture is that Jacob designates Joseph as the first born by choosing Rachel’s first born (Joseph) over Leah’s (Reuven, who was born before Joseph). The Torah never expresses a problem with what Jacob is doing, or has done. It would appear to be the custom in ancient times, where husbands had more than one wife, to freely designate which wife he would grant inheritance rights to her first offspring. By the time we get to the book of Deuteronomy, a provision is put in place to restrict the father’s right to make this choice.
Probably in response to the problems that ensued from Jacob’s ill-advised favoritism, the Torah eventually put an end to the practice. But, in the context of his time, Jacob was just doing what was customary! Times change, thank goodness!
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Vayigash posted by Rabbi Siegel on 12/14/07 | Torah Portion: Vayigash
Book of Genesis
Chaps. 44:18-47:27
December 14, 2007
Mark Twain once observed, “When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years!” A lot of us can probably empathize with Twain. Many others never completely understand their parents, or learn to accept them for who they are rather than who we’d like them to be.
Jacob, father of 12 sons, committed the ultimate parental sin-he favored one child over the others. Jacob favored the children of his “favorite” wife Rachel-Joseph and Benjamin. He, who was himself the favored child of his mother Rebecca, should have known better. His son, Judah, encouraged his other brothers to take out their anger and jealousy on Joseph by casting him into a pit and later selling him to a group of traders heading for Egypt. Twenty-two years pass and now Canaan and Egypt are in the grip of a famine. Joseph has achieved political power in Egypt and is responsible for giving out food to those in need. His brothers are dispatched to Egypt and, unbeknownst to them, come before their long-lost brother.
Joseph takes the opportunity to repay his brothers for their actions by taking the youngest brother, Benjamin-the other favorite of Jacob-into custody. Judah, still not recognizing Joseph, approaches him to appeal for Benjamin’s release. Rabbi Yehuda Aryeh Leib Alter of Ger, popularly referred to as the Sefat Emet (Language of Truth), explains the expression, “Then Judah drew near to him (Gen. 47:18)” as meaning “Judah drew near to himself.” The Eitz Hayim Humash suggests, “[Judah] discovered who he really was, not the compromiser who had said “Let us sell [Joseph]. . Not to do away with him ourselves (Gen. 37:27),” causing his father boundless grief, but the advocate for compassion and family harmony. Judah knows that his father still favors one brother, Benjamin, over the other brothers. Such knowledge, however, no longer drives him to jealousy. He understands he cannot change his father; he can only change his reaction to his father’s deeds.”
And, so it is with those still blessed with living parents. They are not always perfect, nor will they necessarily change to become what we hoped they would be. They brought us into this world and did the best they could to provide and nurture us. Some parents had more ability than others, but they all loved us in their own special way. Judah learned this lesson and the Torah reminds us that we can, too.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Hanukah posted by Rabbi Siegel on 12/07/07 | Hanukah
December 7, 2007
Shockingly, in the recent Republican presidential debate, CNN invited a video question from an individual who appeared with a copy of the New Testament in one hand while asking the candidates, “How you answer this question will tell us everything we need to know about you. Do you believe every word of this book? Specifically, this book that I am holding in my hand, do you believe this book?”
The holiday of Hanukah is a universal celebration of religious freedom. In 164 b.c.e, a small band of Jews (known as, “Maccabees”) refused to be coerced into accepting another faith. Instead, they fought back against the forces of assimilation and religious intolerance. Hanukah is a celebration of their victory against all odds. More than that, it celebrates the religious rights of all people.
The Middle East is embroiled in a religious conflict that was “brought home” on 9/11. Americans were frightened and appalled by a terrorist attack in the name of God. We had difficulty understanding how, in the 21st century, one can believe in a religious superiority over another. That is until our government refused federal funding for lifesaving stem cell research on the basis of a particular religious ethic, or until a woman’s reproductive rights became the religious centerpiece for countless legislation and judicial battles. More recently, the Texas state chairperson for the public school science curriculum was fired over an e-mail she sent out announcing the talk of an anti-creationist educator. This comes at a time when the state’s Governor is trying to compel the teaching of “intellectual design” (the religious right’s code word for the story of creation) in science classes as a reasonable option to evolution.
One presidential candidate, a former Baptist minister, has made his religion the center point of his campaign, while his opponent has to take to the airwaves to proclaim himself no less Christian. Where are the Maccabees when we need them?
When we celebrate Hanukah in America, we are also celebrating the establishment clause in the 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. This clause not only protects freedom of religion, but freedom from religion.
When we celebrate Hanukah in America, we also celebrate Article VI of the U.S. Constitution that proclaims, The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States. No organization, group of voters, or political party has the right to require a “test of faith” in order to represent this country.
Today, Hanukah comes to remind us WE are the modern Maccabees, but we are no longer few in number nor are we without power or authority. The U.S. Constitution is our authority, and a belief in a tolerant and accepting God is our strength.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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Va-Yeishev posted by Rabbi Siegel on 11/30/07 | Torah Portion: Va-Yeishev
Book of Genesis
Chaps. 37:1-40:23
November 30, 2007
Is there a difference between dreams and visions? Is a dreamer a visionary or a visionary a dreamer? The lyrics of a 1970 song proclaim, “Dreams are for those who sleep.” The biblical Book of Joel 3:1 reads, “And afterwards I will pour out my spirit on all humankind. . . . The old shall dream dreams and the youth shall see visions.” The scientific community suggests, “A dream is a construct of our own perception actuated by experiences we receive and partake within. A vision, however, is a reception of a foresight or insight of the future or change.”
Joseph, the favorite son of his father Jacob, is called a “dreamer.” It is his dreams of superiority over his brothers that gets him cast into a pit, sold as a slave in Egypt, and thrown into jail. It is also his dreams that get him out of jail and elevate him to second in power, only exceeded by Pharaoh. The Torah is careful not to refer to him as a visionary, only a dreamer; and a good one, at that!
On the other hand, the ancient Prophets (Jeremiah, Isaiah, etc.) are referred to exclusively as “visionaries.” The difference in these two concepts is evident in the roles that dreams and visions play. Joseph’s actions are not the result of an inspiration to right the world, but to be honest to his thoughts and dreams. He has a dream and offers an honest interpretation. Sometimes he benefits by his dream, other times not, but in all cases he remains impartial and honest. In the end, his life’s goals are limited. He just wants the best for his immediate family. Unlike his father Jacob, grandfather Isaac, or great grandfather Abraham, Joseph has no great aspirations for creating a people and possessing a land. The only land he’s interested in is the Egyptian suburb of Goshen to re-locate his family. There is nothing wrong with being a dreamer, but it is quite different than being a visionary.
To paraphrase the words of the late Robert F. Kennedy, the ancient prophets were not people who “looked at things the way they are and asked why?”, but seers who “[visioned] things that never were and asked why not!” [to maintain intellectual honesty, Kennedy’s famous words were a paraphrase of a line from George Bernard Shaw’s play, “Back to Methuselah.”] The words of the prophets were intended to shake up the complacency and moral corruption of Israel’s leadership, to inspire the people to find their strength and hope in the teachings of a living God, and to instruct the world in the words of the Prophet Micah: “What does the Lord require of you? Only to do justice and to love goodness, and to walk modestly with your God (Micah 6:8).” The visions of the ancient prophets reached beyond their immediate concerns to embrace the hopes and aspirations of all humankind.
One is not better than the other. The world needs more dreamers and visionaries. What distinguishes one is not just the ability to dream or vision, but the willingness to act on them.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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Thanksgiving 2007 posted by Rabbi Siegel on 11/23/07 | THANKSGIVING 2007
Friday, November 23, 2007
One American holiday rises above the rest for its continued meaning and significance: Thanksgiving. The concept of giving thanks began when we first learned to speak and our parents taught us the “golden words”: Please & Thank You. We didn’t always use them, but we always knew they were important because each year an entire day on the national calendar was devoted to giving thanks.
At some point in our lives we all find reason to give thanks. Maybe it’s good fortune or good health, but mostly we reserve our thanks for good friends and family. It might be turkey, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie that occupies our mind in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, but it’s the people who sit around our tables and gather in our homes that provide us with the greatest nourishment.
It is difficult to write about Thanksgiving without giving my personal thanks. I am thankful for loving and being loved. I am thankful for parents, grandparents, children, and grandchildren.
I am thankful for my teachers and role models; my Rabbi in Jerusalem and my Rabbi in Portland, Oregon.
I am thankful to be blessed with many acquaintances and a few good friends who offer me unconditional acceptance.
And I am most thankful to God for providing me an inquiring mind, a loving heart and a family who mirror the image of God.
What more could one want? What better reason to say “thanks”!
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Vayeitze posted by Rabbi Siegel on 11/16/07 | Torah Portion: Vayeitze
Book of Genesis
Chaps. 28:10-32:3
November 16, 2007
“And Jacob left Beersheva and set out for Haran (Gen. 28:10). After a jealous and tumultuous relationship with his twin brother, Esau, Jacob is urged to leave home to take refuge with his uncle in Haran. The Torah gives two reasons for Jacob’s leaving home: 1) Fear of his brother Esau, and 2) concern that if he were to remain he might marry a native Canaanite, and not one of his clan.
In the ancient Midrash (Jewish legend), Rabbi Hizkiyah suggests, “Jacob did not leave at once. Rather, he went into hiding for fourteen years. He entered the academy of the great sage Eber to solidify his knowledge of Torah, and only then did he set out for Haran.” Why the need to suggest that Jacob actually waited (and studied) for fourteen years before leaving home? Rabbi Hizkiyah is suggesting that Jacob wasn’t properly prepared to leave home when faced with the reality. He needed more time to study Torah.
The study of Torah is more than just a literal reading of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. Torah is a system of values and ethics that serve as a moral/ethical compass for human behavior and a blueprint for value-laden parenting. As a parent, how does one prepare a child to leave home?
Rabbi Ismar Schoresh notes, “At some point in our lives, our children also take leave of home. . . And how well have we prepared them for their journey? Have we done as much to hone their values as their skills?”
Anyone who has been blessed to raise children knows that just reaching the age of 18 or 21 does not mean a child is ready to accept the challenges of adulthood. Effective parenting requires thoughtful and calculated planning for a child’s education at every level. It requires a concerted effort to imbue the youngster with a moral conscience and an ethical drive. None of this is innate.
Judaism teaches that at birth one is neither good or bad, but neutral. What we become is much the result of parenting. With regard to Jews, Rabbi Schoresh states, “The untold opportunities afforded Jews in the open society will not turn into a nightmare for Jewish survival as long as we are ready to equip ourselves and our children with the inner resources to sustain our way of life.” For Jacob then, and us now, the inner resources are what we refer to as “Torah.” It makes a difference!
