Toldot Sermon
This week's Torah portion is Toldot. This is what happens. Isaac and Rebekah have twins, and name them Jacob and Esau who constantly fight with each other, even in the womb. First Esau sells his birthright to Jacob. Finally Jacob steals Esau’s blessing and lives up to his name, "heel."
Here is that story, with my embellishments of course. Isaac was old (100 years old) and nearly blind. He tells Esau to prepare for him a meal. He says, “Take your gear, your quiver and bow, and go out into the open and hunt me some game. Then prepare a dish for me such as I like, and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my innermost blessing before I die.” (Genesis 27)
Rebekah was listening to the conversation and so she told Jacob about it. She instructed Jacob to take from the flock and she would then prepare his father’s favorite dish. Jacob expresses some reservation, saying, "Dad is going to know. I am smooth skinned and he is hairy." Rebekah responds, "Don’t worry. I will take care of Dad; your curse will be on me."
She prepares the meal and then dresses Jacob up like Esau. I have this image of Rebekah pushing Jacob into the room to stand before Isaac. Jacob says, "Avi—Father." Isaac responds, "Which of my sons are you?" Jacob replies, "I am Esau your firstborn…" Isaac then says, "Come closer that I may feel you… The voice is the voice of Jacob, yet the hands are the hands of Esau… So he blessed him." Isaac again asks, "Are you really my son Esau?" Jacob responds, "Ani—I am." Isaac then says, "Ok, let me eat some of the food you prepared." Then he blesses him.
Jacob leaves stage right. Esau immediately enters stage left. He prepares the game he killed and brings it to his father. Isaac asks, "Who are you?" Esau responds, "I am Esau your first born." Isaac was then seized with violent trembling and asks, "Who was it then who came before and stole the blessing? I blessed him so he must remain blessed!"
Esau bursts into wild and bitter sobbing, screaming, "Bless me too father!" Isaac then reveals that it must have been Jacob and that in his blessing he made Jacob master over Esau. Esau continues to beg for a blessing. The hunter is reduced to tears. Isaac finally relents and offers him a blessing. Esau then plots to kill his brother Jacob. I imagine Esau picking himself up from the ground. We now see vengeance appear in his eyes. So Rebekah sends Jacob away to escape the fury of Esau.
That is the story with a bit of my spin. Now here is my interpretation. There is evidence that Isaac knows what is going on and chooses not to see. How would he not know the difference between his sons? How would he not know the cooking of his wife of 60 years? How would he not know the difference between wild, hunted game and animals from the flock? Why does he not call his wife in to tell him which son it is?
It is because Isaac knows the truth. He knows the truth but can’t say it out loud. This is the real story of Isaac's life. He knew the truth as well when his father nearly sacrificed him. He saw these things but chose not to see them. In the rabbis estimation, Isaac is emotionally blind.
This story and Isaac's life teach us an important truth. History is sometimes made by averting our eyes. The contrast between his father Abraham is most stark. Abraham moves the story by seeing. Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the ram. It was there all along but he could not see it because of his zeal. This is similar to Hagar and her story. The well was there all along. But she could not see it because of her tears. Sometimes passion and grief obscure our seeing. Many people think that miracles are about God working magic. But according to Genesis they are about lifting up the eyes. They are about opening the eyes and seeing what is already there.
The rabbis of Talmud see miracles as woven into the fabric of creation. In other words miracles are not about a disruption of the natural course of events. The bush burned and the sea split because those moments were set when the world was created. They are therefore part of the world’s natural order and creation. They are built into creation from the beginning.
So miracles are more about our seeing things than God’s magic. Miracles are about noticing the extraordinary in the ordinary. Miracles are not about God’s magic but about our seeing. Our seeing is most often obscured by passion and grief. Hagar was so overwrought that she could not see the saving well. The pain of watching her son die of thirst blinded her. Abraham likewise was so blinded by zeal that he could not see that he was supposed to sacrifice the ram instead of his son.
So how do we understand Isaac’s not seeing? If he is blinded by choice—because it is too painful to verbalize what one son is doing to another or how his wife is conspiring against him or how he is favoring one son over another—then what might be the miracle that he is unable to see? That miracle I am sorry to say is in the sequel. It is in next week’s portion. That miracle is the dream of a ladder going to heaven. This miracles occurs because Jacob is now running from Esau. Such is the history that is created by Isaac choosing not to see.
I am left with the impression that we can’t see everything. That some things are too painful to see clearly. The truth must sometimes be concealed. And that we must, as a matter of faith, veil our eyes.
In truth it is not Abraham who teaches us how to build faith. God can ask me as many times as He wants but I am not going to sacrifice my son—or my daughter for that matter—on some mountain top. It is Isaac who tells me how to lead a life of faith. You can look at the world and all its pain. You can look at our own lives and all their difficulties, and say, there is no God; there are no miracles. Or you can see the lone ram caught in the thicket, or the well buried under the desert scrub. You can look at nature in all its wonderful fall colors, and say, "I believe!"
Faith is a matter of averting our eyes from our daily pains. And seeing instead the sometimes less frequent joys and blessings. It is about seeing—and not seeing.
We say in the words of our tradition, Baruch Ata…she-asah li nes ba-makom hazeh. Blessed are You Adonai our God Ruler of the universe, who performed a miracle for me in this place.
Say it often enough and you will always see wells of water, and not nearly as much pain and grief.
Global Day of Jewish Learning
Today is Rosh Hodesh Kislev, the first of the Hebrew month. Kislev of course is the month in which Hanukkah occurs. Hanukkah comes from the words to dedicate and educate. Today also marks the monumental achievement of Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz who completed his 45 year project of translating the Talmud's Aramaic idioms, stories and legal debates into modern Hebrew and English. For many his edition was our first introduction to the wonders of Talmud and rabbinic literature. 25 years ago it was the Steinsaltz Talmud that sat between my hevruta partner and me as we debated the laws of Sukkot and Brachot. In honor of his achievement, I share here a favorite story from the Talmud, from Baba Metzia 59b. My commentary and explanations are interspersed in italics.
R. Eliezer declared it clean, and the Sages declared it unclean; and this was the oven of Aknai.
The rabbis disagreed. What is wonderful about the Talmud is that it is less concerned with the final decisions than with the discussion and debate. Each page is an embodiment of machloket l'shem shamayim--arguments for the sake of heaven.
It has been taught: On that day R. Eliezer brought forward every imaginable argument, but they did not accept any of his arguments. Said he to them: "If the halachah agrees with me, let this carob-tree prove it!" Thereupon the carob-tree was torn a hundred cubits out of its place — others say, four hundred cubits. "No proof can be brought from a carob-tree," they retorted. Again he said to them: "If the halachah agrees with me, let the stream of water prove it!" Whereupon the stream of water flowed backwards. "No proof can be brought from a stream of water," they rejoined. Again he urged: "If the halachah agrees with me, let the walls of the schoolhouse prove it." Whereupon the walls inclined to fall.
After losing the debate by means of rational arguments, Rabbi Eliezer resorts to performing miracles in order to convince his colleagues of the veracity of his opinion.
But R. Joshua rebuked the walls saying: "When scholars are engaged in a halachic dispute, what right have you to interfere?" Hence they did not fall, in honor of R. Joshua, nor did they resume their upright position, in honor of R. Eliezer; and they are still standing thus inclined.
Rabbi Joshua uses a rational argument against the miracle. And the walls apparently respond to reason!
Again R. Eliezer said to them: "If the halachah agrees with me, let it be proved from Heaven!" Whereupon a Heavenly Voice cried out: "Why do you dispute with R. Eliezer, seeing that in all matters the halachah agrees with him?" But R. Joshua arose and exclaimed: "It is not in heaven." What did he mean by this? — Said R. Jeremiah: "That the Torah had already been given at Mount Sinai; we pay no attention to a Heavenly Voice, because You have long since written in the Torah at Mount Sinai, 'After the majority must one incline.'"
Apparently Rabbi Eliezer wins halachic disputes more often than not. Despite this, proof cannot be offered from heaven or by miracles. Halachic rulings follow the majority. If most rabbis rule that it is unclean it does not matter that Rabbi Eliezer is wiser or even that miracles and a heavenly voice side with him. Once the Torah was given it rests in the hands of human beings.
R. Nathan met Elijah and asked him: What did the Holy One, Blessed be He, do in that hour? — He laughed [with joy], he replied, saying, "My sons have defeated Me, My sons have defeated Me."
God is pleased that His creatures used their intellect and the Torah given to them to make their own decisions and rulings. God rejoices even when it means that human beings rule against Him. On most occasions the remainder of this text is not shared. Here is a text that supports making our own decisions. Here is a text that supports disagreeing with God's apparent voice. Yet the conclusion is even more powerful.
It was said: On that day all objects which R. Eliezer had declared clean were brought and burned in fire. Then the Sages took a vote and excommunicated him. Said they, "Who shall go and inform him?" "I will go," answered R. Akiba, "Lest an unsuitable person go and inform him, and thus destroy the whole world."
