Kolel - Haftarot 5766

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5766 Haftarah Commentary

Breishit : What kind of relationship do we want to have with God in the coming year?

Noah : We don't have a choice of what we're dealt in life, we can only choose how to play it.

Lech Lecha : It is not so much that Jews are the Chosen People, but that we are the Choosing People.

VaYera : Every morning how grateful we should be to awaken a new day.

Chaye Sarah : What is important in life, what lessons have been learned, and what advice would we want to pass on to others.

Toldot : We should be careful that our actions 'say' what we mean.

VaYetze : Are we running towards something, or running away.

VaYishlach : What goes around, comes around- until we seek forgiveness.

VaYeshev: With great power, comes great responsibility.

Miketz: Do we 'wake up' from a dream or do we roll over and go back to sleep?

VaYigash: The dynamic tension of different cultures can be a source of great creativity, or painful polarization.

VaYechi: We cannot finish everything we hope to do in the world --- but others who come after us can complete our efforts.

Shemot: It is easy to come up with reasons so we need to distinguish between legitimate obstacles and lame

THE HAFTARAH Unlike the weekly Torah portion, the Haftarah is generally shorter (1-2 chapters long) taken from the Prophets, the second section of the Jewish Bible. This section (Nevi'im) includes both the historical books (sometimes referred to as the Early Prophets) Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings, as well as the more famous 'literary prophets' Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. There are also twelve 'minor' prophets (minor here does not refer to their importance, but rather the quantity of their preserved writings- usually only a few chapters. The minor prophets were all written on one scroll). It is not clear when the reading from the Prophets was instituted. Some suggest that it was introduced to challenge the Samaritans who claimed that only the Torah was divine, but not the other books. (Surprisingly, the oldest reference is not in Jewish sources, but in the book of Acts, when it is related that Paul spoke to the congregation "after the reading from the Torah and the Prophets").

excuses

VaEra: Only by remembering that we are just the servants in the palace, can we 'know' God. Bo: Only if we are prepared to filter the truths of the Bible through the lens of rational thought can we protect ourselves from the dangers of fundamentalism.

Beshalach: We should encourage young men and women to recognize women as role models for the Jewish community.

Yitro: Is God not speaking, or are we not listening? Mishpatim: Whether or not we are slaves is dependent on whether we believe God is One. Terumah: As long as we have Torah, we still have a way back to the Garden. Tetzaveh: Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift. That's why it's called the 'present.' Ki Tisa: Let us channel our inclination and/or 'talents' for misdeeds for a higher purpose. VaYakhel-Pikude: Is there a way in the diaspora to reconect to natural time and to the land of Israel?

26/02/2008 08:28 p.m.

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VaYikra: Can we infuse our worship today with the passion and drama of the sacrifices? Tzav: Passover orients us towards that great day of redemption for all the world. Hol HaMoed Pesach: Nothing is wasted in nature or in love. Shemini: Religion can only have worth when it values human life. Tazria- Metzora: Turning and thinking about others and speaking out, brings redemption. Aharei Mot-Kedoshim: Planting is connecting something at its root. Emor: Judaism is an evolving, historical conversation between humanity and the Divine. Behar-Behukotai: God is both Israel's hope and the source for Divine purification BaMidbar: Not only should we be faithful, but we should live in a relationship of partnership. Shavuot: Acts of lovingkindness bring Torah into the world. Naso: The person who chooses their own destiny has true strength. BeHalotecha: The menorah is a symbol of the Jewish people's faith that has endured. Shlach Lecha: The signs to enter God's Promised Land and see God's Presence may be found in surprising places!

Korach: Our answer to God's call should be: 'Speak, for Your servant is listening' Chukat-Balak: Humility before God must be the starting point. Pinchas: How is our rejection of God with the Golden Calf connected to the loss of the Temple? Matot /Masai: Our covenant with the Fountain of Living waters can be reestablished. Devarim: Worst of all are those who pretend to be righteous. Vaetchanan: On Tisha B'av we reflect on Israel's exile at the hands of the Romans and pray that we will have the strength to withstand this current attack.

Ekev: Even with suffering we can still choose to believe that our lives have meaning, and to believe in God.

Re'eh: Life requires a balance of physical sustenance, emotional nourishment and spiritual joy. Shoftim: Whether we live in Israel or not, we must consider our relationship to Zion in our lives as Jews. Ki Tetze: God feels close when we nurture our relationship through prayer and mitzvot. Ki Tavo: The people of Israel in partnership with the Divine source of Light, can usher in the light of redemption.

Nitzavim/VaYelech: As we enter this season of repentance, God will take one step towards us for every step we take to return.

Ha'azinu: I can think of no better way to start the process of Teshuvah, than by beginning to be grateful.

26/02/2008 08:28 p.m.

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This week's parasha is dedicated to the memory of Alicia Ross. May her family be comforted.

What kind of relationship do we want to have with God in the coming year? Study with Baruch Sienna

HAFTARAH TEXT Long enough have I held my peace; I have kept still and held myself back; now, I cry out like a woman in labour; I pant and I gasp. Isaiah 42:14

This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

Each week we will be looking at the Torah and Haftarah portions, and seeing what connections and insight we can find. Together with this new approach, we are introducing a new format as well. This new look will eventually be updated throughout the site. This week we begin the Torah cycle again starting with Gen. 1:1, and the Torah opens with the description of the creation of the cosmos and of humanity. The Haftarah taken from Isaiah, (42:5-43:11) begins: "Thus says the Eternal God, the One who created heavens and stretched them out, who made the earth and all that grows in it, who gives breath to its people and spiritual to all who walk on it." The connection is clear. In both passages, God is the Creator of heaven and earth. God is further described as the creator and maker of Israel (43:1). The Haftarah also uses images of light and darkness to describe liberation from exile. Our highlighted verse describes God as a woman in labour. K.I.Parr suggests that the prophet transforms the image of the exaggerated breaths of a birthing mother (think Lamaze) into the forceful breath of God that 'hovers over the water' and that is breathed into humans.

Scholars identify this 'deutero-Isaiah' (from chapters 40 on) as a different author from the Isaiah ben Amotz identified in Isaiah 1:1. The 'Second Isaiah' preached in Babylonia in the sixth century BCE and brought a message of consolation to Israelites who had been captured and exiled.

In the ancient world, since women gave birth, the female element was often associated with creation. (The waters of creation can be imagined as the world's amniotic fluid.) However, in our Parasha God is not described as a birthing mother. The Haftarah, describing God's special, covenantal relationship to Israel, pictures God as ready to battle Israel's enemies. But juxtaposed to verse 13, "The Eternal goes out like a warrior..." Isaiah uses a surprising image. God is described as a woman in labour! This use of female imagery is quite distinctive to Isaiah. Women were (and, in some settings, still) excluded from full participation in religious cultic life. Mayer Gruber suggests that this and the typically prophetic description of God as husband and Israel as wife may have contributed to women's feeling of marginalization and their attraction to cults where femaleness existed as a positive and Divine value. He writes, "Perhaps, as a result of this realization, our prophet deliberately made use of both masculine

12/02/2008 02:23 p.m.

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and feminine similes for God." With the tunes and liturgy of the High Holy Days still reverberating in my ears, God is pictured as father and king: Avinu, Malkeinu. Various attempts have been made to make this image less male, though I don't find Our Mother, Our Queen a particularly effective solution. Some mahzorim (prayerbooks) leave the Hebrew Avinu, Malkeinu untranslated and simply written in English letters. Others translate it as 'Our Source, Our God, or offer the poetic and feminine imagery of Shechinah, M'kor Hayeinu as an alternative, less gendered version. Perhaps Near One, Far One, or Imanent, Transcedent captures the metaphor's meaning. But the High Holy Day liturgy is full of metaphors besides father and king. One of my favourite passages that is sung quite joyously is: Ki Anu Amecha v'ata Malkeinu. For We are Your People and You are our God; We are Your children and You are our Parent. We are Your servants, and You are our Sovereign.

Even with gender neutral translation, the images remain all pretty hierarchical. The prayer continues with language that would have resonated for the ancient Israelite farmer: For we are your sheep and You are our Shepherd, we are Your vineyard and You are our keeper, we are Your treasure and You are our kin. These images of God as shepherd and vineyard keeper feel closer and warmer, even though we are still passive. But my favourite of all is: For we are Your beloved, and You are our Lover. This final egalitarian image reflects a mutual relationship of love and care. The Canadian poet Ruth Brin has written: When men were children, they thought of God as a father; When men were slaves, they thought of God as a master; When men were subjects, they thought of God as a king. But I am a woman, not a slave, not a subject, not a child who longs for God as father or mother. I might imagine God as teacher or friend, but those images, like king, master, father or mother, are too small for me now. God is the force of motion and light in the universe; God is the strength of life on our planet; God is the power moving us to do good: God is the source of love springing up in us. God is far beyond what we can comprehend.

Ruth Brin's poem suggests that our images of God may be more a reflection of our own self image than they are a description of God. Think of who you are. What kind of relationship do we want to have with God in the coming year? Shabbat Shalom.

12/02/2008 02:23 p.m.

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This week's parasha is in honour of Kolel's Rabbinic Director, Rabbi Elyse Goldstein, who is the 2005 recipient of the Covenant Award for Exceptional Jewish Educators.

Noah (Gen. 6:9-11:32) for Nov. 5, 2005

We don't have a choice of what we're dealt in life, we only can choose how to play with the hand we're given. Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

HAFTARAH TEXT Ho, all who are thirsty, Come for water, Even if you have no money; Come, buy food and eat: Buy food without money, Wine and milk without cost. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, Your earnings for what does not satisfy? Give heed to Me, And you shall eat choice food And enjoy the richest viands. Incline you ear and come to Me; Hearken, and you shall be revived. And I will make with you an everlasting covenant, The enduring loyalty promised to David. Isaiah 55:1-3

This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah. This week we read the familiar story of Noah and the flood. The Haftarah taken from Isaiah, (54:1-55:5) includes an explicit reference to Noah: "For this to me is like the days of Noah: As I swore that the waters of Noah nevermore would flood the earth, so I swear that I will not be angry with you or rebuke you." The story of Noah illustrates that God cannot stay angry forever. After the flood God promised (in fact, made a covenant) to never again flood the world (I guess recent tsunamis and hurricane disasters excepted). Just like God made a covenant with Noah and his descendants, God would restore Israel to Zion. The word 'brit' (covenant) and the expression 'lo... od' (not again) and the root 'tzedek' also appear in both the Torah and Haftarah. Sections from this week's haftarah portion are also read on Shabbat Re'eh and Shabbat Ki Tetze. Our highlighted verse taken from Ashkenazic reading (Sephardim conclude the haft arah at the end of chapter 54) somewhat ironically goes on to invite all who are thirsty to come for water.

Scholars identify this 'deutero-Isaiah' (from chapters 40 on) as a different author from the Isaiah ben Amotz identified in Isaiah 1:1. The 'Second Isaiah' preached in Babylonia in the sixth century BCE and brought a message of consolation to Israelites who had been captured and exiled.

12/02/2008 02:25 p.m.

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If the Torah were a movie, this week's parasha of Noah could well be titled: Breishit: The Sequel. Because in many ways, it is the story of Re-Creation. Last week the Torah opened with the world covered in water, and this week, water destroys the world and God starts over. After the flood, as the water recedes, the earth emerges from the water, with echoes of Creation as described in last week's parasha. Even Noah is like a second 'Adam' as all of humanity can be traced to Noah, and Noah is blessed (with a blessing that is usually more associated with Adam): 'to be fruitful and multiply' (Gen. 9:7). But Noah, while parallel to Adam, takes our relationship with God up one level. Noah is the first person that enters into a covenant with God. God sets the rainbow in the sky as a sign of this covenant (Gen. 9:12-13). (Upon seeing a rainbow, the traditional blessing is: "who remembers the covenant [with Noah] is faithful to it and keeps promises"). Noah is still passive; although he builds the ark, we never hear Noah speak. Further, no expectations nor demands a re put on Noah for his part of the covenant. Next week, Abraham, will continue this trend with a mutual (ie. two sided) covenant with God, reflecting an even stronger relationship with God. (This concept of covenant is stressed in the Haftarah and the relationship between God and Zio n is even described as a (healed) marriage, with the husband (God) Needless to say, the motif of water is pretty central to this week's portion. And the (Ashkenazic) Haftarah reading continues with the first five verses of chapter 55, where Isaiah compares water and food to God's spiritual teaching. The Talmud in fact uses this verse from Isaiah as the 'prooftext': Water means nothing but Torah, as it says: "Ho, everyone that thirsts, come for water (Isaiah 55:1)." Baba Kama 82a. Isaiah may have been familiar with the imagery, used by the earlier prophet Amos: A time is coming, declares Adonai my God, when I will send a famine upon the land; Not a hunger for bread or a thirst for water, but for hearing the words of Adonai. (8:11) Water is a common metaphor for Torah, and the midrash in Song of Songs has a long list of qualities of water that are analogous to Torah. (See What the Torah is like...). Still, I find it surprising that the Rabbis chose to include this image of Torah as water for the week we read of the flood! Most of the examples they give in Shir HaShirim Rabbah favourably compare the Torah to water. However, they allow that, "Just as someone who does not know how to swim is drowned in water, so is Torah - if one doesn't know how to 'swim' one can drown in it" (Shir HaShirim Rabbah I:19).

And I think there is a profound spiritual message in this. Water, of course, (like its opposite, fire) can be a source of life and blessing (just a few weeks ago I wrote about rain and dew), or a force of destruction and devastation. The point is that water, like the rest of nature, has no moral value and is neither 'good' nor 'bad.' By comparing Torah to water we are cautioned that while Torah can be a source of wisdom and great spirituality, even it can be [misused] to be harmful. The Rabbis even compare Torah to a 'drug' (making a pun on the Hebrew word sam: which spelled one way means 'placed' and spelled another means 'drugs.' Used improperl y, even the Torah can be poisonous (Taanit 7a). Everything in life has potential for good and for bad. Like water, events don't have intrinsic meaning; they have the meaning we assign them. This is true of personal tragedy, for example. We've all heard of a family or an individ ual who has suffered a terrible loss. Sometimes they are poisoned by it, and become depressed or bitter, while other times, the same tragedy has propelled them into becoming the greatest mitzvah and tzedakah doers. One of the greatest human abilities, is not to find meaning in random events, but to make meaning from them. In his one man show, 700 Sundays, Billy Crystal describes life

12/02/2008 02:25 p.m.

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as being dealt a hand of cards. Some people are dealt a royal flush, or a full house, or a simple pair of twos. We don't have a choice of what we're dealt in life, but we can choose how to play with the hand we're given. Shabbat Shalom.

12/02/2008 02:25 p.m.

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Parashat Lech Lecha (Gen. 12:1-17:27) for Nov. 12, 2005

It is not so much that Jews are the Chosen people, but that we are the Choosing people. Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

HAFTARAH TEXT But You, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, Seed of Abraham My friend You whom I drew from the ends of the earth And called from its far corners To whom I said: You are My servant I chose you, I have not rejected you-Fear not, for I am with you, Be not frightened, for I am your God; I strengthen you and I help you, I uphold you with My victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:8-10

Ten generations after Noah, Abram (his name is changed later in the Parasha to Abraham) hears a call from God: Lech Lecha - Go Forth. Abram together with his wife Sarai, are to leave their "home and native land" and go on a physical and spiritual journey. God makes a covenant with Abraham and blesses him. Abraham will become the father of a great nation (with descendants as numerous as the stars of the sky) and the land of Israel will be given to his offspring. In return, Abraham is to follow God's ways (the details are not specified). Our highlighted verse refers to Israel as 'seed of Abraham.' Like Abraham was brought from the 'ends of the earth,' Israel in exile should not fear but have trust that God, the Creator of heaven and earth, would redeem them. By reminding them of God's promise to Abraham, Isaiah is reassuring the Israelites that there is hope.

This is the third (and for a while at least, the last) Haftarah taken from the book of Isaiah. There are a total of 14 Haftarot (13 in the Sephardic rite) taken from Isaiah, more than any other book from the Prophets. Scholars identify this 'deutero-Isaiah' (from chapters 40 on) as a different author from th e Isaiah ben Amotz identified in Isaiah 1:1. The 'Second Isaiah' preached in Babylonia in the sixth century BC E and brought a message of consolation to Israelites who had been captured and exiled.

The verse in the Haftarah makes God's election of Israel explicit: "You are my servant, I chose you, I have not rejected you" (Isaiah 41:9b). The Jewish people, descendants of Abraham, are described as 'chosen,' just like Abraham is called by God. Why did God choose Abraham? A well known midrash comes to answer that question and describes the world's first 'iconoclast' (literally: a breaker or destoyer of images), smashing the idols in his father's idol shop. (Contrary to popular belief, this story is not in the Torah!) The verse before our highlighted text above, however, alludes to the makers of idols, who busy themselves with their crafts, oblivious to the fact that the whole earth trembles before God:"The woodworker encourages the smith; He who flattens with the

12/02/2008 02:26 p.m.

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hammer [encourages] him who pounds the anvil. He says of the riveting, 'It is good!' and he fixes it with nails that it may not topple" (Isa. 41:7). Perhaps this portion was chosen because of its allusion to idol makers. The rabbinic imagination (Genesis Rabbah 38:18) portrays Abraham as the world's first monotheist to discover God. Upon closer examination, this doesn't seem to be entirely true. After all, we see Adam talking to God, Cain and Abel making sacrifices to God, and after the birth of Adam's (lesser known) third son, Seth, the Torah tells us, "... It was then that people began to invoke Adonai by name" (Gen. 4:26). God chooses Noah, too, and even makes a covenant through him with all humanity. What made Abraham special? Did God choose him, or was it Abraham who (first) chose God? Did Abraham have some intrinsic spiritual quality? The biblical scholar Speiser has proposed that Abraham was a religious 'genius' just like the scientific genius of a Galileo, or a Newton or a literary genius like Shakespeare. Others suggest that true monotheism didn't emerge until Moses (or even the later prophets). But it was not only Abraham who was chosen. Biblical and rabbinic texts make it clear that the Jewish people were also chosen by God. The Torah describes the Jewish people's relationship with God: "Now, if you will obey Me faithfully and keep My covenant, then you shall be My treasured possession among all the peoples. Indeed, all the earth is Mine, but you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." (Ex. 19:5-6) Note that being God's treasured possession is conditional: "If we obey God... then we shall be God's treasured people." Why did God choose the Jews? God only knows. Some rabbinic texts suggest that the Israelites were not even that willing to be God's chosen people. The midrash (Mechilta Yitro 5)

describes God going to other nations with the Torah, and after being rejected, holding Mt. Sinai over the Israelites' heads, saying, "Will you accept My Torah? (If not, I drop the mountain.)" Only then, with the proverbial 'gun (well in this case- mountain) to their heads' did the Israelites all of a sudden think it was a good idea to accept the Torah saying 'Na'aseh v'nishma- we will do and we will understand.' This midrash makes it clear that was God doing the choosing. The Siddur, (Jewish prayerbook) includes several passages such as the traditional blessing before the Torah that still retains this language: asher bakhar banu, "who has chosen us from among all peoples." The Reconstructionist movement following Mordecai Kaplan, rejects this language, and substitutes: "who has brought us near to Your service." It is understandable that in today's egalitarian and democratic society, the concept of chosenness is problematic. The Italian humanist commentator Sforno seems to share our modern discomfort, commenting on the Exodus verse above: Although the entire human race is more precious to Me than all other existing creatures, for humanity alone among them represents My intention, as our Sages say, "Precious is humanity who was created in the [divine] image (Pirkei Avot 3:14), still you shall be to Me a treasure beyond all of them. The Bible certainly supports Sforno's thesis that God cares about all humanity. (God even calls Egypt "My people," and Assyria "My inheritance" Isa. 19:25-26). Some Jews are embarrassed with this delineation of 'us' and 'them,' of Jew and gentile. It is hard to speak of 'chosenness' and avoid chauvinism or feelings of superiority. (I recoil from the view held by a small minority of Jewish thinkers that Jews are somehow spiritually, genetically or culturally superior.) Historically, in times of persecution, it is understandable that these verses may have been a source of hope and reassurance. However, they may have also been the foundation for religious conceit and false superiority (and subsequent hatred and persecution of Jews- creating a vicious circle). No wonder they are today viewed with suspicion. In an age of tolerance and equality there seems little room for this doctrine.