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Spending Time in Israel posted by Rabbi Siegel on 11/09/07 | Rabbi Siegel is presently in Israel. The weekly Torah Learning will return on Friday, November 16, 2007. Until then feel free to check past Torah discussions by clicking on the "Archive Torah Learnings" below. |
Vayera posted by Rabbi Siegel on 10/26/07 | Torah Portion: Vayera
Book of Genesis
Chaps. 18:1-22:24
October 26, 2007
I blame radical Islamic terrorism for instilling in vast numbers of people a fear of strangers. Just today it was reported that Japan will follow the example of the United States in requiring foreign visitors to be fingerprinted and photographed prior to entry. This legitimate concern for homeland security has spilled over into the area of immigration. For years there has been a steady stream of illegal immigrants entering the United States from Cuba and Mexico. Only since 9/11 has this become a concern of top priority. Prior to 9/11 the United States was satisfied to allow the illegal immigrants to work at low wages with no health care or social safety net while paying sales taxes, property taxes, and through purchases contributing to the economy of a number of large cities (such as Houston) and regional areas. Now, suddenly, they are unwanted and a risk to our nation.
This Torah portion begins by reporting, “The Lord appeared to [Abraham] by the terebinths of Mamre; he was sitting at the entrance of the tent as the day grew hot. Looking up, he saw three men standing near him. As soon as he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them and, bowing to the ground, he said, “My lords, if it please you, do not go on past your servant. Let a little water be brought to you; bathe your feet and recline under the tree (Gen. 18:1-4).”
The classic Jewish notion of Hachnasat orchim/hospitality to strangers takes its lead from this passage in the Torah. Rabbi Kerry Olitzky notes, “In ancient Israel, hospitality was a moral obligation, reflective of the nomadic life of the Israelite people.” In the Midrash (legend) Abraham was said to have left all four sides of his tent open so that visitors might have easy access at all meals. Rabbi Huna in the Talmud makes the famous statement that has become the formal opening of the Passover Seder, “Kol dichfin yeitei ve’yeichal/All who are hungry come and eat.”
The nomadic nature of the Jew from ancient times to this day has taught us what it means to be a “stranger”; even an illegal immigrant. Following WWII and the Holocaust, many Jews, on foot and by boat, attempted to illegally enter Palestine. They wanted nothing more than survival and the opportunity for a new beginning. The British tried to turn them away, but they persisted. The rest is history.
Most of those risking their lives in broken down boats or walking through the hot Mexican desert want nothing more than a better life and a new beginning. Yes, they enter illegally, but like Abraham, we should at least extend to them acts of human dignity, then work with them to find their place in this great nation.
The 18th century Hasidic leader Rebbe Aaron of Karlin taught that when we turn our attention from God to tend to the needs of people, we do God’s will. Conversely, God is not pleased when we place such a great focus on God that we ignore needy human beings. The tractate Shabbat in the Talmud sums up this discussion when it writes, “Hospitality to strangers is greater than welcoming the Divine Presence.”
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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Lech Lecha posted by Rabbi Siegel on 10/19/07 | Torah Portion: Lech Lecha
Book of Genesis
Chaps. 12:1-17:27
October 19, 2007
“Now the Lord said to Abraham, “Get Out of your country, and from your kindred, and from your father’s house, unto a land that I will show you (Gen. 12:1).” With this verse the story of Judaism begins.
The contemporary Bible scholar E.A. Speiser comments: “The story commences with one individual, and extends gradually to his family, then to a people, and later still to a nation. Yet, it is not to be the tale of individuals or a family or a people as such. Rather, it is to be the story of a society in quest of an ideal. Abraham’s call, in short, marks the very beginning of the biblical process.” He goes on to write, “Abraham’s journey to the Promised Land was thus no routine expedition of several hundred miles. Instead, it was the start of an epic voyage in search of spiritual truth, a quest that was to constitute the central theme of all biblical history.”
Another ancient legend (Midrash) interprets the above verse to mean: “Go forth to find your authentic self, to learn who you are meant to be.”
The title “Wandering Jew” was coined to describe the physical reality of the Jew in history; wandering from one country to another. While most commonly understood in a pejorative sense, the term does express a positive metaphysical reality. Like Abraham, the Jew is on a constant spiritual journey in search of the essence of the One God. The Jew’s road map are the “mitzvot”-God’s commandments of moral and ethical behavioral values. The performance of “mitzvot” move the Jew forward along the path of fulfillment and redemption.
Existentially, this is the spiritual journey of each individual, but as Spieser suggests, it is in fact “to be the story of a society in quest of an ideal.” Abraham bravely left everything he knew-his country of origin, his greater family, and his very home-to pursue an ideal. His journey becomes ours: To pursue the paths of peace, explore the mountains of hope, and bathe in the seas of truth and justice. With this Torah reading we begin, again, our effort to make this world livable for all creatures; to discover God’s kingdom on earth. Let’s journey on, together!
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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Bereishet posted by Rabbi Siegel on 10/05/07 | Torah Portion: Bereishet
Book of Genesis
Chaps. 1:1-6:8
October 5, 2007
Who says you can’t begin, again? Jews do every year at this time. As we conclude the celebration of the High Holidays (Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur) and of Sukkot, the next order of business is to begin a new cycle of Torah learning beginning with the beginning (Bereishet/Genesis/”In The Beginning”).
The first commentary in the Eitz Hayim Humash sets the done for what lies ahead: “Time has not diminished the power or the majesty of the familiar biblical account of the creation of the world, nor has familiarity dulled its impact. It still moves us, conveying so much in so few words. What kind of world does the Torah envision God creating? The opening chapters of Genesis are not a scientific account of the origins of the universe. The Torah is a book of morality, not cosmology. Its overriding concern, from the first verse to the last, is our relationship to God, truth about life rather than scientific truths. It describes the world God fashioned as “good,” a statement no scientific account can make.
God’s world is an orderly world, in which land and water each has its own domain, in which each species of plant and animal reproduces itself “after its own kind.” But it is also an unpredictable world, a world capable of growth and change and surprise, of love and pain, of glory and tragedy, not simply replication of what is, because it includes human beings who have the freedom to choose how they will act. And it is an unfinished world, waiting for human beings to complete God’s work of creating.
The Torah assumes the existence and overwhelming power of God. We find here no myth of God’s birth, as we find in other cultures’ accounts of creation, only a description of God’s actions. It seems that the Torah is saying, “This is the premise on which the rest stands. Only if you accept it is everything that follows intelligible.”
May this opportunity for a new beginning strengthen our faith in the existence and overwhelming power of the One God, and may this faith bring us a step closer to the completion of God’s creation.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
* Postscript: It should be noted (or, maybe not!) that the first mention of Baseball occurs in this Torah portion: “In The BIG/INNING”
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Yom Kippur posted by Rabbi Siegel on 09/21/07 | Yom Kippur
September 21, 2007
This evening the Jew prepares to stand in the presence of God and to give account for his/her actions, words, and deeds of the past year. It is a daunting task that lies ahead. Who were we before we became who we are? What were our hopes, prayers, and expectations and have they been realized? Do we stand before God with pride or shame? Or, do we even care?
The one certainty is the synagogues will be full on this Day of Atonement. Many will spend time meditating on the questions above. Many more will just spend time, and among these worshippers will be a considerable number who question their very reason for being there. What are we “worshipping?” If there is a God, why isn’t this world a better place? Despite best efforts we continue to find disappointment, failure, despair, and suffering? Where is God?
Maybe it would help to know that among God’s most faithful and loyal are doubters. In a recent stunning revelation, the late Mother Teresa wrote in 1959, “In my soul I feel just that terrible pain of loss, of God not wanting me-of God not being God-of God not existing.” In her final days, she turned to her fellow nuns and said, “If you only knew what darkness I am plunged into. If I ever become a saint I will surely be one of “darkness.”
Her silent struggles with faith did not deter her efforts on behalf of the poorest people in the world. Few of us, even the most devout, are willing to leave our entire lives behind to serve the poor.
Mother Teresa exhibited her faith through her actions. She discovered the face of God in the eyes of the downtrodden.
It’s alright to question God’s existence. One might even argue it is a fundamental part of Jewish tradition. From Maimonides to Martin Buber, every Jewish theologian’s philosophy was initially shaped by their doubts. Tonight (or tomorrow) when you enter the synagogue on Yom Kippur do so with a contrite heart, a questioning spirit, but a relentless commitment to realize the best within you; to discover your personal Godliness.
May we all be inscribed and sealed for a year of happiness, health, and peace.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Rosh Hashanah 5768 posted by Rabbi Siegel on 09/07/07 | Some Thoughts On The New Year
September 7, 2007
Wednesday evening ushers in the celebration of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish new year). Like January 1st, Rosh Hashanah is a celebration of new beginnings. Unlike January 1st, the Jewish new year is not a time to forget “old acquaintance,” but to remember and improve upon them.
Rabbi Harold Kushner, in his book When All You’ve Ever Wanted Isn’t Enough, writes, “In South Wales, there is a species of caterpillar-a “moth with no mouth”-that lays eggs and then changes into a moth that has no digestive system, no way of taking in food, so that it starves to death in a few hours. Nature has designed this moth to reproduce, to lay eggs and pass on the life of the species. Once it has done that, it has no reason to go on living, so it is programmed to die.
“Are we like that moth? Do we live only to produce children, to perpetuate the human race? And having done that, is it our destiny to disappear and make way for the next generation?. . . The need for meaning is not a biological need like the need for food and air. Neither is it a psychological need, like the need for acceptance and self-esteem. It is a religious need, and ultimate thirst of our souls.”
On Rosh Hashanah millions of Jews, most of whom would not use the term “religious” to define themselves, pack synagogues. Even though many give the appearance of discomfort, and even a hint of disdain, they come. They come in handsome suits and expensive dresses for the privilege of standing, sitting, listening to ancient prayer chanted in a foreign tongue, a moral/ethical discourse delivered by a religious leader, and a religious experience lasting four, five or six hours. And, yet, they continue to come. Why? Because what separates us from all of God’s other creations is a need to discover meaning in our lives.
The search for meaning takes us in various directions. Some are driven toward financial wealth. Others pursue career promotions and positions of honor. All these people are represented in the synagogue on Rosh Hashanah. Despite all material and financial gains, at the end of the day, or the end of a year, we still remain in search of that which continues to allude us; a desire to quench the “ultimate thirst of our souls.” And for this we turn to religion; even when we’re not religious.
Rosh Hashanah, the new year, is the time when “The great Shofar is sounded, and a still small voice is heard (from the prayer, Una’tanah To’kef). May the sound of the Shofar speak to the “still small voice” in each of us, compelling us to work for a new year that offers happiness, health, and peace to all. And may our search for meaning find a home in the pursuit of this blessing.
Shana Tova Tikoteivu v’Tay’chotay’mu-May we all be inscribed and sealed for a year of meaning and fulfillment.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Ki Tavo posted by Rabbi Siegel on 08/31/07 | Torah Portion: Ki Tavo
Book of Deuteronomy
Chaps. 26:1-29:9
August 31, 2007
The Mitzvah (commandment or obligation) of giving Tzedakah (charity, or acts of righteousness) is derived from the Biblical concept of tithing. This Torah portion comes to remind the ancient Israelites of their obligation to tithe: “When you have set aside in full the tenth part of your yield-in the third year, the year of the tithe-and have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat their fill in your settlements. . . (Deut. 26:12).”