Now perhaps the Rabbis go too far, but they do not wish to have someone sit in their midst who resorts to using miraculous powers rather than reason and intellect. Why does one mistaken decision render all his other decisions unfit? Are the Sages so angry that they dismiss all his other achievements because of this one incident?
What did R. Akiba do? He donned black garments and wrapped himself in black, and sat at a distance of four cubits from Eliezer. "Akiba," said R. Eliezer to him, "What has happened today?" Master," he replied, "It appears to me that your companions believe themselves greater than you." Thereupon Eliezer rent his garments too, put off his shoes, removed [his seat] and sat on the earth, while tears streamed from his eyes.
Only a friend and a beloved student like Akiva can deliver the news to Eliezer. The miracle worker has lost his community. He is alone. Miracles cannot provide companionship and friendship. A Jew is lost without the community.
The world was then smitten: a third of the olive crop, a third of the wheat, and a third of the barley crop were destroyed. Some say, the dough in women's hands swelled up.
Arguments and debates can upset the natural order of the world. Disputes must be resolved by majority rulings. Yet when communities are torn apart the world falls out of balance. Beware of casting others aside, even when their arguments and their means of debate are unsettling.
When we complete the studying of a tractate of Talmud we hold a siyyum, a festive celebration. Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz remarked on its meaning and significance.
R. Eliezer declared it clean, and the Sages declared it unclean; and this was the oven of Aknai.
The rabbis disagreed. What is wonderful about the Talmud is that it is less concerned with the final decisions than with the discussion and debate. Each page is an embodiment of machloket l'shem shamayim--arguments for the sake of heaven.
It has been taught: On that day R. Eliezer brought forward every imaginable argument, but they did not accept any of his arguments. Said he to them: "If the halachah agrees with me, let this carob-tree prove it!" Thereupon the carob-tree was torn a hundred cubits out of its place — others say, four hundred cubits. "No proof can be brought from a carob-tree," they retorted. Again he said to them: "If the halachah agrees with me, let the stream of water prove it!" Whereupon the stream of water flowed backwards. "No proof can be brought from a stream of water," they rejoined. Again he urged: "If the halachah agrees with me, let the walls of the schoolhouse prove it." Whereupon the walls inclined to fall.
After losing the debate by means of rational arguments, Rabbi Eliezer resorts to performing miracles in order to convince his colleagues of the veracity of his opinion.
But R. Joshua rebuked the walls saying: "When scholars are engaged in a halachic dispute, what right have you to interfere?" Hence they did not fall, in honor of R. Joshua, nor did they resume their upright position, in honor of R. Eliezer; and they are still standing thus inclined.
Rabbi Joshua uses a rational argument against the miracle. And the walls apparently respond to reason!
Again R. Eliezer said to them: "If the halachah agrees with me, let it be proved from Heaven!" Whereupon a Heavenly Voice cried out: "Why do you dispute with R. Eliezer, seeing that in all matters the halachah agrees with him?" But R. Joshua arose and exclaimed: "It is not in heaven." What did he mean by this? — Said R. Jeremiah: "That the Torah had already been given at Mount Sinai; we pay no attention to a Heavenly Voice, because You have long since written in the Torah at Mount Sinai, 'After the majority must one incline.'"
Apparently Rabbi Eliezer wins halachic disputes more often than not. Despite this, proof cannot be offered from heaven or by miracles. Halachic rulings follow the majority. If most rabbis rule that it is unclean it does not matter that Rabbi Eliezer is wiser or even that miracles and a heavenly voice side with him. Once the Torah was given it rests in the hands of human beings.
R. Nathan met Elijah and asked him: What did the Holy One, Blessed be He, do in that hour? — He laughed [with joy], he replied, saying, "My sons have defeated Me, My sons have defeated Me."
God is pleased that His creatures used their intellect and the Torah given to them to make their own decisions and rulings. God rejoices even when it means that human beings rule against Him. On most occasions the remainder of this text is not shared. Here is a text that supports making our own decisions. Here is a text that supports disagreeing with God's apparent voice. Yet the conclusion is even more powerful.
It was said: On that day all objects which R. Eliezer had declared clean were brought and burned in fire. Then the Sages took a vote and excommunicated him. Said they, "Who shall go and inform him?" "I will go," answered R. Akiba, "Lest an unsuitable person go and inform him, and thus destroy the whole world."
Now perhaps the Rabbis go too far, but they do not wish to have someone sit in their midst who resorts to using miraculous powers rather than reason and intellect. Why does one mistaken decision render all his other decisions unfit? Are the Sages so angry that they dismiss all his other achievements because of this one incident?
What did R. Akiba do? He donned black garments and wrapped himself in black, and sat at a distance of four cubits from Eliezer. "Akiba," said R. Eliezer to him, "What has happened today?" Master," he replied, "It appears to me that your companions believe themselves greater than you." Thereupon Eliezer rent his garments too, put off his shoes, removed [his seat] and sat on the earth, while tears streamed from his eyes.
Only a friend and a beloved student like Akiva can deliver the news to Eliezer. The miracle worker has lost his community. He is alone. Miracles cannot provide companionship and friendship. A Jew is lost without the community.
The world was then smitten: a third of the olive crop, a third of the wheat, and a third of the barley crop were destroyed. Some say, the dough in women's hands swelled up.
Arguments and debates can upset the natural order of the world. Disputes must be resolved by majority rulings. Yet when communities are torn apart the world falls out of balance. Beware of casting others aside, even when their arguments and their means of debate are unsettling.
When we complete the studying of a tractate of Talmud we hold a siyyum, a festive celebration. Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz remarked on its meaning and significance.
This is why whoever finishes studying a tractate promises to repeat it again and again, regardless of whether he knows it forward and backward or whether he does not really remember it all that well.
However, in the siyyum text we do not only say hadran alakh (“we shall return to you”), but also hadrakh alan, “you [the tractate or book] shall return to us.” This means that if one does not do the real work, if one does not learn it again and yet again, then all the material he has learned will come back to him; namely, he will inevitably find himself engaged in a multitude of problems and questions relating to the very book that he had closed and put away.
Thus, every finishing point of whatever part of the Torah is only a “recess.” After a certain point, one must once again start studying everything from the very beginning.
I return again and again to the same texts...
I return again and again to the same texts...
AJWS Message
Here is an unusual pitch for one of my favorite charities, American Jewish World Service. AJWS is about reaching out to the world at large in order to heal the world and repair its brokenness. It does so from a Jewish place and with a Jewish heart. It for example reached out to Haiti after its devastating earthquake and responded to the Indian Ocean tsunami. The AJWS continues to spearhead the campaign to end the genocide in Darfur. When reaching out to the world I choose the American Jewish World Service.
Toldot
The cliche “seeing is believing” is an apt description for a prominent refrain in the Abraham narratives. In Genesis 21, for example, we read of Ishmael who when dying from hunger and thirst is miraculously saved by the appearance of a well. “Then God opened Hagar’s eyes and she saw a well of water.” Then again perhaps the well was there all along. In Genesis 22 we read, “When Abraham lifted up his eyes he saw a ram, caught in the thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in place of his son.” Did God make the ram appear out of thin air or was it there all along and Abraham failed to see it?
Most people read the Bible and think that miracles are akin to magic. God magically provides a well and a ram. (Take an Exodus example as well: God makes a bush burn without being consumed.) In my estimation however miracles are about the lifting up of the eyes. The ram was always there. Abraham only needed turn away from his son, bound on the sacrificial altar, and loosen his grip on the knife. The well was there as well. Hagar only needed to wipe the tears from her face to see what was already there. Sometimes zealousness and grief prevent us from seeing what stands before us.
This refrain is what makes this week’s Torah portion and its story all the more remarkable. In this Parashat Toldot, Jacob, with the help of his mother Rebekah, tricks his father Isaac and steals the blessing intended for his brother Esau. The story begins: “When Isaac was old and his eyes were too dim to see…” (Genesis 27) Jacob prepares a meal for his father and dresses like his brother Esau as his mother directs him and says to Isaac, “I am Esau, your first born: I have done as you told me. Pray sit up and eat of my game, that you may give me your innermost blessing.” The Torah continues, “So Jacob drew close to his father Isaac, who felt him and wondered, ‘The voice is the voice of Jacob, yet the hands are the hands of Esau.’ Isaac did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau; and so he blessed him.”
Whereas the stories about Abraham are about opening eyes, those about Isaac are about closing the eyes. Earlier Isaac asks his father Abraham, “’Here are the firestone and the wood, but where is the sheep for the burnt offering? And Abraham said, ‘God will see to the sheep for His offering, my son.’ And the two of them walked as one.” (Genesis 22)
The haunting question that frames our patriarch Isaac’s life is does he choose not to see? Was he a willing participant to his own near sacrifice? And in this week’s chapter we must ask: did he choose willful blindness?
