Companion Workbook to What The Torah Teaches Us About Survival

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Topics Mentioning This Author. Book Review Site 13 Oct 18, One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. Hate cannot drive out hate: The Essential Writings and Speeches. He who has felt the deepest grief is best able to experience supreme happiness. We must have felt what it is to die, Morrel, that we may appreciate the enjoyments of life. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall.

If so I am sure you are aware of how hard it can be to market your book successfully. There is so much you can do on Amazon. I use to work for a company that specialized in promoting authors via Amazon. These are free tips I have picked up along the way that I feel every author should be aware of. Take a look and leave your comments or email me at KaitNeese KaitNeese. Indie Book Collective — members — last activity Sep 12, December 19, to January 18, Torah Scholar and Jewish Spiritual Author.

Jewish Book Carnival — members — last activity Aug 31, You can see the Headquarters of the Jewish Book Carnival at http: Make a book a bestseller — members — last activity Sep 23, Welcome To Larissa's Bookish Life! Where The Paranormal is Normal! We'll read a book that falls within the Paranormal net We'll start small and I hope we can grow big Jewish Book Club — members — last activity Sep 16, The monthly reads will be chosen from both group suggestion, and from Best Seller lists. Books of all genres and sexual orientation will be considered. The only requirement is that the book has a Jewish theme.

Nanette Rayman-Rivera author of Best of t Rachel Thompson author of Broken Pi Thomas Amo author of An Apple Gregory Ness author of The Sword Chris Thrall author of Eating Sm Search for a book to add a reference. May 09, Get coupons for Mother's Day sale of my books at http: Jun 22, I feel badly for my recent lack of availability and participation in the groups, by my computer was dying a slow and agonizing death.

Both my harddrive and my backup harddrive died, so I am now in the process of rebuilding my website, and am working as quickly as I can! Please bear with me. I love this website goodreads , and I am interested in what you have to say to me, but almost all of my computer time each day is spent rebuilding. It will be finished, please G-d, this week or next! Then I will need to do a lot of catching up! I was even making great progress on my next book, but it too will need to stay on hold until I have my website issue resolved! Thanks for your patience and your indulgence in reading this long update!

I didn't even get to go to the party in New York honoring the winners and Honorable Mentions because I only just found out it was on June 10th!

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If anyone associated with the book festival is reading this, I am sorry to have missed out on the party. It was for the category of Spirituality! Jan 19, Jan 06, I would love to too! Spiritually yours, Laura Weakley Nanette wrote: I would love to discuss Torah with you whenever you are able Dec 29, Todd Daniels posted this as a comment to my review of my book: By following Isaac's spiritual journey, the reader will suddenly realize that God has provided a path for everyone's own unique spiritual growth.

Experience the joys, pains, and thought process that must have gone through Isaac's mind as you read this impressive book. We take abuse seriously in our discussion boards. Only flag comments that clearly need our attention. As a general rule we do not censor any content on the site. The only content we will consider removing is spam, slanderous attacks on other members, or extremely offensive content eg. We will not remove any content for bad language alone, or being critical of a particular book. Toldot also means generations. Each of us generates something of our own.

We generate our own lives. We each give birth, be it to actual children, or to other additions and contributions that we make to the world Our family stories in the book of Genesis show us how our toldot shape us, and also how we create our own toldot. What we learned in our families, and the roles that we play in them, are carried with us, and can define us, in both helpful and possibly not-so-helpful ways.

One of our tasks is to keep open the wells of the generations that have come before us, and to draw from them. We can choose how those wells will nourish us, and nourish the people in our lives. This week's Torah portion is Chayyei Sarah - Gen. After this is accomplished, Abraham dispatches his servant to find a wife for Isaac.

The servant finds Rebecca, and she agrees to go with him to Canaan to marry Isaac. The text continues with Abraham taking another wife - Keturah, and concludes with the death of Abraham; his sons Isaac and Ishmael come together to bury their father in the family's burial ground at Machpelah. Ora Horn Prouser, Exec. VP and Academic Dean of the Academy for Jewish Religion, commented this past week on Abraham's words to his servant as he sends him to find a wife for Isaac and makes him swear an oath that he will try his best to do so The servant expresses his concern, "What if the woman does not consent to return to this land with me?

BUT, if she does not consent to go with him, he will be relieved of his oath. Abraham is instructing his servant to do the best he can Horn Prouser shared the story of preparing for Pesach with her children by searching for and disposing of the final pieces of hametz leaven in their house. Her young son asked if they got everything, and was told "We did our best" and then the family continued with the special verses recited after collecting and disposing of the hametz..

Her young son added: And so it is with us as well. When presented with challenges, we are urged to do the best we can. The results are the results, not necessarily in our hands We did our best. Our Torah portion this week is Va-yera' - Gen. As Rabbi Shai Held teaches: Appalled by the corruption and lawlessness of Sodom and Gomorrah, God is ready to respond with dire consequences.