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Chosen doesn't mean 'superior' and Jews are not like the 'teacher's pet' who get preferential treatment-- quite the contrary. Because God is just, the prophet Amos warns, "Only You have I known of all the families of the earth. Therefore I will punish you for your sins" (3:2). Jews are obligated to a life of unique responsibility to God. We are to be a 'light to the nations.' The Jewish people are called a Kingdom of Priests because they introduced the world to our concept of God. As Israel Zangwill was the first to phrase it, maybe it is not so much that Jews are the Chosen people, but that we are the Choosing people. Rabbi Meir Simcha Kagan of Dvinsk teaches that Israel is called God's first born. Every child is treasured by a parent, just as every child is unique. However, it is only the first born who defines the adults as parents for the first time. God loves the Jews and all humanity, just as a parent loves [all] their children. Further, today we recognize that underneath the different customs and languages and religions, most people generally want the same things. On one level, all humanity is one, yet we also recognize the uniqueness of every individual and the distinctiveness of every group. It is like comparing animals. Some can swim, some can fly, some even have sonar. Is it chauvinistic to say that bats and dolphins are unique to use echolocation? No animal is 'better' than another. Similarly, every people has made a unique contribution to society, and the Jews no less so. Each group has their own culture and should rejoice in their people's accomplishment. Jews should therefore be proud of the Jewish people's contribution: to remind the world that there is one God, and that we should do good. Shabbat Shalom,

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This week's parasha is sponsored by Sam and Jack Markle in memory of Sam Slywowicz

Parashat VaYera (Gen. 18:1-22:24) for Nov. 19, 2005

Every morning how grateful we should be to awaken to a new day. Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

HAFTARAH TEXT Elisah went into the house, and there was the dead boy lying on his bed. He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to Adonai. Then he stretched himslef over the boy, placing his mouth eyes and hands on the boy's mouth, hands and eyes. He crouched over him and the boy's body grew warm. Elisha got up, walked to and fro about the house and again crouched over the boy. The boy then sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. II Kings 4: 32-35

This week's Haftarah features the prophet Elisha, a disciple of the better-known prophet Elijah. Elisha, too, was famous for performing miracles, and the Haftarah tells of two such miracles. In the first, a jar of oil miraculously fills all the jars of the house- (a tale that might be more appropriate for Chanukah!) The second narrative of a Shunamite woman, however, connects the Haftarah to our Torah portion. This Shunamite acts like Abraham in graciously providing hospitality to her guest. Like Sarah, she has no son, and expresses disbelief when she is told the news. The phrase 'k'et hayah' (II Kings 4:16) echoes the language in Genesis (18:14). Her young boy collapses -- the biblical text indicates that he has died- and is miraculously revived. (Scholars suggest it was possibly a sunstroke.) The account parallels the near death experience of Isaac, who (according to some Midrashim- see below) actually died, and was resurrected.

This week's Haftarah is taken from the book of II Kings (from the section called the 'Early Prophets' or Historical prophets as opposed to the later 'literary' prophets like Isaiah and Amos). The book of Kings was divided in two by the early Greek translation (the Septuagint). The book of I Kings deals with the monarchy of David and his son Solomon, and II Kings continues with the history of Israel after the kingdom was split into two. Elishah prophecied in the Northern Kingdom around 850-800 BCE, during the reign of Jehoram, son of Ahab.

This week's Torah portion concludes with the climactic 'Akedat Yitzhak - the Binding of Isaac' (also read on Rosh Hashanah). Immediately after, Isaac disappears from the narrative. While Abraham and Isaac went up the mountain, the text reads: "And Abraham returned (in the singular) to the men..." (Gen. 22:19). Where was Isaac? Various midrashim suggest different

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solutions: he was sent home early (at night) to avoid the evil eye. Rashi quotes the midrash that he went to study at the academy of Shem and Ever. Even more fanciful is the suggestion (in Midrash Hagadol) that "The Holy Blessed One brought Isaac to the Garden of Eden for three years" (one wonders, perhaps to recuperate from the psychological trauma). According to several midrashim, Isaac sustained at least an incision that had to be healed. There is no limit to the creative midrashic mind, and there exists a surprising tradition that when Abraham's knife touched Isaac's neck, Isaac's soul left him. Now the moment the knife touched Isaac's throat his soul took flight... Forthwith the Holy One said to [the angel] Michael: 'Do not let the father slaughter him!' And the angel said to Abraham: 'Lay not your hand upon the lad.' Whereupon Abraham unbound the lad and his soul returned to him.. [Quoted from The Last Trial, by Shalom Spiegel, pg. 30].

The Rabbis match each of the first three paragraphs of the Amidah, the central standing prayer, to the three patriarchs. The first paragraph Avot is associated with the first of our ancestors, Abraham, and concludes with 'Shield of Abraham.' The third, the Kedushah, concludes with 'the Holy God' and is connected to Jacob who came upon the 'gateway to heaven' when he lay down and dreamt of the staircase with angels ascending and descending. The second paragraph, Gevurot, which concludes with 'who revives the dead' would then match the remaining, second patriarch, and the Rabbis suggest that Isaac recited this benediction when he was revived. Although the 'pshat' or plain meaning of the biblical text is emphatically clear that Abraham did not go through with this near sacrifice (after all, the whole point of the story), one midrash pushes the limits of rabbinic imagination and turns the story on its head: When Father Isaac was bound on the altar and reduced to ashes (!) and his sacrificial dust was cast on to Mount Moriah, the Holy Blessed One immediately brought upon him dew and revived him...Forthwith the ministering angels began to recite: 'Blessed are You Adonai, who revives the dead.' [Shibbole Haleket quoted in The Last Trial, by Shalom Spiegel, pg. 33].

The idea that Isaac was actually sacrificed is shocking, and the exegete Ibn Ezra, obviously familiar with this tradition, forcefully disagrees and comments, "But he who asserts that Abraham slew Isaac and abandoned him and that afterwards Isaac came to life again is speaking contrary to Writ." But during the Crusades, where entire Jewish communities were slaughtered, they saw themselves martyred as Isaac [almost] was in the Akedah, except this time, without the miracle of being delivered at the last second. Medieval poems that memorialized these tragedies often compared the victims to Isaac on the altar. When Christianity emerged with its central doctrine around crucifixion, resurrection, and the atoning power of Jesus' blood however, the Jewish parallel that Isaac too was actually slaughtered, atoned for our sins and was resurrected was almost purged from Jewish sources. While the concept of bodily resurrection was debated by the Sadducees and Pharisees, it was accepted as a tenet in Judaism, and is included in Maimonides' thirteen principles. It can be found in the concluding hymn of 'Yigdal.' Today Orthodox Jews still believe in bodily resurrection of the dead, while most liberal Jews believe that at death, the soul, the eternal part of us, returns to God and our bodies return to the earth. Because of its Christian associations, and the difficulty of the belief in literal resurrection for most modern Jews, most liberal congregations have changed the wording of the second paragraph's blessing from 'who revives the dead' to 'mekhayeh hakol - who gives life to all.' But perhaps we should not distance ourselves from this idea of resurrection so quickly.

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Modeh Ani, the first prayer recited in the morning upon awakening (and therefore usually not included in synagogue liturgy) describes God as returning our souls- as if we were dead and have been revived. Each morning we are "born again." (We typically associate the language of 'born-again' with Christianity; Jews, who similarly become devout and newly observant are instead called 'baal teshuvah.') But when we recite the Modeh Ani prayer, or the second paragraph of the Amidah, we should remember how grateful we should be to awaken to a new day. Shabbat Shalom,

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Parashat Chayei Sarah (Gen. 23:1-25:18) for Nov. 26, 2005 This week's parasha is sponsored by Janet Shumak in appreciation of Rabbi Elyse Goldstein and Baruch Sienna

What is important in life, what lessons have been learned, and what advice would we want to pass on to others.

HAFTARAH TEXT And the King took an oath, saying: "As Adonai lives, who has rescued me from every trouble: The oath I swore to you by Adonai the God of Israel, that your son Solomon should succeed me as king and that he should sit upon my throne in my stead, I wil fulfill this very day!" I Kings 1:29-30

Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

This week the Haftarah is taken from the book of I Kings. King David is old and will soon die. The charismatic Adonijah, the heir apparent, declares himself king, but Nathan the prophet and Bat-Sheva, David's favourite wife, persuade the ailing king to name the younger son, Solomon as king. The phrase, zaken, ba bayamim echoes the description of Abraham (Gen. 24:1). The Torah portion similarly includes the announcement of the death of Sarah (which provides the name for the Parasha- literally the 'Life of Sarah'), and the death of Abraham. The swearing of David (I Kings 1:29) also parallels the swearing of Abraham's servant (Gen. 24:2).

This week's Haftarah is taken from the book of I Kings (from the section called the 'Early Prophets' or Historical prophets as opposed to the later 'literary' prophets like Isaiah and Amos). The book of Kings was divided in two by the early Greek translation (the Septuagint). The book of I Kings deals with the monarchy of David and his son Solomon.

Abraham and David are pivotal characters in the Bible: Abraham is the model (and first) Jew, David is considered the greatest king of Israel and is the archetype for the Messiah. In this parasha, both are old and prepare for death. Abraham performs the final act of pure hesed, securing a burial plot for his wife Sarah, and arranges for an appropriate wife for his son Isaac. In contrast, we see a feeble monarch, easily manipulated and unable to manage his affairs. Although Nathan instructs Bat Sheva to 'remind' the king of his oath to choose Solomon, there is in fact no record in the text of such a promise. The reader cannot know if this was a ruse, or in fact a crucial promise that was made privately? Their choice of Solomon seems reminiscent of Rebeccah's manipulation of Isaac to bless Jacob instead of Esau. One can well sympathize with Adonijah and his supporters, since the Torah explicitly states that the eldest son cannot be deprived of his inheritance, and passed over for a younger son of a preferred wife (Deut.

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21:16)

although we see this rule violated in almost every family story with a loved wife and an unloved wife. King David's reign is held up as the model for the future, and traditional prayers include the restoration of Malchut Beit David, the reign of the House of David. Although David was a great leader and reigned for a golden period in Israel's history, in his old age, he is incapacitated. Even a beautiful young woman who lies in bed with him is unable to "warm him up" (meant either literally- in terms of body heat, as earlier he was covered in bed clothes and was unable to keep warm, or meant sexually). After he is convinced that Solomon should succeed him and be king (which ensures the safety of his beloved Bat Sheva who surely would have been killed together with Nathan and Solomon had Adonijah ascended to the throne), in the chapter after our Haftarah reading, King David gives Solomon his advice for survival. Along with the spiritual message to observe the Torah (so God will keep God's promise), he is advised to kill off or neturalize his political opponents. Solomon has Joab, the soldier who supported his brother killed, and dismisses High Priest Aviatar and banishes him. Adonijah promises to be loyal to Solomon, and initially Solomon relents but later reconsiders and has him executed. In contrast, when Abraham passes on his legacy to Isaac, we do not hear any speeches. The parasha begins with the lengthy negotiations with Ephron over the burial plot. Then the Torah records in great detail (67 verses in chapter 24) how Isaac's wife Rebeccah was chosen by Abraham's servant. And in the final chapter, Abraham is careful to arrange his affairs. Abraham remarries (the little known Keturah) and has six more sons. Although everything that is owned by Abraham is willed to Isaac, and Isaac clearly inherits the mantle of his father, there is little rancor. Abraham diplomatically sends away the sons of his concubines to the land of the east with gifts. In other words, he does what he can to ensure Isaac will live in peace and harmony. When he dies "at a ripe old age, old and contented" even Ishmael and Isaac come together to bury him at the cave of Machpelah. What can we learn from Abraham's actions? He does what he can to defuse conflict among his children. He takes care of the dead, and arranges for the future. The contrast of Abraham and David's legacy in the two stories of the Torah and Haftarah is striking. How different were their deaths. While David dies with unfinished business, one gets a sense that Abraham has done everything he had to do, and planned for the future. What advice would they give us? There is a beautiful tradition to write an 'ethical will.' This usually takes the form of a letter addressed to one's family and friends, that includes one's important personal beliefs and values, and contains blessings for the future. Ethical wills that have been preserved are wonderful snapshots of lives from long ago. A famous example of such an ethical will was written by Judah ibn Tibbon in the twelfth century. Nathaniel Stampfer and Jack Riemer have written a book: So That Your Values Live On: Ethical Wills and How to Prepare Them. One doesn't have to be dying to write such a document. It is a clarifying exercise to articulate what is important in life, what lessons have been learned (thus far) and what advice we would want to pass on to others, instead of worrying about who gets the china or the jewellry. Abraham and David left legacies. What will be our legacy for the future? Shabbat Shalom,

12/02/2008 02:30 p.m.

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Parashat Toldot (Gen. 25:19-28:9), for Dec. 3, 2005

We should be careful that our actions 'say' what we mean. Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

HAFTARAH TEXT Give honour to My name. If you do not listen, if you do not take it to heart, says the God of heaven's hosts, I will send a curse upon you, and turn your blessings to curses. In fact, I have [already] turned them into curses, because you do not take it to heart. Malachi 2:2

In this week's Haftarah, God reminds the Israelites that though Jacob and Esau are brothers, God only loves Jacob (and shows favour to the Jewish people). The prophet therefore criticizes the Israelites for their lackluster performance of the Temple sacrificial service. In the Torah portion, the relationship of children to their father is emphasized. The Haftarah asks, why do the Israelites not honour God like a parent? In Genesis, hands (disguised by animal skins) offer the father a prepared meal; the prophet says that God will not accept an offering "from your hands." The Hebrew words for spurn (bozei, vayivzeh both from the Hebrew root: b.z.h.) are used to describe how the Israelites spurn God through improper sacrifices (Malachi 1:6,7) just like Esau spurned his birthright (Gen. 25:34). God wants the service of the heart.

Malachi, which simply means 'My messenger,' is more of a title, than an actual personal name. The anonymous individual we call Malachi was the last of the prophets, and lived in the middle of the 5th century B.C.E. before the reforms of Ezra and Nehemia. (Some sources in fact identify him as Ezra.) At that time, Judea was still a province of Persia. While it seems that he lived at a time when the Temple had been rebuilt (515 B.C.E.) religious performance was perfunctory. Malachi calls for a religious revival.

Isaac and Rebecca have twins: Jacob and Esau. Esau and Jacob are the opposite of identical twins. In the ancient world, twins were often depicted as the two complementary halves of a complete personality. This is what we find here: Esau is the active, physical individual, a hunter who loves the outdoors. Jacob, on the other hand is portrayed as a gentle, cerebral soul who stays inside. Both however, are to become the father of a people. Esau was born covered with red hair, (adom in Hebrew means red; hair is se'ir). Esau is therefore linked through this wordplay to the two names of the land of Edom, or Seir and is considered to be the father of the Edomites (Gen. 36:1). Like the name Israel, Edom can refer to the individual (Esau) or the people (the Edomites) or the land. The land of Edom, in what is now present day Jordan, often appears red (think of the red rock of Petra). The sibling rivalry in the Genesis narrative foreshadows the enmity between the Edomites and the Israelites. The Edomites

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were displaced by the Nabateans, and in rabbinic times, the term 'Edom' came to represent Rome, and then later Christianity. Jacob and Esau become therefore, the archetypes for the Jew and non-Jew respectively. The prophet begins his address by reminding Israel of God's preferred relationship to Jacob over Esau, but then berates the Israelites for their cavalier attitude to God's service. He warns them that the blessings God has promised could in fact become curses. Blessings and curses are a theme which appear in the Torah portion since Jacob initially fears that in trying to steal his brother's blessing, he will be cursed instead. And Isaac's blessing to Jacob echoes the blessing that God previously gave to Abraham, that "Cursed by they who curse you, Blessed they who bless you" (Gen. 27:29). God's very blessings, and the special relationship with God enjoyed by the Israelites, are at risk. The prophets often admonish the Israelites for offering sacrifices while engaging in corrupt behaviour. In future columns we will see that God instead delights in kindness, justice and righteousness; God does not even want sacrifices (Jeremiah 7:22-3). But here, we have a slightly different message. In our passage the prophet is not complaining of social injustice or the Israelites' moral failings. He is not even making the [legitimate] point that ritual observance also requires kavannah, proper intent. All that is for another time. Instead, the point being stressed here is that ritual acts, if they are to be done, need to be performed properly. The Israelites 'lame' offerings God will not accept, but surprisingly, incense and pure sacrifices offered to God's name "from the setting of the sun to its setting among the nations" are acceptable. Abravanel comments: You should have learnt from the ways of the nations. Though they have not been vouchsafed the light of the Torah... they magnify and exalt God and perform the most pure sacrifice that they themselves are capable of doing according to their lights. This message is all the more exceptional because the Haftarah begins by proclaiming that God hates Esau. Yet, sincere religious devotion, (even pagan, it seems) is more acceptable to God than improperly performing the rituals. When it comes to God's blessings, we want the genuine article, not a cheap substitute, yet the Israelites are satisfied with offering blemished and unfit animals. The prophet's complaint is that the Israelites are taking God's beneficence and special relationship for granted. This is one of the challenges of Judaism. Judaism is a skill-based religion, and ritual observance often requires a minimum of technical expertise. We all know of individuals (and even Jewish institutions that should know better) performing Jewish ritual in a sloppy manner: putting up a mezzuzah incorrectly, (or even without the parchment!). They may have sincere intent. But just like the Israelites sent a clear message that they didn't really take their relationship with God seriously in the way they performed the Temple rituals, we communicate how we feel about our Judaism by the effort and care we put into our actions. When Jacob resorts to the subterfuge of disguising himself with animal skins, Isaac says: "The voice is the voice of Jacob, yet the hands are the hands of Esau" (Gen. 27:22). One interpretation of this verse is that it refers to hypocrites who say one thing with their mouths but do something else with their hands. Judaism has always stressed action over belief: deed, not creed. We have to 'walk our talk.' Since actions speak louder than words, we should be careful that our actions 'say' what we mean. Shabbat Shalom,

12/02/2008 02:31 p.m.

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Parashat VaYetze (Gen. 28:10-32:3), for Dec. 10, 2005

Are we running towards something or running away? Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what

HAFTARAH TEXT Jacob fled to the land of Aram, Israel served for a wife; and for a wife he kept watch [over sheep] Hosea 12:13

connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

This week's Torah portion begins "And Jacob left Be'er Sheva and journeyed towards Haran" (Gen 28:10).

The Ashkenazic haftarah portion begins with an almost exact parallel to our Torah portion: "Then Jacob had to flee to the land of Aram..." (Hosea 12:13). While the Ashkenazim begin the story at verse 13 and continue to chapter 14 verse 10, the Sephardic rite is to read the earlier verses found in Hosea chapter 11:7-12:12. In these prior verses, highlights from Jacob's life are retold recounting Jacob's struggle in the womb, and the later episode of his night-struggle with an 'angel.' There is one additional connection between Hosea's prophecy and this week's parasha pointed out by Ibn Ezra. Hosea prophesied in Beth El, the shrine established by Jeroboam. Beth El is where Jacob stopped for the night and had his dream of a staircase (not ladder) going to heaven. "Shaken, he said, 'How awesome is this place, this is none other than the abode of God and that is the gateway to heaven.' ... And he named that site Beth El" (Gen. 28:17, 19)

Hosea is the first prophet included in the second section of the Jewish Bible (Tanakh), after the historical books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings. He lived around 700 BCE and was a contemporary of Amos. After the death of Solomon, the united kingdom had split into two. The northern tribes were called Israel (or Ephraim after the tribe of their first king Jeroboam) and the southern kingdom was called Judah. Although this was a time of material prosperity, it was also a time of moral laxity and growing paganism.

