Torah Sparks 5766

PARASHAT BERESHIT - BIRKAT HAHODESH
October 29 2005 - 26 Tishrei 5766
Annual: Genesis 1:1 - 6:8 (Etz Hayim, p. 3; Hertz p. 2)

Triennial Cycle: Genesis 2:4 - 4:26 (Etz Hayim, p. 12; Hertz p. 6)
Haftarah: Isaiah: 42:5 - 43:10 (Etz Hayim, p. 36; Hertz p. 21)
Prepared by Rabbi Michael Gold

Congregation Beth Torah, Tamarac, FL
Department of Congregational Services

Rabbi Paul Drazen, Director
Summary
The Torah begins with a powerful, poetic vision of the creation of the universe.
Over a series of six days, God performs a series of separations and formations,
beginning with light and culminating with the creation of humanity. The universe
goes from chaos to order. Afterwards, God rests from the work of creation. The
story was never meant to be a literal, scientific account, but rather a vision of a
universe created by God, with humanity made in God's image.
This is followed by a second creation story, more intimate and modest. God
makes a man (the word adam literally is the generic word for man). God plants
the man in a garden, so he can tend and guard it. In the center of the garden
are two trees, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life.
God forbids the man from eating of the Tree of Knowledge. It is not good for
man to be alone. After bringing forth various animals, God makes a woman out
of the rib of the man. She becomes his wife, and the two of them live in the
garden naked and not ashamed.
Tempted by a snake, the woman eats of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, and
feeds some to the man. They realize their nakedness, and hide from God.
Perhaps this story was the evolutionary moment when humanity emerged from
the animal kingdom and gained the ability to make moral choices. As a result of
eating the fruit, the man and the woman are forced out of the garden and given
a series of punishments.
Morality has entered the world, and with it moral decline. A new generation
arrives with the birth of two sons, Cain and Abel. When Cain, in a moment of
jealousy, murders Abel, he is punished and becomes a wanderer on the earth.
Over the course of ten generations, technology advances but morality declines.
Finally, with the birth of Noah, God must make a decision about the humans
God created.
Issue #1 - Ecology
A. "God blessed them and God said to them, be fertile and increase, fill the
earth and master it; and rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and
all living things that creep on the earth." (Genesis 1:28)
B. "The Lord God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden, to till
it and tend it." (Genesis 2:15)
Discussion
1. In chapter 1, humanity is told to master (or conquer) the world and rule
over the animals. In chapter 2, humanity is told to till and tend (guard) the
garden. Is there a difference between conquering the world and guarding
the world? Which is better for the world's ecology?
2. Many environmentalists blame the Bible for humanity's damage to the
earth. Is the Bible to blame?
3. To deepen our understanding, let us explore Ramban's comment on
"conquer it": "God gave them [people] power and dominion on the earth
to do as they wish with the cattle and the reptiles and the creeping things
on the earth, to build, to uproot that which was planted, to mine copper
from the hills, and so on." Was the world given to humanity to use as
humanity wishes? Are there any restrictions on them?
4. Some have advocated "living lightly" on the land with a minimum of
technology and modern conveniences. This is the way animals live on
the earth. Is this similar to returning to the Garden of Eden? Is this
desirable?
5. The midrash teaches "When the Holy One created the first man, He took
him and led him around all the trees of the Garden of Eden, and said to
him, 'Behold My works, how beautiful they are, how splendid they are. All
that I have created, I created for your sake. Take care that you do not
become corrupt and thus destroy My world. For once you become
corrupt, there is no one to repair it'" (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7:13). Does
this midrash change how we understand the nature of the power and
responsibility we were given to exercise in the world? Does this provide
us with more or less freedom of action?
Issue #2 - Marriage
"Hence a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, so that they
become one flesh." (Genesis 2:24)
Discussion
1. The Torah teaches that a man should cleave unto his wife, not his wives.
Why were the patriarchs allowed to have more than one wife? (Hint - the
Hebrew word for a second wife is tzara, a word which also means
trouble.) Why did the rabbis later forbid polygamy?
2. Why does the Torah teach "a man shall cleave unto his wife" and not "a
woman shall cleave unto her husband"? The Torah put the obligation on
a man to find a wife. Why? Are things different today? If so, how? If not,
why not and should they be?
3. The Talmud teaches - "R. Simeon said, 'Why did the Torah say `if a man
take a wife' and not 'if a woman be taken by a man?' Because it is the
way of a man to go in search of a woman, but it is not the way of a
woman to go in search of a man. This may be compared to a man who
lost an article, who goes in search of whom? The loser goes in search of
the lost article. (So the man goes in search of the rib he lost.)" Does this
section of the Talmud provoke a change in the questions above?
4. If we take marriage seriously, how should young people meet one
another? Through their parents (the Talmud puts the obligation on the
father to find a match for his children)? A professional matchmaker? The
internet? Random meetings? What can we do to help our young people
make better marriages?
PARASHAT NOAH
November 5, 2005 - 3 Heshvan 5766
Annual: Genesis 6:9-11:32 (Etz Hayim, p. 41; Hertz p. 26)



Summary
God finds that humanity has corrupted the earth, so God decides to bring a
great flood to destroy humanity. God picks one man who was righteous in his
generation, Noah, to build an ark. Noah builds the ark and enters it with his wife,
his three sons and their wives. Noah also brings two of each species of animal
on the ark so they will stay alive through the flood. (Later Noah will bring seven
pairs of the clean animals to be used for sacrifices and food after the flood.)
God causes a heavy rain to fall for forty days and nights, destroying all people
and all animals not on the ark. The water rests on the earth for 150 days. As the
water recedes, the ark comes to rest on Mount Ararat. Noah sends first a raven
and then a dove to search for dry ground. When the dove returns with an olive
branch in its beak, Noah knows that the flood finally is over.
Noah and his family leave the ark and Noah offers a sacrifice to God. God
promises never again to bring a flood on the earth, because God realizes that
humans are born with an evil inclination. God makes a covenant with Noah,
symbolizing the covenant with all humanity -- the rainbow is the symbol of the
covenant. Noah plants a vineyard and becomes drunk, leading to a bizarre
sexual encounter with his son Ham and the curse of his grandson Canaan.
People continue in their corrupt ways, building a tower to make a name for
themselves and to challenge God. God confuses their languages and scatters
them over the earth. Ten more generations pass before the birth of Abram, who
will become God's partner in a new covenant.
Issue #1 - Who Was Noah?
"This is the line of Noah - Noah was a righteous man; he was blameless in his
age; Noah walked with God." (Genesis 6:9)
Discussion
1. Rashi comments - "'In his age' - Some of our rabbis explain this to his
credit, he was righteous even in his generation, had he lived in a
generation of righteous people he would have been even better. Some
explain it to his discredit. If he lived in the generation of Abraham, he
would have been of no importance." (Based on Sanhedrin 108a) Is being
righteous among evildoers to someone's credit? Or was Noah the best
person God could find; but would he have been a nobody in another
generation?
2. The passage compares Noah to Abraham. Compare how Abraham
reacted to the destruction of Sodom and Gemorrah, arguing with God,
with how Noah reacted to the destruction of the entire world, passively
accepting God's will. Is it better to argue with God or to accept God's will
passively?
3. We can compare the Jewish and Muslim faiths on this issue. The word
Islam means "surrenders to God." The word Israel means "wrestles with
God." What does it mean to be a people who wrestle with God? How is
that different from surrendering to God?
4. What are some other ways in which Noah was not worthy? Becoming
drunk and cursing his son? (Another hint -- God tells Noah to leave the
ark with his wife and his sons to leave with their wives. Noah leaves with
his son, leaving the women behind. What can we learn from this?)
Issue #2 - The Rainbow
"I have set My bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between
Me and the earth." (Genesis 9:13)
Discussion
1. When seeing a rainbow, it is traditional to say a blessing, Praised are

You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who remembers His covenant,
is faithful to it, and keeps His promise. Has God kept God's promise to
humanity? What did we promise to God and have we kept our part of the
covenant?
2. Why a rainbow? The rainbow has become the symbol of many interracial
and ecology groups. (Think Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition.) What is
the power of a rainbow? Why did the song called Over the Rainbow
become the most popular song ever in the movies, according to a recent
survey? Why do we speak of a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? The
rainbow obviously has become a powerful human symbol. Why?
3. Kabbalah - A rainbow is made up of many colors, each one separated
from the other. We know, however, that this separation of colors is an
illusion created by raindrops in the sky. Underneath the separation is
white light. Beneath the separations we see in the world is an underlying
unity. How can we move past the separations that mark our lives to see
the fundamental unity? How can we move beyond the things that divide
them -- race, religion, nationality, gender, age, and so on -- to see their
unity? Could this be the symbolic meaning of the rainbow?
PARASHAT LEKH LEKHA

Haftarah: Isaiah 40:27 - 41:16 (Etz Hayim, p. 95; Hertz p. 60)


Summary
God tells Abram to go forth from his home in Haran to a land that God would
show him. There God will make him into a great nation. Those who bless him
will be blessed and those who curse him will be cursed. Abram travels with his
wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and their entire household. When they arrive in
Canaan, Abram travels throughout the country, pitching his tent and building
altars to God.
A famine strikes the land of Canaan, and Abram travels to Egypt. There he
pretends that Sarai is his sister so that the Egyptians will not harm him. Only
after Pharaoh takes Sarai into his tent is the truth revealed -- that Sarai is
Abram's wife. (This theme, calling the wife a sister, will be repeated twice more
in Genesis.) Abram leaves Egypt a wealthy man.
Abram and Lot separate because their flocks become too large to pasture
together. Lot goes to live in the city of Sodom, a place known for selfishness
and cruelty. A war breaks out between various kings, including the king of
Sodom, and Lot is taken captive. Abram must become a soldier, rescuing Lot
and then refusing any financial reward for his service.
Abram has a powerful vision of a covenant between God and Abram's

descendents. He learns that his people will be slaves in a foreign land for four
hundred years, and then come forth to reclaim their homeland. Unable to have
children, Abram and Sarai turn to her handmaiden Hagar as a surrogate. Hagar
gives birth to a son, Ishmael. God again reaffirms the covenant, changing
Abram's name to Abraham and Sarai's name to Sarah. Circumcision is the
symbol of the covenant. Every male born into Abraham's household must be
circumcised on the eighth day. At the age of ninety nine, Abraham circumcises
his own foreskin.
Issue #1 - Leaving Home
"The Lord said to Abram, Go forth from your land, from your birthplace, from
your father's home to the land that I will show you." (Genesis 12:1)
Discussion
1. Notice that leaving home is done in three steps. What are the three
steps? When we move out of our parents' home, we first leave our home,
then our birth city, and then, finally, our land. The verse seems to be out
of order. Why? Could God have been talking about a spiritual leaving
rather than merely a physical leaving?
2. What are the three steps involved when a person leaves home today?
Some have said that first we must leave physically. Then we must leave
economically. Finally we must leave psychologically. What does each of
these steps mean? At what age does each one typically take place?
3. There was a time when children lived in their parents' home until
marriage. Today this has become rather rare. Is it a positive development
that children live on their own long before marriage? In what ways is it a
good thing? In what ways is it not?
4. The Midrash teaches that when he was in his father's house, Abraham
resembled a vial of precious myrrh closed with a tight-fitting lid. As long
as he stayed within his parents' home, nobody could smell the fragrance.
However, once he began his journey, the lid was opened and the
fragrance was disseminated (Genesis Rabbah 34:2). What were the
rabbis trying to teach about leaving home? (Must we leave home before
our precious fragrance can really waft through the world?)
5. How can parents help let their children go so they can succeed in the
world? Do parents try too hard to hold onto their children? The Torah
teaches that "a man must leave his mother and father and cleave onto
his wife" (Genesis 2:24) Why must a man, or a woman, leave before he
or she can cleave? When a man or a woman is too attached to parents,
can this be a threat to a marriage?
Issue #2 - Why Circumcision?
"This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your seed
after you. Every male child among you shall be circumcised." (Genesis 17:10)
Discussion
1. Last week, in studying the Noah story, we discussed why God chose the
rainbow as the symbol of the covenant with all humanity. In a similar
way, we can ask why God chose circumcision as the symbol of the
covenant with the people Israel. What do you believe to be the meaning
of circumcision?
2. Since the symbol of the covenant is on males, are females left out?
Should there be a parallel covenantal symbol on females, as some
feminists have suggested? How can we bring a baby girl into the
covenant with as much ceremony and pageantry as a baby boy at the
brit milah?
3. The Midrash teaches, "A philosopher asked R. Hoshaya: If circumcision
is so precious, why was it not given to Adam? - The real reason is,
whatever was created the first six days requires further preparation, e.g.
mustard needs sweetening, vetches need sweetening, wheat needs
grinding, and man too needs to be finished." (Genesis Rabbah 11:6)
Perhaps the message is that the world was created incomplete. Our job
is to complete the world. Does circumcision represent perfecting
something God made?
4. One other explanation (more controversial) - A number of people have
commented on the fact that circumcision takes place on the male sexual
organ. For example, the Encyclopedia Judaica writes, "It sanctified the
human body and aided it in its fight against erotic indulgence, as
exemplified by the cults of Astarte and Dionysus. The passions were not
to be ignored or suppressed, but were to be sublimated to noble ends." Is
part of the message of circumcision sexual self-control?
PARASHAT VAYERA

Haftarah: II Kings 4:1 - 37 (Etz Hayim, p. 124; Hertz p. 76)


Summary
God appears to Abraham, who is recovering in his tent after his circumcision.
Abraham then sees three men standing nearby and invites them in, washing
their feet and preparing an entire meal for them. The men predict that at this
season next year, Sarah will give birth to a son. Sarah laughs, unable to
imagine that a couple their age can ever give birth to a child. (When the child is
born he will be named Isaac, from the Hebrew root for "laughter.")
God reveals to Abraham God's plan to destroy the evil cities of Sodom and
Gemorrah. Abraham argues with God -- would God be willing to save the cities
for the sake of 50 righteous people, he asks. Abraham continues to bargain with
God, finally convincing God to save the cities for the sake of 10 righteous
people. Unfortunately, not even 10 righteous people can be found there.
Angels enter the city to rescue Lot and his family, and a band of wicked men
immediately gather against them. Lot brings the men into his house and
protects them. Only Lot, his wife, and their two unmarried daughters are able to
flee before God destroys the cities with sulfurous fire. Lot's wife looks back and
turns into a pillar of salt. Lot's daughters, fearing they were the last people left
on earth, make their father drunk and become impregnated by him.
Finally Abraham and Sarah give birth to a son, Isaac. Sarah worries about
Hagar's son, Ishmael, and tells Abraham to send them away. Abraham sends
Hagar and Ishmael into the desert with a small amount of bread and water. God
hears Hagar's cries and opens her eyes to a well of water. God was with the
boy, who grew up to be a bowman.
God puts Abraham to a final test to prove his faithfulness. (According to rabbinic
tradition, this is the last of 10 tests.) Is Abraham prepared to go to a mountain
and offer Isaac as a whole offering? After three days of travel, Abraham and
Isaac arrive at the mountain where Abraham binds Isaac to the altar. At the last
minute, God substitutes a ram, knowing that Abraham has passed the test.
Abraham returns to his tent in Beer Sheva.
Issue #1 - The Sin of Sodom
"The Lord said, because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because
their sin is very grave; I will go down now, and see whether they have done
altogether according to her cry, which has come to me; and if not, I will know."
(Genesis 18:20-21)
Discussion
1. What was so evil about Sodom and Gemorrah that God would destroy
them? Is there a hint in the behavior of the men of the city, who tried to
attack the visitors in Lot's house? The rabbinic tradition said that visitors
(outsiders) were not welcome in Sodom. Why not?
2. The Talmud teaches, "One who says, 'What is mine is mine, what is
yours is yours,' this is a mediocre person. Some say this is the way of
Sodom." (Avot 5:14) In Sodom, people did not steal from others ("what is
yours is yours"). But in Sodom, people also did not share with others
("what is mine is mine"). Selfishness ruled, and people would not share
their wealth with others. The people there thought in terms of scarcity
(there is only a limited amount of wealth, and if I share with you I will
have less).
3. The Talmud developed this idea. One long section considers the
selfishness of Sodom. Among the stories in that section, one tells of a
poor man who came into town. A young woman was kind to him and
shared her money with him. When the people heard this, they attacked
and tortured her (Sanhedrin 109b). Helping the poor would set a bad
precedent for the community; beggars and poor people would move into
town. The Torah teaches that "God heard her cry" (Genesis 18:21), the
cry of a generous young woman attacked by her wicked neighbors.
Another story tells how the people would give a poor person marked
coins. No merchant would accept those coins, so the poor person could
not buy food and eventually would starve. Of whom were the people of
Sodom scared? Why did they try to keep the poor, travelers, and
beggars out of their town?
4. Is the way of Sodom similar to modern cities that try to keep the
homeless out? Are there ways that the self-absorbed nature of Sodom
can be seen playing itself out in our world?
5. We all have a little Sodom in us as we think that "what is mine is mine,
and I do not wish to share it." How can we overcome our own scarcity
complex?
Issue #2 - The Binding of Isaac
"And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his
son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them
together... "And Abraham said, 'My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a
burnt offering,' so they went both of them together" (Genesis 22:6, 8)
Discussion
1. In this very sparse story, the Torah twice mentions "and they went both
of the together." What is the Torah trying to tell us? Was there a
particularly warm relationship between the father and the son? How will
the akedah, the binding of Isaac, affect that relationship?
2. At the end of the story, the Torah says, "So Abraham returned to his
young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and
Abraham lived at Beersheba" (Genesis 22:19). Abraham returned alone.
Where was Isaac?
3. Is it possible that there was an estrangement between father and son?
Could they have gone their separate ways after the binding? In the Torah,
they never see each other again. The next time Isaac appears next to his
father is for Abraham's funeral.
4. I wrote in my book God, Love, Sex, and Family, "I want to suggest a
radical reinterpretation of the Akeda story. I believe Abraham failed God's
test. My interpretation may run counter to the classical religious
understanding of the story, but there are hints of this explication in
certain Hasidic commentaries. For example, one commentary claims that
God's true commandment was for Abraham not to sacrifice Isaac. (see
Kiddushat Halevi). - Perhaps Abraham failed the test, and that is the
reason why Abraham not only does not speak to his son again." Is this
explanation a possibility?
PARASHAT HAYE SARAH - BIRKAT HAHODESH

Haftarah: I Kings 1:1 - 31 (Etz Hayim, p. 143; Hertz p. 90)


Summary
Sarah dies at the age of one hundred twenty seven. Abraham must find a
suitable burial place for his wife, and eventually for himself and family. He
negotiates with Ephron the Hittite and buys the cave of Machpelah. The price is
four hundred silver shekels, a fairly hefty price for that time.
Abraham is now old, and he is concerned that a proper wife be found for his son
Isaac. He addresses the senior servant of his household, traditionally identified
as Eliezer, telling him that he must go back to Abraham's homeland to find
Isaac a proper wife. Under no circumstances is Isaac to leave the promised
land, nor is he to take a wife from the local Canaanite women.
Eliezer travels to Aram-Naharaim and makes a vow by the well there.

Whichever maiden comes forth to draw water, offering a drink to him and his
camels, shall be the one who was decreed for Isaac. At that moment Abraham's
great-niece Rebekah comes forth to draw water. She offers Eliezer a drink and
brings water for his camels. He presents her with gifts and tells of his quest to
find a wife for Isaac. Rebekah brings him to her home, where he repeats the
story to her father, Bethuel, and her brother Laban.
Rebekah agrees to travel with Eliezer to marry Isaac. She sees Isaac
meditating in the field, alights from her camel, and covers her face. Isaac and
Rebekah marry, he loves her, and finds comfort after his mother's death.
Abraham takes another wife and bears more children, dying at the age of one
hundred seventy five. He is buried by his sons Isaac and Ishmael.
Issue #1 - Life and Death
"Sarah's lifetime - the span of Sarah's life - came to one hundred and twenty-
seven years. Sarah died in Kiriath Arba, now Hebron, in the land of Canaan;
and Abraham proceeded to mourn for Sarah and bewail her" (Genesis 23:1-2)
Discussion
1. The parashah is called the "life of Sarah" although it speaks about the
death of Sarah. Often we do not know whether a person was successful
in life until after he or she dies. In Judaism, after someone dies, it is
traditional to remember him or her on the yahrzeit (the anniversary of the
death), not on the birthday. Why?
2. In America we celebrate Martin Luther King's birthday. But we remember
Moses' yahrzeit (7 Adar) and Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai's yahrzeit (18 Iyar
- lag b'omer). Why do we celebrate the end of life instead of its
beginning?
3. The Torah only once mentions a birthday. "On the third day - his birthday
- Pharaoh made a banquet for all his officials" (Genesis 40:20). Only a
pagan king, whose life was laid out entirely from birth, celebrates a
birthday. Is it because at birth our life is mere potential, and only after we
are gone does the world know if we lived a successful life? One
anonymous wit put it very well - no doctor ever said "I was present at the
birth of the child who will grow up to be William Shakespeare."
4. This idea is perhaps best expressed in a wonderful passage from the
Tanhuma. (Vayakhel 1). "'Better is the day of death than the day of birth'
(Ecclesiastes 7:1). When a person is born no one knows if his deeds will
be good or not, when he dies the world knows his deeds. R. Levi said, to
what can this be compared? To two boats in the harbor, one leaving on a
voyage and one coming home after a voyage. People shout for joy for
the one coming in. Someone asks, surprised, you shout for this one and
not for that one. They answered, we shout for this one because it went in
peace and returned in peace. But for that one, we do not know what the
future will bring. So too, when a baby is born, no one knows his future
deeds. Only when he dies do we know his deeds." Many rabbis use this
passage at a funeral for someone who has lived a good, successful life.
Perhaps this teaches that each of us has until the day of death to make
choices that will affect whether our lives will be successful.
Issue #2 - Love and Marriage
"Isaac then brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he took Rebekah
as his wife. Isaac loved her, and thus found comfort after his mother's death."
Discussion
1. According to an old popular song, "Love and marriage go together like a

horse and carriage." But is it true? We assume that people fall in love
and get married. Yet here is a couple who first got married then fell in
love. Did they do it backward?
2. Jacob and Rachel, on the other hand, fell deeply in love, and then they
were married. Who had the stronger marriage in the Bible, Isaac and
Rebekah or Jacob and Rachel? (Hint - how did each couple react to their
infertility? Isaac and Rebekah were infertile twenty years, yet they stood
across from one another praying for each other. Jacob, on the other
hand, became angry when Rachel cried out about her infertility. Second
hint - Isaac and Rebekah were buried together. Jacob asked to be buried
next to his first wife, Leah.)
3. Is the popular image of falling in love and then marrying necessarily
successful in our society? Why do so many marriages of people deeply
in love go wrong? Notice that in our portion, Eliezer did not look for love.
Rather he looked for values. Should we be looking for values rather than
romance when seeking a life partner?
4. We use the phrase "fall in love." This seems to indicate that we have no
control over whom we love; that love is a force like gravity that we cannot
control. Is that totally true? Can we choose whom we fall in love with?
Could we build stronger marriages if people look for a certain kind of
marriage partner, and only allow themselves to fall in love when they
meet the right kind of person?
5. Think about the Broadway play "Fiddler on the Roof." What kind of
marriage scenarios are described in it?
PARASHAT TOLDOT
December 3, 2005 - 2 Kislev 5766

Triennial Cycle: Genesis 26:23-27:27 (Etz Hayim, p. 152; Hertz p. 96)
Haftarah: Malakhil 1:1 - 2:27 (Etz Hayim, p. 163; Hertz p. 102)


Summary
Isaac takes Rebekah as a wife at the age of forty. They suffer from infertility for
twenty years, and pray for one another. Finally Rebekah conceives twins, who
struggle in her womb. She inquires of the Lord, who tells her that two nations
are in her womb and the older shall serve the younger. Esau is born first, red
like a hairy mantle. Jacob is born second.
Esau is a skillful hunter and Jacob is a man of the tents. Esau comes back from
the hunt hungry and sees Jacob making a lentil soup. He agrees to give Jacob
his birthright in exchange for the soup. A famine comes into the land, and Isaac
and his family move to Gerar. Like his father before him, Isaac pretends that his
wife Rebekah is his sister to protect him before Abimelech. Eventually,
Abimelech makes an agreement with Isaac. The Philistines fill up the wells that
Isaac's father had dug, and Isaac redigs and renames a number of wells. His
wealth multiplies.
Isaac is old and blind, so he asks his elder son, Esau, to hunt venison so he can
eat and bless him. Rebekah overhears and tells Jacob to prepare a meal, put
on hairy clothes (Esau was hairy), and pretend to be his brother. She wants him
to receive the blessing. Jacob is worried that his father will curse him, and
Rebekah replies that the curse will be on her. Jacob comes before his father
pretending to be Esau. Isaac replies, "The voice is the voice of Jacob but the
hands are the hands of Esau." Isaac blesses Jacob with the blessing meant for
Esau.
When Esau returns to his father, he learns that Jacob stole his blessing. He
begs his father to give him a blessing too. Esau harbors a grudge against his
brother, forcing his brother to flee in fear. Jacob leaves for Haran, ostensibly to
find a wife. When Esau learns that his brother was going to find a wife from
within the family, he takes Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael as an additional
wife.
Issue #1 - Sibling Rivalry
"But the children struggled in her womb, and she said, if so, why do I exist?"
(Genesis 25:22).
Discussion
1. Cain and Abel, Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, Leah and Rachel,
Joseph and his brothers - sibling rivalry seems to be built into the
universe. Rebekah expresses the pain she feels when her children
struggle in the womb. It is the pain all parents feel when their children do
not get along. What can be done to prevent sibling rivalry? What can
parents do to prevent their children from fighting?
2. Only Moses and Aaron, of all the brothers in the Torah, seem to get
along. The Midrash teaches, "'Oh if you were as my brother.' (Song of
Songs 8:1) We find that all the brothers in the Torah hate one another. -
What brothers is Israel referring to? Moses and Aaron, about whom it
says 'Here is what is good and what is pleasant, for brothers to dwell
together' (Psalms 133:1). They loved and honored one another. When
Moses took the kingship and Aaron took the priesthood, they did not hate
each other but each rejoiced in the other's achievement." (Tanhuma
Shmot 27)
3. Francis Klagsbrun has written, "[There is] the need brothers and sisters
have to be different, to distinguish themselves from one another, to
establish their own identities..." (Francine Klagsbrun, Mixed Feelings;
Love, Hate, Rivalry, and Reconciliation Among Brothers and Sisters,
New York: Bantam Books, 1992 p. 27). How can parents help each child
establish his or her own identity?
4. The Bible teaches, "A friend is devoted at all times, but a brother is born
for adversity" (Proverbs 17:17). The Ralbag comments that a friend is
there for good times, but when difficult times hit, a person turns to a
brother or sister. Because they are flesh and bone, they have a mutual
obligation to one another. Are we obligated to be our brother or sister's
keeper? Is there a definition of how much of a keeper we might need to
be? Are there mitigating circumstances? Is this part of honoring our
parents?
Issue #2 - Unconditional Love
"Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for game, but Rebekah loved Jacob."
Discussion
1. Both parents made the mistake of playing favorites with their children.
But at least Rebekah loved her son Jacob unconditionally. Isaac, on the
other hand, loved Esau because he brought him game to eat. What
happens when parents love their children based on what their children
do? Can parents love their children unconditionally?
2. If a child brings home a good report card, suppose the parent says, "This
is wonderful. I love you." Is that a mistake? Should love ever be tied to
behavior? How often do we love others expecting some kind of behavior
from those others?
3. Pirke Avot teaches that there are two kinds of love, conditional and
unconditional. "All love that is conditional, when the condition disappears
the love disappears. All love that is not conditional will never disappear.
What is conditional love? The love of Amnon and Tamar. What is
unconditional love? The love of David and Jonathan" (Avot 5:16).
4. In the Bible, Amnon loved Tamar because he was sexually attracted to
her. He had his way with her and then hated her. (See II Samuel, chapter
13.) Why does conditional love so quickly turn into hate? On the other
hand, Jonathan sacrificed his kingship for David. (See I Samuel, chapter
20.) How can we learn to put ourselves, our needs, and our egos aside in
order to love someone else unconditionally?
PARASHAT VAYETZE

Haftarah: Hosea 12:13 - 14:10 (Etz Hayim, p. 189; Hertz p. 118)


Summary
Jacob flees to Haran. He dreams at night of a ladder reaching to the sky, with
angels going up and down. God appears to Jacob and promises that his
descendents will be as the dust of the earth. Jacob awakes and says, "God is
present in this place and I did not know it." He calls the place Beth El (house of
God) and makes a vow of faithfulness to God.
Jacob travels east and comes to a well. There he spots his cousin Rachel, and
he immediately falls in love. Jacob kisses Rachel, and makes an agreement
with her father Laban to work seven years for Rachel's hand in marriage. After
seven years of work, Laban tricks Jacob and gives him Rachel's older sister,
Leah, instead. Jacob may marry Rachel but must work an additional seven
years for her. Altogether, Jacob works twenty years for Laban, seven for Leah,
seven for Rachel, and six for the flocks.
Leah begins to give birth to sons, but Rachel is infertile. Rachel cries out, "Give
me children or I will die." Jacob responds with anger. Rachel gives Jacob her
handmaiden Bilhah as a concubine, and Leah gives her handmaiden Zilpah.
Finally Rachel does give birth to a son, Joseph. Between his two wives and his
two concubines, Jacob is the father of eleven sons and one daughter. (A twelfth
son will be born in next week's portion.)
Jacob sees that Laban's attitude toward him is changing, and he agrees to work
for speckled and spotted sheep and goats. Through his knowledge of animal
breeding, Jacob is able to help the herds breed many speckled and spotted
animals, and he acquires wealth. Jacob, his wives, and children flee from Laban,
and Rachel steals Laban's household gods. Laban chases Jacob and confronts
him. Eventually Jacob and Laban sign a treaty, and Jacob begins the journey
back home.
Issue #1 - Is There Justice?
"Laban said, It is not the practice in our place to marry off the younger before
the older" (Genesis 29:26)
Discussion
1. "What goes around comes around." Sometimes there are hidden

messages in a portion. In this week's portion, Jacob thinks he is marrying
his beloved Rachel but discovers he has married her older sister, Leah.
When he protests, his father-in-law Laban says, "in our place the
younger does not come before the older." What is the Torah trying to hint
to us?
2. Jacob had stolen the blessing from his older brother Esau. Was he
wrong? This portion seems to indicate that he was punished; that the
younger does not come before the older. It seems to be a clear hint of
justice for wrong action. Is this the Torah's ultimate message?
3. There is another similar hint later in Genesis. When Judah and his
brothers throw Joseph in a pit and sell him as a slave, they approach
their father with Joseph's bloody tunic. Judah uses the words heker
na"Do you recognize this as your son's tunic or not?" Later, when Tamar
confronts Judah after she has become pregnant, she says heker na"Do
you recognize whose seal, cord, and staff these are?" The similarities in
the language seems to indicate that Judah is being punished for the
words he said to his father.
4. The hidden message is "what goes around comes around." Justice
seems to occur over time. The punishment fits the crime. The rabbis
have a phrase for this - mida keneged mida, "measure for measure.
5. Does justice seem to work out over time? This is the claim of the hymn
Yigdal, based on Maimonides' thirteen principles of Jewish faith. Gomel
l'ish hesed k'mifalo, notain l'rasha ra k'rishato. "God rewards a person
kindness according to his actions, but he causes a sinner evil according
to his wickedness." Is it true? Perhaps there is reward and punishment,
but only in the next world. If justice does not exist, shall we drop this idea
from our theology? If we cannot see the justice, does that mean it does
not exist?
6. In Pirkei Avotwe learn, "Rabbi Yannai said, It is not in our power to
explain the relative peace of the wicked and the suffering of the
righteous" (Avot 4:15). Is Rabbi Yannai giving up on finding justice in this
world? Can we still teach our children that actions have consequences
and what goes around comes around?
Issue #2 - Children Meeting Our Needs
"Leah conceived and bore a son, and named him Reuven, for she declared, it
means 'the Lord has seen my affliction,' it also means 'now my husband will
love me'" (Genesis 29:32)
Discussion
1. Leah named her first born Reuven, from a Hebrew root meaning "to see."
Her hope was that the child would save her marriage, that her husband
would see her pain. She named her second son Shimon, from a root
meaning "to hear." Her hope was that her husband would hear her pain.
She named her third son Levi, from a Hebrew root meaning "attached."
She hoped that her husband would become attached to her. Having
children to strengthen her relationship with her husband did not work.
Can a child save his or her parents' marriage? Is it a fair burden to put on
a child?
2. Leah conceived a fourth son, Judah, from the same Hebrew root as
"thank you." This time she simply wanted to thank God for the blessing of
the child, with no expectations about her marriage. Judah would become
the leader of the tribes. (That is the reason we are called Jews.) Is it a
coincidence that the child born without expectations is the one who
became the leader?
3. Is it possible for a parent to have children without expectations? Is it not
normal do put expectations on our children? For example, do Jews have
particularly high academic expectations for their children? What happens
when Jewish children fail to meet their parents' high expectations by
getting poor grades or dropping out of college?
4. Some parents put unusual expectations on a child. For example,
sometimes parents will give birth to a child to harvest bone marrow or
other donor cells. Is having a child with such an expectation ethical?
PARASHAT VAYISHLAH

Haftarah: Obadiah 1:1 - 21 (Etz Hayim, p. 222; Hertz p. 137)


Summary
Jacob sends messengers to his brother Esau, trying to reconcile after 20 years.
He sends gifts, while preparing his camp in case Esau chooses to go to war.
Commentators say that Jacob prepared in three ways - gifts, prayer, and if
necessary, war. After helping his family cross the river Jabbok, Jacob is left
alone by the stream. A man wrestles with him until sunrise, hurting Jacob's hip
socket. Jacob asks for a blessing, and the man changes his name to Israel.
Jacob confronts his brother Esau, introducing his wives and children. They
embrace and reconcile somewhat. But each brother then goes his own way.
Jacob arrives in the city of Shechem, setting up an altar there.
Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, goes out to visit the daughters of the
land. Schechem the Hivite takes her and lays with her by force. He asks his
father Hamor to arrange his marriage to Dinah. Jacob waits until his sons come
in from the fields. The sons tell Hamor that it would be improper for their sister
to marry anybody who is not circumcised. Hamor agrees that all the men of his
community will be circumcised, the two communities will trade with one another,
and they will marry into each other's families. On the third day, as the Hivite
men were recovering from the circumcision, Simeon and Levi take swords and
slay all the Hivites, and the brothers plunder the town. When Jacob criticizes
their actions, the brothers retort, "Shall our sister be treated like a whore?"
God tells Jacob to purify the camp and remove all foreign gods. Again God
blesses Jacob and stresses his new name, Israel. Rachel goes into hard labor
and dies giving birth to a twelfth son, Benjamin. She is buried on the road to
Bethlehem.
The portion ends with a list of the 12 sons of Jacob. This is followed by a long
list of the descendents of Esau.
Issue #1 - Wrestled With Whom?
"Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn."
(Genesis 32:25)
Discussion
1. With whom did Jacob wrestle? The Torah is vague. Let us give three
possible answers.
2. The Torah teaches that Jacob was left alone. So the most obvious
answer is that Jacob wrestled with himself. Perhaps the wrestling was
between his good and evil inclinations. The evil inclination had caused
Jacob either to hide himself or to flee whenever he confronted a difficulty.
He hid his true identity from his father; he fled from his brother; he later
fled from his father-in-law. The good inclination said that it was time to
stand up and confront difficulty rather than hiding or fleeing.
3. Perhaps Jacob wrestled with an angel. According to the prophet Hosea,
"In the womb he took his brother by the heel, and by his strength he
strove with a godlike being. He strove with an angel and prevailed"
(Hosea 12:3-4). There was a belief in spiritual beings, messengers from
God who interact with humans.
4. Perhaps Jacob actually wrestled with God. After all, the Torah teaches
that Jacob's name was changed to Yisrael - "Israel" -- which means
"wrestles with God." The entity who fought with Jacob said, "You have
striven with God and man and prevailed." He refused to give his name,
just as God does not give His holy name. Jacob named the place Peniel,
which means "the face of God." "I have seen God face to face and
prevailed" (Genesis 32:31).
5. Which of those three responses seems most credible? Is the question
"with whom did Jacob wrestle?" really important? Or is the important
point that Jacob walked (or rather limped) away as a changed man? Do
we as individuals have moments where we confront ourselves, our
guardian angel, or perhaps God, and walk away changed?
Issue #2 - The Rape of Dinah
"Now Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to
visit the daughters of the land." (Genesis 34:1)
Discussion
1. The story of Dinah is violent and tragic. Yet perhaps there are insights
we can learn from this terrible story that would be helpful even today.
2. Who is the villain of this story? At first glance it is Shechem, the son of
Hamor, who took Dinah and lay with her by force. He is a rapist, who
deserves a swift punishment. Yet Dinah's brothers mete out a
punishment far beyond the crime. And the story also can be read
differently; that Dinah went willingly to Shechem's tent and was not
forced. (See Anita Diamant's novel The Red Tent, for a feminist
interpretation of the story. In the novel, Dinah loved Shechem and never
forgave her brothers for their vicious attack.)
3. Some commentators actually blame Dinah. Rashi calls her a yotzanit, a
girl who likes to go out. "Scripture calls her the daughter of Leah, not the
daughter of Jacob. Because she went out, she is called the daughter of
Leah. For she was also a woman who liked to go out, as scripture says,
'Leah went out to meet him.' (Gen. 30:16) With allusion to her they
formulated the proverb, 'like mother like daughter.'" Is Leah to blame?
Were the commentators concerned about Jewish girls who leave their
homes and go out in public, perhaps acting immodesty? (Today we might
call Dinah a "party girl.") Is that fair?
4. A radical idea worthy of consideration - perhaps ultimately Jacob was to
blame. "Now Dinah the daughter of Leah who was born to Jacob went
out to visit the daughters of the land." (Genesis 34:1) Note that it says
Dinah the daughter of Leah who was born to Jacob, rather than the more
customary usage Dinah the daughter of Jacob. Dinah was raised by her
mother. Jacobis merely identified as the sperm donor; he was not an
ongoing presence in his daughter's life. Could it be that the story of Dinah
is a story about fathering, particularly the fathering of a daughter?
Fatherhood does take on a particular importance in the raising of
daughters. A little girl learns to love a man by learning first to love her
daddy. If he has been a constant presence in her life, as an adult she will
be able to transfer that love to a man in a mature relationship. Without a
daddy's presence, too many young women like Dinah seek male
affection in premature, inappropriate relationships. Were her brothers
attacking Jacob's treatment of Dinah when they exclaimed, "Should our
daughter be treated like a whore?"
PARASHAT VAYESHEV - BIRKAT HAHODESH

Haftarah: Amos 2:6 - 3:8 (Etz Hayim, p. 247; Hertz p. 152)


Summary
This week's portion begins with the great saga of Joseph and his brothers.
Joseph, the first son born to Jacob by his beloved Rachel, is favored by his
father. Jacob buys Joseph an ornamented tunic, sometimes translated "a coat
of many colors." Joseph speaks about a dream where his brothers are sheaves
in a field, bowing down to his sheath. In another dream, the sun, moon, and 11
stars all bow to him. His brothers hate Joseph.
Joseph goes to visit his brothers, who are pasturing their flocks in Shechem.
The brothers see him and conspire to kill him, but one brother, Reuven,
convinces them to throw him in a pit instead. The brothers sell Joseph to a
group of passing Ishmaelites (or perhaps Midianites) who sell him as a slave
down to Egypt. The brothers dip Joseph's coat in blood and bring it back to their
father. Another brother, Judah, asks, "Do you recognize this? Is it your son's
tunic?" Jacob is inconsolable at the perceived loss of his son.
The Torah digresses to tell the story of Judah and Tamar. Judah's oldest son,
Er, marries Tamar, and then dies childless. His second son, Onan, who is
obligated to have children in his brother's name, spills his seed upon the ground
and also dies. Judah refuses to give Tamar to his youngest son, Shelah. The
years pass, and Tamar disguises herself as a harlot on the roadway. She is
impregnated by Judah, who gives her his seal, cord, and staff as a pledge.
When Judah learns his daughter-in-law is pregnant, he is infuriated. Tamar
approaches him with the same words he had used with his father, "Do you
recognize this?" Tamar gives birth to twins.
Meanwhile, Joseph is in Egypt where he is second in command in the home of

Potiphar, chief steward of Pharaoh. Potiphar's wife tries to seduce Joseph, and
when he refuses, she accuses him of trying to rape her. Joseph is thrown into
prison. There, when Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker tell their dreams, Joseph is
able to interpret them. At the end of the portion, Joseph has been forgotten in
prison.
Issue #1 - In the Pit
"When Joseph came up to his brothers, they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the
ornamented tunic that he was wearing, and took him and cast him into the pit.
The pit was empty; there was no water in it" (Genesis 37:23-24)
Discussion
1. The Torah teaches that the pit was empty, there was no water in it. Is it
not obvious that if the pit was empty, there is no water? Rashi quotes the
Talmud on this, "There was no water. No water, but there were snakes
and scorpions." (Shabbat 22a) Why is this important? Perhaps the
Talmud is emphasizing how terrible the pit was, filled with snakes and
scorpions.
2. Joseph's life goes from highs to lows to highs to lows. One moment he is
the favorite son, gloating over his brothers. Then he is at the bottom of a
miserable pit, filled with snakes and scorpions. One moment he is the
chief assistant to Pharaoh's chief steward, with all the powers of the
household. The next moment he is languishing in jail. And yet, by next
week's portion, he will be the second most powerful man in Egypt. Frank
Sinatra sang, "That's life, that's what all the people say. You're riding
high in April, shot down in May." These lyrics seem to apply Joseph's life.
Perhaps less dramatically, they apply to all of our lives.
3. Perhaps one message of this portion is that we all go through ups and
downs. We have moments when we are on top of the world, and then
suddenly we are cast into a pit. But we are never in the pit forever. We
find a way to climb out of it. Jews, through centuries of suffering, have
been strangely upbeat about the future. That is why Israel's national
anthem is Hatikva, the hope.
4. How can these ideas help someone who feels that he or she is in a pit?
How can people get past the sad, difficult periods of life? The book of
Psalms teaches, "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I fear no harm for you are with me". We can walk through it, and
God is with us. Was God with Joseph in the pit? Can we tell if God is with
us? Can we tell only after a down-time episode?
Issue #2 - Sexual Ethics
"After a time, his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph and said, lie with me.
But he refused" (Genesis 39:7-8)
Discussion
1. When Joseph refuses to lie with Potiphar's wife, he says "He has
withheld nothing from me except yourself, since you are his wife. How
then could I do this most wicked thing, and sin before God?" (Genesis
39:9) Joseph says that such a sexual encounter would not only be a sin
against Potiphar, but a sin against God. Does God care about our sexual
lives?
2. Suppose Potiphar and his wife had an open marriage, where both
agreed to allow such sexual encounters. Would it still be a sin? Are there
any absolutes when it comes to sexual behavior? Why has God taught
that adultery is wrong, even if both the husband and the wife agree to it?
3. The Torah is deeply concerned with how people conduct their sexual
lives. Judaism teaches that sex is good; in fact it is a gift from God. Sex
with the right person, in the right context, with the right attitude, becomes
a way of serving God. To use the language of Judaism, sex is a mitzvah.
The mitzvah is not simply procreation, but the mutual pleasure of the
sexual act itself. To live a life of sexual abstinence is considered a
tragedy. Nevertheless, there is another message from Jewish tradition
that is more sobering. Sex, in the wrong context, with the wrong person,
with the wrongattitude, can become a destructive force. Sex can destroy
families, damage marriages, spread disease, lead to premature
pregnancies, or become addictive. The sexual act itself is morally neutral,
a mere biological act. All depends on context. In what context is sex
destructive, and it what context is sex a way of serving God?
PARASHAT MIKETZ - SEVENTH HANUKKAH
CANDLE

Maftir: Numbers 28:9 - 15 (Etz Hayim, p. 506; Hertz p. 340)
Haftarah: Zehariah 2:14 - 4:7 (Etz Hayim, p. 1270; Hertz p. 987)


Summary
The saga of Joseph and his brothers continues. Pharaoh dreams of seven fat,
healthy cows coming forth from the Nile. Seven skinny, unhealthy cows then
come forth and swallow the healthy cows. A second dream is similar, with
seven healthy stalks of grain being swallowed by seven windblown, scraggly
stalks. Pharaoh seeks an interpretation, and the cupbearer remembers Joseph
in prison. Joseph is brought before Pharaoh.
Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dreams. Seven years of plenty will come, followed
by seven years of famine. Joseph, not shy about speaking out, recommends
that Pharaoh appoint a man to oversee food storage during the healthy years.
Pharaoh appoints Joseph as his overseer, giving him a royal ring, and Asnath
the daughter of Poti Phera (Potiphar?) as a wife. Joseph stores food during the
years of plenty, preparing for the famine, and becomes the second most
powerful man in Egypt.
The famine also hits Canaan. Joseph's brothers, with the exception of Benjamin,
come down to Egypt to buy food. They do not recognize Joseph. He speaks
harshly to them and accuses them of being spies. The brothers tell Joseph of
their brother who no longer exists and the younger brother still in Canaan.
Joseph sells them grain, but arrests Simeon and tells them to return, bringing
Benjamin next time. On the return trip home, the brothers discover that their
money has been returned to their sacks.
The famine continues, and the brothers return to Egypt. This time Jacob
reluctantly allows Benjamin to go with them. Judah takes responsibility for
Benjamin's safety. Joseph sells them food, but also hides his expensive goblet
in Benjamin's sack. When Joseph finds the goblet, he accuses Benjamin of
being a thief. Benjamin will become a slave. The portion ends with the open
question - will the brothers abandon Benjamin to slavery in Egypt as they did to
Joseph so long before?
Issue #1 - Is Guilt Good?
"They said to one another, we are guilty regarding our brother. We saw him
suffering when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this
great misfortune is on us now" (Genesis 42:21)
Discussion
1. The brothers still feel guilty over what happened to their brother years
before. Is guilt a healthy emotion? Today therapists speak of finding
healthy self-esteem by letting go of guilt. Is this therapeutic approach
healthier than the traditional religious approach, which seems to place
importance on guilt? Does Jewish tradition overemphasize guilt, as so
many Jewish comics have claimed?
2. The book of Leviticus speaks of the hatat, sin offering, and asham, guilt
offering. These offerings use sacrifices to reestablish atonement (at-one-
ment) with God. People seem to have a need to become at one with God
once again after they do something wrong. Is sacrifice a requirement for
atonement? In our day and age, how can we make our peace with God
when we are burdened with guilt? What sacrifices must we make?
3. "Rabbi Elazar taught, Doing righteous deeds of charity is greater than
sacrifices, as it is written, 'Doing charity and justice is more acceptable to
the Lord than sacrifice'" (Proverbs 21:3). Christianity teaches that
sacrifice is still necessary to remove guilt, in particular the sacrifice of
Jesus on the cross. Judaism rejects that idea. Charity, justice, and of
course, repentance are necessary to overcome guilt. How do they
accomplish that?
4. What is the difference between guilt and shame? (A thought - Guilt is the
statement "I did something bad." Shame is the statement "I am
something bad." Guilt can be healthy if it brings real changes. Shame is
never healthy. No matter what we do in life, we are still infinitely precious
in the eyes of our Creator.)
Issue #2 - Hanukkah
"One should always go up in holiness and not go down in holiness" (Shabbat

21b)
Discussion
1. What is the actual mitzvah of lighting candles on Hanukkah? "Our rabbis

taught, The mitzvah of Hanukkah is one light for a man and his
household. Those who want to beautify the mitzvah [hiddur mitzvah], a
light for every one in the household. Those who want to further beautify
the mitzvah, the school of Shammai taught, on the first day light eight
candles, then lower the number each day. The school of Hillel taught, on
the first day light one candle, then, on each day, raise the number"
(Shabbat 21b).
2. What is the reason for Shammai's teaching? One reason is that it reflects
the offerings of Sukkot, where the number was diminished each day.
What does Hanukkah have to do with Sukkot? (Note - many scholars
believe Hanukkah began as a delayed celebration of the eight-day
festival of Sukkot.)
3. What is the reason for Hillel's teaching? One reason is that one should
always go up in holiness and never go down. What does this mean for us
today? Rabbi Robert Gordis, z'l told a story of a Hasidic rebbe who asks
his students, "Two people are on a ladder, one on the second step and
one on the thirteenth step. Who is higher?" The students think the
question is obvious. But the rebbe responds, "Who is higher? It depends
whether they are climbing up or climbing down." How can we go up in
holiness in our lives?
PARASHAT VAYIGASH
January 7, 2006 - 7 Tevet 5766

Haftarah: Ezekiel 37:15 - 28 (Etz Hayim, p. 291; Hertz p. 178)


