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Parashat Ki Tavo: Deut. 26:1 - 29:8

Over the course of the last few weeks I’ve been immersed in the world of Camp Kefli.  Exhausted from the day I would often come home, plop down on the couch and open up Facebook to find these posting from our staff and campers:  “I love hangin with my Jew Crew;”  “I am as happy as can be. This is a direct result of being on Kefli staff.” “My Life is Kefli” “I like Jews.”  In less than two weeks this Jewish pride will be met with the challenges of being Jewish in a non-Jewish world.  As many of the teens have expressed to me and many of the adults have experienced, missing school or taking a day-off from work to attend High Holy Day services can at times feel burdensome, frustrating and maybe even impossible. 
During the Holy Days the world around us continues at a fast pace and we are told to leave it behind.  To enter the majesty of the High Holy Days, we must ask for a day off from work, say no to a soccer game or reschedule an important test. Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson explains that “while Jews have been known as the chosen people from time immemorial, it is now essential that we become the ‘choosing people.’”  Judaism does not come to us, we must choose to embrace our faith, practice our traditions and connect to Klal Yisrael, the Jewish community.
The idea of choosing is rooted in this week’s Torah portion, Ki Tavo.  Moses preparing the Israelites to enter the Promised Land lists a series of blessings for Jews who follow God’s commands and a longer list of curses for those who rebel.  He states:
“Silence! Hear, O Israel!  Today you have become the people of Adonai your God.  Listen to Adonai your God and observe God’s commandments and laws, which I enjoin upon you this day…Cursed be the one who does not uphold the words of this teaching to do them… And if you obey Adonai your God, to observe faithfully all God’s commandments… all these blessings shall come upon you and take effect.” (Deut. 27:9-10, 26, 28:1-2)
Acknowledging that there will be blessings for some behaviors and curses for others implies that we have a choice.  As Artson explains, “God does not coerce observance. Instead, through teaching, example, and incentive, God hopes to persuade us to elevate our behavior to incorporate the holy and moral code of Jewish living.”  Like our ancestors poised on the borders of the Promised Land, we must respond to the call with “Hineini-Here I am!”  We are Jews immersed in a non-Jewish world.  As we enter these final days of preparation for the Holy Days, let us search within ourselves and make space within our lives to find a connection to the holiness and transforming power of this season. Let each of us declare, “Here I am ready to choose my faith and traditions even when it means missing a day of school, skipping an important game, or putting a business deal on hold.”  We have the power to choose.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Alissa Forrest
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Parashat Ki Tetze: Deut. 21:10 - 25:19

A law in this week’s Torah portion reminded me of an experience I had more than thirty years ago at a Shabbat dinner table in Jerusalem.  As a college student on a study abroad program, I was invited to my host family’s Shabbat celebration, a traditional observance in an Orthodox home.  I watched, and learned, trying not to make any egregious mistakes because of my ignorance of most of the customs. 
After we sang Shalom Aleichem (whew—I knew that one!), the husband in the family turned to his wife and began to chant a beautiful melody in Hebrew while looking straight into her eyes.  Their eyes held throughout the long verses and it was as if the rest of us had disappeared from the room.  When he finished I realized I had been holding my breath in wonder and enchantment—clearly I had witnessed an intimate but public testimony to abiding love and commitment.
I learned later that my host sang the words of Eshet Chayil (A Woman of Valor), a twenty-two verse poem from Proverbs 31 that glorifies the woman’s central role in providing for her family’s needs, a paean to her righteousness, generosity and unflagging energy.  The Midrash claims that our Biblical ancestor Abraham composed the words for his wife’s Sarah’s eulogy, while the Kabbalah, our mystical tradition, attaches the portrait to the Sabbath Queen or the Shechina (the feminine Presence of God).  Taken literally or as metaphor, the words of Eshet Chayil can be a love letter sent every Shabbat evening from one beloved to another—a custom more of us non-Orthodox Jews might well want to integrate into our Shabbat observance! 
The Torah contains laws that recognize that all marriages require regular and intense infusions of deep feelings put into words and action.  In this week’s portion we read:  “When a man has taken a bride, he shall not go out with the army or be assigned to it for any purpose; he shall be exempt one year for the sake of his household, to give happiness to the woman he has married.” (Deut. 24:5) Since, in ancient times, arranged marriages precluded both intimate or casual contact between partners, the couple’s first year of marriage was when they got to know each other, developed their rapport, cemented (we pray) their love for each other. What wisdom lies behind a law that would ensure an uninterrupted year together, and what a notable concern for the woman’s happiness in a patriarchal text that often neglects her.  Surely that first year of sacred commitment sets the tone for all the years to follow; if the partners value and work for each other’s happiness in year one, the goal of lifelong happiness stands a much greater chance for attainment.
The Torah and the tradition of chanting Eshet Chayil weekly remind us to cherish and articulate—out loud—our love and gratitude for the unique gifts we receive from those closest to us:  spouses, family, dearest friends.  May we find the words in our hearts and say them, with love.
Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Judy Shanks
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A Woman of Valor, called Eshet Chayil in Hebrew, is a hymn which is customarily recited on Friday evenings, after returning from synagogue and singing “Shalom Aleichem” and before sitting down to the Shabbat evening meal.

Eshet Chayil is a twenty-two verse poem with which King Solomon concludes the book of Proverbs (Proverbs 31). The poem has an acrostic arrangement in which the verses begin with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet in regular order. The poem describes the woman of valor as one who are is energetic, righteous, and capable.

According to Aggadic Midrashim (interpretation of the non-legal portions of the Hebrew Bible), the poem was originally composed by Abraham as a eulogy for his wife Sarah.

According to Jewish mysticism, Kabbalah, the poem is a reference to the Shabbat Queen, the spiritual soul-mate of the Jewish nation.

According to commentators, the poem is allegorical. A Woman of Valor has been interpreted as a reference to the Shechinah (Divine presence), the Shabbat, the Torah, wisdom, and the soul. Using Jewish women as the vehicle through which to describe these spiritual manifestations is a tribute to her.

