Torah Sparks - 5762

BERESHEET
October 13, 2001/5762
Prepared by Rabbi David L. Blumenfeld, PhD

Department of Services to Affiliated Congregations
Annual Cycle: Genesis 1:1-6:8 (Hertz, p.2; Etz Hayim, p.3)

Triennial Cycle Year I: Genesis 1:1 - 2:3 (Hertz, p. 2; Etz Hayim, p.3)
Haftarah: Isaiah 42:5-43:10 (Hertz, p. 21; Etz Hayim, p.35)
This Shabbat’s Torah Portion Summary
(1:1-2:3) The world is created in six days. The first Shabbat.
(2:4-25) The creation and, in particular, the creation of humanity. Adam and Eve
are placed in the Garden of Eden “to till it and to tend it.”
(3:1-7) The snake tempts the woman to eat of the forbidden fruit. She
persuades the man also to eat it. They become aware of their nakedness, and
they make clothing for themselves from fig leaves.
(3:8-24) God’s first question of human beings: “Where are you?” God punishes
the snake by making it crawl on its belly, and by the enmity of human beings;
the woman by the pains of childbirth; the man by alienation from the earth.
Expulsion from the Garden of Eden.
(4:1-15) Cain’s murder of Abel and God’s response.
(4:17-26) The descendants of Cain. The taunting song of Lamech. The birth of
Seth, and his son Enosh.
(5:1-6:8) The ten generations from Adam to Noah.
This Shabbat's Theme: "The Elusive Search for Truth"
Study Text:
“In the beginning God created..." (1:1)
Hebrew = BeresheeT (,)... barA (t)...ElohiM (n)
If we take the last three letters (aleph, mem, tav) of the very first three words of
the Torah (see above), we derive the Hebrew word, “emet”. So too, the first
word of the Ten Commandments begins with the letter aleph (anochi); the first
word of the Mishnah (me’eimatai;) begins with the letter mem and the Gemara
of the Talmud begins with the letter tav in the word tanna. Thus, we learn that
Torah knowledge begins with a search for emet truth, as it is written “Your word
is truth from the beginning” (Ps.119:160) - A.Y. Greenberg, Torah Gems, p. 11.
Consideration of “Absolute Truth”
A. The seal (signature) of the Holy One Praised Be He is truth. (Talm.

Shabbat 55a)
B. The world stands on three foundation stones: on truth, on justice and on
peace. (Shimon ben Gamliel, Pirke Avot, 1:18)
C. Keep far from falsehood... (Exod. 23:7) The Hebrew word for “falsehood”
is sheker which is spelled shin, koof, resh. These three letters are next to
each other in the Hebrew alphabet. Accordingly, we have to “keep
falsehood afar” by shattering sheker when it comes together as is its
natural tend ency. In contrast though, the three letters of the word emet -
“truth” - are the furthest apart possible in the Hebrew alphabet. The aleph
is at the beginning, the tav is at the end and mem is in the very middle.
This teaches us that to reveal genuine truth, an extremely great effort on
our part is required. (Author)
D. The philosopher Emanuel Kant maintained that “any lie was an
abomination or, as it were, an annihilation of the dignity of man”.
Augustine and Aquinas held a similar view.
E. "Truth even unto its innermost parts” (Motto of Brandeis University)
“Sparks” for Discussion:
Is there such a thing as “absolute truth”? What do you believe is absolutely true
in Judaism? Prove it.
Next Question: “Shall We Always Tell The Truth?”
A. You shall not steal, neither shall you deal falsely, nor lie to one another.
(Lev.19:11)
B. Does the halakhah prohibit all forms of lying? Not at all... Jewish tradition
permits lying when the motive is altruistic... For example, it is permissible
to lie for the sake of peace. When Sarah heard she would have a son,
“she laughed to herself, saying, Now that I am withered, am I to have
enjoyment - with my husband so old? God changed Sarah’s insulting
remark when repeating it to Abraham: “Shall I in truth bear a child, old as
I am?” (Gen. 18:12-13) Similarly, it is permissible to stretch the truth
when praising an ugly bride at her wedding (Ketubot 16b-17a) and to
make a false vow to a robber or murderer (Mishnah Nedarim 3:4). Lastly,
in three things rabbis may deviate from the truth: regarding their
knowledge (so as not to boast), regarding their sexual relations with their
wives (out of modesty) and about their host (so that he will not be
inundated with freeloaders) - Bava Metzia 23b-24a. (D. Golinkin,
Responsa In A Moment, pp. 57-58)
What are we to conclude? That truth is relative to the situation? What are your
thoughts on “situation ethics”?
What is your opinion about... Telling the Truth to Terminal Patients?
A. Author Joan Gould wrote of her husband’s struggle with cancer. One day,
they went shopping for gifts and talked of the future. She asks the reader,
“Was I lying to him if I let him think his illness was under control? Was I
pretending if we stopped to have lunch and talked of the future?” Late one
night, she relates, he rose and got a pill from the bathroom, to help him
fall asleep. When he returned to bed he left the bathroom light on. When
she got up to turn it off, he said, “Please don’t. I’ll be in the dark long
enough.”
B. ...In theory, we may certainly conceal the truth from terminally ill patients
if it is for their own good, since Judaism commands us to do everything
to heal and preserve the life of the patient. The dilemma, therefore, is not
“ may we lie to terminally ill patients”, but rather “is lying to terminally ill
patients good or bad for them”... (Golinkin, ibid.)
“Some things are better left unsaid”. Yet, shouldn’t the terminally ill be told the
truth? Where do you stand on this matter for yourself? Would you want the
truth?
NOAH
October 20, 2001/5762

Annual Cycle: Genesis 6:9 - 11:32 (Hertz, p. 26; Etz Hayim, p. 41)
Triennial: Year I-5762: Genesis 6:9 - 8:14 (Hertz, p. 26; Etz Hayim, p. 41)
Haftarah - Isaiah 54:1 - 55:5 (Hertz, p. 41; Etz Hayim, p. 64)
(6:9-22) The earth's corruption moves God to tell Noah that He will destroy
humankind. God commands Noah to build an ark in which he and his family and
the animals and birds will survive the flood.
(7:1-9) God orders Noah and his family to enter the ark, with all the animals.
(7:10-24) The rains begin, and continue for forty days. All life on earth is blotted
out by the waters.
(8:1-14) The Flood ends. Noah sends out a raven and then a dove to discover if
the earth has dried. The dove returns with an olive leaf in its bill.
(8:15-22) Noah leaves the ark and offers sacrifices of thanksgiving to God.
(9:1-7) God blesses Noah and his family, permits the eating of meat, and
prohibits the shedding of human blood.
(9:8-17) God places the rainbow in the sky as the sign of the covenant, the
promise that He won't bring another flood upon the world.
(9:18-29) Noah's drunkenness and death.
(10:1-32) The descendants of Noah's sons: Shem, Ham, and Yaphet.
(11:1-9) The story of the Tower of Babel and the dispersion of humankind.
(11:10-32) The ten generations from Noah to Abraham.
This Shabbat's Theme: A Corrupt Society - Considerations: Then and Now
When God saw how corrupt the earth was, for all the flesh had corrupted its
way on the earth, 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...” (Gen. 6:13)
So What Was So Bad About The People of The Flood?
A. And this is what the people of the age of the Flood used to do: When a
man brought out a basket full of peas (for sale), a crowd would gather
and each would snatch less than the worth of a perutah (so little of an
amount that it was not considered a punishable crime) until the basket
was empty. (Genesis Rabbah 31:50)
B. They removed the landmarks of their neighbors in order to extend their
borders. And if someone saw an ox or a donkey in the hands of an
orphan or widow, he took it over. (Midrash Tanhuma, Noah 26)
C. A man would take unto himself two wives - one would be for having
children and the other for sexual pleasure. (Midrash Hagadol 10:5) They
swapped wives. (Genesis Rabbah 23:3)
D. For all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth... Rabbi Johanan said,
"This teaches that they caused beasts and animals (separate species) to
copulate and all these were brought in connection with man. (Talm.
Sanhedrin 108a) Wherever one finds sexual immorality and idolatry,
disaster soon comes upon the world and overtakes the good together
with the wicked. (Rashi on 6:13)
E. Our Rabbis taught: The generation of the Flood waxed haughty only
because of the good which God lavished upon them. They said, "Do we
need Him for aught?" (Sanhedrin ibid)
F. The behavior of people deteriorated. At first, they were corrupt - being
guilty of immorality and idolatry - and they sinned covertly, before God.
Later, the earth had become filled with robbery - which was obvious to all.
Then, all of creation was corrupted, because man is the essence of the
world, and his corruption infected all of creation. (Zohar)
G. Such is the progression of sin. It begins in private, when people have a
sense of right and wrong. But once people develop the habit of sinning,
they gradually lose their shame, and immoral behavior becomes the
accepted - even the required norm. (The Chumash, ArtScroll Series,
p.31)
H. To destroy them... The Hebrew employs for "destroy" the same stem, as
for the word "corrupt". The idea is that humankind cannot undermine the
moral basis of society without endangering the very existence of its
civilization. In fact, through its corruption, society sets in motion the
process of inevitable self-destruction. (N. Sarna, JPS Torah Commentary
p. 51)
Why did God have to be so "radical", so to speak, wiping the slate clean and
starting all over again with human society? Do you see any theological
problems here with this happening and the belief in God's omniscience?
So What's So Bad About Our Society?
A. Rarely, in the whole saga of human history, has a generation more aptly
been called a "Crisis Generation"... In the language of an old play:
"Everything nailed down is coming loose." Let us take a glimpse at the
picture. Six continents and the three billion people who inhabit them, two-
thirds of them colored, are seething with hate and heaving with turmoil.
Human blood is running thick in many places... Ten thousand people die
of hunger and malnutrition every day. Most of the world's population, it
was recently reported, go to bed hungry every night. And simultaneously,
fifty million Americans are overweight to the point of obesity.
The world is afflicted with lawlessness, mindless terrorism. And we all

stand by as "mobocracy" takes over.
There are twenty thousand murders in our country each year. Hallock
Hoffman, of the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions informs
us that since 1900, Americans have killed more fellow Americans with
guns, here at home than have been killed in all the wars America has
fought in this period. Infidelity and divorce have reached shocking
proportions. Drug addiction, especially among the young, is mounting
daily. The alcoholism rate was never higher. The ancient Prophet
unconsciously described our day saying: "Swearing and lying, and killing,
and stealing and adultery have broken all bounds. Blood touches blood!"
(Hosea 4:4) (Joseph H. Lookstein, Faith and Destiny of Man, pp. 63-64;
also, Yesterday's Faith for Tomorrow, p. 102)
The above passages were written by Rabbi Lookstein in the "Seventies". Does
his alarming description of the world at that time apply to today? Based on what
we learn from the background of Noah's generation and what we see today,
what do you think can be feasibly done by us to improve the world's condition?
LECH LECHA
October 27, 2001/5762


Triennial: Year I: Genesis 12:1 - 13:18 (Hertz, p. 45; Etz Hayim, p. 69)
Haftarah-Isaiah 40:27 - 41:16 (Hertz, p. 60; Etz Hayim, p. 94)
(12:1-9) God speaks to Abram: "Go to the land I will show you." Abram, his wife
Sarai, and his nephew Lot travel from Haran to Canaan. Abram sets up altars to
God at Shechem, and near Bethel.
(12:10-20) Because of famine, Abram goes to Egypt. He lies saying Sarai is his
sister. Pharaoh takes her into his house. God brings plagues upon Pharaoh.
Pharaoh angrily sends Abram and Sarai away.
(13:1-13) Lot's herds men and Abram's herds men quarrel. Abram generously
allows Lot first choice of grazing land. Lot chooses the fertile Jordan valley, near
Sodom. Abram gets the rest of Canaan.
(13:14-18) God renews His promise to grant Abram the land of Canaan. Abram
settles near Hebron.
(Chap. 14) Five Canaanite kings rebel against Chedarlaomer, King of Elam. A
coalition of four eastern kings moves to punish the rebels. In the battles
between the two groups of king Lot is captured. Abram arms his followers and
pursues Lot's captors in order to rescue his nephew. He defeats them and
saves Lot and the other captives.
(Chap. 15) God makes a covenant with Abram renewing His promise of
progeny and the land of Canaan. God tells Abram that his descendants will be
exiled, redeemed and returned to the Land. The Land's boundaries and its
inhabitants.
(Chap. 16) Abram's concubine, Hagar, becomes pregnant, leading to conflict

with Sarai. Sarai mistreats Hagar, who runs away, but she returns after an
angel of the Lord promises her that the son within her womb will become the
founder of a great nation. The son is born, and is named Ishmael, considered to
be the ancestor of the Arab peoples.
(Chap. 17) God establishes circumcision as the sign of the covenant. Atthis time
Abram and Sarai are renamed Abraham and Sarah. God also predicts that
Abraham and Sarah will bear a son, to be named Isaac. The Sedrah concludes
with the circumcision of Abraham, Ishmael, and all the men of the household.
This Shabbat's Theme: "No Pain, No Gain" - But Is It Really Worth It?
The Lord said to Abram, Go forth from your native land and from your father's
house... (Gen. 12:1)
A. With ten trials our father Abraham was tried and he stood firm in them all,
to make known how great was the love of our father Abraham (for God).
(Pirke Avot 5.3)
B. Go forth... and I will make you a great nation (12:1-2) ...This means, go
forth for your own benefit and reward. (Rashi)
C. If God assured Abraham that leaving would be for his own benefit and
reward (Rashi above), we should assume that this was not such a
difficult test to endure after all! Actually though, this was a great test for
Abraham. For the text states later that ultimately Abraham did not leave
Haran for his own benefit and reward. It says, "Abram went forth as the
Lord had commanded him" (12:4) which means that he went only
because he followed God's command, without any other specific motive.
The real test then was whether, after receiving assurances of a reward
(becoming a "great nation"), he would fight against any personal
temptations for greatness and set out on his journey for only one reason;
he wanted to do what God commands. (Yehudah Aryeh Leib [The Gerer
Rebbe, d. 1905, one of the last great masters of Polish Hasidism], Sefat
Emet)
D. Rabbi Jonathan said: A potter does not try to examine defective vessels,
for he cannot give them even a single tap without breaking them. What
then does he examine? Only sound vessels, for he will not break them
even with many blows. Similarly, God does not test the wicked but the
righteous. Rabbi Jose the son of Rabbi Hanina said: When a flax worker
knows that the flax is of good quality, the more he beats it the more it
improves and the more it glistens; but if it is of inferior quality, he cannot
strike it even once without splitting it. Similarly, God does not test the
wicked but the righteous. Rabbi Eleazar said: When a man possesses
two cows, one strong and the other feeble, upon which does he put the
yoke? Surely upon the strong one! Similarly, God tests none but the
righteous, as it says in Psalms 11:5 - "The Lord tries the righteous...
(Genesis Rabbah 55:2)
E. "And it came to pass after these things, that God tested (nissah)
Abraham" (Gen. 20:21). It is also written in Psalms 60:6 that "You have
given a banner (nes) to them who fear You, that it might be displayed (le-
hitnoses) because of the truth." This means, trial upon trial, greatness
after greatness, God tries those who fear Him in the world and they are
like a ship's banner (nes) flying aloft (they are exalted). And what is the
purpose? "Because of the truth", in order that the standard of God's
justice may be recognized in the world. (Genesis Rabbah 55:1)
F. Suffering brings out and develops character. It supplies a field for all
sorts of virtues, for resignation, courage, resource, endurance. It
stimulates; it purifies. (Claude G. Montefiore 1858-1938)
G. Rabbi Yohanan once became ill, and Rabbi Hanina went to visit him. He
asked him, "Are your sufferings welcome to you?" Rabbi Yohanan
replied, "Neither they nor their reward." (Talm. Berachot 5b)
H. Rabbi Phinehas said in the name of Rabbi Hanin of Sepphoris: It is
written, "Happy is the man whom you chasten, O Lord" (Ps. 94:12), but if
he loses his temper (because of his sufferings) then "do teach him out of
Your law (ib.). For when Abraham, at God's behest, left his birthplace,
famine befell him, yet he did not lose his temper and reproach God. So
when sufferings fall upon you, do not lose your temper, or reproachGod.
Rabbi Alexander said: There is no person to whom no sufferings come;
happy is the one whose sufferings come because of the Torah...
(Genesis Rabbah, Miketz, 92,1)
How comfortable do you feel with the above theological approach to suffering?
We are all tested in life. I guess if we do not follow a religious approach, we

would probably conclude that whatever bad befalls us is purely by chance.
There is no reason. If, however, as Jews or as a believer in other monotheistic
Faiths, wedo turn to God in prayer - then what can we say about the evil that
befalls us? Is it part of God's overall design to allow evil so that we could relish
good occurrences? Does suffering "refine" us?
As Jews, we have been tested and suffered greatly. Haven't we passed the test
by now? Should we say "enough already!"?
VAYERA
November 3, 2001/5762

Triennial- Year I: Genesis 18:1 - 18:33 (Hertz, p. 63; Etz Hayim, p. 99)
Haftarah - II Kings 4:1-37 (Hertz, p. 76; Etz Hayim, p. 123)
(18:1-15) Abraham welcomes three wayfarers with full hospitality, not realizing
that they are angels. They tell Abraham that Sarah will have a son. Sarah,
overhearing, laughs in disbelief. (18:16-33) God tells Abraham of his decision to
destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham tries to dissuade God, with the famous
words," Shall not the judge of all the earth deal justly?" Abraham bargains with
God, who promises not to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah if even ten righteous
men can be found there.
(19:1-19) The angels warn Lot to flee Sodom with his family. His wife disobeys
the order not to look back, and is turned into a pillar of salt.
(19:30-38) After the destruction, Lot's daughters, believing there is no one else
left on earth, trick him into an incestuous union. They each bear sons, the
founders of the nations of Ammon and Moab.
(20:1-18) Abraham and Sarah are in Gerar. Abraham says that Sarah is his
sister, so Abimelekh king of Gerar has Sarah brought to him. In a dream, God
appears to him and frightens him away from Sarah. Abimelekh rebukes
Abraham, but then compensates him for his trouble.
(21:1-8) God keeps His promise; Isaac is born. Isaac is circumcised on the
eighth day of his life, and there is a banquet on the day of his weaning.
(21:9-21) Due to conflict between Sarah and Hagar and Sarah's fears of the
negative influence Ishmael may have over Isaac, Hagar and Ishmael are sent
away. God promises Hagar, "I will make a great nation" of Ishmael.
(21:22-34) Abraham and Abimelekh make a covenant of peace at Be'er-sheva.
(22:1-19) The Akedah, the story of the binding of Isaac
(22:20-24) Genealogy which includes Rebekah, future wife of Isaac.
This Shabbat's Theme: Angels
The Lord appeared to him (Abraham) by the terebinths of Mamre; he was sitting
at the entrance to his tent as the day grew hot. Looking up he saw three men
standing near him... (Gen. 18:1-2)
Traditional View of Angels
A. Three men... As is apparent from the rest of the narrative, they were
actually angels in the "guise" of men. God sent three different angels
because, by definition, an angel is a function that God wishes to have
performed. Thus, each function is a new angel, and since there were
three missions to be accomplished in connection with Abraham and
Sarah at this time, there were three angels to carry them out. In the
words of the Midrash, "one angel does not perform two missions."
(Genesis Rabbah 50:2) In this case, the three angels were Michael, who
informed Abraham that Sarah would have a son; Gabriel, who overturned
Sodom and Raphael who healed Abraham and saved Lot (it being one
mission involving rescue). (The Chumash, ArtScroll, p.79, n.2)
B. Angels... The three "men" of whom the story speaks belong, according to
the biblical setting, to a category of superior beings with special powers.
They appear in a variety of forms, sometimes as men and sometimes in
other shapes (cherubim, etc.)... Their function may be to worship God, to
do His bidding or most frequently, to carry a divine message. Because of
this latter function the name malach* (messenger) is often given to these
beings. The Greek translation of malach (messenger) is angelos, hence
our English "angel." *(Also, in Ugaritic, lak means "to send" - Author.) As
a group, angels were considered by tradition as a kind of nobility at God's
court, singing His praises and acting as His counsel... Angels were
believed to have existed before the creation of the world and to be
generally benevolent to men. Belief in angels was widespread in the
ancient Near East. Mesapotamian and Hittite deities had their
subordinate ministers, and Egyptian sources tell how the gods
communicate with each other through couriers. (The Torah, A Modern
Commentary, W. Gunther Plaut, p. 124)
C. Rabbi Jose the son of Judah said: The angels of the service accompany
a man on Friday evening from the synagogue to his house, one good
and one bad angel; and if, when he comes to his house, the lamp is lit
and the table spread, and the couch arranged, the good angel says,
"May it be God's will that the next Sabbath be as this one," to which the
bad angel even against his will, says "Amen." But if it is not so, then the
bad angel says, "May it be God's will that thus it may be on the next
Sabbath also," and the good angel, against his will, says "Amen." (Talm.
Shabbat 119b)
Angels in the Abstract
A. The modern Jewish attitude to angels tend to regard the traditional

references and descriptions as symbolic, poetic, or representing an
earlier world concept. (Encyclopedia Judaica, Vol. II, p. 975)
B. The concept of angels, whenever used by the Rabbis, is used exclusively
in the concretization of value-concepts. (Max Kadushin, The Rabbinic
Mind, p. 186 ff)
C. Everyone entrusted with a mission is an angel... all forces that reside in
the body are angels. (M. Maimonides, Guide for the Perplexed, 1190,
2.6)
D. The more materialistic science becomes the more angels shall I paint:
their wings are my protest in favor of the immortality of the souls. (E.C.
Burne-Jones to Oscar Wilde)
E. Samson Raphael Hirsch associates the word ltkn (angel or messenger)
with the word u,ftkn ("His work" or "His message") in the Creation story.
In a way then, we humans (and even Nature) are messengers (or
"angels", if you will) who are emissaries of God's "work" - melachah - or
His "message". (See S.P. Hirsch, Judaism Eternal, pp. 10 - 11)
F. In these days you must go to Heaven to find an angel. (Polish Proverb)
Angels are very much a part of our tradition appearing in the Bible, rabbinic
literature, medieval angelology, Jewish mysticism and in Jewish folklore. On
Friday evening, we welcome them into our homes as we sing Shalom Aleichem
Malachei Hasharet (Hashalom). Yes, Shalom Aleichem is a marvelous way to
greet the Sabbath, yet, what real meaning does the song have for us when we
sing it?
Also, what do we intend to mean when we say "Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh" in

our prayers and lift our heels off the ground (in imitation of the celestial angels
who are not earthbound)?
Do we truthfully believe in angels? If so, in what way? And if not, is there a more
modern interpretation of this concept, which was so much a part of our belief
system in the past, that can be given today? How can we preserve the customs
(such as the ones mentioned above) that we so much enjoy and yet maintain
our intellectual integrity
HAYYEI SARAH
November 10, 2001/5762

Triennial - Year I: Genesis 23:1 - 24:9 (Hertz, p. 80; Etz Hayim, p. 127)
Haftarah - I Kings 1:1-31 (Hertz, p. 90; Etz Hayim, p. 142)
(23:1-20) Sarah dies at the age of 127. Abraham, after bargaining with Ephron,
acquires the Cave of Machpelah, in Hebron, as a family burial plot. This is the
first Jewish acquisition of property in the Land of Israel.
(24:1-9) Abraham sends his servant back to Aram-Naharaim ("Aram - of the two
rivers" = Mesopotamia) to find a wife for Isaac.
(24:10-28) Eliezer, Abraham's servant, has been sent to Haran to find a wife for
Isaac. He arrives in Haran, and finds Rebecca at a well, where she passes his
"test" of compassion and diligence.
(24:29-49) Eliezer tells his journey's purpose and recounts his experiences to
Laban, Rebecca's brother, and how God led him to find Rebecca for Isaac.
(24:50-52) Laban and Bethuel agree to allow Rebecca to go with Eliezer.
(24:53-67) Rebecca consents to go with Eliezer, and is given a farewell blessing

by her family. Rebecca goes to Canaan and is wed to Isaac.
(25:1-6) The genealogy of Abraham's descendants from his second marriage -

to Keturah.
(25:7-11) Abraham dies and is buried next to Sarah in the Cave of Machpelah.
(25:12-18) A genealogy of Ishmael's descendants. Sarah died in Kiriat-arba -

now Hebron - in the land of Canaan; and Abraham proceeded to mourn for
Sarah and to bewail her. Then Abraham arose from the beside of his dead, and
spoke to the Hittites, saying, "I am a resident alien among you; sell me a burial
site, that I may remove my dead for burial". (Gen. 23:2-4)
This Shabbat's Theme: Paying Appropriate Final Respects
A. Jewish law is unequivocal in establishing absolutely, and

uncompromisingly, that the dead must be buried in the earth. God's
words to Adam are, "For dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return
(Genesis 3:19). Later, the Bible crystallizes God's words into positive law,
"Thou shalt surely bury him" (Deuteronomy 21:23). (Maurice Lamm, The
Jewish Way in Death and Mourning, pp. 55-56. Also, see on cremation,
mausoleums, and autopsy.)
B. Early burial (as a sign of respect) is a long-standing Jewish practice. It is
based upon Deuteronomy 21:23: "You must not allow his body to remain
on the stake overnight, but must surely bury him the same day". However,
a delay in burial is permitted if it is "for the sake of his honor", e.g., for the
purpose of making a coffin or providing shrouds or to enable relatives
and friends to pay their last respects. (Talm. Sanh. 47a)
C. To accompany the dead to their final resting place is considered a high
religious obligation. The famous remark of the eleventh century French
commentator is a good indication of the Jewish attitude. Rashi comments
on this command of Jacob to his son Joseph to bury him: "Deal kindly
and truly with me" (Gen. 47:29). Why "kindly and truly" (hesed ve-emet)?
Rashi's explanation is that all other forms of kindness may be in antici-
pation of reciprocal kindness from the beneficiary. At the back of the
mind of the donor there may be a self-seeking motive so that his
kindness" is not "true," i.e., completely sincere. The dead, however,
cannot reciprocate. (Louis Jacobs, What Does Judaism Say About...?, p.
48)
D. The initial care of the deceased has one major purpose: to respect the
God-given vessel in which the soul resided. The human being is sacred
in Jewish tradition and the manner in which it is brought to its final resting
place has been shaped by the ultimate value of kevod ha-meit, honoring
the dead. (Ron Wolfson, A Time to Mourn A Time to Comfort, p. 53)
E. When I was a young rabbi in a congregation, a burial at which I was
officiating was held back incredibly at grave side because the cemetery
burial crew decided to take a lunch break. We stood there dumb-founded
until our cantor, a Holocaust survivor, sprang to the casket and by
himself strained to bring it to the grave. With tears in his eyes, he
exclaimed, "Whenever a Jew lie dead in the open, whenever we could,
we risked our lives to bury the person and now we should wait!?" -
Everyone of us, young and old alike, participated in the burial to the last
shovel of dirt. Our tears mingled with our sweat. (Author)
F. When scholars are studying, and a funeral procession passes or a
wedding, they shall not interrupt their study if enough are present (a
minyan) with the bier or the bride for the appointed duty. If not enough
are present, the scholars shall leave their study to attend to them. (Avot
Rabbi Nathan, VIII, 11b)
G. Just as there is a Jewish way of life, there is a Jewish way of death. Two
basic considerations come into play when death strikes and the laws of
death and mourning become applicable. One consideration involves the
principle of kevod hameit, treatment of the deceased with reverence and
respect. The other involves the principle of kevod hechai, concern for the
welfare of the living (surviving relatives and friends). These two principles
provide the basis for many of the laws and customs pertaining to death
and mourning. (Alfred J. Kolatch, The Jewish Book of Why, Chapter 3,
Death and Mourning, p. 49)
H. In times long ago, funeral expenses were so high that kinsmen would
abandon their dead and move away. Rabban Gamliel II (80 - 110 C.E.)
ordained that he be buried in simple linen raiment. Following his example,
the financial burden was lifted (from the Jewish masses). (Talm. Moed
Katan 27b)
Of course, this is the Sabbath and it being a day of joy, we should limit our
discussion on the subject of death. Nonetheless, there are just a few pertinent
"agenda items", based on the above theme, which may warrant consideration
and discussion at this time.
If there is no hevra kaddisha (a traditional burial society) associated with your

synagogue or your Jewish community would it be feasible to establish such a
committee to assist bereaved families in making funeral arrangements? How
would it help keep expenses down? How can the congregation (aside from
clergy and close friends) get involved in comforting mourners who are
members? To what extent should there be "outreach" to bereaved Jews in the
community who happen not to be members of any synagogue?
TOLEDOT
November 17, 2001/5762

Annual Cycle: Genesis 25:19 - 28:9 (Hertz, p. 93; Etz Hayim, p.146)
Triennial - Year I: Genesis 25:19 - 26:22 (Hertz, p. 93; Etz Hayim, p. 146)
Haftarah - Malachi 1:1-27 (Hertz, p. 102; Etz Hayim, p. 162)
(25:19-26) Isaac marries Rebecca. During her pregnancy, she feels a struggle
within her. She gives birth to twins, Esau and Jacob.
(25:27-34) Esau sells his birthright to Jacob for a pot of stew.
(26:1-11) Isaac and Rebecca, fleeing famine, go to Gerar to live with the
Philistines. God appears to Isaac and renews the covenant with him. Fearful of
the Philistines, Isaac lies and says Rebecca is his sister. Abimelech finds out
the truth and warns the people to leave Isaac and Rebecca alone.
(26:12-16) Isaac prospers, inciting the jealousy of the Philistines, who block the
wells he dug. Ultimately, Abimelech asks him to leave.
(26:17-22) Isaac moves to the valley of Gerar, where there are further quarrels
with the Philistines over wells. He finds a peaceful place to settle and names it
Rechovot.
(26:23-33) Abimelech makes a peace treaty with Isaac, seeing Isaac's

prosperity as a sign of God's blessing.
(26:34-35) Esau marries two Hittite women, to his parents' distress.
(27:1-27) Isaac, his sight now dim, announces his intention to bless Esau, but
Rebecca and Jacob conspire to trick him into blessing Jacob instead.
(27:28-45) Isaac blesses Jacob. Esau returns home and Jacob's deception is
discovered. Esau weeps and pleads for a blessing from Isaac, who complies.
Enraged, Esau plots to kill Jacob when Isaac dies. Rebecca hears of this and
advises Jacob to flee to her brother Laban in the land of Haran.
(27:46-28:5) Isaac blesses Jacob and sends him to Haran.
(28:6- 9) Esau realizes that his Canaanite wives displease Isaac, so he takes a
daughter of Ishmael for a wife.
This Shabbat's Theme: How (Grand) Parents Influence Their (Grand)