Summary
The saga of Joseph and his brothers comes to a climax this week. Judah steps
forward to speak out to Joseph on behalf of Benjamin. Judah gives an
impassioned speech on why Benjamin should not be taken into slavery, on how
such an action will destroy their father, whose soul is bound with Benjamin's
soul. Joseph, upon hearing the speech, can no longer control himself. He asks
all his attendants to leave and reveals his identity to his brothers.
The brothers embrace and weep, and Joseph gives gifts to each of them. He
describes how there will be five more years of famine, and invites them all to
live in Egypt. He asks them to bring their father Jacob down to Egypt. The
brothers return to Canaan and reveal to Jacob that Joseph is still alive. Jacob
says, "My son Joseph is alive. I must go see him before I die."
God appears to Jacob, repeats the blessing, and tells him not to fear going
down to Egypt. The Torah then lists the names of the Israelites who go down to
Egypt. Joseph goes to meet his father. (Usually a visitor would come to the
palace of the second most powerful man in Egypt. But to honor to his father,
Joseph goes to meet him.) Joseph tells the Israelites to say they are shepherds,
because the Egyptians abhor shepherds. They therefore will be able to live a
separate existence in the land of Goshen.
The portion ends with Joseph gathering wealth for Pharaoh's household. He
arranges that the peasants can work the land and keep four fifths of what they
grow. One fifth is taken to Pharaoh's household. The people Israel settle in
Goshen, their holdings increase, and they are fertile and multiply greatly.
Issue #1 - True Repentance
"For how can I go back to my father unless the boy is with me? Let me not be
witness to the woe that would overtake my father" (Genesis 44:34)
Discussion
1. Can we justify Joseph's behavior, which seems cruel and vengeful

throughout this saga? He accuses his brothers of beings spies, arrests
Simeon, tells them to return with the younger brother Benjamin, hides his
cup in Benjamin's sack, accuses him of being a thief, and seeks to make
him a slave. In tradition, Joseph is called Yosef HaTzadik, Joseph the
righteous. Is this righteous behavior?
2. One possible answer - Joseph was trying to set up the situation to test
his brothers. Would they sell Benjamin into slavery, just as they sold
Joseph into slavery? Or had the brothers changed, and would they step
forward to rescue Benjamin? Is this really a story about repentance?
3. Maimonides wrote, "What is true repentance? Somebody has the same
opportunity to sin as he did in the past, but he does not do so because of
repentance. His new behavior is neither from fear nor a lack of strength.
How so? A man had come upon a woman in a forbidden way, and after a
time he is alone with her, still loves her, and has the strength, is in the
same place. But he holds back and does not transgress. This is complete
repentance" (Hilchot Teshuva 2:1). The proof of true repentance is when
a person is confronted with the same opportunity to sin, but shows real
change by reacting differently. Did Joseph's brothers change?
4. A fundamental Jewish teaching is that people can change. We often say,
"You cannot teach a dog new tricks" and "A leopard cannot change its
spots." These proverbs refer to animals. Is the ability to change who we
are part of what separates us humans from the animal world? How can
we change who we are?
Issue #2 - Taxes
"And when the harvest comes, you shall give one-fifth to Pharaoh, and four-
fifths shall be yours as seed for the fields and as food for you and those in your
households, and as nourishment for your children" (Genesis 47:24)
Discussion
1. One of the major issues that separate various political parties is the rate
of taxation. In general, liberals will support higher tax rates to provide
more government money for the social weal, to overcome poverty,
homelessness, and health problems. Europe and Israel have high rates
of taxation and many social programs for the poor. In general,
conservatives favor lower tax rates and more limited government. They
believe that government programs prevent people from taking
responsibility for their own welfare. Who is right?
2. In the beginning, Joseph confiscated all property for the government in
exchange for feeding the people. It created a sense of hopelessness.
Does too high a tax rate create a sense of hopelessness, that people
have nothing for themselves?
3. Does society have a responsibility to care for people, and does too low a
tax rate remove the social safety net that a just society ought to erect for
its citizens?
4. In the end, Joseph agrees to tax at a rate of 20 percent. Some
conservative commentators have suggested that this should be the
maximum tax rate. For example, Rabbi Daniel Lapin has written, "Not
only were Pharaoh's subjects relieved, but the thought of being able to
retain 80 percent of the fruits of their labors threw them into their work
with renewed enthusiasm and energy" ("A Higher Authority on Taxes,"
Wall Street Journal, Aug. 31, 1993). Is Lapin correct, or is 20 percent too
little in a society that seeks to remove poverty?
PARASHAT VAYEHI
January 14, 2006 - 14 Tevet 5766



Summary
The book of Genesis comes to an end, with the death of Jacob and eventually
the death of Joseph. Jacob has lived 117 years in Egypt, 147 years altogether.
He makes his son Joseph pledge to bury him not in Egypt but in the family
burial place back in Canaan. Joseph also takes his two sons Efraim and
Manessah to his father for a blessing. Jacob put his right hand on the younger
son, Efraim, and his left hand on the older son, Manessah, telling Joseph that
the younger brother will be greater. He blesses them with the words, "By you
shall Israel invoke blessings, saying God make you like Efraim and Manessah."
(This blessing is still used today when Jews bless their sons. When they bless
their daughters, they say "May God make you like Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and
Leah.")
Jacob calls his twelve sons around him, and gives them each a final blessing.
The words are part blessing and part prophecy, often painfully revealing Jacob's
feelings toward each of his sons. The strongest blessings are reserved for
Judah and for Joseph. Again Jacob asks to be buried in the Cave of Machpelah
next to his first wife, Leah. Jacob dies surrounded by his sons. He is embalmed,
and carried back to Canaan for burial with a great processional, including
Egyptian dignitaries.
After the mourning period, the brothers tell Joseph that their father asked him to
forgive them for their harsh treatment. They tell him that they are prepared to be
his slaves in Egypt. Joseph responds, "You intended me harm, but God
intended it for good, the survival of many people." Joseph lives 110 years, long
enough to see his great grandchildren. He asks that after he dies, his bones be
brought up from Egypt. Joseph dies and his body is embalmed in Egypt.
Issue #1 - Older and Younger
"But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Efraim's head, though he
was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head - thus crossing his
hands - although Manasseh was the first-born" (Genesis 48:14)
Discussion
1. One of the most prevalent themes in Genesis is the younger son taking
priority over the older. God accepts Abel's offering before Cain's, God
makes the covenant with Isaac rather than Ishmael, Jacob takes both the
right of the firstborn and the blessing from his older brother Esau, Jacob
chooses his strongest blessing for Judah rather than older brothers
Reuben, Simeon, or Levi. What is the Torah trying to teach us?
2. By Torah law, the eldest son does have certain prerogatives. He inherits
a double portion, even if he is born of an unloved wife (Deuteronomy
21:15-17). Later rabbinic law teaches that a younger sibling should honor
an older one in a manner similar to the way parents are honored,
particularly when the older sibling has taken a role in raising him or her
(Yoreh Deah 240:22).
3. Francine Klagsbrun has written that birth order matters (Mixed Feelings;
Love, Hate, Rivalry, and Reconciliation Among Brothers and Sisters). It is
the firstborn who feels the greatest sense of displacement when younger
children are born. He or she has gone from being the only one to sharing
mom and dad with another. Firstborns often feel rage and resentment
towards younger siblings; they also often experience protective and
paternal or maternal feelings. A younger child is in a very different
position within the family. Everybody else is bigger, older, more powerful.
He or she will look up to and admire an older one; yet he or she also may
resent the power and authority of the older child. Middle children share
aspects of both older and younger. They suffer the same dethronement
as the firstborn, without all the ongoing attention given the baby. It is not
unusual for them to feel confused. How true are these generalities?
4. Is one theme of Genesis that we are not victims of our biology; that birth
order is not necessarily destiny? What does that teach us today?
Issue #2 - The Messiah
"The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his
feet; So that tribute shall come to him, and the homage of peoples be his"
(Genesis 49:10)
Discussion
1. The verse is difficult to translate. We translated od kee yavo sheelo as

"so tribute shall come to him." The rabbis understood its meaning as shai
lo, gifts will be brought to him. Rashi writes "This is the King Messiah,
and thus does Onkeles translate this verse. The Midrash says shai lo,
`Let them bring presents to the one who is feared' (Psalms 76:12)." In
other words, this verse is an allusion, some would say the only allusion in
the Torah, to the coming of the Messiah.
2. Jewish history has seen many false messiahs. Rabbi Akiba thought that
Bar Kochba was the messiah. Jews never have accepted Jesus of
Nazareth as the messiah. Many Jews in Europe became followers of
Shabbatai Tzvi when he claimed to be the messiah, until he converted to
Islam. Many people today claim that the late Lubavitcher Rebbe was the
messiah. How will we know when the real messiah has come?
Some Jews have said that we should remove the doctrine of the messiah from
our liturgy, and instead speak of a messianic age. For example, the Reform
movement has changed the word goel, redeemer, in the prayerbook to geula,
redemption. Is this an appropriate change? Is there a value to hoping and
praying for a time when the messiah will come?
PARASHAT SHEMOT
January 21, 2006 - 21 Tevet 5766
Annual: Exodus 1:1-6:1 (Etz Hayim, p. 317; Hertz p. 206)

Triennial Cycle: Exodus 3:1-4:17 (Etz Hayim, p. 326; Hertz p. 213)
Haftarah: Isaiah 27:6 - 28:13; 29:22-23 (Etz Hayim, p. 343, 347; Hertz p. 225,
228)


Summary
A new pharaoh arises in Egypt who did not know Joseph. He fears that the
people Israel will continue to multiply and become more powerful than the
Egyptians, so he appoints taskmasters over the Israelites and enslaves them.
He makes them build the cities of Pithom and Raamses. Pharaoh also tells the
two midwives, Shifra and Puah, to kill every baby boy born to the Hebrew
women. But the midwives, in an act of civil disobedience, refuse. Finally
Pharaoh declares that every Hebrew baby boy be thrown into the Nile and
drowned.
A baby boy is born to a Hebrew woman from the tribe of Levi. After hiding him
for three months, she places the baby in a basket and sets him afloat on the
Nile River. Pharaoh's daughter rescues the baby, names him Moses, and raises
him as her own. Moses' birth mother becomes his wet nurse. As a young man,
Moses sees an Egyptian beating an Israelite. He kills the Egyptian; when word
gets out, Moses flees from Egypt. He goes to Midian, marries Zipporah, the
daughter of Jethro, and prepares to live a peaceful life as a shepherd.
Moses spots a bush that burns but is not consumed. He approaches the bush
and hears the voice of God telling him to go back to Egypt and tell Pharaoh to
let the Israelites go. When Moses asks who God is, God simply answers, "I am
Who I am." Moses tries to come up with various excuses not to go, including the
fact that he is "heavy of tongue." God says that his brother Aaron can go to
speak for him, so Moses leaves for Egypt.
On the journey back, Moses almost dies from an illness. Zipporah takes a sharp
flint and circumcises their son. Moses and Aaron confront Pharaoh and
Pharaoh replies, "Who is this God that I should let his people go?" Pharaoh
increases the burden of the people's slavery, and the people blame Moses for
their suffering.
Issue #1 - The Role of Women
"But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded
them, but saved the male children alive" (Exodus 1:17)
Discussion
1. We often hear that women played a somewhat passive role in the Bible.
This certainly is not true of the events leading to the redemption from
Egypt. No fewer than six women had major roles in the events leading up
to the Exodus. (Before reading further, can you name these women?)
2. Shifra and Puah were the midwives who refused to kill the Israelite's
baby boys. Rashi on Exodus 1:15 says these midwives really were
Moses' mother and sister Yocheved and Miriam. Why might Rashi not
have made them separate heroines in their own right?
3. Yocheved gave birth to Moses and saved him in a basket. Miriam
followed the basket and brought Yocheved to Pharaoh's daughter as a
wet nurse. Even more! The Talmud records that Miriam actually
convinced her parents to resume full life as husband and wife. They had
separated following Pharaoh's decree. The Talmud quotes Miriam as
saying, "Father, your decree is worse than Pharaoh's. Pharaoh only
decreed against males, (by separating from your wife) you decreed
against males and females." (See Talmud Sota 12a.) Was Miriam right?
Should a couple chance having children in a time of danger?
4. Bitya, Pharaoh's daughter, rescued Moses and raised him in her
household. And later in the portion, Zipporah circumcised their son and
saved Moses' life. Here we see evidence of the first female mohelet,
(ritual circumciser). Is there any reason a woman cannot be a mohelet
today?
5. Has Judaism downplayed the role of women in Jewish history? If so, can
this portion become a paradigm of the centrality of women in Jewish
survival?
Issue #2 - Anger
"And he looked this way and that way, and when he [Moses] saw that there was
no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand" (Shemot 2:12)
Discussion
1. The story of Moses as a person begins when he sees an Egyptian

beating an Israelite. Moses looks this way and that way, and when he
sees that there is no other man present, in a moment of anger and
passion, he kills the Egyptian. Was Moses justified in this reaction to
what he saw? Are there times when is anger justified? Are there times
when anger is an inappropriate reaction, no matter what?
2. The Talmud sees anger as an example of the evil inclination at work. The
discussion begins with someone who tears his clothing in a fit of anger.
"Rabbi Avin said this has a positive effect, for it appeases the evil
inclination" (Shabbat 105b). Is this similar to the therapeutic notion
popular today that a person should express anger in order to keep it from
building up inside?
3. The Talmud continues in the name of Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri, "One
who tears his clothing in anger, breaks dishes in anger, scatters coins in
anger, should see himself as if he has worshipped idols. He does it once,
does it again, and then he is worshipping idols. … What is the strange
god within a man? It is the evil inclination." According to this Talmudic
passage, losing one's temper is like worshipping idols. It calls for an
absolute control of anger. Is it really possible never to get angry? Is
anger ever justified? Might there be times when squelching an angry
reaction might be like worshipping idols?
4. Imagine a world where there is not anger. Would anybody be motivated
to fight injustice? On the other hand, imagine a world where people feel
free to express their anger without limits. It would be an unpleasant place
to live. Controlled anger has a place in the world. How can we keep our
balance? Did Moses lose his right to go into the land because he could
no longer control his anger (as in the book of Numbers, when he struck
the rock)?
PARASHAT VAERA - BIRKAT HAHODESH
January 28, 2006 - 28 Tevet 5766
Annual: Ex. 6:2 - 9:35 (Etz Hayim, p. 351; Hertz p. 232)

Triennial Cycle: Ex. 7:8 - 8:15 (Etz Hayim, p. 357; Hertz p. 236)
Haftarah: Ezekiel 28:25 - 29:21 (Etz Hayim, p. 369; Hertz p. 244)


Summary
God tells Moses God's true name, Yud - Hey - Vav - Hey, saying that God had
appeared to our ancestors as El Shaddai. God promises Moses that He will
bring the people forth from Egypt. The people do not listen to Moses because
their spirits have been downtrodden. Moses and Aaron go before Pharaoh.
Aaron throws down his rod and it turns into a snake. Pharaoh's magicians do
the same, turning their rods into snakes, but Aaron's rod swallows their rods.
With this we begin the story of the Ten Plagues. This portion tells the story of
the first seven plagues the story of the last three plagues is told next week.
Moses and Aaron meet Pharaoh at the Nile River early in the morning. Aaron
strikes the river with his rod and the river turns to blood. All the fish die. This
plague is followed in this week's reading by frogs, lice, swarms of flies or wild
animals, cattle disease, boils, and a fiery hail. Each time Pharaoh hardens his
heart, and refuses to let the Israelites go.
The plagues seem to come in sets of three. The first of each three is preceded
by Moses asking Pharaoh to let the people go, with a warning about what is to
come. The second is done in front of Pharaoh. The third is done outside
Pharaoh's presence. The plagues build up towards a climax, ending next week
with the slaying of the firstborns.
For the first number of plagues, the Torah says that Pharaoh hardened his heart
or the heart of Pharaoh was hardened. Only after the sixth plague does it say
that God hardened Pharaoh's heart. It seems that if someone does the wrong
act often enough, it becomes second nature, as if God is doing it.
Issue #1 - Pride
"And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in
the land of Egypt" (Exodus 7:3)
Discussion
1. God knew from the beginning that Pharaoh would harden his heart?
How? God knew that Pharaoh was a proud man. Pride prevented him
from saying "I'm wrong. I'm sorry." If pride was the issue, was God
actively hardening Pharaoh's heart, or just recognizing that Pharaoh
could not humble himself at all? Is that behavior unusual? How often
does pride get in our way when we should reconcile with someone?
2. The Bible teaches "Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit
before a fall"(Proverbs 16:18). Pride is identified with the evil inclination.
What is wrong with pride? Is always a negative trait? Imagine a person
with no pride at all. Isn't it likely that such a person would become a
doormat, with others constantly taking advantage of him or her? Is it
healthy to be completely without pride in yourself or your actions and
accomplishments? How can we find the balance of having pride when
necessary, and swallowing our pride when necessary?
3. As mentioned above, the first several times that he had interactions with
Moses and Aaron, Pharaoh hardened his own heart. Eventually God
hardened his heart. How can we understand this situation and the subtle
difference in nuance? Could it be that for Pharaoh hardening his heart
became the standard response? Did it become second nature, more than
just a habit, hardwired into his brain? According to the midrash, "In the
beginning, the evil inclination is like a spider web; after a while, it
becomes like a heavy rope"(Genesis Rabbah 22:6). Does this idea still
ring true today? Can this observation teach us about how we should deal
with our own bad habits and addictions?
4. There is a Hasidic teaching that every human being should carry two
pieces of paper in his or her pocket at all times. When you feel down, you
should take out the paper on which is written, "What is man that you
should be mindful of him…. You have made him little less than angels"
(Psalms 8:5-6). And when you feel proud and boastful, you should pull
out the paper on which is written, "I am but dust and ashes" (Job 42:6).
Why would the rabbis suggest that is a good way to live? What does this
teach us about the kind of attitude for which we should strive?
Issue #2 - God's Body
"Go unto Pharaoh in the morning, as he goes out towards the water, and you
shall stand by the river's brink to meet him, and the rod which was turned into a
serpent shall you take in your hand" (Exodus 7:15)
Discussion
1. Moses met Pharaoh down by the Nile River at the crack of dawn and
threatened to turn the water to blood. A well-known midrash asks, "Why
was Pharaoh down by the river so early in the morning? Don't kings like
to sleep late?" Pharaoh tried to pose as a god. He did not want people to
know that he had bodily needs like everybody else, so each day Pharaoh
would sneak out of the palace early in the morning, before others were
awake, to take care of his needs at the Nile. Moses, who knew of
Pharaoh's habit, was waiting for him there (Exodus Rabbah 9:8).
2. Judaism is adamant that God does not have a body. In Yigdal, the poem
based on Maimonides' 13 principles of faith that is sung to conclude
services on Friday evening, we sing, "He has no semblance of a body
and no body." Why is Judaism so emphatic about God having no body?
Could it be because all physical things are subject to entropy -- they wear
down with time? Might there be other reasons?
3. Christianity, on the other hand, is built on the principle of incarnation.
God took on a human body and walked as a man on this earth. Why has
Judaism rejected this idea? If Jesus was not God incarnate, as many
Christian groups believe him to be, then how ought Jews to view Jesus,
seen by Christians as the son of God? Was Jesus the messiah; a
prophet; a great teacher; or a mere mortal like the rest of us?
4. What lessons can we learn by accepting the concept that God has no
body? How does that fit with the teaching that God is everywhere? Could
one answer be Rabbi Harold Shulweis' notion that the potential for
godliness is everywhere?
PARASHAT BO
February 4, 2006 - 6 Shevat 5766

Haftarah: Jeremiah 46:13 - 28 (Etz Hayim, p. 395; Hertz p. 263)


Summary
This portion climaxes in the great redemption of the Israelites from Egypt. God
brings two more plagues on Egypt, locusts and a thick darkness, where people
could not see one another for three days. Pharaoh tries to work out a
compromise, letting the Israelites go taking their elders but not the young ones.
Moses insists that "with our young and with our old we will go." Pharaoh tells
Moses to leave and not show his face again. And Moses warns of the worst
plague of all, the slaying of the firstborn.
Moses introduces the laws of the Passover. The festival will take place in the
first month of the year, on the 14th of the month, when the moon is full. Each
family shall slaughter a lamb and place the blood on the doorposts of the house.
Two or more families can share a lamb; there must be no leftovers. The lamb is
to be roasted and eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. The Israelites
shall stay fully dressed and keep their shoes on as they eat, so they will be
prepared to travel.
The children of Israel shall keep the Passover throughout their generations for
seven days. No unleavened bread may be eaten or even kept anywhere in the
house. The first and the seventh days are full festivals, where no work may be
done. If the children ask what this is, you shall tell them how the Lord passed
over our homes and struck the homes of the Egyptians."
A plague strikes every Egyptian home at midnight. There is no home without

someone dead, from the firstborn of Pharaoh to the firstborn of the mere
maidservant and the firstborn of cattle. The Egyptians gave gold and silver to
the Israelites urging them to flee. The Israelites left Egypt without allowing the
dough time to rise.
Issue #1 - Each Child's Uniqueness
"And you shall explain to your son on that day, it is because of what the Lord did
for me when I went free from Egypt" (Exodus 13:8)
Discussion
1. The word Haggada comes from the Hebrew root meaning "to tell."
Perhaps the most important of the Passover mitzvot is the responsibility
to tell our children the story of the exodus from Egypt. In fact, this portion
commands us no less than three times to tell the story to our children. In
case we missed the point, the commandment appears for a fourth time in
the book of Deuteronomy. The Torah usually uses words sparingly, but
tells us four times to tell our children. Why?
2. The Haggada supplies an answer. Because the Torah mentions telling
children four times, it deduces that there are four kinds of children at the
Passover seder - the wise (who asks all the right questions), his opposite
number, who does not want to be there and demonstrates it verbally, the
simple, and the child who is too young to ask. The Haggada goes on to
say, "According to a child's mind, the father explains it." What is the
Haggada trying to teach us? Does the Haggada demonstrate a specific
theory of education? Is the Haggada providing a lesson in parenting?
3. Could it be there are not four different children but that every child goes
through each of these stages in life? Could a child be too young to ask,
then able to ask only simple questions, then later (perhaps in the teen
years) be rebellious and not want to be there, and finally grow into
wisdom? Should our seder evolve as our children grow?
4. Every child is unique. And if we are to teach our children, we must teach
them according to their particular uniqueness. Is it a mistake to assume
there is one generic way to teach children? What does this say about
standardized testing and similar assessment tools? What does the Bible
mean when it says "Teach a son according to his way, when he grows up
he will not depart from it?" (Proverbs 22:6). Teaching our children begins
with recognizing each child's uniqueness.
Issue #2 - Darkness
"People could not see one another, and for three days no one could get up from
where he was; but all the Israelites enjoyed light in their dwellings" (Exodus
10:23)
Discussion
1. If the slaying of the firstborn was the worst plague, darkness was the
next to worst. Why? It was not simply darkness, the rabbis explained; it
was so dark that people could not see each other. Barbra Streisand once
sang, "People who need people are the luckiest people in the world."
Does being cut off from others make a punishment worse? Why do
people need people?
2. It's more than just a song. Babies left alone and untouched in an
orphanage suffer from a "failure to thrive." How important the human
touch is in raising children! Long ago, the Torah taught us that "it is not
good for man to be alone" (Genesis 2:18). Of course, the Torah is
speaking about finding a wife for the first man. But in a broader sense,
could it be talking about the need for community? A wise rabbi once said
regarding Adam in the Garden of Eden, "To have everything and nobody
is to have nothing."
3. A wonderful passage in the Talmud teaches, "Look how hard Adam had
to work. If he wanted a meal he had to plant a seed, and then he had to
harvest it, and then he had to winnow the chaff, and then he had to
knead the dough and bake the bread. Whereas I can come to table and
others have done all these things for me.... When Adam wanted to wear
a garment, he had to cut the wool from the sheep, and then he had to
wash it, and then he had to spin it and sew it. Whereas I go to the store,
and all the work has been done for me by others" (Berachot 58a).
Humans are interdependent. How can we strengthen our community?
When we speak of touching someone, what can that mean beyond the
physical?
PARASHAT BESHALAH - SHABBAT SHIRAH

Haftarah: Judges 4:4 - 5:31 (Etz Hayim, p. 424; Hertz p. 281)


Summary
This week we read about the great crossing of the Sea of Reeds (sometimes
translated as the Red Sea).The Israelites flee from Egypt and encamp by the
sea. God leads them, taking the form of a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of
fire by night. Pharaoh changes his mind and pursues the Israelites with 600
chariots. The Israelites find themselves trapped, with the army of Pharaoh on
one side and the sea on the other.
Moses prays to God. God says, "Why do you cry to me? Speak to the people of
Israel, that they go forward." There is a time for prayer and a time for action.
Moses holds his hand over the sea and a great wind comes, splitting the sea
and opening up the dry land. Moses and the Israelites cross in the dry land. The
sea then comes crashing onto the pursuing Egyptians, drowning them.
The Israelites sing the beautiful Shirat HaYam, the Song of the Sea. Miriam
takes the women and they sing their own song. The song joyously describes in
poetic form the crossing of the sea, the drowning of the Egyptians, and the
great power of God. A phrase from the song has entered our daily liturgy - "Who
is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, glorious in holiness,
fearful in praises, doing wonders?"
After they have crossed the sea, the people complain about the lack of food;
God answers by providing manna for the wilderness trek. The people are to
collect the manna each day, taking a double portion on Friday, but they are not
to collect any on the Sabbath. The people complain about the lack of water, so
God tells Moses to strike a rock and bring forth water. Finally, Amalek attacks
the weakest of the Israelites. Israel is victorious over Amalek, but that nation
becomes the epitome of evil and the eternal enemy of Israel.
Issue #1 - Miracles
"Then Moses held out his arm over the sea and the Lord drove back the sea
with a strong east wind all that night, and turned the sea into dry ground. The
waters were split" (Exodus 14:21)
Discussion
1. Many faiths require their adherents to believe in miracles. Do we have to

believe in miracles to accept Judaism? Did the parting of the Sea of
Reeds really happen? If it did happen, did it take place exactly as the
Torah describes? Or could it be that the event was a totally natural event
in which the Israelites saw the hand of God?
2. The word nes, translated as "miracle," actually means "sign" or "wonder."
It also means "banner." What do we mean by miracle? Is a miracle:
a. God changing the laws of nature for some divine purpose?
b. God working within the laws of nature for some divine purpose?
c. Something from the spiritual dimension affecting the physical
dimension?
3. According to many thinkers in the Jewish tradition, a miracle is not an
event outside of nature or a change in the laws of nature. Rather what
appear to be miracles actually were designed into Creation and the laws
of nature from the very beginning of time. This view is best shown by a
famous passage in Pirke Avot. "Ten things were created on the eve of
the Sabbath of Creation at twilight: The mouth of the earth, the mouth of
the well, the speech of the ass, the rainbow, the manna, the rod, the
shamir, the script, the writing instruments, the tablets" (Avot 5:7).
Keeping this opinion in mind, we easily could say that miracles are a part
of nature. Is this a useful view for those of us who are troubled by nature
shifting? If we cannot accept that view of miracles, is there another or a
better one for us?
4. Perhaps the best piece of advice is in the Talmud: "Do not depend on
miracles" (Pesachim 64b). What does this mean for us today? Does that
help define personal responsibility for us?
PARASHAT YITRO

Triennial: Ex. 19:1 - 20:23 (Etz Hayim, p. 436; Hertz p. 290)
Haftarah: Isaiah 6:1 - 7:6:9:5-6 (Etz Hayim, p. 452; Hertz p. 302)


Summary
Yitro (Jethro), Moses' father-in-law, arrives at the Israelite camp with Moses'
wife Zipporah and his two sons, Gershom and Eliezer. Moses tells Yitro of all
the goodness that the Lord has done for the people Israel. The next day, Yitro
sees that Moses is busy adjudicating cases from early morning to late at night.
Yitro tells Moses that he is going about his task incorrectly; he should choose
leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens to judge most disputes among
the people. Moses should judge only the most difficult cases. Moses follows his
father-in-law's advice.
We come now to the mountain that changed the course of history. The Israelites
arrive at Mt. Sinai. Moses goes up and down the mountain a number of times,
warning the people to prepare for God to speak. They are to avoid going near
the mountain and also to avoid any sexual encounters. On the third day God will
speak to them from the mountain. There is thunder and lightning and a dark
cloud, and the people hear the voice of God.
The people Israel hear the Ten Commandments. God tells them that he is the
Lord, who brought them out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. There
should be no other gods before him. The people shall not take God's name in
vain. Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy. Then, in a transition from
commandments about God to commandments about humanity, the Israelites
are told to honor their father and mother.
Five commandments now deal with interpersonal relations. It is forbidden to

murder, to commit adultery, to steal, to bear false witness, or to covet a
neighbor's belongings. The people hear the thunder and lightning and are
frightened, telling Moses to speak to them in place of God. Moses gives some
final laws about the altar.
Issue #1 - What Happened at Sinai
"And when the voice of the shofar sounded long, and became louder and louder,
Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice" (Exodus 19:19)
Discussion
1. What actually was said at Mount Sinai? The answer is not obvious, either
in the text or in the writings of later commentators. What answer makes
sense to modern Jews? Is that a question we can ever answer
unequivocally?
2. Professor Arthur Green, in his book Seek My Face: A Jewish Mystical
Theology, writes, "Jewish tradition contains both maximalist and
minimalist views on this key question. The Bible's claim in this regard is
fairly obvious, 'Y-H-W-H spoke all these words, saying' is followed by the
Ten Commandments. But some of the early rabbis expand this claim
vastly and include the entire Torah within the scope of revelation at the
moment of Sinai. - Their later followers expanded the claim even further,
insisting that the Oral Torah (including Mishnah and Talmud) was from
Sinai as well. The next expansion of this position was given voice in a
saying attributed to Rabbi Joshua ben Levi: 'Everything a faithful student
is ever to say was already given to Moses at Sinai.' - The final maximalist
view is that of the Zohar, 'There is nothing that has not been hinted at in
the Torah'" (p. 110-111). Taken at face value, this position says that
every lesson taking place at every Hebrew school, day school and adult
education class was given at Mount Sinai. Is there any way that we
moderns can make sense of this maximalist position?
3. The minimalist position says that only the first two commandments were
given directly by God. (Those are the commandments in which God
speaks in the first person.) The rest came from Moses. Green continues,
"The philosopher Franz Rosenzweig apparently at one point considered
a more restricted formulation, whether God had spoken even the first
word of the commandments ('I am'). All the rest is Israel's commentary,
elaboration, and response to the interaction with God. Another radically
minimalist view is to be found in the teachings of a Hasidic master. This
view has God speaking only the first letter of the first word anochi (I).
That letter, aleph, is by itself silent" (p. 111-112). This view suggests,
therefore, that even the Torah itself cannot be seen as the direct word of
God. Is there any way that we moderns can make sense of this
minimalist position?
Issue #2 - Adultery
"You shall not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:13)
Discussion
1. The seventh commandment forbids adultery. But the original

commandment, understood in the context of its time, just prohibited a
married woman from having relations with a man not her husband. There
was no parallel prohibition preventing a married man from having
relations with an unmarried woman not his wife. In biblical times, a man
could take more than one wife or a wife and a concubine. Is this fair?
There was a double standard. How far did the rabbis go in removing it?
In the time of the Torah, if a man suspected his wife of committing
adultery, even without witnesses or other proof, he could put her through
an ordeal, drinking bitter waters (the laws of Sotah). If she was guilty,
certain painful physical symptoms developed, not unlike a spontaneous
abortion. Only when the number of adulterers increased did Rabbi
Yochanan ben Zakki outlaw the ordeal of the bitter waters (Sotah 9:9).
This is one of the first times the rabbis ruled, in effect, that what's good
for the goose is good for the gander. Men who are unfaithful cannot
accuse their wives of being unfaithful.
2. Why was the Torah so much stricter with women than men? Could the
core of the issue have been because of a concern about paternity? This
remains a controversial issue. Today, some say fidelity and monogamy
are not for everyone. For example, in her book Standing Again at Sinai
feminist theologian Judith Plaskow writes that marriage is "the decision of
two adults -- any two adults -- to make their lives together, lives that
include the sharing of sexuality. In doing so, nobody possesses their
partner's sexuality. On the contrary, our sexuality is a fundamental part of
our spiritual self. Different couples would define their sexual
responsibilities in different ways, with monogamy being but one choice in
a menu of possibilities. The only requirements are 'honesty, responsibility,
and respect'" (p.200). Can Judaism accept such a radical idea?
PARASHAT MISHPATIM - BIRKAT HAHODESH -
SHABBAT SHEKALIM

Maftir: Ex. 30:11 - 16 (Etz Hayim, p. 523; Hertz p. 352)


Summary
Some people say that God is in the details. That idea certainly fits with this
week's portion. We move from the broad moral and religious issues discussed
in the Ten Commandments to the day-to-day details of living life under the
covenant. This week's parasha contains a long list of civil and religious laws and
therefore is often called the Book of the Covenant.
The portion begins with the laws governing a Hebrew slave, who will work for
six years and go free in the seventh. If he refuses his freedom, a hole is to be
bored into his ear. This parasha also contains the law that a man may not
withhold food, clothing, or sexual rights from his wife. It continues with a number
of laws about damages, including the well-known rule "an eye for an eye, a
tooth for a tooth," which Jewish law interprets as paying damages. It also
contains the laws about damages caused by an ox that gores, and considers
whether the ox has a history of goring.
The portion contains laws about theft, and draws a distinction between the theft
done at night or during the day. The night thief is considered to pose a threat to
a homeowner and deadly force can be used. The portion continues with the
laws of bailment, which involve a person's property being damaged or
destroyed while in someone else's possession. This portion includes many laws
regulating the treatment of the poor, widows, and orphans.
It ends with a reaffirmation of the covenant, including the statement "We will do
and we will understand." In the end, the elders "see" a vision of God; there
seems to be sapphire stones under God's feet. Moses goes back up onto the
mountain for forty days and forty nights.
Issue #1 - The Worst Form of Theft
"If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five
oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep" (Exodus 21:37)
Discussion
1. If a thief steals an inanimate object and is caught, he must pay back

double. Theft becomes a civil rather than a criminal matter, as it is in our
society. The punishment is more severe, however, if the thief steals an
ox or a sheep. Why?
2. Could the reason be linked to the nature of society? When the Torah was
written, the majority of Israelites were shepherds. Therefore, to lose a
sheep was to lose much more than just property; it was to lose a
livelihood. Could the fine be higher because the thief literally has stolen
the victim's ability to make a living? Why would stealing the ability to earn
a living be worse than taking things? What does this say about the
Torah's attitude toward earning a living? What would be modern
equivalents of stealing a shepherd's sheep?
3. The Torah forbids stealing a neighbor's landmark. The rabbis understand
this situation as another way to steal his or her livelihood. How do they
come to this interpretation? Does this law speak to the issue of fair
competition? Is it right for a person to open a business that undercuts
another's ability to earn a living? This ancient issue is not easy to
resolve; it is still alive today. If a large chain discount store opens in a
community, and that forces small mom-and-pop shops out of business, is
that stealing a neighbor's landmark? What if such stores are bad for its
competition but good for consumers?
4. If taking away a person's ability to earn a living is the lowest form of
stealing, does that relate to what should be the highest form of giving? Of
course, Maimonides taught the highest of the eight levels of tzedakah he
outlined is setting up a person up in business so he or she could earn a
living.
Issue #2 - Abortion
"If men quarrel, and hurt a pregnant woman, so that her fruit depart from her,
and yet no further harm follows; he shall be surely punished, according to what
the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges
determine" (Exodus 21:22)
Discussion
1. Dare we talk about the most controversial social and political issue in our
country?
2. Is abortion murder? According to the verse quoted above, if a man
causes a woman to miscarry through his negligence, he must pay a fine.
Yet a fine is never allowed in the case of murder. (See Numbers 35:31)
From this portion, we see that causing the death of an unborn child is not
considered murder according to the Torah's laws. Could even the most
ardent pro-life advocate really equate abortion with killing an adult, even
when the Bible indicates otherwise?
3. Is abortion a mere medical procedure? The Talmud teaches that for the
first 40 days, the developing embryo is "mere fluid" (Yebamot 69a). After
40 days, the fetus is more than mere fluid; it has some legal standing. An
abortion during this period has profound consequences in Jewish law.
For example, if a woman aborts a fetus after formation and later gives
birth to a baby boy, there is no pidyon haben, the celebration traditionally
reserved for the firstborn. Why? Clearly, the rabbis understand that there
is more involved than "mere fluid."
4. Does Judaism point toward a middle way regarding abortion? Could such
a middle way have some bearing in a society that is debating this difficult
issue?
PARASHAT TERUMAH
March 4, 2006 - 4 Adar 5766
Annual: Ex. 25:1 - 27:19 (Etz Hayim p 485; Hertz p. 326)

Triennial: Ex. 26:1 - 26:30 (Etz Hayim p 491; Hertz p. 330)
Haftarah: I Kings 5:26 - 6:13 (Etz Hayim, p. 500; Hertz p. 336)


Summary
This week's portion describes in great detail the building of the tabernacle
(mishkan), a portable tent and worship center that the Israelites will carry
through the wilderness. God tells Moses to command the people, "Make me a
sanctuary and I will dwell among them" (Exodus 25:8). Notice that the Torah
does not say that God will dwell in the sanctuary, but rather that God will dwell
among the people. When we do God's work, God dwells among us.
The people are to bring many precious materials as offerings: gold, silver,
bronze, fabrics of various textures and colors, oil, incense and all kinds of
precious stones. The description begins from the inside of the structure, starting
with the holiest place, an ark of shittim wood with gold both inside and outside.
The holy tablets would be kept in the ark. Poles were attached to the ark to
allow it to be carried.
Two cherubim, gold figures (usually pictured as children, but some mystics see
them as a male and a female) are to be placed above the ark. The cherubim
would face each other, their wings touching above their heads. Later, when God
would speak to Moses, God's voice would appear from between the faces of the
cherubim.
The description continues with a seven-branched candelabra made of solid gold.

There is a table and an altar. The tent is surrounded by acacia wood and
curtains. Every detail is given, down to the clasps that hold the curtains up.
Issue #1 - Covering Up
"And you shall hang up the veil from the clasps, that you may bring in there
inside the veil the ark of the Testimony; and the veil shall separate for you
between the holy place and the most holy" (Exodus 26:33)
Discussion
1. If you were to see a Torah lying uncovered in the sanctuary, what would
your first reaction be? Most Jews say that they would place a cover over
the scroll. Why? To cover is the first step of holiness.
2. In this week's portion we learn the ideal of achieving holiness by covering
up. The entire tabernacle is covered by heavy curtains. God commands
Moses to build a special partition to separate the holiest spot in the
structure from the rest of the tabernacle. "Make a partition of turquoise,
purple and scarlet wool, together with twisted linen" (Exodus 26:31). Only
the finest quality material is used to set the Holy of Holies apart from the
rest of the tabernacle.
3. In the context of the tabernacle, separating and covering up were
significant parts of how the Israelites demonstrated what was holy.
Centuries later, in the ancient Temple in Jerusalem, the Holy of Holies
was off limits. The only exception was made for the High Priest and even
he had access only to that area on Yom Kippur. The people Israel truly
was in awe of that moment when the High Priest entered the Holy of
Holies on Yom Kippur. Each person knew a mistake made when he was
inside the covered-up area could create havoc. When the High Priest
successfully exited the Holy of Holies was a time for joy and celebration.
The tension and joy of the moment is described in the liturgy of Yom
Kippur's Avodah service.
4. This is not the world in which we live. We seem to have lost this sense of
holiness. One proof seems to be that these days nothing is covered. On
television, in the movies, in newspapers and magazines, everything is
lived in the open. Reality shows and tabloids reveal all there is to reveal.
Contrast today's attitude to the one reflected in the Garden of Eden. In
that early time, Adam and Eve initially were "naked and not ashamed."
But after eating from the Tree of Knowledge, they covered themselves.
Covering the body leaves a sense of mystery as well as modesty. In
Hebrew, the term for an improper sexual encounter is gilui arayot,
uncovering nakedness. How can we teach our people to discover the
holiness at their fingertips, practically demonstrated by keeping covered?
Issue #2 - Inside and Outside
"And you shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and outside shall you overlay it,
and shall make upon it a rim of gold around it" (Exodus 25:11)
Discussion
1. The ark, as the holiest part of the tabernacle, was overlaid with gold. It is
easy to understand the gold covering on the outside, where people could
see it. But why was there gold on the inside?
2. The Talmud (Yoma 72b) teaches, "Rava said, Any scholar whose inside
is not like his outside, is not truly a scholar." What does this teaching
mean? We should strive for consistency; the kind of person we are on
the outside should match or be reflection of the kind of person we are on
the inside. We use the word "hypocrisy" for people who present
themselves one way to the outside world and while being very different
on the inside. What is wrong with hypocrisy? But no one can always be
exactly the same inside and out. Sometimes people are just inconsistent.
What is the difference between hypocrisy and inconsistency?
3. Just as the altar was overlaid with gold both inside and out, in order to
have a consistent look, we must strive to overlay ourselves with a gold
heart on the inside that matches the gold face we show on the outside.
How do we develop these qualities on the inside? What inner virtues
should we develop within ourselves?
PARASHAT TETZAVEH - SHABBAT ZAKHOR
March 11, 2006 - 11 Adar 5766

Triennial: Ex. 28:31 - 29:18 (Etz Hayim p. 508; Hertz p. 342)
Maftir: Deuteronomy 25:17 - 19 (Etz Hayim p. 1135; Hertz p. 856)
Haftarah: I Samuel 15:2 - 34 (Etz Hayim, p. 1280; Hertz p. 995)


Summary
This portion continues with the instructions for building the tabernacle, a place
of worship, for the desert journey. It begins with the laws about the clothing that
Aaron and his sons, the priests, should wear. These include a breastplate, an
ephod, a robe, an embroidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle. The breastplate,
which contains an array of twelve precious stones, representing the twelve
tribes of Israel, is particularly noticeable.
The High Priest would also carry the urim and tumim, used to prophesize to the
children of Israel. The robe the priest wears would be blue. It would be trimmed
with pomegranates and little bells, so it would chime whenever the High Priest
enters or leaves the Holy of Holies. These clothes must be worn whenever
Aaron or his sons come into the holy place to minister to God, in order that they
not die. It is to be a statute for all generations.
The second half of the portion deals with the formal dedication of Aaron and his
sons to the priesthood. A series of offerings is brought before God. The blood of
the offering is placed on the right ear, the right thumb, and the right large toe.
This symbolizes the fact that the priest must commit to serve God by what he
hears, what he does, and where he goes. The dedication is to take seven days.
At the end, the law that a burnt offering always must be kept on the altar is
given.
It is worth noting that this portion is centered on Aaron and his role. It is the only
portion from parashat Shemot through the end of the Torah in which Moses is
not mentioned. It is as if Moses has stepped aside for a week to allow his
brother to bask in the glory.
Issue #1 - Clothing
"And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother for glory and for
beauty" (Exodus 28:2)
Discussion
1. Aaron and his sons were commanded to wear special clothing to fulfill
their duties. Clothing in the Bible had a powerful symbolic value. Does it
still today? How and why?
2. Young people often wear certain styles of clothing and refuse to wear
other perfectly practical, serviceable clothing. What reason could there
be for such behavior? Is the choice of clothing really a statement of some
sort? Style of dress says something about the person wearing the
clothes. Why do youth gangs have a kind of standardized clothes and
way of wearing those clothes? Why do we insist on uniforms for certain
professions - military, police and sports teams? Do we expect doormen,
delivery drivers and the people who work in stores to match? Does
clothing create a level of camaraderie? How do clothes affect our
attitudes about others? How do clothes affect our view of ourselves?
3. Synagogue committees and members often argue about what constitutes
appropriate clothing to wear in the building or for Sabbath services. Are
such dress codes still relevant today? Does asking men to wear a jacket
and tie, women to wear a dress or skirt and blouse, lend dignity to the
service? How do we react to synagogue dress in Israel, where virtually
no men wear ties or jackets? How do community and country affect
choice of clothes?
4. In many communities, public schools are joining with private and
parochial schools in requiring that students wear uniform clothes if not
uniforms. Is that trend a healthy one? Shouldn't students be allowed to
express their individuality through their clothing choices? One argument
for uniform posits that a school uniform serves as a kind of equalizer,
allowing students from wealthier and poorer families to appear the same.
Is that a virtue? According to the Talmud, on the fifteenth of Av (a day
when couples were matched), women would trade dresses (so that no
woman would be embarrassed lest her clothing reflect her poverty) and
dance in the vineyard while the men watched (Taanit 31a). What can this
teach us about those who wear expensive clothes to show off their
wealth?
Issue #2 - Purim
"Therefore the Jews of the villages, who lived in the unwalled towns, make the
14th day of the month of Adar a day of gladness and feasting, and a holiday,
and of sending portions one to another" (Esther 9:19)
Discussion
1. In many years, including this one, Purim falls in the week following
parshat Tetzaveh. This allows our discussion of clothing to include the
question of the clothes we wear on that joyous holiday.
2. On Purim it is customary to wear costumes, and in particular to wear
masks. We do not show our real selves on Purim. Why? Do we need to
hide part of ourselves to participate fully in the levity of Purim? Is there a
deeper message? Must we hide part of ourselves to be free to behave
differently?
3. In general, Judaism forbids a man from dressing like a woman or a
woman from dressing like a man (see Deuteronomy 22:5). Why? Does
crossdressing undermine the distinction between the sexes? In our
modern egalitarian society, where fashion is often unisex, is that
prohibition still relevant? Yet on Purim this particular prohibition often is
disregarded. Does the ability to crossdress once a year fulfill some
deeper human need?
4. The name Esther is based on the Hebrew root "to cover up" or "to hide."
Esther hid her Jewish identity and in the end saved her people. Today
we speak of wearing our Judaism proudly. Are there times when it is
appropriate to hide our Jewishness?
PARASHAT KI TISSA - SHABBAT PARAH
March 18, 2006 - 18 Adar 5766



Summary
This long portion deals with many themes. The Israelites shall take a census;
each male must give a half a shekel to the sanctuary. God gives instructions for
making a basin for ritual washing, and also gives the precise mixture of
ingredients for making the holy incense. God then gives instructions for the holy
oil used for anointing. Betzalel, a man filled with wisdom, is given the duty of
overseeing the building of the tabernacle. Even as they build the tabernacle, the
Israelites shall keep the Sabbath.
The building of the tabernacle is interrupted to tell the story of the golden calf.
The people worry that Moses is delayed on the mountain. They want a god who
will be a physical presence in front of them. So they take off their gold and
Aaron builds a golden calf. Moses hears the celebration and realizes the great
sin of the people Israel. He breaks the two tablets of the law he had carried
down the mountain. He grinds up the calf, mixes it in water, and forces the
people to drink it. He gathers the Levites to his side and slays the ringleaders of
the golden calf incident.
God wants to destroy the people but Moses pleads for forgiveness. He tells God
that if He is to destroy the people, to wipe his own name from the book he has
written. God forgives the people. Moses asks to see God's essence, and God
tells him to hide in the rock. He will see God's back but no one can see God's
essence. God appears as a forgiving God, and Moses hears what are often
called the 13 attributes, that the Lord is a merciful and gracious God. Moses
makes a second set of tablets.
The portion ends with a number of Jewish ritual laws, including the pilgrimage
festivals and the prohibition of cooking a kid in its mother's milk (mixing milk with
meat). Moses is again on the mountain 40 days, and when he comes down a
powerful light shines from his face. He must wear a mask in the presence of the
people to cover that light.
Issue #1 - Moses and Aaron
"Then he (Aaron) took it from them and cast it in a mold and made it into a
molten calf. And they proclaimed, this is your god, O Israel, who brought you
out of the land of Egypt!" (Exodus 32:4)
Discussion
1. Moses and Aaron were two brothers, but they were unlike each other. In
what ways were their personalities distinct? How do these two leaders
differ in their approaches to leadership? In what ways are they similar?
2. The Talmud teaches, "Moses' motto was, 'Let the law cut through the
mountain.' Aaron, however, loved peace and pursued peace and made
peace between man and man." (Sanhedrin 6b) Moses was a law person;
Aaron was a people person. Are there times in the Torah in which Moses
seems more concerned with law than with people? (Was Moses wrong in
how he dealt with the sins and shortcomings of the people?)
3. How could Aaron make a golden calf? Idolatry is one of the greatest sins
of Judaism. Perhaps Aaron did not consider the calf an idol. Could it be
that the calf was meant as a god, but simply a symbolic presence? Even
if so, it was wrong. Rashi quotes the Midrash that said Aaron built the
golden calf out of fear. The people had asked Hur to make it, and the
mob murdered him when he refused. Is it possible that Aaron made the
golden calf because he was a peacemaker? ("I don't want any trouble!")
4. Perhaps we can learn from Aaron's behavior that peace is not always the
right course to pursue in every situation. Sometimes pursuing peace
allows injustice, or even evil, to flourish. Sometimes by pursuing peace
we tolerate that which ought to be intolerable. That is the reason why the
great prophet Jeremiah taught "Peace, peace, but there is no peace"
(Jeremiah 6:14). There are times when the world needs not a mediator or
a reconciler, but someone willing to take a stand.
5. Later in the Torah, the people mourned much more when Aaron died
than when Moses died. Why? We all love a peacemaker. How can we
live a balance between Moses and Aaron?
Issue #2 - Metaphors for God
"Then I will take My hand away and you will see My back; but My face must not
be seen" (Exodus 33:23)
Discussion
1. What does the Torah mean when it speaks of "God's face?" What does it
mean by "God's back"? Most commentators explain God's face as a
reference to God's essence, which is unknowable. On the other hand,
God's back is God's attributes (what God does or how God behaves in
the world). This can be known.
2. We use human metaphors for God in order to better understand God's
actions. What do we mean when we use metaphors for God - Avinu
Malkeinu - "Our Father, Our King." (Is God male? Can we use the female
"Our Mother, Our Queen" and keep the same meaning? What about "Our
Parent, Our Sovereign?") What about the metaphor "The Lord is my
shepherd?" What about HaMakom ("The Place"), the name we use when
comforting mourners? What do we mean when we use the kabbalistic
female term Shekina ("Indwelling")? How do we feel using that term
when describing God as protecting souls under her wings in El Maleh
Rahamim? Some feminists have compared God to a womb or a
wellspring. What do these metaphors mean? In what ways does the
name we use for God in given situations affect the way we see the
situation? Does a name we use to refer to God in any given instance
change the essence of God? What does use of different names reflect?
3. There is a famous Midrash that tells us that at the crossing of the Red
Sea, the Israelites saw God as a warrior fighting in battle. Seven weeks
later, at the giving of theTen Commandments, the Israelites saw God as
an elderly man filled with mercy. (Mechilta on Exodus 20:2) Could both
be the same God? God does not change, but our perception of God
changes at different times. What metaphors for God work for us today?
4. In this portion Moses is not allowed to see God's face. Yet at the end of
Deuteronomy, the Torah teaches, "And there has not arisen since in
Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face"
(Deuteronomy 34:10) Why the inconsistency? Could it be that Moses
came as close as anyone could come in seeing the unseeable?
PARASHAT VA'YAKHEL-PEKUDEI - BIRKAT
HAHODESH - SHABBAT HAHODESH
March 25, 2006 - 25 Adar 5766

Triennial Cycle: Ex. 37:17 - 39:23 (Etz Hayim p.560; Hertz p. 379)
Maftir: Ex. 12:1-20 (Etz Hayim, p. 380; Hertz p. 253)