It is often overlooked that before the curtain rises on our Parasha, the Torah has already told us that Jacob (Yaacov) left for Haran: Then Isaac sent Jacob off, and he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban... (Gen. 28:5). The Torah then briefly digresses with a notice of Esau's genealogy and the story's flow is interrupted with the details of Esau's family tree. According to Rashi, our parasha repeats Jacob's departure in order to resume our story with Jacob, like TV shows that remind the viewers where we left off from last week. But why does Jacob leave Be'er Sheva? According to both the Torah (chap. 28) and our Haftarah verse, Jacob is going to Haran to find a wife, similar to the servant's mission to find a wife for Isaac that we read two weeks ago (Hayyei Sarah). However, there seems to be another reason. If we look back at the conclusion of the previous chapter, we see that the blessing-stealing episode ended badly: "Esau said to himself, 'Let but the mourning period of my father come, and I will kill my

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brother Jacob.' When the words of her older son Esau were reported to Rebecca, she sent for her younger son Jacob and said to him, 'Your brother Esau is consoling himself by planning to kill you. Now my son, listen to me. Flee at once to Haran, to my brother Laban. Stay with him a while until your brother's fury subsides'..." (Gen. 27: 41b-44)

Here we have a totally different motivation. Here, Jacob is not leaving to find a wife, but to escape his brother's wrath. Possibly, the Torah repeats Jacob's departure because there were two reasons. Furthermore, many commentators consider the first phrase "And Jacob left Be'er Sheva" extraneous; after all, the important thing is that Jacob went to Haran. We can figure out for ourselves that he obviously also left where he was. Some commentators see Jacob as fulfilling the commandment of "Honour your father and mother"; according to Isaac, Jacob was going to find a wife; according to his mother Rebecca, he was running away from Esau. The Haftarah captures both the fleeing from something and going towards something by choosing the verb 'flee' instead of the Torah's more neutral 'left' (vayetze). This is true in our lives as well. When considering a new job or a new school (or even a new partner) are we making a positive choice, or simply running away from something negative? It is not enough to reject our childish notions of God and Judaism, we have to also be pursuing a mature understanding of Torah. When Jacob left Be'er Sheva, on some level, he left his past behind him. It is fine to leave our past behind us if we are sure that we are moving forward and going somewhere! Shabbat Shalom,

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Parashat VaYishlach (Gen. 32:4-36:43), for Dec. 17, 2005

What goes around comes around- until we seek forgiveness. Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

HAFTARAH TEXT On the day when you stood apart, on the day when barbarians carried off their wealth, and strangers entered their gates to cast lots for Jerusalem. You should not have gloated over your kin on the day of their calamity! You should not have rejoiced over the people of Judah on the day of their ruin! And you should not have opened your big mouth on the day of their distress! You should not have entered my people's gate on the day of their disaster You should not have been among those who gloated over their misery on the day of their calamity! And you should not have stood at the crossroads to cut off their fugitives! And you should not have betrayed their survivors on the day of their distress! For the day of the Eternal draws near for all the nations: As you have done, so shall it be done to you; Your deeds shall come back to haunt you. Obadiah 1:15

Again this week, Ashkenazim and Sephardim read different Haftarot. It's confusing; this week, some Ashkenazim read what the Sephardim read last week (Hosea 11:7-12:12), and Sephardim (as well as some other communities) read the book of Obadiah. (Yes, the whole book- actually only one chapter of 21 verses!). Since this is the only time Obadiah is read, I have chosen to examine it. Like the Hosea passage, Obadiah's prophecy concerns Edom, the nation of Esau. The emnity between the brothers is the source of the eternal conflict that will only be resolved at the end of time.

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The name 'Obadiah' means the 'servant of God' and may be a personal name, or like Malachi simply a title describing an unnamed prophet. The book of Obadiah is the shortest book of the Bible, and is possibly a fragment of a larger collection of prophecies that has been lost. No biographical information is included in the 21 verses, so not much is known about Obadiah. Obadiah probably lived after the destruction of the first Temple, and prophecied against Edom. The Talmud (incorrectly) identifies him with an 'Obadiah' mentioned in the book of Kings who lived at the time of Elijah and King Ahab.

Our parasha ends with a lengthy genealogy of Esau. "This is the line of Esau- that is, Edom" (Gen. 36:1). The Edomites were later destroyed, but later rabbinic interpretation assigned the name 'Edom' to the hated Roman Empire, and then to Christianity. The Torah's account of the twin brothers Jacob and Esau's confrontation and reconciliation contrasts with Obadiah's message of Edom's destruction. In the Torah, Jacob and Esau settle old scores, and while they go their separate ways, a tentative detente is declared. According to Obadiah, however, the national conflict between their descendants will continue. Obadiah accuses Edom (the older brother) as the deceiver, and predicts Edom's downfall. The prophet's message is that Israel will triumph and consume the destroyed Edom. The Torah rarely passes judgment on a person's behaviour'; it doesn't moralize. The Torah lets 'actions speak louder than words' and by describing actions (and their consequences) the astute reader gets the point. Although the term comes from eastern religions, we could even say the Torah believes in Karma: 'what goes around, comes around.' The rabbis call it 'middah k'neged middah' (literally, measure for measure). A classic example is the drowning of the Egyptians at the Sea of Reeds which mirrors the Israelite children who perished when they were thrown into the Nile. And there is probably no better example than the story of Jacob. He survives by his wits, masquerading as his older brother to steal his birthright. After he runs to Haran, he has met his match in Laban, his father in law, and the tables are turned. Laban plays the old 'switcheroo' on Jacob, and marries off his eldest daughter who like his earlier deception pretends to be her sibling. Oh, the delicious irony of it. I can imagine the Torah saying: "See what a taste of your own medicine is like, Jacob!" but of course, it doesn't. And this 'tit for tat' that happens on a personal level will happen to nations too. Obadiah therefore warns Edom: "As you have done, so shall it be done to you; Your deeds shall come back to haunt you." Some have observed that how Jews are treated by a country is often an accurate predictor of that country's prestige and success. Obadiah ends his message on a triumphant note: the surviving remnant will ascend Mount Zion and wreak judgment on Mount Esau, "and dominion shall be the Eternal's." Obadiah's message of Israel's ascendancy may be comforting, but I find the Torah's message of Jacob and Esau's reconciliation more satisfying and more promising. Indeed, Jacob's encounter with his brother includes his giving Esau gifts -- instead of the regular word (minchah), Jacob chooses the Hebrew word , birkhati (literally, my blessing), the identical word used to describe the blessing that he stole from Esau. We may await the day when God will rule over all the earth, good will overcome evil, and God's mountain will be established. Until then, we should remember that Jacob and Esau greeted each other with a contrite and generous spirit. What goes around comes around- until we seek forgiveness. Shabbat Shalom,

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Parashat VaYeishev (Gen. 37:1-40:23), for Dec. 23, 2005

With great power comes great responsibility. Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

HAFTARAH TEXT People of Israel, hear this word the Eternal has spoken about you, about the whole crowd that I brought up out of the land of Egypt: You alone have I known of all the families of the earth-therefore I will punish you for all you iniquities. For the day of the Eternal draws near for all the nations: As you have done, so shall it be done to you; Your deeds shall come back to haunt you. Amos 3:1,2

The book of Genesis now begins its final episode: the extended novella of the Joseph narrative. The haftarah from the prophet Amos begins with a list of the sins of Israel. The first example, selling the righteous (tzaddik) for silver, echoes the brothers who sell Joseph (called Yosef Hatzaddik in rabbinic literature) for silver. His second example of a man and son who go t o the same woman recalls the story of Judah who sleeps with his son's wife, Tamar.

Amos is the first of the 'literary' prophets. He lived and prophesied around 784-748 B.C.E. during the reign of King Jeroboam. Like Moses, Amos was a 'reluctant' prophet. That is, he described himself as a sheep breeder and tended sycomore figs and was called by God to proclaim a message warning of Israel's destruction. He prophesied in the Northern Kingdom of Israel against the immoral practices that he saw. His message was the classic prophetic message: that rituals and religious piety do not have God's approval when there is inequity between people and social injustice.

Judaism has never valued asceticism, and if one can afford good things, there is no sin in enjoying life. We don't have to suffer. At the same time, we must be careful that our enjoyment does not become the be-all and end-all. Those of us who are blessed with a high standard of living know that we should do more for those in the world without clean water, enough food or decent housing even though we don't always put that knowledge into practice. Amos, a peasant coming from Judah, is similarly disturbed by the ill treatment of the poor. He is shocked by the lifestyle of the rich and famous in Israel's north country. His listeners were probably annoyed by his message, thinking, 'Hey, we're comfortable. Don't bother us.' But he wouldn't relent, and in passionate language, he castigates those hypocrites who exploit the

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poor. We think our situation is different; we don't enjoy our privileged life on the backs of the poor and the disadvantaged. Unless you've read 'No logo' by Naomi Klein and real ize that the clothes we wear and the sneakers we buy are being produced by workers (often children) in Bangladesh under inhumane conditions and with no rights. I remember creative You th group services with the climactic verse from Amos (regrettably not included in our Haftarah), "Let justice well up like water, righteousness like a raging stream" ( Amos 6:24). The job of Rabbis today, they say, is to 'comfort the afflicted' and 'afflict the comfortable.' And as we are in full swing of the season of consumer shopping, it is hard, but maybe more necessary than ever, to hear the message that the goal in life is not more 'stuff.' It is a challenge to teach children to understand the difference between: I need, and I want. (The sentence from your teenager: "I really need the new iPod nano" should be corrected: "I really want the new iPod.") A few weeks ago (Parashat Lech Lecha) we talked about the possible meanings of 'being chosen.' The prophet Amos says something else: Being chosen means being accounta ble to a higher standard. As Peter Parker's Uncle Ben teaches him, "With great power, comes great responsibility." Amos might say, "With great affluence, comes great social responsibility." It's a message suitable for all of us, not just those with Spiderman's super powers. I always feel like Scrooge at this time of year. Not that I mind the religious Christian celebration of Christmas; I realize that I live in a multicultural society. Rather it is the incessant marketing of mostly unnecessary products that irritates me. While we're celebrating the light of Chanukah and our freedom, one of our Chanukah gifts one night should be a donation to any number of charitable causes (Veahavta, Mazon) that increase social justice in the world. (Remember that donations made before Dec. 31 apply to this year's income tax deductions) . See Rabbi Jeremy Schwart'z suggestions on our Chanukah pages for ways of making each night special without presents every night. Especially looking back at the untold suffering caused this past year by the natural disasters that affected so many, helping to heal the world would make the candles glow just a bit brighter. Shabbat Shalom and Chanukah Same'ach,

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Parashat Miketz (Gen. 41:1-44:17) for Dec. 31, 2005

Do we 'wake up' from a dream or do we roll over and go back to sleep?

HAFTARAH TEXT Then Solomon woke; it was a dream! I Kings 3:15

Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

In our parasha, Joseph is recognized for his divine wisdom and appointed royal vizier to Pharaoh. Similarly, King Solomon is known for his wisdom demonstrated by his solving the case of the true mother with his test of threatening to cut the live baby in two. Both the parasha and the haftarah begin with the king (or Pharaoh) awakening (vayikatz) from a dream.

King Solomon, the son of King David reigned from 970 BCE to 928 BCE. Through marriage alliances and international treaties, Israel had extensive and close relations with neighbouring countries that brought gold, spices and exotic animals. During his reign, Israel was a dominant political and economic force, with a flourishing agriculture (every person living safely and peaceably 'under their vine and fig tree'), spice trade and mining industry for valuable metals (silver and brass). The prosperity of Solomon's reign, however, was short-lived, and after his death the Northern Kingdom of the Ten Tribes seceded. The books of Song of Songs, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are traditionally ascribed to King Solomon. Although he was considered the 'wisest of men' and many midrashim talk of the wonders of his powers and his monarchy, he was also an absolute monarch who dealt harshly with his subjects.

Dreams figure prominently in the Joseph narratives. Joseph is known as a dreamer, and last week, he had the dreams of being bowed down to by his brothers (which will come true this week) and interpreted the dreams of his fellow prisoners, the baker and the wine steward. This week, it is Pharaoh himself who has a (two-part) dream of 7 cows and 7 stalks of wheat (emmer- not corn, notwithstanding most children's books and the King James translation). Joseph had the uncanny ability to see the true messages within others' dreams. In the haftarah, King Solomon, awoke from his dream where he had asked God for wisdom instead of riches. What exactly are dreams? Science hasn't yet adequately explained the phenomenon of dreaming, and dreams still fascinate us. Are they messages of the future, or simply the brain doing its housekeeping at night? The advice to 'sleep on it' refers to going to bed in the hope that overnight, we might find a solution to a problem or gain some insight that we eludes us during the day and when we're awake. The scientist Kekulé is said to have discovered the arrangement of the benzene molecule, when he saw a chain of carbon atoms rotating in a circle, like a snake chasing its own tail in a dream. Other discoveries (like the sewing

12/02/2008 02:39 p.m.

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machine's needle) have been attributed to dreams, too. In the ancient world, dreams were thought to be divine communication and were considered to be omens. However, dreams (both then and now) are largely symbolic and therefore require interpretation, called oneiromancy. The dream, like even the Torah, has little meaning without proper interpretation. (Today, dream interpretation 'dictionaries' are available online, but even in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, there existed 'dreambooks', that deciphered the images). But these have little value because the true meaning of the symbols in the dream relate to the individual's unique associations. Jung writes in Civilization in Transition, "The art of interpreting dreams cannot be learnt from books" (pg. 327). It may be, that in our 'collective consciousness' as a species, certain archetypes have specific meaning in our dreams, but more likely, it is our own private, personal associations that have significance. In a midrash from Bereishit Rabbah, a man came to R. Jose ben Halafta, saying: "I was told in a dream to go to Kappadokia, where I should find the money of my deceased father." When the rabbi learned that the man (or anyone in his family) had never been to Kappadokia, he explained the dream as follows: "Count twenty beams in your house, and in the twentieth you will find the treasure, for 'Kappadokia' means [kappa=] "twenty" and [dokia=] "beams". It is not the literal message of the dream (ie. going to Kappadokia) that is important, but the meaning assigned to it. Again, Jung writes of the danger of dream interpretation: "Every interpretation is an hypothesis, an attempt to read an unknown text. An obscure dream, taken in isolation, can hardly ever be interpreted with any certainty" quoted from "The Practical Use of Dream Analysis" (1934) in The Practice of Psychotherapy, pg. 322. It was also believed that individuals could not accurately interpret their own dreams. Yet, the importance of understanding dreams was still deep-rooted in the time of the Talmud that 24 dream interpretation 'professionals' worked in Jerusalem. Jewish tradition is divided over the significance of dreams. According to the Talmud, "The words of dreams neither benefit nor harm" (Gittin 52), and "We see at night in dreams only that of which we were thinking by day" (Berachot 55b). The Talmudic sage Jonathan expresses the Freudian idea: "A person is shown in a dream only what is suggested by one's own thoughts" (Berachot 55b). When R. Meir had a dream to apologize to the head of the academy, R. Simon ben Gamliel, he didn't go, because according to him 'dreams are of no consequence' (Horayot 13b). Other sages still held the view that dreams were a form of prophecy. Not all dreams come true; there are also false dreams. Even if dreams are full of meaning, how are we to understand them? The point is that true wisdom (like Joseph and Solomon) is not in having dreams, but in waking up and knowing their 'true' interpretation. Joseph demonstrates this by not only 'interpreting' the dream, but suggesting a course of proper and sensible course of action. R. Aharon of Karlin compares Jacob's dream with Pharaoh's. When Jacob dreamed, it says, "He awoke from his sleep, and said, 'Surely God was in this place.' " (Gen. 28:16). In contrast, when Pharaoh awoke, he went back to sleep, for it says, "He awoke, and he dreamed a second dream...." (Gen. 41:5). We can ask ourselves the same question: do we 'wake up from a dream' or do we roll over and go back to sleep? Dreams are dreams, and what their meaning is may be debatable, but the point is, when we finish dreaming, are we truly awake. Shabbat Shalom & Chanukah Same'ach.

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Parashat VaYigash (Gen. 44:18-47:27) for Jan. 7, 2006

The dynamic tension of different cultures can be a source of great creativity, or painful polarization. Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

HAFTARAH TEXT They shall live in the land that I gave to My servant Jacob, the land of your ancestors; they, their children and their children's children shall live there forever, and My servant David shall be their head forever. I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant with them. I will make them safe and increase their numbers, and place My sanctuary in their midst forever. My Presence will be with them; I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Ezekiel 37: 25-27

The connection between this week's parasha and the haftarah is more subtle than in some weeks. In one of the most emotional scenes in all literature, the Torah portion relates how Joseph is climactically reunited with his brothers. In the passage chosen for the haftarah, Ezekiel describes that the tribe of Joseph (Ephraim) which made up the bulk of the Northern Kingdom, would be similarly reunited with the Southern Kingdom of Judah. The rabbis often see the patriarchal narratives as archetypes: 'Ma'aseh avot, siman labanim - The acts of the ancestors foreshadow the experiences of their descendants.' At the same time, the Haftarah provides an interesting counterpoint to the Torah: as Israel is about to descend and be exiled to Egypt, we already read of God's promise to restore the nation under the united Davidic monarchy.

Ezekiel used vivid imagery and metaphors (the famous passage: the valley of the dry bones, for example, is read on Passover) and often describes complex mystical visions of chariots and cherubs. The prophet Ezekiel lived during the destruction of the First Temple at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar (586 BCE) and was exiled to Babylonia. In the first half of the book of Ezekiel, the prophet warns of the imminent destruction of Jerusalem; in the latter half, he preaches a message of consolation and restoration. While Ezekiel still had hope that the Northern Kingdom would be restored and then united, in fact, this prophecy did not come to pass. The Northern Kingdom, conquered by the Assyrians over a hundred years earlier (722 BCE), have disappeared from history, notwithstanding the fairly discredited attempts to identify various ethnic groups with the missing 'Ten Lost Tribes.'