To have faith in our tradition is to stand in awe, literally to fear heaven. In Hebrew the words for seeing and having such faith are very close and share the same root. What therefore is the relationship between seeing and believing? When is not seeing, as with our patriarch Isaac, a matter of faith and a necessity for life?
An Israeli on the Road
An Israeli on the Road - Hadassah Magazine
Here is one more article from the most recent Hadassah Magazine. It is a story about a not so typical post Israeli army trip. Roei Jinji Sadan is nearing completion of his 80,000 mile around the world bicycle trip! In his travels he has become an unofficial ambassador of Israeli good will. Sadan says, “I just bring myself, Emunah [meaning faith and the name of his bicycle as well] and my story, it’s very simple. Whether I’m talking to a tribal chief or a small farmer, I change their reaction, what they think about Israel. They’re not used to seeing Israelis.... They think we’re all walking around with M-16s. When I come on a bicycle, a white guy with a crazy red beard, they change.” To see more about his travels, as well as some beautiful pictures and videos visit his blog: dreamwithopeneyes. Here is his most recent YouTube video:
You don't have to know me very well to know why I love what this guy is doing!
Here is one more article from the most recent Hadassah Magazine. It is a story about a not so typical post Israeli army trip. Roei Jinji Sadan is nearing completion of his 80,000 mile around the world bicycle trip! In his travels he has become an unofficial ambassador of Israeli good will. Sadan says, “I just bring myself, Emunah [meaning faith and the name of his bicycle as well] and my story, it’s very simple. Whether I’m talking to a tribal chief or a small farmer, I change their reaction, what they think about Israel. They’re not used to seeing Israelis.... They think we’re all walking around with M-16s. When I come on a bicycle, a white guy with a crazy red beard, they change.” To see more about his travels, as well as some beautiful pictures and videos visit his blog: dreamwithopeneyes. Here is his most recent YouTube video:
You don't have to know me very well to know why I love what this guy is doing!
Remembering Jewish Chaplains
Cut & Post - Hadassah Magazine
For those who recall the remarkable story of the four chaplains who sacrificed their lives during World War II and that was part of our synagogue's contemporary martyrology service, read this report in the most recent edition of Hadassah Magazine. Rachel Schwartzberg writes:
For those who recall the remarkable story of the four chaplains who sacrificed their lives during World War II and that was part of our synagogue's contemporary martyrology service, read this report in the most recent edition of Hadassah Magazine. Rachel Schwartzberg writes:
Three out of the four chaplains who heroically gave up their life vests and went down with the United States Army transport ship Dorchester in 1943 are memorialized in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. One is missing: Rabbi Alexander Goode.I fail to understand why these four chaplains do not share a memorial.
This October, that oversight will be corrected with the dedication of the Jewish Chaplains Memorial on the cemetery’s Chaplains Hill. The monument will honor 13 Jewish chaplains who died during their service in the Armed Forces, from World War II through the Vietnam War. “I discovered there were memorials on Chaplains Hill to Protestant chaplains and Catholic chaplains, and I said ‘What about the Jewish ones?’ There was nothing for them,” said Sol Moglen, a New Jersey businessman, who, together with the Association of Jewish Chaplains of New York, raised $40,000 in private donations to build the monument.
The memorial features the emblem of the Jewish chaplains flanked by Lions of Judah and lists the chaplains’ names; its unveiling will be accompanied by the distribution of a booklet about Jewish chaplains to Jewish youth across the country.
Chayei Sarah Sermon
This week’s Torah portion tells the story of both Sarah’s and Abraham’s deaths. In particular it tells the tale of the purchase of the burial cave in Hebron, Maarat Ha-Machpelah, where all of the matriarchs and patriarchs are buried with the exception of Rachel who is buried in Bethlehem. It is where Abraham buries Sarah and where Isaac and Ishmael stand together to bury their father, Abraham.
In between the deaths and burials of Abraham and Sarah is the story of finding a wife for Isaac. It is an interesting and detailed story. Here is that story in more detail and of course, with my spin and interpretations.
Abraham tells Eliezer to go back to his homeland to find wife a wife for his son, Isaac. The journey from Canaan to Aram-Naharaim was not a short one. It was the distance between the modern State of Israel and the present border region between Turkey and Iraq.
Eliezer arrives there in the evening and goes to the town’s well. It is there that the women go to gather water. He offers this prayer and develops a test. He says, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, grant me good fortune this day, and deal graciously with my master Abraham: Here I stand by the spring as the daughters of the townsmen come out to draw water; let the maiden to whom I say, ‘Please, lower your jar that I may drink,’ and who replies, ‘Drink, and I will also water your camels’—let her be the one whom You have decreed for Your servant Isaac.”
Rebekah immediately appears. We are told she is very beautiful. The Hebrew literally states: “She was really good to look at.” Rebekah of course fulfills his prayer and passes his test. By the way, think about how many jars of water it would take to satisfy a camel after such a long journey. 10 camels would apparently each drink 15 gallons! Now that is a lot of jugs of water for Rebekah to carry back and forth from the well.
The Torah states that Eliezer stood gazing at her. Now this could be because she was really hot, or it could also be because she was running back and forth for hours watering the camels. This task was no easy job. When she finally finished Eliezer offered her gifts of gold. After showering her with gold bracelets and jewelry, he asks about her family.
Rebekah of course offered for Eliezer and his entourage to stay with her family in their home. The servant gets even more excited when he realizes that he has stumbled upon Abraham’s kinsmen. The family in turn gets really excited when they hear Rebekah’s story and see all the gold she is now wearing. They offer him food. But he refuses to eat until he tells them about his errand. Of course the family states almost immediately that Rebekah can go with him. (Oops, maybe we should ask Rebekah!)
Finally they ask her if she wants to go and she says, “Elech—I will go.” After the long journey back to Canann she sees Isaac for the first time. It is love at first sight. The Torah says that she falls off the camel when she sees him. Isaac was apparently quite a hunk. They are quickly married. And then the Torah says, Isaac loved Rebekah. It goes on to say that because of this love he found comfort after his mother Sarah’s death.
I really like this story. It is so rich in details. It makes one think about the question I posed in my weekly email. How do you measure a person? How do you size someone up when you first meet him/her?
Given the text’s emphasis on both Isaac’s and Rebekah’s physical beauty, as well as its mention of all the gold and Abraham’s wealth, it is fascinating to see that the reason why Eliezer chose Rebekah was because of her compassion to animals and her extension of hospitality. Eliezer, although I should add that in the text he is unnamed and called only the servant, sees the truth. Where everyone else seems focused on looks and wealth, Eliezer sees inside the soul. He is the unexpected and surprising hero of our Torah portion.
Eliezer sees into Rebekah’s compassionate heart. Still today, it is too often about the outer rather than the inner. Too often we look at the outside rather than the inside. We talk about a person’s clothes rather than his/her soul.
The good person is the person who pays attention to the seemingly mundane and small. It is about something as seemingly secondary as feeding animals. It is about friendliness and extending hospitality to strangers.
It is easy to be friendly and welcoming to friends. It is much harder to do so to those who are outside our circle. Being helpful to those in need, especially to those we don’t know, is the true measure of a great person.
Think about these questions: Do we always tip those who work for us? Do we always pay those who do our chores on time? When we see someone searching for directions do we stop? Do we step over the homeless and poor as we rush to the theatre? Do we pretend these hungry and cold people do not exist? Do we stop to help strangers when it is apparent they are in need?
The law does not demand all these things of us. We could say, “I can’t fix all these problems,” and we would be excused. But like Rebekah greatness is not measured in doing only what is required. Greatness is measured by going above and beyond the law.
It is these extra tasks that are the evidence of a good soul. It is to these that we must look when we are measuring others. It is to these that we should look when measuring ourselves, and when reaching for greatness.
May God give us the strength to remember the little details that make for greatness and compassion. May God help us to live by Rebekah’s example.
Day of Dialogue
On Wednesday I was asked to participate in a panel discussion entitled "Israel/Palestine and the Blockade" at Hofstra University's Day of Dialogue. The following are my introductory remarks. A video of the presentation and subsequent discussion is promised.
This in a nutshell is the central issue for me. Although I am sensitive to the suffering of Palestinians, I believe Israel has every right—and a sacred duty—to defend its citizens. The legal issues are secondary to this moral imperative. It can be on the high seas. It can be within another country’s sovereign borders. It can be on Israel’s borders. It can be in tunnels within Gaza. Israel must do everything it can to protect its citizens.
Since the panel ended and in response to some questions I continue to reflect on the situation.
This is what I believe. And this is what I hold to be paramount. Let me be brief and direct.
A few opening facts should be mentioned at the outset. Israel captured the Gaza Strip in 1967 from Egypt. Palestinians never had sovereignty there under Egypt. In my estimation, the Arab world has not supported Palestinian’s aspirations for sovereignty. Throughout the years Egypt never even wanted to discuss Gaza. During the Camp David accords Israel repeatedly tried to raise the question of Gaza but was rebuffed by Egypt. My view is that Israel has tried to help establish sovereignty for the Palestinians while guaranteeing the security of its own citizens. 80% of Israelis support a Palestinian state with such safeguards.