Summary
With this long double portion, the Torah describes in detail the manufacture of
the portable tabernacle. Before the construction begins, Moses gathers the
people together and tells them to keep the Sabbath. They shall burn no lights in
their homes on the Sabbath day. The people begin to bring all the materials
necessary for the making of the tabernacle. Betzalel is appointed to oversee the
building because of his spirit of wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. The
people bring so much material that Moses tells them to stop.
The Israelites build the tabernacle in all its detail and put together the clothing
for the high priest. Much of this repeats almost word for word the material in
parshi'ot Terumah and Tetzaveh. In describing the building, Moses starts from
the inside out, from the holiest places to the less holy. But with the actual
building, the description starts with the curtains and overall frame and works
inward towards the holy places.
In the second portion, Pekudai, there is a careful accounting of the gold, silver,
bronze and other materials used in making the tabernacle. The Torah seems to
be saying that those in a position of leadership must be beyond reproach. The
entire tabernacle is put together.
In the end, we read in the Torah, "And Moses looked upon all the work, and,
behold, they had done it as the Lord had commanded, so had they done it; and
Moses blessed them" (Exodus 39:43). The language of the Torah clearly
reflects its language when God finished creating the universe and blessed the
Sabbath day. The building of the tabernacle has become the paradigm for
human creativity, paralleling God's creativity in creating the universe. In the end,
a cloud covered the tent of meeting, reflecting God's glory. With the tabernacle
complete, the second book of the Torah, Exodus, comes to an end.
Issue #1 - The Sabbath
"Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you a
holy day, a sabbath of rest to the Lord; whoever does work in it shall be put to
death" (Exodus 35:2)
Discussion
1. Moses gathers the people and tells them to do God's work building a
tabernacle. But they are not to work on the Sabbath. Does this mean that
even work for God is not permitted on the Sabbath? What does that tell
us about the depth of the holiness of the Sabbath?
2. The Hebrew word for forbidden work is melacha. The Torah uses the
term melacha in three different contexts. First, melacha refers to God's
work in creating the heavens and the earth. Second, melacha refers to
the human tasks involved in building the mishkan, the portable
tabernacle that the Israelites carried through the desert. These included
most of the fundamental tasks we humans do to show our mastery of the
universe: growing plants for both food and dyes, spinning and making
cloth, building, metalwork, writing and drawing, and of course, using fire.
Third, melacha refers to those acts forbidden on Sabbath, from sundown
Friday night until nightfall Saturday night. What is the relationship
between these three uses of the word melacha?
3. The rabbis of the Talmud counted 39 categories of forbidden work.
These were precisely the activities that were done in building the
tabernacle. Abraham Joshua Heschel taught that by avoiding these
creative activities on the Sabbath, we are building a tabernacle today -- a
tabernacle in time. Is there any truth in this claim? In our modern world,
are there additional activities that ought to be forbidden on the Sabbath
to help us get a greater sense of inner peace?
4. The Torah teaches, "You shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations
upon the Sabbath day" (Exodus 35:3). Not only do we light candles
before the Sabbath day to burn on the Sabbath, we even recite a
blessing that praises God "Who sanctified us with commands and
commanded us to light the Sabbath lights". Where in the Torah is this
commandment to light Sabbath lights? It is actually the rabbis of the
Talmud who required the lighting of Sabbath lights. Why? (Hint - the
Karaites, a group that interprets scripture literally, sit in the dark and cold
on the Sabbath.) Is it chutzpah to bless God for a commandment that
came from the rabbis?
Issue #2 - Between the Cherubim
"The cherubim had their wings spread out above, shielding the cover with their
wings. They faced each other, the faces of the cherubim were turned toward the
cover" (Exodus 37:9)
Discussion
1. Where does God actually show His presence in the tabernacle? You
would think that God would be within the ark, in the Holy of Holies. To the
contrary! God appears between the cherubim. What is the symbolism of
this? Has this been a foundation of the way Jews deal with holiness?
2. If we are to meet God anywhere, it is where human beings meet face to
face. Martin Buber spoke of I-Thou relationships between two human
beings. These relationships are encounters between people where each
sees the other not as an object but as a subject. Buber wrote, "Each
Thou is a glimpse through to the Eternal Thou." What did Buber mean by
this?
3. Rabbi Mordecai Gafni wrote, "There are 45 muscles in the face, most of
them unnecessary for the biological functioning of the face. Their major
purpose is to express emotional depth and nuance. They are the
muscles of the soul" ("On the Erotic and the Ethical," Tikkun, March-April
2003). In other words, we humans have been biologically created to face
one another and communicate. It is in such human interaction that God's
presence dwells.
4. Throughout the centuries, the cherubim have been seen as children, but
there was another interpretation in the Talmud that was influential in
Kaballah: "R. Kattina said, Whenever Israel came [to Jerusalem] for the
Festival, the curtain would be removed for them and the cherubim were
shown to them, whose bodies were intertwisted with one another. They
would be addressed, Look! You are beloved before God as the love
between man and woman" (Yoma 54a). What is R. Kattina's message?
Is God present in a sexual encounter between a man and a woman?
HAZAK HAZAK v'NITHAZEK - BE STRONG, BE STRONG, AND LET US BE

STRENGTHENED
PARASHAT VAYIKRA
April 1, 2006 - 3 Nisan 5766
Annual: Leviticus 1:1 - 5:26 (Etz Hayim, p. 585; Hertz p. 410)

Triennial: Leviticus 3:1 - 4:26 (Etz Hayim, p. 592; Hertz p. 415)
Haftarah: Isaiah 43:21-44:23 (Etz Hayim, p. 606; Hertz p. 424)


Summary
The third book of the Torah is often called Torat Kohanim, a primer for the
priesthood. The first several portions (parashiot) deal with the laws of sacrifice
and of ritual purity, laws that for the most part have fallen out of practice today.
However, there are still many valuable insights we can learn from all of these
laws.
The book begins with the laws of the olah, the burnt offering. The olah was
offered in its entirety upon the altar, with no special benefit going to the person
who brought it. Offerings, which were to be brought from the herd or the flock,
had to be a male without blemish. Similarly, it could have been a bird - a
turtledove or a pigeon. Grain could also be offered as a sacrifice. Perhaps the
idea behind this variety of offerings is that sacrifices were not just for the rich;
people of all financial levels had access to the Temple service.
The second category of sacrifices is the shelamim, from the word shalem or
wholeness. This is usually translated "offering of well-being," and can be
brought from the male or the female of the flock. Some parts of the animal were
offered up to God by the priests and other parts were eaten. Blood and certain
fats could not be eaten, however; sacrifice-based laws still remain in effect
today for foods that Jews do not eat.
The third category of offering is the hatat or sin offering. Various types of
offerings are available if a priest sinned, or the leader of a community, a
chieftain or an individual Jew had sinned. Various other sins and guilt offerings
are mentioned, in particular, the sin of a witness who withholds information.
Issue #1 - Love and Sacrifice
"Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, when any of you presents an
offering of cattle to the Lord, you shall choose your offering from the herd or
from the flock" (Leviticus 1:2)
Discussion
1. The Hebrew word for sacrifice is korban. It comes from the Hebrew root
krv, which means "to approach" or "to get close." What is the relationship
between "getting close" and sacrifice? The Hebrew word seems to imply
that if we wish to get close to someone, we have to sacrifice something.
We cannot become close to anyone else when we are focused on our
own needs and our own desires. Only when we set ourselves aside and
focus on the other can we truly love them.
2. Many people think they love someone else when in truth they love
themselves. They are focused on their own needs. True love requires a
sacrifice of your own needs. Can you give an example? What sacrifice is
involved in the love of a couple for one another? What about the love of a
parent for a child? What sacrifices do we make to show our love of God?
3. "When love depends on achieving a certain goal, love vanishes when
that goal is achieved. But when love is not dependent on any goal, that
love never vanishes." (Pirkei Avot 5:18) What does this have to do with
sacrifice? (Hint - If we love someone with the goal of fulfilling our own
needs and desires, that love will disappear when our needs are fulfilled.
But if we love unconditionally, with no ulterior motive and no expectations,
our love will flourish.)
4. Kabbala teaches the principle of tzimtzum, (self-contraction). God
practiced tzimtzum to allow the world to flourish. How can we practice
tzimtzum in our relationship with those we love?
Issue #2 - What Will We Sacrifice?
"If his offering is a sacrifice of well-being - If he offers of the herd, whether a

male or a female, he shall bring before the Lord one without blemish" (Leviticus
3:1)
Discussion
1. We have spoken about the sacrifice we must make for love to exist. Are
there other areas of life where sacrifice is necessary for our well-being?
Possible examples:
o We want to have a perfect body without undertaking the difficult
discipline of regular exercise and a healthy diet.
o We want a great marriage without taking extended one-on-one
time with our spouse or lover.
o We want to raise successful, happy kids while spending less and
less time with them.
o We want to be at the top of our profession without paying our dues
or working our way up the ladder.
o We want spirituality without learning or observing the disciplines
necessary to grow our souls.
o We want to perfect the world (tomorrow!), forgetting that social
change is a long, arduous process.
o Finally, too many young people (and not a few adults) experiment
with drugs looking for instant highs, forgetting that real highs come
from hard work and accomplishments.
2. The Talmud says, "According to the pain is the reward." (Pirkei Avot
5:23) Or as moderns often put it, "No pain, no gain." Anything worth
doing in this world involves discipline, sacrifice, commitment, and
sometimes a little pain. What are we willing to sacrifice for what we find
worthwhile?
PARASHAT TZAV - SHABBAT HAGADOL
April 8, 2006 - 10 Nisan 5766

Haftarah: Malakhi 3:4 - 24; 3:23 (Etz Hayim, p.1296; Hertz p.1005)


Summary
Parashat Tzav continues the section of Sefer Vayikra that focuses on the
detailed laws of sacrifice. God commands the priests to keep a fire burning on
the altar at all times. Next, the priest is told to dress in special linen clothing and
carry the ashes to a sacred place outside the altar. Commentators have said
that the care given to the ashes teaches that something that was once holy,
even if it is no longer useful, still contains a spark of holiness.
Various sacrificial laws are given to the priests. Only the male kohanim can eat
from the sacrifices. There are special laws to prepare the grain offerings given
to the Temple. Similarly, there are special laws regarding the slaughter and
eating of the burnt offering and the offering of well-being.
The second half of this portion contains the rituals for the formal inauguration of
Aaron and his sons into the priesthood. The ritual was seven days, reflecting
the importance of the number seven in Jewish law. The priests were dressed in
special clothing, went through special purifications, and brought special
offerings. They were anointed with oil, a ritual that would eventually develop into
the notion of the Messiah (literally the mashiach, or anointed one.)
An important part of these weeklong rituals is that Moses placed blood on the
earlobe, right thumb, and right big toe of Aaron and his sons. Perhaps the
symbolism is that religious leaders are to dedicate their ears (what they hear),
their hands (what they do), and their feet (where they go) to the service of God.
Issue #1 - God is in the Details
"And he shall put off his garments, put on other garments, and carry forth the
ashes outside the camp to a clean place" (Leviticus 6:4)
Discussion
1. God commanded Aaron to dress in special clothes and remove the burnt
ashes from the daily whole offering. Rashi teaches, "The word tzav
(command) is used when special encouragement is needed, both
immediately and for future generations. Rabbi Shimon said such
encouragement is especially necessary when there is a financial loss."
What was the priest's financial loss? (Perhaps the priest did not benefit
from the burnt offering; it was burnt in its entirety. But he still had to carry
out the ashes. How could that be understood as a financial loss?)
2. Clearing out dirty ashes does not have the glory or panache of most of
the other activities with which the high priest was charged. It is one of
those necessary chores that must be done, even if it is unpleasant.
Without it, the altar would fill with ashes and soon be unusable. Do we
always appreciate the number of details necessary for us to perform
mitzvot; the number of details needed in our daily activities?
3. This year the reading of Parashat Tzav corresponds to Shabbat
HaGadol; Passover begins Wednesday night. Perhaps it is worthy to ask,
what is the difference between hametz and matzah, between leavened
and unleavened, between what we are forbidden to eat and what we are
commanded to eat on Passover? If we mix flour and water and let it sit
for 17 minutes and 50 seconds before baking is finished, it is kosher for
Pesach matzah and eating it can be used to fulfill a mitzvah. If we mix
flour and water and let it sit for 18 minutes and 10 seconds it becomes
hametz, and eating it is a serious transgression of the Torah. What a
difference a few seconds can make! The difference is in the details.
4. Many of us love the broad scope of Jewish tradition but hate the details
of Jewish law. Are details important? Is God in the details? The poet
George Herbert wrote in the seventeenth century, "For want of a nail the
shoe was lost, for want of a shoe the horse is lost, for want of a horse the
rider is lost, for want of a rider the battle is lost, for want of a battle the
kingdom is lost." What is the point? If you accept the idea that the details
are important, how do you avoid getting too caught up in the details, to
the point that the details become the total focus of observance?
Issue #2 - What is a Mitzvah?
"The Lord spoke to Moses saying, Command Aaron and his sons..." (Leviticus
6:1-2)
Discussion
1. Ask the average non-Orthodox Jew what the word mitzvah means, he or
she will probably say "good deed." The real meaning is "commandment."
Why are many Jews uncomfortable with the concept that mitzvah means
commandment?
2. If a mitzvah is a commandment, who is the Commander? Did God
literally command us to keep the 613 mitzvot? What about mitzvot that
appear to us to be ethically troubling? Conservative Judaism views much
of Torah as a combination of the hand of God and the hand of people.
Dare we ask which mitzvot are God's commandments and which are
human constructs? Is there anything you believe God wants you to do as
a Jew? Is there anything you believe God forbids you to do as a Jew?
How do you differentiate between the God-given commandments and
those of human design, when both are venerated by tradition?
3. Rabbi Hanina taught that to perform a mitzvah because we are
commanded is higher than performing a mitzvah simply because we feel
that it is a good deed (Kiddushin 31a). This sounds strange to modern
ears. We value autonomy and choice, picking those mitzvot we find
spiritually meaningful, that we consider good deeds. In our celebration of
freedom, can we still hear the voice of the commanding God? Is a
volunteer position less worthy than a paid position? Is a volunteer
position done because you are expected to do it less worthy than one
done solely out of the goodness of your heart?
SHABBAT HOL HAMOED PESAH
April 15, 2006 - 17 Nisan 5766
Annual: Exodus 33:12 - 34:26 (Etz Hayim, p. 538; Hertz p. 362)

Maftir: Numbers 28:19 - 25 (Etz Hayim, p.932; Hertz p. 695)


Summary
Pesah celebrates the birth of the Jewish people as a nation. It tells the great
story of redemption - we were slaves and now we are free. The observance of
Pesah began with the Pascal offering on the fourteenth of Nissan. The sacrifice
was eaten by groups of families; no leftovers were allowed. It was eaten with
matzah and bitter herbs, symbolizing the unleavened bread that had no time to
rise, and symbolizing as well the bitterness of life in Egypt. Today we no longer
offer sacrifices, but we have a special shank bone and eat a piece of matzah,
called the afikoman, to symbolize the Pascal offering.
The festival of Passover begins on the fifteenth of Nissan. For seven days no
hametz - items such as leavened bread and cake - may be eaten or even found
in a Jewish home. (In the Diaspora, traditional Jews keep the festival for eight
days, with the first two and the last two days being full festivals, with no work
allowed.) All such foods are removed and nullified before the festival, and even
the dishes, pots, and cutlery must be changed for it.
On the first night of Passover - in the Diaspora the first two nights - a special
ritual meal is eaten. During that meal, the seder, people sit around the table
reading the story of the exodus from a special book called a Haggada, and eat
many symbolic foods. The Passover seder is probably the most observed
religious tradition among Jews.
One day of Passover always falls on Shabbat. If it is not one of the festival days,
it is called Hol Hamoed Shabbat. There is a special Torah reading telling of the
events following the Golden Calf and various ritual laws. The haftarah tells
Ezekiel's famous vision of the valley of the dry bones.
Issue #1 - Did It Really Happen?

"You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I
brought your ranks out of the land of Egypt; you shall observe this day
throughout the ages as an institution for all time" (Exodus 12:17)
Discussion
1. Did the events of Passover really happen as the Bible describes? And if
the events were not as described, does that really matter? Or is the
important issue what we learn from these events through the lens of our
history?
2. One explanation: scientists today speak about emergent properties.
These are properties of an object that make it greater than the parts. For
example, the brain is made up of hundreds of thousands of
interconnected neurons. Each individual neuron can be studied and
described. We cannot see the mind in any one or even any small set of
neurons. Only when we put all these neurons together does the mind
emerge. The mind is an emergent property of the brain. So it is
throughout the universe that properties emerge, that the whole is greater
than the sum of its parts.
3. We also see emergent properties when we study history. A number of
individual events take place. Water turns to blood; maybe the red water
was real blood or maybe simply the way the water looked due to red
algae. Frogs multiplied in the land. A plague struck and killed many
prominent firstborn sons, including the son of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. An
Israelite man who grew up in Pharaoh's household had the clout to
become the chief agitator for freedom for a group of slaves. A number of
individual events occurred, none of which seem to reflect the hand of
God. Put them all together, however, and suddenly a vision emerges.
These are more than random events, just as the mind is more than a
bunch of connected neurons. Put them together and suddenly we see
the hand of God.
4. This view of God's role in unfolding events fits into the modern scientific
paradigm. Until Einstein, scientists were reductionists, attempting to
understand the universe by breaking it down into its smallest parts. The
whole was simply the sum of the parts. After Einstein, scientists realize
that the whole is far more than the parts. Reductionism no longer works.
We cannot understand the human soul by studying individual neurons,
and we cannot understand God's role in history by studying individual
events. Only by taking the broader view can we see God's role in history,
that it was God who brought us out of Egypt.
Issue #2 - Valley of the Bones

"And he said to me, Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O you dry
bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones;
Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live" (Ezekiel 37:4-5)
Discussion
1. What do you think Ezekiel was trying to tell us in his vision of bones
coming back to life? Why is this image so powerful to Jews? Why do we
read this at Passover? (Note - Is it possible that going from the Holocaust
to the rebirth of Israel in three short years could be understood as an
example of the resurrection spoken of in this chapter?)
2. There is a force of life at work in the universe. Jews have always
identified God with life. At the High Holy Days, we say over and over,
"Remember us to life, O King Who loves life, and write us in the Book of
Life, for Your sake O God of life." If God is the force of life, how does that
play out in the world of creation? Does God bring the dead to life? What
about in the world of history?
3. If there is a force of life at work in the universe, unfortunately there is also
a force of death. What is that force and how does it manifest itself in our
world? How can we join forces with the force of life over the force of
death?
4. What is the symbolism of the Passover song Had Gadya(One Little Kid),
where in the end God slays the Angel of Death? In the end, will life
overcome death? If God cannot overcome death, what does that say
about God's power?
PARASHAT SHEMINI - BIRKAT HAHODESH
April 22, 2006 - 24 Nisan 5766

Haftarah: II Samuel 6:1 - 7:17 (Etz Hayim, p. 645; Hertz p. 454)


Summary
For seven days, the Israelites have celebrated the formal inauguration of the
priesthood. On the eighth day, while performing the final rituals, tragedy strikes.
Aaron's two oldest sons, Nadab and Abihu, bring an alien fire not commanded
by God. A fire comes forth from the Lord and consumes them. Moses tries to
comfort Aaron with the words, "This is what God meant when he said, through
those close to Me do I show Myself holy." But Aaron can react only with silence.
Moses calls Aaron's other two sons, Mishael and Elzaphan, to carry their
brothers out of the sanctuary. They are not to mourn by baring their heads,
rending their clothes, or going outside the tent of meeting. God commands
Aaron to avoid wine and other intoxicants, lest he enter the Tent of Meeting
intoxicated. (Could this have been the sin of Nadab and Abihu?) Moses
becomes angry when Aaron made a mistake in the rite of the goat of purification.
Aaron finally speaks, for the first time after the death of his sons, saying that he
had brought all the offerings, yet still these horrible things happened to him. If
he had eaten the purification, would God have approved? Moses accepts his
words.
The second half of this portion introduces the dietary laws of Judaism. The
animal kingdom is divided into those animals that can be eaten and those that
cannot. Mammals must have a cloven hoof and chew their cud. Fish must have
fins and scales when in the sea or streams. The chapter includes a long list of
birds that are forbidden. (Traditionally, to avoid error, Jews only eat birds that
they have traditionally eaten, such as chicken, turkeys, ducks, and geese.)
Swarming things are forbidden with the exception of certain kinds of locusts.
The carcass of a forbidden animal causes ritual impurity. The purpose of all
these laws is not health, as many believe, but rather holiness. Holiness comes
through recognizing distinctions.
Issue #1 - Nadab and Abihu's Sin
"Now Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, each took his fire pan, put fire in it, and
laid incense on it; and they offered before the Lord alien fire, which He had not
enjoined upon them" (Leviticus 10:1)
Discussion
1. What was the sin that was so severe that the two young men suddenly
died? The Torah said they brought an alien fire. What could this mean?
Is the Torah trying to drive home that we do not change the ritual of the
Temple on fear of death? What does this say about our ritual today?
2. Rashi teaches, "R. Eliezer said that the sons of Aaron died because they
insisted on teaching Torah in front of their teacher Moses. R. Ishmael
said that they entered the sanctuary drunk." What is the sin in teaching
before your elders? Was the issue arrogance or another sin? According
to one midrash, Nadab and Abihu would trail their uncle, Moses, and
their father, Aaron, saying, "When will these two die already?" Is it wrong
to try to grow up too fast?
3. The Torah follows these events with the prohibition on drinking wine
before doing the divine service. Jewish tradition certainly gives a mixed
message about alcohol. Our tradition sees moderate drinking as a sign of
joy. As the Psalmist says, "Wine rejoices the heart of man" (Psalms
104:15). We drink wine at our most joyous occasions, Shabbat and
festivals, at a brit milah (bris), at a wedding. At the Passover seder we
are obligated to drink four cups of wine. The drinking is less moderate at
our more raucous festivals, Purim and Simchat Torah. On the other hand,
there is also a powerful warning about the misuse of alcohol that runs
through our tradition. Noah was the father of humanity, yet his first act
after leaving the ark was to plant a vineyard, get drunk, and fall into a
drunken stupor in his tent. This began a series of events that led to Noah
cursing his son and grandson. The message is clear - alcohol abuse can
send humanity down the wrong path. Has Jewish tradition become too
accepting of alcohol abuse? Is the message about learning limits?
4. Could it be that Nadab and Abihu did not commit any sin? Moses says
after their deaths, "This is what the Lord meant when He said, through
those near to Me I show Myself holy" (Leviticus 10:3). Is it possible that
they were so close to God that God took their souls and left their bodies?
Why did they become the paradigm for other martyrs in Jewish tradition?
Issue #2 - Dietary Laws
"Speak to the Israelite people thus; these are the creatures that you may eat
from among all the land animals" (Leviticus 11:2)
Discussion
1. This portion puts huge limits on our ability to eat the flesh of animals,
birds, and fish. However, today many people believe that we should
question what gives us the right to eat animals at all. Should we humans
be permitted to eat other sentient beings? After all, in the garden of Eden
people were vegetarians. Is not a vegetarian diet more in keeping with
the ethics and values of the Torah?
2. Some would claim that a vegetarian diet is healthier. If so, why are our
bodies built in such a way that we can eat and digest meat? You can eat
an unhealthy vegetarian diet, with too much sugar and too many
carbohydrates. You certainly can eat a healthy diet that includes meat,
poultry, and fish in moderation. The key is balance - both quality and
quantity affect our health.
3. The bigger problem is with those who claim that eating meat is almost
like cannibalism; they insist that we are animals ourselves and should not
eat our cousins. What is the problem with this argument? Perhaps the
answer is in the garden of Eden, where we were vegetarians, we were
also animal-like, "naked and not ashamed." After we ate from the fruit of
the Tree of Knowledge, we left the garden of Eden and raised ourselves
above the animal kingdom. To quote Erich Fromm, "What is essential in
the existence of man is the fact that he has emerged from the animal
kingdom … has transcended nature. Once torn away from nature, he
cannot return to it." (Art of Loving) Are human beings qualitatively
different from animals? How does our diet reflect those differences?
PARASHAT TAZRIA-METZORA - ROSH HODESH
IYAR
April 29, 2006 - 1 Iyar 5766

Triennial Cycle: Leviticus 13:40 - 14:32 (Etz Hayim p. 657; Hertz p. 464)
Haftarah: Isaiah 66:1 - 24, 66:23 (Etz Hayim p. 1220; Hertz p. 944)


Summary
With this double portion, we reach the heart of the difficult laws of ritual purity
and impurity (tahor and tamei). Certain activities, bodily flows, or diseases
cause someone to become ritually impure, and therefore forbidden to enter holy
areas, including the Temple. This portion also contains detail of purification
rituals. The purpose of all these laws is to add to and to preserve the holiness of
the Temple by making sure that only those in a proper state of purity could enter.
Childbirth creates ritual impurity. After the birth of a son, a woman is tamei for
seven days. The brit milah, or bris, takes place on the eighth day. After the birth
of a daughter, the woman is tamei for 14 days. She had to wait an additional 33
days for a boy, 66 days for a girl. (One can only speculate on why the time of
impurity is double for the birth of a daughter.)
The bulk of both of these portions deals with the symptoms of a skin disease
called tzara'at, often mistranslated leprosy. The rabbis felt that this condition
was not merely physical but spiritual. It was caused by gossip. The priest would
check the symptoms, including discoloration of skin, and declare the person
ritually unclean. This disease, which may be a kind of fungus, also can break
out in a person's clothing or on the walls of his or her house.
Metzora is concerned with the detailed rituals of purification for someone who
has been found to have tzara'at. This portion also includes rituals to restore
purity following various physical flows from the body. A man's semen or a
woman's menstrual blood causes a man or a woman to become tamai. So do
various unnatural flows, perhaps caused by disease. Purification includes
immersion in a mikvah, a body of water that has gathered naturally.
Issue #1 - Healing
"The priest shall examine the affection of the skin of his body; if the hair in the
affected patch has turned white and the affection appears to be deeper than the
skin of his body, it is a leprous affection" (Leviticus 13:3)
Discussion
1. The priest is the one commanded to inspect the body and decide if the
disease tzara'at has broken out. Why should a religious leader do this
instead of a doctor? Is there a spiritual side to healing? Is there any
efficacy to the healing services that are so popular today? Do traditional
prayers for the sick work?
2. Too often today many doctors look at the disease, not at the person. Too
often they take a materialistic view of the body, seeing it as a machine to
be fixed. It is similar to a driver bringing a car to the mechanic to be
repaired or tuned up. The only object is to get the machine working
properly again. That is why so many patients say, "The doctor came and
saw my symptoms, my disease, my problems. But the doctor never saw
me." If that is so often the case, what can we do to see that physicians
are better trained? Can our society as a whole take a more holistic view
toward healing?
3. We have all seen faith healers on television and the many books and
magazine articles that address the power of faith to promote health;
some faiths replace medicine with prayer completely. Though as Jews
we might be tempted to discount the concept of faith as an independent
healing power, we certainly understand its impact for improving health
and happiness. The words of the traditional prayer for healing include a
request for "refu-at ha-nefesh u'refu-at ha-guf," healing of soul and body.
How are those related? Can the body be healed without an attendant
healing of the soul? Can the soul be healed when the body is not healed,
or perhaps can never be healed?
Issue #2 - Family Purity
"When a woman has a discharge, her discharge being blood from her body, she
shall remain in her menstrual impurity seven days" (Leviticus 15:19)
Discussion
1. One area of Jewish law practiced by many Orthodox Jews but ignored by
most Conservative Jews is family purity. Nonetheless, there has been a
recent rekindling of interest in these laws by many serious Jews. A
husband and wife separate for a time when the woman has her
menstrual flow. Then, after counting seven days, the woman goes to the
mikvah, a natural gathering of water, and immerses herself. (According
to the Torah she counts seven days altogether; according to rabbinic law,
she counts seven white days after all bleeding has stopped.) Then the
couple can resume marital relations. The Torah is trying to add to the
holiness of sex through periods of separation and coming together. Does
this work?
2. Many authorities see a romantic reason for these laws. Often there is a
sense of newness and excitement to mikvah night, almost like a second
honeymoon. "Rabbi Meir said, [The Torah taught these laws] so that she
will be beloved by her husband as on the day she entered the huppah
[marriage canopy]" (Niddah 31b) Is Rabbi Meir right?
3. Some feminists are deeply troubled by these laws. Why does a natural
female cycle make a woman ritually impure? (Note: Seminal emission,
also natural, makes a man ritually impure. But this form of impurity has
fallen out of practice, while the other is still part of Jewish law.) Other
feminists see great meaning in these laws. First, the law is considered
one of three classical women's mitzvot. The law also makes an important
statement about the relationship between men and women. As a
consequence of observing this law, a husband and wife are constrained
from treating each other as sexual objects. During part of the month, sex
becomes off limits; husband and wife must relate to one another in other
ways. How would these laws fit into an egalitarian understanding of
Judaism?
PARASHAT AHAREY MOT-KEDOSHIM -
ANNIVERSARY WARSAW GHETTO UPRISING
May 6, 2006 - 8 Iyar 5766

Haftarah: Amos 9:7 - 15 (Etz Hayim, p. 706; Hertz p. 509)


Summary
This double portion begins with a presentation of the laws for observing Yom
Kippur in the days when worship was done through sacrifice. After hearing
again of the deaths of Aaron's two sons, which we read about two weeks ago,
we go through the details of the Day of Atonement. The High Priest carries out
a series of rituals that includes three confessions, one for him and his family,
one for all the priests, and one for the entire people Israel. The goat carries the
sin of the people into the wilderness, literally to Azazel. This portion also gives
the requirement to afflict our souls on Yom Kippur, which the rabbis interpret as
fasting and other restrictions.
The remainder of the portion Aharei Mot discusses a variety of laws, most of
them involving forbidden sexual relations. Incest, bestiality, male homosexuality,
and sex during a woman's menstrual period are all forbidden. Some of these
laws, particularly the prohibition of homosexuality, have created a good deal of
controversy in the Jewish community today.
Parshat Kedoshim begins with many ethical laws and is perhaps one of the
most beautiful sections of the Torah. The Israelites are to be holy, for the Lord
God is holy. This is followed by laws about helping the poor, not stealing or
acting falsely, avoiding gossip, not cursing the deaf or putting a stumbling block
before the blind, being fair in judgment, not taking vengeance, respecting elders,
and having honest business practices. At the heart of this section is the Golden
Rule, "Love your neighbor as yourself."
The portion continues with the prohibition against sacrificing one's children to
Molech, an ancient pagan practice. The portion then repeats many of the same
laws about forbidden sexual relations, including the prohibition of incest and
male homosexuality. The people Israel are to separate themselves from the
pagan practices of the people of the land as they learn to separate the pure
from the impure.
Issue #1 - The Golden Rule
"You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your kinsfolk. Love your
neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord" (Leviticus 19:18)
Discussion
1. At the center of all the great religions of the world is the Golden Rule, "Do
onto others as you would have them do onto you." In this portion it is
formulated in the positive - "Love your neighbor as yourself." According
to Rashi, Rabbi Akiba said that this is a great principle of the Torah. Can
we be commanded to love someone?
2. The Talmud, on the other hand, contains a negative formulation of the
Golden Rule. A non-Jew came to the great sage Hillel and wanted him to
explain all of Judaism as he stood on one foot. The answer: "What is
hateful to you do not do to others. The rest is commentary. Go and learn"
(Shabbat 31a), Hippocrates worded it differently "First, do no harm."
Which formulation of the Golden Rule is superior? Which formulation are
people more likely to be able to do?
3. Some thoughts: Perhaps the Golden Rule begins with the negative,
avoiding any action that could harm another. This obviously includes
physical harm, such as injuring another or creating a hazardous situation.
Besides the physical, in what other ways can we harm another person?
Perhaps some of the worst harm is done with words. What does the
Bible mean when it says, "death and life are in the power of the tongue"
(Proverbs 18:21)?
4. More thoughts: Perhaps love is not about feelings but actions. The Torah
cannot command feelings; but the Torah can command actions. Is it
hypocritical to act in a loving way, even if you do not feel that way? Can
actions lead to feelings? Abraham Joshua Heschel said that Judaism
begins with a "leap of action." What does this mean in terms of our
relationship with our neighbor?
Issue #2 - Homosexuality
"Do not lie with a male as you lie with a woman" (Leviticus 18:22)
Discussion
1. No issue is more controversial within the Conservative movement today

than homosexuality. Perhaps the best place to begin is with the question,
"What precisely is forbidden by the Torah?" Some people claim that the
Bible forbids people to be gay. That is false. The Bible never forbids
people from being anything. Instead, it obligates particular actions and
forbids particular actions. What is the particular act that the Torah
explicitly forbids? The particular act that the Torah forbids is what the
rabbis call mishkav zachar, a man having a sexual encounter with
another man. Rashi says "Lying like a female. Like a makeup brush into
a holder." What does he mean by this? (Nothing is mentioned about
lesbianism, although one later rabbinic source forbids it as a type of
promiscuity.)
2. What is important is that one particular sexual act may be forbidden, but
particular desires or a particular orientation is not forbidden. The Torah is
concerned with the act, not the person.
3. Some would say that if the Torah forbids an act, then it is forbidden and
there is no room for compromise. To quote the Talmud, "Let the law
pierce the mountain" (Sanhedrin 6b). We must abide by the law, even if it
is painful or difficult. It is God's word. This is the view of most
traditionalists on this issue. In what ways does this point of view make
sense?
4. Some would say that even if the Torah forbids an act, there is room to be
more flexible on a case-by-case basis. After all, the Torah in this week's
portion also obligates us to fast on Yom Kippur. Nonetheless, someone
who feels that he or she cannot fast for medical reasons can opt out.
After all, "the heart knows its own bitterness" (Proverbs 14:10). In what
ways does this point of view make sense?
5. Some would say that when the Torah forbids homosexual acts, it did not
have the scientific knowledge we have today. They claim that there are
constitutional gays who, by their very nature, are unable to pursue a
heterosexual relationship. The law in the Torah could not possibly apply
to such people. This might leave room to sanctify gay relationships.
Which of these three opinions is most compelling?
PARASHAT EMOR
May 13, 2006 - 15 Iyar 5766

Haftarah: Ezekiel 44:15 - 31 (Etz Hayim p. 734; Hertz p. 528)


Summary
The first half of this portion concerns the laws of the kohenim, the priesthood. A
kohen is not allowed to defile himself for the dead, except for the funeral of an
immediate relative. He may not marry a divorcee, or a woman degraded by
harlotry. The laws are even stricter for the high priest, who may not defile
himself even for his parents. He may marry only a virgin. Also, any kohen who
has a physical defect may not serve in the role of priest or approach the altar.
The portion mentions a long list of such disqualifying defects.
The priests are commanded to be scrupulous about the sacred offerings that
the people bring to God. No priest who is in a state of ritual impurity may eat
these offerings. Purification requires bathing in water and waiting until sunset.
The kohen also may not eat any meat from an animal that has died of natural
causes, without ritual slaughter, nevelah, or that was torn by beasts, terefah.
Jewish law expands these prohibitions to all Jews. The priest's family may eat
the sacred offerings, but should a priest's daughter marry a non-priest, she
loses that privilege.
Just as the priest himself must be without blemish, so must all offerings be
without blemish. Even the offerings of a foreigner must be pure. An animal must
stay with its mother for seven days, and can only be offered up after the eighth
day. However, an animal and its young cannot be offered on the same day.
These laws point towards the central principle, that God's name must be
sanctified - Kiddush HaShem - not profaned - Hillul HaShem -among the people.
Most of the remainder of this portion is a detailed account of the various

festivals through the Jewish year. The seventh day is the Sabbath. The portion
continues with the laws of Passover, the counting of the omer, Shavuot, Rosh
Hashana, Yom Kippur, and finally the various details of the observance of
Sukkot. The Israelites are to bring clear olive oil to light the lights, and choice
flour to bake 12 loaves of bread placed on a table before the altar. Finally, in a
brief narrative, the portion tells of a man who blasphemed the name of God.
God gives a final command that any blasphemer and any murderer shall be put
to death. The Israelites were to take the blasphemer outside and pelt him with
stones.
"The Lord said to Moses, Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to
them, none shall defile himself for any dead person" (Leviticus 21:1)
Discussion
1. Why must a kohen, or priest, even today avoid going to a cemetery or

being in a room with a dead body? (Hint - We must remember that we
were slaves in Egypt, a country whose religion was a cult of death. The
pyramids that tourists flock to see really were ancient tombs. Egyptian
priests concerned themselves with the needs of the dead. They were
expert at embalming and creating mummies. The Torah was reacting to
this cult of death. The new Israelite religion became obsessed with life.)
2. Judaism is built on separations. The most important separation is
between life and death. What are some ways we symbolize that
separation? Why do we wash our hands after returning from a cemetery?
Why do we insist that mourners eat a meal after a funeral? Could these
laws symbolize life following death?
3. Further examples - Could the separation of milk (the life-giving food for a
baby animal) and meat (the flesh of an animal) be related to this
separation of life and death? Could the traditional laws of family purity,
where a couple avoids sexual relations - an affirmation of life - after a
menstrual period - the death of a potential life - be related to this
separation of life and death?
4. The Torah teaches that there is to be a separation between death and
life. When given a choice between a path leading to death and a path
leading to life, the Torah says "Therefore choose life" (Deuteronomy
30:19). The entire thrust of the tradition is to enhance life.
Issue #2 - People with Disabilities
"The Lord spoke further to Moses: Speak to Aaron and say, No man of your
offspring throughout the ages who has a defect shall be qualified to offer the
food of his God" (Leviticus 21:16-17)
Discussion
1. Sometimes we learn from difficult, even painful laws. This week's portion
speaks of the kohanim, the descendants of Aaron, who served as priests
and brought the offerings in the ancient Temple. No priest was allowed to
bring an offering if he were disabled in any way. A priest who was blind
or lame or had a misshapen limb, a man with a broken leg or arm, a
hunchback or a dwarf or anyone with a growth on his body, was
forbidden from bringing the offerings. Just as the sacrifice had to be
without blemish, so the person bringing the offering had to be without
blemish as well. While moderns may find this difficult to accept, it was not
out of place in the cultic world. Why?
2. Perhaps the answer is that the sacrificial offerings were meant to
inculcate in the people a sense of holiness of God's presence and God's
perfection. To watch a priest with a disability bring the offering would
have the opposite effect. People would say, "Look, the priest is blind," or
"Look, the priest is a hunchback," and never even sense God's presence
in the moment. The Torah knew a fundamental truth about human nature
- we have difficulty seeing beyond the disability to actually see the real
person.
3. How can we learn to see past the disability to the human being? The
Talmud tells this story: A rabbi came across an extremely ugly man. The
rabbi said, "Are all the people of your town as ugly as you?" The man
answered, "Go tell the workman how ugly is the vessel he created."
Suddenly the rabbi felt terrible and begged the man for forgiveness
(Taanit 20a-b). What can we learn from this story?
PARASHAT BEHAR-BEHUKOTAI
May 20, 2006 - 22 Iyar 5766

Haftarah: Jeremiah 16:19 - 17:14 (Etz Hayim, p. 763; Hertz p. 551)


Summary
Parashat Behar begins with the laws of the sabbatical year. The Israelites are to
sow their fields for six years, and in the seventh year they are to let the field lie
fallow. This is followed by the laws of the jubilee. The Israelites should count
seven cycles of seven years. Then in the 50th year, on Yom Kippur, all property
is to be released and returned to its original owner. There is to be a
redistribution of wealth every 50 years.
If the Israelites practice these laws, the land will yield a harvest large enough to
feed everybody during the sabbatical year. Nobody owns land forever, for the
land belongs to God. A home in a walled city may be sold forever (following a
one year opportunity for the owner to redeem it), but land never can be. If an
Israelite is impoverished, it is forbidden to loan him money with interest. If he is
forced to sell himself into indentured servitude, a family member must redeem
him. Israelites can own slaves from the nations around them, but not from their
own brothers and sisters. In the jubilee year, all servants go free, including
those who were not redeemed and those who choose not to leave in the
sabbatical year.
Parshat Behukatai contains the shorter of two tochachot, or sets of curses,

found in the Torah. If the Israelites faithfully follow the laws, they will find
blessing on the land. If they do not follow the laws, they will be stricken by a
long list of curses, including various diseases, being routed by enemies, having
insufficient food, and being forsaken in the land. However, even following these
horrible curses, God will remember his covenant and never totally abandon his
people.
There is a final chapter at the end of Leviticus that lists various vows and
offerings to the Temple. A person can pledge his or her worth as a human being
as well as the worth of an animal, house or other property. The portion
describes how such offerings are evaluated. The book ends with the words
"These are the commandments which the Lord gave Moses for the Israelites on
Mount Sinai."
Issue #1 - The Number Seven
"Six years you may sow your field and six years you may prune your vineyard
and gather in the yield, but in the seventh year the land shall have a Sabbath of
complete rest" (Leviticus 25:3-4)
Discussion
1. The number seven is a magic number. And yet there is nothing obvious,
nothing in the heavens, that gives any reason for its special status. If we
think about our measures of time, we see that most correspond to a
specific natural phenomena. A day is to one rotation of the earth, a
month corresponds to the phases of the moon and a year equals a
revolution around the sun. What does a week correspond to? Would
primitive people living on an island, building a calendar over the
generations, have come up with the idea of dividing time into weeks?
2. What are some of the ways the Bible uses the number seven? (Answers:
seven days of creation, seven days of Passover, seven days of Sukkot
followed by a one-day festival, seven weeks from Passover to Shavuot,
seven Biblical festival days, Rosh Hashana is the first day of the seventh
month, seven years is the sabbatical cycle, seven sabbatical cycles in
the jubilee.) Where are other places where seven is important to Jews?
(Ideas: tefillin wrapped around the arm seven times, seven blessings at a
wedding, seven days of mourning. Can you think of others?)
3. Even millennia are measured in sevens. "R. Kattina said, Six thousand
years shall the world exist, and one thousand it shall lay desolate
(leading to the days of the messiah)" (Sanhedrin 97a). This counting
gives us food for thought; we are in the Hebrew year 5766, which makes
the seventh millennia 234 years away. On the other hand, the ancient
astronomers spoke of seventh heaven as the highest concentric circle,
the ultimate of happiness.
4. Why is seven so magical? Perhaps the number seven is a deep part of
the human psyche. In mathematics seven is the first prime number (a
number with no divisors besides one and itself) following the first perfect
number (a number that is the sum of its divisors - for example, 6=1+2+3).
In music, in the diatonic scale there are seven notes before the scale
starts over (do, rei, me, fa, so, la, te). Seven seems to resonate with the
very essence of the universe.
Issue #2 - What's a Human Worth?
"The Lord spoke to Moses saying, Speak to the Israelite people and say to them,
when anyone explicitly vows to the Lord the equivalent for a human being, the
following scale shall apply." (Leviticus 27:1-3)
Discussion
1. How much is a human being worth? Sometimes we must answer that

question. In tort cases, when someone has been injured or killed by
someone else's negligence, people must estimate the value of another
person to assess damages. Usually it is based on their age and their
earning power. The Torah used to estimate human worth in the same
way. A person would make a vow to donate their worth to the Temple.
The amount was set, based on a number of factors, in particular age and
gender. A male in the prime of life (twenty to sixty), was evaluated at fifty
shekels of silver, a female at thirty shekels. Children were worth less
depending on age, and people over age sixty still less.
2. Certainly this is sexist as well as ageist. Why are men worth more, why
are children worth less and seniors still less? It seems to be based on
their earning power. We can ask the question, has our society today truly
changed? Why do we still pay men more than women for the same
work? Why do we still value people in their working prime more than
those who are retired? Why do we not value the worth of children before
their productive years?
3. How can we recognize that every human being has a worth beyond their
economic ability? This is true for men and women, children too young to
work and retired seniors, those on disability and those who cannot find
work. What insights do the laws of the Sabbath give us? We have a
worth and dignity because we are created in the image of God. Just as
God has infinite worth, so each and every human being has infinite worth.
Ultimately, no price can ever be placed on a human being.
PARASHAT BAMIDBAR - BIRKAT HAHODESH
May 27, 2006 – 29 Iyar 5766
Annual: Numbers 1:1 – 4:20 (Etz Hayim, p. 769; Hertz p. 568)

Triennial: Numbers 2:1 – 3:13 (Etz Hayim, p. 774; Hertz p.572)
Haftarah: I Samuel 20:18 – 42 (Etz Hayim, p. 1216; Hertz p. 948)


Summary
The fourth book of the Torah begins with a census of the people Israel, who are
about to begin their journey through the wilderness. The census, taken by tribe,
counts all males twenty years old and older. The list should specify who is able
to bear arms; one of the goals is to establish a count for military service. Twelve
men are chosen to lead the census; one is responsible for each tribe except the
tribe of Levi.
The final total of men of military age is 603,550. We can posit if the women, the
children, and the members of the tribe of Levi were counted, there would be
approximately two million people counted among the Israelites. When we
consider that it has been just four generations since Jacob and his family went
to Egypt with seventy people, we sense the great success of the people Israel
in the realm of reproduction. We can also understand why Egypt was so
frightened of the Israelites’ multiplying numbers.
The book then describes the encampment around the Tent of Meeting. Three
tribes and their banner were encamped in each direction. On the east was
Judah, together with Issachar and Zebulun; on the south was the tribe of
Reuben, with Simeon and Gad; on the west was the tribe of Ephraim, together
with Manasseh and Benjamin; on the north was the tribe of Dan, together with
Asher and Naftali. A count is made of each of these tribes.
The tribe of Levi is chosen to replace the first born and serve in the Tent of
Meeting. Moses and Aaron take a census of the males of the tribe of Levi age
one month and older, coming up with a total of 22,000. There were three clans,
Gershon, Kohath and Merari. They were responsible for the service in the tent
of meeting and care of the sacred objects. They were encamped around the
Tent of Meeting in the middle.
Issue #1 - Nature or Nurture
“On the first day of the second month they convoked the whole community, who
were registered by their family ancestry, the names of those aged twenty years
and over listed head by head” (Numbers 1:18)
Discussion
1. In this week’s portion, when Moses and Aaron counted the total number
of Israelites, they counted by bloodlines, not getting just a single total
number. How important is lineage and bloodlines in establishing our
identity? According to the biblical commentator Rashi on the verse
quoted above, “People brought their genealogical documents and
witnesses who verified the circumstances of their birth, this applied to
each individual to establish their kinship with a tribe.”
2. Judaism puts particular importance on bloodlines. We are Jewish based
on the biological status of our mothers (unless we have converted). We
are Kohen, Levi, or Yisrael based on the biological status of our father
(gerey tzedek are Yisrael). Our identity is wrapped up in our genetic
background. What does this say about adoption?
3. How important is nurturing irrespective of bloodlines? There is another
passage in this week’s portion and another comment by Rashi that
demonstrate a very different approach. The Torah says, “These are the
descendants of Aaron and Moses” (Numbers 3:1) followed by a listing of
Aaron’s family. Why is Moses mentioned? Rashi writes that Moses is
listed “because he taught him Torah. This teaches that whoever teaches
another’s son Torah, it is as if he gave birth to him.”
4. The Talmud teaches that the true parent of a child is the one who raises
him or her, not the one who gives birth (Sanhedrin 19b). What does this
say about adoption? At first glance, it appears there are two contradictory
messages in Judaism – lineage is more important, parenting is more
important. Nature or nurture. How do we find the balance?
Issue #2 - Spirituality and Religion
Discussion
1. “The Israelites shall camp each with his standard, under the banners of
their ancestral house; they shall camp around the Tent of Meeting at a
distance” (Numbers 2:2).
2. There seems to be a growing dichotomy in our society between
spirituality and religion. Spirituality is good; religion is bad. Spirituality is
about a one-on-one encounter with God; religion is about institutions and
rules. Spirituality is about spontaneity; religion is about conformity.
Spirituality is free form; religion is set in its ways. Are these rules of
thumb accurate? Are religion and spirituality twins separated at birth?
What is the difference between these clearly related but not identical
concepts?
3. People say that they can have a spiritual experience on the beach at
sunrise or on a mountaintop at sunset. There are no rules, no dues, no
building funds, no clergy, just a human being standing alone before God.
There have been many prominent religious thinkers, the late philosopher
Martin Buber among them, who believe that religion stifles spirituality.
4. Yet the fourth book of the Torah opens with a description of the Israelites’
preparations for their march through the wilderness. A census was taken
of men of military age. Each tribe marched in formation under its own
banner. The image the Torah paints is of a military campaign, humans
organized and marching together. Why the military image?
5. The military metaphor is apt. The Torah’s religious ideal is not the
individual standing alone before God, although there is time for this also.
The metaphor is rather the community, organized in an almost military
fashion, to do God’s work here on earth. The question is not “How can I
relate to God as an individual?” Instead, it is “How can I join a community
to do God’s work on this earth?”
6. This is where religion meets spirituality head on. Religion is about
organizing a community of people who share a vision of God, and of
what God wants us to do in the world God created. Is it appropriate to
say that living a personally spiritual life without religion – that is, by
yourself – is not enough to create the kind of world God wants?
TORAH READING FOR SHAVUOT (outside of
Israel) - YIZKOR (in most congregations)
June 3, 2006 – 7 Sivan 5766
Torah: Deuteronomy 14:22 – 16:17 (Etz Hayim, p. 1074; Hertz p. 810)

Maftir: Numbers 28:26 – 31 (Etz Hayim, p. 932; Hertz p. 696)
Haftarah: Habakuk 3:1 – 19 (Etz Hayim, p. 1326; Hertz p. 1032)