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The prophets often used dramatic symbolic actions or visual aids to demonstrate their message. Our Haftarah begins with God instructing Ezekiel to take two sticks: one for Judah (for the Southern Kingdom) and one for Joseph (for the Northern Kingdom). Ezekiel is to write the names on the sticks and the two sticks will become [as] one. Hebrew is a funny language. Adjectives have to agree in number and gender to the noun they modify. Usually, the number one, of course, only modifies something singular. But occasionally, as in our verse (17), the word for 'one' (echad) to describe the joined sticks takes the unusual plural form: achadim because it refers to the two sticks. They are one (in Hebrew, literally ones!?). Rabbi Marsha Pik-Nathan, in The Women's Haftarah Commentary, suggests that the idea reflected here is that the sticks will merge into a oneness and yet somehow will retain their individuality and independence. She illustrates this with the modern day Ingathering of the Exiles (kibbutz galuyot) since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. Jews had lived separated from each other in many different communities around the world, and their languages, customs, food, and music all evolved, taking on the flavour of their adopted homes. When Jews returned to the land of Israel, it became a mosaic of couscous, kugel and malawah (a Yemenite fried bread). Idan Reichal's CD merges Yiddish klezmer, Arabic oriental influences with Ethiopian Amharic. Unity need not mean uniformity. The dynamic tension of these cultures (Ashkenazi and Sephardi, religious and secular) can be a source of great creativity, or painful polarization. So it is comforting to read Ezekiel's vision that God will make a covenant of peace. We associate the rainbow with a covenant of peace because the first covenant God made with Noah was sealed with the rainbow. The bow, normally a symbol of war, is turned on its head, like the prophet Joel's vision, "They shall beat their swords into plowshares, their spears into pruning hooks..." (3:10). In this case, God beats the bow of war into a sign of peace. The rainbow has been adopted by various groups as a symbol of peace because its many colours represents diversity: Just a rainbow is made of different colors and shades, which are joined into a unified wholeness, so too [must be] the differences between people, societies, groups or nations. Life is based on understanding and measured tolerance, upon harmony and peace- these are the basis for the continued existence of the world, "a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth." (Z. Hillel, quoted in Itturei Torah)

If Joseph's embroidered multi-coloured coat was indeed a rainbow of stripes (as it is depicted in many illustrations) then the rainbow symbol of covenant connects Joseph and Ezekiel's haftarah message of hope and unity. Not only will Israel and Judah be restored, but they will be united, just like Joseph is reunited with his brothers. In our day, this message of unity is all the more relevant as the Jewish community is in danger of breaking apart. However, calls for unity must, like the rainbow, acknowledge the multi-hued approach of each of Judaism's movements and ethnic and cultural traditions. Then may Ezekiel's vision come to pass, "I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant with them. I will make them safe and increase their numbers, and place My sanctuary in their midst forever. My Presence will be with them; I will be their God, and they shall be My people." Shabbat Shalom.

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Parashat VaYechi (Gen. 47:28-50:26) for Jan. 14, 2006

We cannot finish everything we hope to do in the world --but others who come after us can complete our efforts. Study with Baruch Sienna

HAFTARAH TEXT When the time came near for David to die, he gave this instruction to his son Solomon: 'I am going the way of all the earth; you must now be strong; show yourself to be a man.' I Kings 2:1-2

This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

Our Haftarah continues precisely where it left off from Chaye Sarah, where King David lies dying. There, Bat Sheva and the prophet Nathan orchestrated to have Solomon chosen as heir, and this week, David shares his final words of advice to his son Solomon. The parallel of David's death-bed instructions with Jacob's last will and testament to his household connects the Torah and Haftarah portions. Ironically, both parashiyot (Chaye Sarah and Vayechi) with the Hebrew root ch.y.h (meaning life, lived) in their names begin with the notice of the death of its major character. While we think of Genesis as a book of beginnings, it ends with the death of an era. All the patriarchs (including Joseph) die, and the Jewish people enter a new phase. The story turns its attention away from the lives of individuals to the life of the Jewish nation.

This week's Haftarah is taken from the book of I Kings which deals with the death of David and the monarchy of his successor, his son Solomon. The life of David is found in the book of II Samuel. After killing Goliath, David quickly rose in rank to become a captain in King Saul's army. After the death of Saul on Mt. Gilboa, David was annointed as King of Judah, and later, become king over all of Israel. According to legend, his strength was superhuman. He was a poet and a musician, and the Rabbis portrayed him as a Torah scholar. Jewish tradition considers David the author of the book of Psalms.His reign was idealized, and he became a symbol of hope for future redemption: the messiah is to come from the 'House of David.'

A few weeks ago we wrote about 'leaving a legacy' and writing 'ethical wills' when we compared the deaths of Abraham and David in Parashat Chaye Sarah. But today, one cannot help but see this week's haftarah through the lens of recent current events. This past week, the world has been anxiously waiting and watching the news from Jerusalem, where Ariel Sharon lies hospitalized after suffering a massive, crippling stroke and cerebral hemorrhage. A few weeks before this, Sharon survived a relatively minor cardiac attack, and Israel's prime minister still had plans to bring a new political party (Kadimah) into Israel's upcoming elections, and continue his leadership. Regardless of what other countries' politicians and leaders thought of his leadeship style or his policies, the world is sending its wishes and prayers for his recovery. Now, even as doctors slowly begin to bring Sharon out the medically induced coma, it is clear that Sharon's political career is over. Sadly, Sharon will not be able to complete his initiatives for peace. Sharon, like many of Israel's leading politicians such as Moshe Dayan and Yitzhak Rabin, began

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with a military career and was a decorated war hero. But as seasoned politicians, these soldiers-turned-statesmen had to deal with a different political reality. Even Menachem Begin, who began his career as a political 'hawk' eventually was the prime minister who signed Israel's peace treaty with Egypt's Anwar Sadat. King David, similarly, began his career as a military leader. The stories of the Book of II Samuel are less familiar to most of us- but they read like a political thriller with internal intrigue and lots of bloodshed. King David spent his lifetime fighting and conquering Israel's enemies: the Philistines, the Moabites, and others while dealing with internal conflicts. Even his final words are political advice: 'kill off my detractors (and your possible enemies)'. King David succeeded in uniting the country (briefly- the Northern and Southern kingdoms separated after the death of Solomon), and reigned for 40 years. He lived in challenging times and had a hard life, yet his legacy was not only on the battlefield. King David was a complex personality. He had a deeply spiritual side, and his musical talents calmed Saul. After he conquered Jerusalem and established Jerusalem as the capital, he brought the Ark there and hoped to build God's Temple. A divine edict, however, forbid him from doing so. "You will not build a house for My name," God said to him, "for you are a man of battles and have shed blood" (I Chronicles 28:3). King David fought many battles, but he was not able to complete his work for peace. That work was continued by Solomon. Rabbi Tarfon says, "It is not incumbent for you to finish the work, but neither are you free to desist from it." There is some comfort in knowing that although we cannot finish everything we hope to do in the world, others who come after us can complete our efforts. Like King David, Ariel Sharon began his life as a soldier, but hoped to contribute to peace. From his beginnings as Israel's architect of building setttlements in the West Bank, he pragmatically dismantled the territories in Gaza. Although he encountered much protest, Israelis are nervous as they look to the future without him. Sharon started to create an environment for an eventual peace settlement with the Palestinians. Sadly, like David, we will have to wait for his heirs to complete the task. Shabbat Shalom,

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Parashat Shmot (Exodus 1:1-6:1) for Jan. 21, 2006 Starting this week with the book of Exodus, Kolel is grateful to Meryl Gardner for her ongoing support. This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored in loving memory of Meryl's mother Harriet H. Cohen.

It is easy to come up with reasons so we need to distinguish between legitimate obstacles and lame excuses. Study with Baruch Sienna

HAFTARAH TEXT Therefore teach them: one comand and then another, one line and then another, a little here, a little there! So the prophet must talk to this crowd with slow speech and simple words, and say to them: Here is rest; rest for the weary; repose is here. [Still] they refuse to listen. To them the word of the Eternal will come: one command and then another, one line and then another, a little here, a little there! Isaiah 28: 10-13

This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

We begin the book of Exodus and the familiar story of the enslavement of the Israelites and the birth of Moses. The Ashkenazic haftarah is taken from the prophet Isaiah; the Sephardic rite chooses a passage from Jeremiah (1:1-2:3). Like Moses, many prophets were reluctant to deliver God's message. God's reply to Jeremiah's protest, "I don't know how to speak", (cf. Ex. 4:10) is similar to the reply given to Moses: "Go wherever I send you and speak whatever I command you... I put My words into your mouth" (Jer. 1:7, 9; compare to Ex. 4:12).

We find a number of word echoes between the Isaiah portion and Parashat Shmot: the first word of the Haftarah echoes the Israelites who 'come' down to Egypt (haba'im), and the description that they 'fill' the world like they filled Egypt. The obscure phrase in verse 7 "Was he beaten as his beater has been" uses the Hebrew word makeh used to describe the Egyptian who was beating the Israelite.

Isaiah is the most popular of the prophets for the Haftarah: fourteen of the weekly po rtions (in the Ashkenazic calendar) are from Isaiah. Isaiah lived in the southern kingdom of Judah in the latter half of the 8th century B.C.E. The northern kingdom of Israel (sometimes called Ephraim) co mprised of the ten tribes (Judah and Benjamin formed the southern kingdom) was conquered by the A ssyrians in 721 B.C.E. While Isaiah hoped that the northern kingdom would be restored (regrettably , the ten tribes vanished permanently), his prophecy was also a warning that to the leaders and population of Judah. 'You could be next' if you don't change your behaviour. Indeed, a hundred years later, Judah was conquered, but this time, a remnant did survive, and returned to Israel and re-est ablished a new nation.

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Unlike Jeremiah, Isaiah was not a reluctant prophet. After the graphic description of the northern kingdom as gluttons and drunkards, Isaiah in a beautifully alliterative passage suggests that we have to be spoken to like little children: tzav l'tzav, tzav l'tzav, kav l'kav, kav l'kav: one command here one command there, one line here, one line there (28:10). According to the prophet, he must talk to this crowd with 'slow speech and simple words.' This, like the Jeremiah connection, echoes Moses' complaint that he is 'slow of speech and heavy of tongue' (Ex. 4:10). It is not clear what the nature of the handicap was and different commentators disagree on the meaning of this phrase. Although Rashi suggests that Moses stuttered, many commentators had different views. According to Rashbam, Rashi's grandson: I am not fluent in the Egyptian tongue because I ran away from the country and I am now eighty. For is it possible that a prophet whom God had known face to face and received the Torah should stutter, especially as there is no mention of this in Talmudic sources.

Like Rashi, Ibn Ezra considers a physical defect, but instead of a stutter, believes certain sounds were difficult for him to pronounce (a lisp?). This theory is supported by a very often told midrash that comes to illuminate the nature of his speech impediment. The midrash describes the infant Moses pulling off Pharaoah's crown (like babies grab adult glasses today). Fearing that this was not an innocent, playful act, but in fact a sign of future events Moses was tested with (and here different versions vary:) rubies and gleaming, red-hot coals. Moses went to reach for the sparkling gems, but an angel diverted his hand. Burning his fingers, he instinctively brought them to his mouth, and touched and injured his lips. Although the midrashic version of the events describes an injury that might cause some speech impediment, it would not support Rashi's view of Moses stuttering. In addition, when God calls to Moses at the burning bush, Moses raises a number of objections to his being chosen: He is not worthy; the leaders may not accept him; the Israelites might not believe him, and finally, he does not have the required verbal skills. If one had a physical impairment, why wait for the fourth objection? Wouldn't that be the first obstacle raised to answering the Divine Call? Like Moses, many of the prophets were reluctant to accept God's mantle of prophecy. Because it is easy to come up with reasons we need to distinguish between legitimate obstacles and lame excuses. While Moses' expression of humility is commendable, sometimes we shouldn't be too self-effacing. There are times we all feel inadequate to tackle certain tasks, but we should be careful that we are not being 'too humble' simply to avoid our responsibilities. It is easy to be overwhelmed: by work, by responsibilities at home, raising children, or the condition of the planet with global warming and other environmental disasters. It is tempting to say: I can't do it, or I'm the wrong person for the job. Isaiah's advice: don't be discouraged-- God's word will come step by step, letter by letter and word by word. As God reassures Moses, "I will be with you." Shabbat Shalom,

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Parashat Va'Era (Exodus 6:2-9:35) for Jan. 28, 2006 Kolel is grateful to Meryl Gardner for her ongoing support. This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored in loving memory of Meryl's mother Harriet H. Cohen.

Only by remembering that we are just the servants in the palace, can we 'know' God. Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

HAFTARAH TEXT Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, you are like the great crocodile, crouching in the Nile, thinking, 'The Nile is mine, I made it for myself.' I will put hooks through your jaws and make the fish of your streams stick to your scales. I will pull you up out of your your river branches will all the fish of your River branches sticking to your scales. I will throw you out into the wilderness you and all the fish of your River branches. You shall fall on dry ground ungathered and unburied. Ezekiel 28: 3-5

The extended narrative of the ten plagues that God visits upon the Egyptians now begins. The first plague turns the Nile to blood. (Last year, we read about water turning to blood the week after the devastating tsunami in Asia.) The theme of the plagues is "that Egypt will know that I am God" a phrase that recurs ten times for each of the plagues. It is the answer to Pharaoh's retort: "Who is the Lord that I should heed God and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord nor will I let Israel go." (Ex. 5:2). Indeed, this phrase is also repeated four times in our prophetic passage (Ez. 28:26b; 29:9; 29:16; 29:21). Ezekiel's prophecy is directed against Egypt. Just like God punished the Egyptians in the days of Moses, now too, God will devastate Egypt and restore Israel to its homeland. God reminds Pharaoh that his claim to self sufficiency because he made the Nile is hubris. Only God is the Author of creation, and Pharaoh is compared to a sea monster (or Egyptian crocodile) that is hauled out of Egypt's irrigation channels and flung into the desert.

The prophet Ezekiel lived during the destruction of the First Temple at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar (586 BCE) and was exiled to Babylonia. In the first half of the book of Ezekiel, the prophet warns of the imminent destruction of Jerusalem; in the latter half, he preaches a message of consolation and restoration. While Ezekiel still had hope that the Northern Kingdom would be restored and then united, in fact, this prophecy did not come to pass. Ezekiel's message against Egypt reflects Israel's disappointment that Egypt did not come to Israel's aid.

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Pharaoh is described as boasting, 'The Nile is mine, I have made [it] myself.' The Hebrew word for Nile is ye'or, derived from the Egyptian word for river. Indeed, the Nile, is "The" River. The Nile was Egypt's lifeline. In addition to being an important seaway for easy transportation, it provided fish for food, papyrus and most importantly, rich, fertile soil with its yearly flooding. The Nile is prominent in the early Exodus narratives: Egypt's source of life is (ironically) the tool for the murder of the Israelites. Moses is rescued from the Nile (and indebted to it), it is therefore Aaron who performs the first plague of blood against it instead of Moses). Many of the plagues are announced at the river's edge. In the prophets, the Nile becomes a symbol for Egypt (Amos 8:8), and the description of God drying up the Nile represents the punishment and downfall of Egypt (Isa. 19:5-7; Zach. 10:11). In our passage, the fish of the Nile represent the nation of Egypt (Rashi). For the ancient Egyptians, the Nile was a god (Hapi) and was worshipped. Not surprisingly, then, the first plague was on the Nile. Turning the Nile to blood (echoing the Egyptians earlier attempts at genocide) is also to demonstrate the power of the Israelite's God over the Egyptians gods. The midrash astutely understands that the plague of blood was an attack on the Egyptian pantheon. Why were the waters first transformed to blood? Said the Holy Blessed One: I shall strike first his god, then his nation! As the saying goes, Strike the god, and the priests will tremble. Shmot Rabbah The Torah tells us, that to show their own power, the Egyptian magicians did the same thing (Ex. 7:22). Ibn Ezra asks where the Egyptians got the water from to do the trick since even the water in stone and wooden vessels were transformed? The Egyptians were able to find unaffected subterranean water sources by digging around the Nile (v. 24). But the conjurers' trick pales in comparison to God's act. More significantly, it seems that the magicians are powerless to reverse the effect: turning the blood back into water- although that is indeed how some commentators understand the phrase 'and the conjurers did the same' Restoring the blood back into water certainly would have been more impressive! When Moses and Aaron approach Pharaoh the first time (actually at the conclusion of last week's parasha) and ask for the Israelites' freedom, he says: "I do not know this 'God'. In other words, 'I do not need this God.' In the ancient world, rain was seen as a gift from God, and the Israelites were dependent on rain for their harvest. Pharaoh, however, did not need rain. 'The Nile is mine' means the 'Nile takes care of me.' Ezekiel suggestively describes Pharaoh as a great crocodile, (usually tannin, although here written as tannim). The crocodile-headed god Sobek, who represented the power of the Pharaohs, created the Nile, and was the god of fertility and rebirth. In the Bible, the tannin was also the mighty sea-monster that in ancient creation mythology is destroyed by God. In Ezekiel, we read of Pharaoh's boast that he created the Nile: 'I have made [it] myself.' Rashi adds: "By my own strength and my own wisdom I have enlarged my kingdom." The midrash takes this one step further, reading the Hebrew to mean, 'I made myself.' By suggesting that the verse can refer to himself (as well as the Nile) the midrash hints that he considers himself like the Nile, a god. In ancient Egypt, the Pharaoh, in fact, was worshipped as a god. I see a dangerous progression here. First we deny God. Then we claim that we run the world (or at least know how the world works). Soon we are ready to make ourselves into God. In Ezekiel, God says, 'I am against you' (Ez. 29:3). The Hebrew alecha might also be rendered as 'Behold, I am above you.' That is, know that I am your master and can deal with you as I see fit. The Maggid of Dubnow compares this to a servant in a palace who tries boasting to a visitor that he is the owner of the palace, only to be interrupted by the actual master who chides him to not misrepresent his position. Only by remembering that we are just the servants in the palace, can we 'know' God.

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Shabbat Shalom,

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Parashat Bo (Exodus 10:1-13:16) for Feb. 4, 2006 This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored by Howard Malach in loving memory of his grandfather and namesake, Yaacov Zvi Laporter.

Only if we are prepared to filter the truths of the Bible through the lens of rational thought can we protect ourselves from the dangers of fundamentalism. Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what

HAFTARAH TEXT But you, have no fear, My servant Jacob, declares Adonai. For I am with you I will make an end of all the nations Among which I have banished you. But I will not make an end of you! I will not leave you unpunished, But I will chastise you in measure... Jeremiah 46: 28

connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

Last week's narrative of the ten plagues concludes with the final three (locusts, darkness, and the killing of the first-borns) and then our Parasha describes the celebration o f the first Passover (still in Egypt). This week, a prophecy from the prophet Jeremiah has been chosen, and like last week, it is a message against Egypt. Again, God will wreak judgment on Egypt and her gods. Egypt, already defeated at the battle of Carchemish in 605 BCE at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar (here written as Nebuchadrezzar) of Babylonia, would be further conquered. The haftarah ends with a message of consolation that Israel should not fear for God is with them. The haftarah begins 'The word which Adonai spoke to the prophet Jeremiah about the coming of King Nebuchadnezzar to attack the land of Egypt (Jer. 46:13). This parallels the beginning of the parasha: Then Adonai said to Moses: Come to Pharaoh...; also note the word 'attack lehakkot ' is related to makkot - the Hebrew word for the plagues. Another linguistic connection is the description of the Babylonian army being as numerous as a swarm of locusts (Jer. 46:23).

Jeremiah lived during the reign of King Josiah who restored the Temple cult and instituted religious reforms after finding an ancient scroll believed to be the book of Deu teronomy. Some scholars identify Jeremiah as the author of the book of Deuteronomy. The Kingdom of Judah was caught in the crossfire between the superpowers of Egypt to the south and the Babylonians in the North. The Northern Kingdom of Israel had already been destroyed by the Assyrians in 721 BCE. Egypt marched through the land of Israel to attack Babylonia, and enroute battled with the Israelites at Megiddo, killing Josiah. The Egyptians however were defeated by Nebuchadnezzar in 605 BCE, and Jerusalem came under Nebuchadnezzar's rule. In 58 6 BCE Jerusalem was razed and the Temple destroyed. The religious and political elite were exiled to Babylonia, but a remnant of the Jewish population fled to Egypt and took Jeremiah with them.