However, before taking action, God makes a choice to consult with Abraham. Alarmed at the prospect of God acting unjustly, Abraham protests, wanting to know whether God will "sweep away the innocent along with the guilty" and asking, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly? Before God even brings up the idea to Abraham, God says to God's self ,"For I have singled him Abraham out, that he may instruct his children and their posterity to keep the way of the Eternal by doing what is just and right God wants Abraham to teach his descendants to do what is just and right -- but Abraham cannot teach that which he himself has not yet learned.

God sets up the situation for Abraham so that he has the occasion to stand up for justice. If Abraham is to be the father of a people who will stand up for what is good and just, he will have to first do it himself. Subtly, out text communicates a powerful lesson: We cannot teach our children values that we ourselves do not embody. We are charged never to go along to get along; in the face of injustice, we are challenged by God to speak up. This week's Torah portion is Lech-Lechah - Gen. How many of us have had this experience?

How many of us have had to make changes on our lives that have sent us in a different direction? A direction, in many cases, very different from what we ever anticipated? A story is told: A man was on a journey that took him through a forest. There he lost his way. After several days of wondering, he encountered another.

To this one he appealed: Each path I have taken has been wrong. But at least I know what paths not to take. Let us search for the way out together. The process can be long and winding. To know that we are not alone, to know that we have others to turn to to help us along the way - to accompany us along the way God continues to Abraham: And you shall be a blessing. I believe that we, too, can say that those who have helped us along our way have also been a blessing to us Our Torah portion this is week Noach - Gen.

At the end of the story of Noah and the Flood, God places a rainbow in the sky, saying "This is the token of the Covenant which I make between you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I have set My bow in the clouds The rainbow is a symbol of peace; it is shaped like an archer's bow that is turned away from the archer - a sign of reconciliation.

A truly lethal weapon that is turned into one of the most beautiful sights in nature. Bringing together opposites - the fire of the sun and the water from rainfall, the rainbow demonstrates that the seemingly irreconcilable cannot only coexist, but also become a sight of beauty. We see this hope for peace, by turning an object of war into an instrument of peace, reflected in the words of Isaiah 2: God's rainbow and Isaiah teach us that making peace is done by intention: This week's portion - B'reishit - Gen.

Our portion invites us to reflect on the miracle of creation, and on the wondrous nature of all being. Rebbe Nachman of Breslov — taught: Always say, The world was created for my sake. Never say, What does all this have to do with me? And do your share to add some improvement, to supply something that is missing, and leave the world a little better for your sojourn in it.

On the Shabbat during the festival of Sukkot, we read the book of Ecclesiastes, known in Hebrew as " Kohelet. In a recent article in Tablet Magazine, author Beth Kissileff wrote: One could frame it as a dialogue between reality and alternate reality in the key of Greek philosophical ideas of its time.

A back and forth between the hevel futility and breath are both translations of the Hebrew of an absurdly short breath and span of time humans have to live, and the possibility within that of accomplishing something meaningful and experiencing joy. The contradictions seem central to the book Ecclesiastes swings between simchah joy and the transient nature of human life Huddled in an intentionally flimsy structure, we focus on the basics, on what is truly meaningful in life The sukkah , our home for the duration of the holiday, reminds us that no home is permanent, all is transient Especially this year, we are reminded of the fragile nature of our lives: The fragility of home is borne out in the life of Pedro Hernando-Rimerez, as he tearfully separated from his family to be deported to Mexico, after spending 14 years as a productive and law-abiding citizen here We are called upon to hold the joy of our festival and the transient nature of our lives together at one time We cannot do it alone.

That is the power of community, as we pray: Ufros aleinu sukkat sh'lomecha - Spread over us Your shelter of peace.

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I have a tough time with prayer. Often, my idea of God prevents a relationship in which asking for something results in receiving it directly, or one in which blessings of thanks can be understood or appreciated easily. I also struggle to buy into the literal meaning of various prayers.

When I read a blessing praising God for freeing the captive or clothing the naked, it reminds me of the very real inequities in our criminal justice system and the crushing poverty that affects so many around the world. God has not yet freed the captive or clothed the naked, and so my prayer experience has to become abstract and metaphorical to make any sense of the words. I try to reinterpret the blessing, asking God for help to get angry at injustice and fight for sentencing reform, economic justice, and the work of repairing a broken world.

But there is always a bit of a gap. I need to translate more than just the Hebrew, twisting both God and what I am talking to God about through metaphor to arrive at a place where I feel I can say the prayers honestly. The poem represents God as a divine monarch and judge, who passes judgment on us and our actions of the past year: How many shall pass away and how many shall be born, Who shall live and who shall die, Who shall reach the end of his days and who shall not.

I struggle with an image of God as a figure who predetermines the fates of individuals. What comes next, however, the potential fates the author envisions God decreeing, come straight from my fears of the future on a warmer planet. North America has recently dealt with devastating hurricanes that have taken lives, destroyed houses, and left people without necessities. These storms are made more intense and dangerous by the warming of our planet. Over the past few months, when I was back at home in Colorado, I saw unusually hazy skies and colorful sunsets.