Summary
The Torah speaks of Shavuot as Hag HaBikurim, the festival of the first fruits.
The holiday also is called Hag HaKatzir, the festival of the wheat harvest. The
Torah also calls it Shavuot, because it comes after counting 49 days, from the
day after the first day of Passover. (The Torah says that the count is to begin
the day after the Sabbath; and the rabbis interpreted that to mean the second
night of Passover.) What is not explicit in the Torah is a connection between the
holiday of weeks and the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. That connection
was a later development in Jewish history.
Shavuot is called z’man matan toreteinu, “the time of the giving of our Torah.”
Our tradition was deliberate in not calling it “the time of the receiving of the
Torah,” for the Torah must be received every day. According to tradition, the
Israelites’ travel from Egypt to the foot of Mount Sinai and the preparations
there took exactly seven weeks. Early in the morning of the sixth of Sivan, God
gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments. Many Jews now follow the custom
of staying up all night studying and learning on the first night of Shavuot at a
tikkun leil Shavuot. That is done so you will not be caught sleeping when God
delivers the Ten Commandments.
Other customs have developed around the festival. For example, it is customary
to eat dairy foods, for the Israelites had not yet received the proper laws of
kosher slaughter. The book of Ruth is read during services (in the diaspora on
the second day) because it deals with Ruth the Moabite, the most famous
convert in history. Yizkor prayers are also said; in the diaspora they’re said on
the second day.
Many Conservative and Reform synagogues have developed the practice of

holding confirmation services on Shavuot. Confirmation ceremonies originally
began in the Reform Movement as a substitute for bat mitzvah. Today it is a
way to honor teenage boys and girls, around the age of 16, who have continued
their Jewish learning beyond bar and bat mitzvah. This again emphasizes the
importance of continuing to receive the Torah.
Issue #1 - Talmud Torah
“They are our life and the length of our days, therefore we should study them
day and night” (daily prayer book)
Discussion
1. We mentioned that Shavuot is the day marking the giving of the Torah;
the Torah is received every day. How can the Conservative movement
build a culture of Torah study? In a section that is found also in the daily
preliminary service, the Talmud mentions a number of mitzvot that are
observed in this world but whose reward is in the world to come. These
include such fundamental ethical mitzvot as honoring parents, providing
for a needy bride, caring for the dead, comforting the bereaved, and
going morning and evening to the synagogue. It ends with the words “the
study of Torah is equivalent to all of these.” Why? How is it possible that
study could be as significant as doing mitzvot that bring healing to the
world?
2. It has been said, “When I pray I talk to God. When I study Torah God
talks to me.” (This saying has been attributed to Rabbi Louis Finkelstein
as well as to a number of other leading figures in the early Conservative
movement.) Many would say Torah study is more important even than
prayer. Why?
3. Many Conservative synagogues now read the Torah in a triennial cycle
instead of reading the full parashah each week. Should Conservative
synagogues spend less time at Shabbat morning services formally
reading the Torah and more time studying the Torah? Should
synagogues offer alternate sessions where the Torah is discussed while
it is read in the service?
4. Confirmation honors young people who continue their learning beyond
the bar or bat mitzvah. What can synagogues do to motivate more young
people to continue learning? Are there other alternatives which could
encourage young people to continue studying? What kind of curriculum
would appeal to young people?
Issue #2 – Conversaion
“And Ruth said, do not entreat me from following after you, for wherever you go
I will go and where you dwell I will dwell, your people will be my people and your
God will be my God” (Ruth 1:16)
Discussion
1. The book of Ruth is a very pro-conversion text. Ruth is a Moabite; she is

a member of a nation that the Torah explicitly forbids from entering the
Jewish people. Yet she converts, and becomes King David’s great-
grandmother. What point is the book trying to make? What lesson can
we learn from it about the approach we should take toward welcoming
converts?
2. The book of Ezra takes a very different approach. “And Ezra the priest
stood up, and said to them, You have transgressed, and have taken
foreign wives, to increase the guilt of Israel. And now make confession to
the Lord God of your fathers, and do His will; and separate yourselves
from the people of the land, and from the foreign wives” (Ezra 10:10-11).
Ezra forces the men to divorce their non-Jewish wives and abandon their
non-Jewish children. Why is conversion not an option? Could the
difference have to do with a situation where a woman is supportive of
Jewish living (so much so she converts to Judaism) and the one
described in Ezra, where the non-Jewish wife prevents her husband from
participation in Jewish life?
3. There is a tension throughout Jewish history regarding conversion. On
the one hand, there is the statement of Rabbi Elazar that the Holy One
exiled Israel among the nation only in order that converts be added to
them (Pesachim 87b). On the other hand, there is Rav Helbo’s famous
statement that converts are as difficult as a sore for the people of Israel
(Yevamot 109b). There are communities of Jews today that will not
accept converts under any circumstances. Sadly, in the Conservative
movement there still are people who are suspicious of the motivation of
converts.
4. Why have some Jews taken an anti-conversion approach? What can be
done today to make Judaism more welcoming to converts?
PARASHAT NASO
June 10, 2006 – 14 Sivan 5766

Triennial: Numbers 5:11 – 6:27 (Etz Hayim, p. 796; Hertz p. 589)
Haftarah: Shoftim 13:2 – 25 (Etz Hayim, p. 813; Hertz p. 602)


Summary
This portion continues the census begun in Parashat Bamidbar with a census of
the tribe of Levi by their various clans. The census counted men between the
ages of thirty and fifty. The many operational duties in the Tent of Meeting were
assigned to various clans. Those in a state of ritual impurity were removed from
the encampment. When a person wrongs another, he shall confess the wrong
and pay back the principle plus an additional fine of one fifth the value.
The portion continues with the difficult law of the “sotah,” a wife suspected of
being unfaithful. If a husband suspects his wife of infidelity, he brings an
accusation to the priest. A special drink is prepared – the liquid includes a paper
dissolved in it, and some verses are written on the paper. The woman bares her
head, brings a meal offering and drinks the drink, the so-called waters of
bitterness. If she is guilty, certain physical signs appear. (It should be noted that
the rabbis later did away with this ritual of jealousy, partly because men who
were promiscuous would accuse their wives of infidelity.)
The Torah next mentions the law of a Nazirite, someone who had made a
special vow of holiness to the Lord. The Nazir was forbidden to cut his or her
hair, drink wine or any other intoxicant and approach a dead body. When the
period of the vow ended, the Nazir would bring special sin and burnt offerings.
The chapter ends with the beautiful priestly blessing – “The Lord bless you and
keep you! The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you! The Lord bestow His
favor upon you and grant you peace!”
The last part of the portion describes the formal consecration of the Tent of
Meeting. Over a period of twelve days each of the twelve princes from the
twelve tribes would bring gifts and offering to the tabernacle. The portion is
extremely repetitive because each prince brought precisely the same gifts. It is
customary to read this portion on each day of Hanukah because it deals with
the theme of dedication.
Issue #1 - Love or Trust?
“The priest shall write these curses in a scroll, and he shall blot them out into
the water of bitterness” (Numbers 5:23)
Discussion
1. What is more important for a successful marriage, love or trust? There is

a hint of the Torah’s choice in the archaic ritual of the sotah, the woman
suspected of infidelity. The ritual is degrading; fortunately it long ago
disappeared from Jewish life. The rabbis taught that if the man himself
had been less than faithful in the marriage, drinking the bitter waters
would not work for his wife (Sotah 47b). According to the Talmud, when
adultery increased in Israel Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai abolished the
ritual altogether (Sotah 9:9). But we moderns can learn even from an
archaic ritual.
2. The curses that were dissolved in the water included God’s name. As a
general rule, once God’s name is written we can never destroy it. That is
the reason we bury a Torah and other holy books when they are no
longer fit for use. Only this law is an exception. We allow God’s name to
be dissolved into the bitter waters, with the hope that the woman who
drank it will be found innocent. To rebuild trust between a husband and
wife, even God’s name can be destroyed. What can we learn from this?
What does the ritual tell us about the seriousness with which the tradition
took the need for trust in a couple?
3. When trust has broken down in a marriage between a husband and wife,
how can it be rebuilt? Is it possible to have a loving relationship without
trust?
Issue #2 – God’s Face
“May the Lord lift His face upon you and grant you peace” (Numbers 6:26)
Discussion
1. God’s holy name appears in each of the three stanzas of the Priestly
Blessing. Besides the Name (ha-shem is the Hebrew word for “the
Name”), the only term repeated in the blessing is the word “face.” (In
Hebrew, the word for face is panim. In this blessing, the word is panav,
which means “His face.”) We ask God to cause His face to shine upon us,
and then to lift up His face to us. But does God have a face?
2. Of course, the blessing is based on a metaphor. God does not really
have a face. But the word “face” is important. The first insight comes
from the Hebrew. The word panim is always in the plural, literally “faces.”
Why is that significant?
3. Perhaps the reason is that none of us has just one face. We present the
world with a certain face when we are happy, another when we are angry,
another when we are frightened and yet another when we are sad. We
often present one face to the world and another to our family. Perhaps
we have one face for business and another for leisure. Each of us has
many faces. Therefore, face in Hebrew is always plural.
4. However, perhaps there is another reason why face is always plural.
Faces always come in pairs because without another person (or a mirror)
no one sees our face, we certainly don’t. Two people meet face to face.
The word face is about an encounter with another. My face comes into
being when it meets another face, when I really stand in the presence
and see the other.
5. The human face is meant to be encountered. That is why so many
muscles control our smile. Scholars say we have eyebrows so people
can recognize our expression from a distance. Why is being in the
presence of another’s face so important for our human identity? Why do
email users have emoticons [;) :-0] which were modeled after faces?
Have we lost something when we do most of our communication by
phone or email?
PARASHAT BERESHIT - BIRKAT HAHODESH
October 29 2005 - 26 Tishrei 5766



Summary
The Torah begins with a powerful, poetic vision of the creation of the universe.
Over a series of six days, God performs a series of separations and formations,
beginning with light and culminating with the creation of humanity. The universe
goes from chaos to order. Afterwards, God rests from the work of creation. The
story was never meant to be a literal, scientific account, but rather a vision of a
universe created by God, with humanity made in God's image.
This is followed by a second creation story, more intimate and modest. God
makes a man (the word adam literally is the generic word for man). God plants
the man in a garden, so he can tend and guard it. In the center of the garden
are two trees, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life.
God forbids the man from eating of the Tree of Knowledge. It is not good for
man to be alone. After bringing forth various animals, God makes a woman out
of the rib of the man. She becomes his wife, and the two of them live in the
garden naked and not ashamed.
Tempted by a snake, the woman eats of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, and
feeds some to the man. They realize their nakedness, and hide from God.
Perhaps this story was the evolutionary moment when humanity emerged from
the animal kingdom and gained the ability to make moral choices. As a result of
eating the fruit, the man and the woman are forced out of the garden and given
a series of punishments.
Morality has entered the world, and with it moral decline. A new generation
arrives with the birth of two sons, Cain and Abel. When Cain, in a moment of
jealousy, murders Abel, he is punished and becomes a wanderer on the earth.
Over the course of ten generations, technology advances but morality declines.
Finally, with the birth of Noah, God must make a decision about the humans
God created.
Issue #1 - Ecology
A. "God blessed them and God said to them, be fertile and increase, fill the
earth and master it; and rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and
all living things that creep on the earth." (Genesis 1:28)
B. "The Lord God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden, to till
it and tend it." (Genesis 2:15)
Discussion
1. In chapter 1, humanity is told to master (or conquer) the world and rule
over the animals. In chapter 2, humanity is told to till and tend (guard) the
garden. Is there a difference between conquering the world and guarding
the world? Which is better for the world's ecology?
2. Many environmentalists blame the Bible for humanity's damage to the
earth. Is the Bible to blame?
3. To deepen our understanding, let us explore Ramban's comment on
"conquer it": "God gave them [people] power and dominion on the earth
to do as they wish with the cattle and the reptiles and the creeping things
on the earth, to build, to uproot that which was planted, to mine copper
from the hills, and so on." Was the world given to humanity to use as
humanity wishes? Are there any restrictions on them?
4. Some have advocated "living lightly" on the land with a minimum of
technology and modern conveniences. This is the way animals live on
the earth. Is this similar to returning to the Garden of Eden? Is this
desirable?
5. The midrash teaches "When the Holy One created the first man, He took
him and led him around all the trees of the Garden of Eden, and said to
him, 'Behold My works, how beautiful they are, how splendid they are. All
that I have created, I created for your sake. Take care that you do not
become corrupt and thus destroy My world. For once you become
corrupt, there is no one to repair it'" (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7:13). Does
this midrash change how we understand the nature of the power and
responsibility we were given to exercise in the world? Does this provide
us with more or less freedom of action?
Issue #2 - Marriage
"Hence a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, so that they
become one flesh." (Genesis 2:24)
Discussion
1. The Torah teaches that a man should cleave unto his wife, not his wives.
Why were the patriarchs allowed to have more than one wife? (Hint - the
Hebrew word for a second wife is tzara, a word which also means
trouble.) Why did the rabbis later forbid polygamy?
2. Why does the Torah teach "a man shall cleave unto his wife" and not "a
woman shall cleave unto her husband"? The Torah put the obligation on
a man to find a wife. Why? Are things different today? If so, how? If not,
why not and should they be?
3. The Talmud teaches - "R. Simeon said, 'Why did the Torah say `if a man
take a wife' and not 'if a woman be taken by a man?' Because it is the
way of a man to go in search of a woman, but it is not the way of a
woman to go in search of a man. This may be compared to a man who
lost an article, who goes in search of whom? The loser goes in search of
the lost article. (So the man goes in search of the rib he lost.)" Does this
section of the Talmud provoke a change in the questions above?
4. If we take marriage seriously, how should young people meet one
another? Through their parents (the Talmud puts the obligation on the
father to find a match for his children)? A professional matchmaker? The
internet? Random meetings? What can we do to help our young people
make better marriages?
PARASHAT NOAH



Summary
God finds that humanity has corrupted the earth, so God decides to bring a
great flood to destroy humanity. God picks one man who was righteous in his
generation, Noah, to build an ark. Noah builds the ark and enters it with his wife,
his three sons and their wives. Noah also brings two of each species of animal
on the ark so they will stay alive through the flood. (Later Noah will bring seven
pairs of the clean animals to be used for sacrifices and food after the flood.)
God causes a heavy rain to fall for forty days and nights, destroying all people
and all animals not on the ark. The water rests on the earth for 150 days. As the
water recedes, the ark comes to rest on Mount Ararat. Noah sends first a raven
and then a dove to search for dry ground. When the dove returns with an olive
branch in its beak, Noah knows that the flood finally is over.
Noah and his family leave the ark and Noah offers a sacrifice to God. God
promises never again to bring a flood on the earth, because God realizes that
humans are born with an evil inclination. God makes a covenant with Noah,
symbolizing the covenant with all humanity -- the rainbow is the symbol of the
covenant. Noah plants a vineyard and becomes drunk, leading to a bizarre
sexual encounter with his son Ham and the curse of his grandson Canaan.
People continue in their corrupt ways, building a tower to make a name for
themselves and to challenge God. God confuses their languages and scatters
them over the earth. Ten more generations pass before the birth of Abram, who
will become God's partner in a new covenant.
Issue #1 - Who Was Noah?
"This is the line of Noah - Noah was a righteous man; he was blameless in his
age; Noah walked with God." (Genesis 6:9)
Discussion
1. Rashi comments - "'In his age' - Some of our rabbis explain this to his
credit, he was righteous even in his generation, had he lived in a
generation of righteous people he would have been even better. Some
explain it to his discredit. If he lived in the generation of Abraham, he
would have been of no importance." (Based on Sanhedrin 108a) Is being
righteous among evildoers to someone's credit? Or was Noah the best
person God could find; but would he have been a nobody in another
generation?
2. The passage compares Noah to Abraham. Compare how Abraham
reacted to the destruction of Sodom and Gemorrah, arguing with God,
with how Noah reacted to the destruction of the entire world, passively
accepting God's will. Is it better to argue with God or to accept God's will
passively?
3. We can compare the Jewish and Muslim faiths on this issue. The word
Islam means "surrenders to God." The word Israel means "wrestles with
God." What does it mean to be a people who wrestle with God? How is
that different from surrendering to God?
4. What are some other ways in which Noah was not worthy? Becoming
drunk and cursing his son? (Another hint -- God tells Noah to leave the
ark with his wife and his sons to leave with their wives. Noah leaves with
his son, leaving the women behind. What can we learn from this?)
Issue #2 - The Rainbow
"I have set My bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between
Me and the earth." (Genesis 9:13)
Discussion
1. When seeing a rainbow, it is traditional to say a blessing, Praised are

You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who remembers His covenant,
is faithful to it, and keeps His promise. Has God kept God's promise to
humanity? What did we promise to God and have we kept our part of the
covenant?
2. Why a rainbow? The rainbow has become the symbol of many interracial
and ecology groups. (Think Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition.) What is
the power of a rainbow? Why did the song called Over the Rainbow
become the most popular song ever in the movies, according to a recent
survey? Why do we speak of a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? The
rainbow obviously has become a powerful human symbol. Why?
3. Kabbalah - A rainbow is made up of many colors, each one separated
from the other. We know, however, that this separation of colors is an
illusion created by raindrops in the sky. Underneath the separation is
white light. Beneath the separations we see in the world is an underlying
unity. How can we move past the separations that mark our lives to see
the fundamental unity? How can we move beyond the things that divide
them -- race, religion, nationality, gender, age, and so on -- to see their
unity? Could this be the symbolic meaning of the rainbow?
PARASHAT LEKH LEKHA

Haftarah: Isaiah 40:27 - 41:16 (Etz Hayim, p. 95; Hertz p. 60)


Summary
God tells Abram to go forth from his home in Haran to a land that God would
show him. There God will make him into a great nation. Those who bless him
will be blessed and those who curse him will be cursed. Abram travels with his
wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and their entire household. When they arrive in
Canaan, Abram travels throughout the country, pitching his tent and building
altars to God.
A famine strikes the land of Canaan, and Abram travels to Egypt. There he
pretends that Sarai is his sister so that the Egyptians will not harm him. Only
after Pharaoh takes Sarai into his tent is the truth revealed -- that Sarai is
Abram's wife. (This theme, calling the wife a sister, will be repeated twice more
in Genesis.) Abram leaves Egypt a wealthy man.
Abram and Lot separate because their flocks become too large to pasture
together. Lot goes to live in the city of Sodom, a place known for selfishness
and cruelty. A war breaks out between various kings, including the king of
Sodom, and Lot is taken captive. Abram must become a soldier, rescuing Lot
and then refusing any financial reward for his service.
Abram has a powerful vision of a covenant between God and Abram's

descendents. He learns that his people will be slaves in a foreign land for four
hundred years, and then come forth to reclaim their homeland. Unable to have
children, Abram and Sarai turn to her handmaiden Hagar as a surrogate. Hagar
gives birth to a son, Ishmael. God again reaffirms the covenant, changing
Abram's name to Abraham and Sarai's name to Sarah. Circumcision is the
symbol of the covenant. Every male born into Abraham's household must be
circumcised on the eighth day. At the age of ninety nine, Abraham circumcises
his own foreskin.
Issue #1 - Leaving Home
"The Lord said to Abram, Go forth from your land, from your birthplace, from
your father's home to the land that I will show you." (Genesis 12:1)
Discussion
1. Notice that leaving home is done in three steps. What are the three
steps? When we move out of our parents' home, we first leave our home,
then our birth city, and then, finally, our land. The verse seems to be out
of order. Why? Could God have been talking about a spiritual leaving
rather than merely a physical leaving?
2. What are the three steps involved when a person leaves home today?
Some have said that first we must leave physically. Then we must leave
economically. Finally we must leave psychologically. What does each of
these steps mean? At what age does each one typically take place?
3. There was a time when children lived in their parents' home until
marriage. Today this has become rather rare. Is it a positive development
that children live on their own long before marriage? In what ways is it a
good thing? In what ways is it not?
4. The Midrash teaches that when he was in his father's house, Abraham
resembled a vial of precious myrrh closed with a tight-fitting lid. As long
as he stayed within his parents' home, nobody could smell the fragrance.
However, once he began his journey, the lid was opened and the
fragrance was disseminated (Genesis Rabbah 34:2). What were the
rabbis trying to teach about leaving home? (Must we leave home before
our precious fragrance can really waft through the world?)
5. How can parents help let their children go so they can succeed in the
world? Do parents try too hard to hold onto their children? The Torah
teaches that "a man must leave his mother and father and cleave onto
his wife" (Genesis 2:24) Why must a man, or a woman, leave before he
or she can cleave? When a man or a woman is too attached to parents,
can this be a threat to a marriage?
Issue #2 - Why Circumcision?
"This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your seed
after you. Every male child among you shall be circumcised." (Genesis 17:10)
Discussion
1. Last week, in studying the Noah story, we discussed why God chose the
rainbow as the symbol of the covenant with all humanity. In a similar
way, we can ask why God chose circumcision as the symbol of the
covenant with the people Israel. What do you believe to be the meaning
of circumcision?
2. Since the symbol of the covenant is on males, are females left out?
Should there be a parallel covenantal symbol on females, as some
feminists have suggested? How can we bring a baby girl into the
covenant with as much ceremony and pageantry as a baby boy at the
brit milah?
3. The Midrash teaches, "A philosopher asked R. Hoshaya: If circumcision
is so precious, why was it not given to Adam? - The real reason is,
whatever was created the first six days requires further preparation, e.g.
mustard needs sweetening, vetches need sweetening, wheat needs
grinding, and man too needs to be finished." (Genesis Rabbah 11:6)
Perhaps the message is that the world was created incomplete. Our job
is to complete the world. Does circumcision represent perfecting
something God made?
4. One other explanation (more controversial) - A number of people have
commented on the fact that circumcision takes place on the male sexual
organ. For example, the Encyclopedia Judaica writes, "It sanctified the
human body and aided it in its fight against erotic indulgence, as
exemplified by the cults of Astarte and Dionysus. The passions were not
to be ignored or suppressed, but were to be sublimated to noble ends." Is
part of the message of circumcision sexual self-control?
PARASHAT VAYERA



Summary
God appears to Abraham, who is recovering in his tent after his circumcision.
Abraham then sees three men standing nearby and invites them in, washing
their feet and preparing an entire meal for them. The men predict that at this
season next year, Sarah will give birth to a son. Sarah laughs, unable to
imagine that a couple their age can ever give birth to a child. (When the child is
born he will be named Isaac, from the Hebrew root for "laughter.")
God reveals to Abraham God's plan to destroy the evil cities of Sodom and
Gemorrah. Abraham argues with God -- would God be willing to save the cities
for the sake of 50 righteous people, he asks. Abraham continues to bargain with
God, finally convincing God to save the cities for the sake of 10 righteous
people. Unfortunately, not even 10 righteous people can be found there.
Angels enter the city to rescue Lot and his family, and a band of wicked men
immediately gather against them. Lot brings the men into his house and
protects them. Only Lot, his wife, and their two unmarried daughters are able to
flee before God destroys the cities with sulfurous fire. Lot's wife looks back and
turns into a pillar of salt. Lot's daughters, fearing they were the last people left
on earth, make their father drunk and become impregnated by him.
Finally Abraham and Sarah give birth to a son, Isaac. Sarah worries about
Hagar's son, Ishmael, and tells Abraham to send them away. Abraham sends
Hagar and Ishmael into the desert with a small amount of bread and water. God
hears Hagar's cries and opens her eyes to a well of water. God was with the
boy, who grew up to be a bowman.
God puts Abraham to a final test to prove his faithfulness. (According to rabbinic
tradition, this is the last of 10 tests.) Is Abraham prepared to go to a mountain
and offer Isaac as a whole offering? After three days of travel, Abraham and
Isaac arrive at the mountain where Abraham binds Isaac to the altar. At the last
minute, God substitutes a ram, knowing that Abraham has passed the test.
Abraham returns to his tent in Beer Sheva.
Issue #1 - The Sin of Sodom
"The Lord said, because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because
their sin is very grave; I will go down now, and see whether they have done
altogether according to her cry, which has come to me; and if not, I will know."
(Genesis 18:20-21)
Discussion
1. What was so evil about Sodom and Gemorrah that God would destroy
them? Is there a hint in the behavior of the men of the city, who tried to
attack the visitors in Lot's house? The rabbinic tradition said that visitors
(outsiders) were not welcome in Sodom. Why not?
2. The Talmud teaches, "One who says, 'What is mine is mine, what is
yours is yours,' this is a mediocre person. Some say this is the way of
Sodom." (Avot 5:14) In Sodom, people did not steal from others ("what is
yours is yours"). But in Sodom, people also did not share with others
("what is mine is mine"). Selfishness ruled, and people would not share
their wealth with others. The people there thought in terms of scarcity
(there is only a limited amount of wealth, and if I share with you I will
have less).
3. The Talmud developed this idea. One long section considers the
selfishness of Sodom. Among the stories in that section, one tells of a
poor man who came into town. A young woman was kind to him and
shared her money with him. When the people heard this, they attacked
and tortured her (Sanhedrin 109b). Helping the poor would set a bad
precedent for the community; beggars and poor people would move into
town. The Torah teaches that "God heard her cry" (Genesis 18:21), the
cry of a generous young woman attacked by her wicked neighbors.
Another story tells how the people would give a poor person marked
coins. No merchant would accept those coins, so the poor person could
not buy food and eventually would starve. Of whom were the people of
Sodom scared? Why did they try to keep the poor, travelers, and
beggars out of their town?
4. Is the way of Sodom similar to modern cities that try to keep the
homeless out? Are there ways that the self-absorbed nature of Sodom
can be seen playing itself out in our world?
5. We all have a little Sodom in us as we think that "what is mine is mine,
and I do not wish to share it." How can we overcome our own scarcity
complex?
Issue #2 - The Binding of Isaac
"And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his
son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them
together... "And Abraham said, 'My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a
burnt offering,' so they went both of them together" (Genesis 22:6, 8)
Discussion
1. In this very sparse story, the Torah twice mentions "and they went both
of the together." What is the Torah trying to tell us? Was there a
particularly warm relationship between the father and the son? How will
the akedah, the binding of Isaac, affect that relationship?
2. At the end of the story, the Torah says, "So Abraham returned to his
young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and
Abraham lived at Beersheba" (Genesis 22:19). Abraham returned alone.
Where was Isaac?
3. Is it possible that there was an estrangement between father and son?
Could they have gone their separate ways after the binding? In the Torah,
they never see each other again. The next time Isaac appears next to his
father is for Abraham's funeral.
4. I wrote in my book God, Love, Sex, and Family, "I want to suggest a
radical reinterpretation of the Akeda story. I believe Abraham failed God's
test. My interpretation may run counter to the classical religious
understanding of the story, but there are hints of this explication in
certain Hasidic commentaries. For example, one commentary claims that
God's true commandment was for Abraham not to sacrifice Isaac. (see
Kiddushat Halevi). - Perhaps Abraham failed the test, and that is the
reason why Abraham not only does not speak to his son again." Is this
explanation a possibility?
PARASHAT HAYE SARAH - BIRKAT HAHODESH



Summary
Sarah dies at the age of one hundred twenty seven. Abraham must find a
suitable burial place for his wife, and eventually for himself and family. He
negotiates with Ephron the Hittite and buys the cave of Machpelah. The price is
four hundred silver shekels, a fairly hefty price for that time.
Abraham is now old, and he is concerned that a proper wife be found for his son
Isaac. He addresses the senior servant of his household, traditionally identified
as Eliezer, telling him that he must go back to Abraham's homeland to find
Isaac a proper wife. Under no circumstances is Isaac to leave the promised
land, nor is he to take a wife from the local Canaanite women.
Eliezer travels to Aram-Naharaim and makes a vow by the well there.

Whichever maiden comes forth to draw water, offering a drink to him and his
camels, shall be the one who was decreed for Isaac. At that moment Abraham's
great-niece Rebekah comes forth to draw water. She offers Eliezer a drink and
brings water for his camels. He presents her with gifts and tells of his quest to
find a wife for Isaac. Rebekah brings him to her home, where he repeats the
story to her father, Bethuel, and her brother Laban.
Rebekah agrees to travel with Eliezer to marry Isaac. She sees Isaac
meditating in the field, alights from her camel, and covers her face. Isaac and
Rebekah marry, he loves her, and finds comfort after his mother's death.
Abraham takes another wife and bears more children, dying at the age of one
hundred seventy five. He is buried by his sons Isaac and Ishmael.
"Sarah's lifetime - the span of Sarah's life - came to one hundred and twenty-
seven years. Sarah died in Kiriath Arba, now Hebron, in the land of Canaan;
and Abraham proceeded to mourn for Sarah and bewail her" (Genesis 23:1-2)
Discussion
1. The parashah is called the "life of Sarah" although it speaks about the
death of Sarah. Often we do not know whether a person was successful
in life until after he or she dies. In Judaism, after someone dies, it is
traditional to remember him or her on the yahrzeit (the anniversary of the
death), not on the birthday. Why?
2. In America we celebrate Martin Luther King's birthday. But we remember
Moses' yahrzeit (7 Adar) and Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai's yahrzeit (18 Iyar
- lag b'omer). Why do we celebrate the end of life instead of its
beginning?
3. The Torah only once mentions a birthday. "On the third day - his birthday
- Pharaoh made a banquet for all his officials" (Genesis 40:20). Only a
pagan king, whose life was laid out entirely from birth, celebrates a
birthday. Is it because at birth our life is mere potential, and only after we
are gone does the world know if we lived a successful life? One
anonymous wit put it very well - no doctor ever said "I was present at the
birth of the child who will grow up to be William Shakespeare."
4. This idea is perhaps best expressed in a wonderful passage from the
Tanhuma. (Vayakhel 1). "'Better is the day of death than the day of birth'
(Ecclesiastes 7:1). When a person is born no one knows if his deeds will
be good or not, when he dies the world knows his deeds. R. Levi said, to
what can this be compared? To two boats in the harbor, one leaving on a
voyage and one coming home after a voyage. People shout for joy for
the one coming in. Someone asks, surprised, you shout for this one and
not for that one. They answered, we shout for this one because it went in
peace and returned in peace. But for that one, we do not know what the
future will bring. So too, when a baby is born, no one knows his future
deeds. Only when he dies do we know his deeds." Many rabbis use this
passage at a funeral for someone who has lived a good, successful life.
Perhaps this teaches that each of us has until the day of death to make
choices that will affect whether our lives will be successful.
Issue #2 - Love and Marriage
"Isaac then brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he took Rebekah
as his wife. Isaac loved her, and thus found comfort after his mother's death."
Discussion
1. According to an old popular song, "Love and marriage go together like a

horse and carriage." But is it true? We assume that people fall in love
and get married. Yet here is a couple who first got married then fell in
love. Did they do it backward?
2. Jacob and Rachel, on the other hand, fell deeply in love, and then they
were married. Who had the stronger marriage in the Bible, Isaac and
Rebekah or Jacob and Rachel? (Hint - how did each couple react to their
infertility? Isaac and Rebekah were infertile twenty years, yet they stood
across from one another praying for each other. Jacob, on the other
hand, became angry when Rachel cried out about her infertility. Second
hint - Isaac and Rebekah were buried together. Jacob asked to be buried
next to his first wife, Leah.)
3. Is the popular image of falling in love and then marrying necessarily
successful in our society? Why do so many marriages of people deeply
in love go wrong? Notice that in our portion, Eliezer did not look for love.
Rather he looked for values. Should we be looking for values rather than
romance when seeking a life partner?
4. We use the phrase "fall in love." This seems to indicate that we have no
control over whom we love; that love is a force like gravity that we cannot
control. Is that totally true? Can we choose whom we fall in love with?
Could we build stronger marriages if people look for a certain kind of
marriage partner, and only allow themselves to fall in love when they
meet the right kind of person?
5. Think about the Broadway play "Fiddler on the Roof." What kind of
marriage scenarios are described in it?
PARASHAT TOLDOT

Haftarah: Malakhil 1:1 - 2:27 (Etz Hayim, p. 163; Hertz p. 102)


Summary
Isaac takes Rebekah as a wife at the age of forty. They suffer from infertility for
twenty years, and pray for one another. Finally Rebekah conceives twins, who
struggle in her womb. She inquires of the Lord, who tells her that two nations
are in her womb and the older shall serve the younger. Esau is born first, red
like a hairy mantle. Jacob is born second.
Esau is a skillful hunter and Jacob is a man of the tents. Esau comes back from
the hunt hungry and sees Jacob making a lentil soup. He agrees to give Jacob
his birthright in exchange for the soup. A famine comes into the land, and Isaac
and his family move to Gerar. Like his father before him, Isaac pretends that his
wife Rebekah is his sister to protect him before Abimelech. Eventually,
Abimelech makes an agreement with Isaac. The Philistines fill up the wells that
Isaac's father had dug, and Isaac redigs and renames a number of wells. His
wealth multiplies.
Isaac is old and blind, so he asks his elder son, Esau, to hunt venison so he can
eat and bless him. Rebekah overhears and tells Jacob to prepare a meal, put
on hairy clothes (Esau was hairy), and pretend to be his brother. She wants him
to receive the blessing. Jacob is worried that his father will curse him, and
Rebekah replies that the curse will be on her. Jacob comes before his father
pretending to be Esau. Isaac replies, "The voice is the voice of Jacob but the
hands are the hands of Esau." Isaac blesses Jacob with the blessing meant for
Esau.
When Esau returns to his father, he learns that Jacob stole his blessing. He
begs his father to give him a blessing too. Esau harbors a grudge against his
brother, forcing his brother to flee in fear. Jacob leaves for Haran, ostensibly to
find a wife. When Esau learns that his brother was going to find a wife from
within the family, he takes Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael as an additional
wife.
Issue #1 - Sibling Rivalry
"But the children struggled in her womb, and she said, if so, why do I exist?"
(Genesis 25:22).
Discussion
1. Cain and Abel, Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, Leah and Rachel,
Joseph and his brothers - sibling rivalry seems to be built into the
universe. Rebekah expresses the pain she feels when her children
struggle in the womb. It is the pain all parents feel when their children do
not get along. What can be done to prevent sibling rivalry? What can
parents do to prevent their children from fighting?
2. Only Moses and Aaron, of all the brothers in the Torah, seem to get
along. The Midrash teaches, "'Oh if you were as my brother.' (Song of
Songs 8:1) We find that all the brothers in the Torah hate one another. -
What brothers is Israel referring to? Moses and Aaron, about whom it
says 'Here is what is good and what is pleasant, for brothers to dwell
together' (Psalms 133:1). They loved and honored one another. When
Moses took the kingship and Aaron took the priesthood, they did not hate
each other but each rejoiced in the other's achievement." (Tanhuma
Shmot 27)
3. Francis Klagsbrun has written, "[There is] the need brothers and sisters
have to be different, to distinguish themselves from one another, to
establish their own identities..." (Francine Klagsbrun, Mixed Feelings;
Love, Hate, Rivalry, and Reconciliation Among Brothers and Sisters,
New York: Bantam Books, 1992 p. 27). How can parents help each child
establish his or her own identity?
4. The Bible teaches, "A friend is devoted at all times, but a brother is born
for adversity" (Proverbs 17:17). The Ralbag comments that a friend is
there for good times, but when difficult times hit, a person turns to a
brother or sister. Because they are flesh and bone, they have a mutual
obligation to one another. Are we obligated to be our brother or sister's
keeper? Is there a definition of how much of a keeper we might need to
be? Are there mitigating circumstances? Is this part of honoring our
parents?
Issue #2 - Unconditional Love
"Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for game, but Rebekah loved Jacob."
Discussion
1. Both parents made the mistake of playing favorites with their children.
But at least Rebekah loved her son Jacob unconditionally. Isaac, on the
other hand, loved Esau because he brought him game to eat. What
happens when parents love their children based on what their children
do? Can parents love their children unconditionally?
2. If a child brings home a good report card, suppose the parent says, "This
is wonderful. I love you." Is that a mistake? Should love ever be tied to
behavior? How often do we love others expecting some kind of behavior
from those others?
3. Pirke Avot teaches that there are two kinds of love, conditional and
unconditional. "All love that is conditional, when the condition disappears
the love disappears. All love that is not conditional will never disappear.
What is conditional love? The love of Amnon and Tamar. What is
unconditional love? The love of David and Jonathan" (Avot 5:16).
4. In the Bible, Amnon loved Tamar because he was sexually attracted to
her. He had his way with her and then hated her. (See II Samuel, chapter
13.) Why does conditional love so quickly turn into hate? On the other
hand, Jonathan sacrificed his kingship for David. (See I Samuel, chapter
20.) How can we learn to put ourselves, our needs, and our egos aside in
order to love someone else unconditionally?
PARASHAT VAYETZE

Haftarah: Hosea 12:13 - 14:10 (Etz Hayim, p. 189; Hertz p. 118)


Summary
Jacob flees to Haran. He dreams at night of a ladder reaching to the sky, with
angels going up and down. God appears to Jacob and promises that his
descendents will be as the dust of the earth. Jacob awakes and says, "God is
present in this place and I did not know it." He calls the place Beth El (house of
God) and makes a vow of faithfulness to God.
Jacob travels east and comes to a well. There he spots his cousin Rachel, and
he immediately falls in love. Jacob kisses Rachel, and makes an agreement
with her father Laban to work seven years for Rachel's hand in marriage. After
seven years of work, Laban tricks Jacob and gives him Rachel's older sister,
Leah, instead. Jacob may marry Rachel but must work an additional seven
years for her. Altogether, Jacob works twenty years for Laban, seven for Leah,
seven for Rachel, and six for the flocks.
Leah begins to give birth to sons, but Rachel is infertile. Rachel cries out, "Give
me children or I will die." Jacob responds with anger. Rachel gives Jacob her
handmaiden Bilhah as a concubine, and Leah gives her handmaiden Zilpah.
Finally Rachel does give birth to a son, Joseph. Between his two wives and his
two concubines, Jacob is the father of eleven sons and one daughter. (A twelfth
son will be born in next week's portion.)
Jacob sees that Laban's attitude toward him is changing, and he agrees to work
for speckled and spotted sheep and goats. Through his knowledge of animal
breeding, Jacob is able to help the herds breed many speckled and spotted
animals, and he acquires wealth. Jacob, his wives, and children flee from Laban,
and Rachel steals Laban's household gods. Laban chases Jacob and confronts
him. Eventually Jacob and Laban sign a treaty, and Jacob begins the journey
back home.
Issue #1 - Is There Justice?
"Laban said, It is not the practice in our place to marry off the younger before
the older" (Genesis 29:26)
Discussion
1. "What goes around comes around." Sometimes there are hidden

messages in a portion. In this week's portion, Jacob thinks he is marrying
his beloved Rachel but discovers he has married her older sister, Leah.
When he protests, his father-in-law Laban says, "in our place the
younger does not come before the older." What is the Torah trying to hint
to us?
2. Jacob had stolen the blessing from his older brother Esau. Was he
wrong? This portion seems to indicate that he was punished; that the
younger does not come before the older. It seems to be a clear hint of
justice for wrong action. Is this the Torah's ultimate message?
3. There is another similar hint later in Genesis. When Judah and his
brothers throw Joseph in a pit and sell him as a slave, they approach
their father with Joseph's bloody tunic. Judah uses the words heker
na"Do you recognize this as your son's tunic or not?" Later, when Tamar
confronts Judah after she has become pregnant, she says heker na"Do
you recognize whose seal, cord, and staff these are?" The similarities in
the language seems to indicate that Judah is being punished for the
words he said to his father.
4. The hidden message is "what goes around comes around." Justice
seems to occur over time. The punishment fits the crime. The rabbis
have a phrase for this - mida keneged mida, "measure for measure.
5. Does justice seem to work out over time? This is the claim of the hymn
Yigdal, based on Maimonides' thirteen principles of Jewish faith. Gomel
l'ish hesed k'mifalo, notain l'rasha ra k'rishato. "God rewards a person
kindness according to his actions, but he causes a sinner evil according
to his wickedness." Is it true? Perhaps there is reward and punishment,
but only in the next world. If justice does not exist, shall we drop this idea
from our theology? If we cannot see the justice, does that mean it does
not exist?
6. In Pirkei Avotwe learn, "Rabbi Yannai said, It is not in our power to
explain the relative peace of the wicked and the suffering of the
righteous" (Avot 4:15). Is Rabbi Yannai giving up on finding justice in this
world? Can we still teach our children that actions have consequences
and what goes around comes around?
Issue #2 - Children Meeting Our Needs
"Leah conceived and bore a son, and named him Reuven, for she declared, it
means 'the Lord has seen my affliction,' it also means 'now my husband will
love me'" (Genesis 29:32)
Discussion
1. Leah named her first born Reuven, from a Hebrew root meaning "to see."
Her hope was that the child would save her marriage, that her husband
would see her pain. She named her second son Shimon, from a root
meaning "to hear." Her hope was that her husband would hear her pain.
She named her third son Levi, from a Hebrew root meaning "attached."
She hoped that her husband would become attached to her. Having
children to strengthen her relationship with her husband did not work.
Can a child save his or her parents' marriage? Is it a fair burden to put on
a child?
2. Leah conceived a fourth son, Judah, from the same Hebrew root as
"thank you." This time she simply wanted to thank God for the blessing of
the child, with no expectations about her marriage. Judah would become
the leader of the tribes. (That is the reason we are called Jews.) Is it a
coincidence that the child born without expectations is the one who
became the leader?
3. Is it possible for a parent to have children without expectations? Is it not
normal do put expectations on our children? For example, do Jews have
particularly high academic expectations for their children? What happens
when Jewish children fail to meet their parents' high expectations by
getting poor grades or dropping out of college?
4. Some parents put unusual expectations on a child. For example,
sometimes parents will give birth to a child to harvest bone marrow or
other donor cells. Is having a child with such an expectation ethical?
PARASHAT VAYISHLAH

Haftarah: Obadiah 1:1 - 21 (Etz Hayim, p. 222; Hertz p. 137)


Summary
Jacob sends messengers to his brother Esau, trying to reconcile after 20 years.
He sends gifts, while preparing his camp in case Esau chooses to go to war.
Commentators say that Jacob prepared in three ways - gifts, prayer, and if
necessary, war. After helping his family cross the river Jabbok, Jacob is left
alone by the stream. A man wrestles with him until sunrise, hurting Jacob's hip
socket. Jacob asks for a blessing, and the man changes his name to Israel.
Jacob confronts his brother Esau, introducing his wives and children. They
embrace and reconcile somewhat. But each brother then goes his own way.
Jacob arrives in the city of Shechem, setting up an altar there.
Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, goes out to visit the daughters of the
land. Schechem the Hivite takes her and lays with her by force. He asks his
father Hamor to arrange his marriage to Dinah. Jacob waits until his sons come
in from the fields. The sons tell Hamor that it would be improper for their sister
to marry anybody who is not circumcised. Hamor agrees that all the men of his
community will be circumcised, the two communities will trade with one another,
and they will marry into each other's families. On the third day, as the Hivite
men were recovering from the circumcision, Simeon and Levi take swords and
slay all the Hivites, and the brothers plunder the town. When Jacob criticizes
their actions, the brothers retort, "Shall our sister be treated like a whore?"
God tells Jacob to purify the camp and remove all foreign gods. Again God
blesses Jacob and stresses his new name, Israel. Rachel goes into hard labor
and dies giving birth to a twelfth son, Benjamin. She is buried on the road to
Bethlehem.
The portion ends with a list of the 12 sons of Jacob. This is followed by a long
list of the descendents of Esau.
Issue #1 - Wrestled With Whom?
"Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn."
(Genesis 32:25)
Discussion
1. With whom did Jacob wrestle? The Torah is vague. Let us give three
possible answers.
2. The Torah teaches that Jacob was left alone. So the most obvious
answer is that Jacob wrestled with himself. Perhaps the wrestling was
between his good and evil inclinations. The evil inclination had caused
Jacob either to hide himself or to flee whenever he confronted a difficulty.
He hid his true identity from his father; he fled from his brother; he later
fled from his father-in-law. The good inclination said that it was time to
stand up and confront difficulty rather than hiding or fleeing.
3. Perhaps Jacob wrestled with an angel. According to the prophet Hosea,
"In the womb he took his brother by the heel, and by his strength he
strove with a godlike being. He strove with an angel and prevailed"
(Hosea 12:3-4). There was a belief in spiritual beings, messengers from
God who interact with humans.
4. Perhaps Jacob actually wrestled with God. After all, the Torah teaches
that Jacob's name was changed to Yisrael - "Israel" -- which means
"wrestles with God." The entity who fought with Jacob said, "You have
striven with God and man and prevailed." He refused to give his name,
just as God does not give His holy name. Jacob named the place Peniel,
which means "the face of God." "I have seen God face to face and
prevailed" (Genesis 32:31).
5. Which of those three responses seems most credible? Is the question
"with whom did Jacob wrestle?" really important? Or is the important
point that Jacob walked (or rather limped) away as a changed man? Do
we as individuals have moments where we confront ourselves, our
guardian angel, or perhaps God, and walk away changed?
Issue #2 - The Rape of Dinah
"Now Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to
visit the daughters of the land." (Genesis 34:1)
Discussion
1. The story of Dinah is violent and tragic. Yet perhaps there are insights
we can learn from this terrible story that would be helpful even today.
2. Who is the villain of this story? At first glance it is Shechem, the son of
Hamor, who took Dinah and lay with her by force. He is a rapist, who
deserves a swift punishment. Yet Dinah's brothers mete out a
punishment far beyond the crime. And the story also can be read
differently; that Dinah went willingly to Shechem's tent and was not
forced. (See Anita Diamant's novel The Red Tent, for a feminist
interpretation of the story. In the novel, Dinah loved Shechem and never
forgave her brothers for their vicious attack.)
3. Some commentators actually blame Dinah. Rashi calls her a yotzanit, a
girl who likes to go out. "Scripture calls her the daughter of Leah, not the
daughter of Jacob. Because she went out, she is called the daughter of
Leah. For she was also a woman who liked to go out, as scripture says,
'Leah went out to meet him.' (Gen. 30:16) With allusion to her they
formulated the proverb, 'like mother like daughter.'" Is Leah to blame?
Were the commentators concerned about Jewish girls who leave their
homes and go out in public, perhaps acting immodesty? (Today we might
call Dinah a "party girl.") Is that fair?
4. A radical idea worthy of consideration - perhaps ultimately Jacob was to
blame. "Now Dinah the daughter of Leah who was born to Jacob went
out to visit the daughters of the land." (Genesis 34:1) Note that it says
Dinah the daughter of Leah who was born to Jacob, rather than the more
customary usage Dinah the daughter of Jacob. Dinah was raised by her
mother. Jacobis merely identified as the sperm donor; he was not an
ongoing presence in his daughter's life. Could it be that the story of Dinah
is a story about fathering, particularly the fathering of a daughter?
Fatherhood does take on a particular importance in the raising of
daughters. A little girl learns to love a man by learning first to love her
daddy. If he has been a constant presence in her life, as an adult she will
be able to transfer that love to a man in a mature relationship. Without a
daddy's presence, too many young women like Dinah seek male
affection in premature, inappropriate relationships. Were her brothers
attacking Jacob's treatment of Dinah when they exclaimed, "Should our
daughter be treated like a whore?"
PARASHAT VAYESHEV - BIRKAT HAHODESH

Haftarah: Amos 2:6 - 3:8 (Etz Hayim, p. 247; Hertz p. 152)


Summary
This week's portion begins with the great saga of Joseph and his brothers.
Joseph, the first son born to Jacob by his beloved Rachel, is favored by his
father. Jacob buys Joseph an ornamented tunic, sometimes translated "a coat
of many colors." Joseph speaks about a dream where his brothers are sheaves
in a field, bowing down to his sheath. In another dream, the sun, moon, and 11
stars all bow to him. His brothers hate Joseph.
Joseph goes to visit his brothers, who are pasturing their flocks in Shechem.
The brothers see him and conspire to kill him, but one brother, Reuven,
convinces them to throw him in a pit instead. The brothers sell Joseph to a
group of passing Ishmaelites (or perhaps Midianites) who sell him as a slave
down to Egypt. The brothers dip Joseph's coat in blood and bring it back to their
father. Another brother, Judah, asks, "Do you recognize this? Is it your son's
tunic?" Jacob is inconsolable at the perceived loss of his son.
The Torah digresses to tell the story of Judah and Tamar. Judah's oldest son,
Er, marries Tamar, and then dies childless. His second son, Onan, who is
obligated to have children in his brother's name, spills his seed upon the ground
and also dies. Judah refuses to give Tamar to his youngest son, Shelah. The
years pass, and Tamar disguises herself as a harlot on the roadway. She is
impregnated by Judah, who gives her his seal, cord, and staff as a pledge.
When Judah learns his daughter-in-law is pregnant, he is infuriated. Tamar
approaches him with the same words he had used with his father, "Do you
recognize this?" Tamar gives birth to twins.
Meanwhile, Joseph is in Egypt where he is second in command in the home of

Potiphar, chief steward of Pharaoh. Potiphar's wife tries to seduce Joseph, and
when he refuses, she accuses him of trying to rape her. Joseph is thrown into
prison. There, when Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker tell their dreams, Joseph is
able to interpret them. At the end of the portion, Joseph has been forgotten in
prison.
Issue #1 - In the Pit
"When Joseph came up to his brothers, they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the
ornamented tunic that he was wearing, and took him and cast him into the pit.
The pit was empty; there was no water in it" (Genesis 37:23-24)
Discussion
1. The Torah teaches that the pit was empty, there was no water in it. Is it
not obvious that if the pit was empty, there is no water? Rashi quotes the
Talmud on this, "There was no water. No water, but there were snakes
and scorpions." (Shabbat 22a) Why is this important? Perhaps the
Talmud is emphasizing how terrible the pit was, filled with snakes and
scorpions.
2. Joseph's life goes from highs to lows to highs to lows. One moment he is
the favorite son, gloating over his brothers. Then he is at the bottom of a
miserable pit, filled with snakes and scorpions. One moment he is the
chief assistant to Pharaoh's chief steward, with all the powers of the
household. The next moment he is languishing in jail. And yet, by next
week's portion, he will be the second most powerful man in Egypt. Frank
Sinatra sang, "That's life, that's what all the people say. You're riding
high in April, shot down in May." These lyrics seem to apply Joseph's life.
Perhaps less dramatically, they apply to all of our lives.
3. Perhaps one message of this portion is that we all go through ups and
downs. We have moments when we are on top of the world, and then
suddenly we are cast into a pit. But we are never in the pit forever. We
find a way to climb out of it. Jews, through centuries of suffering, have
been strangely upbeat about the future. That is why Israel's national
anthem is Hatikva, the hope.
4. How can these ideas help someone who feels that he or she is in a pit?
How can people get past the sad, difficult periods of life? The book of
Psalms teaches, "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I fear no harm for you are with me". We can walk through it, and
God is with us. Was God with Joseph in the pit? Can we tell if God is with
us? Can we tell only after a down-time episode?
Issue #2 - Sexual Ethics
"After a time, his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph and said, lie with me.
But he refused" (Genesis 39:7-8)
Discussion
1. When Joseph refuses to lie with Potiphar's wife, he says "He has
withheld nothing from me except yourself, since you are his wife. How
then could I do this most wicked thing, and sin before God?" (Genesis
39:9) Joseph says that such a sexual encounter would not only be a sin
against Potiphar, but a sin against God. Does God care about our sexual
lives?
2. Suppose Potiphar and his wife had an open marriage, where both
agreed to allow such sexual encounters. Would it still be a sin? Are there
any absolutes when it comes to sexual behavior? Why has God taught
that adultery is wrong, even if both the husband and the wife agree to it?
3. The Torah is deeply concerned with how people conduct their sexual
lives. Judaism teaches that sex is good; in fact it is a gift from God. Sex
with the right person, in the right context, with the right attitude, becomes
a way of serving God. To use the language of Judaism, sex is a mitzvah.
The mitzvah is not simply procreation, but the mutual pleasure of the
sexual act itself. To live a life of sexual abstinence is considered a
tragedy. Nevertheless, there is another message from Jewish tradition
that is more sobering. Sex, in the wrong context, with the wrong person,
with the wrongattitude, can become a destructive force. Sex can destroy
families, damage marriages, spread disease, lead to premature
pregnancies, or become addictive. The sexual act itself is morally neutral,
a mere biological act. All depends on context. In what context is sex
destructive, and it what context is sex a way of serving God?
PARASHAT MIKETZ - SEVENTH HANUKKAH
CANDLE