In 2005 Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza and ended what is called by many "the occupation." It uprooted 7,000 settlers at great cost, most especially at great emotional cost. This was in some ways like its earlier withdrawal from Southern Lebanon. But the disengagement from Gaza was similar but different.
It is the same in that Hamas, like Hezbollah, is sworn to Israel’s destruction. It has declared war against Israel. Its charter is filled with antisemitism. It is part of the movement of global Islamic fundamentalism. Hamas controls Gaza.. And Hamas fails to prevent the firing of rockets at Israel.
This in a nutshell is the central issue for me. Although I am sensitive to the suffering of Palestinians, I believe Israel has every right—and a sacred duty—to defend its citizens. The legal issues are secondary to this moral imperative. It can be on the high seas. It can be within another country’s sovereign borders. It can be on Israel’s borders. It can be in tunnels within Gaza. Israel must do everything it can to protect its citizens.
Hamas continues to fire rockets at Israel—175 to date this year. Hamas fires these rockets from civilian areas. It fires these rockets at civilians. These facts are what do more harm to the people of Gaza than any of Israel’s actions.
That being said, I do admit that Israel is not always perfect. Sometimes it makes mistakes. Sometimes it even makes tragic mistakes. The IDF does its best to live by a moral code, and to investigate those who fail to live by this code. I wish it quietly let the ship from Turkey slip into Gaza’s port. Israel boarded these ships as a matter of principle. But there were no game changing missiles on board.
Israel must walk a fine line between providing security and lashing out in vengeance. It must balance the security of its citizens against applying collective punishment. I believe that the vast majority of the time it acts out of its security needs. It is fighting an enemy who hides behind its own citizens. This fight is not easy.
I am proud that in this day and age there is a Jewish state that struggles to live by Jewish values while protecting and defending the lives of its citizens.
I still believe that although the blockade is painful, it is indeed justified because Hamas and Israel are in a state of war and belligerence. Although there is no formal declaration of war, hostilities exist to justify the blockade.
My fellow panelist, David Wildman, from United Methodist Global Ministries, argued that Israel and Hamas should just talk and not resort to armed force or blockades. But I wonder how you talk to someone who wants to kills you. The right of self defense is a sacred right. The critical difference between Israel and Hamas is that Israel does not want to destroy the Palestinians while Hamas vows to destroy Israel, Israelis and Jews.
Some students expressed disappointment that I did not respond to every one of David Wildman's facts and figures with better facts and figures of my own. "You should have said that Egypt maintains the blockade as well!" Although this fact is evidently true I find such back and forth arguing over facts to be similar to, "He said. She said." Or as my teacher, Dr. Tal Becker remarked, "It is like my daughters who are constantly fighting. When I ask one of them what happened, she screams, 'It all started when she hit me back.'"
We might be better served by struggling to understand the narrative that is told on the other side and to work to include the other within our own narrative. We are not going to convince each other whose facts and figures are mightier. The answer might only be to see ourselves as standing in their shoes.
Dancing (Under the Gallows)
Here is a wonderful video about Alice Sommer, who at 106 years old is the oldest Holocaust survivor. Not only is she an extraordinary person but a talented musician. She survived, in Theresienstadt, in large part because of her remarkable musical abilities. But I like her most of all because of her philosophy. Among her powerful statements are the following:
Recently I found myself thinking about this outlook and what I have now learned is Alice's approach to life. It takes much hard work and devotion to shape optimism. When on vacation it is easy to have such an outlook. There are not the familiar pressures of work and school. The daily grind is absent. You are then free to explore the vacation paradise to which you have traveled. So sometimes I imagine that I am on vacation and go out and explore my own neighborhood. You should not have to travel far to reshape your worldview. It might be just as simple as a small detour on your way to the office. Below is picture from the hilltop overlooking Cold Spring Harbor. The North Shore of Long Island is beautiful this time of year.
Alice is right. What a beautiful world indeed! If she can say this for 106 years then I can say day in and day out. Sometimes however the detours help.
Music was essential to survival.Watch the video to learn more about Alice and to listen to her words.
Every day, life is beautiful.
I was always laughing. Even there [in the camps] I was laughing.
Recently I found myself thinking about this outlook and what I have now learned is Alice's approach to life. It takes much hard work and devotion to shape optimism. When on vacation it is easy to have such an outlook. There are not the familiar pressures of work and school. The daily grind is absent. You are then free to explore the vacation paradise to which you have traveled. So sometimes I imagine that I am on vacation and go out and explore my own neighborhood. You should not have to travel far to reshape your worldview. It might be just as simple as a small detour on your way to the office. Below is picture from the hilltop overlooking Cold Spring Harbor. The North Shore of Long Island is beautiful this time of year.
Alice is right. What a beautiful world indeed! If she can say this for 106 years then I can say day in and day out. Sometimes however the detours help.
Chayei Sarah
This week’s Torah portion, Chayei Sarah, opens with Sarah’s death and the subsequent purchase of a burial cave in Hebron, a place that remains holy to this day, yet is still wrapped in controversy. The portion concludes a few chapters later with the death of Abraham. In between is the detailed account of the finding of a wife for their son, Isaac. Here is that story.
Abraham tasks his most trusted servant, Eliezer, with the duty. Abraham commands him: “Put your hand under my thigh and I will make you swear by the Lord…that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I dwell, but will go to the land of my birth and get a wife for my son Isaac.” (Genesis 24)
In ancient times an agreement was solidified between men by placing the hand on the upper thigh. I won’t of course discuss this at services but it is interesting to note that this practice and in particular the proximity of the hand to the testes provides the origins of the word testify. I am sure all will agree that a handshake is preferred! (By the way the origins of a handshake are found in demonstrating to another that you are unarmed.)
Back to the story! Eliezer sets out to the land of Abraham’s birth. He goes to the town’s well and waits there to find a suitable wife for Isaac. In ancient times the well was the equivalent of a modern singles bar. If you want to meet a young woman go to the well because their job was to go fetch water for their families and flocks. Eliezer devises a test and prays in his heart. The woman who offers him a drink and water as well for his camels will become Isaac’s wife.
Almost immediately Rebekah appears and says to him, “Drink, and I will also water your camels.” Eliezer asks her about her family and asks to meet them. He does so and showers them with many gifts. (Abraham was apparently a very wealthy man.) Eliezer then asks for permission to allow Rebekah to return with him to the land of Canaan in order to marry Isaac.
Soon Isaac and Rebekah meet for the first time. It is the Bible’s version of love at first sight. From a distance Rebekah sees Isaac working in the field. “Raising her eyes, Rebekah saw Isaac. She fell off the camel (most translators incorrectly render this as alighted) and said to the servant, ‘Who is that man walking in the field toward us?’ And the servant said, “That is my master.” So she took her veil and covered herself…. Isaac then brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he took Rebekah as his wife. Isaac loved her…”
Many times the Torah does not provide us with such inordinate detail. In this instance, however, it provides us with many details. We will explore this story and even more of its details at Shabbat services tomorrow evening at 6:30 pm. In particular we will examine the servant Eliezer’s test.
He quickly outlines for us a measure of a person. A good person is he or she who offers others simple acts of kindness. Eliezer does not highlight Rebekah's looks or her clothes. He measures her instead by the act of providing water for his camels.
In this Torah portion that tells the story of the deaths of our greatest patriarch and matriarch the real hero is instead their servant, Eliezer. It is he who reminds us that the measure of a person is not their stature, wealth or good looks but instead their compassion. Do you agree with Eliezer’s estimation of a good person? How do you measure up a person in an instant?
Shalom Chaver
Last week marked the 15th yahrtzeit of Rabin's assassination. According to the Hebrew calendar it was during the bereft and already bitter month of Cheshvan. I have been thinking about Rabin and his leadership during the course of this week. Rabin was the last of Israel's courageous soldier-statesmen. He was in my estimation brave because he pushed through the Oslo peace accords. He believed that this agreement was the best way to guarantee peace--and security.
Although I admire his courage and even more, his sacrifice, the assumptions that underlie Oslo proved false. The main assumption was that with the promise of a Palestinian State and through the apparatus of an emerging government, the Palestinian leadership would have no choice but to cease their violent struggle and come to terms with the Jewish state on its Western border. Unfortunately Rabin's darkest fears about Arafat proved true. He preferred violence and suffering (as well as corruption and power) over what he viewed to be a partial state and a half way victory. Nonetheless I admire Rabin's courage and resolve. Sharon as well surprised me when he set in motion the painful disengagement from Gaza. I am saddened to say that I do not see these character traits in Netanyahu. He appears more intent on maintaining his prime minister position than forcing the people he leads to make painful, and unfortunately, necessary sacrifices.