They were a cruel and ironic result of an historic number of forest fires caused by record-breaking dry summers. Although I may need to understand God through layers of metaphor, these real, visible consequences speak directly to my experiences. I met with two interfaith partners from Lutheran and Anglican development organizations in Tanzania and Malawi. They spoke about how climate change is affecting local farmers, who are dealing with irregular rain patterns and new, migrating pests they do not know how to combat. After that meeting, the question in the poem is no longer rhetorical. Famine and thirst are real threats these farmers now face due to climate change.

For once, I do not have to reinterpret or reimagine the prayer to make it meaningful — and that is terrifying, strange, and unsettling. We know that repenting — which includes efforts to decrease our greenhouse gas emissions — will lessen the effects of climate change. We know that tzedakah can fund projects that help protect the most disadvantaged people by helping them recover when the effects of climate change strike. If you share my fears about a future on a warmer planet, ask your governor to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Doing so is one way we can repent, pray, and repair the world around climate change. The tragic ends it describes have become imminent possibilities in the world. Our Torah portion this week is Ha'azinu - Deut. The divine perseverance is to be emulated. He was the brother of author Harriet Beecher Stowe. About perseverance he wrote: The difference between perseverance and obstinacy is, that one often comes from a strong will -- the other from a strong won't. Jacob Riis was a lateth early 20th century photographer and writer whose book How the Other Half Lives led to a revolution in social reform.

On the subject of perseverance he wrote: Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split on two, and I know it was not that blow that did it - but all that had gone before. At this season of renewal and return and forgiveness, the idea of perseverance - of what it means to say "I will" rather than "I won't" is very much a part of our intentions.

Making change - be it personal or social - is not easy; it very well just might not happen on the first try. But each try builds upon what came before, and patience and diligence can lead to a positive result. This week, as we make our way into the High Holy Days, we have a double Torah portion: Va'yelech opens with " Va'yelech Moshe va'y'daber et kol hadevarim ha'elah el kol Yisrael - Moses went Moses is years old God bless him! The Torah commentator Kli Yakar, Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim ben Aaron Luntschitz taught that somehow, especially because of his advanced age, Moses found the energy to go and visit every tent where his people lived in order to urge them to make peace with each other and with God.

His final speech is dependent on a personal commitment by each person to make teshuva - to reconcile with each other and with God. He does not want to depart with relationships in disrepair. Just as we are to pursue justice, the Kli Yakar taught that we are to actively engage in reaching out and pursuing peace. The process of peacemaking connects us to each other, and those positive connections have a positive effect upon our homes, our communities, and our world. Our Torah portion this week is Ki Tavo - Deut. In chapter 27, Moses details a ceremony for the people that they are to carry out when they enter the promised land.

They are to "set up large stones, coat them with plaster, and inscribe on them the words of HaTorah Hazot - this Teaching Basically, set up large billboards, no? This is how we do things around here! The Teaching is inscribed -- carved into the plaster-covered stones, and meant to be read easily and to last into the future.

With future generations able to see and learn for themselves this Teaching. Thus, the reading and teaching and understanding of this Teaching is always today. This Teaching is not for one generation only, but for all time. Our Torah portion this week is Ki Teitzei - Deut. You must pay him his wages on the same day, before the sun sets, for he is needy and urgently depends on it.

Labor Day has come to mean the end of summer, rather than a day to consider and celebrate the role of workers in building and sustaining this country. As Jews, labor rights are central to our tradition, and as American Jews, they are central to our history. Jews served as important labor leaders as well as a significant proportion of the rank-and-file in certain industries e. Most American Jews are lucky that the sweatshop is far from our personal experience — except as we enable them as consumers — and has receded into our often nostalgic image of our immigrant roots.

So I thought it might be useful to point out a couple of examples of Jewish labor activists whose stories differ from the more familiar labor activism narrative. As a young woman, she was frustrated by the gulf between her economic studies and the experiences of working people. So she decided to supplement her education at Radcliffe, Bryn Mawr, and Barnard by working nights at textile factories in New Jersey, where she advocated for a union. In , while a student at Yale Law School, she was a vocal participant in the great textile strike in the Passaic mills in which she had worked.

Her work helped bring women workers shorter hours, among other reforms. Of course, labor activism is not just a topic for the history books. Workers rights and immigrant rights are [very often in the news Our Torah portion this week is Shoftim - Deut. Tikva Frymer-Kensky z"l wrote that "the view of justice detailed in our Torah portion is a view from the top, and is concerned with establishing authorities and delineating their functional procedures. The view of justice posited by the prophet Amos was a view from the bottom: These are two differing views of justice - strict procedural justice and social justice.

We must pursue both types of justice and find a way to make the tension between them a dynamic creative tension. Our Torah portion this week is Re'eh - Deut. As Rabbi Morley T. What does it mean to choose? How important are our decisions? Choosing can range from what to wear, to what to say, to how to live our lives. We are given a choice. Everything we do has a consequence.