Children
Isaac pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and
the Lord responded to his plea, and his wife Rebekah conceived. But the
children struggled together within her... (Genesis 25:21-22)
A. But the children struggled together within her...When she would pass the
doors of the Torah academies of Shem and Ever, Jacob struggled to
come out, and when she passed the doors of idolatry, Esau struggled to
come out (Rashi - h"ar. This is the acronym for Rabbi Shlomo ben
Yitzhak (1040-1105). Bible and Talmud commentator. Troyes, France)
B. On Rashi's comment above... What this teaches us is that one's
environment is of great importance, both in a positive sense and in a
negative sense. A person with a strongly held opinion or ideology may be
changed by his environment. Even a righteous woman such as our
matriarch, Rebekah, can hope to raise a good child such as Jacob as
long as she passed the academies of Torah but if she passes the doors
where idolatry is taught, an Esau is born. (Derashat HaRamah)
C. (God) took (the Israelites) out of Egypt. (Exodus 32:11) Rabbi Huna said
in the name of Rabbi Johanan: This can be compared to a wise man who
opened a perfumery shop for his son in a street frequented by harlots.
The street did its work, the business also did its share (since perfumery
is one of the things needed by prostitutes). The result was that his son
fell into evil ways. When the father came and caught him amidst the
prostitutes, he began to shout: "I will slay you!" But his friend was there,
and he said: "You were the vehicle for destroying the character of this
young man and yet you dare shout at him! You ignored all other
professions, teaching him to be a perfumerand then you ignored all other
possible locations and set up a shop for him just in the street where
prostitutes dwell"! (So God took the Israelites out of Egypt) (Exodus
Rabbah 43:7)
D. Judaism was always very sensitive to the powerful influence of
environment. As the Midrash explains, when Korah organized his
rebellious campaign against Moses (Numbers 16:1 f.), both Dothan and
Abiram joined him because they were his neighbors. Man is a highly
imitative creature. He absorbs from his environment the values and
behavior patterns of those about him, and in his ways tends to conform
to them. (Irving Bunim, Ethics from Sinai, Vol. I, pp. 65-66)
E. "Every man came with his household" (Exod. 1:1) - Because Jacob knew
that the Egyptians were steeped in immoral acts, he made certain to
marry off his children and children's children before they came to Egypt.
(Midrash Hagadol)
o Comment (on above Midrash): Despite modern notions to the
contrary, it certainly is the duty of parents to be concerned with the
type of mate their children will choose. While parents should not
dictate such a choice, nevertheless it is their duty and obligation to
guide their children in this matter so that they may make the
proper choice. Decisions as to the community in which the family
will reside while the children are of marriageable age or the
college a youngster will attend should be made with due regard to
the opportunities for finding a suitable mate. (Amos W. Miller,
Understanding the Midrash, p 17)
F. Rabbi Zev Zitomirer, the "Or ha-Meir", (d. 1800) once glanced through
the window of his home and saw a man and his son, both drunk,
staggering down the street and falling into the gutter. "I envy that father,"
said the rabbi to his son, Israel Dov, with a sigh. "He has accomplished
his goal of having a son like himself. As for me, I do not know yet
whether you will be like me or not. I can only hope that the drunkard is
not more successful in training his son than I have been with you." (Bet
Pinchas, by P. Shapiro, 1926, pp. 18-19)
Until what point in their lives are we able to guide and influence our children in
the way which we would hope they would go? Do we ever lose them in this
regard? How can we give them the distance, the independence, that they need
and yet, still be able to impact on their lives?
From the above observations, garnered from our Jewish tradition, there seems
to be unanimous agreement that one's environment has a powerful effect on
one's behavior. It then follows that if we want our children and grandchildren to
adhere to wholesome values we should give serious consideration as to where
one could find them. In what environment are they ordinarily? In this respect, as
parents and grandparents we have the ability to help determine where that
environment will be.
In terms of Jewish commitment, how can we as parents and grandparents

provide a reinforcing environment when our (grand)children are still young?
When they are teenagers? When they are deciding on which summer camp or
college to attend? When they are "traveling to see the world"? When they are
considering where to settle? When they have their children to bring up?
To what extent can we help determine the future environment of our children
and grandchildren?
VAYETZE
November 24, 2001/5762

Triennial.-Year I: Genesis 28:10 - 30:13 (Hertz, p. 106; Etz Hayim, p. 166)
Haftarah - Hosea 12:13 - 14:10 (Hertz, p. 118; Etz Hayim, p. 188)
(28:10-22) Jacob sets out for Haran, fleeing Esau. He stops for the night, and
dreams of a ladder between heaven and earth, with angels ascending and
descending. God renews for him the covenant promise given to Abraham and
Isaac. Jacob names the place Beth El - "House of God."
(29:1-30) Jacob arrives in Mesopotamia. He meets Rachel, his cousin, and

Laban, her father. Jacob agrees to work for Laban for seven years in exchange
for marrying Rachel, but Laban tricks him into marrying Leah, Rachel's older
sister. Jacob is forced to work another seven years for Rachel.
(29:31-35) Leah gives birth to four sons - Reuben, Simon, Levi and Judah - but
Rachel is barren.
(30:1-13) Rachel, jealous of Leah, gives Jacob her maid Bilhah, who bears him
two sons, Dan and Naphtali. Rachel adopts the sons as her own. Leah,
apparently no longer able to bear children, does similarly with her maid Zilpah,
who also bears two sons, Gad and Asher.
(30:14-21) Leah and Rachel quarrel over some mandrake roots, believed to
cure barrenness. Leah has two more sons, Issachar and Zebulun.
(30:22-24) Rachel finally has a son, Joseph.
(30:24-43) Jacob wants to return home to Canaan, but his father-in-law Laban
dissuades him. Jacob stays and succeeds in greatly enriching himself.
(31:1-16) Jacob realizes that his increasing wealth is causing animosity among
Laban's sons and decides to return to Canaan.
(31:17-21) Without telling Laban, Jacob gathers his herds and flocks and leaves.
Rachel takes Laban's teraphim-household idols.
(31:22-32:3) God warns Laban not to harm Jacob. Laban pursues and
overtakes Jacob. In an impassioned speech, Jacob rebukes Laban for his
devious ways. Laban and Jacob make a covenant of peace.
This Shabbat's Theme: Prayer Inside and Outside of a "Sacred Space"
Jacob left Beersheba, and set out for Haran. He came upon a certain place and
stopped there for the night, for the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of that
place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. (Gen. 28:10-11)
A. He came upon a certain place... The use of the designation "place" (Heb.
makom) is suggestive because makom frequently has the connotation of
a "sacred site" (JPS Torah Commentary, Nahum Sarna, p. 197). The
combination of makom with the name of a city in Gen. 12:6, "the site of
Shechem", (Heb. mekom Shechem) is unique. It is very likely that the
term has the special meaning of "sacred site," like the Arabic maqam.
Sacred sites were always desirable stopping places for travelers and
nomads because of their proximity to springs and wells (ibid. p. 91). -
Makom is mentioned three times in our text. This "place", ie. sacred site,
is named by Jacob - Bet El - House of God. (Author)
B. Rabbi Yosi son of Rabbi Hanina said, The Tefillot (Daily
Amidah/Services) were instituted by the Patriarchs. Abraham instituted
the morning Tefillah (Shaharit Service) as it says: "And Abraham got up
early in the morning to the place where he had stood.." (Gen. 19:27).
Isaac instituted the afternoon Tefillah (Minhah Service) as it says, "And
Isaac went out to meditate in the field at eventide..." (Gen. 24:63) and
'meditation' means prayer (See Ps. 102:1). And Jacob ordained the
evening Tefillah (Maariv Service) as it states (see above Gen.28:11), "He
(Jacob) came upon - vayifga - a certain place, and tarried there all night
because the sun had set". The Hebrew word - vayifga - "he came upon"
has the root letters peh, gimmel and ayin which also means to "pray", as
in Jeremiah 7:1 6. (Talm. Berachot 26b)
C. The talmudic sages praised congregational synagogue worship in the
most elaborate terms: "A person's prayer is heard only in the
synagogue... If a person is accustomed to attend synagogue and fails to
come one day, God makes inquiry about him... When a man leaves the
synagogue, he should not depart with hasty steps; but when he goes to
the synagogue, it is right to run (Talm. Berachot 6a-b). The verse: "I offer
my prayer to You, O Lord, at an acceptable time..." (Ps. 69:14) is
interpreted to mean at a time of public worship (Talm. Berachot 8b).
(Philip Birnbaum, A Book of Jewish Concepts, p. 82)
D. Congregational prayer is always heard by God. Even if sinners are
present, God does not reject public worship. One should therefore
assemble with the congregation; one should not pray in private when one
can pray with the congregation. (Moses Maimonides [known as Rambam
(1135 -1204) - Halachic codifier, philosopher, Mishnah commentator.
Spain and Egypt], Mishneh Torah, Bk II, ch.8)
E. Private prayer (three times daily but not necessarily in a "sacred space"
or synagogue) was offered by Daniel, as it is written: Daniel...went to his
house, in whose upper chamber he had windows made facing Jerusalem,
and three times a day he knelt down, and prayed... (Dan. 6:11). Also, this
is implied in Psalm 55:18: "As for me, (David?) I call to God; the Lord will
deliver me. Evening, morning and noon, I complain and moan, and He
hears my voice". If because of some emergency, one is unable to go to
the synagogue or to any other place where a minyan congregates to pray,
one should get ten adults together, and have a communal service at
home. If this too, is impossible, one should at least, pray at the same
time that the congregation prays, for that is the propitious moment. So
too, for one who dwells in a place where there is no minyan... (Code of
Jewish Law, Kitzur Shulhan Arukh, S. Ganzfried, Trans. H. Goldin, p.42)
In today's world, many Jews who belong to synagogues are not always able to
get there easily to pray three times a day. Also, it seems that a substantial
number of Conservative synagogues do not actually have weekday Services
and some may have only one daily Service.
Given this situation of no service with a minyan, perhaps we should encourage

congregants, who might be inclined to do so, to recite all or any of the three
daily services in their homes or offices or "wherever", rather than not at all?
It seems that the Minhah Service in particular lends itself best for accomplishing
such an objective for us. Recalling that Isaac "meditated" in the field (creating
his own "sacred space") for what traditionally became the basis for the Minhah
Service, perhaps those who wish to pray daily, in the absence of a minyan,
might want to start by creating a "sacred space and time" at home or in the
office, etc. for reciting, on a daily basis, at least the brief (15 minutes) Minhah
Service which consists solely of three prescribed prayers - Ashrei, Shemoneh
Esrei, and Aleinu.
Should we Conservative Jews encourage such an approach to "meditate" once

a day - to "daven" Minhah in private - no matter where we find ourselves at that
time of day?
VAYISHLAH
December 1, 2001/5762
Prepared by Rabbi David L.Blumenfeld, PhD

Annual Cycle: Genesis 32: 4 - 36:43 (Hertz, p. 122; Etz Hayim, p.198)
Triennial - Year I: Genesis 32:4 - 33:20 (Hertz, p. 122; Etz Hayim, p.198)
Haftarah - Obadiah 1:1-21 (Hertz, p. 137; Etz Hayim, p. 221)
(32:4-24) Jacob nervously prepares for his meeting with his brother Esau.
(32:25-33) Jacob wrestles with a "man," and receives from him a blessing and a
new name, Israel, at the cost of a lame thigh.
(33:1-15) Jacob meets his brother Esau, who receives him warmly. They go
their separate ways in peace.
(33:16-20) Esau returns to the land of Edom and Jacob arrives at Shechem.
(34) The rape of Dinah and her brothers' revenge.
(35:1-15) Jacob builds an altar at Bethel, fulfilling his vow from many years
before; God renews His promise of the land to him.
(35:16-20) Rachel dies giving birth to Benjamin and is buried on the road to
Bethlehem.
(35:21-26) Reuben's sin; a review of the sons of Jacob.
(35:27-29) Isaac dies and is buried in the Cave of Machpelah.
(36:1-43) A genealogy of Esau's descendants.
This Shabbat's Theme: I'm Yours... Body and Soul
Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, for you have struggled with God
and with men and have prevailed. (Gen. 32:29)
A. The children of Israel merited both of these names (Jacob and Israel), as
they refer to the body and soul. Every person has to set aright the body,
so that the soul will dwell upon it. Then one is called "Israel"... That is
what Scripture means by the verse, "Jacob came to Shalem" (lit.
"wholeness", Gen. 33:18). This equalizing of the body to soul is called
shalom.
The struggle of body and soul goes on in every one of Israel. The better
you deal with the body, the more wholeness you will attain. That is why
the Sabbath is also called shalom:; it is the time for righting the body, "a
foretaste of the world to come." In the future, bodies will be set right,truly
just like souls. We have a taste of this on the Sabbath... (Yehudah Aryeh
Leib Alter of Ger [The Gerer Rebbe, d. 1905 - One of the last great
masters of Polish Hasidism], Sefat Emet)
A leading scholar in modern Jewish theology, Arthur Green, states in his

commentary-book on the Gerer Rebbe's teachings ("The Language of
Truth", p.51) that the above text may be understood in two ways. The
first is that one's body is capable of reaching the level of the soul which is
a "foretaste of the world to come".
The other reading, he states: "is an older one, yet it may also strike a
chord with the biases of today's reader. Jacob worked to perfect himself
in body as well as soul. The Midrash says that Jacob's beauty was as
great as that of Adam... It may be that the Sfat Emet understands and
appreciates something of this latter reading, that became so much a part
of the program to create a "new Jew" which Zionists would preach in the
next generation".
B. Hillel the Elder was once leaving his disciples when they said to him,
"Where are you going?" He replied, "To execute a pious deed." They
said, "And what may that be?" He said to take a bath." They said, "Is that
a pious deed? He said, "Yes, for if the man who is appointed to polish
and wash the statues of kings, which are set up in theaters and circuses,
receives his rations for doing so, and is even raised to honor oftimes,
how much more incumbent is it upon me to polish and wash my body
which is created in the divine image of God!" (Leviticus Rabbah, Behar,
ch. 34,3)
C. One day Rabbi Huna asked his son Rabbah why he did not go to study
with Rabbi Hisda whose teaching lessons were said to be superlative.
The son replied, "When I go to him, he speaks mundane matters. He tells
me about certain natural functions of the digestive organs, and how one
should behave in regard to them." His father replied, "He occupies
himself with the human body, God's special creation, and you call that a
mundane matter! All the more should you go to him. (Talm. Shabbat 82a)
D. When man possesses a good sound body that does not overpower him,
nor disturb the equilibrium in him, he possesses a divine gift. A good
constitution facilitates the rule of the soul over the body. It is possible to
conquer a bad constitution by training (Moses Maimonides, Guide to the
Perplexed, Part III, Ch. 8)
E. Respect your own body as the receptacle, messenger and instrument of
the spirit. (Samson Raphael Hirsch)
F. Is not the body the soul's home? Then why should we not take care of
the house, that it fall not into ruins? (Philo [Jewish philosopher, (c. 20
B.C.E. - 40 C.E.), Alexandria, Egypt], The Worse Attacks the Better, 10)
"Sparks" for Reflection/Discussion on Theme
Historically speaking, Judaism has not looked too keenly on sports. Yet, there
always has been a certain respect for the human body as we see from the
quotations above - that we should "set our body aright".
Focusing on what the Gerer Rebbe said, is there something more that we can
do for the body beyond exercising, jogging, playing sports? What does he mean
by "setting the body aright"? How does the Sabbath help us to do that? Why is it
a "taste of the world to come" - where body and soul blend? Maybe it means
trying to learn how to relax so completely that our bodily tensions melt away and
we are re-energized body and soul.
What are some Eastern religion techniques to accomplish this? Could they ever
become incorporated as part of our regular religious practice as Jews?
Postscript
Here is a handy rationale for not bothering to exercise:
"When God finds pleasure in a person's soul, He weakens his body so that the
soul may rule over him more easily" (Zohar, 1, 140b)
VAYYESHEV
December 8, 2001/5762

Triennial - Year I: Genesis 37:1-36 (Hertz, p. 147; Etz Hayim, p. 226)
Haftarah - Amos 2:6 - 3:8 (Hertz, p. 152; Etz Hayim, p. 246)
(37:1-11) The Joseph story begins. Jacob favored Joseph and gave him a "coat
of many colors." Joseph's dreams indicate that his brothers will serve him some
day. Not surprisingly, Joseph's brothers hate and envy him.
(37:12-36) Joseph's brothers plot to kill him. Then, at Reuben's urging, they
change their plan to sell him into slavery. Joseph is taken to Egypt. Jacob's
sons deceive him into believing that a wild animal killed Joseph.
(38:1-30) Events in Judah's life after the selling of Joseph, particularly the story
of Tamar.
(39:1-6) Joseph's experiences in Egypt at Potiphar's house.
(39:7-19) Potiphar's wife tries to seduce Joseph. He refuses, so she falsely

accuses him of trying to rape her.
(39:20-23) Joseph is imprisoned, but once again rises to a position of authority.
(40:1-23) Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker are imprisoned. Each has a dream
which Joseph interprets. Joseph's interpretations come true, but the cupbearer
who is saved forgets his promise to help Joseph.
This Shabbat's Theme: Dream-Work
And Joseph dreamed a dream... (Gen. 37:5)
A. From ancient times, dreams have tantalized people with their secrets.
Today dreams are used to explore the inner chambers of the dreamer's
mind. In antiquity, however, dreams were thought to be signs from divine
powers exposing their intent. While occasionally dreams contained a
direct divine message (as in Gen. 15:13 when God appeared to Abraham
in a dream), they usually were considered coded visions to which a key
was needed. Professional dream interpreters who claimed to possess
the proper keys were prominent in Mesopotamia and especially in Egypt.
An Egyptian manual of dreams (ca. 1300 B.C.E.) contains over 200
interpretations (The Torah, A Modern Commentary, W. Plaut, p.261)
B. IF A MAN SEES HIMSELF IN A DREAM WHERE... he is reminded of his
wife, Good! Evils will retreat from him. Where his manhood is enlarged,
Good! His possessions will increase. Where he plunges into a river,
Good! He will be cleansed of all evil. Where he is drinking warm beer,
Bad! Sufferings will come to him (Hieratic Papyri in B.M., Alan H.
Gardiner, Vol. I, 9-23; see also Wings of the Falcon. Joseph Kaster, The
Interpretation of Dreams, p153 ff.)
C. And Joseph dreamed a dream... Dreams were always an important
subject for consideration. We live one-third of our life dreaming. Think of
it, one-third of our life is spent in a vague, shadowy, unreal, inactive land
- the Land of Dreams. If our allotted time on this earth is seventy years,
about twenty-three years of them we wear away in Dream Land (Morris
Mandel and Leo Gartenberg, Treasures From the Torah, p. 55)
D. There are six dreams in the Joseph narrative and they come in pairs
(Joseph = 2, prisoners = 2, Pharaoh = 2). As in other ancient Near
Eastern literary sources, multiple repetitions of a dream indicate that they
are to be taken seriously. (Author)
E. "Lord of the Universe, I am Thine and my dreams are Thine. I have
dreamt a dream and I do not know what it is. May it be Thy will, Lord my
God and God of my ancestors, to confirm all good dreams concerning
myself and all the people of Israel for happiness; may they be fulfilled like
the dreams of Joseph. But if they require amending, heal them as Thou
didst heal Hezekiah king of Judah from his illness, Miriam the prophetess
from her leprosy and Naaman from his leprosy. Sweeten them as the
waters of Marah were sweetened by Moses, and the waters of Jericho by
Elisha. Even as Thou didst turn the curse of the wicked Balaam into a
blessing, mayest Thou turn all my dreams into happiness for myself and
for all Israel. Protect me; be gracious to me and favor me. Amen."
(Prayer recited in Orthodox synagogues on Festivals during Birkat
Kohanim - the Musaf Priestly Benediction. It is based upon a talmudic
passage in Berachot 55b. Translation from Daily Prayer Book, Ha-Siddur
Ha-Shalem, Philip Birnbaum, pp. 628-630)
F. To Freud, a dream is a "bootleg" traffic in repressed desires. Its method
of evading the internal-revenue-officers of the moral and social world are
interesting. It smuggles its wares by wrapping them in camouflaged
packages and employing ingenious dramatic disguises - at times with as
little regard for the moral as for the logical properties. The tale as told by
the dreamer forms its superficial or patent content. Its below surface,
naked meaning is its latent content. That (the latter) is what it really
"means".. To derive the one from the other is the task of dream analysis.
Unraveling the "dream-work" is part of the art that Freud inaugurated.
(Joseph Jastrow, Freud - His Dream and Sex Theories, pp. 54 - 55)
G. Pro and con opinions about dreams - A dream not interpreted is like a
letter not read (Talm. Berachot 55a). No wheat without chaff: no dream
without nonsense (ibid.) A dream is the incomplete form of prophecy
(Genesis Rabbah 17.5). A dream only reflects the dreamer's thoughts
(Talm. Berachot 55a). Dreams are of no consequence (Talm. Gittin 52a).
A dream brought me into the sanctuaries of God (Judah Halevi, Selected
Religious Poetry, p. 9)
H. What you probably can't have is a 'penny scale" of dream interpretation,
a code which says "This means that". But you can have so much more.
Your brain is doing all this homework for you, getting your mind in order.
In this light, dreams may be nonsensical for the same reason that
housecleaning tends to make a mess. My housekeeper makes a mess
every time she visits, but it's much cleaner when she is done. (J. Allan
Hobson, "The Chemistry of Dreams", Harvard Magazine; May-June
1998; p.67)
Dreams are so much a part of the psyche of every person who ever lived.
Where then do you stand on this subject? Do you think that there are any
telepathic possibilities to dreams? How are the Freudian views holding up
today? Are there other more current theories that are more credible to you?
In reference to this week's Torah reading, we might want to ask ourselves the
following theological question: If Judaism maintains that dreams can be used to
predict the future (as in the biblical narratives of Joseph and Daniel) would this
not then smack of "fatalism" and contradict the Jewish teaching of "free will"?
MIKKETZ - SHABBAT HANUKKAH - ROSH
CHODESH TEVET
December 15, 2001/5762

Triennial - Year I: 41:1-52 (Hertz, p. 155; Etz Hayim, p.250)
Second Torah: - Rosh Hodesh - Numbers 28:9-15
Third Torah: Hanukkah Maftir - Num. 7:42 - 47
Haftarah- Zechariah 2:14 - 4:7 (Hertz, p. 987)
(41:1-44) Pharaoh dreams of seven lean cows devouring seven fat cows, and
seven thin sheaves consuming seven healthy sheaves. When none of his
advisors can give him a satisfactory explanation, the cupbearer remembers
Joseph, who is brought to Pharaoh and interprets the dream to mean that there
will be seven prosperous years followed by seven years of famine. He suggests
that Pharoah appoint someone to supervise storaging to prepare for the famine.
Pharoah chooses Joseph.
(41:45-52) Joseph's wife bears him two sons, Ephraim and Menasseh.
(41:53-57) The seven years of plenty pass and the famine begins.
(42:1-6) Ten of Joseph's brothers come to Egypt to get food. Their brother
Simon must be left behind as a pledge that they will return.
(42:7-28) Joseph recognizes his brothers, but they don't recognize him. He sets
up a deception in order to engineer Benjamin's being brought to Egypt,
accusing them of being spies. The only way they can clear their names is to
prove their story by bringing the other brother they had mentioned.
(42:29-38) The brothers tell Jacob what happened to them. He refuses to send
his youngest and most beloved son Benjamin.
(43:1-15) After the food runs out, Jacob is forced to agree to allow Benjamin to
go down to Egypt with the other brothers.
(43:16-34) This time Joseph receives the brothers with great honor, and
arranges a feast for them.
(44:1-17) Joseph tests the brothers again with the accusation that Benjamin has
stolen his silver goblet.
This Shabbat's Theme: Not By Might Nor By Power But By My Spirit
After two years time, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile River,
when out of the Nile there came up seven cows, fair to look at and sturdy, and
they grazed in the reed grass. But presently, seven other cows came up from
the Nile close behind them, ugly and lean, and stood beside the cows on the
bank of the Nile. And the ugly lean cows ate up the seven fair sturdy cows.
(Gen. 41:1 - 4)
A. The Torah portion Mikketz, which relates the dream of the seven lean
cows that devour the seven sturdy ones, is always read on Shabbat
Hanukkah. This is quite appropriate since Hanukkah is the story of the
Maccabees, an heroic saga which tells how in 168 B.C.E. the powerful
Syrian king Antiochus attacked geographically tiny Judea. Many
assumed that the outnumbered Jews would be vanquished quickly but as
it turned out, despite their weak disadvantage, the Jews prevailed. For
this reason, on all of the days of Hanukkah we joyously rec ite the al ha-
nisim prayer which reads: "Thou, O Lord, didst deliver the strong into the
hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few, and the impure
into the hands of the pure". And so too, this memorable truth is
proclaimed in the famous words of the prophet Zechariah which is found
in today's special Haftarah for Hanukkah: "Not by might, nor by power,
but by My spirit, says the Lord of Hosts." (Zech. 6:6)
B. Oftentimes apparent weakness denotes strength that is to come. At the
moment of birth, no living creature is as weak and helpless as man, yet
man grows up to be the master of all life. The horse secures his rest
through sleep while standing; the cattle rest while kneeling; yet man is so
weak that he must lie his entire body down. However, after lying in this
vulnerable position, he awakens with renewed and superior strength. A
Jew fasts on Yom Kippur and on other days. In so doing, he creates a
situation of weakness in order to attain the inner and outer strength that
follows. We thus behold that there is frequently weakness before
strength. (Rabbi Pinhas of Koretz, Nofet Tzufim, pp. 5 - 7. Warsaw,
Poland, 1929)
C. One of the miracles of Hanukkah was that the small cruse of oil, enough
for but one night's illumination burned for eight days. The small candles
therefore suggest that great size and quantity are not always the
deciding factor. The Jewish people are few in number, but they have
given the world some of the greatest teachers, philosophers, scientists,
philanthropists, artists, novelists, playwrights and Nobel Prize winners.
The Holy Land, a territory of insignificant size produced the Bible and
gave birth to three major world religions. Israel, a country of limited
resources and people, has already to its credit many impressive and
significant accomplishments during its short existence. (S.Z. Kahana,
Heaven on Your Head, pp. 246-247)
D. "It is not because you are the most numerous of peoples that the Lord
set His heart on you and chose you - indeed, you are the smallest of
peoples." (Deut. 7:7)
E. God said to Israel: "I love you, but it is not because you are more than
the Gentiles, and not because you do more mitzvot (commandments)
than they, for they magnify my name more than you do (Malachi 1:11)
and you are the smallest of all nations (Deut. 7:7) - but because you
make yourselves small before me, therefore I love you. (Tanhuma, ed.
Buber, Ekev, 9a fin.)
There is genuine concern which exists about the small size of the Jewish
population in the world today. Do you know what the size of that population is?
What about in the United States (and Canada)? What percentage is that of the
total population? And (Eastern) Europe? What are the demographic numbers
there?
Yet, most people are under the impression that there are more Jewish people
than there really are. Why?
We have always been a small people and true, we have out-survived the
ancient Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Persian, etc. civilizations. Have things
changed in our time that should give us more concern than usual about our lack
of number?
Is it God's will that the Jewish People should live on, no matter what? Is there
an "automatic guarantee"?
Postscript
The first commandment given to the Jewish People was to know that the moon
(month) of Nissan should be the head of all the moons (months).
Why does Israel mark its months by the moon? Because Israel is like the moon.
When Israel suffers tribulation, it should look at the moon, which, early in the
month, is small but grows larger and l arger. Thus, will Israel likewise increase
in strength and stature. And when Israel waxes wealthy and fat, it should regard
the moon again, which after attaining fullness, decreases daily. So too Israel's
stable and secure condition may well be diminished. As the moon increases for
fourteen days and then it is full for one day, it inevitably decreases for another
fourteen days. So it is with Israel. (Shemot Rabbah, on Exodus 12:2, p. 196)
VAYIGASH
December 22, 2001/5762

Annual Cycle: Etz Hayim, p. 274

Triennial - Year I: 44:18 - 45:27 (Hertz, p. 169; Etz Chaim, p. 274)
Haftarah - Ezekiel 37:15-2 (Hertz, p. 178; Etz Chaim, p. 290)
Torah Portion Summary
(44:18-34) Judah passionately pleads with Joseph to spare Benjamin for the
sake of their aged father, offering himself in Benjamin's place.
(45:1-27) Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers. He calms their fears, and
sends them home to tell Jacob the good news and to bring him to Egypt.
(45:28-46:27) Jacob agrees to go down to Egypt to see Joseph. On the way,

God speaks to Jacob in a vision, saying that He will accompany Jacob to Egypt.
A list of the 70 people who went down to Egypt is given.
(46:28-30) Joseph and Jacob have a tearful reunion.
(46:30-47:10) Joseph appeals to Pharaoh to allow his family to settle in the

region of Goshen. Pharaoh agrees. Jacob is presented to Pharaoh.
(47:11-27) Joseph's policies of distribution and rationing of food during the

famine result in an increase in the wealth and power of the central government.
This Shabbat's Theme: Jewish Study and A Meaningful Life
(Jacob) sent Judah on ahead of him to Joseph, to prepare before his arrival in
Goshen (Egypt)... (Gen. 46:28)
A. After Jacob was informed that Joseph was still alive and that he is a ruler
in Egypt, he sent Judah to prepare for the family's settlement in Goshen.
The Sages seized upon the word used in the text, lehorot, which can be
translated as "to point the way" or "to prepare" but also can mean "to
teach". One Sage said that Jacob asked Judah to prepare a residence
for the family. Another Sage said that Judah was asked to establish a
house of study where instruction would be given to students. (Genesis
Rabbah 95:2)
B. Both Sages in the (above) Midrash were right; It is merely a question of
priorities. Let us say that Jacob who assuredly had a sense for the
realities in life (e.g. "You will give me bread to eat and raiment to put
on...") was concerned that upon arrival in Goshen he find a roof over the
head of his dependents. But Jacob was not satisfied with a residence
alone. He insisted that there also be a place to study (spiritual matters)
after initially building the residence... (Solomon D. Goldfarb, NYBR
"Sermonic Sparks", Dec. 1971)
C. We are the most Jewishly illiterate generation we've ever had. Let's
admit that. We're affluent and successful but Jewishly illiterate.
(Shoshana Cardin, chairwoman of United Israel Appeal, speaking at the
CJF General Assembly in Boston, Nov. 1995)
D. Question from E.H.W., a writer, lecturer and consultant: "I am perplexed.
Lately, my growing interest in Jewish studies has taken so much of my
time that I find myself neglecting my business and my clients. Sometimes
I resent the time I am forced to spend on 'meaningless' work when I
could be engaged in study and other mitzvot..." (See David Golinkin's
booklet, Responsa in a Moment, Halachic Responses to Contemporary
Issues, p. 43 ff. for his comprehensive and interesting response)
E. It was a fascinating experience for me which proved to be quite
instructive. One day, I went to the Mea Shearim neighborhood in
Jerusalem to purchase a tallit. I arrived at a particular store, which had
been recommended to me, at approximately 10:30 in the morning and
was disappointed to see that the store was closed. As I stood there
peering a bit forlornly through the display window, a Hasid came by,
produced a key and unlocked the shutter. He bade me to enter. After
having examined a few tallitot for about ten minutes, I decided on a nice
large one and gave him the amount of money which he indicated it would
cost me. He wrapped it up; I thanked him and walked out of the store.
The Hasid followed me out of the store and proceeded to lock up the
shutter again. I was really puzzled. Hadn't he just arrived for work? Why
was he closing so soon? So I asked him why. His response still
fascinates me to this day. He said that he had just come from the House
of Study and saw me standing outside his store eager to purchase
something. Having sold me the item, he determined that the money that I
had given him was certainly sufficient for his needs and the needs of his
family for the day. That being the case, he was returning to the House of
Study and "G-d willing", he will be as fortunate tomorrow. (Author)
F. If you stop your Jewish education before you reach your complete
intellectual sophistication, then you will think about secular issues in a
sophisticated way, but you'll analyze Jewish topics immaturely. The only
way to pursue a meaningful Jewish life is to keep studying. (Judith
Hauptman, quoted in Diana Blette's The Invisible Thread, 1989)
G. Education that is essentially pareve - that's neutral and doesn't take a
strong stand - has little chance of succeeding... All effective education
has at its foundation a distinct and well-considered vision. (Seymour Fox,
Vision at the Heart, 1996)
"Sparks" for Discussion:
The "mid-life crisis" comes in many forms and may not always occur precisely
at the mid-point of our lives. One form of this crisiseffects even our younger
people. As we engage in our occupations day in and day out to earn a livelihood,
some people begin to wonder about the relevancy of their careers. Just how
meaningful are they anyway? Do they really fit into a purposive existence?
Perhaps, when pondering these thoughts we might be tempted to follow the
path "pointed out" by our ancestor, Judah, in this Shabbat's reading. While
assuring that the future practical needs ofhis family would be met, he made
certain also that there would a House ofStudy in the community to tend to their
higher idealistic needs. Accordingly, for us, earning a livelihood (mundane but
entirely necessary) should be coupled with a conscious effort to gain some kind
of higher vision which Dr. Seymour Fox (above) alludes to by engaging
ourselves in Jewish study.
But this is not happening in the Jewish community today, says Jewish leader
Shoshana Cardin (above). Why? What can be done about it?
Also, do you think that the Mea Shearim Hasid (mentioned in the story above)
was on to something very profound about life's priorities or do you disagree with
his outlook on life?
VAYEHI
December 29, 2001 - 5762