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Jeremiah promises that although the Israelites are in exile, God will deliver th em and return them from a land far away. He may be referring to both the exiles in Babylonia and his compatriots who are now in Egypt. This note of God's redemption parallels the weekly reading of the exodus from Egypt and God's fulfilment of the promise to redeem the Israelites. Most of us are not overly troubled by the 'miracles' of the Torah. We read them as 'storytelling' devices, or explain them as natural phenomena. It is very popular to provide scientific a ccounts for the plagues, because otherwise the Torah seems like a children's fairy tale. But the Torah is not just a story. If the Torah (and Bible) are to have any meaning at all, they must impact on our lives in substantial ways. We hold a Passover Seder because we 'believe' in the story of the Exodus from Egypt. That is, even we have doubts about the historicity of the plagues, or the veracity of the splitting of the sea, we allow the 'myth' (that is, that story that provokes insight) to determine what we will eat for the next seven (or eight) days, because we find meaning in thinking about freedom and slavery. But what if a biblical story or commandment were to demand more radical behaviour? Would we still do it? This question separates religious moderates from religious extremists. Religious moderates try to balance religious values and truths with scientific facts and modern values. At its core, religion is a conservative force. It is very difficult for religious traditions to evolve (even though they do- at glacial speed); after all, how can Divine Truth change? Religious leaders and institutions are slow to adapt and admit change (homosexuality is still a sin for most religious traditions), but yes, we have made some progress in other areas: I am happy to report that most fundamentalists (even Creationists) admit the earth revolves around the sun, and not the other way around. It wasn't so easy, either. (Ask Galileo). Sam Harris in The End of Faith argues that while the scientific fields of geography, biology and astronomy have advanced, religious thought remains stuck in the Middle Ages (or worse). The problem is, that while many religious ideas are ennobling, some are simply wrong, and by its very nature, religion has no internal mechanism to be self-reflective, critical or self-correcting. Fortunately today, extreme examples (stoning a rebellious child, a blasphemer, o r someone who desecrates Shabbat) have been tempered by rabbinic interpretation, and incre asing scientific knowledge of the natural world explain illness from viruses and bacteria instead of demons or sin. Most of the readers of this page are religious moderates. Modern religious moderates either interpret or ignore problematic biblical passages, and after wi nnowing, generally only the 'good parts' remain. Liberal Jews generally read biblical pro phecies metaphorically, and are usually not too bothered by troublesome verses. That is, their religious wisdom and insights are filtered through the lens of scientific rationalism and the modern world's values. But other groups (among both Christians, Jews and Moslems) tend to have a more l iteral understanding of Scripture. And this is really frightening, because such readings of Scripture are, by definition, indisputable; indisputable, because articles of faith or interpretation cannot be rationally discussed or disputed. Religious beliefs are beyond rational discours e. It doesn't matter what scientific evidence for evolution is brought to the religious mind. A recent National Geographic issue on evolution elicited the predictable responses from the Christ ian right. A quick survey of 'anti-evolution' websites confirms the saying: "Don't confuse me with facts. My mind is made up." Needless to say, this is extremely dangerous. What we believe informs how we act. Christian Scientists do not allow for medical intervention, not because they don't love their children, but because they believe that only God can heal. But while even moderates might believe in the efficacy of prayer (and some studies demonstrate that patients who were prayed for, recovered more quickly), most of us (Christian Scientists excepted) would be concerned if our surgeon in the operating room put down his i nstruments and started chanting Psalms instead. There is certainly no harm done in reciting Psalms, and it

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may even be beneficial for the patient hearing them and the person reciting them. But the surgeon should rely on his medical training. Jeremiah's oracle against Egypt ends on, what seems at first glance, to be a hopeful note. But when we consider it more closely, it contains a profoundly disturbing verse: "I will make an end of all the nations." Fortunately no Jew that I know of reads this verse to mean that one should strap explosives to one's belt and detonate oneself on a crowded bus. But there are religious extremists who do. Only if we are prepared to filter the truths of the Bible through the lens of rational thought will we be able to protect ourselves from these kinds of dangers of religious fundamentalism. Shabbat Shalom,

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Parashat BeShalach (Exodus 13:17-17:16) for Feb. 11, 2006 This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored by Karen Gold in loving memory of her father Melvin Gold.

We should encourage young men and women to recognize women as role models for the Jewish community.

HAFTARAH TEXT Deborah, woman of Lappidoth, was a prophetess; she led Israel at that time. She used to sit under the Palm of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites would come to her for decisions. Judges 4:4

Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

The military victory and Israel's redemption at the splitting of the Sea of Reeds (not the Red Sea) is the climax of the Exodus narrative. It is followed by celebratory rejoicing 'Shirat HaYam', with the women singing and drumming, led by Miriam the prophetess. The Rabbis choose a fitting parallel text: The Song of Deborah. Like Miriam, Deborah is also identified as a woman prophet. Deborah is a judge and enlists the reticent general Barak to wage war with the Canaanite tribes under King Jabin and his commander, Sisera. Deborah sings a tri umphant song at the conclusion of the battle. Both Exodus and Judges include the story in prose and poetry/song (the Hebrew shirah can mean both). Ashkenazim read both, making the Haftarah the longest portion of the year; Sephardim read only the poem portion - Judges 5:1-31). Both poems are considered the oldest portions of the Torah, and use archaic language; certain poetic imagery and word s are difficult to translate. Also, the two songs (the Torah song is written in a distinctive alternating brick-like pattern- likened to the waves of the sea) give this Shabbat a special name: Shabbat Shirah. Many synagogues have special musical programmes. (It is also a tradition to put out left over Hallah bread crumbs for the birds who sing). This Shabbat also always coincides with the week of Tu B'Shevat.

In the twelfth and eleventh centuries BCE, the Israelites saw themselves joined in a loose tribal confederacy with a shared historical memory and a common religious tradition. From the death of Joshua until the prophet Samuel and the appointment of the first king of Israel, Saul, the Israelites lived in a turbulent period of warfare with their neighbours. They struggled with the Canaanites and Philistines and in the frequent external or internal crises, appo inted a military/judicial leader called a judge (shofet). This period of the judges is recorded in Shoftim, the second book of the Nevi'im (Prophets). The book describes 13 of these leaders; the last judge, Samson, read the week of Parashat Naso, is probably the most famous.

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What is the role of women? The Bible often portrays women as minor characters and in relation to husbands, fathers, or sons. Unlike today, the birth of daughters was not celebrated publicly; the birth of Dinah, for example is missing the etymology of her name that the Torah includes for each of her 12 brothers. Many stories from a patriarchal point of view neglect and ignore the rich experiences of women. For example, Sarah is totally ignored in the Binding of Isaac narrative. Women characters are rarely well developed. Even Miriam, who appears throughout the Torah at pivotal moments in the Israelite's history, and the first person to be identified as a prophet, seems overshadowed by the roles played by her two brothers Aaron and Moses. (Although the Torah identifies Miriam as a prophet, there is no prophecy attributed to her recorded in Scripture; of course the Rabbis fill in the gap). Three women are prominently featured in our Haftarah: Deborah, and two non-Jewis h women, Yael, and Sisera's mother. Sisera's mother, (unnamed) is described as sitting by the window. This classic image, a woman's head encased in a window looking outside, is prevalent in the arts and many ancient literary texts. (A famous Phoenician ivory relief, (8th century BCE) possibly of a sacred prostitute, is housed in the British Museum). The wicked Jezebel is also portrayed at the window as a coiffeured woman with painted face. This may be a figurative representative of Goddess worship. There are also sexual/cultic connotations to openings; you don't have to be Freud to associate doors and windows and gates to the entrance of the womb. (I found Woman at the Window, the title of an excellent volume by Nehama Aschkenasy, helpful in preparing this week's commentary.) While one can feel sympathy for the old woman, fretting over the absence of her son, Deborah's portrayal is more harsh. The final verses (often glossed over in translations) g raphically and crudely describe Sisera's booty as a 'womb or two for each soldier', reducing women to their sexual body parts. In addition to objectifying women, the woman at the window is being cast as a bystander, passively looking on to the man's world. The woman is 'inside the house'; the Rabbis like to quote Proverbs "Kvod bat hamelech pnimah - The beauty of the King's daughter is within" as the 'prooftext' that the role of women should be inside the home. Sisera's mother characterizes the domesticity of women, while the men are represented by iron chariots, both symbols of war, mobility and the freedom of outdoors. The second woman is the Kenite woman, Yael. Yael straddles her roles as domestic homemaker and political activist. Yael is described as both motherly (covering S isera with a blanket and giving him milk) but also implicitly sexually, luring him into her tent. Even though there are no explicit sexual references there is an erotic tension to the story. He asks for water; she gives him milk. Milk and water have long been associated with women. (In Egyptian hieroglyphics a jar of water is the symbol of femininity). When Sisera dies, 'he falls between her legs' (again many translations miss the sexual overtones by rendering this instead as: 'he fell at her feet'). Finally, we encounter Deborah, the hero of the story. Unlike Sisera's mother behind the window, or Yael in her tent, Deborah is a woman with great power: judicial, religious, and social authority. Deborah is described judging the people under the palm tree, in the open country side. It would be unusual, and therefore noteworthy, for a woman to be able to travel freely from place to place. Deborah was a true public leader, yet she describes herself as 'mother.' This maternal role may be more of a description of her relationship with the Israelites than it is of actual motherhood. Aschkenasy writes: ... the Deborah material in Judges contains some of the most disturbing images of women in the Bible, the treacherous woman-at -the-window, and the deadly woman-at-her-doorstep, as well as the most dramatic presentation of a woman who has lifted herself, and her sex, out of her biological prison into history and the progress of civilization.

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The Rabbis were uncomfortable with these powerful and unconventional women and their treatment of Miriam and Deborah ranges from attempts to minimize their stature or to assign them the qualities of arrogance or slander and gossip. But we should recognize M iriam and Deborah as the outstanding leaders that they were, and encourage young men and women to recognize these leaders as role models for the Jewish community. Shabbat Shalom,

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Parashat Yitro (Exodus 18:1-20:23) for Feb. 18, 2006 This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored by Susan Kitchell in loving memory of her mother Dora Kitchell.

Is God not speaking, or are we not listening? Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

HAFTARAH TEXT And God said, 'Go, say to that people: Hear indeed, but do not understand; See indeed, but do not grasp. Dull that people's mind, Stop its ears, and seal its eyes -Lest, seeing with its eyes and hearing with its ears it also grasp with its mind, and repent and save itself. Isaiah 6:9,10

Last week's triumphant crossing at the sea now brings the Israelites to the foot of Mt. Sinai. In this week's parasha, the Israelites encounter God and hear the Ten Commandments. The Rabbis selected a portion from Isaiah that has similar language and imagery: wings, holy, smoke. (Ashkenazim read Is. 6:1-7:6; 9:5,6; Sephardim read a shorter selection: Is. 6:1-13). This week's text includes the famous verse: kadosh, kadosh, kadosh (holy, holy, holy) that is recited during the sanctification prayer (Kedushah) found in the Amidah. Like the theophany at Sinai, Isaiah also describes a vision of God. Isaiah deliberately evokes the image of Moses by describing himself as a man of impure lips. (As an aside, a few week's ago we encountered the language of 'kvad peh' 'heavy of speech,' and the image of 'uncircumcised lips' and the famous midrash of the burning coals. Few people realize that this image already appears in this week's haftarah text: Then one of the seraphs [angelic beings] flew over to me with a live coal, which he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. He touched it to my lips and declared, 'Now that this has touched your lips, Your guilt shall depart and your sin be purged away.' (Is. 6:6))

Isaiah lived in the southern kingdom of Judah in the latter half of the 8th century B.C.E. During this turbulent period, the larger, Northern Kingdom (called Israel) hoped to conquer the southern kingdom of Judah. After Isaiah's description of the futile attempts of the Northern Kingdom, the Rabbis append a two verse epilogue of a messianic vision from Isaiah: the throne of King David will be established.

God's revelation at Sinai is the central event of the Torah; God took the Israelites out of Egypt in order to meet them at Sinai. The dramatic imagery of the giving of the Ten Commandments is described with smoke and thunder and lightning: a spectacular sound and light show! The text seems to be saying: 'If you were there, you couldn't miss it!' But the late philosopher Emil Fackenheim has suggested that if an agnostic had been present at Mount Sinai, he would have heard all the thunder and seen all the lightning and wondered what all the fuss was

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about. We know that Israel is on the Syrio-African rift and no stranger to seismic activity, so a rational approach would understand this as the description of an earthquake. Earthquakes are occasionally accompanied by combustible gases that escape the earth's crust and ignite. Clearly this event was literally and metaphorically 'earth-shattering.' According to Exodus, it was 'all of Israel' who witnessed the thunder and the lightning. In the Haftarah, Isaiah also describes a vision of God and even though his lips have been purified, this time his message is not heard. Like Pharaoh's hardened heart, their ears will be stopped up; their eyes dulled. Today, it seems that God no longer speaks like the Torah describes. If we hear God's voice, most of us do not feel the earth move. The Torah text says that the Israelites did not hear God. They saw the thunder (the Hebrew kolot can also mean 'voices'), (Ex. 20:15) and God says, "You yourselves saw that I spoke with you from the very heavens." Saw? Shouldn't the text in both places say, 'hear'? This should strikes us as unusual, since in Judaism, the central verb is 'Shma' to listen (and to understand). The use of the verb 'ra'ah' (literally, to see) for audible phenomenon suggests to the Rabbis that the Israelites 'saw the sounds' and 'heard the visions.' In other words, the experience of Revelation was so unique and overwhelmingly intense, the normal boundaries of our senses were not observed. Arthur Green writes that seeing God's voice means 'that each one uniquely experienced the divine voice speaking within his or her own soul. To this all the rest of religion -- indeed, perhaps all the rest of life-- is merely commentary.' (The Language of Truth, pg. 106) The midrash (which connects the giving of the Torah and Isaiah's 'Holy, Holy, Holy' found in the Haftarah) suggests that what was unique about Sinai, was not that God spoke, but that the world was silent: R. Abbahu said in the name of R. Yohanan: When the Holy One gave the Torah, no bird chirped, no fowl flew, no ox lowed, not one of the ofannim [angelic beings] stirred a wing, not one of the seraphim said, 'Holy, Holy, Holy.' The sea did not roar, creatures did not speak -- the whole world was hushed into breathless silence; it was then that the voice went forth: "I am Adonai your God."

Lawrence Kushner has called this: God’s Dolby Noise-Reduction System. Kushner asks us to imagine turning off the sound of the television and watching. And to play with the contrast/brightness till there is no picture. Now- "You see nothing. You hear nothing. But you continue staring at the black soundless glass rectangle. For something is there. Someone is speaking and looking. Only you can't see them. From within a darkened space a message issues." (Honey from the Rock, pg. 33) What was it that the Israelites saw/heard? What was it about Sinai that was so transformative for those present? If we were there would we have experienced more than thunder and lightning? Perhaps only when we turn off all the noise and distractions around us, can we start hearing. Perhaps when we are ready to acknowledge that our lives have meaning, we will start seeing. The question we must ask ourselves is, is God not speaking, or are we not listening? Shabbat Shalom,

BDS

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Parashat Mishpatim (Exodus 21:1-24:18) for Feb. 25, 2006 This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored by Marc Brenner in memory of Mrs. Goldie Brenner.

Whether or not we are slaves is dependent on whether we believe God is One. Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

HAFTARAH TEXT The word which came to Jeremiah from Adonai after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim liberty [dror] among them -that everyone should set free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female, and that no one should keep his fellow Judean enslaved. Everyone, officials and people, who had entered into the covenant agreed to set their male and female slaves free and not keep them enslaved any longer; they complied and let them go. But afterward they turned about and brought back the men and women they had set free, and forced them into slavery again. Jeremiah 34: 8-11

Parashat Mishpatim begins with a collection of laws scholars call the 'Book of the Covenant.' The Rabbis identify 53 different mitzvot in this parasha. The first set of rules, or laws, (in Hebrew mishpatim) that immediately follows the giving of the Ten Commandments concerns the treatment of slaves. It is difficult for us today to understand the position of the 'eved,' as the term can refer to slaves, household help, or even an expression of modesty or submission (used in polite company, as in 'your servant' or Adonai's servant). The Torah distinguishes between a gentile slave, usually captured in wartime and whose slave status was permanent, and a Hebrew slave, who was temporarily indentured, usually to pay off a debt, and who retained more rights.

Jeremiah lived during the reign of King Josiah who restored the Temple cult and instituted religious reforms after finding an ancient scroll believed to be the book of Deuteronomy. Some scholars identify Jeremiah as the author of the book of Deuteronomy. The Kingdom of Judah was caught in the crossfire between the superpowers of Egypt to the south and the Babylonians in the North. The Northern Kingdom of Israel had already been destroyed by the Assyrians in 721 BCE. Egypt marched through the land of Israel to attack Babylonia, and enroute battled with the Israelites at Megiddo, killing Josiah. The Egyptians however were defeated by Nebuchadnezzar in 605 BCE, and Jerusalem came under Nebuchadnezzar's rule. In 586 BCE Jerusalem was razed and the Temple destroyed. The religious and political elite were exiled to Babylonia, but a remnant of the Jewish population fled to Egypt and took Jeremiah with them.

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It seems a little surprising that after the lofty pronouncements at Mount Sinai, the Torah turns its attention to the mundane and prosaic matter of judicial and civil legislation. True, in Judaism, being 'religious' isn't about theological and philosophical contemplation, but the actual application of how we treat one another. Still, of all the laws that the Torah could begin with, it strikes the commentators as odd that the Torah would choose to spell out the obligations to having slaves! It would have been more logical to begin with the establishment of the judicial system and the appointment of judges. The Ramban suggests that our Parasha parallels the opening of the Decalogue: "I am Adonai your God who took you out of slavery..." (Ex. 20:2) Others suggest that God begins with this law as the Israelites would relate to it- as they themselves knew what it was like to be slaves. But having been slaves can backfire; it is also possible that the Israelites would be cruel slave masters, as a psychological release against their own oppression. (Otherwise everyone who has been oppressed or mistreated would be a kinder, gentler individual- something we know isn't true). But this is, of course, what makes the law so surprising: why wouldn't the Torah prohibit slavery outright? We all like to think that we are free, but in reality, we are enslaved to many things. The Hebrew root of eved is used in the Torah to mean to 'work' or to 'serve.' David Moss, begins his magnificent Haggadah for Pesach with an illuminated papercut page. On the first side, we see a series of illustrations of the Israelites in Egypt: mixing the mud and straw, forming the bricks, and baking them in the oven. Surrounding the papercut in micrography (tiny Hebrew lettering) are several verses with the root eved (describing the slavery of the Israelites). But when you turn the page, the same outlines (remember, this is a papercut!) now illustrate the Israelites getting ready for Passover, grinding the wheat into flour, mixing the dough and baking the matzvah. Now, around this page are again a series of verses with the root eved, but this time with the meaning of 'worship' and serving God. It is a brilliant midrash; in the turn of a page, the Israelites' bondage is transformed into the service of God. It's as if Moss is reiterating Bob Dylan's refrain: 'You got to serve somebody.' The medieval commentator Alshich would agree with Moss in contrasting human servitude with serving God. He points out that the text says, "If you acquire a Hebrew eved..." but isn't the person an eved only after he has been acquired? Why then is he already referred to as an eved? Alshich answers his own question: that this is a subtle reminder to the owner that the person is already a servant to another master, i.e. to the Master of the World. The word avadim (slaves) is almost identical to ivrim (Hebrews). The only difference is the tiniest stroke that differentiates the Hebrew letters 'dalet' and 'reish.' In the Shma, the 'dalet' of the word 'echad' is enlarged precisely to avoid confusion of this same difference between 'echad' (one) and 'acher' (other). The question of whether God is one or not seems unrelated to our discussion of slavery. Whether we see ourselves in a relationship with the Divine or not seems irrelevant. But this slightest distinction determines the fundamental and essential quality to our freedom. Shabbat Shalom,

BDS

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Parashat Terumah (Exodus 25:1-27:19) for Mar. 4, 2006 This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored by Albert Strauss.