God is saying that we can live our lives how we want to, but our decisions will have an effect, not only on us, but also on everyone around us. Taking seriously how we are to treat and support each other can impact each and every day of our lives Based on the principles of community, acceptance, and role-modeling, we are called upon to strive each day to recall that all are created in the divine image. Each of us has unique gifts and talents. We are called upon to create community that discovers and praises the blessings of every individual.

In our Torah portion this week, Ekev - Deut. So we learn from Rabbi Avital Hochstein: The manna itself teaches that like other foods and bread, it itself is insufficient; when offered alone it leaves people in a state of hunger and suffering. People need that which comes forth from the mouth of God as well. What kind of relationship does a reality based on "what comes from God's mouth" have to offer? Supposedly, that is the manna's essence: If so, what is the difference between the manna and what comes from God's mouth? In the book of Isaiah [ What comes from God's mouth is compared to rain and snow that fall from the sky.

Indeed, this image reminds us of God's words falling from the sky, similar to the manna, but what is interesting is the condition stated in the verse: Instead, they saturate the earth, which in turn cultivates and provides. The sky provides rain that is absorbed by the earth, consequently vitalizing the earth. The saturated earth goes on to produce trees and vegetation, which grow skyward. Now, let us return to that which is issued forth from God's mouth -- it too does not return to God, but rather is absorbed by people who are motivated by it.

They are motivated to take action, advance, grow and maintain a mutual ongoing relationship with God Consequently, we find a different depiction of reality than the one of manna: Living in response to what comes forth from God's mouth creates a reality of independence and maturity. This week's portion is Ve'etchanan - Duet. I wanted to hear just what the Holy One of blessing speaks about. The call to listen is a call to deeply consider the nature of God and of what God wants of us. According to the psalmist possibly David himself , the focus of God's hope for humanity is peacemaking.

And what of God's Oneness - " Adonai Echad "? As God is One, God encompasses all. With that in mind, we should strive to actualize "Oneness" on earth. Shabbat Shalom -- May your Shabbat be filled with peace, and may that peace radiate out to all you meet each and every day. Rabbi Regina Sandler-Phillips http: The Scriptural readings prepare us for Tisha b'Av, our Jewish day of mourning for tragedies through the ages. On Tisha b'Av itself which is commemorated next Monday night and Tuesday , the book that is called Lamentations in English and Eikha in Hebrew is read.

It's tempting to disparage the way of lamentation in favor of the ways of problem-solving and analysis. Yet, in the desperate rush toward a quick fix, we tend to make our problems worse. Similarly, our analyzing tends to deflect accountability away from ourselves, and too often leads to another form of wrongdoing also noted by Isaiah: If we look again at the challenge of Eikha , we may discover a clarity of vision that can only be realized if the true value of lamentation is understood and reclaimed.

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These are the words of the prophet Jeremiah 9: Jeremiah makes a remarkable assertion: This is further codified in the early rabbinic text of the Mishnah Moed Katan 3: That one [woman] speaks and all the rest respond after her; as it is said: Lamentation is a process of call and response. Many Jews today chant Psalms during times of trouble in a similar call-and-response mode.

What he can and does do is enter the call-and-response of community, where the burdens of stress and grief can be shared. May it be our vision to learn the wisdom of call and response when we are faced with overwhelming challenges, so that we can serve as channels of healing and support for each other through the times of crisis and pain.

An earlier version of this teaching was published by the Academy for Jewish Religion [ http: We open our Torah scrolls this week to Pinchas -- Numbers This week's portion is named for the grandson of Aaron who, in a short narrative at the very end of last week's portion, Balak , took the law into his own hands by running a spear through the Israelite Zimri and his Midianite paramour, Cozbi, for their public display of affection Numbers It shall be for him and his descendants after him a pact of priesthood for all time" Rabbis of the Talmud have a long discussion Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 82a , concluding that had Pinchas brought his case to a rabbinical court, the court would have told him: Numerous commentaries also ameliorate the reward of priesthood that God bestows on Pinchas and his descendants, suggesting that perhaps God does so in hopes that demands of the priesthood will make Pinchas less violent, and or allow him to atone for the lives he took.

An amazing bristling at the violence of the story comes in the form of a visual midrash in the Torah scroll itself.

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Torah scribes scrupulously follow thousands of rules when writing a Torah scroll, among them that no letter may be broken. No one knows for sure, but many align with the suggestion that the letter vav , with its slight curve at the top, and straight up and down line, resembles a spear, perhaps the spear of Pinchas.

Add to that another nearby visual midrash: This week's Torah portion is Balak - Numbers A blessing that the notorious Bilam bestowed on us, and that has become a sort of a motto for Jewish houses of gathering. The recitation of this text reminds us that before we even turn to the morning blessings, mindfully acknowledging our morning routine, we express gratefulness for having a place to live, a roof over our head. We acknowledge our good fortune for not being homeless. And indeed, even wandering in the desert for forty years, the people of Israel were not homeless. All their physical needs were taken care of.