Triennial I: 47:28 - 48:22 (Hertz, p. 180; Etz Hayim, p. 293)
Haftarah: I Kings 2:1-12 (Hertz, p. 191; Etz Hayim, p. 312)
(47:28-31) Jacob senses that his death is approaching. He asks Joseph to

swear that he will not bury him in Egypt, but will return him to the ancestral
burial place at the Cave of Machpelah in the land of Canaan.
(48:1-9) Joseph brings his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, to Jacob to be
blessed. Jacob says they will be like Reuben and Simon, i.e., equal in status to
any of his sons.
(48:10-22) Jacob blesses Ephraim, Manasseh, and Joseph, predicting that

Ephraim, the younger, would be mightier than Manasseh, the firstborn.
(49:1-26) Jacob's last words and testament to his sons, not as they are, but as
they will be. This poetic passage is considered to be the most difficult in the
Book of Genesis.
(49:27-33) Benjamin's blessing. Jacob then instructs his sons to bury him in the
family burial place at the Cave of Machpelah. Jacob dies.
(50:1-6) Joseph mourns Jacob. Joseph makes all the necessary arrangements
to bury Jacob in the family grave, the Cave of Machpelah, in Canaan.
(50:15-21) Joseph's brothers fear that he will take vengeance on them now, but
Joseph reassures them.
(50:22-26) Joseph's last days. He has his brothers swear that when they return
to Canaan, they will bury him there (a promise eventually fulfilled by Moses and
Joshua). Joseph dies.
This Shabbat's Theme: A Proper "Homecoming"
The time approached for Israel to die. So he called for his son, for Joseph, and
said to him, 'Do me this favor, place your hand under my thigh as a pledge of
your steadfast loyalty: please do not bury me in Egypt. For when I will lie down
with my fathers, you shall transport me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial
place' (i.e. the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron)... (Gen. 47:29 - 30)
A. Similarly, Joseph later adjures his brothers to rebury him in the land of
Canaan (50:25). This motif is found in the Egyptian "Story of Sinue",
where the exiled courtier asks, "What is more important than that I be
buried in my native land?" The biblical examples, however, have an
added dimension, for the deathbed requests are bound up with the divine
promise of redemption and nationhood in the Land of Israel (cf. 48:21;
50:24f.) (Nahum Sarna, JPS Torah Commentary, p. 321)
B. The burial of Jewish deceased in the Holy Land, especially those who
ardently loved the land, were religiously observant, or contributed to the
support of Israel, is considered an act of pious devotion...The Bible
records that Joseph made the special request to be buried, not in the
land where he reigned as vice-regent but in the land of his forefathers,
the Holy Land. Burial in Israel is considered by the rabbis equal to be
being buried directly under the Temple altar. (Maurice Lamm, The Jewish
Way in Death and Mourning, p. 70)
C. In contradistinction to Rabbi Eleazar's view (who held that a person
buried outside of Israel would not be resurrected in the End of Days),
Rabbi Simai said: The Holy One, blessed be He, will burrow the earth
before those buried outside of Eretz Yisrael and their bodies will roll there
like bottles (at the time when Resurrection - Tehiat ha-Metim - will take
place). (Talm. Ketubot 111a)
D. It is customary, mainly among traditional Jews in the Diaspora, to place a
small sack of dirt from the Holy Land into the coffin or grave of a
deceased person who is not being buried there. One can purchase such
a sack that indicates its purpose. (Author)
E. Feeling that his death was drawing near, Jacob sent for Joseph and
asked him to swear that he would bring him to Eretz Yisrael for burial...
He wanted (thereby) to establish for his offspring the principle that only
Eretz Yisrael was their heritage, no matter how successful or comfortable
they might be in some other land. This was especially important then, for
he saw that his family had begun to feel comfortable in Egypt, that they
were being grasped (see 47:27-vayeahazu) by it... (Elie Munk, The Call
of the Torah, Genesis)
F. The word Diaspora, from the Greek word diaspora ("dispersion"), is used
in the context of a voluntary dispersion of the Jewish people as distinct
from their forced dispersion called golah or galut ("exile"). By the same
definition, the Jewish communities in the world today, after the
establishment of the State of Israel, constitute a Diaspora. The custom
has developed of referring to these communities (outside of Israel) as the
tefutzot, the Hebrew equivalent of Diaspora (dispersion), in preference to
the word golah - exile (since there does not presently exist a forced
dispersion). "For behold the days are coming, when I will turn the
captivity of My people Israel and Judah... and I will return them to the
land which I gave to their ancestors and they shall possess it." (Jer. 30:3)
G. "Sound the great shofar to herald our freedom, raise high the banner to
gather all exiles. Gather the dispersed from the ends of the earth.
Praised are You, Lord who gathers our dispersed" (Siddur Sim Shalom, p.
112. The tenth blessing of the Shemoneh Esrei prayer recited three
times daily)
From our earliest days, the Jewish people have had a powerful attachment to
Eretz Yisrael to the extent that some who live outside still desire to be buried
there (Jacob, Joseph, our ancestors, contemporary Jews). We all pray daily for
our return to our Land. So who's stopping us? Are we still in "Exile" from our
Land?
If, for whatever reason, we cannot or do not want to make "aliyah" to Israel what
then is holding Jews back from even visiting there at least once in their lifetime?
What seems to be the problem in your eyes?
Should we/can we do anything substantive about it for ourselves, for our

children, for our grandchildren?
As we conclude the Book of Genesis, we rise just prior to the reading of

the last verse of the Torah portion. At the completion of the Torah reading
today, we join in chanting: Chazak, chazak, v'nitchazek - "Be strong, be
strong, and may we be strengthened."
SHEMOT
January 5, 2002 - 5762

Annual Cycle: Exodus 1:1 - 6:1 (Hertz, p. 206; Etz Hayim, p.317)
Triennial Cycle I: Exodus 1:1 - 2:25 (Hertz, page 206; Etz Hayim, p.317)
Haftarah: Isaiah 27:6-28:13, 29:22-23 (Hertz, page 225; Etz Hayim, p. 343)
(1:1-14) A list of the sons of Jacob/Israel who came to Egypt. The beginning of
the enslavement. The building of the store-cities and other acts of oppression.
(1:15-22) The midwives disobey Pharoah's orders to kill all male Israelite
newborns. He then orders every newborn boy to be drowned in the Nile.
(2:1-10) A boy is born. His parents hide him for three months. His mother puts
him into a reed basket and floats him on the Nile, where he is found by
Pharaoh's daughter. She names him Moses. He is raised in the royal palace.
(2:11-25) Moses goes out to his people and sees their suffering. He kills an
Egyptian who was beating an Israelite, and is forced to flee to Midian. He
marries Zipporah and works for her father as a shepherd. Meanwhile, God
hears the suffering of the Israelites, and determines to help.
(3:1-10) The revelation at the "Burning Bush". Moses is called by God to be a

prophet and a leader of the people. He will be God's human agent in freeing the
people of Israel from slavery in Egypt.
(3:11-4:17) Moses expresses anxiety and doubt about his worthiness for the
task. God encourages and reassures him, and gives signs to Moses to prove to
the Israelites that he is indeed God's messenger. All in all, Moses refuses God's
assignment five times, and God provides five counter arguments. Finally,
Moses accepts the task.
(4:18-23) Further instructions from God to Moses.
(4:24-26) A peculiar incident during the journey to Egypt: Zipporah circumcises

their son to ward off danger to Moses.
(4:27-31) God sends Aaron to meet Moses,and together they convince the
people that God has sent them.
(5:1-6:1) Moses and Aaron's first confrontation with Pharaoh fails. Pharaoh
retaliates by oppressing the Israelites even more harshly. The Israelites blame
Moses and Aaron for making their plight worse. Moses complains to God, who
reassures him that he will soon see what God will do to Pharaoh.
This Shabbat's Theme: "Name Dropping"
These are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt with Jacob;
every man came with his household. (Exodus 1:1)
A. "And these are the names..." The Book of Exodus, which recounts the
first exile and redemption of the Jewish people, is commonly referred to
as Shemot-Hebrew for names. This title draws our attention to the
importance of maintaining Hebrew names, especially when living in the
midst of other nations. We are told that our ancestors did not change
their names in favor of Egyptian names and that this loyalty helped them
to maintain their Jewish identity. In fact this practice was one of the
meritorious qualities which made the Israelites deserving of redemption
from the slavery of Egypt. (Elie Munk, The Call of the Torah, v. II, p. 2;
Midrash Shemot Rabbah, 1; Midrash Tanchuma - Rabbi Tanchuma lived
427 - 465 C.E.)
B. Israel was redeemed from Egypt because of four things: because they
did not change their names, they did not change their language, they did
not speak slander and they were not immoral. We know that they did not
change their names, from the fact that they went down to Egypt as
Reuben and Simeon and left Egypt as Reuben and Simeon (Midrash
Leviticus Rabbah 32:5)
C. The ancients believed that one's essence was inextricably bound to
one's name. If you changed your name, you were, in effect, changing
who you were. In a modern sense, we understand this well. The
European immigrants who quickly Americanized their names strove to
discard their heritage. And those of the Diaspora who Hebraized their
names upon immigrating to I srael also wanted to shed the baggage of
their past. (L. Kushner and K. Olitsky, Sparks Beneath The Surface, p.
42)
D. "The name comes with the voice". (Frank Sinatra, who refused to change
his name after being "discovered")
E. Most Jews seek to honor the memory of departed parents and
grandparents by conferring upon their children the Hebrew names of
these loved ones. However, in selecting an English name they
completely ignore the English equivalents of the Hebrew name....The
English names we give our children should correspond to the Hebrew
names so that both may be Jewishly meaningful to them throughout life.
(Amos W. Miller, Understanding the Midrash, p. 20)
F. A Jew should not accept the name of a heathen idol or saint. (Sefer
Hasidim, #195, p. 74 - 13th c.)
G. Comparatively few books have been written on the general subject of
names. On the subject of Jewish names an even smaller number
exists...Today, all of us carry a Hebrew and secular name. How shall
these two names be selected? How can we make them harmonize with
each other? It is to help create some semblance of order out of the
hodgepodge that this book aims. (Preface to a fine book that I would
recommend to all on this subject - by Alfred J. Kolatch, The Name
Dictionary: Modern English and Hebrew Names)
H. In the year 2020, a woman approaches her friend and says: "Mazal tov!
So tell me, what name was given to your grandson?" Her friend
answered, "Akiva". "So, who was he named after?" she asked. "After his
great-grandfather Kevin" came the answer. "Kevin? What kind of a name
is Kevin?"
"Sparks" for Reflection/Discussion on Our Theme
Herman Wouk once observed that "every Jew who has ever stepped into a
synagogue or temple knows that we have two names: the outside name with
which we go through life, and the inside name, used in blessings and Torah
call-ups, marriage and divorce ceremonies, and on tombstones.. It is a far-
drifted Jew who has forgotten his or her inside name" (From his book "Inside,
Outside").
Just curious - do you know your full "inside name"? Do your (grand)children
know it? What about its meaning? I guess this is as good a time as any to go
around the synagogue and have congregants voluntarily announce their names
in Hebrew/Yiddish. It would be a good time to find out what they mean. Also, it
would be enlightening, perhaps even amusing, to hear how certain family
names got changed. We can start off with the "Feurgeson joke" here, if you
wish.
Finally, let's consider what it means to"live up to one's name". My Jewish name,
for instance, is - David. It means "beloved". I was named after my revered great
grand-father, a respected Jewish community leader and scholar in Poland. Our
namesake is King David who is admiringly remembered for his many
memorable qualities. That's a lot to live up to! What do youknow about the
person you were named after? Would you care to share some memories about
his/her life with us?
Postscript
"Every man has three names: one that a father and mother gives him, one that
others call him and one that he acquires for himself." (Kohelet Rabbah 7:13)
VAERA
January 12, 2002 - 5762

Annual Cycle: Exodus 6:2 - 9:35 (Hertz, p. 232; Etz Hayim, p. 351)
Triennial Cycle I: Exodus 6:2 - 7:7 (Hertz, p. 232; Etz Hayim, p. 351)
Haftarah: Ezekiel 28:25 - 29:21 (Hertz, p. 244; Etz Hayim, p. 369)
(6:2-9) God reminds Moses of the Covenant He made with the patriarchs, and
announces to him the coming redemption of the Israelites from slavery. Moses
tells the Israelites, but they are too fearful to listen to him.
(6:10-13) Moses is disheartened, and reluctant to go before Pharaoh.
(6:14-27) The genealogy of the tribe of Levi.
(6:28-30) Moses continues to doubt his ability to carry out his task, saying: I am
of impeded speech.
(7:1-7) God encourages Moses and Aaron by giving him a glimpse of the
successful future of their mission.
(7:8-13) Moses and Aaron demonstrate their miraculous sign before Pharaoh:
the staff transformed into a serpent. Pharaoh's magicians duplicate this feat, but
then Aaron's "snake" swallows up theirs.
(7:14-25) The Ten Plagues begin. The first turned the Nileinto blood.
(7:26-8:11) The second plague: frogs.
(8:12-15) The third plague: lice.
(8:16-28) The fourth plague: beasts (Rashi).
(9:1-7) The fifth plague: domestic animals' disease.
(9:8-16) The sixth plague: boils.
(9:17-35) The seventh plague: Hail.
This Shabbat's Theme: "Human Rights and Rebellion"
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Go in, speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt,that
he let the children of Israel go out of his land." (Exodus 6:11)
A. "They are MY servants" (Lev. 25:55) - "Not servants' servants" (Bava
Metzia 10a)
B. Repeatedly, Hebrew Prophets would rebuke ruling kings when they
overly abused their powers and committed gross injustices. Several
instances of this may be seen when Nathan rebukes David (II Samuel
12:1- 15), Elijah castigates Ahab (I Kings 21:17 - 24) and when Amos
defies Amaziah the priest of Beth-El and Jeroboam, king of Israel. (Amos
7:10-17) - (Author)
C. Since we, long ago, resolved never to be servants to the Romans, nor to
any other than to God, who alone is the true and just Lord of humankind,
the time has now come that obliges us to make that resolution true to
practice....We were the very first that revolted from them, and we are the
last that fight against them; and I cannot but esteem it as a favor that
God has granted us that it is still in our power to die bravely, and in a
state of freedom, which has not been the case of others..." (The final
address of Jewish revolt leader Eleazar ben Yair as reported by
Josephus Flavius, The Jewish War, bk. 7, ch. 8)
D. Mattathias replied in a ringing voice: "Though all the nations within the
king's dominions obey him and forsake their ancestral worship, though
they have chosen to submit to his commands, yet I and my sons and
brothers will follow the covenant of our ancestors... We will not obey the
command of the king... " (I Maccabees, 2:1, 15 - 28)
E. Even as there are times when a Jew is obligated to willingly give up his
life for oav ause - the "sanctification of God's Name" - so too there is a
time when it is incumbent upon a Jew not only to preserve his life, but to
rise up and fight with every means at his command against the dangers
of tyranny. (Meyer Blumenfeld, "Sanctifying God's Name Through
Rebellion" sermon, RCA Manual, 1959, p. 183)
F. Long live the fraternity of blood and weapons in a fighting Poland! Long
live Freedom! Death to the hangman and the killers! We must continue
our mutual struggle against the occupier until the very end! (Manifesto of
the Jewish Fighting Organization in the Warsaw Ghetto, April 23, 1943)
G. I am happy that I helped my people. I am proud that I knew and worked
with such honest, brave, and courageous people as Sakharov, Orlov,
Ginzburg who are carrying on the traditions of the Russian intelligentsia. I
am fortunate to have been witness to the process of the liberation of the
Jews of the U.S.S.R. I hope that the absurd accusation against me and
the entire emigration movement will not hinder the liberation of my
people (Anatoly Shcharansky, before being sentenced by a Moscow
court, July 14, 1978)
H. To speak in the accents and with the passion of the biblical Prophets is
hardly to invent a new theology. It seems to me that if indeed we are
neither prophets nor the children of prophets, we are the descendants of
those who preferred the desert to slavery, who understood that God
wants all peoples to be free, and who brought the message of ethical
monotheism to the world... There is simply no way of permitting the
abuse of human rights in the name of, or with the approval of, Judaism.
Nor is there any way in reading the texts that perm it us to look the other
way and thus be guilty of sins of omission or acquiescence. (Rabbi
Marshall Meyer, human rights activist, founder of the Seminario Rabinico
Latinamericano in Argentina. Talk at Hebrew University, January 21,
1992)
I. Oh, what a joy simply to dream that one day a President of the United
States will put his arm around that good man, the Dalai Lama, smile
pleasantly into the camera and say, "Well, the Chinese Communist can
just stick it in their ears" (A.M. Rosenthal,The New York Times, March 14,
1990)
"Sparks" for Reflection/Discussion on Our Theme
The United States has in recent years maintained a very strong foreign policy of
protecting the human rights of individuals who live under oppressive regimes.
Sanctions have been leveled by the U.S.against a number of countries which
have consistently violated such rights. Certainly, as Jews, such a stance is very
much in keeping with our tradition as seen in the pertinent quotations above and
in particular, in accordance with the entire thrust of the Exodus "liberation-from-
slavery" saga.
Nonetheless, some maintain that it is not in our national interest to do so.

Howstrong should our stance be in this matter vis-a-vis authoritarian
overnments such as China, etc?
Also, while we are on the subject, we might want to examine the human rights
cord, past and present, of both Israeland its Arab neighbors. What has been
said regarding this matter? How accurate is what's being said?
Finally, in this post-September 11th era, do you think that the United States
government is justified in its recent requests for certain emergency anti-
terrorism powers or might they be regarded as potential civil liberties violations
and a cause for concern?
BO
January 19, 2002/5762

Annual Cycle: Exodus 10:1-13:16; Hertz, p. 248; Etz Hayim, p. 374

Triennial Cycle I: Exodus 10:1-11:3; Hertz, p. 248; Etz Hayim, p. 374
Haftarah: Jeremiah 46:13-28; Hertz, p. 263; Etz Hayim, p. 395
(10:1-29) The eighth plague, locusts, and the ninth, darkness.
(11:1-3) God announces to Moses the last and decisive plague, and instructs
him to tell the people to prepare for leaving by asking the Egyptians for jewels
and gold, which the Egyptians, overawed by events and by Moses' apparent
power, readily give.
(11:4-10) Moses announces the tenth plague to Pharaoh, and the slaying of all
the first-born of Egypt, but God hardens Pharaoh's heart and he does not
respond to this final ultimatum.
(12:1-13) The Passover sacrifice in Egypt. The Israelites are commanded to

take a lamb, slaughter it on the 14th of Nisan, at twilight, mark the doorposts of
their houses with its blood, and eat the lamb on the eve of the 15th. On that
same night, God struck down all the first-born of Egypt.
(12:14-20) The Israelites are commanded to observe Passover, the 15th of

Nisan, for all time. For the entire seven days of the festival they shall not eat, or
even possess, any leaven.
(12:21-28) Moses and Aaron convey the Passover commandments to the

people.
(12:29-36) The first-born of Egypt all die, and the Egyptians capitulate. The
Israelites prepare to leave.
(12:37-42) The Israelites leave Egypt.
(12:43-13:10) The laws of the Paschal lamb sacrifice, the dedication to God of
the firstborn, and further details concerning the observance of Passover.
(13:11-16) Laws concerning redemption of the first-born, the telling of the

Passover story, and tefillin.
This Shabbat's Theme: "Pesah Sheini - Reviving An Ancient Observance"
Speak to the whole community of Israel and say that on the tenth day of this
month each of them shall take a lamb... and you shall keep it until the fourteenth
day of the same month... and slaughter it at dusk... (Ex. 12:3, 6)
A. In the time of the Temple, those who could not bring the Pascal lamb at
the required time, either for reasons of ritual impurity or because they
were traveling and were too far from Jerusalem to arrive in time for
Passover, could bring the Paschal lamb a month later. Instead of on the
fourteenth day of the Hebrew month of Nisan as prescribed above, they
could bring the sacrifice exactly one month later - on the fourteenth day
of Iyyar (Numbers 9:6 - 12). The day on which this postponed sacrifice
was to be offered is called in Hebrew Pesah Sheini or the "Second
Passover" (Isaac Klein, A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice, p. 143)
B. Pesah Sheini is also referred to as "Minor Passover". Although most of
the restrictions of the first Passover apply to Pesah Sheini, according to
the Mishnah (Pesahim 9:3) a person observing Pesah Sheini in Temple
times was required to eat matzah but was not obligated to rid his house
of all leaven - hametz. Some Jews today still commemorate Pesah
Sheini by eating matzah on the fourteenth of Iyar as a reminder of the
Exodus (cf. Judah Dov Singer, Ziv Haminhagim, 1965). The only real
reminder today though of Pesah Sheini for the community is the omission
of the tahanun prayer in the liturgy. Also it should be pointed out that
because more than one Passover is mentioned in the Bible (as explained
above), the tractate in the Talmud that deals with Passover law is called
Pesahim (plural), and is not given the singular designation Pesah. (Alfred
Kolatch, The Book of Why, p. 210)
C. The rule of "making up" a holiday if it is missed, as is the case with
Passover, does not apply to Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur or any other
calendar on the Jewish calendar. Why is this unique exception made for
Passover? A number of very fine homiletical answers (e.g. S.Z. Kahana,
Heaven on Your Head, p. 72) and halachic answers (e.g. Jacob Milgrom,
The JPS Torah Commentary, p. 70) have been offered to this question
but perhaps, we may may arrive at an additional worthwhile conclusion
through the following consideration:
Numbers 5:13 states: "The man who was ritually clean and was not on a
journey and still refrained from observing the Passover sacrifice unto the
Lord, that person shall be cut off from his people." Being "cut off"
(Hebrew - khrt) meant separation from the Jewish people, not imposed
by a human tribunal but by divine fiat. Clearly, this was a serious
punishment. No such penalty applied to any of the rituals, associated
with Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur or any othe r Jewish Yom Tov Festival.
The only application of "excision" then was associated with the
premeditated non-observance of Passover.
The Torah relates that those Israelites who were not able to observe the
Passover ritual due to being ritually impure or who were traveling also felt,
in a real sense, "cut off". They, therefore, complained bitterly to Moses
and Aaron, asking, "Unclean though we are by reason of a corpse's
impurity, why must we be debarred.. (lit. why should we be made less
than the rest of Israel) ...from presenting the Lord's offering?" (Num. 9:7).
In response to their desperate plea not to be separated from their people,
the Lord responded by originating the unique observance of Pesah
Sheini. (Author )
Sparks for Discussion:
Of course, there are no more pascal sacrifices. Yet, we do observe Passover in

a variety of meaningful ways. Can we create a contemporary and relevant way
to observe Pesah Sheini - a "delayed Passover" in our time? One such
possibility comes to my mind from my personal experience.
While serving as a chaplain in the U.S. Army, I delighted in those Jewish

military men and women who "stuck to their Faith" despite difficult hardships
which would arise from time to time. As it turned out, there were some military
personnel who sometimes would find themselves in distant places, remote from
the Jewish community and felt at a loss because they could not celebrate
Passover in any form - no Seder and not even a matzah to be eaten. We may
think that this is no great thing about which to be concerned but several of them
asked me, not unlike the complainants in the Bible whom we mentioned above,
if there was any remedy for them having "missed out" on Passove entirely.
Additionally, there was the situation of an officer who attended our services
regularly was unfortunately in the hospital on Passover. His serious operation
and illness kept him in the hospital for several weeks thereafter. As he was
recovering, he wondered if he could be given a "make up" of a Jewish holiday
(such as Passover) as a person could be given a "make-up" for an important
exam. It set me to thinking...
Should we consider the possibility of a "Second Passover" (on the 14th of Iyyar)
being reinstituted in some form to accommodate those who were ill or for some
other reason were prevented from observing Passover appropriately? If so, how
would you suggest it be observed? Some have already suggested and even
initiated a "Third Seder". What do you think?
Postscript
This year Pesah Sheini - "SecondPassover" - 14th of Iyyar - falls on Thursday

night and Friday, April 25 - 26, 2002. If that is too soon to arrange something in
your community, then maybe next year you can accommodate those who were
forced to miss Passover with a "Second Passover" observance on Thursday
night and Friday, May 15 -16, 2003.
BESHALAH
January 26, 2002 - 5762


Triennial Cycle I: Exodus 13:17-15:26; Hertz, p. 265; Etz Hayim,p. 399
Haftarah: Judges 4:4 - 5:31; Hertz, p. 281; Etz Hayim,p. 423
(13:17-22) The beginning of the Exodus, and its route through the desert. The
pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire.
(14:1-14) The Egyptians pursue the Israelites and catch up to them at the Reed
Sea. The Israelites panic and Moses reassures them.
(14:15-18) God tells Moses that He will save Israel; they will cross the sea on
dry land.
(14:19-25) The splitting of the sea. The Israelites pass through safely. The
Egyptians pursue them into the sea.
(14:26-31) At God's command, Moses stretches his hand forth over the sea; its
waters close up again, and the pursuing Egyptians are drowned.
(15:1-21) The "Song at the Sea"in praise and thanksgiving to God.
(15:22-26) The "bitter waters" at Marah.
(15:27-16:36) The encampment at Elim; God feeds the Israelites with manna
and quail.
(17:1-7) The miracle of the water from the rock.
(17:8-16) The war against Amalek, the archetype enemy of Israel.
This Shabbat's Theme: "Miracles, Meditation and Direct Access"
Then Moses held out his arm over the sea and the Lord drove back the sea with
a strong east wind all that night, and turned the sea into dry ground. The waters
were split, and the Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters
forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. (Gen. 14:21-22)
A. On the matter of miracles, everyone is welcome to his own opinion.