Since Rabin's death the number of settlers has doubled, from approximately 150,000 in 1995 to nearly 300,000 living in the West Bank today. (To my knowledge these figures do not include those living within Jerusalem's neighborhoods situated beyond the green line.) Although I do not believe that a settlement freeze will advance peace I wish that Netanyahu courageously addressed the citizens he leads with the words, "My fellow citizens, I am skeptical that freezing settlements will advance peace, but our good friend the United States and its president, Barak Obama, has asked this of us and sometimes we do things for no other reason than a friend requests it. I believe that many of our Palestinian neighbors want peace. Let us see if we can sit down together and talk about the painful sacrifices that each of us will be required to make. Both of us will be required to sacrifice in order to achieve peace--and security. We are of course influenced by history, both recent and ancient, most especially that of World War II and the Holocaust, but we must also be influenced by the tradition we so love. In that peace is the greatest goal and its highest aspiration. It is even more important than the land we hold so dear. Let us meet with the Palestinians and their leaders. Let us talk. If building must be curtailed to make it easier for us to speak, then that is the choice this nation, the country I lead, must indeed make."
I understand how difficult and painful this settlement freeze is to contemplate. The crux of the issue for Israelis, and many Jews including myself, is that the West Bank and Jerusalem represent our return to the biblical land more than the shining metropolis of Tel Aviv. The continued failure of the Palestinians, and much of the world, to affirm that Israel is not just about the Jewish people achieving national sovereignty in the Middle East, but instead about reclaiming sovereignty in the land of our ancestors, is a daily reminder of the failure of the world to appreciate the central truth of Zionism (and perhaps as well our failure to communicate this truth). That is part of why the West Bank matters. It is not Gaza. And it is certainly not Kansas. For Jews, Jerusalem and Hebron, Tekoa and Shiloh, are not like any other places in the world. These places reverberate with the pulse of the Bible and the resonance of thousands of years of Jewish prayers. If the Palestinians would affirm this religious and historical connection then they would do much to advance a peace agreement and make it far easier for Israelis to sacrifice great pieces of their biblical homeland.
Moreover, the recent uprooting of 7,000 settlers from their homes in Gaza was terribly traumatic. Even if Israel retained large swaths of West Bank territory, the large settlement blocs of Maaale Adumim, Gush Etzion and Ariel, they would still have to uproot some 70,000 settlers! Imagine this trauma and pain. This would only be compounded if Palestinians continue to say that Jews have no right to live in this land. Each of us must affirm the others right to live in the land of Israel. Given that Arabs are citizens of the Jewish state, Jews must also be allowed to become citizens of any Palestinians state. Why the world thinks it is ok for the Arab world to be Judenrein escapes my understanding. (For more about a partition plan for today read Gadi Taub's recent article in The New Republic.)
In addition, 40% of the IDF's officers come from the religious Zionist camp and as Yossi Klein HaLevi points out two of Israel's recent military heroes who fell in battles with Hamas in the south and Hezbollah in the north built homes in an isolated settlement in the West Bank. Majors Roi Klein and Eliraz Perets lived in Givat HaYovel. Given their sacrifices most Israelis are sympathetic to their families' situation and support expanding their homes. It would not be so simple to leave our homes in the West Bank, no matter how isolated. These places may very well be isolated in the world's imagination, but they are less and less isolated from the Israeli mainstream, in large part because of their residents' continued sacrifice in behalf of the security of the state.
Here is where we stand. 80% of Israelis still support the creation of a Palestinian State so long as their safety and security are guaranteed. The vast majority of Israelis are prepared to sacrifice much for peace. In a recent study 49% of Palestinians would agree to recognize Israel as a Jewish state as part of a peace agreement. Whereas 48% would object to affirming this all important point. Prior to this round of "peace negotiations" 58% of Palestinians said they would make this affirmation.
It saddens me to think that we are moving backward rather than forward. Shalom chaver!
Although I admire his courage and even more, his sacrifice, the assumptions that underlie Oslo proved false. The main assumption was that with the promise of a Palestinian State and through the apparatus of an emerging government, the Palestinian leadership would have no choice but to cease their violent struggle and come to terms with the Jewish state on its Western border. Unfortunately Rabin's darkest fears about Arafat proved true. He preferred violence and suffering (as well as corruption and power) over what he viewed to be a partial state and a half way victory. Nonetheless I admire Rabin's courage and resolve. Sharon as well surprised me when he set in motion the painful disengagement from Gaza. I am saddened to say that I do not see these character traits in Netanyahu. He appears more intent on maintaining his prime minister position than forcing the people he leads to make painful, and unfortunately, necessary sacrifices.
Since Rabin's death the number of settlers has doubled, from approximately 150,000 in 1995 to nearly 300,000 living in the West Bank today. (To my knowledge these figures do not include those living within Jerusalem's neighborhoods situated beyond the green line.) Although I do not believe that a settlement freeze will advance peace I wish that Netanyahu courageously addressed the citizens he leads with the words, "My fellow citizens, I am skeptical that freezing settlements will advance peace, but our good friend the United States and its president, Barak Obama, has asked this of us and sometimes we do things for no other reason than a friend requests it. I believe that many of our Palestinian neighbors want peace. Let us see if we can sit down together and talk about the painful sacrifices that each of us will be required to make. Both of us will be required to sacrifice in order to achieve peace--and security. We are of course influenced by history, both recent and ancient, most especially that of World War II and the Holocaust, but we must also be influenced by the tradition we so love. In that peace is the greatest goal and its highest aspiration. It is even more important than the land we hold so dear. Let us meet with the Palestinians and their leaders. Let us talk. If building must be curtailed to make it easier for us to speak, then that is the choice this nation, the country I lead, must indeed make."
I understand how difficult and painful this settlement freeze is to contemplate. The crux of the issue for Israelis, and many Jews including myself, is that the West Bank and Jerusalem represent our return to the biblical land more than the shining metropolis of Tel Aviv. The continued failure of the Palestinians, and much of the world, to affirm that Israel is not just about the Jewish people achieving national sovereignty in the Middle East, but instead about reclaiming sovereignty in the land of our ancestors, is a daily reminder of the failure of the world to appreciate the central truth of Zionism (and perhaps as well our failure to communicate this truth). That is part of why the West Bank matters. It is not Gaza. And it is certainly not Kansas. For Jews, Jerusalem and Hebron, Tekoa and Shiloh, are not like any other places in the world. These places reverberate with the pulse of the Bible and the resonance of thousands of years of Jewish prayers. If the Palestinians would affirm this religious and historical connection then they would do much to advance a peace agreement and make it far easier for Israelis to sacrifice great pieces of their biblical homeland.
Moreover, the recent uprooting of 7,000 settlers from their homes in Gaza was terribly traumatic. Even if Israel retained large swaths of West Bank territory, the large settlement blocs of Maaale Adumim, Gush Etzion and Ariel, they would still have to uproot some 70,000 settlers! Imagine this trauma and pain. This would only be compounded if Palestinians continue to say that Jews have no right to live in this land. Each of us must affirm the others right to live in the land of Israel. Given that Arabs are citizens of the Jewish state, Jews must also be allowed to become citizens of any Palestinians state. Why the world thinks it is ok for the Arab world to be Judenrein escapes my understanding. (For more about a partition plan for today read Gadi Taub's recent article in The New Republic.)
In addition, 40% of the IDF's officers come from the religious Zionist camp and as Yossi Klein HaLevi points out two of Israel's recent military heroes who fell in battles with Hamas in the south and Hezbollah in the north built homes in an isolated settlement in the West Bank. Majors Roi Klein and Eliraz Perets lived in Givat HaYovel. Given their sacrifices most Israelis are sympathetic to their families' situation and support expanding their homes. It would not be so simple to leave our homes in the West Bank, no matter how isolated. These places may very well be isolated in the world's imagination, but they are less and less isolated from the Israeli mainstream, in large part because of their residents' continued sacrifice in behalf of the security of the state.
Here is where we stand. 80% of Israelis still support the creation of a Palestinian State so long as their safety and security are guaranteed. The vast majority of Israelis are prepared to sacrifice much for peace. In a recent study 49% of Palestinians would agree to recognize Israel as a Jewish state as part of a peace agreement. Whereas 48% would object to affirming this all important point. Prior to this round of "peace negotiations" 58% of Palestinians said they would make this affirmation.
It saddens me to think that we are moving backward rather than forward. Shalom chaver!
Vayera
This week’s Torah portion, Vayera, contains four stories: the announcement of Isaac’s birth, Sodom and Gomorrah (it did not go very well for those cities), Isaac’s birth and Ishmael’s subsequent banishment, and the binding of Isaac. Let’s talk about the first story.
God’s messengers arrive to tell Abraham that he is going to have a son. “I will return to you next year, and your wife Sarah shall have a son!” Sarah, who is nearly 90 years old and happens to be listening on the other side of the tent, laughs (that is why Isaac means laughter) and says to herself, “Now that I am withered, am I to have enjoyment with my husband so old?” God of course hears Sarah’s laughter and what she said and angrily declares to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I in truth bear a child, old as I am?'" (Genesis 18)
The Rabbis of old noticed that God does not accurately report what Sarah said. Sarah had suggested that their infertility was due to Abraham’s age. When repeating her words to Abraham God instead suggests that she blamed herself for their lack of children.