The ancient Israelite farmer was responsible each year for giving one-tenth of his produce to charity. Operating on a seven-year cycle, in the first, second, fourth, fifth, and seventh year, he gave one portion of the tenth to the local Levites and consume the remainder, himself, in the ancient Temple of Jerusalem. The tribe of Levi, unlike the other tribes of Israel, was not apportioned a piece of land in Israel. The Levite’s service was to the Temple and the ritual needs of the community. He depended on the tithes received each year to sustain his family. In the 3rd & 6th year of the cycle, each farmer gave one portion of his tithe to the Levites and the remainder to the poor (“the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow”).
Tzedakah, the act of giving, took on a pre-eminent role in Judaism from the early centuries of the common era through the Middle Ages. During this time in most countries, including all of Europe, Jews were pushed off the land and subsequently became village dwellers. The obligation to set aside a tenth of one’s yield still remained operative. In this case, the tithe was taken from one’s income rather than crops. In the absence of the ancient Temple, there was no longer a need to support the Levites nor was their a place to go each year to consume one’s personal tithe. Now, the entire tenth was given to support communal institutions who, in turn, addressed the needs of the poor and indigent.
The ancient tradition of tithing continues to be observed in the modern Jewish community. Each Jew is still responsible for giving. In this instance, the recipient is the Jewish Federation who, in turn, support the local Jewish educational and communal institutions; programs like the Jewish Family Service which offers aid to the poor, food to the hungry, and jobs to the jobless.
Does each Jew still give a tenth of their income to Tzedakah? Probably not, but it remains the ideal to which one strives. First of all, 10% is a significant sum, and secondly, is it determined before or after taxes? However one figures it, the obligation-passed down over thousands of years-remains the same: To make it possible for all Jews to share in the hope of happiness, health, and peace. This can be achieved by giving.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Ki Tetze posted by Rabbi Siegel on 08/24/07 | Torah Portion: Ki Tetze
Book of Deuteronomy
Chaps. 21:10-25:19
August 24, 2007
What does one do with a rebellious child? The Torah has a suggestion: “If a man has a wayward and defiant son, who does not heed his father or mother and does not obey them even after they discipline him, his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his town at the public place of his community. They shall say to the elders of his town, “This son of ours is disloyal and defiant; he does not heed us. . . . Thereupon the men of his town shall stone him to death (Deut. 21:18-21).”
This is certainly one way to handle a difficult child! The Torah is underscoring the importance of respect for parents and authority as the cornerstone of a law-abiding society. What makes this teaching revolutionary in its time, despite our revulsion for such punishment, is how the punishment was meted out. In the ancient near east, the head of a household was the absolute authority. Any acts of misbehavior or family insult were dealt with by the father. This included executing one’s own children if they were rebellious and defiant. The Torah wrested this authority from the father and placed it in the hands of the court. The parent could no longer take the law in his own hands, but instead was compelled to bring the difficult child before the “elders of the town.” It was they who were responsible for determining the youngster’s fate.
The ancient rabbis, of the 1st and 2nd century c.e., took this teaching one step further. Rabbi Shimon, a teacher from the 2nd century is quoted in the Talmud as stating, “The case of the stubborn and rebellious son being executed never occurred, neither will it ever occur (Sanhedrin 71a).” The rabbis were not implying there were no “stubborn and rebellious” children, but the severity of their behavior never rose to a level punishable by death. In fact, the rabbis legislated a list of requirements for treating a child’s behavior as a capital offense. The requirements and restrictions made it virtually impossible to execute a child for disobeying a parent!
Most of the listed requirements placed the onus for a child’s action on the parents. Were they fit to be parents? Did they provide an environment that cultivated respect and honor? Were the parents, in fact, capable of creating such an environment? In an article I recently read, a child psychologist suggested good parenting skills are required between the ages of 4-14 and good administrative/managerial skills are necessary between the ages of 14-18.
The Torah had the good sense to take the authority of ultimate punishment out of the hands of the parent and place it under the auspices of the court. The ancient rabbis further distanced a child from capital punishment by emphasizing the preventative responsibility of good parenting. Today we can learn from both the above sources. The Torah reminds us of the importance of honor and respect in maintaining a civil society and the rabbis remind us that honor and respect are not innate, but the product of good and effective parenting.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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Shoftim posted by Rabbi Siegel on 08/17/07 | Torah Portion: Shoftim
Book of Deuteronomy
Chaps. 16:18-21:9
August 17, 2007
A Gallup poll taken last month shows 62% of Americans saying the United States made a mistake going to war with Iraq. Compare this figure with a Gallup poll done in 1971 during the Viet Nam war showing 61% of Americans opposed to the war. Even though more Americans oppose the war in Iraq than did in Viet Nam, there is little, if any, civil disobedience in the streets or on the college campuses.
What is the difference between “then & now”? Answer: Today, there is no military draft. When 18, 19 and 20 year olds face military conscription that could cost them their life, they are going to have a vested interest in that particular war. Many argue the best way to end the Iraq conflict is to bring back the draft. College campuses would again be a beehive of protest and political action. Young people, and concerned parents, would be marching in the streets of America and on the mall in Washington, DC.
In ancient times, there was obligatory military service for all males. Chapter 20 in Deuteronomy reviews the Laws of Warfare. Accompanying the requirement to serve in the army is also a list of deferments.
Then the officials shall address the troops, as follows: “Is there anyone who has built a new house but has not dedicated it? Let him go back to this home, lest he die in battle and another dedicate it. Is there anyone who is engaged but not yet married? Let him go back to his home, lest he die in battle and another marry her. . . . Is there anyone afraid and disheartened? Let him go back to his home, lest the courage of his comrades flag like his (Deut. 20:5-9).”
The last deferment is the most compelling. For the sake of troop morale, it was best to excuse anyone who was “v’rach Ha’layvav,” literally, “soft-hearted,” cowardly. Others suggest this expression be understood as meaning “tenderhearted,” or compassionate and unable to hurt others; a deferment known in our day as “conscientious objector.”
The Torah recognized that war must be a nation’s last option when none others exist, and even then a sovereign country had the obligation to listen with respect, and respond with compassion, to those who remained morally opposed. They were no less patriotic and no less committed to the ideals of ancient Israel than those who favored a particular war. The same is true for the 62% of Americans who see the U.S. involvement in Iraq as a mistake.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Re'eih posted by Rabbi Siegel on 08/10/07 | Torah Portion: Re’eih
Book of Deuteronomy
Chaps. 11:26-16:17
August 10, 2007
This week’s text is both self-evident and remarkable: “There shall be no needy among you. . . .if, however, there is a needy person among you. . .do not harden your heart and shut your hand to him. Rather, you must open your hand and lend him sufficient for whatever he needs. . . . For there will never cease to be needy ones in your land (Deut. 15: 7-11).”
Within the space of one paragraph, we are told first “there shall be no needy among you” and, then, “for there will never cease to be needy ones in your land.” Clearly, the first statement is the sought-after ideal and the second reality. Our job: To make the “real ideal.” The effort to address poverty is referred to in Hebrew as Tzedakah-Acts of Righteousness. Among the most profound insights into giving comes from the great 12th century rabbi, philosopher, scientist, and physician Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (often referred to as Maimonides or his acronym, RamBam).
Maimonides suggested there is an art to giving. He wrote, “Whoever closes his eyes against charity is, like the idol-worshipper, impious. . . Whoever gives to the poor with bad grace and downcast looks, though he give a thousand pieces of gold, all the merit of his action is lost; one must give with grace, gladly, sympathizing with the poor person in distress.” With this he laid out an eight-stage ladder for the art of giving:
1) The highest level of giving is assisting the poor in finding employment or through a loan beginning a business, thus empowering them to help themselves.
2) The next level is giving charity in such a way that the giver and recipient are unknown to one another.
3) The next rung on the ladder of giving is donating money to a community fund.
4) Below this is when the donor is aware of whom he is giving to, but the recipient does not know who the giver is, or the recipient knows who the donor is but not visa versa.
5) One who gives money to the poor before he is asked
6) One who gives only after being asked.
7) One who gives less than he/she should, but does so with good grace.
8) The bottom rung on the ladder is the one who gives grudgingly.
Before honoring or condemning a person for their position on the ladder, take note that the 8-levels are only in reference to those who actually give. How many others do nothing to help the poor, cloth the naked, or assist the homeless? Maimonides message: We can ALL do a little more!
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Ekev posted by Rabbi Siegel on 08/03/07 | Torah Portion: Ekev
Book of Deuteronomy
Chaps. 7:12-11:25
August 3, 2007
“For the Lord your God is God supreme and Lord supreme. . . Who shows no favor and takes no bribe, but upholds the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and befriends the stranger, providing him with food and clothing. You too must befriend the stranger, FOR YOU WERE STRANGERS IN THE LAND OF EGYPT (Deut. 10:17-19).”
That God “upholds the cause” of society’s underclass is probably not surprising. Even the non-believer assumes that if there is a Supreme Being, he/she would most certainly be a role model for moral/ethical behavior. Still, it is a surprising statement. As Pinhas Peli notes, “As great and mighty as God is, he is not too great or too preoccupied to deal directly with the small man in the street, even the rejects and marginals of society.” How many world leaders pledge to follow the example of God, then go out and befriend the homeless, the hungry, and the disenfranchised? Not many. It’s not happening in Darfur. It didn’t happen in Rwanda. A generation ago nothing was done in Cambodia and two generations ago world leadership was conveniently silent about Auschwitz and Buchenwald. It is not that they didn’t care, they were just too “great and mighty.”
What is even more interesting with regard to the above verse is who it is challenging. “YOU TOO must befriend the stranger,” and why? “Because you were strangers in the Land of Egypt.” It is not just the leaders who are held accountable, but “YOU” as well. You and I, we are all descendents of strangers who lived in the Land of Egypt. But for the grace of God we might still be suffering the degradation of slavery. Who knows better than us what it means to be left out, discarded, and forgotten? And who bears more responsibility than us for “feeding the hungry” and “clothing the naked”?
In the democratic nations of this world, WE are the leadership. WE are the “great and mighty.” We have the power to elect those who represent our interests and concerns. We also have the authority to reject those who would deny basic human rights to ALL human beings. We not only possess the authority, but the responsibility to act on that authority. This is what it means to “befriend the stranger.”
In this global village we know who the powerless and underclass are. God will be there for them. Will we?
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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Summer Vacation posted by Rabbi Siegel on 07/05/07 | Rabbi Siegel's weekly Torah Learning will return on Friday, August 3, 2007. In the meantime check out the Torah Learning Archives by clicking below. |
Hukkat posted by Rabbi Siegel on 06/22/07 | Torah Portion: Hukkat
Book of Numbers
Chaps. 19:1-22:1
June 22, 2007
As the Israelites 40-year journey draws to an end, so to the lives of their leadership-Moses, Aaron and Miriam. The Talmud notes that in the wilderness the Israelites enjoyed the combined leadership of these three exceptional individuals. Each possessed their own talents and associated responsibilities, but exercised them in close collaboration with one another. Moses was responsible for providing the Israelites with food in the desert. Aaron looked after the cloud-covering necessary to protect the Israelites from the sun. Miriam took responsibility for the well of water that was ever present in the camp. The blessings and obligations were split evenly among each of the leaders.