(Flavius Josephus, Antiquities, 2.16.5. Judean general, historian, 37-105
C.E.)
B. Miracles occur, but food is rarely provided by them. (Nahman ben
Yaakov, Talm. Shabbat 53b)
C. "The waters were split and the Israelites went into the sea on dry ground,
the waters forming a wall..." Moses outstretched arm brought about the
splitting of the sea, which God caused to ha ppen naturally - by means of
a strong wind that divided the water. (Abraham Ibn Ezra, Bible
commentator, 1089 -1164, Spain)
D. The reason for a wind rather than God producing an open miracle was to
present an element of questionability. In their wickedness, the Egyptians
seeing that there was a strong wind scoffed at the possibility that a
miracle was being performed on behalf of the Israelites. They were
convinced that it was actually only the wind that was splitting the sea and
not God. So they plunged down onto the floor of the sea and met their
doom. (Ramban, Acronym for Rabbi Moses Ben Nahman, also known as
Nahmanides. Bible commentator, 1194 - 1270, Spain)
E. The Emperor of Rome once proposed to Rabbi Tanhum the following:
"Come,let us all agree to be one people." "Very well," Rabbi Tanhum
answered, "but we who are circumcised cannot possibly become like you,
so circumcise yourselves and become like us." The Emperor replied,
"You have spoken well; nevertheless, anyone who gets the better of the
king (in a debate) must be thrown to the wild beasts (lions)." So they
threw him into the arena, but (a miracle occurred) he was not eaten.
Thereupon an unbeliever remarked, "The reason they did not eat him is
that the lions are not hungry." So they threw him (the unbeliever) in and
he was eaten. (Talm. Sanhedrin 39a)
F. A man should not needlessly expose himself to peril in the expectation
that God will miraculously deliver him. God may not do so; and even if a
miracle is wrought for him, the man earns demerit for his presumption.
(Talm. Shabbat 32a)
G. All agree that the physical world as we see it is only secondary and
peripheral to the spirit. The essence of creation and the true reality is
spiritual, but people do not fully appreciate the greatness of the
supernatural. A miracle thus shows them the error in this regard
(Menachem Mendel Schneerson, Lubavitcher Rebbe. Letter written in
1932)
H. Every favor which God performs for a person is a miracle. Many a
miracle remains unnoticed by the recipient of God's favor. Many a time a
person is rescued from danger by the space of a nail's breadth (Zohar, IV,
200b)
I. It must be realized, that treating awe and ecstasy which religion elicits
from the multitudes as evidence of the truth or desirability of a religion is
a dangerous procedure. (Mordecai Kaplan, Questions Jews Ask:
Reconstructionist Answers, p. 86)
The Torah portion Beshalah includes two extraordinary miracles: the splitting of
the Red Sea and the production of water from a rock. It seems that miracles
offer instantaneous evidence of divine involvement in the world. It lends instant
certainty to one's religious belief. In a way, it is a "short cut" to faith, for one
feels the immediate presence of God by virtue of a supernatural manifestation.
From Judaism's perspective - is this a desirable religious approach? Would you
categorize mysticism or meditation also as a form of gaining direct contact with
Divine manifestation (like miracles)? Are they then a form of "instant religion"?
Accordingly, would you say that these two types of disciplines are in line with
the typical Jewish religious approach? If yes,why is there a certain reluctance of
introducing them into our contemporary religious practice?
In regard to the above, consider further these two statements: While the
majority of Americans are not theologically sophisticated, they are profoundly
sophisticated about professional development, sexual matters, interpersonal
dynamics and psychology. This hastranslated into a demand for tools of
personal transformation that, while not necessarily theologically complex, have
great potential to help a person spiritually and psychologically and give them
direct access to the Divine (Avram David, Introduction to "Meditation From the
Heart of Judaism, 1997).
Ultimately I see spiritual growth as climbing a ladder. You climb slowly, step by
step. With each step you take, you solidify your footing, then move on to the
next step. Each step you take up the ladder nourishes your soul. In time, you
will feel completely nourished and connected to God. You will have truly met
God. (Harold Kushner, "God's Fingerprint on the Soul," Handbook for the Soul,
ed. by R. Carlson and B. Shields, 1995).
YITRO
February 2, 2002 - 5762


Triennial Cycle I: Exodus 18:1-18:27; Hertz, p. 288; Etz Hayim, p.432
Haftarah: Isaiah 6:1-13; 7:1-6; 9:5-6; Hertz, p. 302; Etz Hayim, p. 451
(18:1-12) Moses' father-in-law Jethro comes to visit, bringing Moses' wife

Zipporah and his two sons.
(18:12-27) Jethro advises Moses to appoint officers and judges to help him lead
the people, creating the political structure for living by the Torah.
(19:1-6) The people prepare to accept the covenant and receive the Torah at
Mount Sinai, where they will become a "kingdom of priests and a holy nation."
(19:7-15) Moses tells the elders to prepare the people to receive the revelation.
(19:16-25) Dramatic phenomena accompany God's manifestation at Mount

Sinai. Moses ascends the mountain.
(20:1-14) The Ten Commandments.
(20:15-18) The people are terrified by God's power, and they beg Moses to
mediate between them and God.
(20:19-23) More commandments concerning the Altar.
This Shabbat's Theme: "Follow The Leader"
Next day, Moses sat as magistrate among the people, while the people stood
about Moses from morning until evening.. But when Moses' father-in-law (Yitro)
saw how much he had to do for the people, he said, "What is this thing that you
are doing to the people? Why do you act alone? ...The thing you are doing is
not right; you will surely wear yourself out, and these people as well..." (Exodus
18:13-14, 17-18)
A. Noting that Jethro was deeply upset with Moses, an ancient sage
suggests that what disturbed Jethro was not that Moses appeared
overworked but that Moses had become full of self-importance. Moses,
he says, was "behaving like a king who sits on his throne while all the
people stand." Most interpreters (though) do not criticize Moses for
holding himself above his people...but they do cite the dangerous
consequences of his decision to judge the people by himself. Rabbi
Joshua, for instance, comments that Jethro's warning to Moses was a
practical one. He saw that Moses had taken on too much. The work was
overwhelming. fearful that Moses would collapse from exhaustion, Jethro
told him, "They will tire you out and cause you to fail in your leadership of
them." (Harvey Fields, A Torah Commentary For Our Times, Vol. II, p.
44)
B. "Moses was shepherding the flock (of Yitro)..." (Ex. 3:1) When he was
doing so, Moses used to prevent the larger sheep from grazing before
the smaller ones, letting the smaller ones loose first to feed on the tender
grass. He would then let the older sheep loose and allow them to feed on
the ordinary grass. Lastly, he would let the strongest sheep loose to feed
on the toughest grass. Whereupon God said: "He who knows how to look
after sheep, bestowing upon each the care that it deserves, shall come
and tend My people" (Exodus Rabbah 2:2)
C. Another interpretation of "Moses was shepherding...": Our Rabbis said
that when Moses was tending the flock of Yitro in the wilderness, a little
kid escaped from him. He ran after it until it came to a shady place where
there was a pool of water. The kid stopped to drink. When Moses
approached it, he said: "I did not know that you ran away because of
thirst; you must be weary." So he placed the kid on his shoulder and
carried him. Thereupon God said: "Because you have such mercy in
leading the flock of a mortal, you will assuredly tend to my flock Israel"
(ibid)
D. What does it take to be a Jewish leader in America these days? Clearly,
the greatest leader in Jewish history (Moses) wouldn't stand a chance.
He wasn't wealthy; his best-known asset was humility, which would not
have moved him up the ranks of board memberships very quickly; and
he wasn't an orator - in fact, he stuttered. (Gary Rosenblatt, The Jewish
Week, June 13, 1997)
E. A leader who commences a deed but does not complete it loses his
place at the head of his people. When God wishes to punish Israel, He
sends them unworthy leaders. When a person is able to receive abuse
smilingly he is worthy of becoming a leader in Israel. (Nahman Bratzlaver,
(1770-1811), famous Hasidic Rabbi, Podolla, Sefer ha-Middot, (1912), p.
60-61)
F. What Is Leadership? Leaders should have a vision, a sense of purpose.
Leaders don't force others to go along with them - they bring them along.
Leaders demand much of others, but also give much of themselves.
Good leaders are not "lone rangers" - they combine talents and efforts of
many people. Leaders know that when there are two opinions on an
issue, one is not bound to be wrong. Successful leaders are emotionally
and intellectually oriented to the future - not wedded to the past. Leaders
believe in unity rather than conformity and strive to achieve consensus
out of conflict. Leaders make the right things happen when they are
supposed to happen. (Moshe Edelman, United Synagogue, Director,
Department of Leadership Development, Resource Library, June 20,
2000)
In our tradition, Moses has become a paradigm for those wishing to learn how
to be an effective leader of people. Even his foibles, an example of which we
see in this week's Torah reading, are instructive. In our time, we all recognize
that good synagogue leadership is a crucial need in our respective Jewish
communities. In this regard, therefore, let us ask ourselves some questions.
What qualities should a synagogue leader have? How should synagogues

identify and recruit potential new leaders? After identifying such potential new
leaders shouldn't they be given some sortof advanced training? Is "OJT" (on the
job training) sufficient to run a synagogue nowadays?
It is in the area of synagogue leadership training that the United Synagogue

does some of its best work. For instance:
1. More and more synagogue vice-presidents are attending the SULAM

Program which provides them with essential information before they
become synagogue president.
2. The IMUN Program provides congregants with religious skills and
knowledge to help lead services, read Torah, etc.
3. Synagogue Board of Directors training programs and practical
workshops are offered regularly and with great skill at USCJ regional
conferences and at its conventions.
We are all aware that synagogue leaders are so vital to Jewish life and that the
modern synagogue is a complex institution. Leadership in it is not intuitive.
Clearly, it requires learning and personal religious commitment. Would you want
to step up to this marvelous responsibility? If so, contact SULAM or IMUN
through our website - www.uscj.org.
MISHPATIM - SHABBAT SHEKALIM
February 9, 2002 - 5762


Maftir: Exodus 30:11-16; Hertz, p. 352; Etz Hayim, p. 523
Haftarah: II Kings 11:17-12:17; Hertz, p. 992; Etz Hayim, p. 1276
(21:1-11) The beginning of the Covenant Code. Laws regarding master and
slave.
(21:12-17) Capital crimes.
(21:18-22:3) Laws of personal injury,property damage, theft, and negligence.
(22:4-14) Laws governing different kinds of property custodians: unpaid, paid,

and borrowers.
(22:15-26) Laws against the seducer, occult practices, and forbidding the
oppression of the powerless and the weak, including the stranger, the widow,
the orphan, and the poor.
(22:27-30) Miscellaneous laws concerning respect for authority, gifts to the

priests, and the prohibition of eating torn flesh (trefah).
(23:1-9) Laws of righteous behavior toward others.
(23:10-19) Laws concerning the Sabbatical year, Shabbat, and Festivals.
(23:20-33) An epilogue exhorting the Israelites to follow God's law, emphasizing

the rewards they will receive if they do so.
(24:1-18) The Covenant is ratified at a formal ceremony of acceptance. Moses

and the elders eat a meal and see a vision of God. Moses alone ascends the
mountain to receive the stone tablets, remaining there for forty days and nights.
This Shabbat's Theme: "Should Israel Have a Constitution (a la U.S.A.)?"
Should there Be a Separation of Synagogue and State?
"These are the ordinances that you shall set before them" (Exodus 21:1)
A. The juxtaposition of this Sidrah (dealing primarily with civil and tort law)
with the Ten Commandments and the laws of the Altar provide a startling
insight into Judaism. To God there is no realm of "religion" in the
colloquial sense of the word. Most people think of religion as a matter of
ritual and spirituality. Western man differentiates between Church and
State. The Torah knows of no such distinction. (The Chumash, ArtScroll
Series, p. 416)
B. "These are the ordinances..." Why, in the Torah, was the subject of civil
laws placed next to the (commandment to construct) the Altar? This is to
teach you that the Sanhedrin (which decided cases of civil laws, etc.) had
to be located next to the Altar (Rashi). Among the other nations, social
laws - those between man and his fellow-man - have no religious basis,
but are purely social and civilian, and are needed to ensure the welfare
of the state. With us, though, the civil laws are commandments of God,
and have the sanctity of the commandments. Just as the sacrifices are
the worship of God in the Temple, the civil law is the worship of God in
our daily lives. (Avnei Azel)
C. Rabbi Menahem Mendl of Kotzk quoted Psalms 147:19-20: "He shows
His word to Jacob, His statutes and judgments to Israel. He has not dealt
so with any nation; and as for His judgments, they have not known them
". The Rabbi then asked: "Don't the Gentiles have laws as well? Of
course they have laws, but the difference is that they do not praise God
through these laws. Their civil laws do not bring them to praise the
Creator".
D. As judges we are neither Jew nor Gentile, neither Catholic nor agnostic.
We owe equal attachment to the Constitution and are equally bound by
our judicial obligations whether we derive our citizenship from the earliest
or latest immigration to these shores..." (Felix Frankfurter, justice of the
U.S. Supreme Court, quote from the American Jewish Year Book, 1966)
E. Judaism cannot save Israel. Judaism can only save Judaism, and the
souls of believing Jews. Israel will have to save Israel; and it can begin
by recoiling from all forms of sacralization of politics, right and left, and
affirming, for the sake of the Jewish state and the Jewish religion, a
stringent separation of synagogue and state, warning the God-
intoxicated radicals in its midst that their dangerous drunkenness will
have to give way before the values of democracy and the requirements
of the law. (Leon Wieseltier, literary editor of The New Republic, in a
letter to the editor, The New York Times, November 23, 1995)
F. Even though it was stated in the Proclamation of Independence -- read
by David Ben-Gurion at the ceremony in which the State of Israel was
declared -- that the Constituent Assembly, which turned into the First
Knesset, would draft a constitution for Israel, this was not done due to
differences of opinion with the religious parties. In place of a constitution,
it was decided to legislate a series of basic laws, which in the future
would together form the constitution. This task is now -- 46 years after
the establishment of the State -- close to completion. (Israel Consulate
Web site, Dec. 2000)
G. We cannot put constitutions together like prefabricated hen houses.
(Albert Blaustein, law professor whose expertise was in drafting
constitutions for nations in transition. He believed that for a constitution to
work, it must reflect a country's culture and history. Quote from his
obituary, The New York Times, August 23, 1994)
As in other nations, Israel is governed by a body of laws. We know that nations

will tend to have their own characteristic way of formulating their manner of
governance based upon their respective history and culture.
In this regard, Israel is at an important crossroad. Some would say that Israel,
as a modern democratic country, should adopt the American-styled system of
"Separation of Synagogue and State". Some would disagree, pointing out that
Israel is the fulfillment of our religious destiny as a nation and that Israel should
be governed by civil and Jewish religious law. Arguments in support of this latter
point of view may be drawn from some of our quotations above.
What are your thoughts on this issue? Should Israel have a constitution? A Bill
of Rights? Should there be a separation of Synagogue and State? Should there
be a Chief Rabbinate and a Ministry of Religion? If yes, what role should they
have? What about the Shabbat rules which are applied in certain
municipalities?
What are your thoughts about the Knesset voting on a bill to ban women from
wearing tallit/tefillin at the Kotel and reading from a Torah scroll there?
Recalling that each nation has its own unique character, how can Israel be a
modern democratic country and still retain a strong religious commitment to its
historic destiny as the "People of the Covenant"
TERUMAH
February 16, 2002 - 5762
Prepared by Rabbi David L. Blumenfeld, Ph


Triennial Cycle I: Exodus 25:1-40; Hertz, p. 326; Etz Hayim,p.485
Haftarah: I Kings 5:26-6:13; Hertz, p. 336; Etz Hayim,p.499
(25:1-9) God commands that (set-aside) gifts - terumah- be taken from the
Israelites for the building of the Tabernacle - Mishkan.
(25:10-40) Instructions for making the Ark (Aron) and its covering, the Table
(Shulhan) and its accessories, and the Menorah.
(26:1-30) Detailed instructions for the making of the Mishkan: the cloth covering,
the gold clasps, and the goat hair tent over the Mishkan. Instructions regarding
the 48 planks of the Mishkan, and their joining above by means of the rings, and
inside by means of wooden bars.
(26:31-35) The curtain (Parochet) dividing the Mishkan and screening the Holy
of Holies (Kodesh ha-Kodoshim) where the Aron was placed.
(26:36-27:19) The screen (Masach) for the entrance, the Altar (Mizbeah), and
the enclosure or courtyard (hatzer) of the Mishkan.
This Shabbat's Theme: "Where is God?"
"Let them make Me a sanctuary so I may dwell among them" (Exodus 25:8)
A. O God, where shall I find You?

All hidden and exalted is Your place.
And where shall I not find You?
Full of Your glory is the infinite space (Yehudah Halevi, 1080-1142?, poet,
philosopher, author of Kuzari, Spain)
B. There is no place without God (Sa'adiah ben Yosef, 882-942, Gaon,
head of the major yeshivah - academy - in Pumbedita, Babylonia)
C. "The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool; where is the
house that you may build for Me? No house can be My resting place, for
all these things My hand has made." (Isaiah 66:1-2)
D. Since God is infinite, how can we say that the Tabernacle is the dwelling
place for the Shechinah? The Kabbalists utilize the concept of Hashem's
*tzitzum (contraction) to resolve this enigma. The All-Powerful God chose
to withdraw the intensity of His presence unto Himself. The Tabernacle
become the focal point of this concentration. He did this out of the love
for His Chosen People so that He could establish His dwelling among
them in order to lavish upon them His protection and His blessing. (cf.
Elie Munk, The Call of the Torah, Shemos, p. 366) *Note on the
Concept of "Tzimtzum": Jewish mystics believe that the same process
of God's tzitzum (contraction) also occurred with the universe's creation.
Before Creation, the cosmos was totally filled with God, leaving no room
for anything else. To create the material universe, God, who is
incorporeal and omnipresent, provided a vacuum or "space" for Creation
through the act of tzitzum - "withdrawal" into Himself. (Author)
E. "Where is the dwelling of God?" This was a question with which Rabbi
Mendl of Kotzk once surprised a group of learned people who happened
to be visiting him. They responded as one, "What a thing to ask! Do we
not say in the Kedushah prayer that 'the whole world is full of God's
glory'?" The Kotzker Rebbe answered: "Yes, that is true. But the greater
truth is that God dwells wherever we let God in." (Martin Buber, Tales of
the Hasidim, The Later Masters, p. 277)
F. The Kobriner Rebbe once turned to his Hasidim and asked: "Do you
know where God is?" Then he took a piece of bread, showed it to them
all, and continued: "God is in this piece of bread. Without God's
manifestation of His power in all nature, this piece of bread would have
no existence." (M.S. Kleinman, Or Yesharim, p. 87)
G. Why did God reveal Himself to Moses in a bush of thorns? In order to
make manifest that there is no place where His radiance is not. It may
even be found in a thicket of thorns." (Midrash Shemot Rabbah 2:9)
H. Pantheism is a theory which holds the view that God is not a separate
being, but is either the entire natural order or an aspect of the entire
natural order. Either the universe as a whole is God, or the power or
force that pervades the whole of the cosmos is God. God is everywhere,
and is everything, or is in everything. Perhaps the most famous
presentation of pantheism is the metaphysical system of Baruch Spinoza
(1634-1677, Amsterdam). He sought to establish that God and nature
were one and the same substance and that everything that exists or
takes place in the world is an aspect of God... According to the Spinoztic
view, God has no personal qualities, since He is not a being independent
of, or separate from, the universe. Thus, through comprehending the
structure of the universe, by grasping the vast scientific system, one is
expressing the intellectual love of God. (R. Popkin, Philosophy Made
Simple, p. 113)
Where is God to be found? Our Torah reading indicates that God commanded
the Israelites to establish a ifan Mishkan dwelling place - for Him so that He may
be in their midst. For the Hebraists among us, you can see the connection
between the word ifan - Mishkan and the word vbhfa - Shechinah (the Divine
Presence).
This concept seemingly creates a problem theologically. The quotations above

represent different and some very unique answers to the question of God's
presence. (God is in a piece of bread!) Though Spinoza was excommunicated
by the Jewish community, one can detect some commonality between his
pantheistic-type thinking and Jewish mysticism/ Hasidism.
Given all of this, let us ask what is the meaning behind God's command to build
a place for Him to dwell? Does this have any contemporary relevance to us vis-
a-vis the establishment of synagogues? Do we believe in sacred spaces? What
does Catholicism have to say in this matter? Other Faiths?
Finally, what other theological possibilities do you see in the concept of

oumnhm - tzimtzum (God) contracting inwardly? What practical applications do
you see? I see one. I believe good teachers will occasionally practice tzimtzum
so as to allow room for their students to grow by their own intelligence. So too
does God practice "tzitzum" with humankind.
Postscript
It occurred to me today that I might spend a whole year in Shul, reciting morning
prayers, afternoon prayers, evening prayers, and never have a religious
experience. A discouraging notion... Yet, I must not ask for what cannot be
given. Shul was not invented for a religious experience, In Shul, a religious
experience is an experience of religion. The rest is up to me. (L. Wieseltier,
Kaddish, p,119)
TETZAVEH - SHABBAT ZACHOR
February 23, 2002 - 5762


Maftir: Deut. 25:17-19; Hertz, p. 856; Etz Hayim, p. 1135
Haftarah: I Samuel 15:1-34; Hertz, p. 995; Etz Hayim, p.1280
(27:20-28:30) Instructions concerning the oil for the Ner Tamid, the fashioning
of the Ephod and breastplate.
(28:31-39) The directions for the High Priest's uniform.
(28:40-43) The clothing of Aaron's sons, i.e. the ordinary kohanim.
(29:1-18) Instructions for the ritual consecrating Aaron and his sons as priests.
(29:19-37) Instructions for the consecration of Aaron and his sons during their
seven days of inauguration.
(29:38-46) Instructions concerning the Tamid, the daily sacrifice.
(30:1-10) Instructions concerning the fabrication of the incense altar and its
special function.
This Shabbat's Theme: "Who Is 'Amalek' Today?"
This Sabbath which comes right before Purim is known as "Shabbat Zachor"
because we are admonished in our maftir to "remember Amalek", a ruthless
enemy who without provocation, attacked the weak and unarmed Israelites in
the desert. According to tradition, Haman the arch-enemy of the Jews in the
Purim epoch, was a descendant of the brutal Amalekites.
"Remember what Amalek did to you on your journey, after you left Egypt. How,
undeterred by the fear of God, he surprised you on the march, when you were
famished and weary, and cut down all the stragglers in the rear. Therefore,
when the Lord your God grants you safety from all your enemies around you, in
the land that the Lord your God is giving you as a hereditary portion, you shall
blot out the memory of Amalek from under the heaven. Do not forget!"
(Deuteronomy 25:17-19)
A. "You shall blot out the memory of Amalek..." A people so devoid of

natural religion as to kill non-combatants had forfeited all claim to mercy.
(J.H. Hertz, The Pentateuch, p 856)
B. "You shall not hate an Edomite, for he is your brother" - good or bad, he
is your brother. "You shall not abhor an Egyptian, for you were a
sojourner in his land " - good or bad, for among them you lived many
years. But as for Amalek - "Remember what Amalek did to you" - they
were and remain the persecutor of the weak. (Pesikta Rabbati 47b)
C. 1995 Oklahoma City terrorist bombing - Closure surely is a balm for grief,
and we can only hope that the mutilated families will find it. But if the rest
of us are now lulled into complacency by a well-conducted trial's fair
outcome, that's not closure - it's amnesia. Timothy McVeigh didn't come
from nowhere. (Frank Rich, The New York Times, June 5, 1997, after
McVeigh was convicted for murder in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing)
D. "And Haman said to King Ahasuerus: 'There is a certain people scattered
abroad and dispersed among the other peoples in all the provinces of
your kingdom, and their laws are different from those of any other people
and who do not obey the King's laws. It is not in your Majesty's interest to
tolerate them. If it please the king, let it be written that they be
destroyed...'" (Esther 3:8-9)
E. Grant them civil rights? I see no other way of doing this except to cut off
all their heads on one night and substitute other heads without a singl
Jewish thought in them. (Johann Fichte, a leading philosopher of the
German Enlightment, and first rector of the University of Berlin, 1762-
1814)
F. The Jew serves (the anti-Semite) as a pretext; elsewhere his counter-
part will make use of the Negro or the man of yellow skin. (Jean-Paul
Sartre, Anti-Semite and Jew, p. 54)
G. Rabbi Elijah Schochet, in his brilliant scholarly work "Amalek, The Enemy
Within", presents another interpretation of Amalek's behavior which is
expressed in later rabbinic writings: Essentially, all agree that what the
Amalekites did was utterly reprehensible. Yet, it never could have
happened if the Israelites had not brought their vulnerability upon
themselves. In this regard, the saintly Lithuanian sage, Rabbi Israel Meir
haKohen, known as the "Hafez Hayyim", deemed the quarrelsome state
of the Israelite community, with its incessant internecine feuding, as the
causative factor in bringing about Amalek's attack. He asserts, "Had the
Israelites but been unified as a community, the divine clouds would
surely have shielded them from all harm". The homilist concludes his
observations with an appeal for unity among his contemporaries, bidding
them to heed the truth of the promise that "...as long as Israel remains
united, Amalek has no power over them" (cf. Schochet, p. 61)
In Jewish categories of thought and expression, the mention of Amalek

connotes a particular form of behavior which is considered to be both cowardly
and odious. Accordingly, the term "Amalek" has always been identified in our
historic conscience with and applied to certain situations (e.g. pogroms),
specific people (e.g. Haman), to certain nations (e.g. Germany).
"Amalekite behavior" or attacks directed against the vulnerable and weak can
be applied, of course, universally just as well. A few examples readily come to
mind but none has more relevance to us today then what we have witnessed in
recent times - brutal acts directed against defenseless people by an organized
form of terrorism.
Terrorist acts such as those carried out on September 11th in the U.S. and
those perpetrated again and again against Israel's civilian population have an
ancient precedent. They are truly a throwback to the cowardly, vicious activity of
biblical Israel's ancient inveterate foe - the Amalekites.
It is interesting to note that in years past, one might have felt a bit
uncomfortable about the biblical commandment found in this Shabbat's
parashah, - to "blot out" - to completely eradicate the Amalekites. But what
about now? What are your thoughts "post 9/11"?
Would you equate the impassioned, forceful remarks of the U.S. President
about completely obliterating terrorism and any government harboring terrorists
with the sentiments of the ancient Amalekite commandment to "blot out" such
evil?
Finally, why is this commandment one that the Jews would particularly
understand?
KEE TISSA - SHABBAT PARAH
March 2, 2002 - 5762


Maftir: Numbers 19:1-22; Hertz, p. 652; Etz Hayim, p. 880
Haftarah: Ezekiel 36:16-38; Hertz, p. 999; Etz Hayim, p. 1286
(30:11-16) Instructions concerning the contribution of the half shekel as a

means of taking a census of men fit for military service.
(30:17-38) Instructions concerning the fabrication of the brass basin used for
washing up before entering the Sanctuary and the manufacture of the anointing
oil and the holy incense.
(31:1-11) Bezalel is appointed in charge of Tabernacle construction.
(31:12-17) A special warning regarding the sanctity of the Shabbat.
(31:18-32:6) God gives Moses the two tablets of the Covenant. Meanwhile,
down in the Israelite camp, the people despair of Moses' return, and demand of
Aaron that he make a "god" for them. The result is the Golden Calf.
(32:7-35) God tells Moses what the people are doing, and threatens to destroy
them. Moses descends the mountain, sees the people dancing around the calf,
and in a fit of anger breaks the tablets. The actual worshipers of the calf, 3000
in number, are put to death. Moses intercedes for his people and ascends Mt.
Sinai once again. He pleads with God, who relents from destroying the entire
people, though He sends a plague as punishment.
(33:1-11) God tells Moses to lead the people toward the Promised Land and
says that He will no longer dwell in their midst. The people must strip off their
finery as an act of contrition. God continues to speak to Moses directly.
(33:12-23) Moses pleads to be able to see God as a confirmation both of his

authority and his relationship with God, but that request is denied, "for a human
may not see Me and live." God does promise that Moses will be able to see His
"back," i.e., have an indirect manifestation of His Presence.
(34:1-9) Moses returns to Mt. Sinai for the third time and receives the revelation
concerning God's Thirteen Attributes.
(34:10-26) The renewal of the covenant between God and Israel, with further
instruction concerning the keeping of the mitzvot.
(34:27-35) After forty days, Moses receives the second set of Tablets. He
comes down from Sinai, his face shining with rays of light.
This Shabbat's Theme: "Investigating The Charities To Which We Give"
This shall they give... a half shekel of the sacred shekel. (30:13)
A. In commemoration of this commandment, on Purim, it is customary to

contribute half of one's country standard coin to a communal charity, as
an expression of the concept that everyone has an equal responsibility to
participate in meeting the community's needs.
B. Whoever sees a poor person asking (for assistance) and ignores him
and does not give him tzedakah has transgressed a negative
commandment as it is written in Deut. 15:7: "Do not harden your heart,
nor shut your hand against your needy brother" (M. Maimonides, Gifts to
the Poor, 7:2)
C. Rabbi Abin said: The poor person stands at your door and the Holy One
blessed be He stands at his right hand as it is written in Psalms 109:31:
"He stands at the right hand of the needy". (Midrash Vayikra Rabbah
34:9)
D. Rabbi Nahman said: This world is like a water wheel - the bucket that is
full empties while the empty becomes full.
E. Our sages were not blind. They knew that some beggars were frauds...
(and yet some) were duped by dishonest beggars as in the case of Rabbi
Hanina who was accustomed to sending four zuz to a certain poor
person every Erev Shabbat (Friday evening). One time he sent the
money with his wife. She returned and said to him, "There is no need... I
overheard them say: 'On what will you dine - on the linen tablecloths or
on the dyed silk ones?'" (Talm. Ketubot 67b-68a)
F. Whoever does not need to take yet takes, will not depart the world until
he is dependent on others... and whoever is not lame or blind and
pretends to be, will not die of old age before he becomes like one of
them, as it is written in Proverbs 11:27: "He who seeks evil, upon him it
will come" (Mishnah, Pe'ah 8,9)
G. Rabbi Abbah did not want to embarrass the poor by having to look at
them, following the principle of mattan baseter (giving in secret) but he
was wary of cheaters. He, therefore, would wrap some coins in his
kerchief and drag it behind him as he walked by the houses of the poor.
As the coins fell out he carefully kept his eyes open for cheaters. (Ket.
67b)
H. A person should not give a penny to the communal charity purse unless
it is under the supervision of a person (as honest as) R. Hananyah ben
Teradyon. (Talm. Bava Batra 10b)
I. One does not need to investigate honest collectors. But in order that they
be "clean before the Lord and before Israel" (Numbers 32:22), it is good
for them to give an accounting. (Shulhan Arukh YD 257:2)
J. Giving tzedakah is good, but giving wisely is even better. Danny Siegel
writes: "...you do not want to give to wasteful organizations. On the other
hand, you would not want to withhold useful, perhaps critical tzedakah
money from people who are laboring with love and care to make good
things happen in this world. (D. Siegel, "Which Tzedakah...", Baltimore
Jewish Times, Feb. 8, 1991)
A bag lady accosts me on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and asks me for a
quarter, Should I ask her why she doesn't go out and get a job?
A "schnorer" (charity collector) knocks on my door, holds out a letter signed by

an eminent rabbi and asks me to contribute to a yeshivah in Jerusalem. Should
I check out the letter and the yeshivah?
I enter my local Jewish bookstore and see five "pushkes" on the counter.
Should I automatically put in a quarter in each, or should I read the fine print
and investigate each charity's legitimacy?
Lastly, I receive many direct mail solicitations every month. Should I send a
small donation to each, or investigate every charity that asks for money and
send a larger contribution to the one that deserves it most?
(NOTE: Rabbi David Golinkin's booklet, "Responsa in a Moment: Halachic

Responses to Contemporary Issues", pp. 51-56 for the halachic responsum
given to the above questions.)
Some Further Questions:
How concerned are you that a huge amount of money raised in some Jewish
organizations is used for expenses? Just how bad is it, in your opinion?
How do you feel about the way money raised for Israel is distributed among the
Orthodox, Conservative and Reform entities there?
VAYAKHEL-PEKUDEI - SHABBAT HA-HODESH
March 9, 2002 - 5762


Maftir: Exodus 12:1-20; Hertz, p. 253; Etz Hayim, p. 380
Haftarah: Ezekiel 45:16-46:18; Hertz, p. 10; Etz Hayim, p. 1290
Vayakhel
(35:1-3) An additional warning about observing the Shabbat.
(35:4-35:20) God instructs Moses to collect all the contributions and prepare the
building of the Mishkan (Tabernacle).
(35:21-29) The people of Israel bring their gifts in extravagant measure.
(35:30-36:7) Betzalel and Oholiav are appointed to supervise the making of the
Mishkan. The Israelites cause a "problem": "The people are bringing more than
is needed." Moses announces: No more, thank you.
(36:8-37:16) The making of the cloth walls, roof, planks and bars of the
Mishkan; the making of the Parochet (cloth partition) and curtain for its doorway;
the construction of its various vessels; an accounting of the materials used in
building it; description of the Ephod (priest's outer garment) and breastplate.
(37:17-38:8) The construction of the Menorah, the incense altar, the sacrificial
altar, and the bronze basin.
(38:9-20) The construction of the enclosure of the Mishkan.
Pekudei
(38:21-39:32) A description of the priestly garments.
(39:33-43) The Mishkan and its vessels are brought to Moses. He sanctifies
them.
(40:1-16) God commands Moses to set up the Mishkan and to consecrate