The Rabbis spin lessons and values from God’s apparent mistaken retelling. It can’t possibly be that God did not hear her words correctly. They reasoned, it must instead be that God wanted to protect Abraham and Sarah’s relationship and so decided that it would be better to lie than inform Abraham of Sarah’s true thoughts.
In Judaism’s hierarchy of values truth takes second place to peace. Our tradition counsels: it is better to lie than destroy shalom bayit, peace in the home. Truth can be sacrificed for the sake of peace.
The Talmud debates this idea and discusses the question of whether or not you should tell an ugly bride that she is beautiful on her wedding day. Rabbi Shammai, who was known for his zealous commitment to principle whatever the cost, says, “Tell her the truth.” Hillel says instead, “Tell every bride she is beautiful.” Jewish law follows Hillel. He reasoned that she is beautiful in her groom’s eyes so it does not really matter what every one else thinks. On the wedding day every bride is beautiful.
Hillel always seemed to find a way to be as inclusive and welcoming as possible. Shammai on the other hand probably did not get to officiate at too many weddings and remained alone with his principles.
Judaism wants us to be at one with others, and with the community. This is why peace is valued more than truth. I often think about this as I watch the many people encouraged by TV hosts to confess and share their most intimate secrets. These truths end up destroying friendships and relationships. It makes for great drama and to some great TV, but it also makes for damaged and broken communities.
Truth does not always set you free. Sometimes it leaves you alone. This is Judaism’s counsel. Beware of the truths you share. Even God sometimes lies to keep the peace. And shalom is always the most precious gift of all.
God’s messengers arrive to tell Abraham that he is going to have a son. “I will return to you next year, and your wife Sarah shall have a son!” Sarah, who is nearly 90 years old and happens to be listening on the other side of the tent, laughs (that is why Isaac means laughter) and says to herself, “Now that I am withered, am I to have enjoyment with my husband so old?” God of course hears Sarah’s laughter and what she said and angrily declares to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I in truth bear a child, old as I am?'" (Genesis 18)
The Rabbis of old noticed that God does not accurately report what Sarah said. Sarah had suggested that their infertility was due to Abraham’s age. When repeating her words to Abraham God instead suggests that she blamed herself for their lack of children.
The Rabbis spin lessons and values from God’s apparent mistaken retelling. It can’t possibly be that God did not hear her words correctly. They reasoned, it must instead be that God wanted to protect Abraham and Sarah’s relationship and so decided that it would be better to lie than inform Abraham of Sarah’s true thoughts.
In Judaism’s hierarchy of values truth takes second place to peace. Our tradition counsels: it is better to lie than destroy shalom bayit, peace in the home. Truth can be sacrificed for the sake of peace.
The Talmud debates this idea and discusses the question of whether or not you should tell an ugly bride that she is beautiful on her wedding day. Rabbi Shammai, who was known for his zealous commitment to principle whatever the cost, says, “Tell her the truth.” Hillel says instead, “Tell every bride she is beautiful.” Jewish law follows Hillel. He reasoned that she is beautiful in her groom’s eyes so it does not really matter what every one else thinks. On the wedding day every bride is beautiful.
Hillel always seemed to find a way to be as inclusive and welcoming as possible. Shammai on the other hand probably did not get to officiate at too many weddings and remained alone with his principles.
Judaism wants us to be at one with others, and with the community. This is why peace is valued more than truth. I often think about this as I watch the many people encouraged by TV hosts to confess and share their most intimate secrets. These truths end up destroying friendships and relationships. It makes for great drama and to some great TV, but it also makes for damaged and broken communities.
Truth does not always set you free. Sometimes it leaves you alone. This is Judaism’s counsel. Beware of the truths you share. Even God sometimes lies to keep the peace. And shalom is always the most precious gift of all.
60 Minutes
Last night's 60 Minutes segment on the archaeological dig at Jerusalem's City of David is important to watch. Be forewarned. It does not paint Israel in a flattering light. Both Jews and Muslims (and Christians as well) claim Jerusalem as a holy city. In order to advance peace we must affirm the others claim to this city. The Palestinians' continued denial of the Jewish roots of Jerusalem and their attempt at rewriting ancient history must stop. Yasir Arafat used to claim that the Temple never stood in Jerusalem. Such talk must end! On the other hand the arguments of Jews that Mohammad never actually set foot in Jerusalem or that Jerusalem is not mentioned by name in the Koran is immaterial to the present crisis. Today Jews and Muslims regard Jerusalem as holy. We regard it as such because of our beliefs. Denying each others beliefs will not change today's issues. Digging for proof that our beliefs are more ancient and therefore more superior will not advance peace. I support the dig only because I wish to learn more about my sacred text. Recognizing that this place is both of our homes is the only solution. Both Palestinians and Jews should strive to affirm this truth.
See and read more on 60 Minutes Overtime.
See and read more on 60 Minutes Overtime.
Lech Lecha Sermon
...What is the importance of reminding ourselves of the source of our blessings and good fortune?
I have noticed that we tend to ascribe too much credit to our own hard work. We say that we earned our good fortune, that we deserved this or that. But it is not all due to our hard work. It is also about mazel and yichus. We must not forget that good luck and good connections also help us. It is not all in our own hands. But it is also not all in the hands of fate. For if this was the case what would be the point of waking up and working hard. It is a balancing act between these three.
Yet there is a greater danger in seeing it all in our own hands. Then we think we don't need others. Then we forget how others helped us. Then we think that God's hand is absent. Then we forget that we can't control everything and begin to think that God does nothing.
We must be honest with ourselves about how we achieved our good fortune. Lean on any one of these legs of the three legged stool and we fall. That is the secret. Abraham is called not just because of his own merit, but because of being in the right place at the right time. We are like Abraham. It is not all about our own hard work and merit. It is also about who we know and to whom we are related. And it is also about good mazel. That is why we must be open to being called each and every day.
I have noticed that we tend to ascribe too much credit to our own hard work. We say that we earned our good fortune, that we deserved this or that. But it is not all due to our hard work. It is also about mazel and yichus. We must not forget that good luck and good connections also help us. It is not all in our own hands. But it is also not all in the hands of fate. For if this was the case what would be the point of waking up and working hard. It is a balancing act between these three.
Yet there is a greater danger in seeing it all in our own hands. Then we think we don't need others. Then we forget how others helped us. Then we think that God's hand is absent. Then we forget that we can't control everything and begin to think that God does nothing.
We must be honest with ourselves about how we achieved our good fortune. Lean on any one of these legs of the three legged stool and we fall. That is the secret. Abraham is called not just because of his own merit, but because of being in the right place at the right time. We are like Abraham. It is not all about our own hard work and merit. It is also about who we know and to whom we are related. And it is also about good mazel. That is why we must be open to being called each and every day.
We Need Loyalty Acts, Not Loyalty Oaths - Shalom Hartman Institute
Gil Troy, "We Need Loyalty Acts, Not Loyalty Oaths"
This past summer I had the pleasure of studying with Gil Troy at the Shalom Hartman Institute. His insights on Israel's proposed loyalty oath are well reasoned. I agree with much of what he states in this article. He writes:
This past summer I had the pleasure of studying with Gil Troy at the Shalom Hartman Institute. His insights on Israel's proposed loyalty oath are well reasoned. I agree with much of what he states in this article. He writes:
Israel's future as a Jewish and democratic state, with its pluralistic population, in all its glorious contradictions, depends on loyalty acts not loyalty oaths. We need a renewed covenant between all of Israel's citizens and the government - not meaningless mouthings dictated by demagogues targeting one segment of the population - Israel's Arabs....For a view contrary to my own, read Lee Smith's "Under Oath" in Tablet Magazine.
Israel's Proclamation of Independence promises all citizens civic equality, be they Jewish, Christian, Muslim, or atheist; black, white, or brown; longstanding Jewish Jerusalemite, Holocaust survivor, Jewish refugee from Arab lands, or Arab villager from the Galilee. As with other Western nations, Israeli national identity can be defined enough to have a Jewish character, to forge a Jewish public space, but elastic enough to offer full citizenship and rights to, say, a Palestinian who harbors resentment that there even is a Jewish state or whose relative in a neighboring country has fought against Israel. Does that create identity confusion, legal contradictions and political tensions? Certainly. But are these problems that cannot be resolved, or reasons to view the Jewish nation state as something to be dissolved? Certainly not....
Yes, it is true, Israel is being judged by yet another double-standard. When Canadian immigrants swear allegiance to the Queen, it is charmingly anachronistic. When Americans pledge allegiance to the flag, it is red-white-and-blue patriotic. Yet when Israelis propose loyalty oaths it becomes oppressive.