With the death of each leader a temporary vacuum was created. In this week’s portion, we read of the deaths of Aaron and Miriam. Following Miriam’s death, the story line shifts to an uproar over a sudden lack of water. Similarly, Aaron’s death is followed by an unprovoked attack by the King of Arad. Moses is able to finally restore order, but it becomes clear that one man cannot lead alone and new leadership and vision is necessary.
Professor Ismar Schorsch asks, “But what is the deeper meaning of this [Talmudic interpretation]? I choose to read it as a meditation on the nature of good leadership. Despite the towering stature of Moses and his intimate relationship with God, he is denied the power to exercise authority alone. The Midrash exudes skepticism about human nature. The best way to avoid the abuse of power is to divide it.”
The ancient rabbis realized then what we know now. Democracy, with separate but equal branches of government, is the proverbial “path of least resistance.” Of democracy, Winston Churchill was quoted as saying, “No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”
It would still take the Jewish people another 1200 years to embrace the ideas and ideals taught in the desert. The Israelites would have to appoint kings who would succumb to the seduction of power. They would have to suffer through Roman oppression. Finally, they would wrest authority for Jewish life from the hands of the few and place it in the hands of the people.
We, who have been privileged to live in a democracy, know the importance of preserving it. The lessons of the Sinai wilderness still speak to us. No single person, or branch of government, can be allowed to usurp more authority than its corresponding member. When this occurs, we make ourselves-and our way of life- vulnerable.
Vaclav Havel, the 1st president of the modern Czech Republic, writes, “If democracy is not only to survive but to expand successfully. . . , it must rediscover and renew its own transcendental origins.” Origins, I might add, that go back to Moses.
[Please Note: Rabbi Siegel, and this weekly Torah learning, will be on vacation until the end of July. Have a great summer!]
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Korach posted by Rabbi Siegel on 06/15/07 | Torah Portion: Korach
Book of Numbers
Chaps. 16:1-18:32
June 15, 2007
Members of Moses’ own tribe of Levi arise to challenge his leadership of the Israelite nation. Korach and his gathered rebels, in the presence of the people, rebuke Moses. “You have gone too far! For all the community is holy, all of them, and the Lord is in their midst. Why [Moses and Aaron] do you raise yourselves above the Lord’s congregation? (Num. 16:3)”
Angered, Moses turns to God and proclaims, “Pay no regard to their sacrifice. I have not taken even the mule of any of them, nor have I wronged any one of them! (Num. 16:15)” This one verse sheds light on the necessary qualification to be an effective leader. An ancient midrashic legend learns from this verse that Moses must have been wealthy. How so? He had no need to require a salary for his leadership-not even a mule. Thus, his financial independence rendered him immune to corruption. He was doing his job because it needed to be done.
Rabbi Baruch Halevi Epstein, in his work Torah Temimah, suggests the only indispensable qualification for divine selection is humility. For people of modest means humility is often a natural response to their station in life. When one has little, humility comes easy! It is more difficult for a wealthy person to maintain the same humility. For him or her, arrogance is a more natural response. Take for example, Donald Trump and Warren Buffet. Both men have amassed great fortunes. Buffet has acquired even greater wealth than Trump. Yet, they are very different. Donald Trump is a symbol of arrogance; Buffet of humility. The rule seems to be the more wealth and power one assumes, the less approachable they become. Trying to be the [i[“same person” you once were is increasingly more difficult. This is what makes Warren Buffet so remarkable and this is also what makes him the effective financial leader he is.
The former Chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary, Professor Ismar Schorsch, writes, “Actions that come instinctively fail to stretch us. Growth results from reaching beyond ourselves. To walk the path of Jewish living calls for constant self-exertion until we internalize and embody the ideal.” The key strength in Moses leadership was his humility; his willingness to identify and work with all the people regardless of their station in life. This is what made the claims of Korach and his followers so hurtful. Moses life, from the time he was a Prince in Egypt, was devoted to reaching beyond what he had and who he was.
Making a difference requires going beyond what comes natural.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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Shelach Lecha posted by Rabbi Siegel on 06/08/07 | Torah Portion: Shelach Lecha
Book of Numbers
Chaps. 13:1-15:41
Simple suggestion: Before setting out on a journey, know where you are going and why you want to be there! Easier said than done.
“The Lord said to Moses: Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving the Israelites (Num. 13:1).” Moses heeded the order, sent forth a reconnaissance mission to the “Promised Land”, and 10 of 12 spies reported that it was too difficult and too dangerous to proceed. While their report of dangers and difficulties might have been accurate, their mission was not to determine whether it was worth going there altogether. This should have been determined at the outset. The mission was to facilitate a strategy for capturing the Land.
The result of this failed mission was that none of those (with the exception of Joshua and Caleb) who left Egypt with Moses would ever enter the Promised Land. This generation of former slaves was lacking in vision and had no passion for the task ahead. The challenge of capturing and creating a presence in the Land of Canaan would have to fall to a generation born into freedom with a commitment to realizing their Divine mission.
Everyone should have a passion in life; a strong desire to realize dreams regardless of how difficult they may be to achieve. Our reach should always exceed our grasp. Once the passion is acquired, the challenges of achieving it-though they be difficult-become worthwhile in the realization of one’s dream.
What makes Tiger Woods the greatest golfer in the world is not just ability, but unfettered desire and willingness to do what is necessary to achieve his goal. When he makes a long putt look so easy it is because he has stood on a practice green hour upon hour making that same putt over and over, again. I have been told that he will continue practicing a particular shot until he is able to hit it 100 times in a row. If he misses, he returns to the beginning!
The Israelites who left Egypt had no real passion for creating a new people in a new land. They just did not want to be slaves any longer. It was not for their sake that God and Moses rescued them from Egypt, but for the sake of their children! We are all children of the children who DID acquire a passion for freedom, a dream of people hood, and desire to realize themselves in a land of their own. We should be no less passionate about our visions, hopes, and desires. . .and the efforts required to achieve them.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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Graduation Day posted by Rabbi Siegel on 06/01/07 | Graduation Time!
June 1, 2007
This week’s Torah comes from Theodor Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss. My daughter reminded me of a book she received on the occasion of one of her graduations. She continued the tradition by passing along the book to her siblings on their graduations, and myself. Written by Dr. Seuss, it is entitled “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!” Here are a few excerpts from the book:
The book is intended for anyone beginning a new journey in life.
Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
Any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.
New journeys and new beginnings are inevitably accompanied by excitement and great hopes. This is important because we know from the “school of experience” that nothing comes easy. Life is as much about stumbling as it is about climbing. Without faith and hope, the proverbial “light at the end of the tunnel” would go dark.
I’m sorry to say so
But, sadly, it’s true
That Bang-ups
And Hang-ups
Can happen to you.
You can get all hung up
In a prick-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You’ll be left in the lurch.
Seuss describes the disappointments in life as a “waiting place”; a place where one either waits for the better day, the better opportunity or finds the courage (and faith!) to move on, even against the odds!
You’ll get mixed up, of course,
As you already know.
You’ll get mixed up
With many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
And remember that Life’s
A Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.
In the end, everyone has good days and bad. Everyone encounters obstacles in pursuit of life’s treasures. The key is to never underestimate the omnipotent power of the “self.” We are all fashioned in God’s image, with almost limitless potential. Realize this and let it strengthen you in moments of weakness and guide you in moments of strength.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)
So. . .
Be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
Or Mordechai Ali Van Allen O’Shea,
You’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So. . . Get on your way!*
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
* “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!” by Dr. Seuss. Available at bookstores or online at amazon.com. Buy several copies. They make outstanding graduation gifts or keep a copy for that moment when a little inspiration might go a long way.
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Shavuot: Receiving Torah posted by Rabbi Siegel on 05/18/07 | Shavuot: Receiving Torah
May 18, 2007
The celebration of Shavuot begins on Tuesday evening. The Hebrew word “Shavuot” means “weeks.” Seven weeks after the ancient Israelites departed Egypt (marked by the celebration of Passover), they arrived at Mt. Sinai where Moses received the Torah (marked by the celebration of Shavuot).
We live in existentialist times. In our day, Shavuot has become an annual opportunity for each Jew to experience their own personal Sinai moment. On a spiritual/historical level, God’s revelation on Mt. Sinai was THE transforming moment for the ancient Israelite. By accepting Torah, the Israelite transitioned from a slave to a free people. Jewish peoplehood was born at Sinai. To maintain a loyalty and commitment to this ancient/modern code of ethics requires a message that speaks to “me” in “my day” as well as to generations past.
Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg in his book “The Eternal Journey” writes, “For lovers the question is almost never, “Did you love me then?”; it is, “Do you love me now?” The same is true of our relationship with God; the crucial question is not about the past but about the present. . . The issue is not whether we once heard the voice of God in the Torah, but whether we hear it and feel the love of God today.”
Each of us can probably lay claim to a “Sinai moment”; a transformative experience that changed our lives forever. Maybe our Walden’s Pond occurred at a summer camp, or in the arms of a loved one. Maybe it was an inspiring teacher or a special moment of prayer. Whatever and whenever, we are different because of it. Then, again, maybe we are still wandering in the desert in search of Sinai?
Shavuot is the annual opportunity for the Jew to again stand at Sinai; again experience the thunder and lightening of God’s revelation, and again discover-in our day and in our terms-the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and the Jewish people.
Postscript: The celebration of Shavuot begins Tuesday evening, May 22-Thursday, May 24. Services will be held on each of these days at the local Houston synagogues. For information about the JIC Shavuot “evening of learning” (Tues., May 22, 2007), please check the website: www.jichouston.org.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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Behar/Behukotai posted by Rabbi Siegel on 05/11/07 | Torah Portion: Behar/Behukotai
Book of Leviticus
Chaps. 25:1-27:34
May 11, 2007
The final portion in the Book of Leviticus (Behukotai) begins with a list of blessings for those who follow in God’s way. The blessings can be summarized in six categories: 1) Economic prosperity, 2) Security, 3) Peace, 4) Strength, 5) An increase in population, and 6) God’s presence among the people.
Over the ages, Biblical scholars and commentators have questioned the order of the blessings. Wouldn’t you think that the ultimate blessing would be peace? Why, then, is it placed in the middle?
The 10th century French scholar Rabbi Shlomo ben Yitzchaki (acronym, “Rashi”) suggests a reason for placing the blessing of peace in the middle of the order. He writes, “Where there is peace, there is everything; no peace, nothing.” Peace is “central.” Without it, there are no other blessings.