They had clothes to wear, food to sustain them, and they had goodly tents. Goodly tents that Rashi explains are tents with entrances that do not face each other. Tents that not only provide shelter from the elements but also allow for privacy. Privacy sounds peaceful and delightful. But on deeper inspection we might wonder whether a blessing of doors and windows not facing each other is truly a blessing for a justice-seeking people.

It almost sounds like keeping to ourselves necessarily leads to the undesirable outcome of paying no heed to others. After all, justice has to start with seeing. And keeping to ourselves does not seem to foster that kind of seeing. It could be said that the entire story of Bilam is a tale about the importance of seeing.

I sometimes think of him as the insightful friend who gives good advice to everyone else but whose own life is a mess. And so the insightful Bilam, who sees rather well from a distance, fails to see what is right before his face - the suffering of his own donkey And because Bilam does not see, he fails to respond correctly.

His story seems like a series of missed opportunities to do better. I personally think of the story of Bilam as a cautionary tale. It reminds me that it is not enough to see injustice from the mountain top, from a distance, but that the seeing of the more uncomfortable kinds of injustice, the very local and close-to-home kind, is crucial.

And as for the Israelite tents, perhaps what made them so good is the flexibility, to sometimes have privacy, but sometimes also to open the flaps in all directions, and take a good look around, see what work still needs to be done, and then pursue it. This week's Torah portion is Chukat - Numbers God instructs Moses to speak to a rock to flow with water for the people.

But, in Moses' anger, he strikes the rock with his rod. Water flows, but God is displeased with Moses' actions, and tells him: Moses had been in this situation before. In Exodus, the people were thirsty and God told Moses to strike the rock, and water would flow. Perhaps Moses thought that, since he had been in this situation before, he knew how to behave. In his present anger with the people, he could not hear God's command Anger makes Moses lose his ability to listen, and if he cannot listen, he is no longer fit for his position as prophetic leader of the people. When we get angry, we, too, lose the capacity to listen.

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And that can prevent us from truly hearing what the other person has to say Our Torah portion this week is Korach - Num. Korach, a Levite and cousin of Moses and Aaron, leads a group of prominent "men of repute" Israelites, claiming to speak in the name of democracy: Why then do you raise yourselves against the congregation? In his comments on this portion, Rabbi Arthur Waskow shares: But what was wrong with Korach's challenge? To many contemporary ears, Korach seems a grass-roots communitarian democrat. Whether in secular or religious life, we are suspicious of self-anointed leaders, even those who have a far-seeing vision and decent values Martin Buber asks this same question: Buber certainly criticized such world-renowned leaders of his own day as Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, for centralizing power and authority in themselves and in the State.

Buber identified with the prophets much more than the kings, and admired Samuel's challenge to the people who urgently demanded that he choose for them a king. As Samuel said, "We have a King -- in Heaven! An earthly monarch will tax and conscript you, will shatter your free communities and your connection with God. And in his book Paths in Utopia , Buber fervently criticized Marx, Lenin, and Stalin for their centralizing politics, their call for an elite and vanguard party to transform society.

Buber instead argued for a transformative politics rooted in decentralized communities. So, Buber asks in his book Moses , what's wrong with Korach's position? Don't we -- indeed we!! But then Buber says: Korach thought the whole people was holy regardless of how it acted. It could kill, or worship gold, or rape the earth -- it could do anything, thought Korach, and still be holy. Moses, on the other hand, understood that the people had to become holy, over and over, forever and always That the people had to act and act, do and do again, to make holiness out of ordinary life.

And in this way Buber and Rabbi Waskow explains and justifies the failure of Korach Our Torah portion this week is Shelach Lecha - Num. In , the Reform movement published their Platform to take us into the twenty-fist century. On the subject of mitzvot we read: We are committed to the ongoing study of the whole array of mitzvot and to the fulfillment of those that address us as individuals and as a community. Some of these mitzvot, sacred obligations, have long been observed by Reform Jews; others, both ancient and modern, demand renewed attention as the result of the unique context of our own times.

For me, as I look at the tzitzit at the corners of my tallit, I see them as strands and knots and windings that connect me to a portal in time: I look at my tzitzit in the present, and seek to find ways that these sacred obligations bring holiness to my life. And I see my tzitzit connecting me to the future - as I humbly seek to connect others to appreciating the holiness in their lives. And then the complaining begins. A slight digression… A story is told of a young monk who joins a silent monastery.

The rules are simple, the abbot tells him: You've been complaining ever since you got here. The Israelites were never silent. And when we do hear from them, aside from accepting the Ten Commandments, they are complaining… especially about the food… or lack of it. The people demand meat and recall, with the tone of 'the good old days,' "the fish which we ate free in Egypt, the cucumbers and melons, the leeks, onions and garlic" Actually, they had made similar complaints shortly after leaving Egypt Ex.

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The medieval commentator Rashi rejects that idea - if the Egyptians didn't give them straw for bricks, it was hardly likely they would let them eat fish for free. At Sinai, the children of Israel received the Torah, the commandments upon which the life and conduct of the Jewish people are based. The Midrash tells how, when the Israelites departed from Sinai, they fled from the message of Sinai [the message of Torah and mitzvot] like children running from school when the bell rings….