Aaron and his sons as priests.
(40:34-38) God causes His Shekhinah (Holy Presence), to dwell in the Tent of
Meeting.
This Shabbat's Theme: "Looking at Rosh Hodesh Anew"
"Ha-Hodesh Hazeh - This month (Aviv/Nisan) shall be to you the beginning of

months. It shall be the first month of the year for you" (Ex 12:2)
This Sabbath is called "Shabbat ha-Hodesh". The name is derived from the
special Maftir reading today which begins with the above verse. Shabbat ha-
Hodesh always falls closest to the upcoming beginning of the new month (Rosh
Hodesh) of Nisan and is meant to alert us in advance to the celebration of
Passover (just in case some of you may have forgotten).
A. The celebration of a new month Rosh Hodesh has deep roots in Jewish
tradition and in fact, was regarded as an important semi-festival. In
ancient Israel, the day was celebrated with special sacrificial offerings
and the suspension of everyday occupations (I Samuel 20:18-34; II Kings
4:23). It was a day for sounding the trumpets at the Sanctuary (Num.
10:10). It was also considered a favorable time to offer religious
instruction (II Kings 4:23). The prophets regularly mention the new moon
festival and the Sabbath jointly, naming the new moon festival in the first
place. From Amos 8:5, it is proved that trading was prohibited on both
alike - "When will the new moon be over, that we may sell again? And
the Sabbath, that we may offer corn for sale?" In Isaiah 1:13-14, the new
moon festivals stand at the head of the list of the seasonal holy days,
including the Sabbath. The new moon of the seventh (biblical) month
(Tishre) was observed as a Sabbath in addition to the usual worship on
the day of the new moon, and was designated as a special Sabbath (Lev.
23:23). This celebration assumed the character of a new year's festival,
later to be called Rosh Hashanah. (Philip Birnbaum, A Book of Jewish
Concepts, p. 563)
B. Rosh Hodesh is now counted among the minor festivals, because in the
course of the centuries, and especially after the destruction of the
Temple, it lost its festive character. The only observances still associated
with Rosh Hodesh are liturgical. There are no restrictions on work and no
special rituals. In former times, pious women used to refrain from working
on Rosh Hodesh - a custom based on the tradition that the women of the
generation of the desert were rewarded with a festival of their own
because they refused to cooperate when their husbands asked them to
give their jewelry for the Golden Calf. (Isaac Klein, A Guide to Jewish
Religious Practice, p. 256)
C. ...At the building of the Golden Calf, the men willingly donated their
jewelry but the women refused to donate theirs (Pikei d'Rabbi Eliezer, ch.
45). However, for the building of the Tabernacle, the women did donate
their jewelry. The Tabernacle was dedicated on Rosh Hodesh Nisan. The
reward of the women (for that act) was that Rosh Hodesh became their
holiday. (Another reason for its association with women) is that women,
like the moon, have a monthly cycle. This (explanation) is used as an
opportunity for many positive and beautiful statements about women and
women's bodies. (Miriam Klein Shapiro, "The Woman's Role",
Conservative Judaism, Fall, 1978)
D. "Starting and Growing A Rosh Hodesh Group" - A group of women
gathers, either in someone's living room, in the shul library, or at the
Jewish Community Center. A leader or facilitator - often a woman who's
been involved in organizing this first meeting - has planned an
introductory program. The format of this program will vary, depending on
the interests, expertise, and experience of the leader-facilitator. Some
groups will observe a ritual or celebration that is tied to the theme
associated with the Jewish month, while others may begin and end with
a brief song, poem or activity, but focus mainly on a semi structured
discussion or study session. (Ruth Berger Goldstone/Merle Feld, in
Celebrating the New Moon: A Rosh Chodesh Anthology, ed. by Susan
Berrin, ch.10, p. 88)
E. Even though I don't like women's separate services, I recommend that
rabbis not be hasty in forbidding them. I do not like them because I want
to be where the women in my family pray and, after the service, I want to
share reactions with them to all that was said and done. But if there are
devout and committed women to whom such services are meaningful,
then by all means, they should not be made to feel that their innovation is
blameworthy... some of the most cherished halachic rules and institutions
of today began as innovations upon which one rabbi or another must
have frowned when they were first projected. (Emanuel Rackman,
chancellor of Bar Ilan University, quoted in Lilith, Summer, 1986)
Rosh Hodesh, the new moon festival, has been on the wane. As Susan Berrin
puts it, "There are far more Jewish bird-watchers than there are moon-
watchers." (op cit. p. xiv).
However, over the past thirty years, Rosh Hodesh, has in a certain measure
become especially relevant to Jewish women in search of their spirituality and
has taken on new forms of observance. How else might we "renew" the new
moon in our time? Where do men fit into this? Or don't they?
Postscript
"On the eve of each Rosh Hodesh, repent and make restitution by word and
deed. Enter the new month as pure as a new-born babe." (Isaiah Horowitz,
Shne Luhot Haberit, Author, Gerer Kabbalist, 1555 - 1630)
As we conclude the reading of the Book of Exodus, let us rise while the
last verse of the& Torah portion is read. At the completion of the reading,
let us join in chanting: Chazak, chazak, v'nitchazek - "Be strong, be strong,
and may we be strengthened."
VAYIKRA
March 16, 2002 - 5762

Annual Cycle: Leviticus 1:1-5:26; Hertz, p. 410; Etz Hayim, p. 585

Triennial Cycle I: Leviticus 1:1-2:16; Hertz, p. 410; Etz Hayim, p. 585
Haftarah: Isaiah 43:21-44:23; Hertz, p. 424; Etz Hayim, p. 606
(1:1-17) The laws regarding the olah, or burnt offering. The entire animal,
except for the hide, was burned to ashes on the altar. The olah described here
is brought by an individual as a voluntary offering to atone for neglect of positive
commandments.
(2:1-16) The laws regarding the minhah, or meal offering. There were two types:
communal meal-offerings brought on Passover, Shavuot, and Shabbat, and
individual meal-offerings usually brought by people too poor to afford an animal
or a fowl.
(3:1-17) The laws concerning the zevah sh'lamim, the peace-offering or

"offering of well-being." Unlike the olah, which was completely consumed on the
altar, the zevah sh'lamim was a sacred meal, shared by donors and kohanim.
(4:1-26) The laws regarding the hattat, or sin-offering. A hattat was given for
sins one committed accidentally or unknowingly. (4:27-35) Similar sin-offerings,
but for the individual.
(5:1-26) The asham, guilt-offering. This was given when one was uncertain
whether one had offended, or in a case where someone had wronged another,
denied his guilt, then later his conscience bothered him and he wanted to
confess and make amends.
This Shabbat's Theme: "Restoring Temple Sacrifices?"
"When any of you presents an offering of cattle to the Lord, he shall choose his
offering from the herd or from the flock.... He shall lay his hand upon the head of
the burnt offering....and the bull shall be slaughtered before the Lord, and
Aaron's sons, the priests (kohanim) shall offer the blood, dashing the blood
against all sides of the altar..the burnt offering shall be flayed and cut up into
sections... Its entrails and legs shall be washed with water, and the priest shall
turn the whole into smoke on the altar as a burnt offering, an offering by fire of
pleasing odor to the Lord" (Lev. 1:2-9)
A. Prayer is greater than all sacrifices. (Tanchuma, Vayera 31b)

B. And Samuel said, "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and
sacrifice as in hearkening to the voice of the Lord? Behold to obey is
better than sacrifice, to hearken better than the fat of rams." (1 Sam.
15:22) [The same theme is found in Hosea 6:6; Amos 5:21; Isaiah 1:11;
Jeremiah 6:20]
C. In the law of sacrifices, it says, "If a man has a bullock, let him offer a
bullock; if not, let him give a ram, or a lamb, or a pigeon; and if he cannot
afford even pigeon, let him bring flour. And if he has not even an flour, let
him bring nothing at all, but come with words of prayer. (Tanhuma, Buber,
Tzav, 8, 9a)
D. Maimonides (Rambam) considers sacrifices as a way to gradually wean
the Israelites away from idol worship and as a concession to the customs
of the times. (See Nehama Leibowitz, Studies in Vayikra, World Zionist
Org. p.16) Nachmonides (Ramban), however, writing on Leviticus 1:9,
emphatically disagrees with Maimonides and rejects the theory that the
sacrificial system was ordained merely as a concession to the times.
E. It may be compared to a king's son who was addicted to carrion and
forbidden meats. Said the King, "He shall always eat at my table and
soon get out of the habit". (Vayikra Rabbah)
F. Prayer is the means through which we sacrifice our selfishness and
greed and get in touch with our powers for truth, mercy and love. (A.J.
Heschel, Man's Quest for God: Studies in Prayer and Symbolism, p.71)
G. Holy thoughts and higher conceptual images therefore have all the
efficacy of sacrifices, with all rites pertaining to them." (Abraham Isaac
Kook, "The Lights of Penitence," Classics of Western Spirituality, p. 110)
H. "Whoever sacrifices his evil impulse and confesses it, has honored God."
(Sanhedrin, 43)
I. In the reading of the Torah, those passages that relate to the sacrificial
ritual should not be omitted. The Torah reading is designed to help the
worshiper relive, in imagination, the past experience of his People... In
the prayer part of the service, we should, of course, eliminate all prayers
for the restoration of sacrifices, since we do not wish to see them
restored. (Mordecai M. Kaplan, Questions Jews Ask: Reconstructionist
Answers, pp. 242-3)
As if the Jewish People don't have enough issues to fight about among
themselves!
There is yet another contentious issue, that admittedly is a "back-burner" issue

now but could possibly lead to a serious schism in the future? What will happen
when, God willing, the Third Temple is restored in Jerusalem? Will there be
sacrificial offerings as described in this week's Torah reading or not?
Here are how things stand now. The Reform and Reconstuctionist movements
are opposed to reinstituting the sacrifices. Their synagogues unilaterally omit
any reference to "sacrificial offerings" - past or present in their prayers.
Orthodox worshipers, on the other hand, fervently pray for the restoration of the
Temple service and its sacrificial offerings.
Where do we stand as Conservative Jews? Complete elimination of sacrifices?

Instituting some sort of symbolic sacrificial ritual?
Perhaps, some broader questions might also be asked here. How do we feel
about building a Holy Temple in Jerusalem again? Should the building of
another Temple be attempted in the near future or should we hold to the belief
that this can only be accomplished when the Mashiah comes?
Postscript
Where in the Bible should a child begin studying?
In ancient times, the Jewish child began the study of Scripture with Leviticus.
Why? "Because little children are pure and the sacrifices are pure, let those who
are pure come and occupy themselves with pure things (Midrash).
TZAV - SHABBAT HA-GADOL
March 23, 2002 - 5762

Annual Cycle: Lev. 6:1-8:36; Hertz, p. 429; Etz Hayim, p. 613

Triennial Cycle I: Lev. 6:1- 7:10; Hertz, p. 429; Etz Hayim, p. 613
Haftarah: Malakhi 3:4-24; Hertz, p. 1005; Etz Hayim, p. 1295
(6:1-16) Instructions concerning the Olah (burnt offering), the perpetual fire on
the altar, and the Minhah (meal-offering); the specific meal-offering brought by
Aaron and his descendants.
(6:17-7:10) Instructions concerning the Hattat (sin-offering) and Asham (guilt-

offering).
(7:11-21) The Sh'lamim sacrifice. There are three kinds: thanksgiving, in

fulfillment of a vow, and as a free-will offering.
(7:22-38) The prohibition of eating chelev, the consecrated fat covering the
animal's internal organs, and blood. The portions of the sh'lamim that go to the
kohanim.
(8:1-5) God commands Moses to take Aaron and his sons and assemble the
people for the initiation ceremony into the priesthood.
(8:6-21) The priests perform a ritual purification and Aaron is dressed in his holy
garments. The Tabernacle is anointed, and then Aaron. Aaron's sons are
garbed. Then come a series of sacrifices as part of the consecration and
purification of the Tabernacle.
(8:22-36) The actual ordination ceremonies, lasting seven days.
Theme: Mitzvot - Just Do It!
"The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Command Aaron and his sons thus..." (Lev.
6:1-2)
In the plural, the term "mitzvot" (divine precepts) signifies specific commands
contained in the Torah. In talmudic terminology, mitzvot is the general term for
the divine commandments, calculated to be 613. They are classified as being
either affirmative or negative (prohibiting). The 365 negative precepts
correspond to the 365 days of the solar year. The 248 affirmative precepts
correspond in number to the parts of the human body (Talm. Makkot 23b).
Colloquially, the word mitzvah has come to express any act of human kindness
(P. Birnbaum, Book of Jewish Concepts, p. 390).
Some Reflections on Performing Mitzvot
A. "Greater is one who is commanded to do something and proceeds to do

it, than one who is not commanded at all to do something and yet does
it." (Talmud, Kiddushin 31a)
B. Since most people regard doing something voluntarily as being morally
superior to an obligatory act, this rabbinic dictum seems puzzling. A
major reason the Rabbis so valued people acting from a sense of
obligation may well have been their belief that such individuals will
behave with greater consistency than those who perform
commandments voluntarily. The latter will usually stop doing so when
they grow tired of them, whereas those who feel obligated will be
deflected neither by tiredness nor by a sense of burden.
The statement above which the Talmud attributes to Rabbi Hanina

makes considerable psychological sense when analyzed in the light of
two types of diet. A large percentage of Americans diet, and usually do
so for two reasons: to be both more attractive and healthier. As powerful
as these motivations are, very few Americans adhere to their diet for
three months or more without breaking it at least once.
Compare this statistic with the experience of individuals who observe the
dietary laws known as Kashrut. They can go a lifetime without eating
such foods as shellfish or pork, solely because Jewish law forbids them,
not because refraining from them leads to greater physical attractiveness
and/or health.
If only the American government mandated putting pork into all chocolate
products, I easily could shed twenty pounds! (Joseph Telushkin, Jewish
Wisdom, pp.329-30)
C. Rav taught that "the mitzvot were given only for the purpose of
disciplining and refining people through their observance... For what
concern is it to God whether the animal is slaughtered in one fashion or
another? Therefore, know that these laws were given solely as
disciplining measures with which to refine those who adhere to them."
(Beresheet Rabbah 44:1)
Would you agree then that the act of performing so many mitzvot in the Jewish
religion ("Oy, it's hard to be a Jew!") is meant to serve the purpose of
developing self-discipline so that a person would learn thereby to master his/her
ethical behavior also? Or perhaps you have another explanation.
Focusing on A Favorite Mitzvah
A. (Each Rabbi would practice one mitzvah in particular to perfection.) Rab

Judah gave his entire mind to his prayer. Rab Sheshet never went about
without his tefillin. Rab Huna bar Joshua never went bare-headed. Rab
Nahman prepared carefully for the three Sabbath meals. Abbay never
failed to serve wine and make a festive day for scholars when a student
had finished studying a tractate (Talmud, Shabbat 118b)
B. You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, (Deut. 6:5)
C. One expresses love of God by performing His commandments lovingly.
There is no com parison between one who serves his master out of love
and one who does so out of fear. One who is motivated by fear might
rebel if the tasks become too difficult (Rashi), but one who serves out of
love is ready to make great sacrifices for the object of his affection. (The
Chumash, ArtScroll, p. 973)
A Little Bar Mitzvah Humor
It was a proud day for Kevin's parents who sat right up in the first row of the
synagogue sanctuary at his Bar Mitzvah. When Kevin completed the Haftarah,
the Rabbi addressed him and then presented him with gifts from the various
organizational arms of the synagogue. The Rabbi then presented Kevin with his
own personal gift. It was an umbrella.
After the singing of "Adon Olam" at the conclusion of the service and before the
Kiddush, Kevin's parents approached the Rabbi totally puzzled and somewhat
upset. "Why did you present Kevin with an umbrella and not a Bible?" they
asked. The Rabbi answered: "Because an umbrella I know he will open."
Shabbat ha-Gadol
This Shabbat before Passover is known as the "Great Sabbath" because of the
reading of a special haftarah from Malakhi, the concluding chapter of the
"Prophets" section of the Hebrew Bible. He prophesies about the arrival of a
"yom gadol"- a great day, of the coming of Elijah, the Prophet and the turning of
"the hearts of parents to their children, and the hearts of children to their
parents".
SHEMINI
April 6, 2002 - 5762

Annual Cycle: Lev. 9:1-11:47 Hertz, p. 443; Etz Hayim, p. 630

Triennial Cycle I: Lev. 9:1-10:11 Hertz, p. 443; Etz Hayim, p. 630
Haftarah: II Samuel 6:1-7:17; Hertz, p. 454; Etz Hayim, p. 643
(9:1-24) Concluding the narrative of the ordination of Aaron and his sons as
kohanim - priests. On the eighth and final day of ceremonies, Moses instructs
Aaron and the Israelites in the proper rituals of consecration. Aaron offers a sin-
offering for himself, then Aaron and his sons offer a sin-offering on behalf of the
people. Moses and Aaron bless the people, and the Kavod (glory) of God
descends upon the Tabernacle.
(10:1-7) Nadav and Avihu, Aaron's sons, offer "strange fire" which God had not
told them to offer, and they die by fire that comes forth from before God.
(10:8-11) Kohanim are prohibited from drinking alcoholic beverages when they
are to serve in the Tabernacle.
(10:12-20) Instructions to the kohanim regarding the various portions of the

offerings that they may eat. Moses finds that Aaron and his sons are not eating
the portions of the sacrifices that belong to them, and he instructs them to do so.
(11:1-12) The signs of kashrut for land animals, and sea creatures.
(11:13-23) A list of forbidden birds and forbidden and permitted insects.
(11:24-47) A list of animals whose dead carcasses can cause ritual defilement,
and the laws regarding ritual impurity and defilement from carcasses of animals
and from reptiles. A general warning to guard against defilement and to be
concerned about ritual purity.
Theme: The Elderly in Our Disposable Society
"Aaron's sons Nadav and Avihu each took his fire pan, put fire in it, and laid
incense on it; and they offered before the Lord alien fire, which He had not
enjoined upon them. And fire came forth from the Lord and consumed them..."
(10:1-2)
On Valuing Elders
A. One of the rabbinic explanations for the tragic death of Aaron's sons,
Nadav and Avihu, is that they had low regard for their elders (ie. Moses
and Aaron). They asked themselves, "When will these old men die? How
long must we wait to lead the congregation?" (Midrash, Leviticus
Rabbah)
B. You shall rise before the aged and show deference to the old; you shall
fear your God: I am the Lord. (Lev. 19:32)
C. Rabbi Johanan would stand up even before an aged heathen peasant,
saying "What storms of fortune has this old man weathered in his
lifetime!" (Talmud, Kiddushin 33a)
D. Regarding old age Rabbi Nachman Bratzlever declared three things:
o Old men bring stability to Israel and give good counsel to to the
people
o The prosperity of a country is in accordance with its treatment of
the aged.
o Elderly men who are popular with young women are usually
without wisdom (Sefer Ha-Middot, p. 66)
E. Rabbi Judah said: Be careful to honor an old man who has forgotten his
learning (from old age), for both the second Ten Commandment tablets
and fragments of the first tablets were placed in the Ark together.
(Talmud, Bava Batra 14b)
F. The Book of Job states, "With the aged is wisdom, and with the length of
days, understanding" (Job 12:12). Regarding this a talmudic sage
declares that "if the old tell you to pull down and the young tell you to
build up, then pull down and do not build up. This is so because the
pulling down of the elderly is constructive and the building of the young
destructive" (Talmud, Megillah 31b)
G. You sense that you are old when you know all the answers but nobody
asks you questions anymore. (From "Over The Hill" Quotations)
Aging and the elderly have emerged as priority issues in America. There are
new concerns which were not being addressed before. In this regard, we might
ask ourselves what should we be considering which might benefit the senior
population of our congregations?
On Elderly Parents
A. Among the storks, the old birds stay in the nests when they are unable to
fly while the children fly... gathering from every quarter provisions for the
needs of their parents. With this example before them, may not human
beings, who take no thought for their parents, deservedly hide their faces
in shame? (Philo Judaeus [Jewish philosopher, c. 20 B.C.E.- 40 C.E.,
Alexandria, Egypt] - On the Decalogue, Sects 115-18)
B. If the mind of his father or his mother is affected, the son should make
every effort to indulge the vagaries of the stricken parent until God will
have mercy on the afflicted. But if the condition of the parent has grown
worse, and the son is no longer able to endure the strain, he may leave
his father or mother and go elsewhere, and delegate others to give the
parent proper care. (Maimonides [Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, known as
RaMBaM (1135-1204). Halachic codifier, philosopher, commentator on
Mishnah. Spain and Egypt.], Mishneh Torah, Ch.6, sect. 10)
Do we "owe" our parents, now that they are elderly? If so, what would they
probably appreciate most?
On Valuing Your Own Old Age
A. When Shmuel asked a certain rabbi what he had taught his pupils that
day, the rabbi replied: "I explained the verse 'You shall rise before the
aged and show deference to the old'". Then Shmuel went to the rabbi's
pupils and questioned them as to what they learned that day. "Our rabbi
taught us how to live," they replied. Shmuel was puzzled so he returned
to the rabbi and asked: "You tell me one thing and your students are
telling me another. Whom shall I believe?" "The verse we studied,"
explained the rabbi, "teaches us that we are to revere our elders but we
should also respect our own old age. If we live in a manner that when we
reach old age, we can truly respect ourselves and have earned the
respect of others then Ashray yaldutenu shelo bishah et ziknatenu.
"Happy is our youth which has not brought shame to our old age' " (S.Z.
Kahana, Heaven on Your Head, p. 131)
B. According to all standards we employ (in our society)... the aged person
is condemned as inferior... May I suggest that man's potential for change
and growth is much greater than we are willing to admit, and that old age
be regarded not as the age of stagnation but as the age of opportunities
for inner growth. (A.J. Heschel, "To Grow in Wisdom", Judaism, Spring
1977)
C. Freed from the cares and responsibilities that have weighed down upon
us through the years, only now can we dedicate ourselves
wholeheartedly to goals beyond ourselves, and make some contribution
to an ideal which we believe. We live in a world replete with problems.
Instead of sitting and wringing our hands, lamenting the good old days
and castigating the new, we can resolve to choose one tiny corner of the
world and help set it aright. (R. Gordis, Leave A Little To God, p.246)
When thinking about retirement, what do you see yourself doing on a daily
basis? Does it include something which lends special worth to your later life?
TAZRIA - METZORA
April 13, 2000 - 5762


Triennial Cycle I: Lev. 12:1-13:59; Hertz, p. 460; Etz Hayim, p. 649
Maftir: Numbers 28:9-15 (Rosh Hodesh); Hertz, p. 695; Etz Hayim, p. 930
Haftarah: Isaiah 66:1-24; Hertz, p. 944; Etz Hayim, p. 1219
Tazria
(12:1-8) The laws governing a woman's state of ritual impurity after childbirth.
(13:1-59) Laws concerning tzara'at, the severe skin disease resembling leprosy.
If judged by the priest to have this affliction, the person was declared unclean
and kept quarantined.
Metzora
(14:1-20) Instructions concerning the ritual of purification and the sacrifices that
the metzora (person afflicted with tzara'at) must bring in order to complete the
process of ritual purification.
(14:21-32) The sacrifices that the person brings if he/she cannot afford the
regular ones.
(14:33-57) Law of tzara'at on a house; summary of chapters 13 & 14.
(15:1-33) Rules governing discharges of various bodily fluids and their effect on
the ritual purity of the individual.
Theme: Illness and Faith
"When the skin of one's body sustains a burn by fire, and the patch from the
burn is a discoloration, either white streaked with red, or white, the priest shall
examine it. If some hair has turned white in the discoloration, which itself
appears to go deeper than the skin, it is leprosy that has broken out in the burn.
The priest (kohen) shall pronounce him unclean; it is a leprous affection." (Lev.
13:24-25)
A. When a person is in pain, what does the Divine Presence say? "My head
aches. My arm aches." (Talmud, Sanhedrin 46a)
B. The Torah gave permission to the physician to heal as it is written: "he
shall cause him to be thoroughly" (Exod. 21:19); moreover, this is a
religious precept, and it is included in the category of saving life. (Yosef
Karo, Shulhan Aruch, Y.D. 336:1)
C. "Heal us, O Lord, and we shall be healed. Help us and save us, for You
are our glory. Grant perfect healing for all our afflictions. For You are the
faithful and merciful God of healing. Praised are You, Lord, Healer of his
people Israel." (from the Amidah prayer in the weekday liturgy)
D. On September 11, ten days before my 47th birthday, I was diagnosed
with leukemia. Until that day, I had assumed that health and sickness
were separate, distinct terrains. I've since learned that those boundaries
don't really exist. Instead, the world is composed of the sick and the not-
yet-sick. (Paul Cowan, "In the Land of the Sick," The Village Voice, May
17, 1988)
E. An illustration of the estrangement of our people... Rarely does one find a
prayer book or Bible near the bedside of a Jewish patient. But ever so
often the rabbi is petitioned, "Pray for me." (Sol Landau, Length of Our
Days: Focus on Judaism and the Personal Life, 1961)
F. I'm not going to be alive much longer, so I'm planning my demise and
memorial service. I've always admired the Jewish religion and I want to
acknowledge that I'm Jewish. The only way now is through a memorial
service which ties to my background and who I am. (Sheldon Golub,
quoted in "AIDS - How can Judaism Help?", Hadassah,
August/September 1992)
G. If the universal experience of illness were addressed by the Jewish
community, I think any number of people would find their way back to a
Jewish connection. (Simha Weintraub, rabbinic director of National
Center for Jewish Healing, in Newsday, May 7, 1996)
H. Major illness is a life cycle event, bringing with it questions of faith,
spiritual longings and the need for community. If medicine speaks the
language of cure, then religion speaks the language of healing. (Avis D.
Miller, Sh'ma, May 27, 1994)
I. Perhaps the central healing practice which the (Jewish) tradition teaches
is the mitzvah of bikkur holim, visiting those who are ill. There is a natural
tendency toward isolation at times of illness. Not only are we often
physically displaced from our usual roles as workers, parents and
community members, but we often experience psychological isolation as
well. The mitzvah of bikkur holim mitigates the existential aloneness and
abandonment that illness often brings. (Nancy Flam, "Healing of Body;
Healing of Spirit", Sh'ma, Oct. 3, 1997)
J. A notice in The Jewish Week, December, 2000: Singer-songwriter
Debbie Friedman will lead a healing service on Thursday evening... etc.
The service features prayer, reflection, readings and music and is
designed for those looking for ways to handle stress, illness or loss with
renewed energy and hope.
Debbie Freidman's "Mi Shebeirach" Prayer
Mi She-bei-rach a-vo-tei-nu
M'kor ha-bra-chah l'i-mo-tei-nu
May the source of strength
Who blessed the ones before us
Help us find the courage
To make our lives a blessing,
And let us say, Amen
Mi She-bei-rach a-vo-tei-nu
M'kor ha-bra-chah l'i-mo-tei-nu
Bless those in need of healing
With r'fu-ah sh'lei-mah
The renewal of body,
The renewal of spirit,
And let us say, Amen.
(Music by Debbie Freidman; lyrics by Debbie Freidman & Drorah Setel)
"Faith healing" is a pretty touchy subject for some people. Yet we notice that
recently there seems to be a growing interest among Jews in what is called the
"Healing Service." Some Jewish worshipers maintain that more emphasis
should be placed on prayers for healing; that a one or two minute mi shebeirach
prayer at the Torah Service is simply inadequate.
If more prayers for healing were to be introduced into the regular worship
service, where would you place them? Perhaps, it would make more sense to
hold a separate gathering for such prayers on a weekly or monthly basis at the
synagogue. What are your thoughts on the matter?
Some Ancient Observations About Health
A. When someone sees white leprous-like spots on his skin, what should he
do? Should he examine them himself? "No", the Torah advises. He
should go to the Kohen, who will look at them and determine if they are
the disease tzora'at; because a person does not see his own faults (Talm.
Negaim, Chap. 2, Mishnah 2)
B. There are eight things that taken in large quantities are bad for a person
but in small quantities are helpful: travel, sex, wealth, work, wine, sleep,
hot bath and bloodletting. (Talm. Gittin 70a)
C. Up to forty, food; after forty, drink. (Talm. Shabbat 108b)
AHAREI MOT - KEDOSHIM
April 20, 2002 - 5762


Haftarah: Amos 9:7-15; Hertz, p. 509; Etz Hayim, p. 705
(16:1-28) The order of worship on Yom Kippur, including the sacrifices and the
practice of the scapegoat.
(16:29-34) Laws and practices of Yom Kippur, including the command to fast.
(17:1-16) The prohibition of slaughtering animals any place except the Altar; the
prohibition of eating blood, or eating any animal which has died (nevelah) or
been torn (trefah).
(18:1-30) A warning to keep away from all idolatrous practices; a list of the
categories of forbidden marriage and other forbidden sexual relationships,
followed by a general warning to avoid abominable behavior and follow God's
ways.
(19:1-14) Laws of holiness, including the mitzvah of imitating God: "You shall be
holy, for I the Lord your God am holy."
(19:15-22) Miscellaneous mitzvot which express the overall theme of this Torah
portion, including just judicial proceedings, love of one's neighbor, and
respecting elders.
(19:23-37) Other mitzvot, including "orlah", the prohibition of eating a tree's fruit
until its fourth year; prohibitions of pagan and occult practices; the requirements
to respect the aged, treat the stranger fairly, and have honest weights and
measures.
(20:1-27) Miscellaneous prohibitions and a concluding passage on the laws of

holiness which sanctify the Jewish people and make them distinctive among the
nations.
Discussion Theme: What/Who Is A "Scapegoat"?
"Aaron shall take the two he-goats and... he shall place lots upon the two goats,
one marked for the Lord and the other marked for Azazel. Aaron shall bring
forward the goat designated by lot for the Lord, which he is to offer as a sin
offering; while the goat designated by lot for Azazel shall be left standing alive
before the Lord, to make expiation with it and to send it off to the wilderness for
Azazel." (Lev. 16:8-10)
"Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat and confess over
it all the iniquities and transgressions of the Israelites, whatever their sins,
putting them on the head of the goat; and it shall be sent off to the wilderness
through a designated man. Thus the goat shall carry on it all the iniquities to an
inaccessible region; and the goat shall be set free in the wilderness." (16:21-22)
"He who set the Azazel-goat free shall wash his clothes and bath his body in
water: after that he may reenter the camp." (16:26)
A. There are three principal interpretations of the term Azazel:

1. It characterizes the animal. This interpretation is based upon the
word which may be rendered to mean ez ozel - "a goat that
departs" or (e)scape goat (hence, the word "scapegoat"). This is
the view of the Septuagint.
2. It denotes the place to which the animal was dispatched. This is
the view of most rabbinic commentators. Saadiah ben Yosef Gaon
(Babylonia, 882 - 942 C.E.) renders it as "rugged cliff". The
inference is that it was a place that was craggy, with an
abundance of sharp stones. The goat would certainly plunge to its
death.
3. Most modern biblical commentators agree that it is the name of an
evil demon inhabiting the desert. In the "Book of I Enoch", Azaz'el
appears as a ringleader of rebel angels who seduces mankind.
Accordingly, in this ceremony, iniquity is being cast out into the
mythic region of Azaz'el or evil. (Author)
B. There seems to be a connection between the scapegoat and the
(castigated) cult of se'irim in Lev. 17:7 - "that they may no longer offer
their sacrifices to goat-demons after whom they stray." This was
perceived by Abraham Ibn Ezra (Spain-Italy, 1089-1164 C.E.). In a
cryptic comment he states: "If you are able to understand the mystery of
the word "Azazel" you will comprehend both its mystery and the mystery
of its name, for it has analogues in Scripture. And I will disclose to you a
bit of a mystery: When you understand thirty-three, you will know it." (It
so happens that) Lev.17:7, which refers to the riddance of the ancient
cult of the se'irim, is the thirty-third verse after Lev 16:8 where the name
Azazel is first mentioned. (Baruch Levine, JPS Torah Commentary, pp.
250-251)
C. The rites of the scapegoat have frequently been compared with those
prescribed for the treatment of certain ailments and infections. Thus, an
individual afflicted with the symptoms of tsara'at, a skin disease, was to
be purified by means of a complex ritual involving two birds, one to be
slaughtered and the other to be sent forth into the open sky after being
dipped in the blood of the first. (Ibid. see Lev. 14:49f for a description of
the ritual)
D. There are many different interpretations of the ritual of the scapegoat.
Moses Maimonides ("RaMBaM", Spain - Egypt, 1135-1204) states that
the scapegoat is an active allegory meant to make the sinner understand
that his sins will inevitably lead him to a "wasteland". Isaac Abarbanel
(Spain-Italy, 1437-1508) sees the two goats as reminders of brothers
Esau and Jacob. Esau was a hunter in the wilderness, while Jacob's life
was marked "for God". (Ronald Isaacs, Sidrah Reflections, p. 148)
E. The term "scapegoat" was apparently coined by William Tyndale, the first
great English Bible translator. Thereafter, it came to be used for a person,
animal, orobject to which impurity or guilt of a community was formally
transferred and then removed...in common usage today, a scapegoat is
someone whom people blame for their own misfortunes, and even for
their faults and sins - though the original notion of a scapegoat actually
included the acknowledgment by the community of its own
transgressions. (Bernard Bamberger, W. Gunther Plaut, Editor, The
Torah: A Modern Commentary, p.860)
We now have a good deal of background for our discussion of the "Azaz'el"
ritual. Do you have any insights that might be added?
My colleague, Rabbi Philip Graubart, has suggested that though, according to

our tradition, we may repent from our sins by "casting them out", we are
cautioned by the "Azaz'el" ritual to remember that the realm of evil "croucheth
by the door" - that it is still there, quite near to us. Evil is a constant. It's
something that you have to deal with in life. You can't ignore it and hope it will
go away.
Scapegoats. Who would you say were deemed as "scapegoats" in the past?
Who appear to be the "scapegoats" in our world today?
Who could possibly be blamed as "scapegoats" in the future?
What kind of circumstances would you say creates "scapegoatism" in the

world?
Is it an inevitable"human condition" or can it be prevented? How?