As long as we have Torah, we still have a way back to the Garden. Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

HAFTARAH TEXT Then the word of the Eternal came to Solomon: Concerning this Temple that you have been building [I tell you this]: If you obey My statutes and carry out My rules of justice and take care to keep all My commandments, I will fulfill my promise, the one I made to your father David, and I will dwell among the people of Israel, and never forsake My people Israel. I Kings 6:11-13

Our Parasha now turns its attention to the construction of a portable sanctuary, the Mishkan, and the detailed description will take up most of the remainder of the book of Exodus. The Haftarah parallels the Torah portion with a description of the construction of Solomon's Temple. In addition to this thematic link,, some of the technical terms used (tzela) are identical. Most significant, is the ending of the Haftarah which parallels the beginning of our Torah portion, where God promises to 'dwell' (from the same root as Mishkan) among the people of Israel.

Solomon succeeded his father David (around 970 BCE). Solomon allied himself with Hiram of Tyre, and inscripted an enormous work force to provide the labour to cut the stones and the trees necessary for the construction of the Temple.

Our parasha begins with the famous, if slightly ungrammatical verse: "You shall make [for] Me a sanctuary and I will dwell in them" (Ex. 25:8) (Shouldn't we expect it to say, 'dwell in it' not 'in them'?). Our Haftarah uses similar language: "If you follow my laws, I will dwell among the people of Israel." It is as if, notwithstanding its excruciating detailed description of the physical structure, the Torah is already hinting that God doesn't dwell in sanctuaries. God dwells in the hearts and minds of people. Alice Walker expresses a similar sentiment in The Colour Purple, "Have you ever found God in church? I never did. I just found a bunch of folks hoping for Him to show. Any God I ever felt in church I brought in with me. And I think all t he other folks did too. They come to church to share God, not find God."

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But in Parashat Terumah, God can be found in the sanctuary. The Mishkan was a portable sanctuary that served as the locus of God's presence, and the Torah goes into a lot of descriptive detail about how to build the Mishkan: the lavers, the curtains, and the altars. But even with all the architectural detail and precise instructions, (notwithstanding attempts to visualize, or even reconstruct it) much remains unclear. (Too bad the Torah didn't come with illustrations.) Certainly one of the features that has captured the imagination of artists were two golden 'keruvim' inside the Holy of Holies. The image of keruvim was also woven into the fabric of the curtains surrounding the entire structure. What were they and what did they look like? Keruvim transliterated became the English 'cherub' and portrayed by Renaissance artists as winged, chubby babies. (This may be based on an Aramaic play on words that inteprets Keruv to mean ke-ravia, like a child.) According to Rashi, they had the faces of a boy and a girl; his grandson, the Rashbam thought they were more like birdlike creatures. According to the visions of Ezekiel, they were fantastic creatures with wheels, (!) wings and hands and four faces: eagle, lion, ox and human. Although they may have taken numerous forms, they probably resembled the Near Eastern deities such as the Egyptian sphinx or the winged bulls of Babylonia that guarded temples and palaces. (Even today, outside important buildings we often can find lions). Keruvim may have been winged lions with human (child?) faces. The rampant lions (usually identified as Lions of Judah) holding the two tablets that adorn many Arks in synagogues may more likely be symbolic replacements for the cherubim. Whatever their appearance, the keruvim in the Mishkan are guarding the engraved stone tablets. Now just last week we read about prohibited graven images, and now we learn that, surprisingly, inside the Holy of Holies, just above the tablets (where that very prohibition is found) are two very graven gold figures. What are they doing there? But there is one more surprise: there is another (often overlooked) instance where we encounter the image of keruvim guarding. Remember back in Genesis, when we were expelled from the Garden of Eden, God stations keruvim at the entrance and surprisingly uses the same root (vayashken) of Mishkan (and Shechinah). How are the keruvim of the Garden of Eden and the Mishkan connected? After we were expelled from the Garden how would we find our way back? In Learn Torah With... (ed. Grishaver & Kelman, Torah Aura, 5756), Rabbi Mordecai Finley suggests that the presence of keruvim in both texts makes it obvious! The way back to the gate of the Garden of Eden, was right in front of us; wherever you find keruvim you find the the gate that leads to Eden. But now what? The physical portable sanctuary no longer remains. The Temple has been destroyed. The beautiful work of art filled with crimson and purple wool, gold and acacia wood are gone. Where is the spiced oil and the sweet incense? The golden keruvim no longer exist. But the journey into God's presence, back to the Garden, guarded by the keruvim is still available. They were guarding the contents of the Ark, God's word-- the Torah. After all, we even call the Torah etz ha-hayyim, the Tree of Life! As long as we make space for Torah in our lives, we still have a way back to the Garden and back to God's presence. Shabbat Shalom,

12/02/2008 02:51 p.m.

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Parashat Tetzaveh (Exodus 27:20-30:10) for Mar. 11, 2006 This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored by Susan Gerhard in loving memory of her mother, Henia Kreitzman.

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift. That's why it's called the 'present.'

HAFTARAH TEXT Thus said the Lord of Hosts: 'I am exacting the penalty for what Amalek did to Israel, for the assault he made upon them on the road on their way up from Egypt. I Samuel 15:2

Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

Parashat Tetzaveh continues with the description of the furnishings of the Tabernacle (Mishkan): the olive oil (see last year's commentary) for the eternal lamp, the garments for Aaron, the High Priest, and the consecration ceremony for the priests. The portion concludes with a description of the incense altar. The regularly scheduled Haftarah, taken from Ezekiel, (40: 10-27), describes the Temple and the details of its consecration. Instead of Ezekiel, the Haftarah for this specially named Shabbat Zachor is taken from the book of Samuel (15:1-34). (Ashkenazim begin on verse 2.) This haftarah does not connect to the weekly Torah reading, but to the calendar instead. This is the Shabbat before Purim, and a special Maftir (concluding) portion read from a second scroll describes the Amalekite's attack on the Israelites (Deut. 25:17-19) . The Haftarah describes Saul's battle with Agag, king of the Amalekites, retaliation for their cowardly attack on the Israelites (also related in Exodus 17:8ff). Both Maftir and Haftarah connect to Purim because the villain of the Purim story, Haman, is descended from Agag. The command to 'blot out the memory of Amalek' is in fact the origin of the custom of 'drowning out Haman's name' with graggers (noisemakers). Just as Haman is seen as a descendant of Agag, so too is Mordechai's lineage traced back to the line of Saul's father (son of Kish).

Saul, the first king of Israel, appointed by the prophet Samuel engages in battle with the Amalekites. God commands Saul to utterly destroy the Amalekites, but he spares the king and the best sheep and oxen. When confronted by Samuel, Saul tries to rationalize his actions, but because he has not obeyed God, God rejects Saul as king.

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Shabbat Zachor: The Shabbat of Memory. The Jewish people have a prodigious memory. The Psalmist vows to remember Jerusalem, "If I forget you O Jerusalem..." and we promise to keep alive the memories of those who perished in the Holocaust. Jews sustain the memory of loved ones through the traditions of Yizkor (literally: he will remember) and Yahrzeit. The Torah is always telling us to remember that we were slaves in Egypt. But what should we remember? Is it healthy to always have such a good memory? A few months ago (Parshat Ki Tetze), I wrote about the curious mitzvah of Shikh'khah (the forgotten sheaf) that we cannot do with kavannah (intent). Indeed, we can only fulfill it when we forget to perform it! Here, we encounter a similar scenario: a command to wipe out the memory of Amalek. Here we are being commanded to forget! But the Torah begins the command with the word: Remember! How is that possible? Memory is generally a good thing, and any of us with aging parents (and even ourselveswhere did I put those keys?) can identify with the hardships of impaired memory. We are made of our memories. When a loved one has serious memory loss, we worry that they will even lose their sense of 'self.' In the movie Fifty First Dates, we meet '10 second Tom.' Like goldfish, imagine being trapped in a world of 10 second durations (Say, I don't remember seeing that castle there before). It's no joke. On the other hand, memory can be a burden. We cannot remember (re-feel) the actual pain, although we can remember that we experienced it. Holocaust survivors who still wake up in the middle of the night screaming suffer from such memories. After a negative experience, we can become trapped in memory and pain. There is a gift in being able to wake up each day as if it were our first. No baggage. No leftover hurt from the previous day's fight. We need to learn from the past, but not be stuck in it. We say, 'Forgive and forget,' because a person cannot forget until they forgive. But the other way around might be true as well. We can't truly and completely forgive until we're ready or able to forget. If you still remember the incident and the hurt, how can you forgive? Maybe there are times and things we need to forget. This week's command to remember to forget teaches that we must find a balance between memory and moving forward. Judaism has found a way to celebrate history and has turned memory into an art form. Yes, we remember the tyrannical Haman with parody, drink and masquerade. We retell the story and celebrate our survival with a festive meal, (even a little too much) drinking , and gifts to friends and neighbours and tzedakah to the poor. What are we to remember? What are we to forget? The tension between memory and forgetting teaches an important lesson. The other day one of my students shared this with me: "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift. That's why it's called the 'present.' " Shabbat Shalom and Happy Purim!

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Parashat Ki Tisa (Exodus 30:11-34:35) for Mar. 18, 2006 This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored by Meryl Gardner in loving memory of her mother Harriet H. Cohen. Kolel is very appreciative of Meryl's ongoing support.

We can undo our failings by using the same strengths for good.

HAFTARAH TEXT I will sprinkle cleansing waters upon you, and you shall be cleansed of all your impurities; and I will cleanse you of all your idols. Ezekiel 36: 25

Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

Parashat Ki Tisa interrupts the description of the Mishkan's construction with the episode of the Golden (or Molten) Calf and the breaking of the first tablets. Although this year a special Haftarah is read (see below), the regular Haftarah is taken from the first book of Kings (18:1-39; Sephardim begin on verse 20). In both texts, the Israelites betray God, and the leader (Moses/Elijah) must intercede to restore true worship and mend the breached covenant between God and the community. Again this week, the special additional reading describing the ritual of the Red Heifer (Numbers 19:1-22) gives this Shabbat its special name: Shabbat Parah. The special Haftarah from Ezekiel (16-38; Sephardim conclude with verse 36), like the Maftir (concluding) portion deal with the theme of purification. Shabbat Parah reminded the community of Israel that the Pesach sacrifice should be performed in a state of ritual purity.

Elijah, the most famous of the early prophets, lived during the reign of northern Israel's King Ahab (9th century B.C.E). Ahab's wife from Tyre, Jezebel, supported Baal worship and Ellijah battled this foreign influence. According to II Kings (2:11), Elijah did not die, but was carried to heaven in a chariot of fire. Jewish folklore depicts Elijah as a beggar or a poor wanderer, appearing (and disappearing) mysteriously and helping the poor. At Havdalah, the ceremony marking the conclusion of Shabbat we sing, 'Eliyahu Hanavi, Eliyahu hatishbi...' According to tradition, Elijah will come to resolve Talmudic disputes (at the Passover Seder- to tell us whether to drink the fifth 'Elijah's Cup' or not), and will herald the Messianic Age. He is thought to be present at every brit, since each newborn may be the one to help bring the Messiah.

The regular Haftarah for Ki Tisa is the contest between Elijah and the prophets of Baal and Asherah on Mount Carmel. Their worship of Baal parallels the Israelites' worship of the Golden Calf. But this year, the special Shabbat of the Red Heifer - Shabbat Parah, (literally the

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Shabbat of the Cow) falls on the week we read Eigel Hazahav (The Golden Calf) and instead of the passage from the book of II Kings, we read from the prophet Ezekiel. The Parah Adumah (Red Heifer) and Eigel Hazahav! Two cows on one Shabbat! How are these two cows connected? It seems that the cows are complete opposites. The Golden Calf is about idolatry; the Red Heifer is about purification. The Golden Calf represents completely abandoning God (immediately after hearing the Ten Commandments and being freed from Egypt and witnessing the destruction of the Egyptians at the Sea of Reeds). The Red Heifer, by contrast, represents full obedience to God, since this mitzvah is identified as a 'hok' that is, those laws that can't be explained rationally or logically. Performance of the mitzvah of the Red Heifer shows complete submission and allegiance to God. Maimonides suggests that most of the hukkim, the reasons of which are unknown to us, serve as a fence against idolatry (Guide 3:49). So does the Red Heifer come to correct the sin of the Golden Calf? The use of the red heifer in the mysterious ceremony of purification atoning for the sin of idolatry is supported by the Haftarah. The special Haftarah from Ezekiel describes sprinkling water (like in the ceremony of the ashes of the Red Heifer) to "cleanse you of all your idols." The midrash, in fact, makes the connection explicit: A maid's child once dirtied the royal palace. Said the king: "Let his mother come and clean up her child's filth." By the same token, God says: "Let the Heifer atone for the deed of the Calf" (Midrash Tanchuma, Chukat 8). It is precisely because the two incidents are opposites that one can 'fix' the other. How can one event 'atone' for another? Can one event 'undo' another? In our Parasha, cow undoes cow. In Jewish tradition, the get (Jewish divorce document) annuls the Ketubah (marriage contract). Teshuvah (repentance) undoes heit (sin). This is a sound principle familiar from child rearing. Better than a punishment- the consequence should repair the wrongdoing. When such a 'punishment' fits the crime, the 'sentence' for littering, for example, should be cleaning up the litter in the area. There are two approaches to atonement. One is the 'jail' model: we regret our actions, and we pay our debt to society. Then we emerge from jail a 'new person,' often blotting out the memory of our incarceration. We try and distance ourselves from our inclinations to do wrong. But the second model uses the 'judo' approach, where the strength or speed of the opponent is used to our advantage! The bigger they are, the harder they fall! The Rabbis find it curious that the Israelites were indiscriminate; they contributed as eagerly to build the Golden Calf as they did to build the Mishkan. To sin, they gave their gold; to build the sanctuary, they gave their gold. In other words, their generosity could be channeled for holiness just as it had been used for turning away from God. Similarly, the example of the Parah Adumah (Red Heifer) suggests that we can undo our failings by using the very same strengths for good. This would be like a dishonest stockbroker who does teshuvah by using his talents to raise money to support charities instead of for illicit financial dealings. Like the Parah Adumah, let us channel our inclination and/or 'talents' for misdeeds for a higher purpose. Shabbat Shalom,

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Parashat VaYakhel-Pekudei (Exodus 35:1-40:37) for Mar. 25, 2006 This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored by Meryl Gardner in loving memory of her mother Harriet H. Cohen. Kolel is very appreciative of Meryl's ongoing support.

Is there a way in the diaspora to reconnect to natural time and to the land of Israel? Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah

HAFTARAH TEXT The priest shall take some of the blood of the purification offering and apply it to the doorposts of the Temple, to the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and to the doorposts of the gate of the inner court.... On the fourteenth day of the first month you shall have the passover sacrifice; and during the festival of seven days unleavened bread shall be eaten. Ezekiel 45:19, 21

portion together with the Haftarah.

The final two parashiyot of Exodus describe the completion of the Mishkan (which not surprisingly repeats in large measure the instructions found in Terumah and Tetzaveh). The regular Haftarah from the first book of Kings and describes the construction of Solomon's Temple. This year, in addition to the combined reading of VaYakhel and Pekudei, we have the fourth and final special Shabbat before Pesach: Shabbat HaChodesh. This Shabbat gets its name from the opening words of the additional Torah portion: "This month shall be for you the beginning of the months..." The additional reading (Ex. 12:1-20) describes the preparation for the first Passover celebration, and readies us for the upcoming festival of Passover. The special Haftarah from Ezekiel (45:16-46:18; Sephardim begin on verse 18 and end with verse 15) describes the restored Temple and the sacrifices of the new moon (month). A bull is to be sacrificed on the first day of the first month (Nisan). The blood smeared on the doorposts of the Temple (Ez. 45:19) is reminiscent of the blood that the Israelites used to mark the doorposts of their homes before the final plague, and connects our Haftarah to the upcoming festival of Pesach.

Ezekiel was exiled to Babylon when Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem (597 BCE), and Ezekiel preached to the exiles in Babylon that God would return Israel to its land, and restore the Temple and its service (that was destroyed in 586 BCE). Ezekiel used vivid imagery and metaphors (the famous passage: the valley of the dry bones, for example, is read on Passover) and often describes complex mystical visions of chariots and cherubs.

The weekly (double) portion of VaYakhel-Pekudei and the regularly assigned haftarah (from the book of Kings) is about the creation of sacred space. This week, however, the maftir

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(additional reading) from the book of Exodus is about sacred time. The juxtaposition of the reading about sacred space and the calendar invite us to think about the tension between these two. Heschel's insights about Jewish attitudes about sacred time from his volume, The Sabbath, have been often quoted (including last year) so I won't repeat them here. Heschel convincingly argues that Judaism emphasizes the sanctification of time over the sanctification of space. But in Heschel's portrayal of Shabbat as a day of 'truce' between humans/technology and nature/world of creation, we often overlook that the concept of Shabbat and the seven day week is itself an arbitrary measure of time. The year is a natural solar cycle, the month is a natural lunar cycle. But there is no 'week' in nature. It is an artificial construct, and today, Jews are more connected (if they are connected to Jewish time at all) to the weekly cycle of Shabbat than they are to the monthly cycle of the moon. Most of us know what day of the week it is, but most of the time don't know what phase of the moon we are in. The Gregorian calendar, of course is no help at all, as it has lost its connection to the moon altogether, even though the very word 'month' comes from 'moon'. The connection is more apparent in Hebrew: the Mishnaic word for month yerach is the same as yarei'ach (moon). The root of the more common word chodesh (month) is chadash (meaning new), since every new moon inaugurates a new month. Unlike Shabbat, the biblical festivals were originally rooted in agricultural and natural cycles of harvest, but their focus has shifted to remembering and celebrating historical events. Pesach is no longer the Festival of Spring, it becomes a commemoration of the Exodus from Egypt. Shabbat is almost abstract time. As Heschel writes: While the festivals celebrate events that happened in time, the date of the month assigned for each festival in the calendar is determined by the life in nature ... In contrast, the Sabbath is entirely independent of the month and unrelated to the moon. Its date is not determined by any event in nature, such as the new moon, but by the act of creation. Thus the essence of the Sabbath is completely detached from the world of space. The meaning of the Sabbath is to celebrate time rather than space. Six days a week we live under the tyranny of things of space; on the Sabbath we try to become attuned to holiness in time.

Ron H. Feldman critiques Heschel's description of 'Jewish time' as not particularly 'environmentally friendly.' Thus, we find ourselves with two contradictory claims concerning the character of the Sabbath. On the one hand is the claim that the Sabbath is a time of peace and harmony between humans and nature. On the other hand, "The physical world became divested of any inherent sanctity," because the Sabbath's strictly calculated rhythm liberated sacred time from the natural cycle of the lunation. Therefore the endless seven-day rhythm of the Sabbath, ostensibly established by divine decree but only marked in the world by human counting, hardly seems like a moment of peace between "man and nature" or "complete harmony between man and nature." While it may be a time of "peace" due to practices that restrain human activity, the rhythm is not natural and has nothing to do with the needs of nature.

Although the Shabbat Kiddush contains reminders of both the Exodus from Egypt (zecher leyitziat mitzrayim) and Creation (zikaron lema'aseh breishit), and Shabbat practice may encourage us to live in peace with nature, it is intrisically not natural. In contrast, the new moon, this new month of Nisan is connected to the lunar cycle. A Kolel group just returned with me from an amazing nature and hiking tour to Israel. Israel is an incredible country; the recently excavated Ir David may have uncovered King David's palace. Imagine-- we are walking in the footsteps of King David! But most North American Jewish tourists only visit important Jewish historical and archaeological sites and don't see how the Bible is also full of references to Israel's natural world. As (mostly) urban North American Jews we are

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disconnected from both nature in general and Israel's natural world in particular. This means we have lost an appreciation of the imagery, symbolism and the reality of our biblical ancestors that can only be recaptured by being in the land of Israel. One of the participants summed it up perfectly, "This trip gave me a better appreciation of how our ancestors were connected to the 'land' of Israel." "This month/moon will be for you the head of months." Is there a way in the diaspora to reconnect to natural time and to the land of Israel? Shabbat Shalom,

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Parashat VaYikra (Leviticus 1:1-5:26) for April 1, 2006 This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored by Meryl Gardner in loving memory of her mother Harriet H. Cohen. Kolel is very appreciative of Meryl's ongoing support.