Haftarah: Zehariah 2:14 - 4:7 (Etz Hayim, p. 1270; Hertz p. 987)


Summary
The saga of Joseph and his brothers continues. Pharaoh dreams of seven fat,
healthy cows coming forth from the Nile. Seven skinny, unhealthy cows then
come forth and swallow the healthy cows. A second dream is similar, with
seven healthy stalks of grain being swallowed by seven windblown, scraggly
stalks. Pharaoh seeks an interpretation, and the cupbearer remembers Joseph
in prison. Joseph is brought before Pharaoh.
Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dreams. Seven years of plenty will come, followed
by seven years of famine. Joseph, not shy about speaking out, recommends
that Pharaoh appoint a man to oversee food storage during the healthy years.
Pharaoh appoints Joseph as his overseer, giving him a royal ring, and Asnath
the daughter of Poti Phera (Potiphar?) as a wife. Joseph stores food during the
years of plenty, preparing for the famine, and becomes the second most
powerful man in Egypt.
The famine also hits Canaan. Joseph's brothers, with the exception of Benjamin,
come down to Egypt to buy food. They do not recognize Joseph. He speaks
harshly to them and accuses them of being spies. The brothers tell Joseph of
their brother who no longer exists and the younger brother still in Canaan.
Joseph sells them grain, but arrests Simeon and tells them to return, bringing
Benjamin next time. On the return trip home, the brothers discover that their
money has been returned to their sacks.
The famine continues, and the brothers return to Egypt. This time Jacob
reluctantly allows Benjamin to go with them. Judah takes responsibility for
Benjamin's safety. Joseph sells them food, but also hides his expensive goblet
in Benjamin's sack. When Joseph finds the goblet, he accuses Benjamin of
being a thief. Benjamin will become a slave. The portion ends with the open
question - will the brothers abandon Benjamin to slavery in Egypt as they did to
Joseph so long before?
Issue #1 - Is Guilt Good?
"They said to one another, we are guilty regarding our brother. We saw him
suffering when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this
great misfortune is on us now" (Genesis 42:21)
Discussion
1. The brothers still feel guilty over what happened to their brother years
before. Is guilt a healthy emotion? Today therapists speak of finding
healthy self-esteem by letting go of guilt. Is this therapeutic approach
healthier than the traditional religious approach, which seems to place
importance on guilt? Does Jewish tradition overemphasize guilt, as so
many Jewish comics have claimed?
2. The book of Leviticus speaks of the hatat, sin offering, and asham, guilt
offering. These offerings use sacrifices to reestablish atonement (at-one-
ment) with God. People seem to have a need to become at one with God
once again after they do something wrong. Is sacrifice a requirement for
atonement? In our day and age, how can we make our peace with God
when we are burdened with guilt? What sacrifices must we make?
3. "Rabbi Elazar taught, Doing righteous deeds of charity is greater than
sacrifices, as it is written, 'Doing charity and justice is more acceptable to
the Lord than sacrifice'" (Proverbs 21:3). Christianity teaches that
sacrifice is still necessary to remove guilt, in particular the sacrifice of
Jesus on the cross. Judaism rejects that idea. Charity, justice, and of
course, repentance are necessary to overcome guilt. How do they
accomplish that?
4. What is the difference between guilt and shame? (A thought - Guilt is the
statement "I did something bad." Shame is the statement "I am
something bad." Guilt can be healthy if it brings real changes. Shame is
never healthy. No matter what we do in life, we are still infinitely precious
in the eyes of our Creator.)
Issue #2 - Hanukkah
"One should always go up in holiness and not go down in holiness" (Shabbat

21b)
Discussion
1. What is the actual mitzvah of lighting candles on Hanukkah? "Our rabbis

taught, The mitzvah of Hanukkah is one light for a man and his
household. Those who want to beautify the mitzvah [hiddur mitzvah], a
light for every one in the household. Those who want to further beautify
the mitzvah, the school of Shammai taught, on the first day light eight
candles, then lower the number each day. The school of Hillel taught, on
the first day light one candle, then, on each day, raise the number"
(Shabbat 21b).
2. What is the reason for Shammai's teaching? One reason is that it reflects
the offerings of Sukkot, where the number was diminished each day.
What does Hanukkah have to do with Sukkot? (Note - many scholars
believe Hanukkah began as a delayed celebration of the eight-day
festival of Sukkot.)
3. What is the reason for Hillel's teaching? One reason is that one should
always go up in holiness and never go down. What does this mean for us
today? Rabbi Robert Gordis, z'l told a story of a Hasidic rebbe who asks
his students, "Two people are on a ladder, one on the second step and
one on the thirteenth step. Who is higher?" The students think the
question is obvious. But the rebbe responds, "Who is higher? It depends
whether they are climbing up or climbing down." How can we go up in
holiness in our lives?
PARASHAT VAYIGASH
January 7, 2006 - 7 Tevet 5766



Summary
The saga of Joseph and his brothers comes to a climax this week. Judah steps
forward to speak out to Joseph on behalf of Benjamin. Judah gives an
impassioned speech on why Benjamin should not be taken into slavery, on how
such an action will destroy their father, whose soul is bound with Benjamin's
soul. Joseph, upon hearing the speech, can no longer control himself. He asks
all his attendants to leave and reveals his identity to his brothers.
The brothers embrace and weep, and Joseph gives gifts to each of them. He
describes how there will be five more years of famine, and invites them all to
live in Egypt. He asks them to bring their father Jacob down to Egypt. The
brothers return to Canaan and reveal to Jacob that Joseph is still alive. Jacob
says, "My son Joseph is alive. I must go see him before I die."
God appears to Jacob, repeats the blessing, and tells him not to fear going
down to Egypt. The Torah then lists the names of the Israelites who go down to
Egypt. Joseph goes to meet his father. (Usually a visitor would come to the
palace of the second most powerful man in Egypt. But to honor to his father,
Joseph goes to meet him.) Joseph tells the Israelites to say they are shepherds,
because the Egyptians abhor shepherds. They therefore will be able to live a
separate existence in the land of Goshen.
The portion ends with Joseph gathering wealth for Pharaoh's household. He
arranges that the peasants can work the land and keep four fifths of what they
grow. One fifth is taken to Pharaoh's household. The people Israel settle in
Goshen, their holdings increase, and they are fertile and multiply greatly.
Issue #1 - True Repentance
"For how can I go back to my father unless the boy is with me? Let me not be
witness to the woe that would overtake my father" (Genesis 44:34)
Discussion
1. Can we justify Joseph's behavior, which seems cruel and vengeful

throughout this saga? He accuses his brothers of beings spies, arrests
Simeon, tells them to return with the younger brother Benjamin, hides his
cup in Benjamin's sack, accuses him of being a thief, and seeks to make
him a slave. In tradition, Joseph is called Yosef HaTzadik, Joseph the
righteous. Is this righteous behavior?
2. One possible answer - Joseph was trying to set up the situation to test
his brothers. Would they sell Benjamin into slavery, just as they sold
Joseph into slavery? Or had the brothers changed, and would they step
forward to rescue Benjamin? Is this really a story about repentance?
3. Maimonides wrote, "What is true repentance? Somebody has the same
opportunity to sin as he did in the past, but he does not do so because of
repentance. His new behavior is neither from fear nor a lack of strength.
How so? A man had come upon a woman in a forbidden way, and after a
time he is alone with her, still loves her, and has the strength, is in the
same place. But he holds back and does not transgress. This is complete
repentance" (Hilchot Teshuva 2:1). The proof of true repentance is when
a person is confronted with the same opportunity to sin, but shows real
change by reacting differently. Did Joseph's brothers change?
4. A fundamental Jewish teaching is that people can change. We often say,
"You cannot teach a dog new tricks" and "A leopard cannot change its
spots." These proverbs refer to animals. Is the ability to change who we
are part of what separates us humans from the animal world? How can
we change who we are?
Issue #2 - Taxes
"And when the harvest comes, you shall give one-fifth to Pharaoh, and four-
fifths shall be yours as seed for the fields and as food for you and those in your
households, and as nourishment for your children" (Genesis 47:24)
Discussion
1. One of the major issues that separate various political parties is the rate
of taxation. In general, liberals will support higher tax rates to provide
more government money for the social weal, to overcome poverty,
homelessness, and health problems. Europe and Israel have high rates
of taxation and many social programs for the poor. In general,
conservatives favor lower tax rates and more limited government. They
believe that government programs prevent people from taking
responsibility for their own welfare. Who is right?
2. In the beginning, Joseph confiscated all property for the government in
exchange for feeding the people. It created a sense of hopelessness.
Does too high a tax rate create a sense of hopelessness, that people
have nothing for themselves?
3. Does society have a responsibility to care for people, and does too low a
tax rate remove the social safety net that a just society ought to erect for
its citizens?
4. In the end, Joseph agrees to tax at a rate of 20 percent. Some
conservative commentators have suggested that this should be the
maximum tax rate. For example, Rabbi Daniel Lapin has written, "Not
only were Pharaoh's subjects relieved, but the thought of being able to
retain 80 percent of the fruits of their labors threw them into their work
with renewed enthusiasm and energy" ("A Higher Authority on Taxes,"
Wall Street Journal, Aug. 31, 1993). Is Lapin correct, or is 20 percent too
little in a society that seeks to remove poverty?
PARASHAT VAYEHI
January 14, 2006 - 14 Tevet 5766



Summary
The book of Genesis comes to an end, with the death of Jacob and eventually
the death of Joseph. Jacob has lived 117 years in Egypt, 147 years altogether.
He makes his son Joseph pledge to bury him not in Egypt but in the family
burial place back in Canaan. Joseph also takes his two sons Efraim and
Manessah to his father for a blessing. Jacob put his right hand on the younger
son, Efraim, and his left hand on the older son, Manessah, telling Joseph that
the younger brother will be greater. He blesses them with the words, "By you
shall Israel invoke blessings, saying God make you like Efraim and Manessah."
(This blessing is still used today when Jews bless their sons. When they bless
their daughters, they say "May God make you like Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and
Leah.")
Jacob calls his twelve sons around him, and gives them each a final blessing.
The words are part blessing and part prophecy, often painfully revealing Jacob's
feelings toward each of his sons. The strongest blessings are reserved for
Judah and for Joseph. Again Jacob asks to be buried in the Cave of Machpelah
next to his first wife, Leah. Jacob dies surrounded by his sons. He is embalmed,
and carried back to Canaan for burial with a great processional, including
Egyptian dignitaries.
After the mourning period, the brothers tell Joseph that their father asked him to
forgive them for their harsh treatment. They tell him that they are prepared to be
his slaves in Egypt. Joseph responds, "You intended me harm, but God
intended it for good, the survival of many people." Joseph lives 110 years, long
enough to see his great grandchildren. He asks that after he dies, his bones be
brought up from Egypt. Joseph dies and his body is embalmed in Egypt.
Issue #1 - Older and Younger
"But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Efraim's head, though he
was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head - thus crossing his
hands - although Manasseh was the first-born" (Genesis 48:14)
Discussion
1. One of the most prevalent themes in Genesis is the younger son taking
priority over the older. God accepts Abel's offering before Cain's, God
makes the covenant with Isaac rather than Ishmael, Jacob takes both the
right of the firstborn and the blessing from his older brother Esau, Jacob
chooses his strongest blessing for Judah rather than older brothers
Reuben, Simeon, or Levi. What is the Torah trying to teach us?
2. By Torah law, the eldest son does have certain prerogatives. He inherits
a double portion, even if he is born of an unloved wife (Deuteronomy
21:15-17). Later rabbinic law teaches that a younger sibling should honor
an older one in a manner similar to the way parents are honored,
particularly when the older sibling has taken a role in raising him or her
(Yoreh Deah 240:22).
3. Francine Klagsbrun has written that birth order matters (Mixed Feelings;
Love, Hate, Rivalry, and Reconciliation Among Brothers and Sisters). It is
the firstborn who feels the greatest sense of displacement when younger
children are born. He or she has gone from being the only one to sharing
mom and dad with another. Firstborns often feel rage and resentment
towards younger siblings; they also often experience protective and
paternal or maternal feelings. A younger child is in a very different
position within the family. Everybody else is bigger, older, more powerful.
He or she will look up to and admire an older one; yet he or she also may
resent the power and authority of the older child. Middle children share
aspects of both older and younger. They suffer the same dethronement
as the firstborn, without all the ongoing attention given the baby. It is not
unusual for them to feel confused. How true are these generalities?
4. Is one theme of Genesis that we are not victims of our biology; that birth
order is not necessarily destiny? What does that teach us today?
Issue #2 - The Messiah
"The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his
feet; So that tribute shall come to him, and the homage of peoples be his"
(Genesis 49:10)
Discussion
1. The verse is difficult to translate. We translated od kee yavo sheelo as

"so tribute shall come to him." The rabbis understood its meaning as shai
lo, gifts will be brought to him. Rashi writes "This is the King Messiah,
and thus does Onkeles translate this verse. The Midrash says shai lo,
`Let them bring presents to the one who is feared' (Psalms 76:12)." In
other words, this verse is an allusion, some would say the only allusion in
the Torah, to the coming of the Messiah.
2. Jewish history has seen many false messiahs. Rabbi Akiba thought that
Bar Kochba was the messiah. Jews never have accepted Jesus of
Nazareth as the messiah. Many Jews in Europe became followers of
Shabbatai Tzvi when he claimed to be the messiah, until he converted to
Islam. Many people today claim that the late Lubavitcher Rebbe was the
messiah. How will we know when the real messiah has come?
Some Jews have said that we should remove the doctrine of the messiah from
our liturgy, and instead speak of a messianic age. For example, the Reform
movement has changed the word goel, redeemer, in the prayerbook to geula,
redemption. Is this an appropriate change? Is there a value to hoping and
praying for a time when the messiah will come?
PARASHAT SHEMOT
January 21, 2006 - 21 Tevet 5766
Annual: Exodus 1:1-6:1 (Etz Hayim, p. 317; Hertz p. 206)

Triennial Cycle: Exodus 3:1-4:17 (Etz Hayim, p. 326; Hertz p. 213)
Haftarah: Isaiah 27:6 - 28:13; 29:22-23 (Etz Hayim, p. 343, 347; Hertz p. 225,
228)


Summary
A new pharaoh arises in Egypt who did not know Joseph. He fears that the
people Israel will continue to multiply and become more powerful than the
Egyptians, so he appoints taskmasters over the Israelites and enslaves them.
He makes them build the cities of Pithom and Raamses. Pharaoh also tells the
two midwives, Shifra and Puah, to kill every baby boy born to the Hebrew
women. But the midwives, in an act of civil disobedience, refuse. Finally
Pharaoh declares that every Hebrew baby boy be thrown into the Nile and
drowned.
A baby boy is born to a Hebrew woman from the tribe of Levi. After hiding him
for three months, she places the baby in a basket and sets him afloat on the
Nile River. Pharaoh's daughter rescues the baby, names him Moses, and raises
him as her own. Moses' birth mother becomes his wet nurse. As a young man,
Moses sees an Egyptian beating an Israelite. He kills the Egyptian; when word
gets out, Moses flees from Egypt. He goes to Midian, marries Zipporah, the
daughter of Jethro, and prepares to live a peaceful life as a shepherd.
Moses spots a bush that burns but is not consumed. He approaches the bush
and hears the voice of God telling him to go back to Egypt and tell Pharaoh to
let the Israelites go. When Moses asks who God is, God simply answers, "I am
Who I am." Moses tries to come up with various excuses not to go, including the
fact that he is "heavy of tongue." God says that his brother Aaron can go to
speak for him, so Moses leaves for Egypt.
On the journey back, Moses almost dies from an illness. Zipporah takes a sharp
flint and circumcises their son. Moses and Aaron confront Pharaoh and
Pharaoh replies, "Who is this God that I should let his people go?" Pharaoh
increases the burden of the people's slavery, and the people blame Moses for
their suffering.
Issue #1 - The Role of Women
"But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded
them, but saved the male children alive" (Exodus 1:17)
Discussion
1. We often hear that women played a somewhat passive role in the Bible.
This certainly is not true of the events leading to the redemption from
Egypt. No fewer than six women had major roles in the events leading up
to the Exodus. (Before reading further, can you name these women?)
2. Shifra and Puah were the midwives who refused to kill the Israelite's
baby boys. Rashi on Exodus 1:15 says these midwives really were
Moses' mother and sister Yocheved and Miriam. Why might Rashi not
have made them separate heroines in their own right?
3. Yocheved gave birth to Moses and saved him in a basket. Miriam
followed the basket and brought Yocheved to Pharaoh's daughter as a
wet nurse. Even more! The Talmud records that Miriam actually
convinced her parents to resume full life as husband and wife. They had
separated following Pharaoh's decree. The Talmud quotes Miriam as
saying, "Father, your decree is worse than Pharaoh's. Pharaoh only
decreed against males, (by separating from your wife) you decreed
against males and females." (See Talmud Sota 12a.) Was Miriam right?
Should a couple chance having children in a time of danger?
4. Bitya, Pharaoh's daughter, rescued Moses and raised him in her
household. And later in the portion, Zipporah circumcised their son and
saved Moses' life. Here we see evidence of the first female mohelet,
(ritual circumciser). Is there any reason a woman cannot be a mohelet
today?
5. Has Judaism downplayed the role of women in Jewish history? If so, can
this portion become a paradigm of the centrality of women in Jewish
survival?
Issue #2 - Anger
"And he looked this way and that way, and when he [Moses] saw that there was
no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand" (Shemot 2:12)
Discussion
1. The story of Moses as a person begins when he sees an Egyptian

beating an Israelite. Moses looks this way and that way, and when he
sees that there is no other man present, in a moment of anger and
passion, he kills the Egyptian. Was Moses justified in this reaction to
what he saw? Are there times when is anger justified? Are there times
when anger is an inappropriate reaction, no matter what?
2. The Talmud sees anger as an example of the evil inclination at work. The
discussion begins with someone who tears his clothing in a fit of anger.
"Rabbi Avin said this has a positive effect, for it appeases the evil
inclination" (Shabbat 105b). Is this similar to the therapeutic notion
popular today that a person should express anger in order to keep it from
building up inside?
3. The Talmud continues in the name of Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri, "One
who tears his clothing in anger, breaks dishes in anger, scatters coins in
anger, should see himself as if he has worshipped idols. He does it once,
does it again, and then he is worshipping idols. … What is the strange
god within a man? It is the evil inclination." According to this Talmudic
passage, losing one's temper is like worshipping idols. It calls for an
absolute control of anger. Is it really possible never to get angry? Is
anger ever justified? Might there be times when squelching an angry
reaction might be like worshipping idols?
4. Imagine a world where there is not anger. Would anybody be motivated
to fight injustice? On the other hand, imagine a world where people feel
free to express their anger without limits. It would be an unpleasant place
to live. Controlled anger has a place in the world. How can we keep our
balance? Did Moses lose his right to go into the land because he could
no longer control his anger (as in the book of Numbers, when he struck
the rock)?
PARASHAT VAERA - BIRKAT HAHODESH
January 28, 2006 - 28 Tevet 5766



Summary
God tells Moses God's true name, Yud - Hey - Vav - Hey, saying that God had
appeared to our ancestors as El Shaddai. God promises Moses that He will
bring the people forth from Egypt. The people do not listen to Moses because
their spirits have been downtrodden. Moses and Aaron go before Pharaoh.
Aaron throws down his rod and it turns into a snake. Pharaoh's magicians do
the same, turning their rods into snakes, but Aaron's rod swallows their rods.
With this we begin the story of the Ten Plagues. This portion tells the story of
the first seven plagues the story of the last three plagues is told next week.
Moses and Aaron meet Pharaoh at the Nile River early in the morning. Aaron
strikes the river with his rod and the river turns to blood. All the fish die. This
plague is followed in this week's reading by frogs, lice, swarms of flies or wild
animals, cattle disease, boils, and a fiery hail. Each time Pharaoh hardens his
heart, and refuses to let the Israelites go.
The plagues seem to come in sets of three. The first of each three is preceded
by Moses asking Pharaoh to let the people go, with a warning about what is to
come. The second is done in front of Pharaoh. The third is done outside
Pharaoh's presence. The plagues build up towards a climax, ending next week
with the slaying of the firstborns.
For the first number of plagues, the Torah says that Pharaoh hardened his heart
or the heart of Pharaoh was hardened. Only after the sixth plague does it say
that God hardened Pharaoh's heart. It seems that if someone does the wrong
act often enough, it becomes second nature, as if God is doing it.
Issue #1 - Pride
"And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in
the land of Egypt" (Exodus 7:3)
Discussion
1. God knew from the beginning that Pharaoh would harden his heart?
How? God knew that Pharaoh was a proud man. Pride prevented him
from saying "I'm wrong. I'm sorry." If pride was the issue, was God
actively hardening Pharaoh's heart, or just recognizing that Pharaoh
could not humble himself at all? Is that behavior unusual? How often
does pride get in our way when we should reconcile with someone?
2. The Bible teaches "Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit
before a fall"(Proverbs 16:18). Pride is identified with the evil inclination.
What is wrong with pride? Is always a negative trait? Imagine a person
with no pride at all. Isn't it likely that such a person would become a
doormat, with others constantly taking advantage of him or her? Is it
healthy to be completely without pride in yourself or your actions and
accomplishments? How can we find the balance of having pride when
necessary, and swallowing our pride when necessary?
3. As mentioned above, the first several times that he had interactions with
Moses and Aaron, Pharaoh hardened his own heart. Eventually God
hardened his heart. How can we understand this situation and the subtle
difference in nuance? Could it be that for Pharaoh hardening his heart
became the standard response? Did it become second nature, more than
just a habit, hardwired into his brain? According to the midrash, "In the
beginning, the evil inclination is like a spider web; after a while, it
becomes like a heavy rope"(Genesis Rabbah 22:6). Does this idea still
ring true today? Can this observation teach us about how we should deal
with our own bad habits and addictions?
4. There is a Hasidic teaching that every human being should carry two
pieces of paper in his or her pocket at all times. When you feel down, you
should take out the paper on which is written, "What is man that you
should be mindful of him…. You have made him little less than angels"
(Psalms 8:5-6). And when you feel proud and boastful, you should pull
out the paper on which is written, "I am but dust and ashes" (Job 42:6).
Why would the rabbis suggest that is a good way to live? What does this
teach us about the kind of attitude for which we should strive?
Issue #2 - God's Body
"Go unto Pharaoh in the morning, as he goes out towards the water, and you
shall stand by the river's brink to meet him, and the rod which was turned into a
serpent shall you take in your hand" (Exodus 7:15)
Discussion
1. Moses met Pharaoh down by the Nile River at the crack of dawn and
threatened to turn the water to blood. A well-known midrash asks, "Why
was Pharaoh down by the river so early in the morning? Don't kings like
to sleep late?" Pharaoh tried to pose as a god. He did not want people to
know that he had bodily needs like everybody else, so each day Pharaoh
would sneak out of the palace early in the morning, before others were
awake, to take care of his needs at the Nile. Moses, who knew of
Pharaoh's habit, was waiting for him there (Exodus Rabbah 9:8).
2. Judaism is adamant that God does not have a body. In Yigdal, the poem
based on Maimonides' 13 principles of faith that is sung to conclude
services on Friday evening, we sing, "He has no semblance of a body
and no body." Why is Judaism so emphatic about God having no body?
Could it be because all physical things are subject to entropy -- they wear
down with time? Might there be other reasons?
3. Christianity, on the other hand, is built on the principle of incarnation.
God took on a human body and walked as a man on this earth. Why has
Judaism rejected this idea? If Jesus was not God incarnate, as many
Christian groups believe him to be, then how ought Jews to view Jesus,
seen by Christians as the son of God? Was Jesus the messiah; a
prophet; a great teacher; or a mere mortal like the rest of us?
4. What lessons can we learn by accepting the concept that God has no
body? How does that fit with the teaching that God is everywhere? Could
one answer be Rabbi Harold Shulweis' notion that the potential for
godliness is everywhere?
PARASHAT BO

Haftarah: Jeremiah 46:13 - 28 (Etz Hayim, p. 395; Hertz p. 263)


Summary
This portion climaxes in the great redemption of the Israelites from Egypt. God
brings two more plagues on Egypt, locusts and a thick darkness, where people
could not see one another for three days. Pharaoh tries to work out a
compromise, letting the Israelites go taking their elders but not the young ones.
Moses insists that "with our young and with our old we will go." Pharaoh tells
Moses to leave and not show his face again. And Moses warns of the worst
plague of all, the slaying of the firstborn.
Moses introduces the laws of the Passover. The festival will take place in the
first month of the year, on the 14th of the month, when the moon is full. Each
family shall slaughter a lamb and place the blood on the doorposts of the house.
Two or more families can share a lamb; there must be no leftovers. The lamb is
to be roasted and eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. The Israelites
shall stay fully dressed and keep their shoes on as they eat, so they will be
prepared to travel.
The children of Israel shall keep the Passover throughout their generations for
seven days. No unleavened bread may be eaten or even kept anywhere in the
house. The first and the seventh days are full festivals, where no work may be
done. If the children ask what this is, you shall tell them how the Lord passed
over our homes and struck the homes of the Egyptians."
A plague strikes every Egyptian home at midnight. There is no home without

someone dead, from the firstborn of Pharaoh to the firstborn of the mere
maidservant and the firstborn of cattle. The Egyptians gave gold and silver to
the Israelites urging them to flee. The Israelites left Egypt without allowing the
dough time to rise.
Issue #1 - Each Child's Uniqueness
"And you shall explain to your son on that day, it is because of what the Lord did
for me when I went free from Egypt" (Exodus 13:8)
Discussion
1. The word Haggada comes from the Hebrew root meaning "to tell."
Perhaps the most important of the Passover mitzvot is the responsibility
to tell our children the story of the exodus from Egypt. In fact, this portion
commands us no less than three times to tell the story to our children. In
case we missed the point, the commandment appears for a fourth time in
the book of Deuteronomy. The Torah usually uses words sparingly, but
tells us four times to tell our children. Why?
2. The Haggada supplies an answer. Because the Torah mentions telling
children four times, it deduces that there are four kinds of children at the
Passover seder - the wise (who asks all the right questions), his opposite
number, who does not want to be there and demonstrates it verbally, the
simple, and the child who is too young to ask. The Haggada goes on to
say, "According to a child's mind, the father explains it." What is the
Haggada trying to teach us? Does the Haggada demonstrate a specific
theory of education? Is the Haggada providing a lesson in parenting?
3. Could it be there are not four different children but that every child goes
through each of these stages in life? Could a child be too young to ask,
then able to ask only simple questions, then later (perhaps in the teen
years) be rebellious and not want to be there, and finally grow into
wisdom? Should our seder evolve as our children grow?
4. Every child is unique. And if we are to teach our children, we must teach
them according to their particular uniqueness. Is it a mistake to assume
there is one generic way to teach children? What does this say about
standardized testing and similar assessment tools? What does the Bible
mean when it says "Teach a son according to his way, when he grows up
he will not depart from it?" (Proverbs 22:6). Teaching our children begins
with recognizing each child's uniqueness.
Issue #2 - Darkness
"People could not see one another, and for three days no one could get up from
where he was; but all the Israelites enjoyed light in their dwellings" (Exodus
10:23)
Discussion
1. If the slaying of the firstborn was the worst plague, darkness was the
next to worst. Why? It was not simply darkness, the rabbis explained; it
was so dark that people could not see each other. Barbra Streisand once
sang, "People who need people are the luckiest people in the world."
Does being cut off from others make a punishment worse? Why do
people need people?
2. It's more than just a song. Babies left alone and untouched in an
orphanage suffer from a "failure to thrive." How important the human
touch is in raising children! Long ago, the Torah taught us that "it is not
good for man to be alone" (Genesis 2:18). Of course, the Torah is
speaking about finding a wife for the first man. But in a broader sense,
could it be talking about the need for community? A wise rabbi once said
regarding Adam in the Garden of Eden, "To have everything and nobody
is to have nothing."
3. A wonderful passage in the Talmud teaches, "Look how hard Adam had
to work. If he wanted a meal he had to plant a seed, and then he had to
harvest it, and then he had to winnow the chaff, and then he had to
knead the dough and bake the bread. Whereas I can come to table and
others have done all these things for me.... When Adam wanted to wear
a garment, he had to cut the wool from the sheep, and then he had to
wash it, and then he had to spin it and sew it. Whereas I go to the store,
and all the work has been done for me by others" (Berachot 58a).
Humans are interdependent. How can we strengthen our community?
When we speak of touching someone, what can that mean beyond the
physical?
PARASHAT BESHALAH - SHABBAT SHIRAH

Haftarah: Judges 4:4 - 5:31 (Etz Hayim, p. 424; Hertz p. 281)


Summary
This week we read about the great crossing of the Sea of Reeds (sometimes
translated as the Red Sea).The Israelites flee from Egypt and encamp by the
sea. God leads them, taking the form of a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of
fire by night. Pharaoh changes his mind and pursues the Israelites with 600
chariots. The Israelites find themselves trapped, with the army of Pharaoh on
one side and the sea on the other.
Moses prays to God. God says, "Why do you cry to me? Speak to the people of
Israel, that they go forward." There is a time for prayer and a time for action.
Moses holds his hand over the sea and a great wind comes, splitting the sea
and opening up the dry land. Moses and the Israelites cross in the dry land. The
sea then comes crashing onto the pursuing Egyptians, drowning them.
The Israelites sing the beautiful Shirat HaYam, the Song of the Sea. Miriam
takes the women and they sing their own song. The song joyously describes in
poetic form the crossing of the sea, the drowning of the Egyptians, and the
great power of God. A phrase from the song has entered our daily liturgy - "Who
is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, glorious in holiness,
fearful in praises, doing wonders?"
After they have crossed the sea, the people complain about the lack of food;
God answers by providing manna for the wilderness trek. The people are to
collect the manna each day, taking a double portion on Friday, but they are not
to collect any on the Sabbath. The people complain about the lack of water, so
God tells Moses to strike a rock and bring forth water. Finally, Amalek attacks
the weakest of the Israelites. Israel is victorious over Amalek, but that nation
becomes the epitome of evil and the eternal enemy of Israel.
Issue #1 - Miracles
"Then Moses held out his arm over the sea and the Lord drove back the sea
with a strong east wind all that night, and turned the sea into dry ground. The
waters were split" (Exodus 14:21)
Discussion
1. Many faiths require their adherents to believe in miracles. Do we have to

believe in miracles to accept Judaism? Did the parting of the Sea of
Reeds really happen? If it did happen, did it take place exactly as the
Torah describes? Or could it be that the event was a totally natural event
in which the Israelites saw the hand of God?
2. The word nes, translated as "miracle," actually means "sign" or "wonder."
It also means "banner." What do we mean by miracle? Is a miracle:
a. God changing the laws of nature for some divine purpose?
b. God working within the laws of nature for some divine purpose?
c. Something from the spiritual dimension affecting the physical
dimension?
3. According to many thinkers in the Jewish tradition, a miracle is not an
event outside of nature or a change in the laws of nature. Rather what
appear to be miracles actually were designed into Creation and the laws
of nature from the very beginning of time. This view is best shown by a
famous passage in Pirke Avot. "Ten things were created on the eve of
the Sabbath of Creation at twilight: The mouth of the earth, the mouth of
the well, the speech of the ass, the rainbow, the manna, the rod, the
shamir, the script, the writing instruments, the tablets" (Avot 5:7).
Keeping this opinion in mind, we easily could say that miracles are a part
of nature. Is this a useful view for those of us who are troubled by nature
shifting? If we cannot accept that view of miracles, is there another or a
better one for us?
4. Perhaps the best piece of advice is in the Talmud: "Do not depend on
miracles" (Pesachim 64b). What does this mean for us today? Does that
help define personal responsibility for us?
PARASHAT YITRO

Haftarah: Isaiah 6:1 - 7:6:9:5-6 (Etz Hayim, p. 452; Hertz p. 302)


Summary
Yitro (Jethro), Moses' father-in-law, arrives at the Israelite camp with Moses'
wife Zipporah and his two sons, Gershom and Eliezer. Moses tells Yitro of all
the goodness that the Lord has done for the people Israel. The next day, Yitro
sees that Moses is busy adjudicating cases from early morning to late at night.
Yitro tells Moses that he is going about his task incorrectly; he should choose
leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens to judge most disputes among
the people. Moses should judge only the most difficult cases. Moses follows his
father-in-law's advice.
We come now to the mountain that changed the course of history. The Israelites
arrive at Mt. Sinai. Moses goes up and down the mountain a number of times,
warning the people to prepare for God to speak. They are to avoid going near
the mountain and also to avoid any sexual encounters. On the third day God will
speak to them from the mountain. There is thunder and lightning and a dark
cloud, and the people hear the voice of God.
The people Israel hear the Ten Commandments. God tells them that he is the
Lord, who brought them out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. There
should be no other gods before him. The people shall not take God's name in
vain. Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy. Then, in a transition from
commandments about God to commandments about humanity, the Israelites
are told to honor their father and mother.
Five commandments now deal with interpersonal relations. It is forbidden to

murder, to commit adultery, to steal, to bear false witness, or to covet a
neighbor's belongings. The people hear the thunder and lightning and are
frightened, telling Moses to speak to them in place of God. Moses gives some
final laws about the altar.
Issue #1 - What Happened at Sinai
"And when the voice of the shofar sounded long, and became louder and louder,
Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice" (Exodus 19:19)
Discussion
1. What actually was said at Mount Sinai? The answer is not obvious, either
in the text or in the writings of later commentators. What answer makes
sense to modern Jews? Is that a question we can ever answer
unequivocally?
2. Professor Arthur Green, in his book Seek My Face: A Jewish Mystical
Theology, writes, "Jewish tradition contains both maximalist and
minimalist views on this key question. The Bible's claim in this regard is
fairly obvious, 'Y-H-W-H spoke all these words, saying' is followed by the
Ten Commandments. But some of the early rabbis expand this claim
vastly and include the entire Torah within the scope of revelation at the
moment of Sinai. - Their later followers expanded the claim even further,
insisting that the Oral Torah (including Mishnah and Talmud) was from
Sinai as well. The next expansion of this position was given voice in a
saying attributed to Rabbi Joshua ben Levi: 'Everything a faithful student
is ever to say was already given to Moses at Sinai.' - The final maximalist
view is that of the Zohar, 'There is nothing that has not been hinted at in
the Torah'" (p. 110-111). Taken at face value, this position says that
every lesson taking place at every Hebrew school, day school and adult
education class was given at Mount Sinai. Is there any way that we
moderns can make sense of this maximalist position?
3. The minimalist position says that only the first two commandments were
given directly by God. (Those are the commandments in which God
speaks in the first person.) The rest came from Moses. Green continues,
"The philosopher Franz Rosenzweig apparently at one point considered
a more restricted formulation, whether God had spoken even the first
word of the commandments ('I am'). All the rest is Israel's commentary,
elaboration, and response to the interaction with God. Another radically
minimalist view is to be found in the teachings of a Hasidic master. This
view has God speaking only the first letter of the first word anochi (I).
That letter, aleph, is by itself silent" (p. 111-112). This view suggests,
therefore, that even the Torah itself cannot be seen as the direct word of
God. Is there any way that we moderns can make sense of this
minimalist position?
Issue #2 - Adultery
"You shall not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:13)
Discussion
1. The seventh commandment forbids adultery. But the original

commandment, understood in the context of its time, just prohibited a
married woman from having relations with a man not her husband. There
was no parallel prohibition preventing a married man from having
relations with an unmarried woman not his wife. In biblical times, a man
could take more than one wife or a wife and a concubine. Is this fair?
There was a double standard. How far did the rabbis go in removing it?
In the time of the Torah, if a man suspected his wife of committing
adultery, even without witnesses or other proof, he could put her through
an ordeal, drinking bitter waters (the laws of Sotah). If she was guilty,
certain painful physical symptoms developed, not unlike a spontaneous
abortion. Only when the number of adulterers increased did Rabbi
Yochanan ben Zakki outlaw the ordeal of the bitter waters (Sotah 9:9).
This is one of the first times the rabbis ruled, in effect, that what's good
for the goose is good for the gander. Men who are unfaithful cannot
accuse their wives of being unfaithful.
2. Why was the Torah so much stricter with women than men? Could the
core of the issue have been because of a concern about paternity? This
remains a controversial issue. Today, some say fidelity and monogamy
are not for everyone. For example, in her book Standing Again at Sinai
feminist theologian Judith Plaskow writes that marriage is "the decision of
two adults -- any two adults -- to make their lives together, lives that
include the sharing of sexuality. In doing so, nobody possesses their
partner's sexuality. On the contrary, our sexuality is a fundamental part of
our spiritual self. Different couples would define their sexual
responsibilities in different ways, with monogamy being but one choice in
a menu of possibilities. The only requirements are 'honesty, responsibility,
and respect'" (p.200). Can Judaism accept such a radical idea?
PARASHAT MISHPATIM - BIRKAT HAHODESH -
SHABBAT SHEKALIM

Maftir: Ex. 30:11 - 16 (Etz Hayim, p. 523; Hertz p. 352)


Summary
Some people say that God is in the details. That idea certainly fits with this
week's portion. We move from the broad moral and religious issues discussed
in the Ten Commandments to the day-to-day details of living life under the
covenant. This week's parasha contains a long list of civil and religious laws and
therefore is often called the Book of the Covenant.
The portion begins with the laws governing a Hebrew slave, who will work for
six years and go free in the seventh. If he refuses his freedom, a hole is to be
bored into his ear. This parasha also contains the law that a man may not
withhold food, clothing, or sexual rights from his wife. It continues with a number
of laws about damages, including the well-known rule "an eye for an eye, a
tooth for a tooth," which Jewish law interprets as paying damages. It also
contains the laws about damages caused by an ox that gores, and considers
whether the ox has a history of goring.
The portion contains laws about theft, and draws a distinction between the theft
done at night or during the day. The night thief is considered to pose a threat to
a homeowner and deadly force can be used. The portion continues with the
laws of bailment, which involve a person's property being damaged or
destroyed while in someone else's possession. This portion includes many laws
regulating the treatment of the poor, widows, and orphans.
It ends with a reaffirmation of the covenant, including the statement "We will do
and we will understand." In the end, the elders "see" a vision of God; there
seems to be sapphire stones under God's feet. Moses goes back up onto the
mountain for forty days and forty nights.
Issue #1 - The Worst Form of Theft
"If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five
oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep" (Exodus 21:37)
Discussion
1. If a thief steals an inanimate object and is caught, he must pay back

double. Theft becomes a civil rather than a criminal matter, as it is in our
society. The punishment is more severe, however, if the thief steals an
ox or a sheep. Why?
2. Could the reason be linked to the nature of society? When the Torah was
written, the majority of Israelites were shepherds. Therefore, to lose a
sheep was to lose much more than just property; it was to lose a
livelihood. Could the fine be higher because the thief literally has stolen
the victim's ability to make a living? Why would stealing the ability to earn
a living be worse than taking things? What does this say about the
Torah's attitude toward earning a living? What would be modern
equivalents of stealing a shepherd's sheep?
3. The Torah forbids stealing a neighbor's landmark. The rabbis understand
this situation as another way to steal his or her livelihood. How do they
come to this interpretation? Does this law speak to the issue of fair
competition? Is it right for a person to open a business that undercuts
another's ability to earn a living? This ancient issue is not easy to
resolve; it is still alive today. If a large chain discount store opens in a
community, and that forces small mom-and-pop shops out of business, is
that stealing a neighbor's landmark? What if such stores are bad for its
competition but good for consumers?
4. If taking away a person's ability to earn a living is the lowest form of
stealing, does that relate to what should be the highest form of giving? Of
course, Maimonides taught the highest of the eight levels of tzedakah he
outlined is setting up a person up in business so he or she could earn a
living.
Issue #2 - Abortion
"If men quarrel, and hurt a pregnant woman, so that her fruit depart from her,
and yet no further harm follows; he shall be surely punished, according to what
the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges
determine" (Exodus 21:22)
Discussion
1. Dare we talk about the most controversial social and political issue in our
country?
2. Is abortion murder? According to the verse quoted above, if a man
causes a woman to miscarry through his negligence, he must pay a fine.
Yet a fine is never allowed in the case of murder. (See Numbers 35:31)
From this portion, we see that causing the death of an unborn child is not
considered murder according to the Torah's laws. Could even the most
ardent pro-life advocate really equate abortion with killing an adult, even
when the Bible indicates otherwise?
3. Is abortion a mere medical procedure? The Talmud teaches that for the
first 40 days, the developing embryo is "mere fluid" (Yebamot 69a). After
40 days, the fetus is more than mere fluid; it has some legal standing. An
abortion during this period has profound consequences in Jewish law.
For example, if a woman aborts a fetus after formation and later gives
birth to a baby boy, there is no pidyon haben, the celebration traditionally
reserved for the firstborn. Why? Clearly, the rabbis understand that there
is more involved than "mere fluid."
4. Does Judaism point toward a middle way regarding abortion? Could such
a middle way have some bearing in a society that is debating this difficult
issue?
PARASHAT TERUMAH
March 4, 2006 - 4 Adar 5766
Annual: Ex. 25:1 - 27:19 (Etz Hayim p 485; Hertz p. 326)

Triennial: Ex. 26:1 - 26:30 (Etz Hayim p 491; Hertz p. 330)
Haftarah: I Kings 5:26 - 6:13 (Etz Hayim, p. 500; Hertz p. 336)


Summary
This week's portion describes in great detail the building of the tabernacle
(mishkan), a portable tent and worship center that the Israelites will carry
through the wilderness. God tells Moses to command the people, "Make me a
sanctuary and I will dwell among them" (Exodus 25:8). Notice that the Torah
does not say that God will dwell in the sanctuary, but rather that God will dwell
among the people. When we do God's work, God dwells among us.
The people are to bring many precious materials as offerings: gold, silver,
bronze, fabrics of various textures and colors, oil, incense and all kinds of
precious stones. The description begins from the inside of the structure, starting
with the holiest place, an ark of shittim wood with gold both inside and outside.
The holy tablets would be kept in the ark. Poles were attached to the ark to
allow it to be carried.
Two cherubim, gold figures (usually pictured as children, but some mystics see
them as a male and a female) are to be placed above the ark. The cherubim
would face each other, their wings touching above their heads. Later, when God
would speak to Moses, God's voice would appear from between the faces of the
cherubim.
The description continues with a seven-branched candelabra made of solid gold.

There is a table and an altar. The tent is surrounded by acacia wood and
curtains. Every detail is given, down to the clasps that hold the curtains up.
Issue #1 - Covering Up
"And you shall hang up the veil from the clasps, that you may bring in there
inside the veil the ark of the Testimony; and the veil shall separate for you
between the holy place and the most holy" (Exodus 26:33)
Discussion
1. If you were to see a Torah lying uncovered in the sanctuary, what would
your first reaction be? Most Jews say that they would place a cover over
the scroll. Why? To cover is the first step of holiness.
2. In this week's portion we learn the ideal of achieving holiness by covering
up. The entire tabernacle is covered by heavy curtains. God commands
Moses to build a special partition to separate the holiest spot in the
structure from the rest of the tabernacle. "Make a partition of turquoise,
purple and scarlet wool, together with twisted linen" (Exodus 26:31). Only
the finest quality material is used to set the Holy of Holies apart from the
rest of the tabernacle.
3. In the context of the tabernacle, separating and covering up were
significant parts of how the Israelites demonstrated what was holy.
Centuries later, in the ancient Temple in Jerusalem, the Holy of Holies
was off limits. The only exception was made for the High Priest and even
he had access only to that area on Yom Kippur. The people Israel truly
was in awe of that moment when the High Priest entered the Holy of
Holies on Yom Kippur. Each person knew a mistake made when he was
inside the covered-up area could create havoc. When the High Priest
successfully exited the Holy of Holies was a time for joy and celebration.
The tension and joy of the moment is described in the liturgy of Yom
Kippur's Avodah service.
4. This is not the world in which we live. We seem to have lost this sense of
holiness. One proof seems to be that these days nothing is covered. On
television, in the movies, in newspapers and magazines, everything is
lived in the open. Reality shows and tabloids reveal all there is to reveal.
Contrast today's attitude to the one reflected in the Garden of Eden. In
that early time, Adam and Eve initially were "naked and not ashamed."
But after eating from the Tree of Knowledge, they covered themselves.
Covering the body leaves a sense of mystery as well as modesty. In
Hebrew, the term for an improper sexual encounter is gilui arayot,
uncovering nakedness. How can we teach our people to discover the
holiness at their fingertips, practically demonstrated by keeping covered?
Issue #2 - Inside and Outside
"And you shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and outside shall you overlay it,
and shall make upon it a rim of gold around it" (Exodus 25:11)
Discussion
1. The ark, as the holiest part of the tabernacle, was overlaid with gold. It is
easy to understand the gold covering on the outside, where people could
see it. But why was there gold on the inside?
2. The Talmud (Yoma 72b) teaches, "Rava said, Any scholar whose inside
is not like his outside, is not truly a scholar." What does this teaching
mean? We should strive for consistency; the kind of person we are on
the outside should match or be reflection of the kind of person we are on
the inside. We use the word "hypocrisy" for people who present
themselves one way to the outside world and while being very different
on the inside. What is wrong with hypocrisy? But no one can always be
exactly the same inside and out. Sometimes people are just inconsistent.
What is the difference between hypocrisy and inconsistency?
3. Just as the altar was overlaid with gold both inside and out, in order to
have a consistent look, we must strive to overlay ourselves with a gold
heart on the inside that matches the gold face we show on the outside.
How do we develop these qualities on the inside? What inner virtues
should we develop within ourselves?
PARASHAT TETZAVEH - SHABBAT ZAKHOR
March 11, 2006 - 11 Adar 5766

Triennial: Ex. 28:31 - 29:18 (Etz Hayim p. 508; Hertz p. 342)
Maftir: Deuteronomy 25:17 - 19 (Etz Hayim p. 1135; Hertz p. 856)
Haftarah: I Samuel 15:2 - 34 (Etz Hayim, p. 1280; Hertz p. 995)


Summary
This portion continues with the instructions for building the tabernacle, a place
of worship, for the desert journey. It begins with the laws about the clothing that
Aaron and his sons, the priests, should wear. These include a breastplate, an
ephod, a robe, an embroidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle. The breastplate,
which contains an array of twelve precious stones, representing the twelve
tribes of Israel, is particularly noticeable.
The High Priest would also carry the urim and tumim, used to prophesize to the
children of Israel. The robe the priest wears would be blue. It would be trimmed
with pomegranates and little bells, so it would chime whenever the High Priest
enters or leaves the Holy of Holies. These clothes must be worn whenever
Aaron or his sons come into the holy place to minister to God, in order that they
not die. It is to be a statute for all generations.
The second half of the portion deals with the formal dedication of Aaron and his
sons to the priesthood. A series of offerings is brought before God. The blood of
the offering is placed on the right ear, the right thumb, and the right large toe.
This symbolizes the fact that the priest must commit to serve God by what he
hears, what he does, and where he goes. The dedication is to take seven days.
At the end, the law that a burnt offering always must be kept on the altar is
given.
It is worth noting that this portion is centered on Aaron and his role. It is the only
portion from parashat Shemot through the end of the Torah in which Moses is
not mentioned. It is as if Moses has stepped aside for a week to allow his
brother to bask in the glory.
Issue #1 - Clothing
"And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother for glory and for
beauty" (Exodus 28:2)
Discussion
1. Aaron and his sons were commanded to wear special clothing to fulfill
their duties. Clothing in the Bible had a powerful symbolic value. Does it
still today? How and why?
2. Young people often wear certain styles of clothing and refuse to wear
other perfectly practical, serviceable clothing. What reason could there
be for such behavior? Is the choice of clothing really a statement of some
sort? Style of dress says something about the person wearing the
clothes. Why do youth gangs have a kind of standardized clothes and
way of wearing those clothes? Why do we insist on uniforms for certain
professions - military, police and sports teams? Do we expect doormen,
delivery drivers and the people who work in stores to match? Does
clothing create a level of camaraderie? How do clothes affect our
attitudes about others? How do clothes affect our view of ourselves?
3. Synagogue committees and members often argue about what constitutes
appropriate clothing to wear in the building or for Sabbath services. Are
such dress codes still relevant today? Does asking men to wear a jacket
and tie, women to wear a dress or skirt and blouse, lend dignity to the
service? How do we react to synagogue dress in Israel, where virtually
no men wear ties or jackets? How do community and country affect
choice of clothes?
4. In many communities, public schools are joining with private and
parochial schools in requiring that students wear uniform clothes if not
uniforms. Is that trend a healthy one? Shouldn't students be allowed to
express their individuality through their clothing choices? One argument
for uniform posits that a school uniform serves as a kind of equalizer,
allowing students from wealthier and poorer families to appear the same.
Is that a virtue? According to the Talmud, on the fifteenth of Av (a day
when couples were matched), women would trade dresses (so that no
woman would be embarrassed lest her clothing reflect her poverty) and
dance in the vineyard while the men watched (Taanit 31a). What can this
teach us about those who wear expensive clothes to show off their
wealth?
Issue #2 - Purim
"Therefore the Jews of the villages, who lived in the unwalled towns, make the
14th day of the month of Adar a day of gladness and feasting, and a holiday,
and of sending portions one to another" (Esther 9:19)
Discussion
1. In many years, including this one, Purim falls in the week following
parshat Tetzaveh. This allows our discussion of clothing to include the
question of the clothes we wear on that joyous holiday.
2. On Purim it is customary to wear costumes, and in particular to wear
masks. We do not show our real selves on Purim. Why? Do we need to
hide part of ourselves to participate fully in the levity of Purim? Is there a
deeper message? Must we hide part of ourselves to be free to behave
differently?
3. In general, Judaism forbids a man from dressing like a woman or a
woman from dressing like a man (see Deuteronomy 22:5). Why? Does
crossdressing undermine the distinction between the sexes? In our
modern egalitarian society, where fashion is often unisex, is that
prohibition still relevant? Yet on Purim this particular prohibition often is
disregarded. Does the ability to crossdress once a year fulfill some
deeper human need?
4. The name Esther is based on the Hebrew root "to cover up" or "to hide."
Esther hid her Jewish identity and in the end saved her people. Today
we speak of wearing our Judaism proudly. Are there times when it is
appropriate to hide our Jewishness?
PARASHAT KI TISSA - SHABBAT PARAH
March 18, 2006 - 18 Adar 5766