EMOR
April 27, 2002 - 5762

Annual Cycle: Lev.21:1-24:23; Hertz, p. 513; Etz Hayim, p. 717

Haftarah: Ezekiel 44:15-31; Hertz, p. 528; Etz Hayim, p. 734
(21:1-22:15) Prohibitions against the priest (kohen) coming near a dead person.
The marital laws of the priest, and the special holiness of the High Priest
(Kohen Gadol) concerning marriage and bereavement.
(21:16-22:16) Laws concerning a kohen who has been rendered ritually impure.
Who is permitted and forbidden to eat the meat of the sacrifices.
(22:17-33) Defects that disqualify an animal from being sacrificed, and other
related laws.
(23:1-34) Laws concerning the holiness of Shabbat, Passover, the bringing of

the first omer offering, the counting of the omer, and the holiday of Shavuot.
Laws concerning Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot.
(24:1-9) The Ner Tamid (Eternal Light) and the Showbread, twelve loaves left
on display in the Tabernacle.
(24:10-16) An incident of blasphemy and the punishment of the blasphemer:

death by stoning. The law of blasphemy for the future.
(24:17-23) Other laws which have major penalties - murder and causing severe
injury.
Theme: Shame, Come Back, Shame!
"You shall not profane My holy name" (Lev. 23:32)
A. Not to profane the Divine Name (hillul ha-Shem) imposes an

unconditional sacred obligation on every Jew. Any act by a Jew which is
a defamation of God's name is considered a sin. A Jew can avoid such
defamatory behavior by cultivating the human emotion of shame which
prevents him/her from discrediting God and Judaism. (Author)
B. Where there's no shame before people, there's no fear of God. (Yiddish
proverb)
C. "Ah harpeh und ah shandeh far der goyim!" --- "Oy, ah shandeh far der
shechainim!" (Yiddish variations on same theme)
D. Jerusalem was destroyed because its people had no shame. (Ulla ben
Ishmael, Talmud, Sabbath 119a)
E. The chief of all ten virtues is a sense of embarrassment. (Solomon Ibn
Gabirol, Poet, Spain, 1021-1058, Mivhar ha-Peninim, #48)
F. Rabbi Maurice D. Solomon once wrote: In those tearful High Holiday
prayers through which a Jew sought to retrace his lost tracks, we read of
a strong promise by G-d - "If your sins be as red as yarn, they shall be
whitened as snow." Why this color scheme of red and white? Of what
significance is the color of our misdeeds? The prerequisite based on
color is indeed important, as if to say; "If your sins will make your face
red, only then will they (your sins) be cleansed to be a pure white" - that
is, if your face knows how to redden, to blush with shame, then and then
only can there be hope for teshuvah. (The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle)
G. Shamelessness continues to saunter down Main Street, bold as brass.
Oprah, Ricki, Maury, Montel, Phil, Geraldo and so on have created a new
genre of entertainment by encouraging their guests to confess infidelity,
bestiality, sadism, costumed sex, child beating and so on - not as
confessions, but indignant boasts that attack the whole idea of shame.
(Henry Allen, "Perspectives", Networker, July/August, 1996)
H. While the rest of the world still offered human sacrifices to their gods,
and engaged in sacred prostitution, Judaism condemned such practices
by unabashedly pointing a finger of guilt at such shameful rites. The
Jewish Faith strove to bring the Jewish people, indeed the world, to a
new level of morality. Debauchery was innately unacceptable to the
Jewish people for it was considered to be an open affront to God's "good
Name" since we are a reflection of His image. Oppressing the poor or the
stranger in our midst or taking advantage of a widow or oppressing an
orphan were all considered to be acts which denied God's Name since
God Himself promised to intervene on their behalf. And so, over the
course of time, as adherents of the Jewish Faith, we have developed a
religious sensitivity to that which is shameful in all of its forms - in the
world surrounding us and in our own conduct. Simply put, as Jews, we
have come to accept the sacred obligation from the Torah to know when
to feel ashamed. (David Blumenfeld, High Holiday Sermon, 5757-1996)
I. The sting of shame is the only pain the ego cannot bear and the only
blow that may cause its forces to shrink and retreat... Unto Thee, O Lord,
belongs righteousness, but unto us shamefacedness. (Daniel 9:7)
J. "Why is this so? Said Rabbi Nehemiah: Because even when we perform
righteousness, we survey our actions and are filled with shame" (Exodus
Rabbah 41:1; Abraham J. Heschel, God In Search of Man, p. 401-2)
Some people just don't have any sense of shame at all as is reflected in the
following anecdote:
It seems that a particularly wealthy Jew had never contributed to the Jewish
Federation/UJA campaign, though he was asked to do so many times over the
years. So one evening a special high-level delegation went over to his place to
solicit a donation from him. After a few social niceties they finally confronted him
directly and said: "Look, Morris, we know everything about your financial
situation. Not only do you own this magnificent mansion outright, we know
about your incredible place in Palm Beach and about your gorgeous chalet in
Switzerland. You drive a Rolls Royce, your wife has a Mercedes and we know
that you opened twelve new stores this year. So we truly anticipate a very
substantial contribution from you this year to the campaign."
The wealthy man, Morris, sat through the entire speech totally unperturbed.
When they finished, he responded as follows: "You think you checked into my
background so deeply? - Well, let me tell you, did you also find out that my
mother has been in the hospital for the past few weeks with a serious heart
condition? Do you have any idea what 'around-the-clock' nurses cost? Did you
find out about my uncle who is in a mental institution and absolutely has no
insurance? And how about my widowed sister, who has seven children, three of
whom need extraordinary medical attention?
Well I just want you to know... if I don't give any money to them, what makes
you think that I'm going to give any to you!!"
Punchline
Man is the only animal that blushes or needs to. (Mark Twain, Following the
Equator, Vol. I, Pudd'nhead Wilson, Chap. 27)
BEHAR-BEHUKOTAI
May 4, 2002 - 5762


Triennial Cycle I: Lev. 25:1-38; Hertz, p. 531; Etz Hayim, p. 738
Haftarah: Jeremiah 16:19 -17:14; Hertz, p. 551; Etz Hayim, p. 762
Behar
(25:1-7) The land shall be sanctified through the shemittah, the Sabbatical year
of agricultural rest.
(25:8-17) Also, every 50th year is a Jubilee, in which all land and slaves are to
be released. The land returns to its original owners, the slaves are freed. Thus,
no land is sold forever; it is in effect a lease until the next Jubilee, which must
be reckoned in the price.
(25:18-22) Faithful observance of these laws is to be rewarded with ample

crops in the sixth year of the seventh cycle, so that there will be enough food for
two years.
(25:23-38) Even between Jubilee years, families must help impoverished

relatives regain their holdings. An Israelite or resident alien who becomes
impoverished should be loaned money at no interest.
(25:39-55) Laws limiting the power of a slave owner.
(26:1-2) Laws against idolatry, and for the observance of Shabbat.
Behukotai
(26:3-13) The blessings of peace and prosperity Israel will receive if they follow
the way of Torah and mitzvot.
(26:14-46) The curses and punishments that Israel will suffer if they violate the
covenant, including defeat in war, famine and exile. It concludes with words of
comfort; if the people of Israel will return to God in repentance, God will forgive
them.
(27:1-13) Laws concerning a vow to donate the valuation of a person and of an

animal to the Temple. The Torah sets forth specific shekel amounts for different
aged males and females. Pledges of animals to the sanctuary.
(27:14-29) Laws concerning the redemption of houses and fields, the

redemption of the firstborn, and the devotion of property to the Temple.
(27:30-34) Laws concerning the tithe of fruit, sheep and cattle; the conclusion of
the Book of Leviticus.
Discussion Theme: When Earth (and I) "Gets Weary"
"The seventh year the land shall have a sabbath of the Lord; you shall not sow
your field or prune your vineyard. You shall not reap the aftergrowth of your
harvest or gather the grapes of your untrimmed vines; it shall be a year of
complete rest for the land." (Lev. 25:4-5)
Why A Sabbatical for Earth?
A. The sabbatical year may have been of practical benefit in preventing the
exhaustion of the soil, but that was not the intent of the law. It was rather
an expression of the Sabbath idea; and, like the weekly Sabbath, has no
parallel in the other cultures of the ancient Near East (Bernard
Bamberger, The Torah, A Modern Commentary, ed. W. Gunther Plaut, p.
941)
B. The land is personified. It, too, tires and requires rest. (Baruch Levine,
JPS Torah Commentary, Leviticus, p. 170)
C. The fallow, as described in the Torah (above and elsewhere), has
nothing to do with crop rotation and does not seem to have had any
agricultural value, such as that of replenishing the soil; no other crop was
planted that year nor were the fields worked as this was strictly forbidden
during the Sabbatical year... Martin Noth is undoubtedly correct in
considering it an example of restitution integrum, when the land was
permitted to return to its undisturbed rest. (David Lieber, "Sabbatical
Year and Jubilee", Encyclopedia Judaica, Vol. 14, p. 577)
Why A Sabbatical For Us Humans
A. Thousands of years of Jewish experience about these matters is

embodied in the wisdom of Shabbat and the sabbatical year - a time to
work and a time to rest, a time to build and a time to heal - so our work
does not destroy us. (Arthur Waskow, Moment, June 1992)
B. Every commandment in our Torah has a physical as well as a spiritual
meaning. Man must not waste his body. He must not indulge in things
that are harmful to his body. He must not cramp seventy years' life in one
year. He must not become over-civilized, all shut up and covered by
thicknesses of polish upon his natural self. At intervals, he must revert to
his natural state (as land does in its sabbatical). Work is a blessing;
overwork is a curse. Production is a necessity; over-production is a
ruination. Voluntary work is a delight; slavery (to one's vocation) is a
dungeon of darkness... Even as the soul must have freedom, the body
must have rest. Providing the time to be able to learn (i.e. Torah) affords
a man with what his soul really craves. (Morris Mandel, Leo Gartenberg,
Treasures From the Torah, pp.194-5)
We recognize that the observance of the Sabbath offers us the opportunity to

allow our fatigued bodies and minds to rest. So too, we are commanded to
allow our workers and animals to rest. Now here, in our Torah portion, we see
that even the land "needs a break" - every seven years.
It is interesting to note an associated practice which developed among Jews in

talmudic times when agricultural work lessened during sabbatical years and at
certain seasons. Semi-annual gatherings were held during the spring and fall to
which the name "Kallah" was given. The Kallah functioned like a popular
university, attracting scholars and laymen alike from all over - who came for
extended study.
Could that be a possibility in our time, of organizing extended study "retreats" -

(my colleague, Dr. Morton K. Siegel insists and rightly so, on calling them
instead "advances") for lay people? Certainly, "Elder-Hostel" study programs
have taken hold nicely. So too, the week-long IMUN and SULAM Programs of
the United Synagogue have been enormously popular. And more recently - we
see the marvelous success of our "Yeshiva" for adult study at the Fuchsberg
Center in Jerusalem. Such programs are for extended periods of study.
Returning to this week's parashah, we see the possibility of recapturing the

grand idea of a "sabbatical" for lay people. In some other religions (for instance,
Mormonism) lay-adherents take time off to intensify their faith. How realistic is
this for us? How can we accomplish this objective through our synagogues,
seminaries, camps, conference centers, etc.?
We conclude the Book of Leviticus on this Shabbat. Let us rise as the last
verse of the Torah portion is read today, and join together in chanting;
Chazak, chazak, v'nitchazek "Be strong, be strong, and let us strengthen
one another."
BEMIDBAR
May 11, 2002 - 5762

Annual Cycle: Num. 1:1 - 4:20; Hertz, p. 568; Etz Hayim, p. 769
Triennial Cycle I: Num. 1:1 - 1:54; Hertz, p. 568; Etz Hayim, p. 769
Haftarah: I Samuel 20:18-42 (Mahar Hodesh); Hertz, p. 948; Etz Hayim, p.
1215
(Num. 1:1-47) God orders Moses and Aaron to take a census of the male
Israelites of military age, 20 years and older. Along with their designated
assistants from each tribe, they take the census; the grand total, except for the
Levites, is 603,550.
(1:48-54) Special tasks of the Levites in caring for the Tabernacle.
(2:1-3:13) The organization, order, and physical layout of the camping and
travel of the Israelites in the desert. The total enrollment of the Israelites, minus
the Levites, is reiterated, and we learn of the special enrollment of the Levites,
their tasks, and how they came to replace the first-born sons.
(3:14-39) The enrollment of the Levites from the age of one month and up,
according to their respective clans, descended from Levi's sons Gershon,
Kohath, and Merari.
(3:40-51) Census of first-born males; their replacement by the Levites.
(4:1-20) A second census of the Levites between the ages of 30 and 50, this
time in order to determine the number needed for their tasks during the period
of wilderness wandering. The Kohathites census and their appointment to the
special task of carrying the holy vessels.
Discussion Theme: I'm a Jew and Darn Proud Of It
Take a census of the Israelite community (Numbers 1:2)
A. "Take a census.." Literal translation is "lift the head." This rendering led
Rabbi Menahem Nahum of Chernobyl to comment, "Let the Israelites
hold their heads high in pride as they contemplate who their ancestors
were."
B. "Lift up (your) head" may suggest two interpretations. It may mean that
the Jew must live his/her life with head erect. He/she must reflect the
dignity and self-respect of a loyal member of the House of Israel. "Lift up
(your) head" may also mean to exalt the mind, respect learning, and
pursue knowledge. These two interpretations are intimately related.
Knowledge of our faith and pride in our heritage are essentials for a rich
and creative Jewish life. (R. Hillel E. Silverman, Rabbinical Assembly
Homiletics Service, 1989)
C. I am a Jew because my faith demands no abdication of the mind
I am a Jew because my faith demands all the devotion of my heart
I am a Jew because wherever there is suffering, the Jew weeps
I am a Jew because whenever there is despair, the Jew hopes
I am a Jew because our faiths's message is the oldest and the newest
I am a Jew because the promise of our faith is a universal promise
I am a Jew because for the Jew the world is not complete; people must
complete it... (Abridged. Edmond Fleg, 1874 - 1963, France)
D. When I was growing up as the only Jew in my high school, I discovered
that I was representing all the Jewish people in everything I did. I was
changed by that experience. I knew they would judge all the Jewish
people by the few Jews they knew. (Eli N. Evans, The Lonely Days Were
Sundays, Reflections of a Jewish Southerner, 1993)
E. For our generation of Jews, this crisis generation doesn't attract us. It's
all negative. I'm not going to be a Jew because six million Jews died in
the Holocaust. I'm not going to be a Jew because Israel's threatened. (R.
Neil Weinberg, in Embracing the Stranger,, Ellen Jaffe McClain, 1995)
F. For too many years, we have expressed ourselves, not by learning
Judaism and the pride that comes from that, but by writing checks for
Israel and feeling pride in that country and its mighty army. We face
extinction in the Diaspora, that's the real threat. (Edgar M. Bronfman, The
Making of a Jew, 1996)
G. I have no problem saying this; I've been doing it for thirty years. I am first
and foremost a Jew, only then an Israeli. (Ariel Sharon, Jerusalem Post,
November 3, 1995)
H. In the 50's and 60's, we made people feel Jewish by talking about Israel
and the Holocaust. In the 90's and the 21st century, we have to make
people take Israel and the Holocaust seriously by teaching them to be
serious Jews. (R. Harold S. Kushner, interview in 92nd Street Y Review,
Winter, 1995)
I. Jews were not put here just to fight anti-Semitism. (R. Joseph B.
Soloveitchik)
J. The paradigm today is no longer one of being, but of meaning; the
question no longer how, but why: Why be a Jew? (Rabbi Rachel Cowan,
The New Spirituality in Jewish Life, Cummings Foundation Annual
Report 1994)
It has been said that the two "hot button" issues which generate the strongest
reaction among Jews today are: anti-Semitism and Israel. Even those Jews who
are far removed from religion will react, at least viscerally, to openly virulent
statements or acts in both of these areas.
But the question arises as to whether these two issues are influential enough or
even valid enough in forging/fostering a positive Jewish identity in our time.
How do we develop a sense of Jewish pride for the next generation of Jews?
Are you familiar with the "Israel Birthright Program"? It is a program especially
geared to bringing college age youth over to Israel for an organized visit at no
cost to them. What do you think about that approach? Can such a program
have a truly tramsformative effect on young people - so much so that they
return home deeply and permanently proud of being Jewish?
What else do you think could create a sense of Jewish pride and identity for
today's younger generation of Jews?
NASO
May 25, 2002 - 5762

Annual Cycle: Num. 4:21-7:89; Hertz, p. 586; Etz Hayim, p.791

Triennial Cycle I: Num. 4:21- 5:10; Hertz, p. 586; Etz Hayim, p. 791
Haftarah: Judges 13:2-25; Hertz, p. 602; Etz Hayim, p. 812
(4:21-49) The continuation of the census of the Levites, and their

responsibilities in serving at the Tabernacle.
(5:1-4) A short list of certain ritually impure individuals who were to be exiled
from the camp.
(5:5-10) Laws of theft and restitution.
(5:11-31) The laws of the unfaithful wife, the sotah, and the testing ordeal to
which she was subjected.
(6:1-21) The laws of the Nazirite, a person who took a vow to accept extra
restrictions upon himself: abstaining from alcoholic beverages, not shaving or
cutting his hair, and other extra ritual purity restrictions.
(6:22-27) The Priestly Blessing.
(7:1-89) The Nesi'im, the chieftains of each of the 12 tribes, bring a joint gift,
carts, and oxen for the transportation of the Tabernacle when it is disassembled
for travel. Then, on 12 consecutive days, they each bring identical gifts for the
Tabernacle.
Discussion Theme: Mental Theft and Plagiarism
When a man or woman commits a wrong (theft) toward a fellow man, thus
breaking faith with the Lord, and that person realizes his guilt. he shall confess
the wrong that he has done. He shall make restitution for his guilt in full and add
one-fifth to it, giving it to him whom he has wronged (Numbers 5:7)
A. Why is thievery deemed to be so egregious a crime that it is singled out

here and described as "breaking faith with God"? In answer to this
question, I recall what I once learned in a talmud class. Our teacher
asked us whether an armed robber is to be considered worse than a thief.
Naturally, one would be inclined to say that an armed robber is worse.
But it was pointed out to us that though both are criminal acts and the
armed robber is clearly more dangerous, it is the stealthy thief who is
considered worse from a religious perspective. The reason? Because the
thief clearly lacks faith in God, thinking that he can sneak around without
being seen. (Author)
B. A form of thievery that is considered particularly bad according to our
tradition is the stealing of another person's trust under false pretenses. In
Leviticus 19:11, we read: "You shall not steal; you shall not deal
deceitfully with one another."
C. Samuel said: "The Commandment 'Do not steal' includes the prohibition
against stealing a man's mind with misleading words. No one may steal a
person's mind, not even a pagan's" (Talm. Hullin 94a)
D. There are seven sorts of thieves, and the first of them all is he who steals
the mind of (i.e. deceives) another person For example, he who makes a
show of wanting to give gifts to someone, knowing full well that the
person will not accept them (Talm. BK, vii, 8) or a person who presses
someone to come to a lavish meal, while knowing in advance that the
other person will not accept the invitation. (Talm, BB, vi, 14)
E. A merchant may not combine different grades of produce in one bin. A
wine salesman whose wine has become diluted with water may not sell it
unless he makes it known to his customer, and in any event, he may not
sell it to another vendor, even if he makes full disclosure, for fear that the
second salesman will deceive his customers. (Talm. BM, iv:11)
F. What follows here is an example of how our Jewish ancestors strictly
avoided benefiting from any form of behavior which even mistakenly
might have been derived by deceiving others. It shows how far reaching
and how serious the prohibition of mental theft was taken.
Rabbi Safra was once saying his morning prayers when a customer
came by to buy his donkey. Because he refused to interrupt his prayers,
Rabbi Safra did not answer. Interpreting the rabbi's silence as
disapproval of the price offered, the buyer offered a higher amount.
When the rabbi still did not answer, the buyer raised his offer again. After
the rabbi finished his prayers, he said to the buyer, "I had decided to sell
you my donkey at the first price you mentioned, but I did not want to
interrupt my prayers to speak to you. Therefore, you may have it at that
price - I will not accept the higher bids." (Aha of Shabha, Babylonian
scholar, 680-752 C.E.,
She'iltot, section 252; quoted from F. Klagsburn, Voices of Wisdom,
p.308)
On Plagiarism
A. "Whoever reports a saying in the name of its originator brings the world
toward redemption" (Pirkei Avot 6:6)
B. From Judaism's perspective, a person who takes credit for a statement
made by another is a double thief, misappropriating the credit that
belongs to the statement's originator, while deceiving listeners into
thinking higher of his intelligence than he deserves. (J. Telushkin, Jewish
Wisdom, p.52)
Plagiarism, as we are all aware, has been around for a long time. With the
advent of the world wide web internet and its "search engines" and with the
ability to "copy" or "cut" and "paste" on our computers - do you think that a new
and higher level of plagiarism has or will come about?
What temptations in this regard exist for students in school? In other

institutions? As descendants of a religious tradition that militated against
"mental theft" in any form, how seriously should we take this new form of
misappropriation?
BEHA'ALOTCHA
June 1, 2002 - 5762

Annual Cycle: Num. 8:1-12:16; Hertz, p. 605; Etz Hayim, p. 816

Triennial Cycle I: Num. 8:1-9:14; Hertz, p. 605; Etz Hayim, p. 816
Haftarah: Zechariah 2:14-4:7; Hertz, p. 620; Etz Hayim, p. 836
(8:1-4) Aaron is commanded to light the menorah in the Tabernacle.
(8:5-26) The Levites are purified and dedicated for their initial term of service in
the Tabernacle.
(9:1-14) The first Paschal lamb sacrifice, and instructions regarding the "Second
Passover" a month later for those unable to observe it at the proper time.
(9:15-23) The cloud over the Tabernacle tells when to travel and to rest.
(10:1-10) Two silver trumpets used to signal various matters.
(10:11-34) After one year less ten days, the Israelites leave Mount Sinai and
travel according to a set order.
(10:35-36) The two sayings called out by Moses when the Ark traveled.
(11:1-15) The complaints of the people at Taberah, and then about the
monotony of the Manna. Moses despairs of leading them.
(11:16-35) God gives a share of His spirit to the 70 elders so that they can help
Moses lead the people. God sends quail for meat. God then strikes the people
with a plague out of disgust with their unrestrained cravings.
(12:1-16) Moses marries a Kushite woman and endures criticism from Aaron
and Miriam. Miriam is punished by God, but at Aaron's urging Moses prays for
her healing. After being quarantined outside the camp for seven days, she
returns.
Discussion Theme: "Going Too Far" With Ritual Objects?
Now this is how the Menorah was made: it was a hammered work of
gold,hammered from the base to flower petal. According to the pattern that the
Lord had shown Moses, so was the Menorah made, (Num. 8:4)
Note: The menorah, originally one among many objects in the Tent of Meeting,
has become one of the most familiar symbols of Judaism. Today we use an
eight-branched menorah - now known more precisely as a hanukkiyyah - to
commemorate the eight days of the Hanukkah miracle. (Etz Hayim, p.816)
A. "And Aaron did so..." (Num 8:3) Aaron was praised because he did not
change what he was told to do. (Yehudah Leib Alter, the Gerer Rebbe,
Sefat Emet)
B. How to make a menorah... What shape should the menorah be? As long
as the flames are kept distinct and do not merge to form a bonfire, one
has a choice of shapes... (The (first) Jewish Catalog, compiled and
edited by R. Siegel, M. Strassfeld, S. Strassfeld, 1973, p. 133)
C. Highly recommended: forage in the woods to find your own menorah...
The exposed root of a fallen tree, fingers pointing in various directions, is
striking and lends itself beautifully to adaption as a menorah... (Ibid)
Creativity in the fashioning of ritual objects or paraphernalia is certainly not

discouraged in Jewish religious life. In fact, the practice of hiddur mitzvah - "the
beautification of a mitzvah" - has much positive support in our tradition. A
succah, for instance, may meet the basic structural requirements specified by
Jewish religious law but more highly commended is a succah which meets
those requirements and additionally, is beautifully embellished with festive
decorations. A tallit may be fashioned very simply of cloth with fringes affixed in
its four corners. On the other hand, an atarah - "crown" may be fashioned for
the edge of one side of the tallit, lending it a special beauty. So too, are there
numerous creative examples and a broad variety of Havdalah spiceboxes.
Returning to the Menorah as described in this week's parashah, we note that it

certainly was fashioned in a manner which reflected an appreciation for
distinctive beauty. But emphasis is made that in fashioning it, Aaron was
somewhat constrained to do so in a specified manner.
Which brings us to a consideration of a trend in our time in the fashioning of

Jewish religious objects. Take the hanukkiyyah first. Clearly, in addition to
artfully designed ones, there is a growing tendency to developing "kitschy"
types. Some, we must say, are actually cute though with a biblical motif (eg.
animals entering Noah's Ark) and are obviously geared for use by children. But
then there are other types of hanukkiyyot There are those, for instance, that are
modeled upon a sports motif with baseball mitts, or basketball hoops (and for
grown-up children - golf club bags) that serve as candle holders. Some
hanukkiyyot have an assortment of well-known Disney characters holding the
candles aloft. Recently, I saw a hanukkiyyah displayed in a Judaica store which
had the New York skyline as a backdrop for the candles. Could this be a "post-
9/11 motif" that is supposed to tie in with the Hasmoneans and Hanukkah?
I don't know how you feel but I think we should maintain a certain sense of
propriety when it comes to Jewish religious items.
SHELAH LECHA
June 8, 2002 - 5762


Triennial Cycle I: Num. 13:1- 14:10; Hertz, p. 623; Etz Hayim, p. 840
Haftarah: Joshua 2:1-24; Hertz, p. 635; Etz Hayim, p. 856
(13:1-25) Moses sends 12 men, one from each tribe, to scout the land of
Canaan, and to bring a report about the nature of the land and its inhabitants.
After 40 days, the spies return bringing spectacular examples of Canaan's
produce.
(13:26-14:10) Due to the report from ten spies that the inhabitants of the land
are too powerful, the Israelites panic and rebel against Moses and Aaron, even
to the point of wanting to return to Egypt! Joshua and Caleb plead with the
people not to believe the negative spies' report and rebel against God. The
people threaten to stone them.
(14:11-45) God threatens to destroy the people, but Moses intercedes. God
relents, but decrees that this after 40 years of Joshua and Caleb. A group of
Israelites test God's threat by trying to attack Canaan, and are repulsed by the
Canaanites.
(15:1-7) Laws concerning sacrifices.
(15:8-31) Further laws on sacrifices; treatment of resident strangers; the law of

challah, where a portion of the dough for bread is to be given to the priests. The
required offering when a whole community sinned unintentionally.
(15:32-36) An incident of Shabbat violation for which the offender was put to
death.
(15:37-41) The laws of tzitzit, the fringes at the corners of the garments, which
are to remind us of God's commandments.
Discussion Theme: The Hebrew/Yiddish Sources of English
"The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Send men that they may spy out the land of
Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelite people..." (Numbers 13:1-2)
The translation "spy out" (above) is derived from the Hebrew root - tur. The
Akkadian (Old Babylonian) cognate is turu - meaning "to turn around" as in
exploring, searching around - hence, spying.
This ancient biblical word - tur - has been adopted into common English usage
today (via the Old French tourner - to turn) as in "tour" and "tourist". Touring
implies turning around looking at things of interest - checking things out (as did
the Israelites who spied out, "toured" so to speak, the land of Canaan).
Interestingly, the Hebrew root tur is but one of many Hebrew words that have
come down to us and which are used in modern English. A fascinating study on
this subject was done by Isaac E. Mozeson and was published in a book called
"The Word: The Dictionary that Reveals the Hebrew Sources of English" (Jason
Aronson, 1995).
In his introduction, Mozeson makes the startling statement that "More English
words can be clearly linked to Biblical Hebrew than to Latin, Greek or French". I
cannot wholly agree with this observation but nonetheless, it does prove
fascinating to see so many modern English words that are directly related to
ancient Hebrew word roots. (Author)
Here are some examples of English words that are possibly derived from
Hebrew:
SOURCE/ - srs - so-res (root)
EVIL/ - ah-vell (iniquity)
FRUIT/ - fay-rot
CRY/ - kara (call out)
MEET/ - moed (assemble)
SODOMY/ - Sodom (city)
SCALE/ - shekel (weight)
NOZZLE/ - nozel (flow)
MAIM/ - moom (deformity)
SIGN/ - siyon (marked for distinction)
Additionally, we know that our modern English vernacular has been enriched
greatly by the usage of such Hebrew words as: kosher, meshugah, shibboleth,
chutzpah, etc.
Then, of course, there are many Yiddish words that are used in ordinary English
speech today. Just to mention a few - shpritz, shtick, shmeer, shlemiel,
shlemazel, kvetch, etc. I don't know how you feel but hearing such words used
so casually by my non-Jewish friends kind of makes me feel "fahrklempt"!
As Jews, it gives us a special sense of pride to see how Jewish "mother

tongues' are in daily use with their very special nuanced meanings.
While proud, we also feel a sense of concern. We know that Hebrew has had a
true rebirth as a modern spoken language. But what about Yiddish or Ladino for
that matter? What will be the fate of these two languages? Could it possibly be
that in another generation or two they will become as extinct a spoken language
as Latin? What can be done?
In the meantime, for those of us who share this concern - it might be a good
idea to at least lend our support to such institutions as the National Yiddish
Book Center (Amherst, MA). Also, might I suggest that we make certain that
people not throw out Yiddish books that they may have inherited from their
deceased relatives. Let's bring such books to our synagogues where space
should be reserved for them in our synagogue libraries. Finally, might it not be
of great worth to provide a familiarization of Yiddish culture to the children of our
religious schools?
Now, For A Little Yiddish Humor
So tell me, if you know Yiddish so well... how do you say "three coins in a
fountain" in Yiddish?
Ask most people who know Yiddish that question and they will fumfah around
with an answer like "drei matbayis in ah, and probably give up.
So how do you say "three coins in a fountain" in Yiddish? Very simple... three
coins in a fountain = "oysgevorfeneh gelt"
(You might want to translate the punchline above to those who do not know
Yiddish -- nebich).
KORAH
June 15, 2002 - 5762