We need food for the body… and food for the soul. We have to include and appreciate both. Striking that balance is the challenge the Jews faced as they left Sinai Our Torah portion this week is Naso - Numbers 4: Taking a closer look at the text with various rabbinic commentators: May the Eternal bless you and protect you.

Gersonides "Protection" - guarding against evil May the Eternal deal kindly and graciously with you. May the Eternal bestow favor upon you and grant you peace. Ibn Ezra "And grant you peace" - Peace in the material world and also peace of mind Note that each of the three verses contain two blessings, yet the verses expand in length from three, to five, to seven words in the Hebrew , with " Shalom - Peace" as the last word - the ultimate blessing. As they prepare to set forth, God tells Moses to take a census of the able-bodied men who can defend them on their journey towards the Promised Land and also a counting of the Levites, those who will serve as priests to the people -- serving needs of their physical and spiritual lives.

As the Torah turns throughout the year, I cannot help but be reminded of the various students who have become bar and bat mitzvah. Each of our students read through the whole Torah portion with their family, and then choose a section to read and to focus on for their bar or bat mitzvah service. For this week's portion, I think of the young girl who read about how each tribe was camped beneath their standard, and how she wondered how each standard's pattern might have been designed for each tribe.

I think about the young boy who chose to read the verses that listed each tribal name and the people who represented them, enjoying the challenge of learning each name. I think about the young boy who so did not want to become a bar mitzvah, and begrudgingly learned his Torah portion about taking the census - only to come to an understanding that although each tribe was different, each member "counted" - and so did he. As the Torah turns, each of us - not just our children - has the opportunity to find ourselves in the text. The text does not instruct us to wait until they find themselves in dire straights, but to reach out when the other is beginning to slip.

Notice that the text calls upon us to "hold him up" rather than "lift him up" - implying that he has not yet completely fallen. If we are attentive to those around us, even a small slippage would be noticed and would call us to action. A person's dignity can erode very quickly and calls for early action when another is in need.

The resident alien is included along with one's kinsman, thereby broadening the circle of concern to include everyone in our community. While the needs of brethren take priority when resources are limited, an ideal is articulated here that no one's basic needs be overlooked.

This past Sunday, the students, teachers, and parents in our Religious School heard from our good friend, Carl Cook, as he spoke about the caring and thoughtful approach that he uses with each person in the homeless community that he is able to assist. He reinforced how each person - each person - is "made in the image of God", and when we keep that in mind it has a positive and meaningful effect on how we treat each other.

Yascher Koach to David Rosen and our High School students for organizing a very successful "Backpacks for the Homeless" project, that will help Carl to hold up those who are falling or who have fallen on hard times.

Our Torah portion this Shabbat is Emor - Lev. Leviticus address the laws of holiness and who is fit or unfit for participating in the ritual life of the sanctuary and they refer not only to the High Priest and the priests, but also to the ordinary Israelites and Leviticus 23 is about holy time - Shabbat and the festivals of the Jewish year.

Leviticus 24 ends with focusing on a third type of holiness: Rabbi Jonathan Sacks comments: Blasphemy injures society by desecrating the sacred. A word - God's Name - that signals peace, is used like a weapon in a fight Why all this talk of holiness? A sense of the sacred lifts us above our baser instincts Focusing on Kiddoshim, Lev. It is the blueprint for a holy life, following in the ways of a holy God. This is a list of actions The Priest plays a significant role here: I write these words in New York, as I am preparing to attend the Rabbinic Ordination ceremonies of my seminary — The Academy for Jewish Religion, and I am thinking about the role of the rabbi during the healing process.

In ancient times, it appears that the Priest was present just to judge this or to pass judgement on that; the text does not go into details as to what kind of relationship the Priest had with each person. It is hard to be present for everyone, but important to know that presence can be a personal visit or a phone call. As in ancient times when the Priest was notified about someone needing to be seen, so too today.

Reach out your hand — and mine will be there. In this week's Torah portion - Shemini - Lev. We are told that the manner in which this sacrifice was offered was not in accordance to God's instructions and, as a result, Nadav and Avihu were themselves summarily "consumed by fire which came forth from the Lord Each generation has puzzled over this episode for millennia. What was the reason? How could this happen to Aaron's son? What did they do wrong?

Was this Divine justice? And what could Aaron say? On Monday, we will commemorate Yom HaShoah, the day set aside in the Jewish calendar on which we remember those who were killed by fire for no apparent reason. Maimonides taught that all the evil in the world was the product of free will, which allows those who would destroy us to follow the path of their intentions. Does this free will extend to us, so that we have a way of dealing with evil if we choose to do so? But they face an uphill task against fascist organisations, both European and Middle Eastern, that are gaining ground.

If we follow Maimonides' teaching, then response to the Holocaust, response to unmitigated hate, does not leave room for any consideration of Divine justice. But it does leave room for human injustice. Along with Allan Myers, we pray that the Divine can help us to stamp it out.