Summary
This long portion deals with many themes. The Israelites shall take a census;
each male must give a half a shekel to the sanctuary. God gives instructions for
making a basin for ritual washing, and also gives the precise mixture of
ingredients for making the holy incense. God then gives instructions for the holy
oil used for anointing. Betzalel, a man filled with wisdom, is given the duty of
overseeing the building of the tabernacle. Even as they build the tabernacle, the
Israelites shall keep the Sabbath.
The building of the tabernacle is interrupted to tell the story of the golden calf.
The people worry that Moses is delayed on the mountain. They want a god who
will be a physical presence in front of them. So they take off their gold and
Aaron builds a golden calf. Moses hears the celebration and realizes the great
sin of the people Israel. He breaks the two tablets of the law he had carried
down the mountain. He grinds up the calf, mixes it in water, and forces the
people to drink it. He gathers the Levites to his side and slays the ringleaders of
the golden calf incident.
God wants to destroy the people but Moses pleads for forgiveness. He tells God
that if He is to destroy the people, to wipe his own name from the book he has
written. God forgives the people. Moses asks to see God's essence, and God
tells him to hide in the rock. He will see God's back but no one can see God's
essence. God appears as a forgiving God, and Moses hears what are often
called the 13 attributes, that the Lord is a merciful and gracious God. Moses
makes a second set of tablets.
The portion ends with a number of Jewish ritual laws, including the pilgrimage
festivals and the prohibition of cooking a kid in its mother's milk (mixing milk with
meat). Moses is again on the mountain 40 days, and when he comes down a
powerful light shines from his face. He must wear a mask in the presence of the
people to cover that light.
Issue #1 - Moses and Aaron
"Then he (Aaron) took it from them and cast it in a mold and made it into a
molten calf. And they proclaimed, this is your god, O Israel, who brought you
out of the land of Egypt!" (Exodus 32:4)
Discussion
1. Moses and Aaron were two brothers, but they were unlike each other. In
what ways were their personalities distinct? How do these two leaders
differ in their approaches to leadership? In what ways are they similar?
2. The Talmud teaches, "Moses' motto was, 'Let the law cut through the
mountain.' Aaron, however, loved peace and pursued peace and made
peace between man and man." (Sanhedrin 6b) Moses was a law person;
Aaron was a people person. Are there times in the Torah in which Moses
seems more concerned with law than with people? (Was Moses wrong in
how he dealt with the sins and shortcomings of the people?)
3. How could Aaron make a golden calf? Idolatry is one of the greatest sins
of Judaism. Perhaps Aaron did not consider the calf an idol. Could it be
that the calf was meant as a god, but simply a symbolic presence? Even
if so, it was wrong. Rashi quotes the Midrash that said Aaron built the
golden calf out of fear. The people had asked Hur to make it, and the
mob murdered him when he refused. Is it possible that Aaron made the
golden calf because he was a peacemaker? ("I don't want any trouble!")
4. Perhaps we can learn from Aaron's behavior that peace is not always the
right course to pursue in every situation. Sometimes pursuing peace
allows injustice, or even evil, to flourish. Sometimes by pursuing peace
we tolerate that which ought to be intolerable. That is the reason why the
great prophet Jeremiah taught "Peace, peace, but there is no peace"
(Jeremiah 6:14). There are times when the world needs not a mediator or
a reconciler, but someone willing to take a stand.
5. Later in the Torah, the people mourned much more when Aaron died
than when Moses died. Why? We all love a peacemaker. How can we
live a balance between Moses and Aaron?
Issue #2 - Metaphors for God
"Then I will take My hand away and you will see My back; but My face must not
be seen" (Exodus 33:23)
Discussion
1. What does the Torah mean when it speaks of "God's face?" What does it
mean by "God's back"? Most commentators explain God's face as a
reference to God's essence, which is unknowable. On the other hand,
God's back is God's attributes (what God does or how God behaves in
the world). This can be known.
2. We use human metaphors for God in order to better understand God's
actions. What do we mean when we use metaphors for God - Avinu
Malkeinu - "Our Father, Our King." (Is God male? Can we use the female
"Our Mother, Our Queen" and keep the same meaning? What about "Our
Parent, Our Sovereign?") What about the metaphor "The Lord is my
shepherd?" What about HaMakom ("The Place"), the name we use when
comforting mourners? What do we mean when we use the kabbalistic
female term Shekina ("Indwelling")? How do we feel using that term
when describing God as protecting souls under her wings in El Maleh
Rahamim? Some feminists have compared God to a womb or a
wellspring. What do these metaphors mean? In what ways does the
name we use for God in given situations affect the way we see the
situation? Does a name we use to refer to God in any given instance
change the essence of God? What does use of different names reflect?
3. There is a famous Midrash that tells us that at the crossing of the Red
Sea, the Israelites saw God as a warrior fighting in battle. Seven weeks
later, at the giving of theTen Commandments, the Israelites saw God as
an elderly man filled with mercy. (Mechilta on Exodus 20:2) Could both
be the same God? God does not change, but our perception of God
changes at different times. What metaphors for God work for us today?
4. In this portion Moses is not allowed to see God's face. Yet at the end of
Deuteronomy, the Torah teaches, "And there has not arisen since in
Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face"
(Deuteronomy 34:10) Why the inconsistency? Could it be that Moses
came as close as anyone could come in seeing the unseeable?
PARASHAT VA'YAKHEL-PEKUDEI - BIRKAT
HAHODESH - SHABBAT HAHODESH
March 25, 2006 - 25 Adar 5766

Triennial Cycle: Ex. 37:17 - 39:23 (Etz Hayim p.560; Hertz p. 379)
Maftir: Ex. 12:1-20 (Etz Hayim, p. 380; Hertz p. 253)


Summary
With this long double portion, the Torah describes in detail the manufacture of
the portable tabernacle. Before the construction begins, Moses gathers the
people together and tells them to keep the Sabbath. They shall burn no lights in
their homes on the Sabbath day. The people begin to bring all the materials
necessary for the making of the tabernacle. Betzalel is appointed to oversee the
building because of his spirit of wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. The
people bring so much material that Moses tells them to stop.
The Israelites build the tabernacle in all its detail and put together the clothing
for the high priest. Much of this repeats almost word for word the material in
parshi'ot Terumah and Tetzaveh. In describing the building, Moses starts from
the inside out, from the holiest places to the less holy. But with the actual
building, the description starts with the curtains and overall frame and works
inward towards the holy places.
In the second portion, Pekudai, there is a careful accounting of the gold, silver,
bronze and other materials used in making the tabernacle. The Torah seems to
be saying that those in a position of leadership must be beyond reproach. The
entire tabernacle is put together.
In the end, we read in the Torah, "And Moses looked upon all the work, and,
behold, they had done it as the Lord had commanded, so had they done it; and
Moses blessed them" (Exodus 39:43). The language of the Torah clearly
reflects its language when God finished creating the universe and blessed the
Sabbath day. The building of the tabernacle has become the paradigm for
human creativity, paralleling God's creativity in creating the universe. In the end,
a cloud covered the tent of meeting, reflecting God's glory. With the tabernacle
complete, the second book of the Torah, Exodus, comes to an end.
Issue #1 - The Sabbath
"Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you a
holy day, a sabbath of rest to the Lord; whoever does work in it shall be put to
death" (Exodus 35:2)
Discussion
1. Moses gathers the people and tells them to do God's work building a
tabernacle. But they are not to work on the Sabbath. Does this mean that
even work for God is not permitted on the Sabbath? What does that tell
us about the depth of the holiness of the Sabbath?
2. The Hebrew word for forbidden work is melacha. The Torah uses the
term melacha in three different contexts. First, melacha refers to God's
work in creating the heavens and the earth. Second, melacha refers to
the human tasks involved in building the mishkan, the portable
tabernacle that the Israelites carried through the desert. These included
most of the fundamental tasks we humans do to show our mastery of the
universe: growing plants for both food and dyes, spinning and making
cloth, building, metalwork, writing and drawing, and of course, using fire.
Third, melacha refers to those acts forbidden on Sabbath, from sundown
Friday night until nightfall Saturday night. What is the relationship
between these three uses of the word melacha?
3. The rabbis of the Talmud counted 39 categories of forbidden work.
These were precisely the activities that were done in building the
tabernacle. Abraham Joshua Heschel taught that by avoiding these
creative activities on the Sabbath, we are building a tabernacle today -- a
tabernacle in time. Is there any truth in this claim? In our modern world,
are there additional activities that ought to be forbidden on the Sabbath
to help us get a greater sense of inner peace?
4. The Torah teaches, "You shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations
upon the Sabbath day" (Exodus 35:3). Not only do we light candles
before the Sabbath day to burn on the Sabbath, we even recite a
blessing that praises God "Who sanctified us with commands and
commanded us to light the Sabbath lights". Where in the Torah is this
commandment to light Sabbath lights? It is actually the rabbis of the
Talmud who required the lighting of Sabbath lights. Why? (Hint - the
Karaites, a group that interprets scripture literally, sit in the dark and cold
on the Sabbath.) Is it chutzpah to bless God for a commandment that
came from the rabbis?
Issue #2 - Between the Cherubim
"The cherubim had their wings spread out above, shielding the cover with their
wings. They faced each other, the faces of the cherubim were turned toward the
cover" (Exodus 37:9)
Discussion
1. Where does God actually show His presence in the tabernacle? You
would think that God would be within the ark, in the Holy of Holies. To the
contrary! God appears between the cherubim. What is the symbolism of
this? Has this been a foundation of the way Jews deal with holiness?
2. If we are to meet God anywhere, it is where human beings meet face to
face. Martin Buber spoke of I-Thou relationships between two human
beings. These relationships are encounters between people where each
sees the other not as an object but as a subject. Buber wrote, "Each
Thou is a glimpse through to the Eternal Thou." What did Buber mean by
this?
3. Rabbi Mordecai Gafni wrote, "There are 45 muscles in the face, most of
them unnecessary for the biological functioning of the face. Their major
purpose is to express emotional depth and nuance. They are the
muscles of the soul" ("On the Erotic and the Ethical," Tikkun, March-April
2003). In other words, we humans have been biologically created to face
one another and communicate. It is in such human interaction that God's
presence dwells.
4. Throughout the centuries, the cherubim have been seen as children, but
there was another interpretation in the Talmud that was influential in
Kaballah: "R. Kattina said, Whenever Israel came [to Jerusalem] for the
Festival, the curtain would be removed for them and the cherubim were
shown to them, whose bodies were intertwisted with one another. They
would be addressed, Look! You are beloved before God as the love
between man and woman" (Yoma 54a). What is R. Kattina's message?
Is God present in a sexual encounter between a man and a woman?
HAZAK HAZAK v'NITHAZEK - BE STRONG, BE STRONG, AND LET US BE

STRENGTHENED
PARASHAT VAYIKRA
April 1, 2006 - 3 Nisan 5766

Haftarah: Isaiah 43:21-44:23 (Etz Hayim, p. 606; Hertz p. 424)


Summary
The third book of the Torah is often called Torat Kohanim, a primer for the
priesthood. The first several portions (parashiot) deal with the laws of sacrifice
and of ritual purity, laws that for the most part have fallen out of practice today.
However, there are still many valuable insights we can learn from all of these
laws.
The book begins with the laws of the olah, the burnt offering. The olah was
offered in its entirety upon the altar, with no special benefit going to the person
who brought it. Offerings, which were to be brought from the herd or the flock,
had to be a male without blemish. Similarly, it could have been a bird - a
turtledove or a pigeon. Grain could also be offered as a sacrifice. Perhaps the
idea behind this variety of offerings is that sacrifices were not just for the rich;
people of all financial levels had access to the Temple service.
The second category of sacrifices is the shelamim, from the word shalem or
wholeness. This is usually translated "offering of well-being," and can be
brought from the male or the female of the flock. Some parts of the animal were
offered up to God by the priests and other parts were eaten. Blood and certain
fats could not be eaten, however; sacrifice-based laws still remain in effect
today for foods that Jews do not eat.
The third category of offering is the hatat or sin offering. Various types of
offerings are available if a priest sinned, or the leader of a community, a
chieftain or an individual Jew had sinned. Various other sins and guilt offerings
are mentioned, in particular, the sin of a witness who withholds information.
Issue #1 - Love and Sacrifice
"Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, when any of you presents an
offering of cattle to the Lord, you shall choose your offering from the herd or
from the flock" (Leviticus 1:2)
Discussion
1. The Hebrew word for sacrifice is korban. It comes from the Hebrew root
krv, which means "to approach" or "to get close." What is the relationship
between "getting close" and sacrifice? The Hebrew word seems to imply
that if we wish to get close to someone, we have to sacrifice something.
We cannot become close to anyone else when we are focused on our
own needs and our own desires. Only when we set ourselves aside and
focus on the other can we truly love them.
2. Many people think they love someone else when in truth they love
themselves. They are focused on their own needs. True love requires a
sacrifice of your own needs. Can you give an example? What sacrifice is
involved in the love of a couple for one another? What about the love of a
parent for a child? What sacrifices do we make to show our love of God?
3. "When love depends on achieving a certain goal, love vanishes when
that goal is achieved. But when love is not dependent on any goal, that
love never vanishes." (Pirkei Avot 5:18) What does this have to do with
sacrifice? (Hint - If we love someone with the goal of fulfilling our own
needs and desires, that love will disappear when our needs are fulfilled.
But if we love unconditionally, with no ulterior motive and no expectations,
our love will flourish.)
4. Kabbala teaches the principle of tzimtzum, (self-contraction). God
practiced tzimtzum to allow the world to flourish. How can we practice
tzimtzum in our relationship with those we love?
Issue #2 - What Will We Sacrifice?
"If his offering is a sacrifice of well-being - If he offers of the herd, whether a

male or a female, he shall bring before the Lord one without blemish" (Leviticus
3:1)
Discussion
1. We have spoken about the sacrifice we must make for love to exist. Are
there other areas of life where sacrifice is necessary for our well-being?
Possible examples:
o We want to have a perfect body without undertaking the difficult
discipline of regular exercise and a healthy diet.
o We want a great marriage without taking extended one-on-one
time with our spouse or lover.
o We want to raise successful, happy kids while spending less and
less time with them.
o We want to be at the top of our profession without paying our dues
or working our way up the ladder.
o We want spirituality without learning or observing the disciplines
necessary to grow our souls.
o We want to perfect the world (tomorrow!), forgetting that social
change is a long, arduous process.
o Finally, too many young people (and not a few adults) experiment
with drugs looking for instant highs, forgetting that real highs come
from hard work and accomplishments.
2. The Talmud says, "According to the pain is the reward." (Pirkei Avot
5:23) Or as moderns often put it, "No pain, no gain." Anything worth
doing in this world involves discipline, sacrifice, commitment, and
sometimes a little pain. What are we willing to sacrifice for what we find
worthwhile?
PARASHAT TZAV - SHABBAT HAGADOL
April 8, 2006 - 10 Nisan 5766

Haftarah: Malakhi 3:4 - 24; 3:23 (Etz Hayim, p.1296; Hertz p.1005)


Summary
Parashat Tzav continues the section of Sefer Vayikra that focuses on the
detailed laws of sacrifice. God commands the priests to keep a fire burning on
the altar at all times. Next, the priest is told to dress in special linen clothing and
carry the ashes to a sacred place outside the altar. Commentators have said
that the care given to the ashes teaches that something that was once holy,
even if it is no longer useful, still contains a spark of holiness.
Various sacrificial laws are given to the priests. Only the male kohanim can eat
from the sacrifices. There are special laws to prepare the grain offerings given
to the Temple. Similarly, there are special laws regarding the slaughter and
eating of the burnt offering and the offering of well-being.
The second half of this portion contains the rituals for the formal inauguration of
Aaron and his sons into the priesthood. The ritual was seven days, reflecting
the importance of the number seven in Jewish law. The priests were dressed in
special clothing, went through special purifications, and brought special
offerings. They were anointed with oil, a ritual that would eventually develop into
the notion of the Messiah (literally the mashiach, or anointed one.)
An important part of these weeklong rituals is that Moses placed blood on the
earlobe, right thumb, and right big toe of Aaron and his sons. Perhaps the
symbolism is that religious leaders are to dedicate their ears (what they hear),
their hands (what they do), and their feet (where they go) to the service of God.
Issue #1 - God is in the Details
"And he shall put off his garments, put on other garments, and carry forth the
ashes outside the camp to a clean place" (Leviticus 6:4)
Discussion
1. God commanded Aaron to dress in special clothes and remove the burnt
ashes from the daily whole offering. Rashi teaches, "The word tzav
(command) is used when special encouragement is needed, both
immediately and for future generations. Rabbi Shimon said such
encouragement is especially necessary when there is a financial loss."
What was the priest's financial loss? (Perhaps the priest did not benefit
from the burnt offering; it was burnt in its entirety. But he still had to carry
out the ashes. How could that be understood as a financial loss?)
2. Clearing out dirty ashes does not have the glory or panache of most of
the other activities with which the high priest was charged. It is one of
those necessary chores that must be done, even if it is unpleasant.
Without it, the altar would fill with ashes and soon be unusable. Do we
always appreciate the number of details necessary for us to perform
mitzvot; the number of details needed in our daily activities?
3. This year the reading of Parashat Tzav corresponds to Shabbat
HaGadol; Passover begins Wednesday night. Perhaps it is worthy to ask,
what is the difference between hametz and matzah, between leavened
and unleavened, between what we are forbidden to eat and what we are
commanded to eat on Passover? If we mix flour and water and let it sit
for 17 minutes and 50 seconds before baking is finished, it is kosher for
Pesach matzah and eating it can be used to fulfill a mitzvah. If we mix
flour and water and let it sit for 18 minutes and 10 seconds it becomes
hametz, and eating it is a serious transgression of the Torah. What a
difference a few seconds can make! The difference is in the details.
4. Many of us love the broad scope of Jewish tradition but hate the details
of Jewish law. Are details important? Is God in the details? The poet
George Herbert wrote in the seventeenth century, "For want of a nail the
shoe was lost, for want of a shoe the horse is lost, for want of a horse the
rider is lost, for want of a rider the battle is lost, for want of a battle the
kingdom is lost." What is the point? If you accept the idea that the details
are important, how do you avoid getting too caught up in the details, to
the point that the details become the total focus of observance?
Issue #2 - What is a Mitzvah?
"The Lord spoke to Moses saying, Command Aaron and his sons..." (Leviticus
6:1-2)
Discussion
1. Ask the average non-Orthodox Jew what the word mitzvah means, he or
she will probably say "good deed." The real meaning is "commandment."
Why are many Jews uncomfortable with the concept that mitzvah means
commandment?
2. If a mitzvah is a commandment, who is the Commander? Did God
literally command us to keep the 613 mitzvot? What about mitzvot that
appear to us to be ethically troubling? Conservative Judaism views much
of Torah as a combination of the hand of God and the hand of people.
Dare we ask which mitzvot are God's commandments and which are
human constructs? Is there anything you believe God wants you to do as
a Jew? Is there anything you believe God forbids you to do as a Jew?
How do you differentiate between the God-given commandments and
those of human design, when both are venerated by tradition?
3. Rabbi Hanina taught that to perform a mitzvah because we are
commanded is higher than performing a mitzvah simply because we feel
that it is a good deed (Kiddushin 31a). This sounds strange to modern
ears. We value autonomy and choice, picking those mitzvot we find
spiritually meaningful, that we consider good deeds. In our celebration of
freedom, can we still hear the voice of the commanding God? Is a
volunteer position less worthy than a paid position? Is a volunteer
position done because you are expected to do it less worthy than one
done solely out of the goodness of your heart?
SHABBAT HOL HAMOED PESAH
April 15, 2006 - 17 Nisan 5766
Annual: Exodus 33:12 - 34:26 (Etz Hayim, p. 538; Hertz p. 362)

Maftir: Numbers 28:19 - 25 (Etz Hayim, p.932; Hertz p. 695)


Summary
Pesah celebrates the birth of the Jewish people as a nation. It tells the great
story of redemption - we were slaves and now we are free. The observance of
Pesah began with the Pascal offering on the fourteenth of Nissan. The sacrifice
was eaten by groups of families; no leftovers were allowed. It was eaten with
matzah and bitter herbs, symbolizing the unleavened bread that had no time to
rise, and symbolizing as well the bitterness of life in Egypt. Today we no longer
offer sacrifices, but we have a special shank bone and eat a piece of matzah,
called the afikoman, to symbolize the Pascal offering.
The festival of Passover begins on the fifteenth of Nissan. For seven days no
hametz - items such as leavened bread and cake - may be eaten or even found
in a Jewish home. (In the Diaspora, traditional Jews keep the festival for eight
days, with the first two and the last two days being full festivals, with no work
allowed.) All such foods are removed and nullified before the festival, and even
the dishes, pots, and cutlery must be changed for it.
On the first night of Passover - in the Diaspora the first two nights - a special
ritual meal is eaten. During that meal, the seder, people sit around the table
reading the story of the exodus from a special book called a Haggada, and eat
many symbolic foods. The Passover seder is probably the most observed
religious tradition among Jews.
One day of Passover always falls on Shabbat. If it is not one of the festival days,
it is called Hol Hamoed Shabbat. There is a special Torah reading telling of the
events following the Golden Calf and various ritual laws. The haftarah tells
Ezekiel's famous vision of the valley of the dry bones.
Issue #1 - Did It Really Happen?

"You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I
brought your ranks out of the land of Egypt; you shall observe this day
throughout the ages as an institution for all time" (Exodus 12:17)
Discussion
1. Did the events of Passover really happen as the Bible describes? And if
the events were not as described, does that really matter? Or is the
important issue what we learn from these events through the lens of our
history?
2. One explanation: scientists today speak about emergent properties.
These are properties of an object that make it greater than the parts. For
example, the brain is made up of hundreds of thousands of
interconnected neurons. Each individual neuron can be studied and
described. We cannot see the mind in any one or even any small set of
neurons. Only when we put all these neurons together does the mind
emerge. The mind is an emergent property of the brain. So it is
throughout the universe that properties emerge, that the whole is greater
than the sum of its parts.
3. We also see emergent properties when we study history. A number of
individual events take place. Water turns to blood; maybe the red water
was real blood or maybe simply the way the water looked due to red
algae. Frogs multiplied in the land. A plague struck and killed many
prominent firstborn sons, including the son of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. An
Israelite man who grew up in Pharaoh's household had the clout to
become the chief agitator for freedom for a group of slaves. A number of
individual events occurred, none of which seem to reflect the hand of
God. Put them all together, however, and suddenly a vision emerges.
These are more than random events, just as the mind is more than a
bunch of connected neurons. Put them together and suddenly we see
the hand of God.
4. This view of God's role in unfolding events fits into the modern scientific
paradigm. Until Einstein, scientists were reductionists, attempting to
understand the universe by breaking it down into its smallest parts. The
whole was simply the sum of the parts. After Einstein, scientists realize
that the whole is far more than the parts. Reductionism no longer works.
We cannot understand the human soul by studying individual neurons,
and we cannot understand God's role in history by studying individual
events. Only by taking the broader view can we see God's role in history,
that it was God who brought us out of Egypt.
Issue #2 - Valley of the Bones

"And he said to me, Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O you dry
bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones;
Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live" (Ezekiel 37:4-5)
Discussion
1. What do you think Ezekiel was trying to tell us in his vision of bones
coming back to life? Why is this image so powerful to Jews? Why do we
read this at Passover? (Note - Is it possible that going from the Holocaust
to the rebirth of Israel in three short years could be understood as an
example of the resurrection spoken of in this chapter?)
2. There is a force of life at work in the universe. Jews have always
identified God with life. At the High Holy Days, we say over and over,
"Remember us to life, O King Who loves life, and write us in the Book of
Life, for Your sake O God of life." If God is the force of life, how does that
play out in the world of creation? Does God bring the dead to life? What
about in the world of history?
3. If there is a force of life at work in the universe, unfortunately there is also
a force of death. What is that force and how does it manifest itself in our
world? How can we join forces with the force of life over the force of
death?
4. What is the symbolism of the Passover song Had Gadya(One Little Kid),
where in the end God slays the Angel of Death? In the end, will life
overcome death? If God cannot overcome death, what does that say
about God's power?
PARASHAT SHEMINI - BIRKAT HAHODESH
April 22, 2006 - 24 Nisan 5766

Haftarah: II Samuel 6:1 - 7:17 (Etz Hayim, p. 645; Hertz p. 454)


Summary
For seven days, the Israelites have celebrated the formal inauguration of the
priesthood. On the eighth day, while performing the final rituals, tragedy strikes.
Aaron's two oldest sons, Nadab and Abihu, bring an alien fire not commanded
by God. A fire comes forth from the Lord and consumes them. Moses tries to
comfort Aaron with the words, "This is what God meant when he said, through
those close to Me do I show Myself holy." But Aaron can react only with silence.
Moses calls Aaron's other two sons, Mishael and Elzaphan, to carry their
brothers out of the sanctuary. They are not to mourn by baring their heads,
rending their clothes, or going outside the tent of meeting. God commands
Aaron to avoid wine and other intoxicants, lest he enter the Tent of Meeting
intoxicated. (Could this have been the sin of Nadab and Abihu?) Moses
becomes angry when Aaron made a mistake in the rite of the goat of purification.
Aaron finally speaks, for the first time after the death of his sons, saying that he
had brought all the offerings, yet still these horrible things happened to him. If
he had eaten the purification, would God have approved? Moses accepts his
words.
The second half of this portion introduces the dietary laws of Judaism. The
animal kingdom is divided into those animals that can be eaten and those that
cannot. Mammals must have a cloven hoof and chew their cud. Fish must have
fins and scales when in the sea or streams. The chapter includes a long list of
birds that are forbidden. (Traditionally, to avoid error, Jews only eat birds that
they have traditionally eaten, such as chicken, turkeys, ducks, and geese.)
Swarming things are forbidden with the exception of certain kinds of locusts.
The carcass of a forbidden animal causes ritual impurity. The purpose of all
these laws is not health, as many believe, but rather holiness. Holiness comes
through recognizing distinctions.
Issue #1 - Nadab and Abihu's Sin
"Now Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, each took his fire pan, put fire in it, and
laid incense on it; and they offered before the Lord alien fire, which He had not
enjoined upon them" (Leviticus 10:1)
Discussion
1. What was the sin that was so severe that the two young men suddenly
died? The Torah said they brought an alien fire. What could this mean?
Is the Torah trying to drive home that we do not change the ritual of the
Temple on fear of death? What does this say about our ritual today?
2. Rashi teaches, "R. Eliezer said that the sons of Aaron died because they
insisted on teaching Torah in front of their teacher Moses. R. Ishmael
said that they entered the sanctuary drunk." What is the sin in teaching
before your elders? Was the issue arrogance or another sin? According
to one midrash, Nadab and Abihu would trail their uncle, Moses, and
their father, Aaron, saying, "When will these two die already?" Is it wrong
to try to grow up too fast?
3. The Torah follows these events with the prohibition on drinking wine
before doing the divine service. Jewish tradition certainly gives a mixed
message about alcohol. Our tradition sees moderate drinking as a sign of
joy. As the Psalmist says, "Wine rejoices the heart of man" (Psalms
104:15). We drink wine at our most joyous occasions, Shabbat and
festivals, at a brit milah (bris), at a wedding. At the Passover seder we
are obligated to drink four cups of wine. The drinking is less moderate at
our more raucous festivals, Purim and Simchat Torah. On the other hand,
there is also a powerful warning about the misuse of alcohol that runs
through our tradition. Noah was the father of humanity, yet his first act
after leaving the ark was to plant a vineyard, get drunk, and fall into a
drunken stupor in his tent. This began a series of events that led to Noah
cursing his son and grandson. The message is clear - alcohol abuse can
send humanity down the wrong path. Has Jewish tradition become too
accepting of alcohol abuse? Is the message about learning limits?
4. Could it be that Nadab and Abihu did not commit any sin? Moses says
after their deaths, "This is what the Lord meant when He said, through
those near to Me I show Myself holy" (Leviticus 10:3). Is it possible that
they were so close to God that God took their souls and left their bodies?
Why did they become the paradigm for other martyrs in Jewish tradition?
Issue #2 - Dietary Laws
"Speak to the Israelite people thus; these are the creatures that you may eat
from among all the land animals" (Leviticus 11:2)
Discussion
1. This portion puts huge limits on our ability to eat the flesh of animals,
birds, and fish. However, today many people believe that we should
question what gives us the right to eat animals at all. Should we humans
be permitted to eat other sentient beings? After all, in the garden of Eden
people were vegetarians. Is not a vegetarian diet more in keeping with
the ethics and values of the Torah?
2. Some would claim that a vegetarian diet is healthier. If so, why are our
bodies built in such a way that we can eat and digest meat? You can eat
an unhealthy vegetarian diet, with too much sugar and too many
carbohydrates. You certainly can eat a healthy diet that includes meat,
poultry, and fish in moderation. The key is balance - both quality and
quantity affect our health.
3. The bigger problem is with those who claim that eating meat is almost
like cannibalism; they insist that we are animals ourselves and should not
eat our cousins. What is the problem with this argument? Perhaps the
answer is in the garden of Eden, where we were vegetarians, we were
also animal-like, "naked and not ashamed." After we ate from the fruit of
the Tree of Knowledge, we left the garden of Eden and raised ourselves
above the animal kingdom. To quote Erich Fromm, "What is essential in
the existence of man is the fact that he has emerged from the animal
kingdom … has transcended nature. Once torn away from nature, he
cannot return to it." (Art of Loving) Are human beings qualitatively
different from animals? How does our diet reflect those differences?
PARASHAT TAZRIA-METZORA - ROSH HODESH
IYAR
April 29, 2006 - 1 Iyar 5766

Haftarah: Isaiah 66:1 - 24, 66:23 (Etz Hayim p. 1220; Hertz p. 944)


Summary
With this double portion, we reach the heart of the difficult laws of ritual purity
and impurity (tahor and tamei). Certain activities, bodily flows, or diseases
cause someone to become ritually impure, and therefore forbidden to enter holy
areas, including the Temple. This portion also contains detail of purification
rituals. The purpose of all these laws is to add to and to preserve the holiness of
the Temple by making sure that only those in a proper state of purity could enter.
Childbirth creates ritual impurity. After the birth of a son, a woman is tamei for
seven days. The brit milah, or bris, takes place on the eighth day. After the birth
of a daughter, the woman is tamei for 14 days. She had to wait an additional 33
days for a boy, 66 days for a girl. (One can only speculate on why the time of
impurity is double for the birth of a daughter.)
The bulk of both of these portions deals with the symptoms of a skin disease
called tzara'at, often mistranslated leprosy. The rabbis felt that this condition
was not merely physical but spiritual. It was caused by gossip. The priest would
check the symptoms, including discoloration of skin, and declare the person
ritually unclean. This disease, which may be a kind of fungus, also can break
out in a person's clothing or on the walls of his or her house.
Metzora is concerned with the detailed rituals of purification for someone who
has been found to have tzara'at. This portion also includes rituals to restore
purity following various physical flows from the body. A man's semen or a
woman's menstrual blood causes a man or a woman to become tamai. So do
various unnatural flows, perhaps caused by disease. Purification includes
immersion in a mikvah, a body of water that has gathered naturally.
Issue #1 - Healing
"The priest shall examine the affection of the skin of his body; if the hair in the
affected patch has turned white and the affection appears to be deeper than the
skin of his body, it is a leprous affection" (Leviticus 13:3)
Discussion
1. The priest is the one commanded to inspect the body and decide if the
disease tzara'at has broken out. Why should a religious leader do this
instead of a doctor? Is there a spiritual side to healing? Is there any
efficacy to the healing services that are so popular today? Do traditional
prayers for the sick work?
2. Too often today many doctors look at the disease, not at the person. Too
often they take a materialistic view of the body, seeing it as a machine to
be fixed. It is similar to a driver bringing a car to the mechanic to be
repaired or tuned up. The only object is to get the machine working
properly again. That is why so many patients say, "The doctor came and
saw my symptoms, my disease, my problems. But the doctor never saw
me." If that is so often the case, what can we do to see that physicians
are better trained? Can our society as a whole take a more holistic view
toward healing?
3. We have all seen faith healers on television and the many books and
magazine articles that address the power of faith to promote health;
some faiths replace medicine with prayer completely. Though as Jews
we might be tempted to discount the concept of faith as an independent
healing power, we certainly understand its impact for improving health
and happiness. The words of the traditional prayer for healing include a
request for "refu-at ha-nefesh u'refu-at ha-guf," healing of soul and body.
How are those related? Can the body be healed without an attendant
healing of the soul? Can the soul be healed when the body is not healed,
or perhaps can never be healed?
Issue #2 - Family Purity
"When a woman has a discharge, her discharge being blood from her body, she
shall remain in her menstrual impurity seven days" (Leviticus 15:19)
Discussion
1. One area of Jewish law practiced by many Orthodox Jews but ignored by
most Conservative Jews is family purity. Nonetheless, there has been a
recent rekindling of interest in these laws by many serious Jews. A
husband and wife separate for a time when the woman has her
menstrual flow. Then, after counting seven days, the woman goes to the
mikvah, a natural gathering of water, and immerses herself. (According
to the Torah she counts seven days altogether; according to rabbinic law,
she counts seven white days after all bleeding has stopped.) Then the
couple can resume marital relations. The Torah is trying to add to the
holiness of sex through periods of separation and coming together. Does
this work?
2. Many authorities see a romantic reason for these laws. Often there is a
sense of newness and excitement to mikvah night, almost like a second
honeymoon. "Rabbi Meir said, [The Torah taught these laws] so that she
will be beloved by her husband as on the day she entered the huppah
[marriage canopy]" (Niddah 31b) Is Rabbi Meir right?
3. Some feminists are deeply troubled by these laws. Why does a natural
female cycle make a woman ritually impure? (Note: Seminal emission,
also natural, makes a man ritually impure. But this form of impurity has
fallen out of practice, while the other is still part of Jewish law.) Other
feminists see great meaning in these laws. First, the law is considered
one of three classical women's mitzvot. The law also makes an important
statement about the relationship between men and women. As a
consequence of observing this law, a husband and wife are constrained
from treating each other as sexual objects. During part of the month, sex
becomes off limits; husband and wife must relate to one another in other
ways. How would these laws fit into an egalitarian understanding of
Judaism?
PARASHAT AHAREY MOT-KEDOSHIM -
ANNIVERSARY WARSAW GHETTO UPRISING
May 6, 2006 - 8 Iyar 5766

Haftarah: Amos 9:7 - 15 (Etz Hayim, p. 706; Hertz p. 509)


Summary
This double portion begins with a presentation of the laws for observing Yom
Kippur in the days when worship was done through sacrifice. After hearing
again of the deaths of Aaron's two sons, which we read about two weeks ago,
we go through the details of the Day of Atonement. The High Priest carries out
a series of rituals that includes three confessions, one for him and his family,
one for all the priests, and one for the entire people Israel. The goat carries the
sin of the people into the wilderness, literally to Azazel. This portion also gives
the requirement to afflict our souls on Yom Kippur, which the rabbis interpret as
fasting and other restrictions.
The remainder of the portion Aharei Mot discusses a variety of laws, most of
them involving forbidden sexual relations. Incest, bestiality, male homosexuality,
and sex during a woman's menstrual period are all forbidden. Some of these
laws, particularly the prohibition of homosexuality, have created a good deal of
controversy in the Jewish community today.
Parshat Kedoshim begins with many ethical laws and is perhaps one of the
most beautiful sections of the Torah. The Israelites are to be holy, for the Lord
God is holy. This is followed by laws about helping the poor, not stealing or
acting falsely, avoiding gossip, not cursing the deaf or putting a stumbling block
before the blind, being fair in judgment, not taking vengeance, respecting elders,
and having honest business practices. At the heart of this section is the Golden
Rule, "Love your neighbor as yourself."
The portion continues with the prohibition against sacrificing one's children to
Molech, an ancient pagan practice. The portion then repeats many of the same
laws about forbidden sexual relations, including the prohibition of incest and
male homosexuality. The people Israel are to separate themselves from the
pagan practices of the people of the land as they learn to separate the pure
from the impure.
Issue #1 - The Golden Rule
"You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your kinsfolk. Love your
neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord" (Leviticus 19:18)
Discussion
1. At the center of all the great religions of the world is the Golden Rule, "Do
onto others as you would have them do onto you." In this portion it is
formulated in the positive - "Love your neighbor as yourself." According
to Rashi, Rabbi Akiba said that this is a great principle of the Torah. Can
we be commanded to love someone?
2. The Talmud, on the other hand, contains a negative formulation of the
Golden Rule. A non-Jew came to the great sage Hillel and wanted him to
explain all of Judaism as he stood on one foot. The answer: "What is
hateful to you do not do to others. The rest is commentary. Go and learn"
(Shabbat 31a), Hippocrates worded it differently "First, do no harm."
Which formulation of the Golden Rule is superior? Which formulation are
people more likely to be able to do?
3. Some thoughts: Perhaps the Golden Rule begins with the negative,
avoiding any action that could harm another. This obviously includes
physical harm, such as injuring another or creating a hazardous situation.
Besides the physical, in what other ways can we harm another person?
Perhaps some of the worst harm is done with words. What does the
Bible mean when it says, "death and life are in the power of the tongue"
(Proverbs 18:21)?
4. More thoughts: Perhaps love is not about feelings but actions. The Torah
cannot command feelings; but the Torah can command actions. Is it
hypocritical to act in a loving way, even if you do not feel that way? Can
actions lead to feelings? Abraham Joshua Heschel said that Judaism
begins with a "leap of action." What does this mean in terms of our
relationship with our neighbor?
Issue #2 - Homosexuality
"Do not lie with a male as you lie with a woman" (Leviticus 18:22)
Discussion
1. No issue is more controversial within the Conservative movement today

than homosexuality. Perhaps the best place to begin is with the question,
"What precisely is forbidden by the Torah?" Some people claim that the
Bible forbids people to be gay. That is false. The Bible never forbids
people from being anything. Instead, it obligates particular actions and
forbids particular actions. What is the particular act that the Torah
explicitly forbids? The particular act that the Torah forbids is what the
rabbis call mishkav zachar, a man having a sexual encounter with
another man. Rashi says "Lying like a female. Like a makeup brush into
a holder." What does he mean by this? (Nothing is mentioned about
lesbianism, although one later rabbinic source forbids it as a type of
promiscuity.)
2. What is important is that one particular sexual act may be forbidden, but
particular desires or a particular orientation is not forbidden. The Torah is
concerned with the act, not the person.
3. Some would say that if the Torah forbids an act, then it is forbidden and
there is no room for compromise. To quote the Talmud, "Let the law
pierce the mountain" (Sanhedrin 6b). We must abide by the law, even if it
is painful or difficult. It is God's word. This is the view of most
traditionalists on this issue. In what ways does this point of view make
sense?
4. Some would say that even if the Torah forbids an act, there is room to be
more flexible on a case-by-case basis. After all, the Torah in this week's
portion also obligates us to fast on Yom Kippur. Nonetheless, someone
who feels that he or she cannot fast for medical reasons can opt out.
After all, "the heart knows its own bitterness" (Proverbs 14:10). In what
ways does this point of view make sense?
5. Some would say that when the Torah forbids homosexual acts, it did not
have the scientific knowledge we have today. They claim that there are
constitutional gays who, by their very nature, are unable to pursue a
heterosexual relationship. The law in the Torah could not possibly apply
to such people. This might leave room to sanctify gay relationships.
Which of these three opinions is most compelling?
PARASHAT EMOR
May 13, 2006 - 15 Iyar 5766

Haftarah: Ezekiel 44:15 - 31 (Etz Hayim p. 734; Hertz p. 528)


Summary
The first half of this portion concerns the laws of the kohenim, the priesthood. A
kohen is not allowed to defile himself for the dead, except for the funeral of an
immediate relative. He may not marry a divorcee, or a woman degraded by
harlotry. The laws are even stricter for the high priest, who may not defile
himself even for his parents. He may marry only a virgin. Also, any kohen who
has a physical defect may not serve in the role of priest or approach the altar.
The portion mentions a long list of such disqualifying defects.
The priests are commanded to be scrupulous about the sacred offerings that
the people bring to God. No priest who is in a state of ritual impurity may eat
these offerings. Purification requires bathing in water and waiting until sunset.
The kohen also may not eat any meat from an animal that has died of natural
causes, without ritual slaughter, nevelah, or that was torn by beasts, terefah.
Jewish law expands these prohibitions to all Jews. The priest's family may eat
the sacred offerings, but should a priest's daughter marry a non-priest, she
loses that privilege.
Just as the priest himself must be without blemish, so must all offerings be
without blemish. Even the offerings of a foreigner must be pure. An animal must
stay with its mother for seven days, and can only be offered up after the eighth
day. However, an animal and its young cannot be offered on the same day.
These laws point towards the central principle, that God's name must be
sanctified - Kiddush HaShem - not profaned - Hillul HaShem -among the people.
Most of the remainder of this portion is a detailed account of the various

festivals through the Jewish year. The seventh day is the Sabbath. The portion
continues with the laws of Passover, the counting of the omer, Shavuot, Rosh
Hashana, Yom Kippur, and finally the various details of the observance of
Sukkot. The Israelites are to bring clear olive oil to light the lights, and choice
flour to bake 12 loaves of bread placed on a table before the altar. Finally, in a
brief narrative, the portion tells of a man who blasphemed the name of God.
God gives a final command that any blasphemer and any murderer shall be put
to death. The Israelites were to take the blasphemer outside and pelt him with
stones.
"The Lord said to Moses, Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to
them, none shall defile himself for any dead person" (Leviticus 21:1)
Discussion
1. Why must a kohen, or priest, even today avoid going to a cemetery or

being in a room with a dead body? (Hint - We must remember that we
were slaves in Egypt, a country whose religion was a cult of death. The
pyramids that tourists flock to see really were ancient tombs. Egyptian
priests concerned themselves with the needs of the dead. They were
expert at embalming and creating mummies. The Torah was reacting to
this cult of death. The new Israelite religion became obsessed with life.)
2. Judaism is built on separations. The most important separation is
between life and death. What are some ways we symbolize that
separation? Why do we wash our hands after returning from a cemetery?
Why do we insist that mourners eat a meal after a funeral? Could these
laws symbolize life following death?
3. Further examples - Could the separation of milk (the life-giving food for a
baby animal) and meat (the flesh of an animal) be related to this
separation of life and death? Could the traditional laws of family purity,
where a couple avoids sexual relations - an affirmation of life - after a
menstrual period - the death of a potential life - be related to this
separation of life and death?
4. The Torah teaches that there is to be a separation between death and
life. When given a choice between a path leading to death and a path
leading to life, the Torah says "Therefore choose life" (Deuteronomy
30:19). The entire thrust of the tradition is to enhance life.
Issue #2 - People with Disabilities
"The Lord spoke further to Moses: Speak to Aaron and say, No man of your
offspring throughout the ages who has a defect shall be qualified to offer the
food of his God" (Leviticus 21:16-17)
Discussion
1. Sometimes we learn from difficult, even painful laws. This week's portion
speaks of the kohanim, the descendants of Aaron, who served as priests
and brought the offerings in the ancient Temple. No priest was allowed to
bring an offering if he were disabled in any way. A priest who was blind
or lame or had a misshapen limb, a man with a broken leg or arm, a
hunchback or a dwarf or anyone with a growth on his body, was
forbidden from bringing the offerings. Just as the sacrifice had to be
without blemish, so the person bringing the offering had to be without
blemish as well. While moderns may find this difficult to accept, it was not
out of place in the cultic world. Why?
2. Perhaps the answer is that the sacrificial offerings were meant to
inculcate in the people a sense of holiness of God's presence and God's
perfection. To watch a priest with a disability bring the offering would
have the opposite effect. People would say, "Look, the priest is blind," or
"Look, the priest is a hunchback," and never even sense God's presence
in the moment. The Torah knew a fundamental truth about human nature
- we have difficulty seeing beyond the disability to actually see the real
person.
3. How can we learn to see past the disability to the human being? The
Talmud tells this story: A rabbi came across an extremely ugly man. The
rabbi said, "Are all the people of your town as ugly as you?" The man
answered, "Go tell the workman how ugly is the vessel he created."
Suddenly the rabbi felt terrible and begged the man for forgiveness
(Taanit 20a-b). What can we learn from this story?
PARASHAT BEHAR-BEHUKOTAI
May 20, 2006 - 22 Iyar 5766

Haftarah: Jeremiah 16:19 - 17:14 (Etz Hayim, p. 763; Hertz p. 551)


Summary
Parashat Behar begins with the laws of the sabbatical year. The Israelites are to
sow their fields for six years, and in the seventh year they are to let the field lie
fallow. This is followed by the laws of the jubilee. The Israelites should count
seven cycles of seven years. Then in the 50th year, on Yom Kippur, all property
is to be released and returned to its original owner. There is to be a
redistribution of wealth every 50 years.
If the Israelites practice these laws, the land will yield a harvest large enough to
feed everybody during the sabbatical year. Nobody owns land forever, for the
land belongs to God. A home in a walled city may be sold forever (following a
one year opportunity for the owner to redeem it), but land never can be. If an
Israelite is impoverished, it is forbidden to loan him money with interest. If he is
forced to sell himself into indentured servitude, a family member must redeem
him. Israelites can own slaves from the nations around them, but not from their
own brothers and sisters. In the jubilee year, all servants go free, including
those who were not redeemed and those who choose not to leave in the
sabbatical year.
Parshat Behukatai contains the shorter of two tochachot, or sets of curses,

found in the Torah. If the Israelites faithfully follow the laws, they will find
blessing on the land. If they do not follow the laws, they will be stricken by a
long list of curses, including various diseases, being routed by enemies, having
insufficient food, and being forsaken in the land. However, even following these
horrible curses, God will remember his covenant and never totally abandon his
people.
There is a final chapter at the end of Leviticus that lists various vows and
offerings to the Temple. A person can pledge his or her worth as a human being
as well as the worth of an animal, house or other property. The portion
describes how such offerings are evaluated. The book ends with the words
"These are the commandments which the Lord gave Moses for the Israelites on
Mount Sinai."
Issue #1 - The Number Seven
"Six years you may sow your field and six years you may prune your vineyard
and gather in the yield, but in the seventh year the land shall have a Sabbath of
complete rest" (Leviticus 25:3-4)
Discussion
1. The number seven is a magic number. And yet there is nothing obvious,
nothing in the heavens, that gives any reason for its special status. If we
think about our measures of time, we see that most correspond to a
specific natural phenomena. A day is to one rotation of the earth, a
month corresponds to the phases of the moon and a year equals a
revolution around the sun. What does a week correspond to? Would
primitive people living on an island, building a calendar over the
generations, have come up with the idea of dividing time into weeks?
2. What are some of the ways the Bible uses the number seven? (Answers:
seven days of creation, seven days of Passover, seven days of Sukkot
followed by a one-day festival, seven weeks from Passover to Shavuot,
seven Biblical festival days, Rosh Hashana is the first day of the seventh
month, seven years is the sabbatical cycle, seven sabbatical cycles in
the jubilee.) Where are other places where seven is important to Jews?
(Ideas: tefillin wrapped around the arm seven times, seven blessings at a
wedding, seven days of mourning. Can you think of others?)
3. Even millennia are measured in sevens. "R. Kattina said, Six thousand
years shall the world exist, and one thousand it shall lay desolate
(leading to the days of the messiah)" (Sanhedrin 97a). This counting
gives us food for thought; we are in the Hebrew year 5766, which makes
the seventh millennia 234 years away. On the other hand, the ancient
astronomers spoke of seventh heaven as the highest concentric circle,
the ultimate of happiness.
4. Why is seven so magical? Perhaps the number seven is a deep part of
the human psyche. In mathematics seven is the first prime number (a
number with no divisors besides one and itself) following the first perfect
number (a number that is the sum of its divisors - for example, 6=1+2+3).
In music, in the diatonic scale there are seven notes before the scale
starts over (do, rei, me, fa, so, la, te). Seven seems to resonate with the
very essence of the universe.
Issue #2 - What's a Human Worth?
Discussion
1. How much is a human being worth? Sometimes we must answer that

question. In tort cases, when someone has been injured or killed by
someone else's negligence, people must estimate the value of another
person to assess damages. Usually it is based on their age and their
earning power. The Torah used to estimate human worth in the same
way. A person would make a vow to donate their worth to the Temple.
The amount was set, based on a number of factors, in particular age and
gender. A male in the prime of life (twenty to sixty), was evaluated at fifty
shekels of silver, a female at thirty shekels. Children were worth less
depending on age, and people over age sixty still less.
2. Certainly this is sexist as well as ageist. Why are men worth more, why
are children worth less and seniors still less? It seems to be based on
their earning power. We can ask the question, has our society today truly
changed? Why do we still pay men more than women for the same
work? Why do we still value people in their working prime more than
those who are retired? Why do we not value the worth of children before
their productive years?
3. How can we recognize that every human being has a worth beyond their
economic ability? This is true for men and women, children too young to
work and retired seniors, those on disability and those who cannot find
work. What insights do the laws of the Sabbath give us? We have a
worth and dignity because we are created in the image of God. Just as
God has infinite worth, so each and every human being has infinite worth.
Ultimately, no price can ever be placed on a human being.
PARASHAT BAMIDBAR - BIRKAT HAHODESH
May 27, 2006 – 29 Iyar 5766

Triennial: Numbers 2:1 – 3:13 (Etz Hayim, p. 774; Hertz p.572)
Haftarah: I Samuel 20:18 – 42 (Etz Hayim, p. 1216; Hertz p. 948)