Haftarah: I Samuel 11:14-12:22; Hertz, p. 649; Etz Hayim, p. 876
(16:1-15) Korah and his faction rebel against Moses and Aaron's authority.
(16:16-35) Moses proposes a test to Korah and his followers: offer incense
before God, and see if He accepts it. After the Israelites withdraw from the
rebels, the earth splits and swallows up Korah and his followers. Then a fire
consumes the 250 rebellious Levites.
(17:1-15) As a warning to future generations, the rebels' copper incense pans

are gathered up and beaten into a covering for the altar. After further complaints,
a plague breaks out among the Israelites, but Aaron quickly offers incense to
expiate their sins.
(17:16-24) Each tribal chieftain is asked to take a wooden staff to the Tent of
Meeting. Aaron's alone sprouts, signifying that God favors his leadership.
(17:25-28) Aaron's staff is left before the Ark as "a lesson to rebels."
(18:1-7) The division of tasks among the Priests and Levites, beginning with the
assignment of the High Priesthood to Aaron and his descendants.
(18:8-20) Neither Israelites nor the priests will be given any territory in the land.
Instead, they will be supported by donations and shares of sacrifices.
(18:21-32) The Levites are to receive the tithe, 10% of the crops harvested by
the people. They are then to give 10% of their portion, a tithe of a tithe, also
known as terumah, to the priests.
Discussion Theme: Korach the "Kvetch"... And Much More
There are definite prototypes in the Bible based upon the marvelous narratives
found in it. Abraham is the paragon of hospitality. Joseph is seen to be a tzaddik.
Moses, despite his prominence, was deemed to be a humble person. Aaron
was ever the peace seeker. And later on.. David and Jonathan represented the
paragon of true friendship....and Haman (hiss), of course, is forever the villain.
On this Shabbat, we read about a person named Korach. One might say that
Korach is the perfect prototype of a "kvetch" (played appropriately by Edward G.
Robinson in the film "Ten Commandments"). He was very much like the person
in the anecdote who was standing on line somewhere on a hot day and kept
saying, "Oy, am I thirsty! Oy, am I thirsty! Oy, am I thirsty!" Finally, somebody
gave him a glass of water. Whereupon he said, "Oy, was I thirsty! Oy, was I
thirsty! Oy, was I thirsty!"
Korach was a complainer. As the chief grumbler of the Exodus generation in the
desert, he challenged the authority and leadership of Moses and Aaron. Like
many power hungry demagogues, Korach and his cohorts defined themselves
in what they were against and not by a positive image of what they professed.
This thought finds expression in the following Mishnah: "Every controversy that
is in the name of Heaven shall in the end lead to a permanent result, but every
controversy that is not in the name of Heaven shall not lead to a permanent
result. Which controversy was in the name of heaven? The controversy of Hillel
and Shammai. And which controversy was not in the name of Heaven? The
controversy of Korach and all his company" (Avot 15:17)
In Jewish lore, therefore, Korach is a prototype. But he is a prototype of much

more than the simple complaining kvetch - he is a person who has a powerful
need to be recognized as being great.
Moses on the other hand is viewed in our tradition as the prototype of a humble
person, as it is written: "The man Moses was very meek" (Numbers 12:3).
The tendency to deify a person was very much in vogue in ancient times. Kings
and mythological figures were often venerated as gods or as being super-
human. Our tradition avoided doing that for fear that it would lead to idolatry.
This is the reason why, incredibly at first consideration, Moses does not appear
at all in the Exodus story as it is related in the Passover Haggadah. But have
we indeed escaped from this tendency to venerate ordinary humans?
Rabbi Smuley Boteach (of "Larry King Live" fame) makes an important
observation regarding this matter. He writes: "Today's confidence that we have
graduated from idolatry is based on the erroneous notion that idolatry entails
prostrating oneself before stone, a mountain range, or a golden calf... But the
real definition of idolatry is simply living for something other than God, or in the
analogy of Maimonides, worshiping the hammer and chisel for the work of the
architect. Idolatry means not only worshiping idols but also elevating something
human or material to the status of a sacred object.
If we were to make an honest assessment and engage in sincere introspection,

we would have to admit that all of us who indulge and partake of the popular
culture have become closet idolaters. And in no area is this more true than the
ardent obsession and fanatical fixation with the lives of celebrities. Our hero
worship of those with face and name recognition has gone from a past-time to a
devotion; from a form of recreation to a noxious form of veneration...
Rather than talk about how we can connect with God, we talk about who Julia
Roberts is connecting with. And rather than contemplate the mysteries of the
Universe, we seek to uncover the enigma of Marlon Brando... Our ditties today
are women who can wiggle their xxxxxxx at the MTV Music awards and men
who can throw a ball through a hoop..." (S. Boteach, Judaism For Every One, p.
106f)
One might agree with Rabbi Boteach that in our culture the worship of movie
stars, may be equated to the worshiping of the heavenly stars in ancient times.
Or do you think he is overstating the case and pressing his point too far?
However, consider this. Returning to our Torah reading... is there any relevance
in what he is saying about veneration of people - as it applies to Christian,
Muslim, Jewish religious leadership in our time?
HUKKAT-BALAK
June 22, 2002 - 5762


Triennial Cycle I: Num. 19:1-21:20; Hertz, p. 652; Etz Hayim, p.880
Haftarah: Micah 5:6-6:8; Hertz, p. 682; Etz Hayim, p. 914
Hukkat
(19:1-22) The ritual of the red heifer: a perfect red cow is sacrificed outside the
camp, and then burned down to its ashes, which were then used for ritual
purification of someone who had touched a corpse. However, someone who is
ritually pure and comes into contact with the ashes of the red heifer is rendered
ritually impure. This paradox caused our sages to point to this passage as a
prime example of a "hok", a Divine decree which cannot be rationally explained
and simply must be obeyed.
(20:1-13) Moses brings water from a rock by striking it with his staff,
contradicting God's instructions to talk to the rock. God tells Moses and Aaron
that they will not lead the people into the promised land.
(20:14-21) Edom refuses to allow Israel to pass through its territory, forcing
them to detour.
(20:22-21:3) The death of Aaron; an encounter with the Canaanites.
(21:4-10) The people complain against God and Moses. God sends poisonous
snakes to punish them. Many Israelites die, but Moses intercedes with God for
them. God tells Moses to set up a copper statue of a snake; when anyone was
bitten by a snake, he looked at the statue and was cured.
(21:11-20) Further stages of the Israelites' journey through the Transjordan

wilderness.
(21:21-22:1) The conquest of the land of Sichon and Og and all the Transjordan
area, the first permanent possessions.
Balak
(Num. 22:2-20) Balak, King of Moab, invites Balaam, who has the power to
bless and curse, to help him by cursing the Israelites. Balaam says he must
consult with God before he can decide; eventually God tells him that he may go,
"but whatever I command you, that you shall do."
(22:21-38) Balaam sets out riding his ass. On the way, an angel of the Lord
appears. He does not see it, but his ass does, and refuses to move. After being
beaten three times, the ass speaks and complains of this ill treatment. God then
opens Balaam's eyes so that he sees the angel, who also rebukes Balaam for
beating the ass. Balaam offers to turn back; the angel tells him to go, but warns
him again only to say what God tells him.
(22:39-23:26) Balaam arrives in Moab and is received by Balak with great honor.
But to Balak's distress, Balaam, compelled by God, twice blesses and praises
the Israelites, and predicts great things for their future.
(23:27-24:9) Balaam makes a third attempt. In this blessing, he says the famous
words of the Mah Tovu: "How lovely are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O
Israel!" He concludes, "Blessed are they who bless you, accursed those who
curse you!"
(24:10-25) Balak, totally infuriated, tells Balaam that he won't pay him, and
discharges him. Balaam reminds him that he said all along that he could only
say what God told him to say, and throws in a fourth blessing, unsolicited,
predicting Israel's conquest of Moab. Balaam goes on to make predictions
concerning other nations.
Discussion Theme: Cloning - A Modern Dilemma
This is the ritual law that the Lord has commanded: Instruct the Israelite people
to bring you a red cow (heifer) without blemish, in which there is no defect and
on which no yoke has laid (Numbers 19:2)
A. "Red... without blemish" - A cow completely uniform in color, without

specks of white or black or without even two black or white hairs, is
extremely rare. (Etz Hayim, p.881, note)
B. If two hairs of the animal were not red, it was invalid. As a result, the red
heifer was rare and costly. Several stories are told in the Talmud about
the exorbitant price demanded for it. (See Talm. Jerus., Pe'ah 1:1, 15c;
Talm. Bab. Kiddushin 31a) The ritual of the Red Heifer, of course, fell
into disuse with the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and the
abolition of this law. Interestingly though there are those who, in
preparation for the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem, are busying
themselves these days in breeding the perfect blemishless red heifer.
But it still is an expensive proposition. To the rescue - modern science! It
has been suggested that just as Dolly, the sheep was cloned from the
udder of an adult ewe in Scotland in 1996 that the same method could be
applied for the animal prescribed in the Torah for ritual purification.
Clearly, this matter is not precisely high on our agenda. But it does
remind us again parenthetically of an issue which is bound to surface
over and over in the 21st century.
C. Concerning cloning, Rabbi Elliot N. Dorff writes: "The creation of cloned
animals suggests that cloning of human beings may not be far behind.
People are interested in that possibility for a number of good reasons.
Scientists could learn much about the etiology and cures of diseases like
cancer and Parkinson's and the technique could be used to overcome
infertility. Even when used to accomplish those good ends, though,
human cloning poses what are undoubtedly the most intriguing and the
most complex moral problems of scientific research."
D. "Moral Issues: Who would be cloned?... Human cloning may be open to
economic exploitation... What would determine good results?... How
would bad results be disposed of?... How would the environment be
protected from the bad results?..." (For a full consideration of this subject
see E. Dorff, Matters of Life and Death, A Jewish Approach to Modern
Medical Ethics, pp. 310-324)
I'm certain that most of us have done some reading on the subject of human
cloning and have probably seen a television program or two on the subject.
Let's share what we know (if this discussion is to be held in the synagogue or at
our Shabbat afternoon tables at home) and analyze our positions. Is there a
"generation gap" on this issue? Are religions differing with each other about
cloning? Where do you stand?
PINHAS
June 29, 2002 - 5762


Haftarah: Jeremiah 1:1-2:3; Hertz, p. 710; Etz Hayim, p. 968
(25:10-19) Pinchas is rewarded for his quick action, killing an Israelite who was
consorting with a Midianite woman and worshiping Baal. He and his
descendants after him will be the High Priest. The Midianites are condemned as
enemies of the Jewish people.
(26:1-51) The second census, prior to occupying the Promised Land. God tells
Moses how the land will be distributed; the location of the tribe's territory will be
determined by drawing lots, but the size will be according to the size of the tribe.
The Levite clans are listed separately because they did not receive a portion of
the land.
(27:1-11) The daughters of Zelophchad want to inherit his portion of the land,
for he left no sons. God agrees that they may inherit.
(27:12-23) Joshua is appointed to succeed Moses as leader of the people after

Moses' death.
(28:1-15) The daily sacrifices offered on behalf of the community; the additional
(musaf) sacrifices offered on Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh.
(28:16-30:1) The additional sacrifices offered on Passover, Shavuot, Rosh

Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot.
This last section provides the maftir readings for all the festivals, and passages
from it are also included in the Musaf Amidah, which takes its name from these
Musaf sacrifices.
Discussion Theme: Ancient and Modern Zealotry
The Lord spoke to Moshe saying, "Pinhas, son of Eleazar, son of Aharon the
kohen, has turned back my wrath from the Israelites by displaying among them
his zeal for Me..." Say, therefore, "I grant him My pact of shalom (peace). It shall
be a pact for all time, because he was zealous for his God..." (Numbers 25:12-
14)
Is zealotry a good or a bad characteristic for a person to have? In a positive way,

it is energizing, it is purposive - leading an individual to a powerful personal
commitment to an idea or cause which might be beneficial to society. On the
other hand, zeal can lead to a form of fanaticism which could prove to be
extremely destructive.
Early rabbinic tradition was divided on whether the zealousness demonstrated

by Pinhas was to be considered commendable or not. On the surface, it would
seem that his behavior was indeed to be judged as being commendable since
the Torah quotes God as saying, " I grant him My pact of shalom... because he
was zealous for his God."
But it is interesting to note two anomalies which appear intentionally in the

actual text of every written Torah scroll. Examine verse 11 closely and you will
note that the Hebrew letter yod in Pinhas' name is written smaller than the rest
of the letters in his name. And in verse 12 the word shalom (ouka) is written in
the Torah with a broken vav. These two unusual occurrences juxtaposed so
closely to each other just "begged" for some sort of homiletical explanation by
our ancient Sages.
The interpretations put forward by them unilaterally convey a strong disdain of

fanatical behavior. They maintained that the letter yod in Pinhas' name is written
smaller than the other letters in order to show visually that there was a
diminution of his Jewishness due to his fanaticism (Note: A Jew is called a "Yid"
- from the yod in yehudi) Additionally, it was pointed out, that the yod in Pinhas'
name is intentionally diminished in size because it is meant to convey the
message that through his act of violence his identity with God (written with two
Yod's) was diminished.
As for the word shalom, it is written in the Torah with a broken letter; that is to
say, part of its vav is missing. This anomaly is to serve as a reminder that the
experience and memory of Pinhas' act will forever diminish the "peace" that he
was to merit. It would be an imperfect peace.
We see then that though our Jewish Faith admires strong commitment to its
traditional values and objectives, there is a certain reluctance about
encouraging over-zealous behavior on the part of its adherents.
Support for this view, is readily seen in the chapters of Jewish history -
particularly in the time of the Roman conquest of Jerusalem in 70 C.E. As the
vast military might of the Roman Empire pressed around the walls of Jerusalem,
there were many in the Jewish leadership of that time who counseled that the
Jewish people should surrender so as to lessen the death and destruction that
was inevitably about to come. However, history records that a strong, vociferous
group of "Zealots" vehemently insisted on continuing the battle against the
Romans and they prevailed. The death and destruction which followed the final
brutal battles was so devastating that Judea never recovered. But then again, it
might have happened even if they did surrender before the destruction.
And now to our time. The tragic events which have been occurring in Israel
touches us all very deeply. We all know that Israel must defend itself. In so
doing, there can be no limitations and we should not expect to tell Israel what it
has to do.
In time though, the existence and expansion of settlements in the "territories"

will become a major "sticking point" in any peace settlement. Some who live in
these settlements will maintain that it is a God-given right for them to reclaim
the "Promised Land" of Judea and Samaria. They will insist that even if there is
a Palestinian state, it has no right to make it "Judenrein" - (empty of Jews).
Other old timers, joined by young settlers, might express their sentiments by
nostalgically singing the old song from Jabotinsky days, - "On The Two Banks
of the Jordan".
We are cautioned against zealotry. But is this zealotry?

MATTOT-MASEI
July 6, 2002 - 5762


Haftarah: Jeremiah 2:4-28, 3:4, 4:1-2; Hertz, p. 725; Etz Hayim, p. 972
(30:2-17) Laws concerning vows made by women.
(31:1-54) The war against Midian, including the distribution of spoils.
(32:1-32) The Reubenites and Gadites ask for the land east of the Jordan.
Moses agrees after they promise to participate in the conquest of the land of
Canaan.
(33:1-49) The Israelites' itinerary during their wilderness wanderings.
(33:50-34:15) An additional warning to uproot idol worship from Canaan;

instructions on dividing Canaan among nine and a half tribes.
(34:16-35:8) A list of the tribal heads. Forty-eight cities are set aside for the
Levites.
(35:9-34) Laws concerning the cities of refuge. Someone who kills someone
else by accident was protected from avenging family once he had reached the
city of refuge. This section also deals with judicial procedures.
(36:1-13) Final discussions ruling that the daughters of Zelophehad could inherit
their father's portion of the Land.
Discussion Theme: Give Me Your Word
If a man vows a vow to God, or swears an oath to bind a bond upon his soul, he
shall not violate his word, for all that has gone forth from his lips he shall do
(Numbers 30:3)
A. Words are cheap... We send more words out into the universe all the
time. Long gone are the days when the writing of words actually took the
painstaking time of careful execution with fountain pen and ink... Being
able to exercise the "delete" command allows us to be much less careful
in our approach to writing words. Imagine how much more careful we
would be if the use of a feather quill might allow the reader to see our
initial intentions beneath any cross-outs. In the ancient Near East,
significant documents were chiseled into stone. A word chiseled into
existence is a carefully crafted word. And that is why (today's Torah
Reading) Matot offers us a precious gift. Matot does not treat words as
cheap or expendable, but as the incredibly powerful blocks upon which
an entire society stands or falls. Matot focuses upon the most powerful
kind of word that a person can utter: a neder, "vow". A neder is an
extraordinarily powerful kind of word, because it is not a word of
description. It is a word of action... Matot reminds you that you can't
simply "delete" the words you have uttered. (Rabbi Stacy K. Offner,
quoted in The Women's Torah Commentary, edited by Rabbi Elyse
Goldstein, pp. 315-16)
B. "No" is an oath, and "Yes" is an oath (Talm, Shevuot 6.3)
C. God said to Israel, "Be careful what you vow, and do not become
addicted to making vows, for whoever is so addicted, will, in the end, sin
by breaking his oath, and he who breaks his oath denies Me without
hope of pardon" (Midrash, Tanhuma, Mattot 79a)
D. Kol Nidre is a prayer for the nullification of unfulfilled promises and
broken vows to God (not to other people). Under normal conditions, and
especially under precarious circumstances, people make promises to
God (resolutions), and take vows which they later find themselves unable
to keep. Recognizing that the broken word spoken silently with God
profanes the soul, the Jew desires to have such vows nullified on The
Day of Atonement so that he/she may face God with a clear conscience.
(However, such nullification of ones word does not take place between
one person and another.)
The story is told of a certain Rabbi Meir who, on the eve of Yom Kippur,
ascended onto the bimah of his synagogue and said to his congregants:
" I know that you forgive one another now and are making all kinds of
promises, giving your word, but tomorrow you may resume your usual
ways. Do you promise to abide by your resolutions to each other?" "We
will," they promised. Rabbi Meir turned toward the Holy Ark and began to
chant "Kol Nidre" (knowing anyway deep in his heart that their vows
would be indeed be broken because that is part of the human condition).
(Rabbi Louis Barrish, High Holiday Liturgy, p. 100f)
"Sparks" Discussion:
Examine the literature of our religious tradition and you will learn that there is a
great deal of ambiguity as to the positive value of making a vow. For certain, the
seriousness of doing so cannot be underestimated. In fact, an entire tractate in
the Talmud is called Nedarim - "Vows". Nonetheless, one wonders if vows
(seriously-taken) can help solidify certain important moments or occasions in life.
In the Christian Faith, for instance, at a marriage ceremony there takes place
what is called an "exchanging of vows". Should there be some element like that
formally introduced into the Jewish marriage ceremony? Are we missing out on
something? Or maybe, we don't want to give the marriage an "ayin hara".
When else would you suggest that a seriously-taken vow could be used in a
very positive way?
D'VARIM - SHABBAT HAZON
July 13, 2002 - 5762

Annual Cycle: Deut. 1:1-3:22; Hertz, p. 736; Etz Hayim, p. 981

Triennial Cycle I: Deut 1:1-2:1; Hertz, p. 736; Etz Hayim, p. 981
(1:1-8) A short introduction to Moses' words of warning spoken in various places

during his last days. He reviews some of the important events of the desert
wanderings, beginning with the departure from Mt. Sinai.
(1:9-18) The appointment of judges and officers that helped Moses in

administering the Israelite camp.
(1:19-2:1) The incident of the spies that resulted in the extension of the
wilderness wanderings to forty years.
(2:2-30) The stages of the Israelites' journeys through the territory of the
Edomites, the Moabites, the Ammonites, with additional details about the
inhabitants of those lands.
(2:31-3:11) Review of the history of the desert wanderings, describing the

victorious encounters with Sichon, king of Cheshbon, and Og, king of Bashan,
with the emphasis on God's part in these decisive battles.
(3:12-22) The division of the land east of the Jordan among Reuben, Gad, and
half of Menashe, who are reminded of their promise to send their warriors on
with the rest of Israel to take part in the conquest of Canaan.
This Shabbat's Theme: "All the News That's Fit to Print"
These are the words that Moses addressed to all Israel... (Deuteronomy 1:1)
The words that a person speaks or writes, according to our tradition, are to be
given and taken seriously. In other words, (pardon the pun), verbal
communication between humans is a God-given gift, that is not bestowed upon
any other creature. Accordingly, we believe that communication is a blessing to
be treasured by us and not to be devalued by using it to create untruths.
And yet, we know that the standard of truth which is held aloft so consistently in
the final communications of Moses is often dropped, particularly, by those
whose special responsibility it is to communicate the truth to others. (Author). In
this regard, we offer the following quotations for your consideration.
A. How many pens were broken, how many ink bottles were consumed, to
write about things that have never happened! (Tanhuma, Shoftim, 18.
quoted by L. Browne, Wisdom of Israel, p. 295)
B. "If I had the authority I would institute a law that all public liars,
newspaper men, that is, who handle truth carelessly, should be treated
as common thieves, and the publishers of their fabrications as dealers in
stolen goods (Ashmedai, journalist, "If I Were Censor," American Jewish
Chronicle, May 11, 1917)
C. I had long known that it was impossible for a journalist to convey a
hundred percent of truth, but I didn't realize to what extent the truth is
distorted, both by the intentions of the journalist and neglect. I don't
mean just the interpretations of what happened; I also mean the facts.
The reporting about Sharon and the murders were virtually criminal...
The victims were assassinated two times: once by the murderers, the
second time by the press. (Roman Polanski, interview with Larry Dubois
in Playboy, December 1971)
D. Jews are news. It is an axiom of journalism. An indispensable axiom, too,
because it is otherwise impossible to explain why the deeds and
misdeeds of dot-on-the-map Israel get an absurdly disproportionate
amount of news coverage around the world. (Charles Krauthammer,
columnist, "Judging Israel," Time, February 26, 1990)
E. Half the battle for the future of the Middle East will be won on the day
when news about this part of the world will be relegated from page 1 to
page 16 in The New York Times and other leading newspapers. (Walter
Z. Laqueur, "Is Peace in the Middle East Possible?" The New York
Times Magazine, August 27, 1967)
For some time now, there has been a great deal of dissatisfaction with the
media over its news coverage of the Middle East. Many discerning people view
what is called "balanced coverage" of the events in the Middle East as a farce.
The dismay over the unbalanced reporting in the printed media (particularly in
The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times) has given rise to organized
protest in the Jewish community. Here is what was said in an advertisement by
one group which has been protesting what it considers to be unbalanced and
unfair reporting in The New York Times:
Our critique of The Times is not its editorial viewpoint, which every newspaper
is entitled to have. Our critique of The Times is a lack of balance and fairness in
its news stories, headlines and choice of photographs dealing with Israel, in
violation of The Times' own policies.
A few examples:
1. A large photo on the front page after the Israel Solidarity March on May
5th that featured an "End Israeli Occupation of Palestine" sign distorting
what really happened (This egregious mistake in judgment occasioned
an editors note on the following day)
2. An article describing the death of two girls, a 17-year old Israeli and an
18 year old Palestinian as two high school seniors whose lives
intersected, divided by war but joined in carnage... It put a homicide
bomber on the same level as an innocent girl shopping for the Sabbath...
This is moral relativism at its worse.
3. The 39 day standoff in the church of the Nativity was continually referred
to as an Israeli "siege", not an occupation by armed Palestinian
terrorists... who were turned into victims taking "refuge" in the church.
4. In articles describing the terrible attacks against the World Trade Center
or the USS Cole, the term "terror" was freely used, But in describing the
terrible attacks of Hamas or the al-Aqsa Brigade, the perpetrators were
described as militants or activists. (There is no such thing as" bad terror"
and "good terror")
More incredible examples of "the shading of events" could be cited. Do a few

more come to mind to you?
But what do you think about the response to such unfair, unbalanced reporting?
The suggestion has been made and indeed already followed that 1)
subscriptions to offending newspapers be canceled or suspended 2) Obituary
notices from organizations be withheld and possibly be placed in other
newspapers 3) Communicate errors and distortions to the offending papers 4)
Convey to corporate advertisers strong disapproval of unbalanced coverage in
offending papers and ask that ads be diminished or suspended until change
occurs.
Do you agree with this strategy? What would you suggest?

VA'ETHANNAN - SHABBAT NAHAMU
July 20, 2002 - 5762


Triennial Cycle I: Deut 3:23-5:18; Hertz, p. 755; Etz Hayim, p. 1005
(3:23-29) Moses pleads with God to enter the Promised Land.
(4:1-40) An admonition to follow God's laws to preserve the covenant. If Israel

breaks God's law and worships idols, they will be scattered among the nations.
However, God will not absolutely abandon them; when they repent, they will
return.
(4:41-49) Moses designates three cities of refuge east of the Jordan.
(5:1-30) Historical review of the revelation at Sinai and restatement of the Ten
Commandments.
(6:1-3) A warning regarding the observance of the mitzvot.
(6:4-9) The Shema.
(6:10-25) An exhortation to keep the words of the Torah coupled with a

reminder of all the good things God has done for his people.
(7:1-11) On the role of Israel and dealing with the idolatry of the surrounding
nations.
This Shabbat's Theme: "Constructive Revenge"
"And the Lord spoke to Moses saying: Speak to the children of Israel and say to
them, when you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan then you shall
designate certain cities to be cities of refuge so that a person who killed another
person through error may flee there. The cities of refuge shall be a place of
refuge from the avenger, so that the unwitting killer will not die but will be
brought to judgment." (Num. 35:9-12)
As some of you may know, my daughter, Laura Blumenfeld has written a non-
fiction book (published recently by Simon & Schuster) called "Revenge: A Story
of Hope". The book focuses on one of the most powerful emotions that we all
share in common - revenge. Written in narrative style, she explores the subject
and in so doing, arrives at some interesting conclusions which I would like to
share with you at the end of this Shabbat's "Torah Sparks". But first let us
analyze ever so briefly the Jewish view on revenge.
At the outset, we should make this unequivocal observation. The Jewish
attitude toward personal revenge or vengeance is totally negative. We should
feel fairly confident in making this observation because it is based upon one of
the most recognized verses in the entire Bible - Lev. 19:18. The second part of
the verse, is famililiar to all of us. It states: "you shall love your neighbor as
yourself". But it is the first part of that verse which speaks directly to us on our
subject when it commands: "You shall not take vengeance, nor shall you bear
any grudge against your kinspeople".
This negation of any type of vengeful behavior finds frequent expression in

Jewish religious writings. Let it suffice for our purposes now to quote but just
one example. In a 17th century cabbalistic work, Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz (c. 1565
- 1630) counsels: "If your neighbor wronged you, forgive him at once... Would
you punish your hand vengefully for having hurt the other?".
One wonders though - what about the Holocaust? If revenge was ever to be
considered as a possibility, it certainly could be understood as a perfectly
appropriate reaction to the horrific events of the "Shoah".
We know that, in fact, many survivors struggled powerfully with themselves

precisely over this matter. One well-known survivor put his feelings in a best-
seller book which is probably known to you. It is called " The Sunflower" and the
survivor who wrote the book is Simon Weisenthal.
In the book, Mr. Wiesenthal describes how one day he was taken from his work
detail in a Nazi concentration camp to the bedside of a dying member of the SS
whose head was completely swathed in bandages. The dying Nazi extended his
hand to him and in a cracked whisper confessed to having participated in the
burning alive of an entire village of Jews. The soldier, terrified of dying with this
burden of guilt, begs to receive absolution specifically from a Jew, from Simon
Wiesenthal. How did he react and the question of how would you have reacted
is the basis of the book. Would you have had compassion for the young dying
Nazi soldier, would you have turned off his life support system or would you
have perhaps just simply walked out?
When talking to survivors on the subject of revenge, one discovers that many of
them have found their own form of nekamah. Some would say that their children
and their grandchildren are their revenge. The Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Lau
who is a survivor, surely speaks for many survivors when he says that the
establishment of the State of Israel is the best form of nekamah - revenge.
Others like the Satmar, the Gerer, the Bobover, and the Lubavitcher Hasidim
find their nekamah in striving to establish strong, religious communities as they
seek to resurrect the splendor of their destroyed former Jewish communities in
Europe. For them and all religiously committed Jews, the best form of nekamah
is to see and hear our young studying the very same learned Jewish books that
the Nazis tried to destroy in their maniacal bonfires.
There is a common pattern then that seems to emerge in our minds out of all of
this. We see that our tradition does not permit us to engage in acts of revenge.
As Jews, we believe that revenge essentially is unsafe in the hands of human.
According to our belief, only God can wreak vengeance. It is so stated in Psalm
94 which we recite every Wednesday morning in our liturgy.
Recognizing that revenge will always exist and that it is part of the human
condition, like such emotions as love and jealousy - how then are we to deal
with it?
We do have choices. In response to a vicious act by another, one could apply

the approach of an "eye for an eye". A second well-known possibility would be
to "turn the other cheek". However, realistically speaking, both do not seem to
work that well in real life because the first leads to an unending cycle of violence
and the second is simply unrealistic.
Laura in her book suggests a third approach which she calls "transformation".
Instead of trying to tear the other person down or apart, one should use that
fierce inner hurt for the purpose of self-betterment ("constructive revenge").
Looking back, sensing personal growth and improvement can be the best
"nekamah". And perhaps, one might even attempt to transform one's assailant
in a positive way.
EKEV
July 27, 2002 - 5762


Triennial Cycle I: Deut. 7:12-9:3; Hertz, p. 780; Etz Hayim, p. 1037
(7:12-26) Encouragement in following the commandments, and not fearing the