Can we infuse our worship today with the passion and drama of the sacrifices? Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

HAFTARAH TEXT But you have not worshipped Me, O Jacob, That you should not be weary of Me, O Israel. You have not brought Me your sheep for burnt offerings, Nor honoured Me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with grain offerings, Nor wearied you about frankincense. You have not brought Me fragrant reed with money, Nor sated Me with the fat of your sacrifices.... Isaiah 43: 22-24

We begin the third book of the Torah with Leviticus, or VaYikra. This book deals largely with the details of the levitical cult: sacrifices and laws of impurity. It is often noted that these texts are challenging for the modern reader. The Conservative Chumash notes: "Leviticus is a difficult book for a modern person to read with reverence and appreciation. Its main subject matter -animal offerings and ritual impurity seems remote from contemporary concerns." (Etz Hayyim, USCJ). Because our focus this year is on the prophets, many who lived after the destruction of the first Temple (586 BCE), we can already begin to see a new relationship to sacrifice and worship. Furthermore, the haftarah portions themselves were chosen by the Rabbis, who lived after the destruction of the second Temple (70 CE), and although they may have imagined (or even hoped for) the restoration of the Temple and the sacrifices, were dealing with a new reality: the worship of God without the sacrificial cult. The haftarah taken from Isaiah reminds the Israelites of their past transgressions, but ends with the promise that God will remember them and redeem them.

Scholars identify this 'deutero-Isaiah' (from chapters 40 on) as a different author from the Isaiah ben Amotz identified in Isaiah 1:1. The 'Second Isaiah' preached in Babylonia in the sixth century BCE and brought a message of consolation to Israelites who had been captured and exiled. Like last week's prophecy of consolation from Ezekiel, here too, Isaiah reminds the Israelites that God still remembers them and will redeem them. The exiles in Babylonia were allowed to return under Cyrus (around 538 BCE) but many remained in Babylonia.

Following the last several weeks of architectural detail and the construction of the portable sanctuary of the Mishkan, we now turn to the service of the priests. When the Temple was destroyed in 70 CE, the sacrificial cult ended and was replaced with prayer. Today, prayer is mostly seen as a higher form of worship, (although the restoration of sacrifices is still included in

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the Orthodox liturgy. There is a small extremist group in Jerusalem who are actively working on rebuilding the Third Temple, although most Jews understand the Third Temple largely in messianic (read mythic) terms). There are some opinions that suggest that when the messiah comes, the sacrificial system will not be reinstituted (see below). Still, we must ask what was the purpose of the sacrifices. The Torah rejects the pagan notion of sacrifices 'feeding' God even though vestiges of idiomatic expressions such as 'My food' and 'My table' can be found. And even in the ancient world, sacrifices may have served many different purposes: communion, gift, bargain, homage, purification and others. While God doesn't need sacrifices, people do: Yalkut Me'am Lo'az suggests five different reasons for sacrifices: 1. to arouse repentance 2. to support the priests 3. to serve as a 'fine' for sinning 4. to 'shock' the viewer by witnessing the slaughter/burning 5. to examine their life/actions to prevent the worship of these animals as idols

Many of us are put off by the description of burnt offerings and the laws of purity, so how are we to deal with Leviticus today? Uncomfortable with the notion of animal sacrifices, we either treat the opening chapters of Leviticus as 'historical memory': 'This is what we used to believe" or try to read the whole text as a metaphor for what 'sacrifices' we need to make in our lives. Another approach considers the sacrifices, by limiting the consumption of meat to sacred occasions and acknowledging God as Creator of life as a kind of 'proto-vegetarianism.' Earlier commentators, too, were uncomfortable with the Torah's emphasis on animal sacrifices, and some re-interpret the entire book of Leviticus allegorically. Liberal Jews tend to agree with the many rabbis (including Maimonides) who understood the sacrificial system as merely a stop gap measure to wean the Israelites from idolatry (learned in Egypt) and of the need for physical forms of worship. "It is impossible to go suddenly from one extreme to the other; the nature of people will not allow them suddenly to discontinue everything to which they have been accustomed." (As a physician, Maimonides understood that it is difficult to go 'cold turkey.' One has to make gradual changes.) Abravanel even suggests that sacrifices were only instituted as a response to the Israelites' sin of the Golden Calf. Ramban (Nachmanides) strongly disagrees with such attempts that render the korbanot (sacrifices) the realm of a temporary exigency born out of a regrettable situation. The implication that korbanot do not belong to the realm of the ideal is rejected by those who still pray for the restoration of the Temple and the sacrificial service. Certainly the prophets can be cited (and were used by the early Reformers, in fact) to argue that God doesn't want sacrifices altogether (I Sam. 15:22; Hosea 6:6, Amos 5:21, Isaiah 1:11, Jer. 7:20 and others). However, none of these texts was chosen by the Rabbis for the Haftarah. In fact, Isaiah reports God's complaint that the Israelites have not brought sacrifices or offered incense. Instead, they fashioned idols out of metal and wood in vain. Do they not see the folly of their actions? They take some wood to build a fire to warm themselves and to bake bread, while simultaneously making an idol out of the same wood, and worshipping it. Even with all our technology and sophistication, it seems that we still require tangible symbols and concrete rituals. People want their religion to be physical; something that they can see and touch. Hence there has been a return, for example, in the Reform movement to traditional prayer garments (tallit and kippah) that originally was too abstract and too intellectual. But today's worship remains relatively reserved and detached compared to what the Temple sacrificial service must have felt like. Like Isaiah's listeners, we too no longer have access to the Temple's service, and must bring the offerings of our hearts. If God doesn't need our sacrifices, our Torah portion regarding sacrifices is about what we really want, while the haftarah from Isaiah details what God truly wants: our sincere return to God's service. But can we infuse our worship today with the passion and drama that our ancestors felt bringing their bleating (and bleeding) animals

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to the golden altar? Shabbat Shalom,

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Parashat Tzav (Leviticus 6:1-8:36) for April 8, 2006 This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored by Beth and Mark Lichtental in loving memory of Moe Swartz.

Passover orients us towards that great day of redemption for all the world.

HAFTARAH TEXT "I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Eternal" Malachi 3: 23

Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

The second portion in the book of Leviticus continues last week's descriptions of the sacrifices with instructions for the kohen- a 'priestly manual' on how to perform the sacrificial service. Our parasha of Tzav, as it often does, falls this year with the Shabbat before Pesach, and once again, a special Haftarah from Malachi replaces the regular assigned reading from Jeremiah. To connect to the parasha, the haftarah indeed begins with: "Then the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to Adonai as they were in days of old, as in years long past." (3:4). However, the passage from Malachi connects more to the upcoming festival of Passover than it does to the levitical passage. The name of this Shabbat, 'Shabbat HaGadol' (the Great Sabbath) may get its name from the concluding verse: "I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Eternal" (3:23); this penultimate verse is re-read after verse 24 to avoid ending on a negative note. Others suggest the name comes from the fact that this was the one Shabbat that the Rabbi spoke at length (usually on laws concerning Passover); sermons are a relatively recent innovation.

Malachi, which simply means 'My messenger,' is more of a title, than an actual personal name. The anonymous individual we call Malachi was the last of the prophets, and lived in the middle of the 5th century B.C.E. before the reforms of Ezra and Nehemia. (Some sources in fact identify him as Ezra.) At that time, Judea was still a province of Persia. While it seems that he lived at a time when the Temple had been rebuilt (515 B.C.E.) religious performance was perfunctory. Malachi calls for a religious revival.

The Jewish holidays can be thought of as the DNA of Judaism. Irving ('Yitz') Greenberg writes in the introduction to his volume on the Jewish holidays: The Jewish Way, "Grasp [the holy days] in your hand and you hold the heart of the faith in your hand. The holy days are the quintessential Jewish religious expression..." Every Jewish holiday has a central theme, and

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while we might reflect on religious freedom at Chanukah, or our commitment to Jewish study on Shavuot, most holidays celebrate an event that happened only once, a long time ago. But not Passover. The festival of Passover is really three holidays in one. (And here I am not referring to the ancient farmer and shepherd festivals that were combined into the historical exodus from Egypt). But rather, I mean, that the Passover celebration of the exodus is simultaneously a holiday that remembers the past, is recreated in the present, and is a model for the future. The exodus from Egypt may have been a one time event, but it permeates Jewish life. It would be hard to exaggerate its importance: we are commanded to remember the exodus daily; the exodus is recited daily in our prayers, and is included in the Friday night Kiddush. Tzitzit, (the fringes on our tallit) serve as a reminder that God took us out of Egypt. The first line of the Ten Commandments identifies God as the God who took us out of Egypt. But Passover does not only celebrate the exodus from Egypt as an event that occurred in the past. The whole point of the Seder and the ritual foods and the storytelling on Passover night is to reenact the story. Some communities go so far as to dress up: taking a staff and walking around the table. Perhaps we should pack our knapsacks or our suitcases and have them ready, next to our Seder tables. (What should we pack could be an interesting discussion for the Seder itself). Have you ever been to the theatre where the performance so moved you that you were 'breathless?' The purpose of this night of 'dinner theatre' is not only to think about the past, but to actually go through the experience yourself. The Hagaddah is explicit: In every generation a person must see themselves as if they themselves had left Egypt. What does this mean? Next year, Kolel is planning to actually do this literally: see our Exodus Tour- from Egypt to Israel, where we will actually leave Egypt and walk in the Sinai before having our Seder under the desert stars. But most of the time we understand 'Mitzrayim' literally narrow places, metaphorically; even without going to Egypt, then, the Seder is an opportunity to consider how we are enslaved in the present. But that's not all. Passover is not only about the past and the present. It is also a model for future redemption. Yitz continues: "The central paradigm of Jewish religion is redemption." And there is no holiday that is more focused on redemption than Passover. Passover seems to say, "If it happened once, it can happen again." Before the exodus from Egypt, the world ran on the principle, 'same old, same old.' There was no escaping fate. Unlike other animals, humans do not live only with the past and in the present. Human beings can anticipate future redemption and work to bring it closer. Humans are future-oriented, and Yitz calls the exodus "an orienting event." Just like we use a compass to orient ourselves if we get lost, humanity must check with the exodus from time to time, to make sure we are on the right path. What was the most significant event in human history: the invention of the printing press, the Industrial Revolution, the Internet? Yitz argues that it would be the exodus. Not only is it the primary event (that is, if it hadn't happened, none of the other events would have happened), but its message of redemption continues to reverberate as the single most powerful declaration of hope in human history. Passover celebrates the ultimate (and one hopes imminent) day when Elijah the prophet will herald the ultimate liberation from oppression. Which brings us to our haftarah. Because we associate Elijah the prophet with the Seder, the mention of Elijah in the haftarah is often thought to be the connection between Malachi and this Shabbat that precedes Passover, but the tradition of Elijah's cup and Elijah at the Seder are a later tradition. Malachi describes the ultimate liberation of Israel from oppression. Malachi's main message is to return back to God, to do teshuvah. Then that 'Great Day' will come, the great day that Passover orients us towards, the day of redemption for all the world Happy Passover and Shabbat Shalom,

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Shabbat Hol HaMoed Pesach (Exodus 33:12-34:26; Numbers 28:19-25) for April 15, 2006 This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored by Elliot Shapiro in loving memory of Goldie Weisbrod.

Nothing is wasted in nature or in love. Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

HAFTARAH TEXT "Then God said to me: Mortal, these bones are the whole House of Israel. They say: Our bones are dried up, our hope is lost; we are cut off [from life]! Therefore prophesy to them and say: Thus says the Eternal God: I am going to open your graves, My people; I will lift you out of your graves and bring you [home] to the land of Israel." Ezekiel 37: 11,12

The Shabbat that falls in the middle of Pesach interrupts the weekly cycle of Torah readings, and like first and second day, the holiday readings describe the celebration of Passover and the sacrificial offerings. Ezekiel's haftarah begins (36:37) comparing Jerusalem during the festivals when they are filled with flocks to Israel's ruined cities that will be fillled with people. The Haftarah is probably one of the most famous passages from the prophets: Ezekiel's image of the 'dry bones.' The idea that Israel would be restored was a message of consolation and comfort to the exiles of Babylonia. Different communities read slightly different verses: some read from Ez. 36:37, 38; 37:14; others read 37:1-17).

The prophet Ezekiel lived during the destruction of the First Temple at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar (586 BCE) and was exiled to Babylonia. In the first half of the book of Ezekiel, the prophet warns of the imminent destruction of Jerusalem; in the latter half, he preaches a message of consolation and restoration. While Ezekiel still had hope that the Northern Kingdom would be restored and then united, in fact, this prophecy did not come to pass. The Northern Kingdom was conquered by the Assyrians over a hundred years earlier (722 BCE), and has disappeared from history.

The holiday of Passover marks the 'birth' of the Jewish people. The exodus narrative is filled with birth imagery: the midwives in Exodus, the narrow birth canal of the Red Sea, and the 'breaking of the waters.' Spring is also about birth; the natural world around us is filled with signs of life. In ancient religion, rebith, fertility and resurrection are themes associated with springtime. With the holiday of Passover, Israel's hot, dry summer season begins. The rainy season that began at Sukkot is now over. Dew, the only source of daily moisture for plants becomes associated with this rebirth. Starting on Passover, we replace the blessing "who makes the rain fall" with "who makes the dew fall" in our daily liturgy. The prayer for dew is inserted in the 'Gevurot,' the second paragraph of the Amidah, the prayer that speaks about reviving the dead.

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Where does this idea of resurrection come from? The Torah certainly does not mention ressurection explicitly, or even any belief in an afterlife. In Genesis, Adam is told, "Dust you are, and to dust you shall return" (Gen. 3:19b). But the Torah does not have the final word. Slowly, the idea that death may not be the final stop evolves. By the time of Ezekiel, his prophecy of the dry bones becomes interpreted as a depiction of resurrection: dry bones reassembling, sinews and flesh appearing. His graphic description reads like science fiction, and I can just imagine how this could be realistically portrayed today with computer digital animation. Wow, what a special effect! Over the centuries, Ezekiel's message has been understood by many quite literally. Traditional Judaism, to the extent that it has any official 'dogma' considers belief in the resurrection of the dead as a key tenet. Maimonides lists it in his thirteen articles of faith, and it appears in the liturgy in the closing hymn of Yigdal: Meitim yehayeh eil... But this may not have been Ezekiel's intent. He was addressing the exiles in Babylonia. The Temple had been destroyed. Their lives in Israel were over. Was this to be the end of the Jewish people (like it was the end of the Israelite northern kingdom which has vanished)? Ezekiel reassures them that their lives still have meaning. They can live with hope that although they are 'like dead', Israel will be revived. Today we have seen with our own eyes Ezekiel's vision on the national level come true. Six million Jews were murdered in the Shoah (Holocaust) and yet the State of Israel was re-established. Our bones have come to life. Ezekiel can be read allegorically--as national/political renewal; we don't have to believe in a literal physical resurrection if we don't want to. In liberal prayerbooks, resurrection is often understood metaphorically, and 'who gives life to the dead' is changed to 'who gives life to all' (mehayeh hakol instead of mehayeh meitim), although newer liturgies are retaining the traditional language. How are we to understand 'who revives the dead' on an individual level? I think the poet Laura Gilpin provides an answer to how the dead live on in her moving poem: These things I know: How the living go on living and how the dead go on living with them so that in a forest even a dead tree casts a shadow and the leaves fall one by one and the branches break in the wind and the bark peels off slowly and the trunk cracks and the rain seeps in through the cracks and the trunk falls to the ground and the moss covers it and in the spring, the rabbits find it and build their nest inside the dead tree so that nothing is wasted in nature or in love. Passover's message is that just as the earth continually is renewed, our lives too have the potential for redemption. Our festival of liberation teaches us that as life goes on, nothing is wasted in nature or in love. Happy Passover and Shabbat Shalom,

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Parashat Shemini (Leviticus 9:1-11:47) for April 22, 2006 This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored by Judi Lederman in loving memory of Sara (Sorki) Weinberg.

Religion can only have worth when it values human life. Study with Baruch Sienna

HAFTARAH TEXT "But when they came to the threshing floor of Nachon, Uzzah reached out for the Ark of God and grasped it, for the oxen had stumbled. Adonai was incensed at Uzzah. And God struck him down on the spot for his indiscretion, and he died there beside the Ark of God." II Samuel 6: 6,7

This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

The bulk of this week's relatively short parasha focuses on the rules of purity and sanctification. Chapter eleven lists those animals that are permitted to be eaten, forming the basis of the dietary rules of kashrut. In this parasha is the short account of the death of Aaron's sons, Nadav and Avihu, when they offered 'alien' fire on the altar. The parallel to our Haftarah is clear: Uzzah is also struck down by God for touching the Ark. Curiously, the Ark was taken from the house of Avinadav, a combination of the names Avihu and Nadav. The installation of the Ark in Jerusalem also echoes the dedication of the Mishkan in Leviticus.

King David is trying to establish his authority and unify the tribes of Israel (in the north) and Judah (in the south). Besides political and national unity, David seeks to centralize religious life by moving the Ark to Jerusalem, David's new capital. Our haftarah from the book of Second Samuel documents the transition of the Ark from a portable sanctuary to a fixed address. The move of God's worship from a portable tent to a permament house/shrine also marks a shift in the life of the people of Israel-- moving from the life of nomads to the fixed life of a nation/state of farmers. Reading this story, I can't help but think of the excavations that we saw taking place in the City of David, (outside what we call today the 'Old City). According to Eilat Mazar, we may have found the foundations to David's palace.

The death of Aaron's sons, Nadav and Avihu, is a tragedy. The story appears for the first time briefly in our parasha, and is referred to again several times (Lev. 16:1; Num. 3:4; Num. 26:61; I Chron. 24:2). It seems like Nadav and Avihu can't be mentioned without the reminder, 'who offered alien fire and died.' This cryptic narrative is problematic. Why did they die? Although some Rabbis tried to find some indication of wrongdoing on their part (either hubris, intoxication, or a disregard for protocol), although some argue that such an approach is akin to

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'blaming the victim'. Others considered them blameless and righteous. When we compare the parallel story found in our haftarah, the implication that they were innocent is supported: the Ark is being joyfully transported to Jerusalem, and when the oxen stumble, Uzzah reaches out to support the Ark from falling. Suddenly, tragedy strikes: Uzza dies. Clearly here, Uzza is blameless. Even if this was 'an indiscretion', his was an inadvertant act, without any of the possible motives attributed to Aaron's sons. Both stories demonstrate that objects of holiness are dangerous, like high voltage wires. The message seems to be: don't fool around with religion! Earlier (in Parshat Toldot) we talked about the need to perform religious acts properly. There is no excuse for sloppiness, so it is disappointing to see so many Jews committed enough to put up a mezzuzah, but end up putting it up the wrong way, without the proper scroll, or without the proper blessing. But imagine if we were killed for putting on tefillin the wrong way!? That seems a little extreme. On the other hand, as liberal Jews especially, we like to believe 'it's the thought that counts.' The early chasidic masters also promoted such an approach, and there are many chasidic stories of simple Jews who reached a higher level of holiness than those who performed the mitzvot with all the minutiae, because they had the right kavannah (intent). Since we are just concluding the holiday of Passover, let me share a famous story of Rabbi Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev, after a particularly satisfying seder is told in a dream that the seder of Chaim the porter was loftier than his. After searching out this simple, unlearned Jew, Levi Yitzhak tries to find out what Chayim did that was so special. "Rebbe, I'll tell you the truth. I heard that we are not allowed to drink vodka for eight days. So this morning I drank enough to last me for eight days. So of course I was sleepy, and I went to bed. When it was night-time my wife wakes me up and starts nagging me. She starts saying 'Chaim,' she says, 'why don't you make a seder like all the other Jews?’ "So I says to her, what do you want from me? I'm an ignoramus, and my father before me was an ignoramus. All I know is this--that our fathers were in exile and God took us out from the land of the gypsies and made us free. And now we're all in exile again, but God will bring us out again, for sure!' Then I saw that on the table there were matzah and wine and eggs, so I ate the matzah and the eggs, and I drank up the wine. And then I was so exhausted that I had to go back to sleep."