Summary
The fourth book of the Torah begins with a census of the people Israel, who are
about to begin their journey through the wilderness. The census, taken by tribe,
counts all males twenty years old and older. The list should specify who is able
to bear arms; one of the goals is to establish a count for military service. Twelve
men are chosen to lead the census; one is responsible for each tribe except the
tribe of Levi.
The final total of men of military age is 603,550. We can posit if the women, the
children, and the members of the tribe of Levi were counted, there would be
approximately two million people counted among the Israelites. When we
consider that it has been just four generations since Jacob and his family went
to Egypt with seventy people, we sense the great success of the people Israel
in the realm of reproduction. We can also understand why Egypt was so
frightened of the Israelites’ multiplying numbers.
The book then describes the encampment around the Tent of Meeting. Three
tribes and their banner were encamped in each direction. On the east was
Judah, together with Issachar and Zebulun; on the south was the tribe of
Reuben, with Simeon and Gad; on the west was the tribe of Ephraim, together
with Manasseh and Benjamin; on the north was the tribe of Dan, together with
Asher and Naftali. A count is made of each of these tribes.
The tribe of Levi is chosen to replace the first born and serve in the Tent of
Meeting. Moses and Aaron take a census of the males of the tribe of Levi age
one month and older, coming up with a total of 22,000. There were three clans,
Gershon, Kohath and Merari. They were responsible for the service in the tent
of meeting and care of the sacred objects. They were encamped around the
Tent of Meeting in the middle.
Issue #1 - Nature or Nurture
“On the first day of the second month they convoked the whole community, who
were registered by their family ancestry, the names of those aged twenty years
and over listed head by head” (Numbers 1:18)
Discussion
1. In this week’s portion, when Moses and Aaron counted the total number
of Israelites, they counted by bloodlines, not getting just a single total
number. How important is lineage and bloodlines in establishing our
identity? According to the biblical commentator Rashi on the verse
quoted above, “People brought their genealogical documents and
witnesses who verified the circumstances of their birth, this applied to
each individual to establish their kinship with a tribe.”
2. Judaism puts particular importance on bloodlines. We are Jewish based
on the biological status of our mothers (unless we have converted). We
are Kohen, Levi, or Yisrael based on the biological status of our father
(gerey tzedek are Yisrael). Our identity is wrapped up in our genetic
background. What does this say about adoption?
3. How important is nurturing irrespective of bloodlines? There is another
passage in this week’s portion and another comment by Rashi that
demonstrate a very different approach. The Torah says, “These are the
descendants of Aaron and Moses” (Numbers 3:1) followed by a listing of
Aaron’s family. Why is Moses mentioned? Rashi writes that Moses is
listed “because he taught him Torah. This teaches that whoever teaches
another’s son Torah, it is as if he gave birth to him.”
4. The Talmud teaches that the true parent of a child is the one who raises
him or her, not the one who gives birth (Sanhedrin 19b). What does this
say about adoption? At first glance, it appears there are two contradictory
messages in Judaism – lineage is more important, parenting is more
important. Nature or nurture. How do we find the balance?
Issue #2 - Spirituality and Religion
Discussion
1. “The Israelites shall camp each with his standard, under the banners of
their ancestral house; they shall camp around the Tent of Meeting at a
distance” (Numbers 2:2).
2. There seems to be a growing dichotomy in our society between
spirituality and religion. Spirituality is good; religion is bad. Spirituality is
about a one-on-one encounter with God; religion is about institutions and
rules. Spirituality is about spontaneity; religion is about conformity.
Spirituality is free form; religion is set in its ways. Are these rules of
thumb accurate? Are religion and spirituality twins separated at birth?
What is the difference between these clearly related but not identical
concepts?
3. People say that they can have a spiritual experience on the beach at
sunrise or on a mountaintop at sunset. There are no rules, no dues, no
building funds, no clergy, just a human being standing alone before God.
There have been many prominent religious thinkers, the late philosopher
Martin Buber among them, who believe that religion stifles spirituality.
4. Yet the fourth book of the Torah opens with a description of the Israelites’
preparations for their march through the wilderness. A census was taken
of men of military age. Each tribe marched in formation under its own
banner. The image the Torah paints is of a military campaign, humans
organized and marching together. Why the military image?
5. The military metaphor is apt. The Torah’s religious ideal is not the
individual standing alone before God, although there is time for this also.
The metaphor is rather the community, organized in an almost military
fashion, to do God’s work here on earth. The question is not “How can I
relate to God as an individual?” Instead, it is “How can I join a community
to do God’s work on this earth?”
6. This is where religion meets spirituality head on. Religion is about
organizing a community of people who share a vision of God, and of
what God wants us to do in the world God created. Is it appropriate to
say that living a personally spiritual life without religion – that is, by
yourself – is not enough to create the kind of world God wants?
TORAH READING FOR SHAVUOT (outside of
Israel) - YIZKOR (in most congregations)
June 3, 2006 – 7 Sivan 5766
Torah: Deuteronomy 14:22 – 16:17 (Etz Hayim, p. 1074; Hertz p. 810)

Maftir: Numbers 28:26 – 31 (Etz Hayim, p. 932; Hertz p. 696)
Haftarah: Habakuk 3:1 – 19 (Etz Hayim, p. 1326; Hertz p. 1032)


Summary
The Torah speaks of Shavuot as Hag HaBikurim, the festival of the first fruits.
The holiday also is called Hag HaKatzir, the festival of the wheat harvest. The
Torah also calls it Shavuot, because it comes after counting 49 days, from the
day after the first day of Passover. (The Torah says that the count is to begin
the day after the Sabbath; and the rabbis interpreted that to mean the second
night of Passover.) What is not explicit in the Torah is a connection between the
holiday of weeks and the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. That connection
was a later development in Jewish history.
Shavuot is called z’man matan toreteinu, “the time of the giving of our Torah.”
Our tradition was deliberate in not calling it “the time of the receiving of the
Torah,” for the Torah must be received every day. According to tradition, the
Israelites’ travel from Egypt to the foot of Mount Sinai and the preparations
there took exactly seven weeks. Early in the morning of the sixth of Sivan, God
gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments. Many Jews now follow the custom
of staying up all night studying and learning on the first night of Shavuot at a
tikkun leil Shavuot. That is done so you will not be caught sleeping when God
delivers the Ten Commandments.
Other customs have developed around the festival. For example, it is customary
to eat dairy foods, for the Israelites had not yet received the proper laws of
kosher slaughter. The book of Ruth is read during services (in the diaspora on
the second day) because it deals with Ruth the Moabite, the most famous
convert in history. Yizkor prayers are also said; in the diaspora they’re said on
the second day.
Many Conservative and Reform synagogues have developed the practice of

holding confirmation services on Shavuot. Confirmation ceremonies originally
began in the Reform Movement as a substitute for bat mitzvah. Today it is a
way to honor teenage boys and girls, around the age of 16, who have continued
their Jewish learning beyond bar and bat mitzvah. This again emphasizes the
importance of continuing to receive the Torah.
Issue #1 - Talmud Torah
“They are our life and the length of our days, therefore we should study them
day and night” (daily prayer book)
Discussion
1. We mentioned that Shavuot is the day marking the giving of the Torah;
the Torah is received every day. How can the Conservative movement
build a culture of Torah study? In a section that is found also in the daily
preliminary service, the Talmud mentions a number of mitzvot that are
observed in this world but whose reward is in the world to come. These
include such fundamental ethical mitzvot as honoring parents, providing
for a needy bride, caring for the dead, comforting the bereaved, and
going morning and evening to the synagogue. It ends with the words “the
study of Torah is equivalent to all of these.” Why? How is it possible that
study could be as significant as doing mitzvot that bring healing to the
world?
2. It has been said, “When I pray I talk to God. When I study Torah God
talks to me.” (This saying has been attributed to Rabbi Louis Finkelstein
as well as to a number of other leading figures in the early Conservative
movement.) Many would say Torah study is more important even than
prayer. Why?
3. Many Conservative synagogues now read the Torah in a triennial cycle
instead of reading the full parashah each week. Should Conservative
synagogues spend less time at Shabbat morning services formally
reading the Torah and more time studying the Torah? Should
synagogues offer alternate sessions where the Torah is discussed while
it is read in the service?
4. Confirmation honors young people who continue their learning beyond
the bar or bat mitzvah. What can synagogues do to motivate more young
people to continue learning? Are there other alternatives which could
encourage young people to continue studying? What kind of curriculum
would appeal to young people?
Issue #2 – Conversaion
“And Ruth said, do not entreat me from following after you, for wherever you go
I will go and where you dwell I will dwell, your people will be my people and your
God will be my God” (Ruth 1:16)
Discussion
1. The book of Ruth is a very pro-conversion text. Ruth is a Moabite; she is

a member of a nation that the Torah explicitly forbids from entering the
Jewish people. Yet she converts, and becomes King David’s great-
grandmother. What point is the book trying to make? What lesson can
we learn from it about the approach we should take toward welcoming
converts?
2. The book of Ezra takes a very different approach. “And Ezra the priest
stood up, and said to them, You have transgressed, and have taken
foreign wives, to increase the guilt of Israel. And now make confession to
the Lord God of your fathers, and do His will; and separate yourselves
from the people of the land, and from the foreign wives” (Ezra 10:10-11).
Ezra forces the men to divorce their non-Jewish wives and abandon their
non-Jewish children. Why is conversion not an option? Could the
difference have to do with a situation where a woman is supportive of
Jewish living (so much so she converts to Judaism) and the one
described in Ezra, where the non-Jewish wife prevents her husband from
participation in Jewish life?
3. There is a tension throughout Jewish history regarding conversion. On
the one hand, there is the statement of Rabbi Elazar that the Holy One
exiled Israel among the nation only in order that converts be added to
them (Pesachim 87b). On the other hand, there is Rav Helbo’s famous
statement that converts are as difficult as a sore for the people of Israel
(Yevamot 109b). There are communities of Jews today that will not
accept converts under any circumstances. Sadly, in the Conservative
movement there still are people who are suspicious of the motivation of
converts.
4. Why have some Jews taken an anti-conversion approach? What can be
done today to make Judaism more welcoming to converts?
PARASHAT NASO
June 10, 2006 – 14 Sivan 5766

Haftarah: Shoftim 13:2 – 25 (Etz Hayim, p. 813; Hertz p. 602)


Summary
This portion continues the census begun in Parashat Bamidbar with a census of
the tribe of Levi by their various clans. The census counted men between the
ages of thirty and fifty. The many operational duties in the Tent of Meeting were
assigned to various clans. Those in a state of ritual impurity were removed from
the encampment. When a person wrongs another, he shall confess the wrong
and pay back the principle plus an additional fine of one fifth the value.
The portion continues with the difficult law of the “sotah,” a wife suspected of
being unfaithful. If a husband suspects his wife of infidelity, he brings an
accusation to the priest. A special drink is prepared – the liquid includes a paper
dissolved in it, and some verses are written on the paper. The woman bares her
head, brings a meal offering and drinks the drink, the so-called waters of
bitterness. If she is guilty, certain physical signs appear. (It should be noted that
the rabbis later did away with this ritual of jealousy, partly because men who
were promiscuous would accuse their wives of infidelity.)
The Torah next mentions the law of a Nazirite, someone who had made a
special vow of holiness to the Lord. The Nazir was forbidden to cut his or her
hair, drink wine or any other intoxicant and approach a dead body. When the
period of the vow ended, the Nazir would bring special sin and burnt offerings.
The chapter ends with the beautiful priestly blessing – “The Lord bless you and
keep you! The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you! The Lord bestow His
favor upon you and grant you peace!”
The last part of the portion describes the formal consecration of the Tent of
Meeting. Over a period of twelve days each of the twelve princes from the
twelve tribes would bring gifts and offering to the tabernacle. The portion is
extremely repetitive because each prince brought precisely the same gifts. It is
customary to read this portion on each day of Hanukah because it deals with
the theme of dedication.
Issue #1 - Love or Trust?
“The priest shall write these curses in a scroll, and he shall blot them out into
the water of bitterness” (Numbers 5:23)
Discussion
1. What is more important for a successful marriage, love or trust? There is

a hint of the Torah’s choice in the archaic ritual of the sotah, the woman
suspected of infidelity. The ritual is degrading; fortunately it long ago
disappeared from Jewish life. The rabbis taught that if the man himself
had been less than faithful in the marriage, drinking the bitter waters
would not work for his wife (Sotah 47b). According to the Talmud, when
adultery increased in Israel Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai abolished the
ritual altogether (Sotah 9:9). But we moderns can learn even from an
archaic ritual.
2. The curses that were dissolved in the water included God’s name. As a
general rule, once God’s name is written we can never destroy it. That is
the reason we bury a Torah and other holy books when they are no
longer fit for use. Only this law is an exception. We allow God’s name to
be dissolved into the bitter waters, with the hope that the woman who
drank it will be found innocent. To rebuild trust between a husband and
wife, even God’s name can be destroyed. What can we learn from this?
What does the ritual tell us about the seriousness with which the tradition
took the need for trust in a couple?
3. When trust has broken down in a marriage between a husband and wife,
how can it be rebuilt? Is it possible to have a loving relationship without
trust?
Issue #2 – God’s Face
“May the Lord lift His face upon you and grant you peace” (Numbers 6:26)
Discussion
1. God’s holy name appears in each of the three stanzas of the Priestly
Blessing. Besides the Name (ha-shem is the Hebrew word for “the
Name”), the only term repeated in the blessing is the word “face.” (In
Hebrew, the word for face is panim. In this blessing, the word is panav,
which means “His face.”) We ask God to cause His face to shine upon us,
and then to lift up His face to us. But does God have a face?
2. Of course, the blessing is based on a metaphor. God does not really
have a face. But the word “face” is important. The first insight comes
from the Hebrew. The word panim is always in the plural, literally “faces.”
Why is that significant?
3. Perhaps the reason is that none of us has just one face. We present the
world with a certain face when we are happy, another when we are angry,
another when we are frightened and yet another when we are sad. We
often present one face to the world and another to our family. Perhaps
we have one face for business and another for leisure. Each of us has
many faces. Therefore, face in Hebrew is always plural.
4. However, perhaps there is another reason why face is always plural.
Faces always come in pairs because without another person (or a mirror)
no one sees our face, we certainly don’t. Two people meet face to face.
The word face is about an encounter with another. My face comes into
being when it meets another face, when I really stand in the presence
and see the other.
5. The human face is meant to be encountered. That is why so many
muscles control our smile. Scholars say we have eyebrows so people
can recognize our expression from a distance. Why is being in the
presence of another’s face so important for our human identity? Why do
email users have emoticons [;) :-0] which were modeled after faces?
Have we lost something when we do most of our communication by
phone or email?
PARASHAT BEHA’LOTEKHA
June 17, 2006 – 21 Sivan 5766

Haftarah: Zekhariah 2:14 – 4:7 (Etz Hayim, p. 837; Hertz p. 620)


Summary
This portion contains a variety of laws and recounts a number of historical

events as the Israelites begin their journey through the wilderness. God tells
Moses to speak to Aaron, light the menorah – the seven-light lampstand made
of gold – and keep it constantly alight in the tabernacle. The tribe of Levi must
be purified and prepared for the special offerings. All Levites between 25 and 50
years old can participate in the ritual of service in the Tent of Meeting.
God commands the people about the Passover sacrifice. If an Israelite should
be unable to participate in the Passover at the appropriate time because of
ritual impurity or being too far distant from the authorized place of worship, a
second Passover one month later was instituted as a kind of make-up day for
the ceremony. But any Israelite who simply chooses not to participate would be
cut off from the people.
The tabernacle is set up. A cloud covers it by day; a pillar of fire covers it at
night. When the Israelites were to break camp, the cloud would lift up. Two
silver trumpets were made to be sounded when the Israelites were to move
forward. The precise order of the march was laid out, and in the second year,
on the twentieth of the second month, the Israelites march forth. Moses invites
his father-in-law, Hobab (earlier identified in the Torah as Yitro), to set out with
them as a guide, but he refuses.
The people complain bitterly before the Lord about the food. They miss the food
of Egypt. Moses cries out that he cannot carry the burden of this people. God
promises the people that they will have meat to eat, enough for a whole month,
until it becomes loathsome to them. God causes some of Moses’ spirit to rest
on 70 elders; two young men, Eldad and Medad, also prophesy in the camp.
God causes quail to be blown into the camp, giving the people meat to eat.
At the end of the portion, Miriam and Aaron speak out against Moses because
of his marriage to a Cushite woman. God speaks of Moses’ modesty and how
only he can speak to God face to face. Miriam is stricken with leprosy, and
Moses prays for her with the words, “O God, pray heal her.” Miriam is shut out
of the camp for seven days, and only when she reenters the camp do the
people continue their travels.
Issue #1 - Happy With Your Lot
“The riffraff in their midst felt a gluttonous craving, and the Israelites, moreover,
wept and said, if only we had meat to eat” (Numbers 11:4)
Discussion
1. Immediately after beginning the journey, the Israelites began complaining.

The first complaints were not surprising – they did not like the food. In the
desert all they had to eat was manna, miraculous but gastronomically
bleak. Back in Egypt they had meat and vegetables - cucumbers, melons,
leeks, onions and garlic. As we read the Torah these coming weeks,
complaints about food will escalate into complaints about everything.
Only when that unhappy generation died off would the Israelites be
allowed to enter the Promised Land.
2. Are there some people who like to complain? We all know the kind of
people who enjoy seeing the glass half empty rather than half full. Often
such people are a gloomy presence in the life of others.
3. There is the story of a man who was always complaining to the rabbi
about his life. He never had enough money, his marriage was unhappy,
his kids were no good, his health was failing. His life was full of bitterness.
He kept asking the rabbi, “Why am I suffering so?” Finally, the rabbi said,
“I want you to visit Yakov; perhaps he can give you an answer.” The man
went to Yakov’s house, and found it to be a hovel. There was no heat
and little food, and Yakov looked quite ill. In fact, the man was shocked
at Yakov’s condition, and asked him, “How do you deal with suffering?”
Yakov had a big smile on his face. “Why are you asking me? I have
never suffered.” What does this story teach us? How much of how we
feel about our lot in life is due to our life experiences and how much is
because of the way we view those experiences?
4. “Ben Zoma said, ‘Who is rich? Someone who is satisfied with their lot.’”
How can we learn the joy of finding satisfaction with our lot? In this day of
commercialization and consumerism, is it possible to be satisfied with
what we have? Does that not run against the concept of an ever-growing
economy? Is there a difference between being wanting nice things and
feeling that all you have is horrible?
Issue #2 – Light
“Speak to Aaron and say to him, When you mount the lamps, let the seven
lamps give light at the front of the menorah” (Numbers 8:2)
Discussion
1. Aaron must keep the lamps lit. Light is the symbol of God’s presence.
Light was also the first item God created. But what is light?
2. Scientists have determined that light behaves in ways that make it quite
unusual. Light does behave as if it was a wave, but unlike sound waves
light can travel in a vacuum. White light is a combination of all the colors
together. A bright light, like a spotlight, can be very warm.
3. When we think of “the wave” at a sports stadium, we recognize that very
many people must participate if the wave is to pass around the stadium.
Although light can be understood as a wave, Einstein determined that it
also is particle-like, passing energy along as if it were a kind of solid. In
this understanding, light-bits (photons) are involved to move the energy
along.
4. So much for the scientific understandings of light. Is there a way to take
those understandings and use them as a metaphor for understanding
God? Something as simple as a sunbeam becomes a beautiful spectrum
of color when it passes through a prism. When we note that we cannot
understand something, we say we’re in the dark.
5. In what ways is our understanding of God well represented by light?
PARASHAT SHELAH-LEKHA - BIRKAT
HAHODESH
June 24, 2006 – 28 Sivan 5766

Haftarah: Joshua 2:1 – 24 (Etz Hayim, p. 857; Hertz p. 635)


Summary
God commands Moses to send spies into the land of Canaan; they are asked to
bring back a report about the land to the people. Moses chooses 12 spies, one
from each tribe. The spies travel throughout the land for 40 days and return to
the camp with pomegranates, figs, and a cluster of grapes so large that it takes
two people to carry it. The land is flowing with milk and honey, they report, but
the people who live in it were powerful. The spies say that they looked to
themselves like grasshoppers and so they must have appeared to the people of
the land.
The people begin to wail, saying that it would be better to go back to Egypt. Two
of the spies, Caleb and Joshua, speak positively about the land and call on the
people to go forward. But the other 10 spies bring a negative report about their
chance of entering the land. The people rebel in anger and God becomes angry
with them, and Moses pleads with God for forgiveness. Moses suggests that if
God kills the people, the nations will think God lacks the power to save His
people.
God forgives the people but does punish them. The people will wander in the
desert for 40 years, one year for each day the spies were in the land. Of that
generation, only Joshua and Caleb will be allowed to enter the land. The
generation that left Egypt will die in the desert, only their children will enter the
holy land. The people regret their action and try to conquer the land but are
turned back.
The portion ends with a series of laws about various offerings. A man is caught
gathering wood on the Sabbath day and is placed in custody. God says to
Moses that such a man should be put to death. The portion concludes with the
law that people must place tzitzit or fringes on the corner of their garments.
Issue #1 - Love Yourself
“We looked like grasshoppers to ourselves, and so we must have looked to

them” (Numbers 13:33)
Discussion
1. The 10 spies reported to the Israelites that the Promised Land is a

beautiful land, but the Israelites were too weak to be able to conquer it.
They end with the words, “We looked like grasshoppers to ourselves,
and so we must have looked to them.” If we see ourselves as
grasshoppers, soon other people will see us in that way too. In today’s
language, the spies had serious issues of self-image and self-esteem. If
we put ourselves down, how can we expect anyone else to respect us? If
we have no dignity, how can we see the dignity in others? If we fail to
love ourselves, how can we ever learn to love anyone else?
2. Self-love has been called the greatest love of all. Why? The Torah
teaches “love your neighbor as yourself.” If you do not love yourself, how
will you possibly love your neighbor? Is there a point where a person
might demonstrate either too much or too little self-love?
3. There is a great concern with teaching our children self-esteem. Some
people suggest that eliminating all competition because competition
necessarily involves someone losing, and losing will be bad for self-
esteem. How can we teach a healthy self-esteem in a competitive world?
Should we hold competitions and contests in our synagogues although
some win and others lose? Is there a way to make competitions and
contests growing and learning opportunities, even if there are those who
win and those who lose?
4. There is an ancient Jewish teaching that every human being ought to
carry two pieces of paper in his or her pocket. When we feel haughty and
conceited, we should pull out the paper that says “I am but dust and
ashes” (Genesis 18:27). When you feel low and lack self-esteem, you
would pull out the paper that says “Thou has made him but little lower
than the angels, and have crowned him with glory and honor” (Psalms
8:6). We humans are the pinnacle of God’s creation and worthy of honor
and esteem. How can we learn to love ourselves?
Issue #2 – A Minyan
“The Lord spoke further to Moses and Aaron, How much longer shall this
wicked community keep muttering against me?” (Numbers 14:26-27)
Discussion
1. Nearly everyone involved in Jewish communal life has experienced

waiting in synagogue or in a house of mourning, hoping the tenth Jew
would show up to make a minyan. Nearly everyone involved in Jewish
communal life also has received this phone call: “Drop everything, don’t
worry about what you are wearing, hurry down, we need you for the
tenth.”
2. In this week’s portion we are introduced to the notion of a minyan.
Twelve men were sent to spy out the land. Two praised it; ten spoke
highly of the land but disparaged the Israelites’ chances of ever
conquering it. God said, “How much longer shall this wicked community
keep muttering against me?” From this we learn that a community is
made up of ten. Traditionally, a minyan was ten Jewish men over the age
of 13. Most Conservative synagogues also will count women toward the
requisite ten. However you count it, a minyan represents the community.
3. When Abraham bargains with God to save the cities of Sodom and
Gemorrah, he asks God to save the cities for the sake of 50 righteous
people. Because there are not 50 the bargaining continues as Abraham
lowers the number, finally ending with 10. Why does Abraham not go
lower? Could it be that 10 people form a community; fewer than 10 are
just a formless group of people?
4. Why are some of ourmost important prayers, including kaddish and the
kedusha, only said in the presence of a minyan? Why is the Torah read
only if there is a minyan? What is wrong with saying these prayers
privately? Many Conservative synagogues struggle to keep a minyan for
daily services in the morning, the evening, or both. Is this important? Do
the minyan regulars represent a kind of community within the synagogue
communities?
5. Being Jewish is not something we do simply as individuals. (Consider
again the issues of religion versus spirituality raised earlier in Parashat
Bamidbar.) Rather, Judaism is practiced in the midst of community. The
great sage Hillel taught, “Do not separate yourself from the community”
(Avot 2:5).
PARASHAT KORAH
July 1, 2006 – 5 Tammuz 5766

Haftarah: 1 Samuel 11:14 – 12:22 (Etz Hayim, p. 877; Hertz p. 649)


Summary
This portion tells the story of the great rebellion against Moses. Korach, who is
from the tribe of Levi and a relative of Moses, leads the revolt, together with
Dathan and Abiram of the tribe of Reuben. It is likely that Korach’s complaints
dealt more with religious leadership while those of the tribe of Reuben dealt with
political leadership. The rebels confront Moses and Aaron saying, “You have
gone too far. All of the community is holy.” Moses tells the rebels to appear the
next morning with fire pans. Then, he says, God will show them whom He has
chosen.
The rebels appear before Moses the next morning. Moses says that if the men
die a normal death, then he, Moses, will prove not to be representing God.
When he finishes speaking, the earth opens up and swallows Korach, his
followers, and all their households. A fire comes from heaven and consumes
the 250 men who followed the rebels by offering incense. The deaths lead to a
major rebellion against Moses by the people Israel. God becomes angry and
starts a plague, until Aaron, standing between the living and the dead, puts a
stop to it.
Moses decides to bring a test to prove who is to be the religious leader. Twelve
chieftains from 12 tribes each brings a staff and deposits it in the Tent of
Meeting. In the morning Aaron’s staff has blossomed and sprouted almonds.
The rebellion finally ends as Aaron’s religious leadership is publicly confirmed.
The portion ends with a series of laws about the portions given to the priests
and the tribe of Levi.
Issue #1 - Disasters
“The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their households, all
Korach's people and all their possessions” (Numbers 16:32)
Discussion
1. As someone who grew up in Los Angeles, which is always threatened by

earthquakes, I find myself particularly sensitive to this portion. Now I live
in Florida, with its hurricane season, and I find that I have traded one
kind of natural disaster for another. We look at a world of earthquakes,
hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, tsunamis, plagues, and other disasters,
and we wonder how we cope religiously. Are these acts of God?
2. In the beginning there was chaos. Out of that chaos God created order.
God made the laws just so that life would emerge, consciousness would
emerge, humans would emerge. We human beings live in a world of
natural laws. If God is the foundation of nature and natural law, why does
the world not work in a way that rewards the good and punishes the
wicked? Long ago, a wise rabbi asked that same question. He asked, if a
farmer steals wheat from another farmer and plants it, should it not
grow? Should not the farmer be punished for stealing the wheat? The
rabbi answered “Olam keminhago nahag.” The world behaves according
to its nature (Avodah Zara 54b). The laws of nature happen, caring
nothing for our moral qualms. Is this helpful as a theological stance?
Would we find it more useful, religiously, to say that nature’s fury is
justified? Would we prefer seeing miraculous changes in the way the
world works in response to what we perceive of as improper behavior?
What about behavior that is destructive to the environment? Should God
punish that kind of behavior?
3. Where is God during natural disasters? According to kabbala, God
contracted Him/Herself though tzimtzum so that a world could emerge.
God fine-tuned the laws to allow human beings to emerge. God has a
role, a mission for us human beings. We are to be God’s partners in
creation. Perhaps some day we will predict earthquakes or even prevent
them. Meanwhile, we can make our buildings as earthquake-proof as
possible. How else can we do God’s work in this world?
Issue #2 – Finding Hope
“The next day Moses entered the Tent of the Pact, and there the staff of Aaron
of the house of Levi had sprouted; it had brought forth sprouts, produced
blossoms, and borne almonds” (Numbers 17:23)
Discussion
1. How do we find hope after a disaster? After two tragedies – first of the
earthquake, then the plague – Aaron’s staff sprouts almonds and
produces blossoms. What is the symbolism of the sprouting staff?
2. I have many childhood memories of visiting areas devastated by the
terrible brush fires of Southern California. Everything was burnt; there
seemed little hope that life would ever reappear. However, within a very
short time wildflowers covered the ground. Within a year there was a new
growth of trees. In a few years you would not know the area had been
burned to the ground. There is a life force at work in the universe that
seems to overpower death. Today, many scientists are suggesting that
by preventing so many forest fires, we actually have caused damage to
forests in order to protect the human property that has been built within
and around them. What should take precedence in such situations?
3. The rabbis speak of a force of life at work in the universe. According to a
midrash, “Rabbi Simon said, There is not a single blade of grass below
that does not have a constellation in the heaven that hits it and says,
Grow” (Genesis Rabbah 10:7). How can we harness that force of life to
help people who are trying to cope with disaster and tragedy?
4. The universe seems fine-tuned so that life will emerge. We could even
say that if it were not for hurricanes, volcanoes, and other natural
disasters, life would not have emerged as it did. The prophet Ezekiel had
a vision of dry bones coming to life again.Can this vision be a symbol for
us in our own lives? In what ways might people who are trying to rebuild
their lives after a natural disaster find that a hopeful message? Might it
be possible that such a message might not be a hopeful one?
PARASHAT HUKKAT-BALAK
July 8, 2006 – 12 Tammuz 5766
Annual: Numbers: 19:1 – 25:9 (Etz Hayim, p. 880; Hertz p. 652)

Triennial: Numbers: 21:21 – 22:38 (Etz Hayim, p. 891; Hertz p. 662)
Haftarah: Micah: 5:6 – 6:8 (Etz Hayim, p. 915; Hertz p. 682)


Summary
Congregations outside Israel read a double portion this Shabbat. In Israel,

because of differences in the Torah reading calendar as there is no second day
of Shavuot, the two parashiot are read on two separate weeks. Hukkat begins
with the very strange law of the red heifer. A pure red cow without blemish is to
be sacrificed and fully burned, its ashes mixed with cedar wood, hyssop, and
crimson stuff and placed in water. The priest is to sprinkle the mixture on a
person who is ritually impure because he or she has been near a corpse. The
ashes of the red heifer purify the impure person, who once again is permitted to
enter the Tent of Meeting. However, the irony of this strange law is the person
who does the sprinkling becomes impure.
Miriam dies at the wilderness of Zin. The people complain about the lack of
water. God tells Moses and Aaron to take their rod and speak to the rock, so
that it will bring forth water. Instead, Moses speaks angrily to the people and
hits the rock. Water comes forth but God punishes Moses and Aaron. They will
not enter the holy land. Aaron dies on Mount Hor and the people mourn for him
30 days. Parashat Hukkat ends with accounts of the battles against two kings,
Sihon and Og. The people camp on the steppes of Moab, across the Jordan
from Jericho.
Parashat Balak tells the story of the pagan prophet Balaam. Balak, the king of
Moab, tries to hire the soothsayer Balaam to curse the Israelites. Balaam asks
God’s permission, and God refuses to let him go. But when Balak offers more
money, God relents and Balaam saddles his ass and travels to curse the
Israelites. While Balaam is on the road, an angel blocks his way three times.
Each time the ass stops, Balaam beats her. Finally the ass speaks to Balaam,
saying “What have I done that you have beaten me three times?” Balaam learns
that God does not approve of his mission.
Three times Balaam offers sacrifices and opens his mouth to curse the
Israelites. And three times God turns the curses into blessings. Among the
blessings from Balaam’s mouth are the words used daily in synagogue, “How
fair are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel.” Balaam also prophesies
about other nations. At the end of the portion, Israelite men begin to commit
acts of harlotry with the Moabite women. When an Israelite man and a Midianite
woman desecrate the Tent of Meeting, Pinchas kills them both.
Issue #1 - Controlling Anger
“And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he
said unto them, hear now, you rebels, are we to bring you forth water from the
rock?” (Numbers 20:10)
Discussion
1. Of the many personal misfortunes in the Torah, perhaps the most

compelling was that Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land.
What did he do that resulted in such a serious punishment? Rashi says
that Moses hit the rock once and only drops came forth, so he hit it a
second time. The Torah text shows that God commanded Moses to
speak to the rock and bring forth water, not to hit it. Was hitting the rock
Moses’ sin? Some commentators instead blame Moses for taking credit
for the miracle of the water at the rock, instead of giving credit to God.
Moses says to the people, “shall I bring forth water?” rather than saying
“Shall God bring forth water…?” Was this Moses’ sin?
2. Others believe Moses’ sin goes much deeper into the heart of what it
means to be a human being. Moses was angry at people who had a
legitimate complaint. They were thirsty. Moses allowed his temper to
overwhelm him, not only striking at the rock instead of speaking, but
screaming at the people, “Hear now, you rebels!” Moses was a man who
could not control his anger. And when a leader cannot manage self-
control on something so basic, it is time to appoint a new leader.
3. Many people today claim that anger is a good thing. A person needs to
display his or her anger. Too much self-control will lead to anger building
up like steam in a tea kettle. If we do not let it burst forth, the anger
eventually will explode. In our modern therapeutic community,
expressing your anger is positive, even necessary, for psychological
health. Is there any truth to this assertion?
4. Issues of anger management are among the clearest examples of a
powerful Jewish teaching. We are taught that every human being is born
with two inclinations, the good inclination (yetzer hatov) and the evil
inclination (yetzer hara). The yetzer hara is understood to be our
appetites out of control. We need our appetites and emotions, and anger
has a role to play in that context. Without anger we would never fight
injustice; we would stand by passively as wrongs are committed. The
problem is not anger, but uncontrolled anger. One of the great rabbis,
Ben Zoma, taught, “Who is strong? Whoever controls their appetites”
(Avot 4:1). A worthy life is a life of self-control and self-discipline. The
object is not to remove anger altogether, but to limit its time and place.
How can we learn to control our anger? Is there a difference between
controlling anger and letting it build up to a point of creating personal
danger?
Issue #2 – Controlling Greed
“They came to Balaam and said to him, Thus says Balak son of Zippor, please
do not refuse to come to me. I will reward you richly and I will do anything you
ask of me, only come and curse this people for me” (Numbers 22:16-17)
Discussion
1. I recently had a conversation with one of our college students, home for
the summer. Through the year he had spoken about how evil and corrupt
the United States economic system is. He wanted to see capitalism
replaced with a kinder and gentler economic system. Now, he confessed
to me, “I realize the system is not what is evil and corrupt. People are evil
and corrupt.” “At last,” I shouted. “You finally get it. Too often we work at
changing the system. In truth, we need to change people.” How do we
change people? Is it possible to change another person?
2. In this week’s portion, Balak hires the pagan prophet Balaam to curse the
Israelites. He offers Balaam a large sum of money, but Balaam turns
down the offer. “God said to Balaam, do not go with them. You must not
curse that people, for they are blessed” (Numbers 22:12). That should
have ended the matter, but Balak sends a more distinguished delegation
with even more money. Balaam approaches God again, and this time
God does not stop him. If cursing the Israelites was wrong for a smaller
amount of money, it was still wrong for more money. Balaam allows
greed to overrule his conscience.
3. Does everybody have a price? Why is bribery wrong? Can greed be
controlled? How do we teach people to avoid the evil inclination when it
comes to money? Could allowing influence for money ever be
acceptable? If there is a good result from appealing to someone’s greed,
is it acceptable to use a person’s appetites to do something good for
society?
PARASHAT PINCHAS
July 15, 2006 – 19 Tammuz 5766

Haftarah: Jeremiah 1:1 – 2:3 (Etz Hayim, p. 968; Hertz p. 710)


Summary
At the end of Hukkat, the previous parashah, we read how Pinchas, in a

moment of zealous outrage, slew the ring leaders of a sexual orgy involving
Moabite and Midianite women and Israelite men. His actions put a stop to a
plague. God rewards Pinchas with a covenant of peace. God tells Moses to
assail the Midianites and defeat them because of the actions of their women.
This leads to some of the most difficult chapters in the Torah for moderns to
understand, the leading of a war of revenge against the nation of Midian.
The Israelites take a second census of the people age twenty and up now that
nearly forty years have passed since the first census. The count is taken by
clans of each of the twelve tribes. The final number is 601,730, slightly fewer
than the first census. As before, a census is taken of the tribe of Levi. Every one
of the Israelite adults who left Egypt would die in the desert except Caleb and
Joshua.
The five daughters of Zelophehad approach Moses and tell him that their father
had died and left no sons. Since only men could inherit, their family allotment
would be lost. Moses brings the case before the Lord. God adjusts the laws of
inheritance – if a man dies leaving no sons, daughters inherit. If he has no
children, his brothers inherit. Next come his father’s brothers followed by and
other nearby relatives of the clan. God allows Moses to see the land, and tells
him to appoint a successor to go before the people. Joshua the son of Nun is
chosen.
The portion ends with a detailed list of the various offerings daily, on the
Sabbath, on the New Moon, and on each day of the cycle of festivals. This
portion is the most read section of the Torah, chanted throughout the year as
the maftir aliya on the various festivals and rosh hodesh. These offerings are to
be given at the stated times, together with any free will offerings. These are the
laws that God commanded Moses.
Issue #1 - Controlling Lust
"Pinchas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath
from the Israelites by displaying among them his passion for me." (Numbers
25:10)
Discussion
1. In last week’s Torah Sparks, we reviewed questions concerning

controlling anger and greed. We identified both of these with the yetzer
hara, the evil inclination. “Ben Zoma taught, Who is strong? Whoever can
control his inclination.” (Avot 4:1) The story of Pinchas speaks to
questions of lust, the sexual drive out of control. In Jewish tradition, the
evil inclination, appetites out of control, is most frequently identified with
sexual activity. Pinchas acted when Israelite men were tempted by the
Midianites and forgot about the sexual morality which was central to the
Torah’s vision.
2. Is the sexual drive out of control in our community? Is recreational sex,
informal sex or ‘hook-up’ sex, that is casual recreational sexual activity
outside of any long term, monogamous relationships creating many of
our social problems? As society has allowed the sexual drive to be
answered without concern for relationship, how has that impacted
breakdown of family? Has freer sexuality, without considering results and
impacts of that activity, contributed to more transmitted diseases,
teenage pregnancy, high rates of abortion? As a society, can we put that
genie back in the battle and create a new, modern sexual ethic?
3. Jewish tradition does not see the sexual drive as inherently evil. On the
contrary, sex in the right circumstances, with the right partner, with the
right attitude, is a mitzvah, something God wants us to do. In fact it is not
only good but holy. Judaism always saw a lifetime of celibacy as sad and
a healthy sexual life as important for human well-being. How do we make
sex holy once again?
Issue #2 – The Self: Me or I
"Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years
old and upward, by their fathers’ houses, all that are able to go forth to war in
Israel." (Numbers 26:2)
Discussion
1. In this week's portion, God ordered a second census taken of the

Israelite people. Every male from age twenty and up was to be counted,
obviously in preparation for a military conquest. The count was made by
tribe and by family. People were defined by the tribe they are born into
and by the parents who gave birth to them, not by who they really are.
2. Albert Camus' novel The Stranger is the story of a man who passively
lives his life in reaction to other people. His boss wants him to move from
his home in Algiers to Paris, and he replies that it doesn’t matter whether
he moves or not. His girlfriend wants to marry him, and he also tells her
that it doesn't matter. He always chooses the easiest path. He is like the
ball in a pinball machine, bouncing this way and that way with no volition
of his own - until he murders a man on an Algiers beach.
3. How often do we human beings live lives of passivity, simply reacting to
others? How often do we find ourselves defined by other people? How
often do we live our lives according to other people's expectations? How
often do we choose the path of least resistance? How often are we
objects of other people's lives, rather than subjects of our own lives?
4. Sociologist George Herbert Mead, when speaking of the self, makes a
distinction between the ‘I’ and the ‘me.' We are each uniquely an ‘I’ and
each uniquely a ‘me.’ Our ‘me’ is our socially created self, the product of
social positions, social influences and our own past choices. In each
moment, however, our ‘I’ always transcends our ‘me.’ We are also an ‘I,’
that is, we create ourselves. How can we be the subject of our own lives?
5. The Torah teaches that when God created us, God said, "Let us make
man in our image according to our likeness." Why the plural? Perhaps
the answer is that God did not create us as a finished product. We also
must take responsibility to create ourselves.
PARASHAT MATTOT-MASEY - BIRKAT
HAHODESH
July 22, 2006 – 26 Tammuz 5766

Haftarah: Jeremiah 2:4 – 28; 3:4 (Etz Hayim, p. 973; Hertz p. 725)


Summary
This long double portion begins with laws about vows. People must fulfill vows
they make. However, a father has the legal right to annul a vow made by his
minor daughter and a husband has the right to annul vows made by his wife. A
single adult woman, a widow, or a divorcee must stand by her vows. This
section, giving husbands power over wives, was based on the concept of
shalom bayit – peace in the home – but clearly it goes against contemporary
ethical values.
The Israelites carry out a war of vengeance against the Midianites. It is a vicious
war that include killing all the men and taking a large amount of booty. Moses
becomes angry that the women were captured alive; it was the women who
tempted Israel into sexual promiscuity. This section of the Torah, with its
largescale slaughter of all the men and all the women who have had sexual
relations, is one of the most difficult for moderns to fathom. We clearly must
study certain sections of the Torah in the context of their own time. Moses takes
a census of the spoil and teaches the procedure for purification of everything
taken from the Midianites.
The tribes of Reuben and Gad (and later half the tribe of Manasseh) like the
land on the east side of the Jordan River as an area for cattle. They ask to
settle there rather than crossing the Jordan and settling in Canaan with the
other tribes. Moses answers that it will undermine morale of the other tribes if
they stay behind. The 2 ½ tribes agree to leave their cattle and children behind
and join the other Israelites to conquer the land, but afterward they will come
back and settle in the east.
The portion Masey begins with a careful mention of each of the Israelites’ stops
as they wander in the desert for 40 years. The borders of the Promised Land
are carefully delineated. Cities were set aside for the tribe of Levi. In addition,
six cities of refuge are set up; someone who accidentally commits manslaughter
can flee there. There he would remain until the death of the High Priest; there
he would be safe from vengeful family members. However, someone who
deliberately commits murder is put to death based on the testimony of two
witnesses. At the end of the portion we return to the daughters of Zelophehad.
They are allowed to inherit, but they must marry within their own tribe so that
their land remains within the tribe’s inheritance.
Issue #1 - Two Kinds of Killing
“You shall provide yourselves with places to serve you as cities of refuge to
which a manslayer who has killed a person unintentionally may flee” (Numbers
35:11)
Discussion
1. In Torah times, when a person deliberately and intentionally murders

another, the family was permitted to seek revenge. The death penalty
was invoked for a deliberate murder. The death of the murderer serves
as atonement for the death of the victim. Eventually such executions
were carried out by the state rather than by the family of the victim.
Nonetheless, the rabbis of the Talmud made it all but impossible to carry
out the death penalty in practice, although the law allowing executions
remained in place. Why did the rabbis make it all but impossible to carry
out the death penalty in practice?
2. On the other hand, what if someone kills someone unwittingly, without
malice, through negligence? Cities of refuge were established so that the
perpetrator could escape the vengeance of the victim's family. Even an
unintended death mars God’s presence in the world and requires some
kind of atonement. Accidental killing requires some kind of reparation.
Why must the perpetrator dwell in the City of Refuge until the death of
the High Priest of that generation?
3. There are two possibilities when a person is killed. One is that an
innocent person has been killed deliberately, with forethought and
malice; that is murder. The other is an unintentional death, whether
through negligence, accident, or simply lack of care. Both are considered
serious crimes that need atonement. Both mar God’s presence in the
world. Yet they are not moral equivalents. Does that difference seem
appropriate? Is one scenario more complex morally than the other?
4. Is there a difference between a terrorist killing civilians and the accidental
killing of civilians during a military action? Does the nature of the war
have any affect on that difference?
Issue #2 – Memories of Love
“These were the marches of the Israelites who started out from the land of
Egypt, troop by troop, in the charge of Moses and Aaron” (Numbers 33:1)
Discussion
1. Stop by stop, the beginning of parashat Masey lists the various

encampments of the Israelites as they wander through the wilderness.
Each resting place is carefully recounted. The midrash gives a reason
why. Imagine a king who took his sick son on a journey to try to find a
cure for an illness. Later, when the son is cured and grown up, the king
lovingly recalls each of the places on their journey. Recalling the journey
becomes a moment of shared love between the king and his son. So, too,
in our portion, the sharing of this journey becomes a moment of shared
love between God and the people Israel. God recalls God’s love for us by
recalling the places of our journey.
2. Do you have such memories of shared love between you and significant
others in your life? How do you save these memories – pictures, videos,
journals? Do you share them? Has modern technology made these
memories easier or more difficult to keep?
3. What happens to such memories when there is divorce, estrangement,
or family breakup? When we break up with a loved one, we break up not
only with our present but with our past. All those family pictures, those
family memories, may lose their joy. Recalling family vacations or trips to
Disney world is no longer something totally joyous. B’nai mitzvah and
wedding pictures lose their appeal. It is easier to forget. People throw
family pictures away. People tell me that they have lost something
precious.
4. The breakup of a family is also the loss of a shared past. How can we
rebuild after such a loss?
PARASHAT DEVARIM - SHABBAT HAZON
July 29, 2006 – 4 Av 5766
Annual: Deuteronomy 1:1 - 3:22 (Etz Hayim, p. 981; Hertz p. 736)

Triennial: Deuteronomy 2:2 – 2:30 (Etz Hayim, p. 990; Hertz p. 743)
Haftarah: Isaiah 1:1 – 27 (Etz Hayim, p. 1000; Hertz p. 750)


Summary
The fifth and final book of the Torah, the book of Deuteronomy, is sometimes
called Mishneh Torah, literally “the second teaching of the Torah.” It consists of
a series of speeches Moses delivers to the people Israel shortly before they
enter the Promised Land. These words follow 40 years of wandering through
the wilderness, when the older generation dies off and a new generation grows
up. Most of this opening portion of the book contains a repetition of the history
of the Israelites during their wanderings. It is Moses’ last opportunity to repeat
the wisdom of the Torah to the people Israel.
Moses begins his retelling of the Israelites’ history when they are still encamped
at Horeb. God told the Israelites to go forward and capture the land of the
Canaanites. Moses complained about the burden of the people and picked
leaders from the various tribes to act as judges. Moses then retells the story of
the 12 scouts who went into the land. The story differs slightly from the original
in the book of Numbers. In Deuteronomy, the Israelites asked God for
permission to send spies into the land; in Numbers God commands the
Israelites to send the spies. In both versions, 10 spies speak evil about the land
and two speak positively. God punishes the entire generation, telling them that
they will wander for 40 years until the current generation dies off.
The portion continues with the story of history of the Israelites during the last
year of their wandering. It includes the conquering of the two great kings - Sihon
king of the Amorites who lived in Heshbon and Og king of Bashan. After
conquering the kings the Israelites are encamped on the eastern shore of the
Jordan. They can look out into the Holy Land.
This portion is read every year on Shabbat Hazon, the Sabbath before the fast
of Tisha B’Av. It is the saddest period of the Jewish year. This is a portion about
history. But history is not a series of random events; history has a purpose. The
prayer book teaches, “because of our sins were we thrown off our land.” The
reading of this portion becomes a time of soul searching over past sins and
future redemption.
Issue #1 - From Destruction to Creativity
“Then you retreated and wept before the Lord, but the Lord did not listen to your
voice and He did not hearken to you” (Deuteronomy 1:45)
Discussion
1. Brian Swimme and Thomas Berry in their book The Universe Story wrote
that destruction is a component built into the universe. “Violence and
destruction are dimensions of the universe. They are present at every
level of existence: the elemental, the geological, the organic, the human.
Chaos and disruption characterize every era of the universe, whether we
speak of the fireball, the galactic emergence, the later generations of
stars, or the planet earth” (pp. 51 - 52). They make a strong case when
they claim, “out of destruction comes creativity.”
2. Is it true that creativity comes from destruction? It is possible to accept
that idea, given some examples from the natural world around us. The
explosion of a supernova leads to the manufacture of matter necessary
for life. The destruction of hydrogen at the heart of the sun causes the
creation of energy which sustains that life. Volcanic and geological
activity releases the chemicals necessary for life. New higher forms of life
emerge from the death of lower forms. From destruction comes creativity.
3. What is true on the cosmic level is true on the human level as well. Some
of the most creative periods of human history grew out of some the most
destructive. Throughout history, war and tragedy has led to creativity and
growth. Perhaps Nietzsche was right in his famous statement that has
become a cliché, “What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.”
4. This week’s portion is always read on the Shabbat before Tisha B’Av, the
saddest day of the Jewish year. Tradition teaches that both the first and
the second Temple in Jerusalem were destroyed on the ninth of Av. It
was a day of destruction the like of which the Jewish people had never
known. Yet out of destruction grew creativity. A wise rabbi, Yochanan
ben Zakkai, was able to escape Jerusalem by hiding in a casket. He
approached the Roman general leading the siege and asked for
permission to set up a center of learning in Yavneh. The general gave
permission, and out of this center grew Talmudic Judaism, one of the
most creative periods of Jewish history. Through the Talmud, Judaism
survived. Can you think of other examples of Jewish creativity that grew
out of Jewish tragedy?
Issue #2 – Looking at History
“These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel on this side of the Jordan
in the wilderness” (Deuteronomy 1:1)
Discussion
1. Looking at history is the major theme of this portion. Moses, facing the
end of his life, reviewed the history of the Israelites’ 40 years of
wandering. He shared memories of the spies who spoke out against the
land, and of the punishment that followed - 40 years of wandering until
the old generation died off. He recounted the sins of the people, and the
hope that they would now be worthy to enter the land.
2. There are two ways to understand history. We can see history as a
series of disconnected events, leading nowhere and meaning nothing. Or
we can see history as heading in a particular direction, leading
somewhere. The former often is called “random history.” The latter
perhaps is best called “redemptive history.”
3. Tradition has held that the Biblical book Ecclesiastes was written by King
Solomon in his old age. The text sees life as futile and history as
meaningless. “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. What real value is there for
man in all the gains he makes beneath the sun? One generation goes,
another comes, but the earth remains the same forever. All streams flow
into the sea, yet the sea is never full; to the place from which they flow
the streams flow back again. Only that shall happen which has happened,
only that occurs which has occurred; there is nothing new beneath the
sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:2-9). It is a vision of history as a series of random
and meaningless events. What a depressing vision.
4. There is another way to look at history. This view suggests history has a
direction and purpose. The future builds on the past. This view of history
is best represented by a chain, with each generation a new link. That is
why the Bible so carefully recorded the “begats,” memorializing the
connections between the generations. Each generation builds and adds
to the previous link. Each new generation sees itself as closer to the
perfect messianic age still to come. Human beings experience a link
between generations, an appreciation of the past and a vision of the
future, that animals can never know.
5. Which vision of history do you prefer?
PARASHAT VA’ETHANAN - SHABBAT NAHAMU
August 5, 2006 – 11 Av 5766
Annual: Deuteronomy 3:23 - 7:11 (Etz Hayim, p. 1005; Hertz p. 755)

Triennial: Deuteronomy 5:1 - 6:25 (Etz Hayim, p. 1015; Hertz p. 765)