The Spanish Torah scholar of the 12th century, Abraham Ibn Ezra, interprets the blessing of peace as referring to peace “among you.” Before any of the other blessings can be realized, first there must be a national unity and camaraderie. We’ve got to get along with ourselves before we can hope to get along with others!
Still other Torah commentators see peace as the byproduct of the other blessings. They teach that peace doesn’t just happen. It requires moral and physical strength to let others know that this nation desires peace but will not “turn the other cheek” if threatened. Peace requires a robust and growing economy that makes the interests of all the population priority one. Peace requires a network of security, not to turn away those who desire to be a part of the “good life,” but those committed to undermining it. Finally, it requires a people who recognize God’s presence through their actions and deeds. When these other blessings are attained, so to will we realize and appreciate the blessing of peace.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Emor posted by Rabbi Siegel on 05/04/07 | Torah Portion: Emor
Book of Leviticus
Chap. 21:1-24:23
May 4, 2007
Torah is only an instrument of change if it can speak to us in our day and in our social condition. Therefore, it is not mere coincidence that the Torah makes a strong statement on the treatment of “illegal” or “undocumented” immigrants. In Leviticus 23:22 it is written, “And when you reap all the way to the edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I the Lord am your God.”
The ancient Israelite economy was based on agriculture. At the end of a growing season, the farmer was required to leave the corners of his field unharvested and was not permitted to go back to retrieve harvested grains or fruits that had not been collected at the time of harvest. In both cases these food items were left for the poor and the stranger. We know who the poor were. They were members of the citizenry who had fallen on hard times. Who were the strangers?
The strangers were non-citizens and non-residents who were even more vulnerable than the impoverished native. Then, they were called “strangers”, today they are called illegal immigrants. Regardless of status, the Torah makes it clear that those in possession of means have a responsibility to care for the immigrant’s basic needs. Rabbi Ismar Schorsch in his book Canon Without Closure makes the point that “at the very moment when we are overcome with a sense of entitlement, we should bear the plight of others less fortunate in mind.”
The 16th century Italian Bible scholar Ovadiah Seforno notes that “the salt of wealth is charity, that is, to preserve our wealth we need to diminish it through acts of kindness.” Wealth is not determined by what we have, but what we are able to give. Our first responsibility is to humankind; not just some, but all. Throughout the Torah are countless mentions of one’s responsibility for “the poor and the stranger among us.” Judaism is not denying the categorical existence of citizenry, but pointing out that when people are hungry, homeless, sick, or destitute their immediate legal status takes the proverbial “back seat” to their immediate needs. Why? Because all people are fashioned in the image of God and to turn one’s back on the basic needs of humankind is to turn one’s back on God.
The issue of immigrant-status has two sides: The legal and the human. Judaism is not suggesting that borders be abandoned and nations open their doors to anyone and everyone. In an ideal “messianic” world this might be true, but not yet in the world we live. Judaism is saying that beyond the superficial title of citizen, immigrant, or stranger is the reality that he or she is most importantly a human being. To this end, we bear a moral responsibility to the poor and the stranger. As Rabbi Schorsch writes, “Philanthropy springs from faith. God inspires us to reach beyond ourselves.” Can we learn to “reach beyond ourselves” with compassion, dignity, and support for all, even the undocumented immigrant? I hope so.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Aharei Mot/Kedoshim posted by Rabbi Siegel on 04/27/07 | Torah Portion: Aharei Mot/Kedoshim
Book of Leviticus
Chaps. 16:1-20:27
April 27, 2007
One of the best known verses in the Torah is Leviticus 19:18- “Love Your Neighbor As Yourself.”
The famous 2nd century scholar, Rabbi Akiva, suggests that this simple statement is the “totality” of the Torah. One of Akiva’s contemporaries, Ben Azai, disagreed. Ben Azai taught that the most important statement in the Torah was Genesis 5:1-2- “. . . In the day that God created Adam in the likeness of God He made him; male and female created He them.” He reasoned, “if you don’t love yourself, how will you be able to love others?” Answer: By realizing that each human being is fashioned in the image of God. Loving God thus requires one to learn to love fellow humans.
One Torah commentator notes that it is easier to “love the world” than your next-door neighbor whom you live with on a day-to-day basis. In truth, there are people close to us who are easy to feel affection, care, and concern for, while there are others for whom it is difficult to feel any connection. It doesn’t take much effort to love good people. The test of this commandment is one’s ability to show love for those who are not as good or lovable.
Ben Azzai understands the the words “like yourself” to mean love your neighbor like yourself who is fashioned in the image of God. In our day it might seem strange to suggest one “love” another person for other than selfish reasons. In a day and age of “human rights,” who has the right to tell me who I should or should not care for! The Torah teaches that God has that right. Ultimately, we learn to care for other human beings not because we find them likeable but because they, like us, are an image of God. This includes our immediate family, as well as our most vicious enemy. It doesn’t mean “turn the other cheek,” but realize that prospects for true peace rest squarely on the shoulders of mutual care and concern for all humankind.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Shemini posted by Rabbi Siegel on 04/13/07 | Torah Portion: Shemini
Book of Leviticus
Chaps. 9:1-11:47
April 13, 2007
Among the most identifiable features of Judaism are the dietary laws, or Kashrut (Keeping Kosher). The Book of Exodus (34:26) teaches the dietary feature of separating meat and milk. In this week’s Torah portion, chapter 11 of Leviticus goes further in distinguishing between the living creatures one may eat and those one may not.
The details of Kashrut are complex and can be confusing, especially to someone unfamiliar with the practice (this unfortunately includes most Jews!). Among the most common responses to the observance of the Jewish dietary laws are 1) “it costs too much” and 2) “it only serves to separate us from everyone else.”
I am not going to deny either response. In truth, they are both correct. Yes, the observance of Kashrut can be more costly than not, and yes, it does tend to separate those who observe it. In life, one is often willing to pay more for something that is truly life-changing, and with regard to Kashrut one might argue that those who observe it (and understand why!) have chosen to place themselves on a higher moral/ethical plane than others, and by separating themselves have become exemplars of a good and fulfilling life.
Where is the moral/ethical lesson to be found in the process of eating food? Rabbi Wayne Dosick answers this question in his book, Living Judaism, when he writes: “Even though those pork chops look and smell delicious, I do not eat them because God said so. Even though I am famished, I do not eat that ham sandwich because God said so. By observing the ritual laws of Kashrut-not for any particular rational or logical reason, but because this is God’s law for me-I am trained in the human skill of self-discipline.”
“Having developed this sense of self-control through the observance of a ritual law-just as I said “no” to the pork chops and ham sandwich because God said so-I have presumably developed the same skills of discipline and self-control that I can call on when facing an ethical dilemma.”
“With the very same human skills of discipline and self-control developed through ritual behavior, I am able to confront any ethical situation and say “no” when I must-not necessarily because I am not sorely tempted, but because I have learned to obey God’s law.”
“The observance of the ritual of Kashrut helps develop the human skills necessary to uphold ethical principle.”
“For all its elaborate laws and meticulous rules, in the final analysis, Kashrut is far less about eating than it is about behaving.”
As one who keeps Kosher, I could not agree more!
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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Passover 5767 posted by Rabbi Siegel on 04/06/07 | Passover
April 6, 2007
Another name for the holiday of Passover is “Z’man Herutainu-The Time of Our Freedom.” We are familiar with the biblical account of the Israelite’s exodus from Egypt which, in itself, is a euphemism for “exodus from slavery.” Each year the Jew gathers around a Passover Seder table to recite the many stories, songs, and accounts contained in the Haggadah (Passover Seder text). Among these verses is the following statement: “In every generation one is obligated to see oneself as one who personally went out from Egypt.” What does it mean in our day to be free; to see ourselves as having shared in the Egyptian bondage of the ancient Israelites?
The author of the above verse understood that the Israelite’s slavery in Egypt was not a one-time experience. Egypt continues to occur in a collective and individual manner. Is it no wonder that some of the most powerful African-American slave hymns compare their experience to that of the Israelites (“Go Down Moses, ‘way down in Egypt’s land. Tell ol’ Pharaoh, Let my people go”). For the Jew, Passover is the annual reminder that some of us are still confronting a personal Egypt in our own lives. Others of us have or will “go down to Egypt.” It happens to all of us, but Passover comes to teach that we possess the strength to stand up to our personal demons of slavery. We can be free.
Maybe it’s a job, or a personal relationship, or an addiction, or a fear, or a doubt. There is something that is robbing us of the happiness and fulfillment we thought we would one day find. The good news is we don’t have to live in the Egypt of personal crisis and unhappiness. The 20th century Zionist thinker Ahad Ha’am wrote, “Freedom is taken, not given.” Freeing oneself from the burden of oppression (whatever it may be) doesn’t just happen. We are not given freedom, we have to be willing to reach out and work for it. Praying for the freedom of the former Soviet Jews was not what opened the doors to emigration, it was Natan Sharansky, and others like him, sitting imprisoned in the cold Gulag but refusing to give up the struggle for freedom. It was also thousands of people gathering on the Washington Mall to protest human rights violations. Similarly, no one has to say, “I feel helpless and unhappy with my lot in life.” We possess the Godly power to meet our personal challenges, learn from them, and move forward toward the light of freedom. It’s not easy, but who said freedom was easy?
The Roman philosopher Horace (1st century c.e.) wrote, “Who, then, is free? The wise who can command their passions, who fear not want, nor death, nor chains, firmly resisting their appetites and despising the honors of the world, who rely wholly on themselves, whose angular points of character have all been rounded off and polished.” Freedom comes at a cost. It requires sacrifice, patience, and driven commitment. A Greek philosopher taught, “No human being is free who is not master of himself.” Passover brings a message of hope: We can be free and the effort it requires is worth everything!
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Tzav posted by Rabbi Siegel on 03/30/07 | Torah Portion: Tzav
Book of Leviticus
Chaps. 6:1-8:36
March 30, 2007
In describing the different types of animal sacrifice that took place in ancient times, the Torah notes, “A perpetual fire shall be kept burning on the altar, not to go out (Lev. 6:6).”
The Nobel Prize-winning author, Elie Wiesel, tells of the poet who was asked, “If you could save from your burning home only one thing, what would it be?” “The fire,” the poet answered, for without it life would not be worth living.
Since ancient times, fire has been one of the most powerful metaphors for living a meaningful life. It’s the “burning” desire to make a difference, the inner “fire” that drives one’s passions for good (and, sometimes, not so good!). The Midrash (Jewish legend) points out that shortly after the creation of Adam and Eve, the first Sabbath began; the sun set. Having never before experienced darkness, Adam and Eve grew fearful. God then gave them the intuition to rub two stones together creating the first fire.
The Sabbath begins and ends with the lighting of candles, the kindling of fire, the re-creation of light. The practitioners of Kabbalah associated “light” with “Hesed” (the attribute of kindness and compassion) and “fire” with “G’vurah” (the attribute of strength and courage). In the absence of “Hesed” and “G’vurah” one is left with a bland, meaningless, dispassionate and lonely life. We require fire, and the light of fire, to ignite the human spirit. As the noted folksinger Pete Seeger professed in one of his most popular songs, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!”