It has become a Jewish custom for men to recite this hymn at the end of the week, and thus to think about and be thankful for all his wife has done for him and their family.

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Parashat Shoftim: Deut. 16:18 - 21:9

The language in this week’s Torah reading, Shoftim, seems to set us up for failure. The demands of the laws in many areas that affect our daily living seem to be difficult to attain.  The sages, who interpreted Torah in every generation, try to find ways to temper the severity of the instruction. They do so not by diluting the law but by making it more accessible while keeping the aim high. The often heard expression “Justice, Justice you shall pursue” seems to frame this way of reading the law:  Justice, no matter how hard it is to attain, and impossible to live by unless tempered by mercy, is a goal towards which we must strive in our lives and across generations.  Just because something is hard, one should not give up on it. Even though we know we are imperfect human beings, we should not give up in our attempt to be better.
Rabbi Harold S. Kushner reminds us that Judaism does not require perfection; that “we stand before God with all our faults as well as our virtues…because the challenge of being human is so great that no one gets it right every time.” May be that is what it means to be “wholehearted with God.” To come before God with all we have, the good and the bad, the certainty and the doubt, our self confidence and our insecurities. It makes no sense to enter into loving relationships hiding a significant part of who we are. Doing so condemns the relationship to failure.  As we enter the month of Elul we are reminded that the mystics explained the Hebrew letters that spell the name of the month as standing for the verse in the Song of Songs “I am my beloved and my beloved is mine.” This they say refers to the love of Israel for God and of God for Israel.  It is no different than the love between two human partners. It requires full disclosure; it does not accept subterfuge or deception. Or, back to the beginning, if this seems to hard to attain, we should bring everything we can to the process or repentance, return, reconciliation we are invited to undertake as we walk on our way to the High Holidays.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Roberto D. Graetz
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Parashat Re’eh: Deut. 11:26 - 16:17

I love to write the Torah commentary during this time of the year. We learn not only from the Torah but also from the calendar. We learn from the rational way in which the world functions and we learn from the spiritual realm opened up to us through the subtly changing liturgy as we prepare to welcome the New Moon of Elul.
In the Torah we reach the point when Moses, bidding goodbye to his people shortly before his death, finishes the recounting of the historic experience and begins the restatement of the commandments that emerged from it.  Re’eh (the name of the Torah portion) begins with: “See, I set before you blessing and curse; blessing if you obey the commandments of the Eternal, your God…”  We, who have been around the block, know that life is not always fair. We don’t necessary feel the blessing flowing from our good deeds, neither do we see the curse fall on those who act unjustly.  But that is not what the Torah is telling us. There is no personal guarantee, underwritten by the Holy One of Israel, stating that no matter how good you are you will never face sickness or want. But there is an assurance that if we take good care of each other life will feel like a blessing in spite of its difficulties; that if we protect God’s gift in nature, life on our planet will endure; that if we cultivate memory, values and faith, Israel -the people- will live.  This is not something that you feel at every moment but you can perceive through the lens of history.  The flip side also holds, even more clearly and immediately: If we don’t take care of one another strife will increase; if we don’t protect God’s gift, our earth will kick back; if we don’t cultivate memory, values and faith Israel will not endure.
In the calendar we approach the beginning of Elul, the moth preceding the High Holidays designated for the ascent from wherever life may have placed us during the year to the height of the High Holidays. The shofar is sounded in synagogue to alert us to the urgency of the task, the liturgy brings us messages of hope that come with faith and faith that leads from fear and guilt to acting in the spirit of tikun (repair).  We will mark this time in our individual journeys with communal gatherings for learning, prayer and introspection; opportunities to recreate ourselves into the image of the best we can imagine ourselves being.  The shofar will sound loudly in our midst and study will begin this next week with the extraordinary opportunity of learning with one of the great teachers of this generation, Rabbi Arthur Green.  Check the Temple Calendar and join us on this spiritual learning that may help us feel all the blessings in our lives and help us turn our lives into blessings.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Roberto D. Graetz
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Parashat Ekev: Deut. 7:12 - 11:25

We have had house guests this week, including two young boys ages six and three. In addition to reminding these “empty-nesters” how much energy children have—and demand—from the adults around them, these boys have also reminded us how much pure enjoyment youngsters take in the world around them. Everything is funny or a source of great amusement! And in a rare lull in the action one will pipe up with a “knock knock joke,” told over and over again but prompting hilarious laughter each and every time. 
Our tradition—thank God—is one that relishes laughter, enjoyment, pleasure and fun. This week’s portion includes Moses’ reminder to the Israelites of the blessings they will merit if they continue to follow God’s commandments once settled in the Land of Israel. The Hasidic commentators on this passage focus on an early rabbinic midrash (Leviticus Rabbah 11:7) that says our text implies that we are required not just a careful fulfillment of the mitzvot (commandments) but a joyous one. We are meant to approach our sacred actions with a sense of gratitude and elation. Says the Baal Shem Tov:  “Weeping is evil, for humans should serve God with joy. But if one weeps for joy, tears are commendable.” A later Hasidic rabbi, Hanoch of Aleksandrow, said: “Do you wish to know how important it is to be full of joy at all times? Moses encountered a long series of crises (in Deuteronomy 28) and then remarked, ‘it was because you did not serve Adonai with joyfulness and with gladness of heart.’”
We face challenges in life and of course we cannot always be joyous. But we all know people who shine with what seems like a steady light of happiness and an ability to find goodness and some joy even in difficult times. This parasha asks us to fill each day with moments when we see and respond to God’s goodness with actions that testify to the pleasure we take in life and in our Covenant. By fulfilling God’s commandments we elevate the mundane—waking, eating, conversing, praying—to the sacred, and, if we try, to the spiritually joyous as well.
May our Shabbat and the week to come find us laughing at life’s infinite pleasures and bringing joy to God and to those around us.

Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Judy Shanks
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Parashat Vaetchanan: Deut. 3:23 - 7:11

In this week’s portion lie the six words we Jews pray with special ceremony, with heightened awareness, with deepened intention:   

Sh’ma Yisrael Adonai Eloheynu Adnonai Echad
Hear, O Israel! The Eternal is our God, the Eternal alone.

Over the centuries the combination of these particular six words has become for the Jewish people our watchword, our creed, our heartfelt testimony to God and to each other. With the Sh’ma we declare we will maintain forever our Covenant with the Holy One of Israel. 
In his exploration of the meaning of this verse, Rabbi Lawrence Kushner separates and translates the words in this manner:

SHEMA: Pay attention,
YISRAEL: You who struggle with God.
ADONAI: Being in all its variegated forms is
ELOHAYNU: Our God and
ADONAI: All being is
ECHAD: The Only One of Being.

Kushner’s translation reflects more than the plain meaning of the Hebrew. He tries to convey the Jewish mystics’ belief that the oneness of God means that nothing except God exists; God is all there is. Of course, we humans, shackled with a lower, imperfect understanding of the cosmos, do not see unity in God’s world, but multiplicity, separation, brokenness, imperfection. We are stuck here in the human, material realm. But our goal, say the mystics, is to enter so fully into this prayer and so fully into the contemplation of God’s unity that we will catch a momentary glimpse, at least, of the unity of all creation.
Many of us have had sacred moments where it does seem, for a short time, that we see the connections between the sacred and the mundane, between the realm of the spirit and the everyday. In a burst of understanding, we just know the sacred has triumphed and we are transported. For some, these moments can take place in the synagogue, surrounded and lifted out of the ordinary by adding our voice to the voices of community and linking ourselves to the chain of a millennial tradition. Others find the grandeur or beauty of nature the prompt to a vision of Oneness. We can be moved by the birth of a child or the death of a beloved. We can sit in meditation to quiet the incessant noise outside and inside and just by breathing bring ourselves into harmony with all creation and its Creator.
Our task as Jews, of course, is to bring the power of those glimpses of Divine Unity back into the real world, the broken world, and to the triumph of vision add the mitzvah of healing. Ours is not a tradition of recluses or hermits. We strive for enlightenment in order to bring its wisdom, its compassion, its understanding that we are all One, back to those who most need wholeness. Each time we chant the Sh’ma, may our prayer enlighten our eyes and may the tasks to which we then set our hands heal our world.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Judy Shanks
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Parashat Devarim: Deut. 1:1-3:22

This week as we start the Book of Deuteronomy the Israelites are at a pivotal moment in their journey. Standing in the plains of Moab in the lower Jordan valley, the Israelites are preparing to enter the Promised Land. Moses begins his farewell speech by reminding the Israelites of two events that occurred on their journey: the Israelites’ exultation at receiving the commandments at Sinai and the Israelites’ fear and resistance after hearing the reports of the spies. Dr. Elsie Stern explains that these two events “become emblematic of the choice that confronts the Israelites: obey God and prosper in the Promised Land or disobey and be condemned to wandering circuitously outside the land.” On their forty year journey from Egypt to the Promised Land the Israelites were given instructions and guidance, but often acted cowardly. Their lack of faith in God led to a whole generation not being allowed to enter the land. In this week’s parasha, as the new generation prepares to enter the land they are reminded of the consequences of their ancestors’ behavior. Moses encourages them to act differently because their decisions and actions effect not only the present community but also future generations.
Today the Jewish people have a home in the Promised Land.  We might live thousands of miles away and be citizens of another country, but the decisions of Israel’s government effect the entire Jewish community. This week legislation was introduced in the Israeli Knesset that would fundamentally change the Law of Conversion. Rabbi Eric Yoffie of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) explains:

“The bill would give the Chief Rabbinate exclusive oversight of all conversion matters, putting non-Orthodox conversions performed abroad at risk, and greatly limiting the options available to Israelis and olim (immigrants to Israel) wishing to convert or in need of ‘official’ recognition. Sadly, this happened within hours of the arrest of Anat Hoffman, Director of the Israel Religious Action Center and Founder of Women of the Wall, for praying at the Western Wall with a Torah scroll, yet another reminder that non-Orthodox Jews don’t enjoy the same religious freedom in Israel that we do in North America.” (Watch a video of Hoffman’s arrest)
We are reminded in this week’s Torah portion that our decisions today have great consequences for future generations. The decision being made in Israel has the power to undermine the legitimacy of Reform, Conservative and other non-Orthodox Jews. The Israeli government has a choice: it can be a Jewish State inclusive of ALL Jews and maintain the strong relationship between North America and Israel that is so vital to its survival or it can pass this bill and create a rift in the Jewish community.
The Talmud states: “Jerusalem was destroyed only because the people did not speak out and criticize one another for their wrongdoings.” (Shabbat 119b)  It is believed that the bill will be put to a vote this coming Wednesday. It is important for our voices to be heard. I urge you to contact Prime Minister Netanyahu and share your concern over the future of religious freedom in Israel, the character of the Jewish State, and the relationship between Israel and the Diaspora. As Anat Hoffman explains, “this is not an issue affecting only converts - it is an issue that threatens the very unity of the Jewish people.” As we prepare for Shabbat, let us unite with Jews around the world to promote justice and acceptance in the Land of Israel.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Alissa Forrest
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Parashat Mattot-Masei: Num. 30:2-36:13; 28:9-15

