Rabbi Graetz
Rabbi Roberto D. Graetz joined Temple Isaiah in 1991 after having served as rabbi in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for almost 20 years. He acted as the Director for Latin America for the World Union for Progressive Judaism, was active in human rights issues during the military dictatorship in Argentina, and worked on behalf of the street children in Rio de Janeiro. Since joining Temple Isaiah Rabbi Graetz has served on Jewish and non-Jewish non--profit boards, presently he is vice-chair of the North American Board of the World Union for Progressive Judaism
and serves on the Executive Committee of the North American Board of Rabbis for Human Rights. Rabbi Graetz is married (Evelyn) and has three daughters (Deborah, Ilana and Sharon).
On this Shabbat we read the Torah portion Vaethanan in the Book of Deuteronomy. At the beginning and the end of the reading Moses instructs the people on the rewards of faithfulness to God and the perils of faithlessness as they prepare to enter the land. In the middle Moses expresses some of the basic, eternal teachings of our tradition, including a repetition of the Ten Commandments and the basic theological commitments of Judaism contained in the Shema and the V’ahavta.
the Eternal is one.” (Deut.6:4)
Parshat Korach / Num 16:1-18:32
On this Shabbat I will celebrate 36 years (double CHAI) of my ordination as a Rabbi and 18 years (CHAI) of tenure as Rabbi of Temple Isaiah. I was looking in this week’s Torah portion, Korach, in the book of Numbers, for something that could connect with this significant landmark in my life. I looked at Chapter 18, which is part of this portion, and then jumped to the end to see if it had 36 verses but, no! Chapter 18 stops at verse 32 so I could not look for hidden meaning there. I returned to the lesson of the week. Korach, Dathan and Aviram incite a rebellion against Moses and Aaron. There is a lesson in spiritual leadership but I cannot go there. The rabbis taught that “from Moses (the one in the Torah) to Moses (Maimonides, the renowned medieval Jewish philosopher) there was no one like Moses. Can’t compare myself to him; but I found something that does inform who I am as a rabbi. What is the rebels claim? “You have gone too far!” they rally against Moses and Aaron, “For all the community are holy, all of them, and God is in their midst. Why then do you set yourselves above God’s congregation?” “All the community are holy!” What a noble thought -an egalitarian holiness, evenly distributed among the whole congregation. No need for someone to lead or someone else to follow. Noble but empty. A lie, if you wish. Professor Yeshayahu Leibowitz identifies these lines as Korach’s demagoguery exposed. The claim that all are holy defies the Torah’s challenge for the community to ‘become holy’ in Leviticus 19. Kedoshim Tihyiu-You shall be holy is a future goal not a present boast (Etz Chayim). It is a challenge, and whenever one thinks to have met it, it is only to discover that there is yet a higher level to be attained. To believe that you ‘got it’ is to have lost it. Holiness is process not destination, something to strive for. When you got it, you lost it because an essential component in holiness is humility. To think that one has attained this stage is hubris.