Summary
Moses’ speech continues his history of the wanderings of the Israelites. He

recalls how he pleaded with God to be allowed to enter the Promised Land. God
tells him not to speak of this matter again. Moses reminds the Israelites of the
laws and rules that God has given them and how these laws will make them a
wise and discerning people. Despite these good teachings, they also will be
easily tempted by the ways of the Canaanites.
Moses warns the people not to make any kind of image of God. If they practice
the idolatrous ways of the peoples around them, God will forsake them and
scatter them among the peoples. (These warnings are the Torah reading on
Tisha B’Av, which always falls during the week before this portion is read.) If the
Israelites remember God, however, then God will recall the covenant He made
with their ancestors. At the end of this speech is a short narrative in which
Moses establishes three cities of refuge on the east side of the Jordan.
The portion continues with a repetition of the giving of Ten Commandments at

Mount Sinai, here called Horeb. The wording is similar to that in Exodus but
there are some minor changes, particularly regarding the Sabbath laws. Out of
this comes the midrash that God gave both sets of commandments at the same
time. (In the Friday night prayer Lecha Dodi we say shamor v’zachor bedibur
echad -- “Guard [the wording in Deuteronomy] and remember [the wording in
Exodus] were spoken simultaneously.”) The portion repeats the centrality of
observing the commandments.
Towards the end of this portion is what many consider the most important
paragraph in the Jewish liturgy – the Sh’ma -- “Hear O Israel, the Lord is our
God, the Lord is one.” The section continues with a series of commandments: to
love God with our entire being, to teach our children, to bind the
commandments on our head and between our eyes, and to write them on the
doorposts of our houses and on our gates. Again the centrality of the law is
emphasized. When one’s son asks what the laws mean, his father should
answer, “We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt and the Lord freed us from Egypt
with a mighty hand.” (This text is the question and answer of the wise child in
the Passover haggada.) The portion ends with the exhortation not to intermarry
with the peoples of the land. The Israelites are to be a treasured people
consecrated to God.
Issue #1 - Is God One?
“Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4)
Discussion
1. Sometimes we Jews contradict ourselves within our own liturgy. The

Sh’ma, taken from this week’s portion, is the central prayer of Jewish
faith. It is the first prayer a child learns and it is meant to be recited each
night before you go to sleep. It is the last prayer a person says before
dying. The Sh’ma is at the center of the morning and the evening service.
Day in and day out the Jew proclaims that the Lord is our God and the
Lord is One. Alenu, a beautiful prayer borrowed from the Rosh Hashana
liturgy, is recited at the end of every service, three times a day. It speaks
of a day in the future when all humanity will come to worship one God. It
speaks of that glorious day in the future; to the prophet Zechariah, “On
that day the Lord shall be One and His name will be One” (Zechariah
14:9). Is there a meaning to this prayer beyond the concept of
monotheism? If the only meaning is that God is One, something widely
accepted in major religions today, what is the added meaning of God as
One in the future?
2. Perhaps part of the answer can be found in kabbalah. Kabbalah, at least
as taught by the medieval mystic Isaac Luria, proclaims that before the
creation of the world God was a unified whole. In order for the world to
exist, God had to contract within God’s self, leaving room for the world, a
concept known as tzimtzum. God left behind holy sparks in vessels, but
the vessels could not hold the sparks and shattered, scattering sparks
throughout the universe. By the very act of creation, the unity of God was
somehow broken. Our job as human beings is to put God’s vessels, like
Humpty Dumpty, back together again.
3. At the beginning of time, in the ideal world, God was One. In the
beginning God was One. Our task as human beings is to make God One
once again. We proclaim the Sh’ma, speaking of God’s Oneness, to
inspire us to make God One. Our task is to unify God’s name and return
to that primordial Oneness.
4. If our job is to make God One again, how do we go about achieving that
task? In what way do our actions to create unity between men and
women, between different nations, or even within our own families help
establish the unity of God?
Issue #2 – Taking Faith Seriously
“I am the Lord your God Who brought you out of the land of Egypt out of the
house of bondage” (Deuteronomy 5:6)
Discussion
1. This parashah contains a repetition of the Ten Commandments, which

were given first in the book of Exodus. The first of the Ten
Commandments speaks of God Who took us out of Egypt out of the
house of bondage. To our eyes, this seems to be a statement. We are
prompted to ask ourselves what precisely is being commanded here. If
the commandment is to believe in God, if we already believe in God, we
do not need the commandment. If we do not believe in God, how can we
understand who is doing the commanding? The Hebrew term for the Ten
Commandments is aseret hadibrot, which literally means The Ten
Sayings. They are ten basic statements of faith that go beyond mere
commandments.
2. The primary element is to live a life based on a faith in God. The first
commandment states that there is a God. It becomes our challenge to
ask ourselves the question that the prophet Micah asked centuries
earlier: “What does God demand of you?” (Micah 6:8). The first
commandment is to live life with an awareness of God’s presence. It is a
commandment to take religion seriously.
3. According to many polls, Jews are the least likely of the major faiths to
attend a house of worship in any particular week. It seems that Jews are
least likely to be serious about their faith. Many Jews say, “Rabbi, I am a
cultural Jew. I am proud to be Jewish. But I have no use for the religion.”
4. Jews who make such statements are nonetheless passionate about
many issues that touch on religion. They are passionate about church-
state separation, about abortion rights, about Israel, about remembering
the holocaust, about fighting anti-Semitism, about social justice. It seems,
however, that far fewer Jews are passionate about God, religion, Jewish
observance. In a society where “freedom to” or “freedom from” are core
values, there seem to be fewer Jews who ask, “What are my obligations
to my faith?” than those who ask, “How do I keep religion out of the
public square?” What can we do to create a sense of passion for
observance and commitment to God within Judaism?
PARASHAT EKEV
August 12, 2006 – 18 Av 5766
Annual: Deuteronomy 7:12 – 11:25 (Etz Hayim, p. 1037; Hertz p. 780)

Haftarah: Isaiah 49:14 – 51:3 (Etz Hayim, p. 1056; Hertz p. 794)


Summary
This, the third portion in Devarim, continues Moses’ summary of the history of
the people Israel. If the Israelites obey the commandments God will bless them
and multiply them, and their crops and cattle will flourish, and God will destroy
their enemies in the land. The beginning of this portion speaks of the blessings
of the Holy Land. It includes the seven species the Israelites will eat in the land
– wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and honey (usually
interpreted as dates). This portion also contains the famous verse, “Man does
not live by bread alone, but man lives by the decrees of God.”
The portion includes a warning that the Israelites will become rich and
comfortable in the land and forget about God. The Israelites will say that it was
their own hand and their own might that brought them their wealth. It will be
easy to forget God once they are living comfortably on the land.
At the heart of this portion is a retelling of the Golden Calf incident. While Moses
remained on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights, neither eating nor drinking,
the people sinned by building the calf. Moses threw down the two tablets of the
law that the Lord had given him. He then interceded on behalf of the people
until God forgave them. The portion repeats other incidents where the people
sinned before God. God tells Moses to carve a second set of tablets like the first.
Again the Israelites are commanded to follow God’s laws and serve Him with
their hearts and souls.
Towards the end of this portion is the section read each morning and evening
as the second paragraph of the Sh’ma. It speaks of the reward for obeying
God’s commandments and the punishment for forsaking them. Again the
Israelites are told to bind the commandments for a sign upon their hands and as
frontlets between their eyes, and write them on the doorposts of their houses
and on their gates. If the Israelites follow God’s commandments the people of
the land will dread them and they will conquer the territory God has promised to
them.
Issue #1 - Gratitude
“You shall eat and be satisfied, and bless the Lord your God on the good land
which He has given you.” (Deuteronomy 8:10)
Discussion
1. The Torah suggests having food will lead to satisfaction, which will
prompt thanks to God for our bounty. How do we satisfy the search for
spirituality today? Some have said that spirituality begins with gratitude.
One tradition suggests that Abraham began his quest to bring people to
believe in one God by telling them to say grace after meals. Jewish
tradition teaches that everyone should offer 100 brakhot (blessings) of
gratitude each day. We should each look at the universe, reflect on the
wonder of our lives, and say “thank you.”
2. There is a struggle between two world views, the materialist and the non-
materialist. Materialists see the universe as a cold, heartless place,
indifferent to human beings and our dreams and desires. We exist by
chance, the result of blind material forces. When we die we go into a
black void. There is no room for gratitude in such a world view. The
materialists would say that because the universe is apathetic to human
needs and desires we ought to be indifferent to the universe. Why does
Judaism reject the materialist view? In what ways are we given the tools
to keep from slipping into that mind-set?
3. Those who reject the materialist mind-set see a universe that not only
has permitted us to exist but allows us to succeed and flourish. Some
scientists speak of the anthropic principle, which states that the universe
is fine-tuned in such a way that humans can exist. For example, if gravity
were a bit stronger, the stars would burn out without enough time for
elements like carbon, the building block of life, to form and develop. If
gravity were a bit weaker, the stars would become diffuse hydrogen gas,
without the reactor power that energizes life. Scientists have noted that
gravity and other cosmological constants are precisely set so that we
humans can exist. The wondrous nature of the physical world is reflected
in the Amidah, which reminds us to thank God for the everyday miracles
that surround us.
4. To the religious mind, it is not only the universe that allows humanity as a
whole to flourish. There is a force at work that has allowed each of us to
be born and to exist. We were each chosen by God and given a mission
on earth. Spirituality begins for each of us when we say thank you to the
universe. As the Talmud teaches, it begins by each of us saying “The
world was created for me” (Sanhedrin 4:5).
Issue #2 – Circumcised Heart
“Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart and be no more stiffnecked”

(Deuteronomy 10:16)
Discussion
1. The Bible speaks of two types of circumcision. Of course, there is
circumcision of the foreskin of a baby boy on the eighth day after birth.
This is the symbol of the covenant that God made with the people Israel.
Such circumcision is central to the Jewish faith. However, Moses and
then the later prophets spoke about a second kind of circumcision, the
circumcision of the heart. What does circumcision of the heart mean?
2. One suggestion -- as we go through life, we interact with all kinds of
people, and many of those people wound us along the way. There is a
lifetime of pain and of people who have hurt us -- lovers and sometimes
spouses who left us, bosses who fired us, friends who criticized us,
people who abandoned us. We all have a lifetime of harsh words spoken
and insensitive behavior demonstrated. Most of us build up awall around
our hearts to protect ourselves. We create a barrier that keeps us from
being hurt. We distance ourselves from people, or we interact with
people on the most superficial level, in what Martin Buber called an “I-it”
relationship. As the years go by, the wall around our hearts becomes
taller and harder. Breaking through is ever more difficult.
3. Perhaps that is why Moses teaches that we must circumcise our hearts.
We must cut away that protective skin we have built up to protect
ourselves. Only then will we be open to other people. Only then will we
be open to God. Only then can we relate to our fellow as an “I-Thou”
relationship, again to use Martin Buber’s term. Only when we open
ourselves up can we touch and be touched by our fellow human beings.
And only when we open ourselves up can we touch and be touched by
God. How do we tear down the wall we build around our hearts?
PARASHAT RE’EH - BIRKAT HAHODESH
August 19, 2006 – 25 Av 5766



Summary
The parashah continues Moses’ series of talks to the people Israel shortly
before his death, after they have wandered through the wilderness for 40 years.
The emphasis changes from history to law, in this portion. Over the next several
weeks, Moses will review many of the laws that the Israelites received from God,
occasionally adding new ones.
This portion begins with the notion that the Israelites are given free choice. They
can choose a life of blessing by obeying the commandments that God has given
them, or they can choose a life of curses through disobedience. As they cross
over into the Promised Land, they should be careful to obey all the laws that
God has set before them.
The major theme of this portion is the centralization of worship in one holy spot
that God will choose, a place for His name to dwell. All other so-called holy
places are to be torn down. All offerings must be brought before God in that one
central place. The requirement of a central place tended to unify the tribes and
prevent divisions within the faith. (Eventually this place would be the Holy
Temple in the city of Jerusalem.) Again the Israelites are warned against
following the ways of the nations of the land.
Once again Moses summarizes the dietary laws. Only animals the have a split
hoof and chew their cud can be eaten. Fish must have fins and scales, and
there is a long list of forbidden birds, mostly birds of prey. The Israelites are
given various other laws, including the requirement to tithe and to cancel all
debts every seven years. The portion ends with a review of the three pilgrimage
festivals, Pesach, Shavuot, Sukkot, when all Jews had to appear at the
centralized sanctuary.
Issue #1 - The Choices We Make
“Behold I place before you today the blessing and the curse” (Deuteronomy
11:26)
Discussion
1. Judaism teaches that each of us has two inclinations that constantly

struggle within us. There is the good inclination, yetzer hatov, and the
evil inclination, yetzer hara. Sigmund Freud was certainly anti-religious,
but perhaps we can give a Jewish twist to his terminology. Perhaps we
can identify the yetzer hara or evil inclination with the id, the primitive
appetites that must be controlled and sublimated. Perhaps we can
identify the yetzer hatov or good inclination with the superego, the
conscience that is imparted to us by our parents or society and that
teaches us self-control, altruism, and delayed gratification.
2. Freud also spoke of the ego, that part of us able to make decisions
consciously. We human beings have the ability to choose. We also must
take responsibility for those choices. Free will is God’s greatest gift to us.
It is the part of us that makes us most godlike and is the essence of the
teaching that we were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27).
3. There is a cultural tendency today not to take responsibility for the
choices we make. We blame our genes, our upbringing, or our
community. But as Shakespeare wrote in Julius Caesar, “The fault, dear
Brutus, is not in our stars but in ourselves.” Today we have to update
Shakespeare's words - the fault lies not in our genes but in ourselves.
How do we teach our young people to take responsibility for the choices
they make?
Issue #2 – Two Views of Poverty
“There shall be no needy among you, since the Lord your God will bless you in
the land that the Lord your God is giving you as a hereditary portion”
(Deuteronomy 15:4)
“For there will never cease to be needy ones in your land, which is why I
command you: open your hand to the poor and needy kinsman in your land”
(Deuteronomy 15:11)
Discussion
1. What can be done when two Torah verses, just a few verses apart,
totally contradict one another? Which is the truth? One verse teaches
that there will no longer be poverty in the land. The other verse teaches
that there will always be poor people in the land. How can both be true?
Is there a way to approach this seeming contradiction?
2. Let us look at one solution to this apparent contradiction. Perhaps the
first verse deals with our own poverty, the second verse deals with other
people’s poverty. With this interpretation, we can discover some
profound insights into poverty.
3. Let us start with the second verse. No matter how affluent a society,
there will always be needy people in the land. We must always have our
eyes open and put our hands out to the needy. The second verse
focuses on how we look at other people. It is a call to give, a call that will
never cease. Only in a perfect world can we stop thinking about tzedaka.
There is a Hasidic story about a very righteous man who always gave a
huge amount to the poor. He died, and people gathered from far and
wide to pay tribute to his righteousness. About one month later the
righteous man appeared in a rabbi’s dream. The dream was vivid. The
rabbi asked him, “Tell me, you must be in heaven, a perfect place. What
is it like?” The righteous man answered, “It is beautiful, but I don’t like it.”
The rabbi was surprised. “How can you not like it?” he asked. The man
answered, “In heaven there is no poverty, and so there is no chance to
give tzedaka.”
4. So what about the first verse? This verse speaks of how people view
themselves. People should not see themselves as poor, as unable to
provide for themselves. In particular, people should never see
themselves as victims of poverty. If they do not have means to provide
for their own or their family’s needs, they should not curse the rich,
society, racism, or some other malevolent force out there. Each one
should say, “I am not poor and I am not a victim.”
5. One of our primary responsibilities in life is to be a provider. The world
does not owe us a living. Each of us has to find a way to develop skills,
find a job, start a business, or find some other legitimate way to move
beyond poverty. To see yourself as poor can easily lead to seeing
yourself as a victim, helpless before economic trends. Helplessness and
victimhood are not healthy for self-esteem. How can we help people
move beyond poverty to become self-sufficient?
PARASHAT SHOFTIM
August 26, 2006 – 2 Elul 5766



Summary
In this parasha, the book of Deuteronomy continues with a listing of a variety of

laws and commandments that the Israelites are to follow. The major theme is
political leadership. Israel is to appoint judges and officials to govern with pure
justice. Bribes are forbidden. Within this portion is the famous directive, “Justice,
justice shall you pursue.” Once again idolatry is severely condemned; those
who worship idols are to be put to death.
The Israelites are permitted to appoint a king to serve as ruler over them, but an
Israelite king must observe rules and limitations. He cannot be a foreigner; he
may not have too many horses, too much gold and silver, or too many wives.
And he must keep a copy of the scroll of the Torah with him. The portion
continues with the laws for priests and details how to recognize a false prophet.
There should be cities of refuge where a person who kills another person
without forethought or intent can flee. It is forbidden to move another’s landmark
and the testimony of just one witness is not valid.
The portion continues with the laws of war. The Israelites are told to be
courageous, for God is with them. Even with that protection, participation in
battle is not to be universal. A special priest was to address the troops, asking if
there were among them a man who had built a house but not yet dedicated it,
had planted a field but not yet harvested it, or been betrothed to a woman but
not yet married to her. Such a man was allowed to return home from battle.
Similarly, someone fainthearted was allowed to return home. When
approaching a town for battle, the Israelites should first offer terms of peace, but
there should be no mercy in dealing with the Canaanite nations. Finally the
Israelites are told not to cut down the fruit trees -- this law became the basis of
the rabbinic rulings that forbids wanton destruction.
The end of the portion contains the law detailing what is to be done if a corpse
is found outside a town and the death is assumed to have been a murder or
manslaughter, but no one knows who was responsible for the death. The elders
of the nearest town would slaughter a heifer that had never been worked and
the elders would say, “Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it
done.” This strange law indicates that the leaders of a community have a
responsibility for the safety of people who pass through.
Issue #1 - What is Justice?
“Justice, justice shall you pursue” (Deuteronomy 16:20)
Discussion
1. How should we define justice? And why is the word repeated in this
verse? Justice --tzedek in Hebrew -- means absolute fairness. Justice
means people getting precisely what they deserve, whether in a court of
law or as delivered by society as a whole. Justice, to quote Gilbert and
Sullivan, is when the punishment fits the crime. Justice means that in a
civil case, a person receives precisely the damages that are appropriate.
Justice means that in society, everybody has a fair chance. True justice
is impartial. It favors neither the rich nor the poor. Jewish tradition is filled
with stories of judges who remain absolutely impartial, blindly applying
the law as appropriate.
2. The prophet Amos said, “Let justice pour forth like water, righteousness
like a mighty stream” (Amos 5:24). He went on to say, “And establish
justice in the gate” (Amos 5:15). Amos was speaking to a society where
unfairness reigned, where the rich and powerful took advantage of the
poor and helpless. Whether through the courts or in society, it is clear
that people did not receive what was appropriately and fairly coming to
them. Amos’s words call for absolute justice echo even today.
3. Yet, what if absolute justice is not fair or appropriate in specific cases?
For example, perhaps one partner in a marriage has wronged the other,
perhaps through committing adultery or some other improper act. The
aggrieved partner might seek justice through the courts, hiring an
attorney to destroy the partner who harmed the other, financially,
emotionally, or both. Perhaps justice is on the wronged partner’s side.
But if there are children involved, often the children become the victims
of strict justice.
4. The word justice is used twice because according to our tradition there is
a second kind of justice. According to Jewish tradition, Aaron practiced
that second kind of justice. He sought mediation, finding a fair middle
ground that both sides could accept (Sanhedrin 32b). Both sides had to
give a little. Clearly this is not absolute justice, so what kind of justice is
it? Is this second type of justice closer to God’s ideal?
Issue #2 – What is Peace?
“When you approach a town to attack it you shall offer it terms of peace”
(Deuteronomy 20:10)
Discussion
1. An entire chapter of this week’s portion deals with the laws of war. On
the surface this is surprising. If the Torah is God’s word and if peace is
God’s dream for humanity, why doesn’t the Torah outlaw war altogether?
Why doesn’t the Torah simply command peace?
2. Perhaps the answer is that the Torah was not given to angels, but to real
human beings. It is guidance for living in the real world, today, not some
perfect world of the future. We are not pacifists, and war is sometimes an
evil necessity. Therefore, rather than legislate the impossible, the Torah
gives guidance for the proper way to wage war. Before beginning to fight,
the Torah requires that we should first offer terms of peace. Later
rabbinic law teaches that the attacker was to keep an offer of peace open
for at least three days, giving the enemy time to consider peace as an
option. War is sometimes necessary; peace is always the dream. The
book of Isaiah contains a vision of a future where the lion will lie down
with the lamb, where peace shall reign even in the animal world.
3. As the headlines which scream at us daily remind us, that is not the
world we live in today. The prophet Jeremiah cried out, “Peace, peace,
but there is no peace” (Jeremiah 6:14). So the Torah teaches us how to
conduct war in as ethical a way as possible, considering the cruelties and
tragedies all war brings. Most important is the idea that there may be no
war until first there have been overtures toward peace.
4. The Hebrew word for peace is shalom. Its root are the letters sh-l-m,
which means complete. What does peace have to do with
completeness? President John F. Kennedy said in his state of the union
message the year he was assassinated, “The mere absence of war is not
peace.” The best image of peace perhaps is a completed jigsaw puzzle,
with all the pieces in their proper places. There is completeness there, a
fitting together. Real peace is more than a cease-fire; it is a sense of
wholeness, as if two parties, once enemies, now have found how to fit
together in a way that maintains the dignity of each. Even living in a real
world, how can we bring that dream closer?
PARASHAT KI TETZE
September 2, 2006 – 9 Elul 5766



Summary
This parashah contains more laws than any other in the Torah; the variety of
topics in the general area of family life and social norms is so great that it is
impossible to find a single category in which to place them. The parashah
begins with a law that deals with a harsh reality of war -- what is required of a
man who sees and desires a woman he captures in battle. Another topic
addresses the relationships between a man and his two wives, one beloved and
the other now hated. The overall topic of family relationships continues with
laws for dealing with a stubborn and rebellious son. We get our custom of
burying our dead as quickly as possible from this parashah’s directive that a
corpse may not to be kept out all night.
Among the laws in the next section is the requirement to return lost property, to
maintain differences in men and women’s clothing, and to put a parapet around
a roof for safety. A theme in the next section is keeping unlike things separated
-- do not mix seeds in the same furrow, do not team an ox and ass together to
plow, and do not wear clothing made of a mixture of wool and linen. Issues of
sexual behavior are raised as well. The portion contains directives for a man
who charges that his new wife was not an unmarried virgin. Adultery is
punished by death. When a man forces himself upon a young unmarried
woman he must pay a fine to her father, marry her, and forfeit the right to
divorce her. (Later the rabbis mitigated this harsh law by allowing the woman
the right to refuse to marry him.)
This portion reviews basic laws of divorce, including the requirement that a man
must hand his wife her bill of divorcement. There are warnings about paying
laborers on time and not taking clothing or working tools as collateral for a loan.
It is forbidden to subvert the rights of a widow or stranger. Forgotten sheaves
left in the field and gleanings of fruit trees shall be left for the poor. The basis for
these laws is presented simply -- the Israelites must remember they were once
slaves in the land of Egypt.
This portion also contains the laws of levirate marriage. When a man dies
without a child, his brother has an obligation to marry the widow and raise a
child in the name of the deceased. If the brother does not want to, he must
participate in the rather unusual ceremony of release known as haliza. The
portion ends with the warning to remember Amalek, the evil nation that attacked
the Israelites from the rear.
Issue #1 - The Beautiful Captive
“You see among the captives a beautiful woman and you desire her and would
take her as your wife” (Deuteronomy 21:11)
Discussion
1. There are some laws in the Torah that are painful for us moderns to read,
much less understand how our religion could expect them to be observed.
Sometimes, though, after further consideration, we can learn a profound,
modern insight from these laws. The Torah speaks of a soldier who goes
to war, takes captives, and sees a beautiful woman whom he desires.
Laws were in place to prevent him from simply doing as he wishes with
her. The captive was given 30 days to mourn her family, cut her hair and
nails, and dress in the garments of a captive. Only after the 30 days was
he permitted to take her as his wife.
2. Was this really such a great improvement? What was the Torah trying to
accomplish with this cruel law? Soldiers in the heat of battle behave in a
way that civilians at home would never consider doing; war brings out the
ugly side of people. The Torah, aware of this reality, tries to get the evil
inclination under control. A man may desire a woman, but he cannot
simply have his way with her. He must wait 30 days, while she has an
opportunity to mourn, which likely diminished her beauty. At the end of
the waiting period, there is a good chance that his desire will have died
down altogether and she will be allowed to return to her home.
3. The rabbis of the Talmud developed this idea farther and linked it to
some of the other laws in the section. If a man should bring home a wife
from the field of battle, the rabbis believed, she likely would be scorned
and hated once his passion subsided. A child of their union would grow
up to be a stubborn and rebellious son. By allowing his evil inclination to
get the best of him in the field of battle, such a man would begin a series
of events that could have tragic consequences.
4. One goal of the Torah is to teach us human beings to control our evil
inclination. Lust, violence, pride, gluttony, avarice, selfishness, and anger
are all part of the human condition at the best of times. War, the worst of
times, exacerbates the situation and brings out the worst of these
emotions. Confronting that reality, the Torah requires soldiers to control
their lust, even on the battlefield – particularly on the battlefield.
5. Ben Zoma taught what I consider to be one of the most important
rabbinic teachings, “Who is strong? Whoever controls their evil
inclination” (Avot 4:1). If we human beings can learn self-control on the
field of battle, how much more so can we practice it in the office, the
school, the board room, or at home with our families.
Issue #2 – People on the Fringes
“You shall not abuse a needy and destitute laborer, whether a fellow
countryman or a stranger in one of the communities of your land” (Deuteronomy
24:14)
Discussion
1. The way society treats those who are living on the fringes is central to
the vision in this Torah portion. An entire structure for social justice is
outlined in the parashah. Employers may not exploit a day laborer who
dependson this wage to support him or herself. A creditor may not enter
a private home to take clothing as collateral. A runaway slave may not be
forcibly returned to his owner. Special care must be taken of the widows
and the orphans, those without clear means of support. Even the body of
an executed criminal deserves proper respect and may not be left out to
be mocked overnight.
2. The essence of these laws is to help reinforce the idea that all our fellow
human beings, even those on the fringes, are created in the image of
God. Each person has a fundamental dignity and is to be treated with
kindness and respect. Most important, we must actually see other
peoples, especially those people we do not even notice.
3. Many of us who read these weekly Torah Sparks are highly respected
professionals, working as managers in the corporate world, physicians,
lawyers, college professors (even some rabbis, and cantors). The
question the Torah begs to be addressed is whether those holding
professional or upper level corporate positions give appropriate, or even
notice at all, the support people whose work allows the other jobs to be
done. How do we treat secretaries and other clerical workers, health
workers and technicians, legal aids and couriers, graduate students,
teaching assistants or religious school teachers? There is a hierarchy out
there. Even if managers get passing grades from people in those support
positions, what kind of grade should be given for how we treat those
even closer to thebottom of the chain of authority -- food servers,
maintenance workers, and janitors? Do the professionals even notice
them? My question to those in the professional world is, you know the
names of your clients and your patients, do you know the name of the
person who cleans your office?
4. Inherent in the laws of the Torah is a reminder that each and every
person has a dignity that we may not disregard. What are some concrete
ways in which we can recognize the dignity of “people on the fringes?”
PARASHAT KI TAVO
September 9, 2006 – 16 Elul 5766



Summary
With the law of the first fruits, the legal section of the book of Deuteronomy
comes to an end. When the time comes for the Israelites to enter the land, they
shall take part of the first fruits, put them in a basket, and go up to the place
where God will establish His name. They will hand the basket to the priest and
recite a passage beginning with the words, “My father was a fugitive Aramean.”
The passage tells of the Israelites’ descent to Egypt, the slavery and oppression,
the eventual redemption from Egypt, and the settlement in a land flowing with
milk and honey. Part of this passage is at the heart of the Passover haggada.
Moses and the elders of Israel charge the people to observe all the instructions
God gave them. Moses instructs the people about the first task they are to
undertake after they cross the Jordan; they are to cut two large stones, coat
them with plaster, and set them up on Mount Ebal. Special offerings will be
made there and the words of the teachings will be inscribed on the stones.
Moses divides the tribes into two groups, one to pronounce the blessing and
one to pronounce the curse. The portion continues with a series of curses
directed at anyone who disobeys one of the fundamental laws of the Torah.
Chapter 28 includes a short set of blessings for obedience to the

commandments. It is followed by a very long set of curses for disobedience,
including virtually every calamity that can happen to a people in their land. This
portion is known as the tochacha -- “rebuke” -- and traditionally is read quickly
and quietly. The long set of curses end with the words, “These are the terms of
the covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to conclude with the Israelites
in the land of Moab, in addition to the covenant which He had made with them
at Horeb.”
The portion ends with one last reminder of the miracles God did for the people
Israel and a warning to faithfully observe the terms of the covenant.
Issue #1 - Passover Haggada
“You shall take some of every first fruit of the soil, which you harvest from the
land that the Lord your God is giving you, put it in a basket and go to the place
where the Lord your God will choose to establish His name” (Deuteronomy
26:2)
Discussion
1. God commands the Israelites to take a basket of first fruits, bring it to the
place that God has chosen – Jerusalem -- and hand it to the priest while
reciting the following passage out loud. This passage and the phrase-by-
phrase midrashic commentary on it, became the heart of the Passover
seder.
2. “My father was a fugitive Aramean. He went down to Egypt with meager
numbers and sojourned there; but there he became a great and very
populous nation. The Egyptians dealt harshly with us and oppressed us;
they imposed heavy labor upon us. We cried to the Lord, the God of our
fathers, and the Lord heard our plea and saw our plight, our misery, and
our oppression. The Lord freed us from Egypt by a mighty hand, by an
outstretched arm and awesome power, and by signs and portents”
(Deuteronomy 26:5-8).
3. Why was this passage chosen instead of the original story in Exodus?
Could it be because this passage tells the story of that community-
creating event in simplified language? Is it not the essence of the story –
we were slaves and God freed us from Egypt? The passage “from
slavery to freedom” became the defining event in the creation of the
people Israel.
4. Why is Moses not mentioned in this passage or anywhere else in the
haggada? Could it be that we want to emphasize the divine rather than
the human role in our people’s redemption? But if that is true, why is God
never mentioned in the book of Esther as it tells of the redemption at
Purim? Could it be that we want to emphasize the human rather than the
divine role in redemption? What is the balance in Judaism between the
human and the divine in the way we picture events in our history?
5. The passage in this portion continues: “He brought us to this place and
gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey” (Deuteronomy
26:9). Why is this passage not included in the haggada? Could it be that
the redemption is incomplete? Is that the reason we drink four cups of
wine at the seder but leave the fifth cup for Elijah, the harbinger of future
redemption?
Issue #2 – Time as a Healer
“These are the words of the covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to
make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab” (Deuteronomy 28:69)
Discussion
1. This rather upbeat phrase follows 54 verses of curses. The curses

contain virtually every tragedy that can happen to a people. Unfortunately,
over the course of Jewish history they have all come true. However, after
reading through the curses, which seem interminable, the Torah reader
finally raises his voice and chants about God’s covenant. The curses end,
and the portion concludes on an upbeat note: “Observe the words of this
covenant and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do”
(Deuteronomy 29:8). However difficult the curses are, they end.
2. Sadly, many of us feel cursed at various times in life. We feel that there
is a black cloud hanging over us; we sense that God is picking on us. We
are burdened with tragedy and sadness, disappointment and suffering.
Others wonder what can be said to offer solace and support to help
people who are coping with pain and trouble. While most often it is a
supportive presence rather than words that can sustain those who hurt,
sometimes simple words can offer succor: “This too shall pass.”
3. Time can help mend a broken spirit. People who have suffered grievous
losses often wonder how they will ever cope, become whole or find
healing. A year or two later they have been able to reenter life’s routine,
once again able to function. The wound will still be there, but time has
helped them find ways to live, even with the hurt.
4. One of the Bible’s most famous passages, made famous as the words
for the song Turn, Turn Turn, teaches:
To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under
heaven.
A time to be born, a time to die.
A time for planting and a time for uprooting.
A time for slaying and a time for healing.
A time for tearing down and a time for building up.
A time for weeping and a time for laughing.
A time for wailing and a time for dancing. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-4)
How can this passage give comfort to those who mourn? In what ways
can it provide support to those who feel abandoned or downtrodden?
PARASHAT NITZAVIM-VAYELEKH - SELIHOT
September 16, 2006 – 23 Elul 5766

Triennial Cycle: Deuteronomy 30:1 – 31:16 (Etz Hayim, p. 1169; Hertz p. 880)


Summary
This short double portion contains some of the most beautiful passages in the
entire book of Deuteronomy. Nitzavim begins with these words: “You stand this
day, all of you, before the Lord your God.” Every Israelite from the highest
political leaders to the woodchoppers and water drawers, men, women, and
children, all were present when God made the covenant with the people. There
is a warning of the punishments that will occur if someone turns aside from the
covenant. It doesn’t matter if the actions are overt or covert – openly performed
actions are clear to everyone, but God can see what is done in secret. God will
return the Israelites to the Torah and open up their hearts. They are told the
Torah is not too baffling for then nor beyond their reach. It is not in the heavens
nor over the seas; it is very close. God has set before the Israelites a choice of
life or death, a blessing or a curse. The passage concludes with the famous line
“Therefore choose life.” The first portion ends with the reminder that if the
Israelites heed God’s commands and hold fast to him, they will long endure
upon the soil that God gave to them.
Vayelech begins with Moses noting that he is now 120 years old and unable to
come and go as he used to. He reminds the Israelites that they will conquer the
land. He then calls on Joshua, who will take over the leadership of the people,
and reminds him to be strong and resolute. Moses writes down the teaching
and gives it to the priest who will carry it in the Ark of the Covenant.
Moses commands the people to gather once every seven years at the feast of
Booths – Sukkot -- for a public reading of the Torah. This ruling became the
basis for the public reading in every synagogue on Shabbat mornings and
eventually Shabbat afternoons and Monday and Thursday mornings. Moses’
time to die is coming, and he writes a poem to teach the people Israel. It tells
the story of how the Israelites will forsake the covenant, God will turn His face,
but eventually God will return to the people. Most scholars believe the poem is
parashat Haazinu.
“I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day: I have put before you
life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life, so you and your offspring will
live” (Deuteronomy 30:19)
Discussion
1. This week’s portion sets before us the choice between life and death.
Over and over on the High Holidays, which start next week, we call God
the “God of life.” What is life and what is death, and what is the role of
God? We say over and over on through to Yom Kippur, zochreinu
lechaim, melech hafetz bechaim, vekatveinu besefer chaim lema’ancha
elohim chaim. “Remember us for Life, King Who loves Life and write us
in the Book of Life for Your sake, God of Life.” We identify God with life.
2. What is death? Death is the most natural force in the universe. Scientists
call it entropy. What is entropy? It begins with a question -- is the
universe a perpetual motion machine? Does it keep going and going, like
the Energizer bunny? Or will the universe eventually wear down and
grind to a halt? The answer is an absolute scientific law, discovered by
19th-century German scientist Rudolf Clausius. All systems eventually
wear down. Or as the poet W.B. Yeats put it, “Things fall apart; the
centre cannot hold.” All things, rocks and mountains, human beings,
planets and suns, the universe itself, eventually wear down and die. The
natural world is a dying world. The prophet Isaiah already said it
thousands of years ago: “All the heavens shall wither like a leaf withering
on the vine, or the shriveled fruit on a fig tree” (Isaiah 34:4).
3. How does entropy work? If I hold my cold hand over a hot cup of coffee,
my hand warms up and the coffee cools down. We can always make hot
things hotter. We do that as we cook and that requires energy. We can
always make cold things colder. That is how refrigerators work and that
requires energy. Without introducing additional energy, all things wear
down, fall apart, and die. That is the way the universe works.
4. What is life? Life is anti-entropy at work in the universe. It is the force that
begins with chaos and turns to order. A most striking image of life comes
from the prophet Ezekiel. He saw a valley filled with bones, a valley of
death, the natural result of entropy. God said to Ezekiel, “Son of man,
Can these bones live?” (Ezekiel 37:3). Ezekiel prophesied to the bones
and they grew flesh and sinews. He prophesied again, and a wind came
“and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their
feet, an exceeding great host” (Ezekiel 37:10). This prophetic vision is
anti-entropy at work, showing a spiritual force that overcomes death.
5. We recognize that both life and death are part of the natural cycle. Is the
force of life in the universe proof of the existence of God? As we
approach the High Holy Day season, can we say “any life is good”? Do
we feel that is the case?
Issue #2 – How Long Should We Live?
“I am now 120 years old and I can no longer come and go” (Deuteronomy 31:2)
Discussion
1. The time had come for Moses to die. He had lived the biblical lifespan,
120 years, and now it was time to pass on his leadership to a new
generation. According to the book of Genesis, the Lord said, “My breath
shall not abide in man forever, since he too is flesh - let the days allowed
him be 120 years.” That is the maximum time allotted to us on this planet.
From this grows the Jewish tradition of always saying “until 120” after
giving your age.
2. The book of Psalms is a bit more realistic about human longevity. “The
days of our years are three score and ten years, if granted the strength
four score years. Their pride is but travail and vanity, for it is speedily
gone and we fly away” (Psalms 90:10). This suggests that people are
granted between 70 and 80 years, more if you have unique strength or
luck. Alas, not all are granted even that much time.
3. Our time is limited on this earth. In Genesis the Bible spoke of a tree of
life; whoever eats of it will win immortality. But such immortality is beyond
our reach as God has sent a special angel to guard that tree, a cherub
with a fiery turning sword. No matter how we might appeal, work, or fight,
we humans are but mortal. “For dust you are, and to dust you shall
return” (Genesis 3:19). Whether long or short, each of us is granted a
limited amount of time on this earth. The week before Rosh Hashana is
the perfect time to ask why God allows us a limited amount of time on
this earth. Knowing that we do not have unlimited years, how should we
improve the way we use the years we have?
PARASHAT HA’AZINU - SHABBAT SHUVAH
September 30 – 8 Tishrei 5767

Haftarah: Hosea 14:2 – 10; Joel 2:15 – 27; Micah 7:18 – 20 (Etz Hayim, p.
1235; Hertz p. 891)


Summary
This portion is almost entirely a poem. It tells the history of the people Israel in
the form of a song. The heavens and the earth – that is, all of creation -- are to
be witness to the words that will be spoken. May the words come down like rain
on the young grass.
Israel is to remember the days of old and consider years past. They should ask
their fathers and listen to their elders. God found the people Israel in a desert
region, which the poem compared to a howling waste. Like an eagle with its
fledglings, God takes the people Israel under His wings. God guides them and
brings them to the Holy Land.
Jeshurun, another name for Israel, grows fat and kicks. He spurns God and
vexes Him with non-gods. God hides His countenance from Israel and vexes
Jeshurun with non-people. The poem uses violent terms to describe what will
happen to the nation of Israel. In the end God will vindicate His people and
deliver them from their enemies; God will wreak vengeance on His foes.
After reciting the poem, God tells Moses to ascend the heights of Mount Nebo
in the land of Moab, facing Jericho. God tells him that he will die on the
mountain for his sin at the waters of Meribath-kadesh. Moses may view the land
from a distance, but he will never be allowed to enter it.
Issue #1 - God and Repentance
“See now that I, even I, am He, and there is no other god with Me. I kill and I
make alive, I have wounded and I heal, and there is none that can deliver out of
My hand” (Deuteronomy 32:39)
Discussion
A classic Hasidic parable is most apt at this time of year:
A king had a son whom he loved very much. Unfortunately, as the son was
growing up, the king began to see that he was heading on the wrong path. The
son’s behavior became more and more difficult, and the king realized that he
could not keep him in the palace, so he sent his son to a far-off village to be
raised in the home of peasants. There his officers and spies were able to keep
an eye on him and see how he was doing. The king’s son grew up in the village,
but always maintained a memory of the palace where he was born.
One day the young man said, “I am the son of a king, and I must return to my
father.” He began the long and difficult journey. Soon messengers came to tell
the king, “Your son is on his way home.” The king immediately broke into tears.
He told his servants, “I know it is a difficult journey. Go load up my carriage right
away. I will go and meet my son half way.”
The meaning of the parable is clear. The king is God and the son represents
God’s children. There are times when we might feel that God has sent us away
or is hidden from us. There are times when we send ourselves away, hide
ourselves from God, as we travel a long distance from the proper path.
Today is Shabbat Shuva, the Sabbath of Repentance. The theme of these days
between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur is teshuva, which literally means
“return.” At this time of year we focus on returning to the path God wants us to
travel. Teshuva teaches that we humans are not forced to continue as we have
been living; we are able to turn our lives around and change the path we are
traveling. When we do teshuva, in a sense God does teshuva also. God also is
able to turn around. Perhaps that is the meaning of the rather difficult poetic
words in this portion “I kill and I make alive, I have wounded and I heal.” God
can change.
One of the most profound teachings of Judaism is the belief in a symmetry

between what happens on earth and what happens in the spiritual world. When
we human beings return to God, God also returns to us. God meets us halfway,
if you will. We travel toward one another.
Can people truly change? The Talmud has a wonderful lesson. “Resh Lakish
said, if a person comes to defile himself, the doors are certainly open to him --
but he is on his own. But if he comes to purify himself, he is helped from heaven.
The school of Rabbi Ishmael taught, if a shopkeeper sells naptha (which has a
bad smell) and balm (which has a beautiful smell), when a customer wants to
measure the naptha, the shopkeeper says, measure it on your own. But when a
customer wants to measure balm, the shopkeeper says, let us measure it
together, so that we both may become perfumed” (Yoma 38b - 39a). God is like
the shopkeeper who comes to help us if we wish to change.
Why do 12 step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous speak of turning to a

Higher Power – God -- if a person wants to change?
Issue #2 – God in Nature
“He found them in a desert, a waste and howling wilderness” (Deuteronomy

32:10)
Discussion
1. What is the relationship between God and nature? It is common wisdom

that we can find God in beautiful natural settings. Many Jews have
described the beauty of reciting the early morning prayers as the sun
rises over the Grand Canyon, or from Masada overlooking the Dead Sea.
If the weather is nice, many synagogues will hold services outdoors in a
natural setting.
2. Yet Judaism disagrees with the pantheistic teaching that God is nature.
God is not in nature. Jewish tradition has not always loved natural
surroundings. Perhaps most pressing, the Israelites hated the desert.
This week’s portion tells how God found us in a howling wilderness, a
scary and evil place. God protected us as an eagle protects its young,
until we were able to move out of the wilderness into a settled community.
The ancient pagans worshiped nature. The sun and moon, mountains
and trees, oceans and rivers were seen as gods, not as representations
of the power of God. There was divinity everywhere. Today there is a
return to this pagan viewpoint among many new age worshipers. The
earth is Gaia, the great goddess, worthy of worship, and pantheism (the
belief that God is really just nature) has returned.
3. Nature can be beautiful and inspiring. It also can be dangerous and scary.
Nature is not God, but a creation of God. God is beyond nature.
4. Our job as human beings is not to worship nature but to perfect it. What
does this mean?
READING FOR SUKKOT
October 7 – 15 Tishrei 5767


Summary
Sukkot, often simply called HaHag, the festival, is the festival par excellence in
Jewish tradition. It is also known as z’man simhatenu, the time of our joy. We
are commanded to be joyous on all festivals– but we are commanded to be
particularly joyous on Sukkot.
Sukkot is a seven day festival. The first two days (and in Israel and in
congregations that have adopted this custom, this is true for only the first day)
are full festivals, including all the observances and restrictions of all festival
days. The remainder of the days are known as hol hamoed, the festival’s
intermediate days. After the seven day observance there are two more days of
full festivals – Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. These are separate festivals
with their own particular observances. (In Israel and some congregations these
are combined on one day.) Therefore, the total time of the Sukkot festivals is
nine days in the diaspora, eight days in Israel.
On Sukkot we are commanded to dwell in the sukkah, a temporary booth with

naturally growing plants for the roof. Jews try to eat their meals in a sukkah, and
some will sleep and try to live there. Each day, except Shabbat, Jews take four
plants – an etrog (or citron), lulav (or palm branch), willows, and myrtles – hold
them together, and wave them in six directions, symbolically saying that God is
everywhere. We also march around the synagogue each day except Shabbat,
holding the lulav and etrog and singing hoshanna, “God save us.” On the
seventh day we march around the synagogue seven times, reminiscent of
Joshua marching around the walls of Jericho. This day is known as Hoshanna
Rabba.
On Shmini Atzeret we no longer use the lulav and etrog; we recite prayers for
rain, geshem, and yizkor during synagogue services. Simchat Torah is the
liveliest festival of the year. Dancing and joyfulness are the norm. We finish
reading the final portion, “v’zot habracha” and immediately start reading the
Torah once again at the beginning, “Beresheit.”
Issue #1 - Joy
“You shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days” (Leviticus 23:40)
Discussion
1. The Torah can command actions – but can it command feelings? Can we
be joyous if we do not feel joyous? In general, do we have control over
our feelings and emotions?
2. One answer - How would a joyous person behave? Even if our hearts
are not there, we can act as if we were joyous. We behave in a certain
way, and the heart follows. If we can sing a little, dance a little, smile a
little, clown around on Simchat Torah, the inner feeling will follow.
3. This is a profound teaching from our tradition. Actions come first, and
inner feelings often follow actions. Motivational speakers often teach
“Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.” The actor Cary Grant
once explained how he became a romantic leading man. He said that he
was an actor first, and by acting like a romantic leading man, he became
a romantic leading man. What can we learn from this?
4. Here is one area where the biblical outlook is at variance with
contemporary values. In our contemporary world, many people feel that
motivation must come before behavior. You feel love in your heart, and
then you act in accordance with that love. I hear so often, “I don’t love
them, it would be hypocritical to act as if I do.” In the Bible it is the other
way around. We act or behave in a certain way, and the inner feelings of
the heart come later. When the Israelites received the Torah at Mount
Sinai, they said, “We shall do and we shall understand” (Exodus 24:7).
First came the action, then the inner feeling. Can actions change
feelings?
Issue #2 – Starting Over
“And there has not risen a prophet since in Israel like Moses whom the Lord
knew face to face” (Deuteronomy 34:10)
Discussion
1. On Simchat Torah we finish reading the Torah and start reading all over
from the beginning once again. What does this symbolize?
2. There was a clever greeting card that was perfect for the festival of
Simchat Torah. It shows an open ark filled with scrolls of the Torah, a
rabbi puts the Torah away, and on the bottom is a big sign like those in
video rental stores: “Be Kind, Please Rewind.” It also is a perfect thought
as we end the formal reading of the Torah.
3. According to Jewish tradition, the Torah reading never ends. We finish
the book of Deuteronomy and then immediately reroll the Torah and start
Genesis from the start. It is a never-ending cycle.
4. The rereading of the Torah year in and year out reflects its wisdom and
power. Once we have read most books, even the classics, once, we are
finished with them. Perhaps someday we will reread them, but there is a
sense that the reading is finished. In contrast, reading the Torah is an
unfinished task. It never ends.
5. Ben Bag Bag said, “Turn it over and turn it over for everything is in it”
(Avot 5:22). Every rabbi who preaches on the weekly portion year in and
year out wonders whether he or she will come up with some new insight,
some new teaching, something new to inspire a congregation. If the text
does not change, how can we come up with something new? The
answer is that we change each year. We have new insights, new
experiences, new knowledge, new questions. As we enter a new year of
Torah readings and Torah Sparks, may we gain new wisdom and
insights for our lives.

Torah Sparks 5766

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PARASHAT BERESHIT - BIRKAT HAHODESH

October 29 2005 - 26 Tishrei 5766

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

Prepared by Rabbi Michael Gold

Department of Congregational Services

Annual: Genesis 6:9-11:32 (Etz Hayim, p. 41; Hertz p. 26)

Prepared by Rabbi Michael Gold

Department of Congregational Services

Issue #1 - Who Was Noah?

Issue #2 - The Rainbow

1. When seeing a rainbow, it is traditional to say a blessing, Praised are

Annual: Genesis 12:1-17:27 (Etz Hayim, p. 69; Hertz p. 45)

Prepared by Rabbi Michael Gold

Department of Congregational Services

Abram has a powerful vision of a covenant between God and Abram's

Issue #1 - Leaving Home

Issue #2 - Why Circumcision?

Annual: Genesis 18:1 - 22:24 (Etz Hayim, p. 99; Hertz p. 63)

Prepared by Rabbi Michael Gold

Department of Congregational Services

Issue #2 - The Binding of Isaac

Annual: Genesis 23:1-25:18 (Etz Hayim, p. 127; Hertz p. 80)

Prepared by Rabbi Michael Gold

Department of Congregational Services

Eliezer travels to Aram-Naharaim and makes a vow by the well there.

Issue #1 - Life and Death

Issue #2 - Love and Marriage

1. According to an old popular song, "Love and marriage go together like a

Annual: Genesis 25:19-28:9 (Etz Hayim, p. 146; Hertz p. 93)

Prepared by Rabbi Michael Gold

Department of Congregational Services

Issue #1 - Sibling Rivalry

Issue #2 - Unconditional Love

Annual: Genesis 28:10-32:3 (Etz Hayim, p. 166; Hertz p. 106)

Prepared by Rabbi Michael Gold

Department of Congregational Services

Issue #1 - Is There Justice?

1. "What goes around comes around." Sometimes there are hidden

Issue #2 - Children Meeting Our Needs

Annual: Genesis 32:4-36:43 (Etz Hayim, p. 198; Hertz p. 122)

Prepared by Rabbi Michael Gold

Department of Congregational Services

Issue #1 - Wrestled With Whom?

Issue #2 - The Rape of Dinah

Annual: Genesis 37:1-40:23 (Etz Hayim, p. 226; Hertz p. 141)

Prepared by Rabbi Michael Gold

Department of Congregational Services

Meanwhile, Joseph is in Egypt where he is second in command in the home of

Issue #2 - Sexual Ethics

Annual: Genesis 41:1-44:17 (Etz Hayim, p. 250; Hertz p. 155)

Prepared by Rabbi Michael Gold

Department of Congregational Services

"One should always go up in holiness and not go down in holiness" (Shabbat

1. What is the actual mitzvah of lighting candles on Hanukkah? "Our rabbis

Annual: Genesis 44:18-47:27 (Etz Hayim, p. 274; Hertz p. 169)

Prepared by Rabbi Michael Gold

Department of Congregational Services

Issue #1 - True Repentance

1. Can we justify Joseph's behavior, which seems cruel and vengeful

Annual: Genesis 47:28-50:26 (Etz Hayim, p. 293; Hertz p. 180)

Prepared by Rabbi Michael Gold

Department of Congregational Services

Issue #1 - Older and Younger

Issue #2 - The Messiah