Still, while Benjamin Netanyahu's so-called "nationalist" government must do more to boost patriotism and Zionism, why start with meaningless, controversial declarations? Why not start fostering pride by fixing the education system, cleaning the streets, fighting crime? Why not create a vision of modern Zionist civics that includes Ultra-Orthodox Jews and Arabs, who frequently use state funds to carve out anti-Zionist collective identities? Nationalism is best nurtured not dictated; loyalty is best earned not proclaimed. We need a politics inspiring a sense of mutual obligation not generating confrontation. We need policies that encourage rather than compel....
Op-Ed Contributor - An End to Israel’s Invisibility - NYTimes
Michael Oren, "An End to Israel’s Invisibility"
Israel's ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, wrote an excellent Op-Ed in today's Times. He reiterates some of my sentiments from yesterday's post, but of course states it more forcefully. He writes:
Israel's ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, wrote an excellent Op-Ed in today's Times. He reiterates some of my sentiments from yesterday's post, but of course states it more forcefully. He writes:
Affirmation of Israel’s Jewishness, however, is the very foundation of peace, its DNA. Just as Israel recognizes the existence of a Palestinian people with an inalienable right to self-determination in its homeland, so, too, must the Palestinians accede to the Jewish people’s 3,000-year connection to our homeland and our right to sovereignty there. This mutual acceptance is essential if both peoples are to live side by side in two states in genuine and lasting peace.
The core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been the refusal to recognize Jews as a people, indigenous to the region and endowed with the right to self-government. Criticism of Israeli policies often serves to obscure this fact, and peace continues to elude us. By urging the Palestinians to recognize us as their permanent and legitimate neighbors, Prime Minister Netanyahu is pointing the way out of the current impasse: he is identifying the only path to co-existence.The Palestinian leadership's refusal to recognize the historical, religious, international legitimacy of the modern State of Israel is indeed a major stumbling block to achieving peace.
Lech Lecha
This week’s Torah portion starts it all. In it the first Jew is born. Seemingly out of nowhere Abraham is called by God with the opening words of our portion, Lech Lecha. “The Lord said to Abraham, ‘Go forth from your native land and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you.’”
The first question is why Abraham. The Torah offers little clue. Generations of commentators have read between the Torah’s lines and suggested that Abraham must have merited the call. He must been such a great man or have done something so great for God to take notice. This line of reasoning has sustained us for thousands of years.
So ingrained is this thinking that many people believe that the famous story about Abraham minding his father’s idol shop is in the Torah. It is instead a midrash written to answer our first question. One day Abraham’s father Terah asked him to watch the store. First Abraham scared away all the business when he told customers, “Why would you want this little statue? It can do nothing!” Then Abraham smashed all the idols but one. When his father returned and asked what happened, Abraham pointed to the one remaining idol and said, “He did it!” His father of course responded, “That’s ridiculous.” To which Abraham responded, “Exactly!”
Abraham became in that moment the first monotheist. God saw this and called out to him: “Lech lecha.” This midrash and understanding of the story fits nicely with our modern philosophy. We earn something by merit. In fact it is this very idea that built our country. You rise or fall based on your merits.
But not everything gained is done so on merit. There is also yichus, connections. There is who you know or to whom you are related. Sometimes we gain something by virtue of our friends, family and acquaintances. This is the point of Jewish geography. Judaism operates on this theory as well. Look at the opening of the Amidah. Before we even ask God for stuff we remind God that the person standing in prayer is related to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel and Leah. “Elohei Avraham, Elohei Yitzhak v’Elohei Yaakov...” In essence we say, “God, remember that I am related to Abraham so please grant my request.”
And sometimes it just plain old luck, mazel. Your good fortune can be because you were standing in the right place in the right time. You can happen to meet someone on the train, and this can become a lifetime business partnership. That is how friends are sometimes made. Yet we fail to open ourselves up to such mazel in our modern day world. We sit next to people but talk to others miles away. I continue however to believe that such chance meetings are what add blessings to our lives. But in truth, the meaning of the original Hebrew is more akin to the English phrase, “The stars were aligned.” So perhaps there is no such thing as luck and it is all beshert, destiny.
In the end we gain good fortune by merit, connections and luck. And so we should ask a second question: must we be aware of how this good fortune came our way? I have often noticed how mazel and yichus are transformed into merit in people’s own minds. “I deserve this. I earned this.” becomes the mantra that floats in our hearts. What is the importance of reminding ourselves of the source of our blessings and good fortune?
The first question is why Abraham. The Torah offers little clue. Generations of commentators have read between the Torah’s lines and suggested that Abraham must have merited the call. He must been such a great man or have done something so great for God to take notice. This line of reasoning has sustained us for thousands of years.
So ingrained is this thinking that many people believe that the famous story about Abraham minding his father’s idol shop is in the Torah. It is instead a midrash written to answer our first question. One day Abraham’s father Terah asked him to watch the store. First Abraham scared away all the business when he told customers, “Why would you want this little statue? It can do nothing!” Then Abraham smashed all the idols but one. When his father returned and asked what happened, Abraham pointed to the one remaining idol and said, “He did it!” His father of course responded, “That’s ridiculous.” To which Abraham responded, “Exactly!”
Abraham became in that moment the first monotheist. God saw this and called out to him: “Lech lecha.” This midrash and understanding of the story fits nicely with our modern philosophy. We earn something by merit. In fact it is this very idea that built our country. You rise or fall based on your merits.
But not everything gained is done so on merit. There is also yichus, connections. There is who you know or to whom you are related. Sometimes we gain something by virtue of our friends, family and acquaintances. This is the point of Jewish geography. Judaism operates on this theory as well. Look at the opening of the Amidah. Before we even ask God for stuff we remind God that the person standing in prayer is related to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel and Leah. “Elohei Avraham, Elohei Yitzhak v’Elohei Yaakov...” In essence we say, “God, remember that I am related to Abraham so please grant my request.”
And sometimes it just plain old luck, mazel. Your good fortune can be because you were standing in the right place in the right time. You can happen to meet someone on the train, and this can become a lifetime business partnership. That is how friends are sometimes made. Yet we fail to open ourselves up to such mazel in our modern day world. We sit next to people but talk to others miles away. I continue however to believe that such chance meetings are what add blessings to our lives. But in truth, the meaning of the original Hebrew is more akin to the English phrase, “The stars were aligned.” So perhaps there is no such thing as luck and it is all beshert, destiny.
In the end we gain good fortune by merit, connections and luck. And so we should ask a second question: must we be aware of how this good fortune came our way? I have often noticed how mazel and yichus are transformed into merit in people’s own minds. “I deserve this. I earned this.” becomes the mantra that floats in our hearts. What is the importance of reminding ourselves of the source of our blessings and good fortune?
Settlements, Peace Processes and Loyalty Oaths
I have been reading with keen interest the reports on the current round of peace talks or better, the peace process or better still, the lack thereof. The United States appears the most engaged of all the parties. This of course presents the greatest problem. Although history records that the US added a decisive push to conclude a peace agreement between Israel and Egypt, the current peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians are no where near the final stage. Instead the US is attempting to coax both parties to the table, most especially the Palestinians who are insisting that Israel renew its ten month freeze on settlement construction in order for them to reenter talks. If the Palestinian leadership truly wants peace then come to the table and negotiate, about the settlements, about refugees, about Jerusalem. Both parties should agree to talk no matter what. There should be no agreements beforehand. I remain suspect that Abbas, and Netanyahu as well, truly want to make peace. Both leaders must truly desire peace. Both leaders must recognize the legitimacy of the others claims, and aspirations. Well at least some of those claims, if not all, can be a starting point to make peace.
Recently I read in The New York Times that settlements, refugees and Jerusalem remain stumbling blocks to advancing the peace process. But what about the Palestinian's refusal to recognize the legitimacy of the State of Israel? This is a legitimacy granted by virtue of Jewish history and the United Nations 1948 vote. The Arab world's decades long rejection of the State of Israel is a major part of the story. The Arab states' expulsion of their Jewish residents is also not to be forgotten. The Palestinians must come to terms with a Jewish state in the Arab Middle East. They must recognize that this state is bound to thousands of years of Jewish connection to the land and legitimized by the international community. The stumbling blocks to peace are not only what Israel must overcome but also what the Palestinians must hurdle. Peace can only be made by both sides acknowledging the others claims.
I have also been reading about Israel's loyalty oath, demanding that non-Jews, in particular Arabs, who wish to become citizens of the state must affirm Israel's Jewish and democratic pillars. Leaving aside the political motivations for the promotion of this law, I do understand its philosophical motivations. Israel struggles to balance its dual commitments to being Jewish and democratic. Nearly 20% of its citizens question its Jewish authenticity, namely its Arab citizens. Nearly 20% of its citizens question its democratic principles, namely the ultra-Orthodox Jews (although they may also question the form of its Jewish character). These two principles, enshrined in Israel's Declaration of Independence, are what make Israel so wonderful. The tension between the two is also what makes it at times so frustrating. These two principles are also under attack. Being both Jewish and democratic is what I love so much about the place. If it were only democratic I would not love it so much. If it were only Jewish it would not tug on my soul as much as it does. Nonetheless coercing love and devotion is never a good idea. Israel must work and work and work to make its Arab citizens to feel at home. That is the only solution. A new law will not change this landscape.