What do we do with the parts of the Torah that disturb us, that shock us, that push us to want to close the holy book in sheer disgust? For me, such a passage occurs in this week’s portion.  The Israelites are camped on the east side of the Jordan, preparing to enter the Land of Israel and bring their 40-year trek to an end.  But first God commands Moses:  “Avenge the Israelites people on the Midianites; then you shall be gathered to your kin.”  (Num. 31:2)
Will Moses’ last earthly action be his leadership in a military battle of vengeance?  True, a few chapters back the Midianite women lured some Israelite men away from the community and into sexual depravity and idolatry.  In punishment, the perpetrators and their victims died in a horrible plague sent by God.  Why must more revenge be taken?  When Moses hears God’s orders does he shrink from complying?  His wife Ziporra is a Midianite, and her people, especially her father Jethro, sheltered Moses when he fled Egypt and generously advised the new leader after the Exodus.
Moses does not join the battle himself, but he gives no quarter to his wife’s tribe of origin.  Rather, after a bloody battle wherein the Israelites rout the Midianites, kill all their kings and every male among them, and return to the Israelite camp with mountains of booty, Moses rails at them:  “You spared every female!  Yet they were the ones who…induced the Israelites to trespass against the Lord…Now, therefore, slay every male among the children, and slay also every woman who has known a man carnally…” (Num. 31:15-17)
How can these be the same leaders - God and Moses—who in Leviticus called the Israelites to perform acts of holiness that they might imitate and raise themselves up to the level of God’s holiness?  How do we at one and the same time learn to “love our neighbor as ourselves” and “slay every male among the children”? What do we do with the parts of the Torah that disturb us?
First, we must see this passage in the context of the times and the place, an ancient Near East plagued by tribal warfare.  If the killing of civilians had ended at some great moment of enlightenment in human existence, we could leave it there. But the killing continues. Instead, then, when we study this passage we must remind ourselves that we Jews have learned through the millennia that there is not, nor can there ever be an excuse for the massacre of innocents. Attaching God’s name to a massacre makes it no less a massacre, no less murder.  The murder of innocents can never be the necessary means to a supposedly justified end, whether it is called “holy war” or “collateral damage” or a “fight for freedom and security.”  The euphemisms bring no comfort to the victims and no exoneration to the conquerors.
I think the passage is meant, ultimately, so to disgust us with its brutality that we will work to prevent its repetition through history. We will pledge not to condone such behavior in ourselves or our leaders or our God.  May we vow always to imitate God’s Torah vision of holiness, and to render obsolete and anachronistic in our world God’s Torah vision of vengeance.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Judy Shanks
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Parashat Pinchas: Num. 25:10 - 30:1

The Torah portion this Shabbat is named after a character whose story was told at the end of last week’s portion.  In a way Pinchas, the fanatic, is left hanging alone for a week before we are told the story’s end. Though his deed is rewarded, the sages take some time to look at how the Torah portions are divided in order to understand how our tradition rates an extremist.
In most years, when Torah portions are joined, Balak and Chukat are read together, and Mattot and Mase are also joined, but this week’s Torah portion, Pinchas, is never joined, it stands alone. May this be an intentional illustration of the wisdom of leaving a zealot alone for a while so that no one would rush to join him? One should be aware of the means extremists are willing to use to achieve their ends and understand what the extremists’ objectives are. 
There is relatively little that one can do against extremism other than changing the circumstances that give it birth.  For a time isolation might work, but after a while the isolated ones become a breathing ground for greater extremism and hatred.  What is clear is that counterbalancing one form of extremism with another does not lead to good results.  It is not about who screams harder, or who can apply the most painful hit.  Strengthening the middle ground, where even those who are wavering may find their place seems to be a more successful formula for fighting extremism.  The results may not be immediate but on the long run they can bring lasting change that will be to everyone’s benefit. 
After a period of ‘leaving Pinchas alone’ he is called to the priesthood.  Many consider this a reward for having stood up for his values. Others, though, see this as God’s policy of containment. “How do I keep this guy from doing harm in the name of My values? I will keep him busy with the priesthood and away from contact with weapons of any kind!” It can also be seen as a way to integrate someone into the community after they have done something heinous. To often we don’t leave an opening for someone who has strayed to come back.  Education and re-integration strategies, challenging as they are, are the proven tools of reigning in extremism anywhere. Not the immediate results that violence promises, not the imagined results of blockade and isolation, but the realistic long term plan to bring Israel and humanity to a new understanding of how we are to be in the world.
The learning curve is steep for the extremist and for the community. It must be scary to live with a Pinchas in our midst -one who would mortally strike another whose values he does not share. It must be scary to be Pinchas, whose story is split in two Torah portions as a way of warning the rest of us to isolate the extremist - the religious fanatic, the political zealot, the one who believes that life can be lived without compromises.
As I noted in last year’s commentary on this same Torah portion, leadership in our tradition is reserved to the one possessed with the required ruach, temperament/spirit/patience; not only attentive to divine call but attuned to human need.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Roberto D. Graetz
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Parashat Balak: Num. 22:2 - 25:9

In this week’s parasha, the prophet Balaam calls out the well-known verse “Mah tovu ohalekha Yaakov, mishk’notecha, Yisrael -How wonderful are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel.” (Numbers 24:5) Balak, King of Moab, sees the great size and might of the Israelites and sends Balaam to curse them.  With this curse he hopes to easily defeat them as he says, “For I know that he whom you bless is blessed indeed, and he whom you curse is cursed.” (Numbers 22:6) However, when Balaam arrives at the Israelites’ tents, God open’s his eyes. Balak had only seen their size and was fearful of being attacked. Similarly Balaam had limited vision and was unaware of the entire picture.Rabbi Sue Levi Elwell explains, “Only when the Holy One open’s his eyes can Balaam…[see] the tents that are the homes and the gathering places of the women, children and men who live in community marked by care and mutual respect.” With his eyes wide open he has greater insight into the whole of the Israelite people and thus a new perspective on them. When he opens his mouth to curse the Israelites, as was Balak’s instruction, he blesses them instead.
“How fair are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel.”  This verse from his blessing has become part of our morning prayer service. Rabbi Kerry Olitzky explains:
“Although originally the comment was a spontaneous expression of admiration at the sight of the Israelite encampment-a holy people living in peace-it also provides us with a valuable insight into how serenity can be achieved in our own lives. ‘Tents’ can be seen as a symbol for one’s interior space. How are things within us? How do we really feel? ‘Dwellings’ similarly can be understood as our place in life. Are we satisfied with where we are? Are we free of resentment and envy of others? In short, are we living in peace with ourselves?”*
Like Balaam our eyes are often closed; we too are unaware of the entire picture. We move through life seeing the larger picture, but often miss the smaller details. How frequently do we stop to look within ourselves and ask “How am I really feeling right now?” Do we stop regularly to reflect on our place in life? When I go to yoga, I am often asked to set an intention for my practice, whether it be acceptance, healing, letting go, or love. As I breathe in and out, slowly shifting from one pose to the next, my intention helps focus my thoughts. I leave the world outside and dive deep within myself.
The Rabbis declared that the first words said when entering the sanctuary in the morning should be Mah Tovu, “How fair are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel.” As we say this blessing we are reminded that as we enter our prayer service we must let go of the world around us. Worship is a time to journey within and ask ourselves these clarifying questions.  Like yoga, when we begin services we too can pick an intention for our prayer experience. Focusing on the details opens our eyes to our entire selves and helps us find serenity and perspective in our lives. What is your intention this Shabbat?
Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Alissa Forrest
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* Rabbi Kerry Olizky’s teaching comes from his book Renewed Each Day: Daily Twelve Step Recovery Meditations Based on the Bible. If you or someone you know is recovering from addiction this book and others in his series brings a strong and meaningful connection between Judaism and the recovery process. I highly recommend them. For more information about these books visit http://jewishlights.com/page/category/12STP.