We must remember, but we will not be silent. Many people wonder why the festival of Pesach is not celebrated when we are reading about it when it appears during the regular weekly Torah readings. When we take a close look at the reading about Pesach in the book of Exodus, we see that the instructions for celebrating Pesach are specific - " This Shabbat during Pesach, the Torah portion is Ex. The Haftarah is from the prophet Ezekiel And, in addition, the Song of Songs is read. Taken all together, our readings will share: This week's Torah portion is Tzav - Lev.

They are to ensure that "a perpetual fire shall be kept burning on the altar, not to go out. In our quest to make contemporary meaning of ancient practice, Rabbi Chaim Stern teaches: What can we offer them? Whatever that may be, it is an offering that gives light and warmth. When such service becomes an everyday occurrence, it is the "perpetual fie" called for by our reading.

And Rabbi Anonymous taught: If I cannot give bountifully, I will give freely: With this week's Torah portion, we turn to the third book of Torah - Leviticus, Va-Yikra - the Hebrew name of this book and this week's Torah portion - Lev. We now turn to the description of the sacrificial system and the role of the priests There are a number of things to keep in mind.

First, that this entire book, seemingly a "how-to" manual for the priests, is open and available for all of us to read; the priests might have specific roles to play, but it is not a "secret society" - we all know what it to be done and how Most of the offerings are not done "for" us, but "with" us; a powerful message of the importance of our active role in ritual. Second, as the offerings and sacrifices are described, we come to see that they are not limited to only those who can afford them; there are offerings made up only of flour and oil Even in ancient times, as today, there should not be financial barriers to participation in the Jewish life of the community.

Central to this book is Chapter 19, known as Kedoshim - the Holiness Code. Moses is instructed to tell all the people to be holy because God is Holy, and what follows are not more sacrifices to offer -- but actions and behaviors that will insure love and justice and kindness. The book of Exodus comes to a close this week as we read as double portion: With the building of the Mishkan, the portable Sanctuary, the people are ready to continue in their journey through the wilderness - toward the Promised Land.

The book of Exodus ends with with God's Presence filling the Sanctuary as a guiding force: God as nightlight, so to speak. It was important for the Israelites to know that God was with them on their journey - through good times and challenging times. The cloud and the fire provided that tangible evidence for the young Israelite nation. And what of us? What is our evidence of God's Presence with us on our journeys? What serves as your "cloud and fire" to provide comfort and support and courage and encouragement along your way?

Our Torah portion this week is Ki Tisa, Ex. At this point in the book of Exodus, the Israelites have seen a lot of action: But now, it is as if the rushing scenes have been paused in favor of, well, waiting. The Israelites are somewhere in the desert, they have had these communal, transcendent experiences, and now, while Moses has been up on Mt. Sinai with God … now they are killing time until Moses returns to them. Contemporary biblical scholar and professor Nahum Sarna writes,. In building the Golden Calf, it seems like the Israelites were seeking some kind of tangible connection to the divine, a reassurance for their communal anxiety, fear, and uncertainty They We need something more than an abstract idea of a covenantal relationship — as inspiring as the concept may be.

We all need to experience reminders of the power of the principles we believe in, and we may need to intentionally create those experiences. Communal building projects represent hopes, dreams, and ideology. So too it is with the Tabernacle in the wilderness. It is all a reminder that buildings are more than bricks and mortar. Whether we are building, renovating , or maintaining the homes of beloved communal institutions, it does us well to consider the dreams and values they represent and to keep those concepts front and center.

Now it's your turn to share your insights: Our Torah portion this Shabbat is Tetzaveh - Ex. The priest will wear this in his ritual role before the people -- and before God. The breatpiece is a visual reminder of the importance of each of the twelve tribes -- of all of our people. Also, because this is the Shabbat before Purim, we read from the book of Deuteronomy You shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Each year, before Purim, we remind ourselves to blot out his name and his memory.

Of course, in reminding ourselves to blot out the name, we cannot help but remember the deed. And in remembering the deed, it is also important that we don't forget who was attacked -- the stragglers: All of them were part of the people of Israel. And just maybe, in remembering to forget Amalek, we remember not to forget those who are most in need. Our Torah portion this week is Terumah - Ex. Sanctuary - a place of holiness. The word Sanctuary has also come to mean "a place of refuge, safety The idea of a portable sanctuary - a portable place of safety and refuge - is certainly timely.

For those of us who become targets of racism and ugly acts of discrimination and hate. Since January 1st, the report from the Anti-Defamation League on anti-semitic incidents is double what it was last year. It was too many last year -- and way too many this year. I have included a link to a proposed plan of action for our government form the ADL. It's message is not just in regards to the Jewish community, but is a plan of action to combat anti-Semitism and to fight back against all forms of hate. Our Torah portion this week is Mishpatim - Ex. When Moses reads this covenant out loud to the people, they respond with the promise: Na'aseh v'nishmah - We will do and we will hear!