Pinhas Peli notes, “Fire and its more modern transfiguration, technology, are there to serve humanity, not to enslave it. Misuse of fire is likely to destroy and bring the world back to Chaos ; the right use of fire which is perpetually kept in the sanctuary [of life] can bring blessing, warmth and light.”
We often hear people say, “I spend my whole day putting out fires.” We need to re-think this cliché. The spirit of humankind and the innovative/creative hopes for the future depend on kindling at least as many inner fires as we try to put out.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Vayikra posted by Rabbi Siegel on 03/23/07 | Torah Portion: Vayikra
Book of Leviticus
Chaps. 1:1-5:26
March 23, 2007
This week we begin Leviticus, the 3rd book of the Torah. The book is devoted almost in its entirety to the job description for the ancient priests and a complete description of the sacrificial cult.
Religion and sacrifice go “hand in hand.” The English word “sacrifice” means “to make sacred.” In Hebrew the word is “Korban” meaning “to bring near.” In ancient times, the way one came near to God was by bringing a choice animal from their herd, and offering it as a sacrifice in the Temple. Some medieval commentators suggested that animal sacrifice was an effort to turn the Israelites away from the practices of idol worship and human sacrifice. Though the institution of animal sacrifice came to an abrupt halt with the destruction of the 2nd Temple in 70 CE, the religious requirement of sacrificing one’s time and possessions continues. The contemporary Torah scholar Pinhas Peli observed, “When one makes a sacrifice, one must teach himself to give away that which he needs for himself, not only that which is surplus, or can be taken off as an income tax deduction.” In fact, as Peli continues, “God does not want a sacrifice which does not rightfully belong to you personally, or which you do not see as if you yourselves were vicariously offered on the altar.”
Here is a story who’s conclusion is up to you:
A wealthy man died and bequeathed his three sons three precious gifts. The first son received a pair of binoculars through which he could see from one end of the world to the other. The second son received a magic carpet, which could carry its passengers to the end of the world in one instant, and the third son received an apple that upon eating it one could utter any wish and it would be fulfilled.
One day the son with the binoculars looked and saw that somewhere in a far-away country, a beautiful princess was dreadfully sick. As no doctor could cure her, her father (the king) declared that any person who would restore the health of his dearly beloved daughter would be given her hand in marriage and eventually become king. Upon seeing this, he summoned his brothers and the three of them mounted the magic carpet, arriving in an instant in that far-away land. The princess ate the enchanted apple, made her wish to recover and was instantly healed.
Now each one of the three sons came to the king, claiming that he deserved to marry the king’s daughter. Said the first one: “If it were not for the binoculars we would have never known of the princess’s illness and would not have come to heal her. I therefore am the one who deserves to marry the princess.”
Said the second one: “If it were not for my magic carpet, we could have never arrived here in time to save the life of the princess. The binoculars and apple would not have been any good without the carpet.”
Said the third son: “Neither the binoculars nor the carpet would have been any good, were it not for my apple that actually was used to cure her.”
The king, of course, saw the point made by every one of the three sons as each one gave a convincing argument, showing he should be the one chosen. He had to decide, however, which of the three would be the one to marry his only daughter.
Question: What was his decision? Why? This week no answers, just a couple of questions. Let me know what you think.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Vayyakhel/P'kudei posted by Rabbi Siegel on 03/16/07 | Torah Portion: Vayyakhel/P’kudei
Book of Exodus
Chaps. 35:1-40:38
March 16, 2007
We have a right to expect more from our leadership than we are getting. To err is human. Everyone makes mistakes. The harm comes when one is unwilling to own up to the truth of their actions. This much we would ask of one another, how much more so of those in positions of leadership!
The final Torah portion in the Book of Exodus (P’kudei) calls upon Moses to give a full accounting of the expenditures for building and furnishing the Tabernacle (portable sanctuary in the desert). The ancient rabbis emphasized in the Midrash that leaders of the community must be above any suspicion of personal aggrandizement. They must account for their actions and deeds on behalf of the community they represent. In the Midrash Song of Songs Rabbah it is written, “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 Israelites had the right and responsibility to hold Moses’ “feet to the fire” with regard to his dealings on their behalf.
Today we should demand no less from our leadership than an honest accounting of how they are carrying out the public trust. This is the basis for the constitutional “checks and balance” system of government. Each branch of government holds the other responsible for fair, honest, and legal dealings. When an error occur, responsibility is accepted, and a correction is made.
The Watergate scandal of the ‘70’s was less about a botched robbery attempt than the ensuing effort to cover it up with a litany of lies. Who can name the robbers? We do remember President Richard Nixon was forced to resign. President Clinton was not impeached because he was involved in an extra-marital affair, but because he lied about it. More recently, vice-presidential advisor Scooter Libby was convicted of perjury not because he leaked the name of a CIA operative to the press, but because he lied about it. Perhaps most devastating in terms of lives lost was not so much the false and misleading justification given to Congress and the American people for waging war against Iraq, but the unwillingness to acknowledge the mistake and assume responsibility for it.
Whether one is the leader of a superpower or a congregation of former slaves, accounting for one’s actions, taking responsibility for one’s mistakes, and then acting to correct them is the foundation upon which effective leadership is built.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Ki Tissa posted by Rabbi Siegel on 03/09/07 | Torah Portion: Ki Tissa
Book of Exodus
Chaps. 30:11-34:36
March 9, 2007
Regardless of how familiar, or unfamiliar, one is with the Bible, most are at least aware of Moses, Mt. Sinai, and the Ten Commandments. This same population has probably also heard the story of the Golden Calf.
In this Torah portion, Moses returns from Mt. Sinai with the tablets of God only to find that the Israelites have lost patience waiting for his return and replaced him with a Golden Calf. Barely removed from an Egyptian culture of idol worship, it was not difficult to return. According to one rabbinic midrash (legend), Moses was only six hours late in arriving back from Sinai. This “stiff-necked” people had very little patience!
Why, though, in the absence of Moses did the Israelites chose an idol as their new leader and not Moses’ brother, Aaron? A well-known rabbi of the 19th century, Shmuel Moholiver, asks the same question, “Was Aaron not the most natural successor to Moses?” He goes on to explain, “The fact that the Israelites did not appoint Aaron, but turned instead to a Golden Calf, teaches us that people seek someone from the outside, even if he is but a senseless calf, rather than choose one from among themselves with whom they are well-acquainted, even if he is as great and experienced as Aaron, their acclaimed high priest.”
There is an expression that is used to apply to the local rabbi who “gets no respect” from his congregation but is very well received when he visits congregations in other cities-”Ain Navi B’eero-A person is never a prophet in his/her own city.” Maybe it is human nature to believe that what, or whom, we are unfamiliar with must be better than what we have. It’s too easy to take for granted the greatness that stands among us.
What is true on an individual level is also true on a collective one. There was a time when the American people believed in the greatness of themselves. There was “no mountain to high or ocean to deep” to keep us away. Today, in the name of globalization, America has lost faith with itself. The old familiar “made in the USA” is a remnant of the past. The pride in American ingenuity, creativity, and know-how has been supplanted by a belief that other nations probably can produce the better automobile, provide better health care, and build the better mouse trap.
The Israelites started with no faith in themselves and then spent 40 years creating an identity that also encountered challenges through the centuries, but the challenges continue to be met; the Jewish people have only gotten stronger, more confident, and better able to focus on the goal of making this a better world. I would like to believe that Americans will also meet this challenge, and again provide the world with a visionary leadership that comes from a people who believe in their own resolve.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Purim 5767 posted by Rabbi Siegel on 03/02/07 | Purim
March 2, 2007
Saturday evening, March 3rd, marks the beginning of the celebration of “Purim.” Everyone needs an occasional “breather” from the tensions and stress of life; even religions do. Purim is a day of laughter, fun, pranks, and costumes all in relation to the biblical Book of Esther.
For the most part, it’s a kids’ festival. There are usually synagogue carnivals and craziness aimed at the “very” young at heart (ages 3-12). After Bar Mitzvah age (13), there is a drop off in Purim attendance and interest. A handful of older adults (usually empty-nesters) still gather on Purim morning to hear the Book of Esther read but, for the most part, Purim becomes a holiday one remembers from their youth, and that’s a shame because the lesson of this holiday has even greater meaning in the adult world.
Why the Book of Esther made it into the Hebrew Bible is a question that continues to be debated. For starters, God’s name is not mentioned in the book even once. This is a book about a Jewish social climber (Mordechai), the lovely daughter (Esther) of his deceased uncle, and a hedonistic beauty contest to select a new queen for the King of Persia. Mordechai would like nothing better than an honored seat at the gate of the king’s palace. To achieve this, he enters Esther in the beauty contest but tells her not to mention that she is a Jew (which, presumably, would disqualify her). Esther enters, wins, becomes queen, and Mordechai lands his cherished seat at the palace gate. Not exactly Jewish role models!
It is at this point the “wicked” Haman, advisor to the king, enters the plot. In passing through the palace gate, Haman notes that Mordechai does not rise and bow to him. This infuriates him. He recognizes Mordechai as a local Jew which makes him even more enraged. He plots revenge. Haman preys on the king’s dangerous naivety and convinces him that the Jews of Persia are plotting an overthrow of his government. The only thing to do is destroy them. The king agrees and gives Haman the necessary authority to carry out his scheme. It is at this point the book teaches an important lesson.
Mordechai learns of the evil intentions of Haman against the Jews and immediately informs Esther. He tells her that she must now reveal her true self to the king, even at the risk of her own life, and beg him to save the Jews. She does. The Jews of Persia are saved. Haman and his family are put to death. The Jews celebrate and the book comes to an end.
A hero is a person who does the right thing at the right time. Regardless of one’s checkered past, a person’s true self is revealed in those few moments in life when everything is on the line and the right action, or inaction, will make the difference. Mordechai and Esther might not have been the moral giants of their age, but in a single moment of crisis, they risked all to do the right thing. They are heroes.
You don’t have to be rich, famous, popular, or powerful to make a difference. You just have to be willing to stand up when the moment arises. Example: The man in New York City who saw a person fall off the subway platform. Without thinking twice, he leaped on top of the person protecting him from the oncoming train.
In the often dangerous world we live in, The Book of Esther is just another reminder that there are heroes among us waiting for a moment of need to reveal themselves. We are them! We can make a difference! Happy Purim.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Terumah posted by Rabbi Siegel on 02/23/07 | Torah Portion: Terumah
Book of Exodus
Chaps. 25:1-27:19
February 23, 2007
In the first verses of the Torah portion it reads, “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 make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them (Exo. 25:1-2 & 8).
The contemporary Torah scholar Pinhas Peli asks, “Does [God] really need their gold or silver or brass [gifts]?” What possible gifts could the omnipotent and omniscient One require? The ancient rabbis suggest that this was just a test to determine how committed the Israelites actually were. The purpose of the gifts was to build in the desert a portable sanctuary to God.