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Parashat Chukkat: Num. 19:1 - 22:1

Last week I spent a few days at a spiritual retreat in the desert landscape of my birthplace, Arizona.  If I got up early enough, just at daybreak, I could hike into the canyons of the Sonora desert and watch the drama of the landscape unfold before the heat of the day drove me indoors.  The rocky soil somehow sustained thousands of saguaro cacti, still in bloom, their flowers visited by cactus wrens, hummingbirds and rumbling bees.  Looking down and keeping watch for rattlers, I saw desert quail, lizards large and small, and myriad insects pursuing their determined trek through the dusty trails.
And not a drop of water.  There was no moisture in the air or visible on the ground.  Within minutes my lips were parched and my hands reached for the water bottle at my side as I heeded the warnings of every trailhead sign:  “Do not enter without water! Drink often!”
In this week’s parasha, the Israelites, traversing an equally dry desert without the luxury of bottled water, cry out in anger to Moses when their water source dries up.  After that recent desert sojourn, my empathy for their plight and for their fear increased.  How could faith alone sustain them?  Only water in abundance, a spring, an oasis, could cleanse and refresh, revive and sustain them enough to move forward, physically and spiritually.  God does provide them water through a miraculous intervention; their complaints cease—for the moment.
On the surface, this narrative tells of a dry place and water for parched lips. The metaphoric level of the text asks us to consider how quickly we ourselves flare up in anger, lash out in complaint, are tempted to abandon our ideals, our beliefs, even our community, when we are “dry” and stressed.  Pressures abound in our lives—economic, political, physical—that cause us to weigh our loyalties and make choices between immediate personal “thirsts” and larger, communal concerns. 
Life in community—in ancient Israel and today—is a rocky journey, up and down, with dry stretches and lush oases as well.  And yet, for thousands of years, enough of us have held fast to our covenant even when “water” was scarce.  Ultimately, we have understood our Torah, our faith in God and our community are themselves “mayim chayim,” living waters of sustenance, support and comfort, helping us through until the next spring bubbles up from the earth. 
May your summer journeys be joyous and refreshing—wear sunscreen!

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Judy Shanks
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Parashat Korach: Num. 16:1-18:32, 28:9-15

It seems to be a common practice these days to play on people’s fears. Appealing to our most base emotions seems to be a great vote getter.  It is nothing new. Already in the Torah, in this week’s portion, Korach, we find an example of this. The portion starts with a rebellion against Moses by Korach and his henchmen. It is an unholy alliance which claims that “all the people are holy,” and therefore entitled to have a say on the journey. The medieval commentator Rashi explains that Korach, the demagogue, used beguiling oratory to seduce the people. The question is, how could the children of Israel, who had experienced the parting of the sea and witnessed the revelation at Sinai fall into Korach’s trap?
Nachmanides, another commentator, believes that at any other time the people would have stoned the person who dared question Moses’ authority. But Korach’s uprising comes shortly after the frightening report brought by the twelve spies (in the previous week’s Torah reading). Korach, the agitator, exploits the fright and despair of the people. He senses that it is the right time to make a move and foment rebellion. And the people fall for it!
Surprised? You shouldn’t be. We live at a time when based on our fears we rush to embrace people who, like Korach, are ‘against,’ without clearly stating what they are for. Fear is a good valve to keep us safe at times, but a bad advisor in our decision making process. Beware of the boogeyman and beware of the Korachs in our midst. When we embrace them and their simplistic ploys we give something up which might be hard to retrieve later. Once we go down the road of the demagogue -first oppressing others, in the end we will find ourselves oppressed.
One of the greatest demagogues of all times, who led our people to the Shoah, based much of his speech on fear. Fear that led to blame, blame that led to hate and hate that led to death. And remember, he was elected! In the end no one was safe. As Pastor Niemoller said: “First they came for the Communists and I didn’t speak up because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for me and by that time no one was left to speak up.”  Fear is poor councilor. Beware of the Korachs in our midst.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Roberto D. Graetz
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Parashat Shelach: Num. 13:1 - 15:41 A Response to the Flotilla Confrontation

“Blockade of Gaza at the heart of crisis” screamed the headline.