Years ago I tutored Arab students in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Safafa. One day I asked my students if they would move to a Palestinian State when it was created. (25 years ago I falsely believed such a state was in the near future.) They answered, "Of course not. We will stay with our families, in Jerusalem, in Israel." They did not of course feel entirely at home in Israel. They had a litany of complaints about their adopted state. But with all its imperfections, it was still their home. They recognized the beauty of its democratic principles, even if they were uncomfortable with its Jewish commitments. I wonder how far we have strayed from that moment.
Recently I read in The New York Times that settlements, refugees and Jerusalem remain stumbling blocks to advancing the peace process. But what about the Palestinian's refusal to recognize the legitimacy of the State of Israel? This is a legitimacy granted by virtue of Jewish history and the United Nations 1948 vote. The Arab world's decades long rejection of the State of Israel is a major part of the story. The Arab states' expulsion of their Jewish residents is also not to be forgotten. The Palestinians must come to terms with a Jewish state in the Arab Middle East. They must recognize that this state is bound to thousands of years of Jewish connection to the land and legitimized by the international community. The stumbling blocks to peace are not only what Israel must overcome but also what the Palestinians must hurdle. Peace can only be made by both sides acknowledging the others claims.
I have also been reading about Israel's loyalty oath, demanding that non-Jews, in particular Arabs, who wish to become citizens of the state must affirm Israel's Jewish and democratic pillars. Leaving aside the political motivations for the promotion of this law, I do understand its philosophical motivations. Israel struggles to balance its dual commitments to being Jewish and democratic. Nearly 20% of its citizens question its Jewish authenticity, namely its Arab citizens. Nearly 20% of its citizens question its democratic principles, namely the ultra-Orthodox Jews (although they may also question the form of its Jewish character). These two principles, enshrined in Israel's Declaration of Independence, are what make Israel so wonderful. The tension between the two is also what makes it at times so frustrating. These two principles are also under attack. Being both Jewish and democratic is what I love so much about the place. If it were only democratic I would not love it so much. If it were only Jewish it would not tug on my soul as much as it does. Nonetheless coercing love and devotion is never a good idea. Israel must work and work and work to make its Arab citizens to feel at home. That is the only solution. A new law will not change this landscape.
Years ago I tutored Arab students in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Safafa. One day I asked my students if they would move to a Palestinian State when it was created. (25 years ago I falsely believed such a state was in the near future.) They answered, "Of course not. We will stay with our families, in Jerusalem, in Israel." They did not of course feel entirely at home in Israel. They had a litany of complaints about their adopted state. But with all its imperfections, it was still their home. They recognized the beauty of its democratic principles, even if they were uncomfortable with its Jewish commitments. I wonder how far we have strayed from that moment.
Noah Sermon
At Shabbat Services I asked the question about repentance with regard to Noah and the flood. Why were the generation of the flood not given the opportunity to repent? Noah offers no defense of his friends and countrymen. He says nothing in response to God's command. He just starts building. The rabbis suggest that the building of the ark was actually intended to be a sign, a goad, motivating the people to repent. This sign obviously failed and the world was destroyed. In the end maybe the story is not about the people's failures, despite our tradition's attempt to find a sin so great as to merit the world's destruction, but about God's. In the book of Genesis God impresses order on creation. God fashions order out of chaos in Genesis 1. The Rabbis in fact suggest that God created many worlds before this one and destroyed them because they were flawed. Only this world did God let stand despite its imperfections. With this world God must learn to quell anger. God must learn to give more room for human beings to better their world. At the beginning of our story God is angered by the disorder of Noah's generation. At the conclusion and its covenant of the rainbow God promises to forever quell this angry impulse. This is the meaning of the rainbow. The entire Bible can be read as a lesson about God learning to let go and people taking more responsibility. By the end of the Bible, as Jack Miles observes, God is silent. God withdraws to give more room for creation. We can no longer wait for God to right today's wrongs. We must fix the world ourselves. God is waiting. Every day God recreates the world and its beauty, in for example, this season's changing of the leaves' colors. God is waiting for us to improve the world. God is waiting for us to fix the world's problems and make it even more beautiful. The lesson of the Bible is that God created the world, drew us into the covenant and is forever waiting for us to better this imperfect world.
Noah
This week we read the second Torah portion in Genesis, Noah. It of course tells the familiar story of Noah and the flood.
“The earth became corrupt before God; the earth was filled with lawlessness. When God saw how corrupt the earth was, for all flesh had corrupted its ways on 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. Make yourself an ark…’” (Genesis 6:11-14)
I have often wondered about this story. What could be so terrible that God would destroy everything and everyone, except of course Noah and his family and the animals, two by two? There is much discussion in the tradition about this very question. Some suggest that the people were guilty of gross immorality, in particular sexual aberrations. Others, ruthless violence, in particular the strong taking advantage of the weak. Still others, material prosperity and affluence caused people to lose faith in God, judging God incapable of hearing prayer and enforcing moral standards.
Still I wonder: everyone? Every person on the entire earth stood guilty of these sins? There were not even ten people in Noah’s age, like in Abraham’s when he approached Sodom and Gomorrah.
The Jerusalem Talmud writes that lawlessness means that people cheated each other for such small sums that the courts could not even prosecute them. This caused people to lose faith in the ability of the government to create a fair and just society. The world then slipped into anarchy.
This explanation goes further than the others in creating a reason why the entire earth and all its inhabitants would need to be destroyed. If the world had descended into anarchy then the only choice might be to start over. A new system must be created to bring order to the world. The opening chapters of Genesis are about God bringing order to a chaotic and disordered world. The Noah story then fits with this theme. God creates and then re-creates.
But what about repentance. Why are the people not allowed to change their ways, like the inhabitants of Nineveh? Why is God so quick to destroy the earth and its inhabitants? Surely the innocent were swept away with the guilty!
In the end, my attempt to search for a human sin so great as to merit the world’s destruction might be the wrong approach. Perhaps this story is not about the people’s failures but about God’s. One way to interpret the Bible is to read it as a story of how God learns to approach human beings. As in any relationship there is a learning curve. In the beginning God is quick to become angry. Slowly God learns to quell this angry impulse.
With the covenant of the rainbow at the end of these chapters and the promise that God will never again destroy the earth, the age of such divine do-overs ends and God shifts the responsibility to humanity’s shoulders. It is now in our hands to right the wrongs.
God will never again destroy the world in order to create a better one. This means that God will also not fix our problems for us. The fixing is in our hands. And I believe that God rejoices when we succeed to better our world, and cries when we fail.
“The earth became corrupt before God; the earth was filled with lawlessness. When God saw how corrupt the earth was, for all flesh had corrupted its ways on 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. Make yourself an ark…’” (Genesis 6:11-14)
I have often wondered about this story. What could be so terrible that God would destroy everything and everyone, except of course Noah and his family and the animals, two by two? There is much discussion in the tradition about this very question. Some suggest that the people were guilty of gross immorality, in particular sexual aberrations. Others, ruthless violence, in particular the strong taking advantage of the weak. Still others, material prosperity and affluence caused people to lose faith in God, judging God incapable of hearing prayer and enforcing moral standards.
Still I wonder: everyone? Every person on the entire earth stood guilty of these sins? There were not even ten people in Noah’s age, like in Abraham’s when he approached Sodom and Gomorrah.
The Jerusalem Talmud writes that lawlessness means that people cheated each other for such small sums that the courts could not even prosecute them. This caused people to lose faith in the ability of the government to create a fair and just society. The world then slipped into anarchy.
This explanation goes further than the others in creating a reason why the entire earth and all its inhabitants would need to be destroyed. If the world had descended into anarchy then the only choice might be to start over. A new system must be created to bring order to the world. The opening chapters of Genesis are about God bringing order to a chaotic and disordered world. The Noah story then fits with this theme. God creates and then re-creates.
But what about repentance. Why are the people not allowed to change their ways, like the inhabitants of Nineveh? Why is God so quick to destroy the earth and its inhabitants? Surely the innocent were swept away with the guilty!
In the end, my attempt to search for a human sin so great as to merit the world’s destruction might be the wrong approach. Perhaps this story is not about the people’s failures but about God’s. One way to interpret the Bible is to read it as a story of how God learns to approach human beings. As in any relationship there is a learning curve. In the beginning God is quick to become angry. Slowly God learns to quell this angry impulse.
With the covenant of the rainbow at the end of these chapters and the promise that God will never again destroy the earth, the age of such divine do-overs ends and God shifts the responsibility to humanity’s shoulders. It is now in our hands to right the wrongs.
God will never again destroy the world in order to create a better one. This means that God will also not fix our problems for us. The fixing is in our hands. And I believe that God rejoices when we succeed to better our world, and cries when we fail.