The request for gifts and contributions also began the process of forging an active relationship between the Israelites and God. No longer could the people remain passive as the events of history passed before them. Now they had to take an active role in constructing their sanctuary and building their future. Peli goes on to explain, “The task of bringing holiness into the world, which is the main obligation of the Jew, has always been seen in the Bible as a partnership, a combined project of humans and God.”
This partnership is present in every aspect of life. Prior to eating a piece of bread, the Jew recites a blessing that praises God “who brings forth bread from the earth.” One might think a blessing of this sort is more appropriate when the wheat is first being harvested. Rather, the blessing does not occur until God (who provides the wheat) interacts with humankind (who forms it into bread). The same is true with regard to the blessing over wine. Before drinking the wine, a blessing is said praising God “who creates the fruit of the vine.” Again, it seems more proper to recite this blessing after picking the grapes. Rather, it only becomes a blessing when God (who provides the grapes) and humankind (who makes them into wine) work together.
The same is true for the ancient wilderness sanctuary. It only becomes worthy of God’s presence after the Israelites give of themselves to help construct it. In a real sense, all of life is about maintaining an active partnership between us and God. When we work together to build a stronger home life, a more involved community, and a better world we become partners in doing God’s work.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
|
Yitro posted by Rabbi Siegel on 02/09/07 | Torah Portion: Yitro
Book of Exodus
Chaps. 18:1-20:23
February 9, 2007
The 10th commandment reads, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house: you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, or his ox or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor’s (Exo. 20:14).” Most interesting!
The 1st Commandment (“I am the Lord your God”) sets the stage for the one’s to follow. Before accepting commands, one must first accept the commander. The 2nd through the 9th commandment legislate behavior and action (“You shall not have any other gods beside me. . . You shall not make idols. . You shall not swear falsely. . . You shall observe the Sabbath. . .You shall not murder. . . You shall not commit adultery. . . You shall not steal. . . You shall not bear false witness”). The 10th commandment stands out. “You shall not covet”-I can understand legislating an action, but how can you legislate a thought? Is it possible to control feelings and thoughts?
The Babylonian Talmud suggests, “This verse prohibits longing only for anything we cannot obtain honestly or legally.” Commentators understood this to mean that often thoughts lead to action and negative thoughts can bring about negative results. Therefore, the Torah is informing one that ethical behavior is not only judged by actions, but by the thoughts that effected them.
The editors of the Eitz Hayim Humash note, “It may be difficult to control our emotions, but we may never excuse our behavior by claiming that our emotions overcame us so that we could not help doing what we did.” It is curious how the more technologically, scientifically, and medically sophisticated we become, the less responsible we are. “I said what I said or did what I did because I was
a) depressed, b) the product of a broken home, c) unloved, d) sexually molested as a child, e) over-medicated, or f) all the above.” What happened to, “I did it; I shouldn’t have, but I accept responsibility.” Once one begins believing their actions are the result of some external influence, one no longer accepts responsibility for their deeds.
The 10th commandment comes to inform us that we must learn to discipline not just our hands, but our minds. Take responsibility for what you think, and learn to deal with it before it’s too late.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
|
Beshallach posted by Rabbi Siegel on 02/02/07 | Torah Portion: Beshallach
Book of Exodus
Chaps. 13:17-17:16
February 2, 2007
No sooner had Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt than Pharaoh realized what he had done. “The Lord stiffened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he gave chase to the Israelites. . . As Pharaoh drew near [to them], the Israelites caught sight of the Egyptians advancing upon them. Greatly frightened, the Israelites cried out to the Lord (Exo. 14:8 & 10).”
The 18th century Hassidic master, known as the “Baal Shem Tov” (master of the good name) commented, “Often in life, we think we can escape our problems by running away, only to find our problems running after us.” It wasn’t just the Egyptians who were running after the Israelites, it was also their deeply-embedded slave mentality. Going from a life of servitude to one of freedom requires more than just “crossing a Red Sea.”
The nations of the world celebrated when the Berlin Wall was dismantled; when the Iron Curtain of communism came down. We were certain that this large population of people who only knew the restrictive life of communism were going to immediately grasp the reigns of freedom and democracy. Instead, we were greeted with an ethnic war in the former Yugoslavia, religious upheaval in parts of Chechnya and other parts of Russia, and lawlessness throughout much of the former communist world. It took the ancient Israelites 40 years to shed their slave mentality. It has been over 15 years since the Berlin wall came down and many of the former communist nations are still wandering in the proverbial desert.
Living in a day when time is measured in thousandths of a second, patience has become not just a virtue but a necessity. Times and events have always changed at a more rapid pace than the people affected by them. Even a slave requires considerable time to be educated and nurtured for entry into freedom. One can run from the past, but not from the imprint it leaves on one’s life.
I spent two days this week participating with a group of rabbis in surveying the on-going hardships of post-Katrina New Orleans. We visited devastated neighborhoods and met with community leaders. There is an obvious need for greater financial attention to New Orleans. A year-and-a-half after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans has barely managed to clear away the debris of destruction. The people who have remained want to rebuild their glorious city, but this requires them to re-assess what their city will be. Engineers and scientists have suggested that due to the precarious nature of being a city built below sea level, some destroyed neighborhoods are better off not being re-built. Tell this to a family who have lived on a certain plot of land for generations. Rebuilding New Orleans is also going to require a rebuilding of mind sets. This task is as formidable as trying to acquire the funds necessary to rebuild. In New Orleans, patience is also not just a virtue but a necessity.
The “quick fix” seldom succeeds. It didn’t for the Israelites. They left Egypt only to find freedom an allusive dream. Only education and patience (and God!) are omnipotent.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
|
Va'era posted by Rabbi Siegel on 01/19/07 | Torah Portion: Vaera
Book of Exodus
Chaps. 6:2-9:35
January 19, 2007
“But Moses appealed to God saying, ‘If the Israelites would not listen to me, why would Pharaoh respond to me, a man of impeded speech?’ (Exo. 6:12)”
This verse has been understood in several ways.
For some, it underscores the fact that one’s disability is only as limiting as one permits. Moses was able to rise above his speech impediment to provide 40 years of strong leadership and example.
For others, it suggests that one person cannot do everything. Moses’ effectiveness was due in no small part to the fact his brother, Aaron, served as his spokesman. Moses understood his weakness in speech and sought assistance. There is yet another interpretation that is even more compelling.
The 19th century Torah scholar Yehudah Aryeh Leib of Ger wrote in his work Sefat Emet, “If the children of Israel refuse to listen to their leaders, there can be no leaders who are able to speak, who can become a mouth for them, which could be of “impeded speech. . . . As long as there are those who will listen, then there can be those who speak, because the power of the leader issues from the people. For this reason, if the children of Israel listen to Moses, his mouth would be opened, his speech would be fluent, and his words would reach Pharaoh.”
Could be it that Moses’ speech impediment is not the result of a physical disability, but the unwillingness of the Israelites to listen to him? The children of Israel rendered him speechless.
Leadership is not taken; it is given. The preamble of the United States Constitution states, “We, The People. .” The government and its elected officials are an extension of the people. Those in positions of political leadership have been placed there by “The People.” Their mandate to lead is directly linked to the will of the people. They represent our needs, concerns, and desires. When they buck this mandate, they, too, can be rendered speechless.
When Moses returned to Pharaoh, he brought Aaron as his spokesman. With the exodus from Egypt, Moses is able to regain the confidence of the Israelites. Aaron is no longer needed as a spokesman and takes on new responsibilities as the first High Priest. Suddenly, Moses’ earlier speech impediment seems to have disappeared. Effective leadership can do that!
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
|
Shmot posted by Rabbi Siegel on 01/12/07 | Torah Portion: Shmot
Book of Exodus
Chaps. 1:1-6:1
January 12, 2007
Some 400 years separate the events of Genesis from the beginning of the Book of Exodus. For unexplained reasons, the Israelites are now slaves to the Egyptians. Worse yet, their population has increased to the point that Pharaoh is compelled to take action. He decrees that from this moment, all males born to Israelites will be put to death. He places the responsibility for this task on the Hebrew midwives who assist in Israelite births:
“The King of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shifra and the other Puah, saying, ‘When you deliver the Hebrew women, look at the birth stool: if it is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, let her live. The midwives, fearing God, did not do as the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live (Exo. 1:15-17).”
At a critical moment in the history of ancient Israel, two simple Hebrew midwives made the courageous and heroic decision to ignore the Pharaoh’s orders. Who were these women? The Torah refers to them as Me’yaldot Ha’ivriyot/Hebrew midwives. Were they in fact Israelites, themselves? Several commentators suggest Shifra and Puah were Egyptians serving as midwives to the Hebrews or Israelites. This understanding makes their response even more remarkable.
One can understand a member of one’s own people trying to protect them, but an Egyptian helping an Israelite? Wow! Torah scholar Pinchas Peli wrote, “They [Shifra & Puah] did not say, “my country, right or wrong.”
Heroism is doing the right thing at the right time. A simple African-American laborer, with two small children in hand, jumps in front of an oncoming subway train in New York to protect a perfect stranger (who happened to be white) who had fallen between the tracks. He did it because it was the right thing to do.
Peace and goodwill only emerge when people understand it is possible to have unity amid diversity; the unity that comes from knowing we are all creations of One God, we all share a common humanity.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
|
Vayehi posted by Rabbi Siegel on 01/05/07 | Torah Portion: Vayehi
Book of Genesis
Chaps. 47:28-50:26
January 5, 2007
The end of the Book of Genesis concludes the Patriarchal period (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) in Jewish history. New personalities and challenges lie ahead but gone are those who masterfully laid the foundation for a monotheistic faith and the people who would carry forth the message.
The conclusion of Genesis marks the death of Jacob “When Jacob finished his instructions to his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and, breathing his last, he was gathered to his people (Gen. 49: 33).” Jacob began his journey years earlier by “lifting his feet (Gen. 29:1)." The Eitz Hayim Torah Commentary notes, “Jacob is described as “lifting his feet” to begin his journey after his dream of the ladder. His journey will have taken him to three countries. He has loved, he has fought, he has known bereavement. Now, after many years, Jacob can finally stop wandering and struggling. We may see Jacob as perhaps the most fascinating of the Patriarchs. He grows and changes over the years. We can see him as the exemplar of the flawed person who can outgrow his flaws. He seeks contentment and never succeeds in finding it because there is always one more challenge to be overcome. To be a Jew is to be a descendant of Jacob/Israel.”
Jacob is us and we are him. From the time we first “lifted our feet” upon the journey of life we encountered happiness and sadness, success and failure, fulfillment and discouragement. People only “ride off into the sunset” in films. In real life, success is measured quite differently. In baseball, batting .300, or being able to get a hit at least 30% of the times you come to bat, is a sign of greatness. In basketball, scoring on at least 45% of your shots is a sign of excellence. No one scores 100%, not even Abraham and certainly not Jacob!