As much as I dislike the blockade, it is not at the heart of the crisis.  The heart of the crisis continues to be a Hamas ruled Gaza that has as its charter the destruction of the Jewish State.  It is this that brought the blockade about.  An attempt by Israel to limit the weapons brought to Gaza from its erstwhile allies, Syria, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran; an attempt by Israel to limit the number of rockets fired indiscriminately into Israel from launchers hidden in civilian centers; an attempt by Israel to pressure Hamas to free Gilad Shalit, kidnapped from inside Israel by Hamas forces -now in captivity for almost four years.  The heart of the crisis is not the blockade, neither is it the occupation.  Though I am critical of them both, let us not fool ourselves by the headlines.
My friends on the ground in Israel tell me that the attempt to stop the flotilla by the Israeli navy was ill conceived, poorly executed and represents a PR disaster for Israel and Israel’s defenders in Jewish communities around the world.  As my colleague Rich Kirschen, Director of the Anita Zaltz Education Center in Jerusalem, said in his D’var Torah this week: “These are times when Israel needs to articulate a vision of where it is going and to come up with creative and proactive solutions to those who wish to destroy or discredit us at every chance they get. It is not about being Left or Right any more, Israel needs to GET SMART.”
Prior to the flotilla confrontation, a political statement against the blockade was allowed to be branded as a “humanitarian mission;” an organization that has ties to radical Muslim groups was headlined as a “human right’s organization;” and political street theatre experts from around the globe -including our own Bay Area - were nobly called humanitarian workers.  The snare was laid out and Israel walked into it. The analysis of what exactly happened when, I leave for the experts and future ‘impartial investigative commissions’ which may either condemn or whitewash what actually happened.  There is a lot we don’t yet know, but we have this feeling in our gut that Israel was not as smart as she needs to be in all kinds of “treacherous waters.”
As Rabbi Kirschen said:
“Personally I subscribe to Rabbi Yitz Greenberg who writes, ‘Jewish powerlessness is absolutely incompatible with Jewish existence. But Jewish power is incompatible with absolute Jewish purity.’ Indeed this is a difficult balance for Israel in a very tough neighborhood. But for a state like Israel that is so creative and so inventive, we often respond to the conflict in the narrowest and most self destructive manner and it is going to hurt us in the end.  Let us learn from this week’s Torah portion that the answer is not about being overwhelmed by your enemies and frightened into submission. But neither is the answer to be found the IDF’s catch phrase ‘if force doesn’t work, use more force.’”
We want Israel and her leadership to be strong and smart, self-protective and proactively savvy, and no longer to respond to the conflict only in the narrowest and most hawkish manner. For we see from this incident that such a rigid response will ultimately hurt, not help us.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Robert D. Graetz
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Parashat Behalotecha: Num. 8:1-12:16

This is an excerpt from an interview with one of the first olim (immigrants) to Israel from the former Soviet Union: 
Q:  “How was life for you in the U.S.S.R.?”
A:  “I could not complain.”
Q:  “How was your living situation there?  Your apartment in Moscow?”
A:  “Well, I couldn’t complain.”
Q:  “And your standard of living?”
A:  “I could not complain.”
Q:  “If everything was so great, why did you come here?”
A:  “Oh - here, thank God, I can complain!”
From Biblical times forward we Jews have capitalized on our freedom to complain.  As soon as the Israelites left Egypt they began to voice their disgruntlement to Moses and Aaron, reveling, perhaps, in the opportunity to express personal needs and feelings about all the repressive years in slavery.  They wail about their hunger, their thirst; they even express a wish to return to the fleshpots of Egypt, waxing nostalgic about the abundance of the Nile-fed fields. 
For the most part, God responds to their complaints with sustenance, placating and soothing them with water and food, with a pillar of fire at night and cloud by day to reassure them of the Holy presence. But in this week’s portion the people cross the line.  The English translations do not accurately reflect the Hebrew, which reads:  “Vayehi ha-am k’mitonenim” - “the people were like complainers, like murmurers.”  What does this mean?  Our commentators say the Israelites were not exactly complaining out loud, not making clear their wishes, not declaring specific needs.  Rather they were whispering among themselves, grumbling, grousing, and God heard that discontent and got angry. 
Why the Holy anger, now?  Because their basic needs and more had been met.  This was a complaining for the sake of complaint, a stirring up of anxiety, a gratuitous and dangerous venting of frustration. God is angry because the negativity had wormed its way into the whole community, damaging it from the inside out, like an intestinal disease unchecked. Without intervention, the whole communal enterprise would collapse.
It’s good to complain, loud and long, when we see injustice before our eyes.  It is destructive to complain without justification, to become “like murmerers” filled with bottomless, self-feeding negativity.  May we use our strength and our words to uplift the communities we live within, rejoicing in our freedom to repair the brokenness of our world.
Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Judy Shanks
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Parashat Naso: Num. 4:21 - 7:89

On this Shabbat Naso we will chant from the Torah the beautiful words with which the priests of Israel were commanded to bless the people.
“May God bless you and protect you. May God deal kindly and graciously with you. May God’s favor be bestowed upon you and grant you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
If you grew up in a traditional synagogue you may have memories of the kohanim stepping up to the bimah, the tallit covering their head, hands raised to bless the congregation, imitating the ancient rite which the priests fulfilled as long as the Temple stood.
The sages love to parse the meaning of these words. To bless, in the Bible, meant to confer mainly material gifts: children and cattle, silver and gold.  To protect meant mostly to ward off harmful spirits and keep evil away.  The medieval commentator Abravanel expands these definitions. “Bless you,” he says, refers to material blessings, while “protect you” refers to the hope that God will protect us from the dangers of these blessings. H. Silverman, a modern commentator rephrased this: “May God bless us with possessions and keep them from possessing us.”
It is interesting to note that there is nothing in Jewish tradition that keeps us from considering possessions a blessing. After all, it is when we are thus blessed that we can do the greatest acts of tzedakah and be freed to study more Torah. But we must be conscious at all times, tradition warns us, that the gathering of material wealth should not overshadow the purpose and meaning of acquiring wealth. Whatever we have is a means to sustain us and help sustain others and the world around us.
The blessings and comforts of life are not denied to us, but if they become ends in themselves, and not the means towards a more creative and charitable life, we become idolaters! If the accumulation of wealth becomes our goal in life, our values become distorted and our standards defiled.  Wealth as a goal and not as a means towards something better is the surest route to idolatry. If you succeed you will be worshiping the gold and the silver, or even yourself.  If you recognize that wealth is a gift that needs to be smartly used, you will be surely in the service of the One God.
“Who is wealthy?” the sage asks, “The one who is satisfied with his portion.”