Shouldn't doing come after hearing??? Perhaps our people's response from so long ago is meant to teach us the importance of doing There is a Chasidic teaching: When I say to myself, "I can't do everything," let it not be in order to do nothing. Let it be, instead, merely a recognition that I don't have to do everything; that other people, too, will do their part to right wrongs In the narrative leading up to Sinai, there is suddenly a shift in the grammar - from the plural to the singular; just before the revelation of the Ten Commandments, a singular verb is used to describe the action of the Jewish people: This does not go unnoticed by the Torah commentators.

It was taught that receptivity to Torah requires a heightened state of collective consciousness; absence of conflict would enhance the experience. Conflict diverts attention and openness, and narrows one's focus. Access to Torah and to inspiration requires the opposite: By its sudden switch from the plural to the singular, the Torah text subtly suggests that at this moment at the foot of Sinai - there was unity, the perfect setting for the giving of Torah. A singular verb captures that spirit.

Our Torah portion this week is BaShalach - Ex. Pharaoh finally says "Go! The people are terrified as they enter the Sea of Reeds, but the waters part, they pass through on dry ground The people were in awe of Adonai and had faith in Adonai and God's servant, Moses. There are times when it is hard to see the meaning in life. And then there are also times when it all seems so right. Many of us walk between these two poles - in a state of "in between. Rabbi Chaim Stern prays: I am proud of our congregation -- we can hold many perspectives in a safe environment. Yet, when we feel that the law does not justly serve our country and its people, we are obligated to speak up and raise our concerns for what is right and just.

We are called upon to provide them answers. Our Jewish tradition calls us to support the rights of the homeless and the stranger, and so, too, to support the rights of refugees to find sanctuary on our shores. We shudder at the thought of religion-based lists for identification. We treasure our American right to hear the many voices of our country, and to work together for what is right and just.

We pray for the peace of our country. Our Torah portion this week is Va'era -- Ex. We read about a Pharaoh who refuses Moses' request to "let the children of Israel go out of his land" and how God will "harden Pharaoh's heart" and multiply God's signs and God's wonders in the land of Egypt. Rabbi Sheldon Lewis asks: In our tradition, the door to repentance is always open, even for one guilty of great harm; how could such a value be suspended in the case of Pharaoh? Torah commentators struggle with the message in the text that God would harden Pharaoh's heart, thus making it impossible for him to freely make a decision.

But, as we read, Pharaoh is first described as hardening his own heart in the course of the first five plagues. Pharaoh was given many opportunities to repent his ways - and let the people go With each plague he became more stubborn, more obdurate in his ways There are commentators that suggest that had Pharaoh shown any sign of remorse, his hardened heart would have softened. Others suggest that once a pattern of refusal is set, it is as though the decision making is no longer in one's hands. Pharaoh had set his course; he was no longer capable of reversing himself This week we begin the book of Shemot - Exodus - Ex.

The people of Israel are slaves in Egypt. Moses becomes a shepherd who takes his sheep into the wilderness In the wilderness on Mount Horeb he encounters God in the midst of a bush that is burning God has appeared to Moses to send him on a mission: Tell Pharaoh to let My people go, tell Israel that the time of liberation is at hand.


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The Rabbis ask, and so do we, "Why did God choose to appear to Moses in a thorn bush? And, like Moses, how can we be God's Partner to help bring about positive change? With this week's Torah portion -- VaYechi - Gen. The story of Joseph and his brothers, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, ends with Joseph's death and burial in Egypt. Joseph is not buried in Canaan; both he and his brothers and their families remain in exile.

Before he dies, Joseph turns to his brothers and says, "I am about to die. God will surely take notice of you and bring you up from this land to the land that He promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. God has taken notice of you, you will carry up my bones from here. At the conclusion of each book of Torah, we say, " Chazak! And let us strengthen each other! He was also part of the faculty for the Introduction to Judaism classes, and assisted many people on their Jewish journeys.

Rabbi Hecht was a poet as well, and in his memory, I would like to share a selection from his compilation published in Prayers and Poems for the Sabbath and Festivals. When Benjamin went down to Egypt These were his sons: We always think of Benjamin As just a little boy, Jacob's baby. If today he had a birthday We would likely send a gift For a four-year-old. He grew, And we never knew. If we were Benjamin, We would surely resent it. But every day Mothers look at grown sons And see babies.

Every day men look at other men And see only doctors, lawyers, or butchers -- Not men. What is wrong with our sight? God, what is this blindness? Why can we not see others As they see themselves? All we seem to notice Is what we want to see, Not what we need to see. We are blind, God! What is the cure? We seek the cure for many illnesses. Give us the desire to find remedy also for this.

For this blindness brings death. Help us find life. Open our eyes to our fellow man. Rabbi Hecht was a scholar and a mentsch. He enjoyed the opera and classical music, literature and the arts. He had a loving wife and family and was a dear friend to many -- including our own Rabbi Emeritus Alan Lettofsky and Rabbi Daniel Litt, rabbi of our congregation in the days of forming the Soviet Jewry movement.

His eyes were indeed open to his family, his friends, and his communities. Zichrono liv'rachah -- may his memory be for a blessing. This week's Torah portion is Miketz -- Gen.