Canaanites. You must destroy all the idols of the nations you conquer.
(8:1-18) A warning against overconfidence: Once you have occupied this good
and fertile land, don't forget that God brought you there. Thank God for the land
and its goodness whenever you eat. Verse 8:10 forms the basis of the practice
of reciting Birkat ha-Mazon (blessing after meals).
(8:19-9:3) Future existence depends upon loyalty to God.
(9:4-29) As part of a long section of exhortation and teaching, Moses reviews

some of the history of the Israelites in the wilderness in order to draw instruction
from it. One example is the incident of the Golden Calf, the breaking of the
Tablets, and Moses' prayer of intercession to God.
(10:1-11) The making of the second set of Tablets.
(10:12-22) The conclusion of Moses' second speech to Israel, a warning to "fear

the Lord and walk in all His ways."
(11:1-12) A review of the miracles God did for Israel in the wilderness, and
praise of the goodness of the Land that they will soon inherit.
(11:13-25) The second paragraph of the Shema, tying the bounty of the land to
Israel's faithfulness to the covenant; an exhortation to keep the Torah and its
commandments.
This Shabbat's Theme: "World Hunger"
When you have eaten your fill, give thanks to the Lord your God for the good
land which He has given you. Take care lest you forget the Lord your God and
fail to keep His commandments, His rules, and His laws, which I enjoin upon
you today. When you have eaten your fill, and have built fine houses to live in...
beware least your heart grow haughty. (Deut. 8:10-12, 14)
A. BirKat Ha-Mazon, also called benshen, is the grace recited after meals
which include bread. It is based upon the biblical commandment cited
above. There is also an abridged form of grace, known as auka ihgn
which is a short summary of the first three paragraphs of the BirKat Ha-
Mazon. It is recited after meals that do not include bread, but food
consisting of the seven species as enumerated in the Torah. Any food
that does not consist of these seven species calls for the shortest form of
grace, known as ,uapb truc which reads: "Praised are You ...for all the
things that You have created to sustain every living being..." In effect
then, we see that after partaking of any food, from a mere morsel to a
sumptuous meal, one should sense that an expression of gratitude to
God is called for.
B. The Birkat consists of three ancient blessings, to which a fourth blessing
was added later on (along with supplementary petitions). The first
blessing is believed to be the most ancient. It gives the essence of the
prayer - which is thanksgiving for the food partaken. What should be
noted though in particular is that in form and content it is a universal
prayer that applies to all of humanity. It may even be said that it is
"cosmic" in that it affirms God's care and concern for all His creatures. As
a rabbi who was called upon to recite an opening prayer before a meal
for community or secular organizations, I felt perfectly comfortable in
reciting the opening paragraph of the Birkat (in English, of course)
because of its universal expression.
Here is how it reads:
"Praised are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who feeds the
whole world with Your goodness, with grace, with lovingkindness and
tender mercy. You give food to all flesh for Your lovingkindness endures
forever. Through Your great goodness, food has never failed us. May it
not fail us forever and ever for Your great Name's sake, since You
nourish and sustain all beings. You bestow that which is good unto all
and You provide food for all Your creatures whom You have fashioned.
Praised are You, O Lord, who provides bounty unto all... and let us say,
Amen."
The only difficulty that one might have with this universal prayer is that it
concludes by saying that food is provided for all. But unfortunately, that is
not the case. As we are well aware there is a serious problem of world
hunger. We cannot blame it on God either. We must blame it on
ourselves. "Unlike most of the problems with which we are asked to
engage, hunger is a soluble problem. We may not know what to do about
poverty, and we may not know what to do about arms control, but hunger
is a problem that we do know how to solve...
According to a World Bank study, 'At the global level, if food distribution
were different, present output of grain alone could supply every man,
woman and child with more than 3,000 calories and 65 grams of protein
per day - far more than the highest estimate requirements. Eliminating
malnutrition would require redirecting only about two percent of the
world's grain output to the mouths that need it. The fact is that hunger is
not a shame or a scourge; it is, pure and simple, a scandal." (Mazon, A
Jewish Response to Hunger. Pamphlet)
The plight of the hungry is constantly before us. Every day throughout the world,
40,000 people, mostly children, die of hunger or diseases related to hunger.
There are nearly 15 million such deaths every year. One billion people go to
sleep every night suffering from the scourge of hunger. And everything goes
on... Shouldn't we feel their pain more than we do and actually do something
about it?
In 1989, the United Synagogue initiated a project called "Operation Isaiah" to

help alleviate hunger. As part of the High Holiday observance, Conservative
congregants throughout North America have been bringing food items to their
respective synagogues on Kol Nidre Eve for distribution to the hungry. This is
just one way that we can fulfill the mitzvah of feeding the hungry. Cognizant that
the High Holidays start at the very beginning of September this year, it is not too
early for us to begin organizing and publicizing "Operation Isaiah" in our
synagogues now at the end of July. Let's all of us at least do that in our
synagogues this year!
R'EIH
August 3, 2002 - 5762
Prepared by Rabbi David L. Blumenfeld, Ph

Annual Cycle: Deut.11:26-16:17; Hertz, p. 799; Etz Hayim, p. 1061

Triennial Cycle I: Deut.11:26-12:28; Hertz, p. 799; Etz Hayim, p. 1061
(11:26-32) Israel is given a choice: "See, this day I set before you blessing and
curse," and warned to obey God's commandments. A covenant ritual is
established to be performed at Mounts Gerizim and Ebal.
(12:1-19) The beginning of the Deuteronomic Code. The Israelites must destroy
all pagan shrines and centralize worship "at the place that the Lord shall
choose."
(12:20-28) Permission is given to eat meat without offering it as a sacrifice first,

a necessary provision once all sacrificial worship is centralized in one place.
Eating blood, however, is still prohibited everywhere.
(12:29-13:19) An additional warning against following Canaanite practices; laws

concerning the false prophet, the person who entices others to worship false
gods, and the traitorous city.
(14:1-21) A review of the laws of kashrut, including the signs of kashrut in

animals, fish, and fowl, and the prohibitions of eating an animal that has died a
natural death, a "torn" animal, and of eating milk and meat together.
(14:22-29) Laws concerning the second tithe.
(15:1-11) Laws concerning the shemittah, or Sabbatical year. Laws concerning

tzedakah and help for the poor.
(15:12-18) Laws concerning the Hebrew slave.
(15:19-23) Laws concerning the first-born of animals, which were dedicated to

God.
(16:1-17) The celebration of the three Pilgrimage Festivals: Pesah, Shavuot,

Sukkot.
This Shabbat's Theme: "Judaism and Vegetarianism"
When the Lord enlarges your territory, as He has promised you, and you say, "I
shall eat some meat" for you have the urge to eat meat, you may eat meat
whenever you wish. If the place where the Lord has chosen to establish His
name is too far from you, you may slaughter any of the cattle or sheep that the
Lord gives you, as I have instructed you; and you may eat to your heart's
content in your settlements. (Deut. 12:20-21)
A. It has been suggested that the purpose of Shehitah (Jewish ritual

slaughtering) is to indicate a reluctance to allow the eating of meat
altogether. In Genesis it is written: "And God said: Behold, I have given
you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of the earth, and
every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed - to you it shall be
for food" (Gen. 1:29). Meat is not mentioned here among the foods
permitted to man. Only after the flood was Noah told: "Every creature
that lives shall be yours to eat; as with the green grasses, I give you all of
these" (Gen. 9:3). The implication is that man ideally should not eat meat
because it entails taking the life of an animal. Later on there was an effort
to limit the use of flesh to sacrifices. How else can we explain the biblical
passage (from our parashah)? The permission to eat meat was thus a
compromise. Hence the eating should, at least, be controlled by
refraining from eating certain parts of the animal, especially the blood,
and by special regulations governing the preparation of the meat. (Isaac
Klein, A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice, p. 309)
B. Along with the permission to eat meat, many laws and restrictions (the
laws of kashrut) were given. Rabbi Abraham Isaac Hacohen Kook ( First
Chief Rabbi of pre-state Israel. 1865-1935) believed that the restrictions
of these regulations is an elaborate apparatus designed to keep alive a
reverence for life, with the aim of eventually leading people away from
their meat-eating habit (See his A Vision of Vegetarianism and Peace).
This idea is echoed by Torah commentator Rabbi Shlomoh Efraim
Lunchitz, author of K'lee Yakar: "What was the necessity for the entire
procedure of ritual slaughter? For the sake of self-discipline, It is far more
appropriate for man not to eat meat; only if he has a strong desire for
meat does the Torah permit it, and even this only after the trouble and
the inconvenience necessary to satisfy his desire." (Richard H. Schwartz,
Judaism and Vegetarianism, p. 11)
C. The Torah has admonished us against immorality and forbidden foods,
but permitted sexual intercourse between man and his wife, and the
eating of meat and wine. If so, a man of desire could consider this to be
permission to be passionately addicted to sexual intercourse... and to be
winebibbers, and among gluttonous eaters of flesh... and thus he will
become a sordid person within the permissible realm of the Torah!
Therefore, after having listed the matters which He prohibited altogether,
Scripture followed them up by a general command that we practice
moderation even in matters that are permitted. (Nahmanides on Lev.
19:1)
D. The problem with shackling and hoisting is that it causes great pain to
the animals and thus violates the Jewish mandate of tsa'ar ba'alei hayim
(causing pain to animals). The process involves placing an iron chain
around the hind leg of the animal and hoisting the animal into the air by
its hind leg while the rest of the body and head are suspended downward.
Many humane groups have pushed for legislation banning shackling and
hoisting. Unfortunately, some anti-Semitic groups have used the issue to
discredit shehitah as well as Jewish law in general. The Jewish
community must work for humane alternatives for hoisting and shackling
(i.e. holding pens which are acceptable to Jewish law). Of course, the
best way to be consistent with Jewish teachings concerning animals is to
be a vegetarian (op. cit., Schwartz, p.91)
Postscript
"The Torah teaches us a rule, that one can include meat in his diet if he is well-
to-do." (Rashi, France, 1040-1105)
SHOFTIM
August 10, 2002 - 5762


(16:18-17:7) The commandment to appoint judges and officers to keep order,

and a warning against setting up a pillar for idol worship. The punishment for
idolaters: death by stoning.
(17:8-20) The command to establish a central, higher court to deal with cases
too difficult for local courts. The laws concerning the king, his privileges and
obligations.
(18:1-8) The tribe of Levi, priests and Levites, have no territory, and therefore
must be supported by dues from the rest of the people. The rights of the Levites
who live outside of Jerusalem.
(18:9-22) The prohibition of sorcery, with a warning to listen to the true prophet
and punish the false prophet.
(19:1-13) Laws concerning the accidental killer and cities of refuge.
(19:14) The prohibition of removing a landmark.
(19:15-21) Deliberately false witnesses: their punishment is whatever their false

testimony would have brought upon their intended victim.
(20:1-20) Laws for the conduct of war.
(21:1-9) The laws of the beheaded heifer which were practiced in response to
finding a murdered person in the open country between settlements.
This Shabbat's Theme: "Capital Punishment - The Debate Is Still On"
"A person shall be put to death only on the testimony of two or more witnesses;
he must not be put to death on the testimony of a single witness. Let the hands
of the witnesses be the first against him to put him to death, and the hands of
the rest of the people thereafter. Thus you will sweep out evil from your midst"
(Deut.17:6-7)
Way back in our high school days, you may recall that invariably "capital
punishment" would be a subject of debate in our English class or by the
school's debating team in a contest against another school. Perhaps, this was
always chosen as a popular debating subject because it had the effect of
arousing in us some highly passionate opinions. And yet, we were challenged to
present our thoughts in a reasoned, logical way.
Not much has changed. There still is fierce debate about the use of capital
punishment in our society. Here are some pro and con opinions on the subject.
Pro
A. It's a terrible commentary on society, but I'm afraid we have reached a

point where some people, by their acts, do give up their right to survive.
(Diane Feinstein, Mayor of San Francisco, quoted in the Los Angeles
Times, February 17, 1990)
B. In light of the circumstances, I feel that I must pass such sentence upon
the principals in this diabolical conspiracy to destroy a God-fearing nation,
which will demonstrate with finality that this nation's security must remain
inviolate; that traffic in military secrets, whether promoted by the slavish
devotion to foreign ideology or by a desire for monetary gain must cease.
(Judge Irving R. Kaufman, speaking at the sentencing of Julius and Ethel
Rosenberg to death in 1951)
Con
A. I'm for capital punishment. You've got to execute people. How else are
they going to learn? (Mort Sahl, satirist)
B. If John Paul Penry is "put to sleep", as one friend of Penry's put it. It will
not be because of his crimes alone - only eleven people were executed
in the United States in all of 1988. It will be because he picked the wrong
person to kill, he was born to the wrong parents, and the wrong lawyer
represented him. (Alan M. Dershowitz, Contrary to Popular Opinion,
1992, discussing the execution case of a mentally retarded man
convicted of rape and murder)
Jewish Mixed Opinion
A. A court that orders an execution once in seven years is branded a

murderous court. Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah says: Or even once in
seventy years. Rabbi Tarfon and Rabbi Akiva said: Had we been
members of the Sanhedrin, no one would ever have been put to death.
Rabbi Simeon ben Gamliel said: If so, they (namely Rabbi Tarfon and
Rabbi Akiva) would also have multiplied the murderers in Israel.
(Mishnah, Makkot 1:3)
B. There are few areas in Jewish law where the biblical and talmudic view
so conflict as in the matter of capital punishment. The dominant, although
not exclusive, line of argument proffered in the Talmud opposes the
death sentence, even in the case of premeditated murder. It places so
many restrictions on the judicial authorities that very few, if any,
murderers would be convicted were the restrictions enforced. (Rabbi
Joseph Telushkin, Jewish Wisdom, p. 409)
There is a natural abhorrence to executing a human being. Even those in favor

of it, are not seized by a sense of ghoulish delight when it is carried out.
Generally, (as in the case of Rabbi Simeon ben Gamliel) a positive
rationalization is offered - such as the death sentence is a deterrent to further
murderous acts.
During the course of time, we know that Jewish religious tradition has moved
away from capital punishment. That this is so can be clearly seen in modern-
day Israel where the death penalty is not imposed. And yet... Adolph Eichman
was executed. Can you explain why this exception was made?
Are there other specific instances where you think the death penalty should be
imposed in Israel or elsewhere in the world?
KI TETZEI
August 17, 2002 - 5762


(21:10-22:12) Miscellaneous laws: treatment of a woman captured in war, the

first-born son's inheritance, a rebellious son, returning lost property, helping a
fallen animal, prohibition of cross-gender dressing, sending the mother bird from
the nest before collecting fledglings or eggs, building a railing around a roof,
prohibition of mixed seed, the law of tzitzit (fringes) on the garment.
(22:13-23:7) Laws of marriage.
(23:8-24:13) Miscellaneous laws: not to abhor an Edomite or Egyptian,

preserving the purity of the camp of Israel during war, prohibition of returning a
runaway slave, prohibition of sexual immorality, prohibition of taking interest,
keeping vows, maintaining the rights of a laborer, divorce and marriage, on the
taking of pledges and kidnapping, on leprosy, limits on collecting pledged items.
(24:14-22) Laws concerning the treatment of workers, individual responsibility,

and justice for the most helpless members of society. The laws of gleaning,
forgotten sheaf, and the field corner.
(25:1-16) Miscellaneous laws: regulating and limiting the punishment of lashes,

kindness to animals, "yibbum" (the law of the childless deceased brother), on
unfair fighting, honest weights and measures.
(25:17-19) The commandment to remember Amalek.
This Shabbat's Theme: "A Code of Practice During War"
When you take the field against your enemies, and the Lord, your G-d, delivers
them into your power and you take some of them captive, and you see among
the captives a beautiful woman and you desire her and would take her to wife,
You shall bring her into your house, and she shall trim her hair, pare her nails
and discard her captives's garb. She shall spend a month's time in your home
lamenting her father and mother; after that, you may come to her and possess
her, and she shall be your wife. (Deut. 21:10-13)
A. "Grow her nails": to make her unattractive (Sifre, Talmud Yebamot 48;
Rashi; Ibn Ezra; Abravanel)
B. These actions are part of the mourning customs which she is required to
observe (Nachmonidies)
C. This law requires a soldier who wishes to marry a captive woman to
show consideration for her feelings. He must allow her to adjust to all that
has happened by bringing her back to his home and waiting a month
before marrying her. In case he later becomes dissatisfied with her, he
may not reduce her to slavery. A significant aspect of this law is its
respect for the person hood of the captive woman and the moral
obligations created by initiating a sexual relationship with her. (J. Tigay,
JPS Torah Commentary - Deuteronomy; 1996; p. 194)
D. Said the Sassover Rebbe; We may understand this verse (Deut. 21:10)
to teach us that when we go forth to battle against our (enemies) "evil
impulses", the Lord will deliver them into our hands. The Lord assists in
such a battle. (Menorah heTehorah, J. A. Frankel; 1911;p.61; I. Newman;
The Hasidic Anthology; p. 133)
E. This law inculcates thoughtfulness and forbearance under circumstances
in which the warrior, elated by victory, might deem himself at liberty to act
as he pleased (Driver). After the countless rapes of conquered women
with which recent history has made so painfully familiar, it is like hearing
soft music to read of the warrior's duty to the enemy woman, of the
necessary marriage with its set ritual and its due delay (Zangwill) (J.H.
Hertz, The Pentateuch and Haftorahs, p. 840)
F. The juxtaposition of the first three passages of this Torah portion are in
themselves an implicit argument against this sort of liaison, for after
giving the laws of the captive woman (above), the Torah then goes on to
speak of a "hated wife" and then an incorrigibly "rebellious child". The
implication is that there is a chain reaction, namely, that this improper
infatuation with the captive woman will lead to one family tragedy after
another (Rashi). (The Chumash, Art Scroll Series, p.1047)
KI TAVO
August 24, 2002 - 5762
Prepared by Rabbi Daniel M. Horwitz

Ohev Sholom, Prairie Village, Kansas

Triennial Cycle I:; Hertz, Deut. 26:1-27:10; Etz Hayim, p. 1140
(26:1-15) The bringing of the first fruits to the priests in the Temple; the
declaration that all the tithes have been paid, and a prayer for God's blessing.
(26:16-19) Conclusion of the Deuteronomic Code, with a charge to keep all the
mitzvot.
(27:1-10) Instructions to set up large stones at Mt. Ebal, on which all the words
of the Torah were to be written. Another charge to obey God and keep His
mitzvot.
(27:11-16) The covenant ritual at Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal.
(28:1-14) The blessings for keeping the mitzvot, the terms of the covenant.
(28:15-69) The tokhehah, or rebuke: the list of curses that will befall those who
break the covenant.
(29:1-8) Review of good things God did for Israel since the Exodus.
This Shabbat's Theme: "Comings and Goings"
Blessed shall you be in your comings and blessed shall you be in your goings.
(Deut. 28:6)
A. Rav said: "Blessed shall you be in your comings" - this means, when you
come in from the road, may your wife be available to you for marital
relations (and not be in her menstrual period). "Blessed shall you be in
your goings" - this means, may those who go out from your loins be like
you.
Rabbi Yochanan said: "Blessed shall you be in your comings, and
blessed shall you be in your goings" - may your departure from the world
be like your entry into the world; just as you came into the world without
sin, so may you depart from it without sin. (Talmud, Baba Metzia 107a)
B. Rabbi Yehudah bar Simon said: This verse is speaking of Moses. For
when Moses came into the world, he brought near those who were
distant - specifically, Pharaoh's daughter. And when he left the world, he
brought near those who were distant, as we see he said concerning
Reuben (who was rejected by his father): "May Reuben live and not die."
(Deut. 33:6) Another interpretation: the verse refers to one's trade.
(Perhaps meaning that if your wares are good when you bring them in for
sale, you then will leave with success. (Midrash Deuteronomy Rabbah
7:5)
C. "Blessed shall you be in your comings" - this means, may blessings be
placed upon you when you come into your father-in-law's house, as
Isaac blessed Jacob (before going to Laban's home): "May El Shaddai
bless you, make you fertile and numerous..." (Gen. 28:3). "Blessed shall
you be in your goings" - this means, may blessings be placed upon you
when you go forth from your father-in-law's house (as happened when
Jacob left Laban's home). (Midrash, Genesis 82:4)
D. One who takes a wife out of lust, of him Scripture says: "They shall eat,
but not be sated; they shall swill, but not be satisfied." (Hosea 4:10) One
who takes a wife in order to improve his position, in the end his standing
will be reduced from that family, and his seed after him excluded. But
one who takes a wife for the sake of Heaven, of him Scripture says:
"Blessed shall you be in your comings, and blessed shall you be in your
goings." (Tanna D'Bei Eliyahu Zuta 16:14)
What are the greatest blessings in life? In the commentary above we see a
broad sweep of life's choicest blessings. Marital life is mentioned, children and
family, one's trade... and also, being "without sin", or, like Moses, possessing
the ability to bring people together. We are also cognizant that there is a time
when these words refer not only to life but to death. Recall that a very similar
verse is recited at Jewish funerals: "The Lord will guard your going forth and
your coming in now and forever." (Psalms 121:8)
Reflection
What would you want people to say or think about you "when you are going
forth forever"?
Discussion Theme Two: "The Attack of the Crickets"
The cricket shall take over all the trees and produce of your land (Deut 28:42)
A. The word "tz'latzal" (translated above as "cricket") refers to the locust,

which will strip the fruit (Rashi). Note that the locust is one of the 10
plagues in Egypt. If that were the case, that it means locust, it should
have been connected with another verse (v. 38) which directly mentions
the locust. Rather, it is more likely that the word does not mean locust
but instead refers to a hostile army and the Torah is trying to convey the
following: "Though you beget sons and daughters, they shall not remain
with you" to work for you and to sustain your old age, "for they shall go
into captivity" before the enemy. And "...all the trees and produce of your
land" will be taken by an army (not locusts). How do we know that the
word "tz'latzal" refers to an army? We see it referred to in the phrases
from Psalm 150, "tziltz'lei shama" and "tziltz'lei t'ruah", resounding and
loud-clashing cymbals, associated with warring armies. (Nachmanides,
13th c.)
B. The "tz'latzal" is indeed a swarm of locusts, and it is called this for two
possible reasons. One is that they are so numerous that they put the sun
into shade (tzel). The other is because they make such a deafening
noise" (as per note B above - clashing cymbals). (Samson Raphael
Hirsch. 19th c. Germany)
What sometimes seems to be small and harmless (ie. A cricket), even pleasant
to see and hear ("Jiminy Cricket"), may be as destructive as an army or any
other invasive force. Similarly, we may allow ourselves small and harmless
habits, which ultimately can plague and darken our lives.
At this time of year, as we recall our misdeeds, let us try to remember the little
slights and harms that we did to others. They may seem inconsequential to us
(crickets) but may not be so to others who may have been deeply hurt (as with
a "clashing army").
NITZAVIM-VAYELECH
August 31, 2002 - 5762


(29:9-28) A warning to preserve the covenant with God and His Torah, with a
description of the punishment liable to follow the breaking of the covenant.
(30:1-10) After their return in complete repentance, God will have mercy upon
His people, and the dispersed of Israel will return to their land.
(30:11-14) God's commandments are not "far away". They can be

accomplished.
(30:15-20) "See, I place before you today life and good, death and evil - choose
life in order for you and your descendants to live!"
(31:1-30) The last days of Moses.
This Shabbat's Theme: "A Commitment For The Upcoming Year"
Surely, this Instruction which I enjoin upon you this day is not too baffling for
you, nor is it beyond reach. It is not in the heavens, that you should say "Who
among us can go up to the heavens and get it for us and impart it to us that we
may observe it?" Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, "Who among
us can cross to the other side of the sea and get it for us and impart it to us that
we may observe it?" No, the thing is very close to you - in your mouth and in
your heart, to observe it. (Deut. 30:11-14)
A. Said the Kotzker Rebbe: the Sages teach us that we should not believe
the man who professes to have labored hard in the study of the Torah
and found himself unable to comprehend it. How do they come to make
this observation? From the statement of the Torah saying that G-d's
words are not in Heaven but are near to people. Hence, since every Jew
is near to the Torah, it follows that if he makes a sincere effort to
understand it, he must attain his wish, else it would be as if it were in
Heaven, at least for this person. It is like one who has lost a diamond in a
stack of hay. He does not abandon his effort to find it, no matter how long
it requires, for he is sure the diamond is there, Likewise, the Torah
assures you that the Word of G-d is near to you, and is within your
comprehension. Do not leave off your effort, for you will surely discover
eventually that you understand it. (Ramataim Tzofim - a commentary on
the Midrash "Tanna d'Bei Eliyahu", quoted in L. Neuman, The Hasidic
Anthology, 174:10, p.458)
B. The Torah belongs to, and therefore is the responsibility of, all the people.
Clearly, the words of Deut. 30:11-14 emphasize this principle and at the
same time reject the notion that Torah is secret lore, accessible only to a
chosen few... In the religious traditions of antiquity such a commitment to
universal accessibility was unique, and it had an even more profound
effect on the Jewish people as the centuries passed. The study of Torah
became the supreme preoccupation of the Jew; none was too humble to
be excluded from the mitzvah of learning and none was too prominent to
be excused from it. It was a command, averred the Mishnah, that
outweighed all others, for everything flowed from it. (The Torah: A
Modern Commentary, G. Plaut ed., p. 1542)
C. These are the things whose fruits a person eats in the world while the
capital remains for him in the world to come: honoring one's parents, the
practice of loving kindness, hospitality to strangers, and making peace
between a person and his neighbor. And the study of Torah surpasses
them all. (Mishnah, Kiddushin, 39b)
D. Emperor Hadrian's daughter said to Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah, a
learned but homely scholar, "Such great wisdom in such an ugly vessel!"
He answered, "Learn from your fathers palace. In what kind of vessels is
the wine stored?"
"In earthen jars," she said.
"Earthen jars! But that's what common people use," he answered. "You
should store your wine in gold and silver vessels."
The girl went and had the wine transferred to gold and silver jars, and it
turned sour.
"You see," he said to her, "the Torah is the same way."
"But aren't there handsome people who are also learned?" she asked.
"Yes," he retorted, "But if they were ugly, they would be even more
learned!" (Talmud, Nedarim 50b)
We are coming to the end of the cycle of Sabbath Torah readings for this
current year (5762). As Rosh Hashanah approaches next week, and as we
resolve in this season of the year to better ourselves spiritually, purposeful
direction is offered to us in the verses we have just analyzed.
In his final discourse to the Jewish People, Moses counsels: Surely, this
Instruction which I enjoin upon you this day is not too baffling for you, nor is it
beyond reach. It is not in the heavens, that you should say "Who among us can
go up to the heavens and get it for us and impart it to us that we may observe
it?" Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, "Who among us can cross
to the other side of the sea and get it for us and impart it to us that we may
observe it?" No, the thing is very close to you - in your mouth and in your heart,
to observe it (Deut. 30:11-14).
Accordingly, the Jewish approach to spirituality lies in the on-going study of the
Torah ("Instruction") and the profound teachings that are derived from it.
Religious insight according to our Faith, is gained primarily through knowledge
and understanding. Fundamentally, Judaism demands the mind as much as the
heart. One does not attain religious insight instantaneously or facilely, it is a
process that takes time... and effort.
It is commitment time now. How about a real Jewish commitment by you? How
about devoting some part of your time every day to the studying of a Jewish
subject?
If you are not disciplined enough to consistently carry out that kind of
commitment, then let us invite you to join thousands of other Conservative Jews
in the regular study of Mishnah. Just call us at the United Synagogue and we
will get you going. (212) 533-7800, Ext. 2612. Or... we encourage you ever so
much to attend your synagogue's adult classes.

Torah Sparks - 5762

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BERESHEET

October 13, 2001/5762

Prepared by Rabbi David L. Blumenfeld, PhD

Annual Cycle: Genesis 1:1-6:8 (Hertz, p.2; Etz Hayim, p.3)

This Shabbat’s Torah Portion Summary

(1:1-2:3) The world is created in six days. The first Shabbat.

(4:1-15) Cain’s murder of Abel and God’s response.

(5:1-6:8) The ten generations from Adam to Noah.

This Shabbat's Theme: "The Elusive Search for Truth"

“In the beginning God created..." (1:1)

Hebrew = BeresheeT (,)... barA (t)...ElohiM (n)

A. The seal (signature) of the Holy One Praised Be He is truth. (Talm.

“Sparks” for Discussion:

Next Question: “Shall We Always Tell The Truth?”

“Sparks” for Discussion:

“Sparks” for Discussion:

Prepared by Rabbi David L. Blumenfeld, PhD

This Shabbat’s Torah Portion Summary

(9:18-29) Noah's drunkenness and death.

(10:1-32) The descendants of Noah's sons: Shem, Ham, and Yaphet.

(11:10-32) The ten generations from Noah to Abraham.

This Shabbat's Theme: A Corrupt Society - Considerations: Then and Now

“Sparks” for Discussion:

So What's So Bad About Our Society?

The world is afflicted with lawlessness, mindless terrorism. And we all

“Sparks” for Discussion:

Prepared by Rabbi David L. Blumenfeld, PhD

Annual Cycle: Genesis 12:1 - 17:27 (Hertz, p. 4; Etz Hayim, p. 69)

This Shabbat’s Torah Portion Summary

(Chap. 16) Abram's concubine, Hagar, becomes pregnant, leading to conflict

“Sparks” for Discussion:

We are all tested in life. I guess if we do not follow a religious approach, we

Prepared by Rabbi David L. Blumenfeld, PhD

This Shabbat’s Torah Portion Summary

(21:22-34) Abraham and Abimelekh make a covenant of peace at Be'er-sheva.

(22:1-19) The Akedah, the story of the binding of Isaac

(22:20-24) Genealogy which includes Rebekah, future wife of Isaac.

This Shabbat's Theme: Angels

Angels in the Abstract

A. The modern Jewish attitude to angels tend to regard the traditional

“Sparks” for Discussion:

Also, what do we intend to mean when we say "Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh" in

Prepared by Rabbi David L. Blumenfeld, PhD

This Shabbat’s Torah Portion Summary

(24:50-52) Laban and Bethuel agree to allow Rebecca to go with Eliezer.

(24:53-67) Rebecca consents to go with Eliezer, and is given a farewell blessing

(25:1-6) The genealogy of Abraham's descendants from his second marriage -

(25:12-18) A genealogy of Ishmael's descendants. Sarah died in Kiriat-arba -

This Shabbat's Theme: Paying Appropriate Final Respects

A. Jewish law is unequivocal in establishing absolutely, and

“Sparks” for Discussion:

If there is no hevra kaddisha (a traditional burial society) associated with your

Prepared by Rabbi David L. Blumenfeld, PhD

This Shabbat’s Torah Portion Summary

(25:27-34) Esau sells his birthright to Jacob for a pot of stew.

(26:23-33) Abimelech makes a peace treaty with Isaac, seeing Isaac's

(26:34-35) Esau marries two Hittite women, to his parents' distress.

(27:46-28:5) Isaac blesses Jacob and sends him to Haran.

This Shabbat's Theme: How (Grand) Parents Influence Their (Grand)

“Sparks” for Discussion:

In terms of Jewish commitment, how can we as parents and grandparents

Prepared by Rabbi David L. Blumenfeld, PhD

This Shabbat’s Torah Portion Summary