Jacob teaches that one’s greatest resource is the ability to overcome and rise above personal “flaws.” To be a Jew is to face life’s challenges with a smile, a good word, and a continued effort to make a better life and better world. Rabbi Harold Kushner writes, “Christianity believes that God incarnated Himself, became flesh, in the person of Jesus and changed the world thereby. Judaism teaches that God incarnates Himself in every one of us, and gives us the power to make Him real, not just an abstract notion in the world, changing the world thereby.”
And so the journey continues. Next week, the Book of Exodus.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Miketz posted by Rabbi Siegel on 12/22/06 | Torah Portion: Miketz
Book of Genesis
Chaps. 41:1-44:17
December 22, 2006
Much is made of Joseph “The Dreamer”. On one hand, his skills in interpreting dreams almost cost him his life at the hands of his own brothers. On the other hand, the interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams save him from prison. From this account one might surmise that dreams play a significant role in Judaism in general, and Biblical literature in particular. Not so!
Nahum Sarna, author of Understanding Genesis, notes, “Despite the fact that Israel shared with its pagan neighbors a belief in the reality of dreams as a medium of divine communication, it never developed, as in Egypt and Mesopotamia, a class of professional interpreters or a dream literature. In the entire Bible, only two Israelites engage in the interpretation of dreams-Joseph and Daniel-and significantly enough, each serves a pagan monarch. . . . . in precisely the lands in which [divination by means of dreams] flourished.”
In the case of Joseph, his dreams of superiority separated him from his family and assimilated him into the pagan world of Egypt. Had there not been a famine in Canaan, requiring his brothers to come down to Egypt for food, Joseph might never have reconciled with them. His dreams would have permanently driven him from his family, his people, and eventually his God. So much for dreams!
The ancient rabbis went one step further when they suggested: “Do not rely on a miracle!” We don’t sit and wait for a “miraculous” event; we make it happen. It is not our dreams that determine the future; it is our actions. God has made humankind a partner in the completion of creation. The realization of God’s “Kingdom on Earth”, or better stated, making this earth worthy of God, is dependent on us to “make” miracles and “fashion” dreams.
The miracle of Hanukkah (December 22nd being the final night) is not that a single vial of oil was sufficient to keep the ancient Temple’s menorah lit for eight days, but that amidst pressures to assimilate and acculturate a small band of Jews (the Maccabees) still cared enough to fight for their identity.
Professor Ismar Schoresh notes, “Dreams and miracles lie in the dustpan of Jewish history.” Even Joseph realized this fact before it was too late.
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
|
Va'yetzei posted by Rabbi Siegel on 12/02/06 | Torah Portion: Va’yetzei
Book of Genesis
Chaps. 28:10-32:3
December 1, 2006
What makes the patriarch Jacob most appealing is the fact he is really no different than you or me. He’s no Abraham or Isaac, but he is Jacob!
After cheating his brother Esau out of his father’s blessing, Rebecca assists her beloved son Jacob in escaping from Esau and his anger. Jacob flees to his mother’s home. He pauses on his journey to rest and there encounters God in a dream. He dreams of a ladder ascending to the heavens with angels going up and down. God is standing beside him telling him “I am with you: I will protect you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you (Gen. 28:15)”; a promise made to Abraham and Isaac before him. Jacob awakes from his dream and realizes his role in life requires that he rise above the shortcomings of his past to accept the responsibilities of his forefathers. Shaken by the reality of this epiphany, Jacob proclaims, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the abode of God, and that is the gateway to heaven (Gen. 28:17).”
This would be a good place to end the story, Jacob “riding off into the sunset” successfully bearing the dreams and visions of his father, grandfather, and God. But, he is only young and isn’t idealism the province of youth? Jacob continues on to the home of his uncle Laban. There, his uncle tricks him into working for him for 14 years to acquire his daughter Rachel in marriage. Jacob uses this time to learn the ways of Laban. When he is finally ready to return home he has acquired great wealth. His youthful dream of causes, principles, and ideals is replaced with the dream of greater material wealth. In a final farewell to Laban, Jacob shows he has mastered his uncle’s skills by tricking him out of a considerable number of sheep (the hard currency of their times).
I come from a generation who, in our youth, protested a war in Vietnam, stood up against the hypocrisy of power, and defended the idealism of democracy and then grew up. Today, how many of my cohorts still have the fires from those earlier dreams and visions burning within? Growing up doesn’t mean giving up.
Jacob will once again encounter God and himself. In the words of the contemporary Bible scholar Pinchas Peli, “It is then, when the materialistic dreams are about to take him over, that Jacob realizes what Laban and Labanism had done to him, and that he must act now or he will not have another chance. It is then that he decides to go home, back to the land of the fathers and mothers, where he may yet recapture the old dream. Where Jacob may yet become Israel.”
You are never too old to dream young. “And the old shall dream dreams, and the youth shall see visions (Joel 3:1).”
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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Toldot posted by Rabbi Siegel on 11/24/06 | Torah Portion: Toldot
Book of Genesis
Chaps. 25:19-28:9
November 24, 2007
Among the secular holidays, Thanksgiving stands out as a time when we tend to focus on the past; memories of Thanksgiving gatherings and family celebrations of our youth. For many, it’s a day to reflectively understand what our parents meant to us. Sure, they made a few mistakes, but who doesn’t? Perhaps at the time they were not everything we wanted them to be, but as we grew older it is amazing how much they learned (with a nod to Mark Twain)! One’s maturity is directly linked to the moment he/she is able to finally reconcile childhood issues of growing up with a love for one’s parents.
In this week’s Torah portion, Isaac is expelled from his land by King Avimelech of the Philistines. He settles in Gerar, a former home of his father Abraham. There we are told, “Isaac dug anew the wells which had been dug in the days of his father Abraham and which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham’s death; and he gave them the same names that his father had given them (Gen. 26:18).”
The 19th century Hassidic master Shmuel of Sochochow interprets this verse to mean “There actually are deep waters but they are concealed and hidden in the depths of the earth. A person of understanding is someone who removes whatever conceals them and then draws them up to the surface.” Shmuel teaches the importance of returning to our roots, but this time pursuing a more mature understanding of them. Isaac’s re-digging of Abraham’s wells becomes a metaphor for his understanding and appreciation of who his father was and who he had become.
Rabbi Lawrence Kushner further comments, “The middle-aged man looks in the mirror one morning while shaving and realizes that he looks just like his father-as he remembers him at that age. The struggle for Isaac (and for us) is like coming home. Spiritually mature adults realize that their parents are in them. Isaac’s digging is therefore a sacred task.
It took struggles, and even an expulsion, for Isaac to appreciate the significance of his parents to his life. If even Isaac struggled, we have no reason to feel guilty about our parental misgivings. Isaac overcame his, so can we. And for this we give thanks!
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director |
Chaye Sarah posted by Rabbi Siegel on 11/17/06 | Torah Portion: Chaye Sarah
Book of Genesis
Chaps. 23:1-25:18
November 17, 2006
The most emotionally-painful relationships are those that do not exist-parents and family members who refuse to speak to one another. This very scenario plays itself out in this portion of Torah.
For all the good that Abraham represents, he must still bear the responsibility for deserting Hagar, his slave-wife (handmaid of Sarah) and his son by her, Ishmael. Isaac-born to Abraham & Sarah-and his half-brother Ishmael would not come together again until the Torah informs us, "Abraham breathed his last, dying at a good ripe age, old and contented; and he was gathered to his kin. His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah (Gen. 25: 8-9)."
Abraham possessed great wealth, communal respect, and the honor of being the "father of monotheism." Three great religious traditions-Judaism, Christianity, and Islam-connect themselves to the "God of Israel" through Abraham. With all this greatness, how painful it must have been to not be able to maintain a relationship with a son-Ishmael-and to know that your two son's-Isaac & Ishmael-had nothing to do with one another.
The ancient Midrash (legendary stories based on Torah) notes that Abraham breathed his last breath "old and contented." "Might these reconciliations have occurred in Abraham's lifetime and be the reason for the Torah's describing him as "contented" in his old age?" A commentary in the Eitz Hayim Humash continues this thought by asking, "Can we see this as a model for family reconciliations, forgiving old hurts? And can it not be a model for the descendants of Ishmael and Isaac, contemporary Arabs and Israeli Jews, to find grounds for forgiveness and reconciliation?"
The fact Abraham was able to approach death "old and contented" suggests he did take the time to reconcile the most important concern in his (or anyone's) life: His family! Ishmael must have been able to forgive his father for deserting him, Isaac must have found the strength to love his father in spite of almost being sacrificed by him, and Abraham must have been able to say, "I'm sorry!"
I am always amazed at how accepting and understanding people can be toward acquaintances or strangers, while separating themselves from family with walls of anger and enmity. And, tragically, only coming together in times of death. It doesn't have to be this way. Maybe this is what Abraham was teaching even with his last breath.
I remember my grandfather's words, "Blood runs thicker than water." Take some time this weekend to call a parent, child, or sibling, especially one for whom you've said, "I'll never speak with him, again!"
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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Vayera posted by Rabbi Siegel on 11/10/06 | Torah Portion: Vayera
Book of Genesis
Chaps. 18:1-22:24
November 10, 2006
This portion of Torah begins in the heat of the day with Abraham sitting at the entrance to his tent recuperating from his circumcision. In the previous chapter, Abraham complied with God's request to circumcise himself and the males in his household as a sign of the covenant between them and God. Abraham was 99 years old when he performed this painful procedure on himself (ouch!).
As he rested in the sun, Abraham looked up and "saw three men standing near him. As soon as he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them and, bowing to the ground, he said, 'My lords. . . let me fetch a morsel of bread that you may refresh yourselves; then go on (Gen. 18: 2-5)."
We later learn these three men were in fact messengers of God, but the text does not make clear whether Abraham knew this or not. All we do know is, even in a painful state, he arose to offer hospitality to strangers. The 10th century Biblical commentator known as "Rashi" (Rabbi Shlomo ben Yitzchaki) suggests that not only did Abraham not know who these strangers were, he had good reason to believe they were nomadic Arabs. Nevertheless, he extended them the same honor and respect he would any person who appeared in need of food, drink, or simple human kindness.
Pinhas Peli notes, "For [Abraham] every person was important enough to leave whatever he was doing and run to welcome the strangers." And what was Abraham doing? According to the Torah, "And the Lord appeared to him (Genesis 18:1)," suggesting he was in conversation with God when the strangers appeared on the horizon. This leads the ancient rabbis to teach in the Talmud (tractate Shabbat 127a), "Being hospitable to a guest ranks higher than receiving God's Divine Presence," or as Peli comments, "God himself apparently would not mind being 'put on hold' on account of a wayfaring stranger. The latter however may not be able to wait, because of hunger or thirst."
The example of Abraham teaches that human beings-regardless of race, color, or religious creed-require human kindness and care. In this day and age of suspicion and distrust, Abraham's actions stand tall. . . as should ours!
Rabbi Howard Siegel
Jewish Information Center of Houston
Director
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Lech Lecha posted by Rabbi Siegel on 11/03/06 | Torah Portion: Lech Lecha
Book of Genesis
Chaps. 12:1- |
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