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Roberto D. Graetz
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Parashat Naso: Num. 4:21 - 7:89

On this Shabbat we start reading the fourth book of the Torah, Bamidbar, which also gives the name to this week’s Torah portion. Literally “In the wilderness,” though in English it is known as the Book of Numbers.
It is the ultimate narrative of transition, 38 years of wandering in the desert, getting rid of the slave mentality and raising a new generation born in freedom. 
It’s nice to have 38 years to figure out what life is all about with a little help from God!
On the other hand, Elaine Robinson asks, “Imagine not having had that time to reflect arriving in a new country, looking for safety and protection and being sent away or being abused by those around you or being treated like a pariah.”  This is what happens with millions of immigrant and migrant refugees all over the world today.  Whether it is the displaced from Darfur, who, fleeing genocidal mobs, are not only displaced (moved from one place to another) but also “dis-timed” moved from a simple life under the sky to the complexities of contemporary urban environments; or the immigrants to our shores who today are blamed for everything that ails us, even while they strive to adapt, learn the language and culture, work and pay taxes, raise children and educate them. 
Migrants and displaced persons don’t have the luxury of a guiding God, as the Israelites had in the desert, neither do they have the time to make a smooth transition of learning -language, culture, technology. Thrust into a new environment their only hope is that we understand their plight and keep extending to them a helping hand until they can stand on their own. 
Time and again the Torah reminds us, when challenging us to observe the commandments that regulate life among human beings (bein adam le-chavero), that we were strangers in the land of Egypt. We had 40 years to reflect in the desert on the harm inflicted on us by slavery as we moved towards a life of freedom in the Promised Land. Those who today don’t have that luxury depend on us, on our compassion and generosity, our patience and our sense of justice.  Their hope is that we remember how it felt -in our spiritual genes- to be slaves, to be displaced, to have been strangers in another’s land before the promise of a Promised Land was realized.
Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Roberto D. Graetz
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Parashat Behar - Bechukotai: Lev. 25:1 - 27:34

As we walk through the 49 days from Pesach to Shavuot—today being the 38th day—we encounter a reminder in the Torah text of the first time we all stood at Sinai and listened to God’s commandments. On Shavuot we re-enact that seminal experience in our people’s history. 

For most of the book of Leviticus that we will complete this Shabbat, God tells Moses various laws to transmit to the Israelites. Verse after verse, chapter after chapter start with the words:  “The Eternal One spoke to Moses saying, “Speak to the Israelites…”  But this week’s portion begins, “The Eternal One spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai:  “Speak to the Israelites…[and teach them regarding the Sabbatical laws and Jubilee with regard to ownership of the Land of Israel.  These laws require rest for the land and an equitable redistribution of that land every 50 years—the Jubilee] 

The intrusion of Mt. Sinai back into the text is confusing.  Hadn’t Moses long before descended the mountain, rejoined his people and continued their desert journey?  Is God just hearkening back to the Sinai experience to underscore the importance of these laws in particular?  In the Torah commentary Etz Hayim the editor posits:  “Perhaps because at Sinai no one owned any land yet, and no one could object that the law deprived people of what they had worked to acquire.  It is easier to propose a visionary system of equality when all start out equal. Another interpretation:  Just as Sinai was the smallest of the mountains but the words spoken there changed the world, so the people of Israel, among the smallest of the nations, presents a vision of social justice that has the power to change the world.” (p. 738) 

An imaginative Talmudic rabbi takes us in a very different direction as he contemplates what it means to hear a voice resonate with the power of our experience at Mt. Sinai.  In the Jerusalem Talmud (Shabbat 1:2,3a) we read:  “Every Friday afternoon, Rabbi Joshua ben Levi listened to his grandson read the Torah protion which he had studied during the week…and he would say, ‘he who listens to his grand[child’s] reading of Torah, it is as though he were hearing it at Mt. Sinai.  For it is said, ‘Make them known unto your children and your children’s children, as if it were the day that you stood before the Eternal Your God at Sinai.’ (Deuteronomy 4:9-10)

By bringing us “back” to Sinai, our Torah study each Shabbat or any day of the week reminds us of the power of these sacred words to connect us to our past, to our people, to our highest ideals of justice and to our future.  The revelation we heard at Sinai is on-going if we are open to the Voice and the Presence that gave eternal meaning to a sacred text and commands us in every generation to use our intellect and passion to unlock that meaning. 

Chazak, Chazak, v’nitchazek Be strong, be strong, and let us strengthen one another! (We say these words as we finish one book of the Torah and start studying the first chapters of Numbers next week!)
Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Judy Shanks
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Parashat Emor: Lev. 21:1 - 24:23

This past week, participants in Shira, our new Religious School music track led by Cantor Korn and Erin Bloom held their final performance. During their presentation they sang four versions of Mi Chamocha.  Each was sung to a different melody designated for a particular holiday.  This idea is unique to Judaism and is called nusach.  It’s as if each holiday has its own theme song.  After the students sang each one, the audience had to guess which holiday or season was associated with that melody.  Through this exercise they taught us that the music of our worship serves as a musical calendar.  Just by hearing the tune or the mode it is sung in, we can know what day of the week it is, what time of day it is, and whether or not it’s a holiday.

In this week’s Torah portion, God instructs Moses to tell the Israelites “These are My fixed times, the fixed times of the Eternal One, which you shall proclaim as sacred occasions” (Leviticus 23:1) Parshat Emor presents the rhythm of the Jewish calendar; providing instructions for when and how to celebrate Shabbat, Pesach, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur. We learn from these instructions when to rejoice, to mourn, bring offerings, take solace in community, reflect internally and observe a complete rest. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel in The Sabbath explains, “Judaism is a religion of time aiming at the sanctification of time.  Unlike the space-minded man to whom time is unvaried…homogeneous, to whom all hours are alike… the Bible senses the diversified character of time. Judaism teaches us… to be attached to sacred events, to learn how to consecrate sanctuaries that emerge from the magnificent stream of a year.”  Our holiday calendar creates sanctuaries in time, uplifting us out of the ordinary and giving us holy moment to appreciate our human experiences.

Our lives today often feel controlled by another set of time-bound obligations. We know when we’re supposed to get up, get to work, pick up the kids, pay our taxes and visit the dentist. We have alarm clocks, set reminders on our cell phones and calendars, and leave post-its on the bathroom mirror…but do these routines and obligations bring meaning to our lives? Perhaps.  But Parashat Emor reminds us that we also need to build in opportunities to create sacred spaces in time to leave behind our daily tasks to rejoice, rest, reflect, express gratitude, and connect to God, our community and ourselves. Our musical tradition is our alarm clock to create these spaces for ourselves. Come join us in a few weeks to hear the music of Shavuot.  Now go turn off the computer, put away the cell phone and enjoy the sacred time of Shabbat.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Alissa Forrest
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Parashat Acharei - Mot-Kedoshim: Leviticus 16:1 - 20:25

I just ate dinner in a Chinese restaurant.  On the high counter separating the diners from the kitchen sat a larger-than-life-size head of the Buddha cast in bronze.  The statue seemed to survey all of us with a serene and approving glance, as if to say:  “Eat!  Enjoy!”  (I guess that’s my Jewish mother’s projection on a Chinese Buddha!)  As we rose to leave, a small child pulled his mother over to get a better look at the figure.  “Who is that?” he asked.  “A holy man,” she answered.

“You shall be holy, for I, the Eternal your God, am holy,” are the words that begin the Torah portion called Kedoshim.  God’s words are addressed in the plural:  “[All of] You [Israelites] shall be holy,” not just Moses. As much as we revere Moses’ teachings, his leadership, and his ability to hear and understand God, we do not make a “buddha” out of him.  No, all of the Israelites, and all who succeed them in covenant with the God of Israel (that is to say, all of us) can attain the status of “a holy man/woman.” 

How?  The Torah enumerates the ways in the verses of Leviticus 19:1 - 18 and we see that holiness can arise from everyday actions as well as from ritual practice. The text teaches that we bring holiness into our lives when we set aside some of our income for the poor and the vulnerable.  Running our businesses with ethics and honesty is holy work.  It is holy to pay a day laborer his/her full wages at the end of that day.  When we treat the disabled with respect, when we love and revere our parents, when we rise before the aged, when we judge our fellow human beings fairly and love them with the same love we would offer to ourselves—for the Torah, all these are acts of holiness. 

Thus the Torah teaches that it does not take a special spiritual gift or an extraordinary, lightning-bolt enlightenment to achieve holiness.  Anyone and everyone can be a holy person.  That does not mean it is easy.  It means that it is possible. It is possible to see that a spark of the divine has been given to us, allowing us to know when we are being God-like in our actions, and when, conversely, we have failed ourselves and our Creator.  Martin Buber wrote that “Judaism does not divide life into the holy and the profane, but into the holy and the not-yet-holy.”  Let this be the Shabbat we stretch ourselves toward the ideal, toward answering the call to make holy, whole and sacred, the not-yet-holy aspects and actions of our lives.  Let one sacred step lead us to the next, and may we support each other with compassion on our shared journey.

Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Judy Shanks

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Rabbi Graetz and I look forward to greeting many of you this weekend during the Double Chai celebration.  Thank you for creating a holy time of celebration for us, our families and for our whole Temple Isaiah community!

 

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Parashat Tazria - Metzora: Leviticus 12:1 - 15:33

This week we read the combined portions of Tazria/Metzora, in the Book of Leviticus.  They are highly problematic in a first reading.  The priest acts as diagnostician and healer when blemishes appear in a person’s skin or in garments or homes.  There was a prevailing fear in society when facing the unknown.  Was the affliction contagious?  Did the one exhibiting the affliction catch it from someone else? Could he transmit it? Isolation or, as it came to be known later, quarantine was prescribed, combined with ritual cleanliness and other ritual measures….

When someone goes before the priest, the text treads carefully, he will declare: “Something like a plague has appeared upon my house.” (Lev. 14:35)  No matter one’s degree of expertise one should not be dogmatic in the affirmation.  Rashi says we should read “There seems to me to be a plague.”  Something may be wrong and may need to be addressed.  Can what is wrong in my household spread to the outside?  Am I not responsible for the communal wellbeing? Or is there something from the outside that is spreading into my house and I need to protect it?  The words carry grave weight and should be uttered not in condemnation but with care and concern, for timely repair and purification can bring healing.

 

Ultimately, if these blemishes are of a moral or spiritual nature, they get in the way of our becoming the best we can be.  The S’fat Emet in his comment on the verse “And God spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, if a person has in the flesh of his skin (b’or b’saro) a sore…” (Lev. 13-1-2) introduces a midrash from Genesis 3:21.  As we leave the Garden of Eden, God makes us garments or/skin (spelled with an ayin).  What were we clothed in previously?  With garments of or/light (spelled with an aleph).  There are times when this “garment of light, the best within each of us” shines through: when Moses descends from Mt. Sinai, when parents contemplate their new born child, when one is immersed in doing something one feels passionately about, these are occasions when our “original garments” shine through. When “ego,” pretense, guile take over the garment of light is concealed, we are afflicted and in need of healing.

 

To be isolated (quarantined) is not necessarily a bad thing, it keeps us concentrated in the healing process, protected from distractions and attractions, allowing us to work on ourselves, our family, our community until we are ready to emerge and re-engage purified and healed.  The sages, who dealt in the world of words, are convinced that how we speak to one another, how we refer to each other is of crucial importance in this process. “Guard your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking guile…”

 

Our first reading may be problematic; our second one surely is challenging. The first one is primitive medicine, the second one an ever relevant way of looking at our lives, the language we use and the communities we build.

 

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Roberto D. Graetz

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