So many of us get so involved in the minutiae of Passover, we are too exhausted to really focus on the main thing. Religion in general has this danger. The midrash (Tanhuma Beshalach 21) in fact has the Israelites complain that God's rituals are just too dangerous, because of the deaths of Nadav and Avihu and Uzza. The midrash's rebuttal is that the both the Ark and the incense which appear to cause death in our two stories, are also sources of blessing and protection. I think this midrash has a great truth. Religious ritual can either be a source of meaning or life-threatening. The Rabbis reject the poisonous oleander and identify the 'thickly leaved boughs' for the lulav and etrog used on Sukkot as the sweet smelling myrtle. "Dracheha darchei noam, the Torah's ways are ways of pleasantness", they argue; the Torah is a source of life. Every week we read of suicide bombers and worshippers killed in mosques. Religion today is too often used to justify or cause death; religion can only have worth when it values human life. We often don't consider our religion to be a 'life or death' issue, but this week's portion makes us ask: 'Are the religious ideas and rituals that we are engaged with life affirming?' Because if they aren't, they might be as dangerous as touching a high tension electric wire. Shabbat Shalom,

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Parashat Tazria-Metzora (Leviticus 12:1-15:32) for April 29, 2006 This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored by Jeanette Grossman in loving memory of Lieba Lesk.

Turning and thinking about others and speaking out can bring redemption.

HAFTARAH TEXT Then [the four lepers] said to one another, "We are not doing right. This is a day of good news, and we are keeping silent! If we wait unti the light of morning, we shall incur guilt. Come let us go and inform the king's palace." II Kings 7:9

Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

The combined portions of Tazria-Metzora this week are probably the least favourite Torah portion of the year for a Bar/Bat Mitzvah: skin inflammations (zits), menstruation and night time emissions. (A few months ago, Toronto's Science Museum had an exhibit called 'Grossology' focusing on the inner workings of our bodies- definitely not for the squeamish.) But, fortunately, the haftarah for both portions, connected by the issue of 'leprosy', tell interesting stories from the cycle of legends that revolve around the prophet Elisha. The portion for Tazria tells the story of Elisha miraculously curing Naaman of leprosy (2 Kings 4:42-5:19). When the portions are combined, as they are this year, we read the haftarah for Metzora (2 Kings 7:30). The common, older translation of tzara'at and metzora as 'leprosy' and 'leper' is misleading. The description of the biblical disease does not correspond to true leprosy (also known as Hansen's disease). Scholars are not sure what medical condition would produce the white skin described in the Bible. Fox avoids the issue in his (normally excellent) translation by simply transliterating tzara'at instead of translating it, and awkwardly renders the latter metzora as 'one-with-tzara'at').

King Ben-Hadad of Aram, allied with the southern kingdom of Judah was waging a war against Israel. There was a famine in the land, and food was scarce. Food prices were out of control (a small quantity of carob pods- normally easily available and hardly a sought after food, sold for five shekels) and even cannibalism was reported. Samaria, the capital of Israel is under siege; but then inexplicably, the Aramean siege ends abruptly, and the Arameans are discovered to have deserted their army camp- leaving their animals, food, and gold behind. Elisha's prediction that food would be so plentiful, prices would drop to near normal levels comes true.

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The haftarah begins at verse 3 (after the prologue of Elisah's prediction) with four 'lepers/outcasts' outside the gate of the city during Aram's siege of Samaria. Because they are 'outside the gates' and will starve to death if they stay there, they decide to take their chances with defecting to the Aramean camp. Initially, on discovering it deserted, they plunder it, eating and drinking and burying the gold and silver. But the lepers realize that what they are doing is not right, and they return to the city and inform the king. Their report is validated, and the city is saved. There is one aspect to our story that is noteworthy. The many characters of our story: from king, courtier, soldiers, gatekeeper, are all nameless. Just as a name identifies an individual's character, the anonymity in our story highlights the characters' identity and role. Each character plays an archetype. Adele Reinhartz in her wonderful volume, "Why Ask My Name?" suggests that: Focus on role designations, in turn, allows us to contruct identity in the locus betwe en the role designation and the character's narrative portrayal. In doing so, we compare the stereotypical behaviors associated with the role in biblical narrative and the particular ways in which the unnamed character fulfills or does not fulfill the role, or we look at the degree to which he or she stretches its limits or calls its very contou rs into question.

The text wants us to focus on the identity of the four individuals as lepers. The bearers of good news, the four nameless 'lepers' were outcasts. Like our world today, individuals 'on the edge' of society are not valued. Yet it was these lowest four on the social ladder who were the instruments of their nation's salvation. It was precisely their location 'outside the gates' that enabled them to set into motion a chain of events that saved the city. But how did they do it? At first, they only worried about themselves. Then, they had a change of heart. As social outcasts they could have easily justified the looting to themselves as they felt abandoned by society. But they don't. They speak out instead. Rabbi Rochelle Robins (in The Women's Haftarah Commentary ed. Rabbi Elyse Goldstein) suggests that if the four 'lepers' are suffering from 'speaking out,' it is interesting then, that it is again by 'speaking out' that releases these individuals from their fate. Robins of course is basing this on the rabbinic play on words that see metzora as a contraction for motzi shem ra, speaking slander or gossip. Leprosy, turning one's skin white is interpreted by the Rabbis as Divine punishment for 'blackening' someone's reputation with words. [The idea that we are punished for misdeeds is certainly often true on many levels; our actions, good and bad, have consequences. The problem is that the reverse is not necessarily true. I f we smoke, we may get cancer; but not everyone who gets cancer, smoked. The notion that if we suf fer, we must therefore have sinned, is extremely problematic. In the Bible, everything is from God, so suffering is generally seen as punishment, but I don't want to go there.]

Robins points out that at times, 'speaking out' may have negative social consequences. But there are also times when we must have the courage to speak the truth and not be silent. It is this act of teshuvah, this turning and thinking about others, and speaking out can bring redemption. Shabbat Shalom

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Parashat Acharei Mot-Kedoshim (Leviticus 16:1-20:27) for May 6, 2006 This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored by Nancy Shanoff in loving memory of Peter Weis.

Planting is connecting something at its root. Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

HAFTARAH TEXT "The time is coming, says the Eternal One....when the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall overflow. I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel: They shall rebuild the desolate cities, and dwell in them; they shall plant vineyards, and drink their wine; make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant them on their soil, never again to be uprooted from the soil that I have given them, says the Eternal One, your God." Amos 9:13-15

Again this week we have a double portion, combining the parashiyot of Acharei Mot and Kedoshim. (When the portions are read separately, there are different traditions for which haftarah is read. Some communities recite this week's haftarah from Amos, others read portions from Ezekiel 22, and Ezekiel 20). Amos' pronouncement provides an interesting counterpoint to the Torah portion. Kedoshim concludes with how Israel has been set apart from all the nations (Lev. 20:26) yet the haftarah begins with Amos reminding Israel that God is God of all humanity, and God cares equally about the Ethiopians. God also redeemed other nations. At the same time, Amos reinforces the message of Kedoshim "You shall faithfully observe all My laws...lest the land to which I bring you to settle in spew you out" (Lev. 20:22) that God will judge all people. Right living seems to be a condition for dwelling in God's promised land. The haftarah concludes on a positive note with a vision of a brighter future.

Amos is the first of the 'literary' prophets. He lived and prophesied around 784-748 B .C.E. during the reign of King Jeroboam. Like Moses, Amos was a 'reluctant' prophet. That is, he descri bed himself as a sheep breeder and tended sycomore figs and was called by God to proclaim a message w arning of Israel's destruction. He prophesied in the Northern Kingdom of Israel against the immo ral practices that he saw. His message was the classic prophetic message: that rituals and religious piety do not have God's approval when there is inequity between people and social injustice.

This week we mark Yom HaZikaron, the day of remembrance for Israel's fallen soldiers,

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and celebrate Yom Ha'Atzma'ut, Israel's Independence Day. How wonderful that we celebrate Israel's Independence this week in the first week of May, the month for planting. Both the Torah and haftarah portions include this motif of planting. Our combined Torah portion includes many famous verses, including "You shall love your neighbour as yourself" (Lev. 19:18) and my favourite, "You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind" (Lev. 19:14) (see last year's column). But among the miscellaneous collection of laws (everything from sexual morality to sacrifices) is a verse that describes the Israelites' connection to the land: When you come into the land and you plant every food-bearing tree...(Lev. 19:23). This imagery connects to the haftarah's description of our return to Israel, planting vineyards and gardens. Planting is connecting something at its root. Herzl understood that the precarious condition of Jews throughout history was because the Jewish people had been uprooted from their land. Many early Zionists believed that the health of the Jewish people depended on its reconnection with nature. The early Zionist thinker and writer, A.D. Gordon wrote: We come to our Homeland in order to be planted in our natural soil from which we have been uprooted, to strike our roots deep into its life-giving substances, and to stretch out our branches in the sustaining and creating air and sunlight of the Homeland. Other peoples can manage to live in any fashion, in the homelands from which they have never been uprooted, but we must first learn to know the soil and ready it for our transplantation. We must study the climate in which we are to grow and produce. We, who have been torn away from nature, who have lost the savor of natural living - if we desire life, we must establish a new relationship with nature; we must open a new account with it.

The early Zionists took A.D. Gordon's words to heart. Their slogan was: to build and be built. By literally building and planting, these chalutzim (pioneers) were involved in re-building the Jewish nation and Jewish life. Many of them were disconnected from traditional Jewish practice, and many were even secular and hostile to religion, yet many of them sensed a quasi-religious quality to their efforts. They were helping a new Jewish people to take root; transplanting an alienated folk in the soil of their own national life. Certainly the early religious Zionists believed that there was a mystical connection between the land and the people of Israel. This is why HaRav Kook, Israel's first Chief Rabbi, considered even the secular Zionists as partners in helping to bring redemption. While in Israel, we might celebrate the land and Yom Ha'Atzma'ut by going on a hike or visiting the seashore, those of us in the diaspora cannot easily connect to the land of Israel. Since these days do not yet have a fixed liturgy or traditional ritual, it is especially fitting to hear this week's haftarah from Amos. The early Zionists were initially opposed by some religious groups who believed that we should wait for God to restore the Jews to their land (and a small minority of extremists still hold this position). But Amos tells us that we must [first] rebuild the cities and the gardens of Israel, and then God will 'plant Israel upon their soil. We plant our 'roots' in Israel, and we hope for the day when Amos' vision will come true, when Israel will "never again to be uprooted from the soil that I have given them." Shabbat Shalom,

BDS

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Parashat Emor (Leviticus 21:1-24:23) for May 13, 2006 This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored by Meryl Gardner in loving memory of her mother Harriet H. Cohen. Kolel is very appreciative of Meryl's ongoing support.

Judaism is an evolving, historical conversation between humanity and the Divine.

HAFTARAH TEXT "Now the levitcal priests descended from Zadok, who maintained the service of My Sanctuary when the people of Israel went astray from Methey shall approach Me to Minister to Me; they shall stand before Me to offer Me fat and blood-- declares the Lord Adonai. Ezekiel 44:15

Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

This week's parasha Emor begins with the laws concerning the priesthood and the restrictions and limitations that govern a priest's behaviour. The parasha also contains a list of the biblical holy days. The parasha concludes with a brief, enigmatic story about a blasphemer, and the famous 'eye for an eye' law (lex talionis) law is repeated (see also Ex. 21:23 and Deut. 19:21). Normally Ezekiel uses vivid imagery and metaphors (the famous passage: the valley of the dry bones, for example, is read on Passover) and he often describes complex mystical visions of chariots and cherubs. Here however, while Ezekiel envisions a time when the Temple will be restored, the haftarah sounds more like Torah (with an almost mundane description of their activities and clothing, and rules about their conduct) than the typical prophetic passage.

The prophet Ezekiel lived during the destruction of the First Temple at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar (586 BCE) and was exiled to Babylonia. In the first half of the book of Ezekiel, the prophet warns of the imminent destruction of Jerusalem; in the latter half, he preaches a message of consolation and restoration. While Ezekiel still had hope that the Northern Kingdom would be restored and then united, in fact, this prophecy did not come to pass. The Northern Kingdom, conquered by the Assyrians over a hundred years earlier (722 BCE), have disappeared from history, notwithstanding the fairly discredited attempts to identify various ethnic groups with the missing 'Ten Lost Tribes.'

The bulk of the book of Leviticus is about sacrificial offerings (korbanot) and the priesthood. And those of us who need to write about Leviticus always struggle with the topic. Do we turn it into a metaphor or treat it (in Joel Grishaver's words, as "ambivalent historic memory- a 'we used to find meaning' kind of thing." Or do we find some other topic that is mentioned parenthetically? For example, this week I could talk about the role of hair in society (the priest needed to keep his hair trimmed and tidy (Ez. 44:20; to my own long-haired children, hint, hint ), or the Cohen's clothing (a linen-wool blend forbidden to lay people, called 'sha'atnez').

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But if I don't want to avoid the issue, the real question that Ezekiel's description of the rebuilt Temple prompts is, do we want the Third Temple rebuilt, and should we? Many of the prophets who lived after the destruction of King Solomon's Temple believed that the Temple would be rebuilt, and their words were consolation to the exiles. The return to Zion and the rebuilding of the Temple were often mentioned together, and while the former has come true in our lifetime, the latter has not. There are serious political and pragmatic difficulties with building a third (Jewish) temple on the site of the present Al Aksa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, and most liberal Jews (and I would hazard a guess that even some Orthodox too) understand the rebuilding of the Temple metaphorically. But not everyone thinks this is just poetry. Undeterred by the physical and historical realities, today there exist (Jewish and Christian) zealous messianic groups (such as the Temple Mount Faithful in Jerusalem) that are actively preparing for the day (coming soon, they believe) when the Temple will be restored, and the Temple service, as described by the Torah a nd Ezekiel will be reinstituted. They are busy building the artifacts for the Temple so we'll be ready, and even though they are basing their efforts on the Torah's descriptions, there are technical terms whose meaning scholars do not understand, materials we do not have, and measurements that we are not sure of. (The fact that Ezekiel's regulations contradicts with the To rah's version is problematic, but a separate issue). And in case you think praying for the sacrifices is only for extremists, even your not so radical, average, moderate, modern Orthodox Jew prays for the restoration of the Temple every day. Conservative Jews read about the Temple and the sacrifices, but according to our own past Reb on the Web, Rabbi Neal Loevinger, "the newest Conservative prayerbook changes the Shabbat Musaf prayer to refer to the sacrifices as something in the past, not hoped for in the future." Only Reform and Reconstructionists have deleted these references from the prayerbook. But it is not only the denominations that draw these lines. According to the Rabbis, after the destruction of the Temple, prayer (avodah shebalev- the service of the heart) replaces the sacrifices. But the question is: does it permanently replace it (a la Maimonides) or is it a temporary substitute while we nostalgically remember the incense and the blood on the altar. Many rabbis use the 'gradual approach': the Israelites were accustomed to pagan practice and weren't yet sophisticated enough to understand abstract prayer so God instituted korbanot as a 'concession'. Some use this same argument, for example, to suggest that the laws of kashrut are really to wean us from meat, a kind of proto-vegetarianism. Others disagree: if God had wanted us to pray- God would have commanded prayer. After all, there exist plenty of mitzvot that are hard to understand or difficult to perform. There is a secret spiritual component to the sacrifices th at is now lost to us in the post-sacrificial reality (Ramban). Only because the Temple was destroyed do we pray today without the sacrifices. I think even Maimonides would have to admit, that if the Temple hadn't been destroyed, Judaism would still offer burnt offerings like the Samaritans (a group that split off from Judaism in the 4th century BCE. A small community of some 600 souls still live in parts of Israel). Rabbi Keith Stern writes in Learn Torah With (5755, Torah Aura): I hold my breath as Vayikra comes rolling out over the Torah table... All this talk of suet and guts and entrails and buckets of blood... gevalt! Do I dare ask where God is in all of this.... It seems to me vaguely ironic that the destruction of the Second Temple paradoxically wiped out the sacrificial cult-- and thus saved Judaism.

Leviticus is about sacrifices, but what we believe about the sacrifices and the Temple cuts to the core of our approach to Judaism. Since God doesn't change, and God's words don't change, some would like their Judaism to not change either. But history marches on, and hopefully our understanding matures. Either the earlier version of Judaism is/was perfect and shouldn't change, or it is an evolving, historical conversation between humanity and the Divine.

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Shabbat Shalom,

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Parashat Behar-Behukotai (Leviticus 25:1-27:34) for May 20, 2006 This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored by Meryl Gardner in loving memory of her mother Harriet H. Cohen. Kolel is very appreciative of Meryl's ongoing support.

God is both Israel's hope and the source for Divine purification.

HAFTARAH TEXT "O Hope of Israel (Mikveh Yisrael)! O Adonai, All who forsake You shall be put to shame, Those in the land who turn from You shall be doomed, For they have forsaken Adonai The Fount of living waters." Jeremiah 17:13

Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

Our third double portion in Leviticus, Behar-Behukotai finally brings the book of Leviticus to a close, and we bid a fond adieu to the rules for the priests and the details of the sacrifices. Ashkenazim and Sephardim read slightly different verses from Jeremiah 32 when the portion Behar is read separately (6-27 and 6-22 respectively). But when the portions are combined, both communities read the haftarah normally assigned for Behukotai, Jeremiah 16:19-17:14. This passage is a collection of various bits and pieces, as if Jeremiah's scribe Baruch collected some of his notes into one document. Leviticus ends with a series of curses (tochecha) and blessings, and Jeremiah also describes curses and blessings: "cursed be the person who trusts in people" and its corollary ("blessed are those who trust in the Eternal") 'Baruch hagever asher yivtach ba'adonai' (familiar from the Grace after Meals). The Haftarah reinforces the Torah's emphasis on the importance of obedience to God and the covenant.

Jeremiah lived during the reign of King Josiah who restored the Temple cult and instituted religious reforms after finding an ancient scroll believed to be the book of Deuteronomy. Some scholars identify Jeremiah as the author of the book of Deuteronomy. The Kingdom of Judah was caught in the crossfire between the superpowers of Egypt to the south and the Babylonians in the North. The Northern Kingdom of Israel had already been destroyed by the Assyrians in 721 BCE. Egypt marched through the land of Israel to attack Babylonia, and enroute battled with the Israelites at Megiddo, killing Josiah. The Egyptians however were defeated by Nebuchadnezzar in 605 BCE, and Jerusalem came under Nebuchadnezzar's rule. In 586 BCE Jerusalem was razed and the Temple destroyed. The religious and political elite were exiled to Babylonia, but a remnant of the Jewish population fled to Egypt and took Jeremiah with them.

I have just been asked to design a new certificate for the local mikvah, so I need to find a biblical verse that uses the word 'mikvah' and I open this week's haftarah to find Jeremiah calling God, "Mikveh Yisrael, The Hope of Israel." A mikvah is a ritual bath; the root (k.v.h)

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refers to a pool of water, and is found in Genesis, when God says, "yekavu hamayim, let the waters be gathered" (2:9). Here in Jeremiah, the word mikvah (or mikveh) is understood to mean 'hope' just like the word for Israel's national anthem from the same root, Hatikvah. (Mikveh Yisrael was also the name of the first modern Jewish agricultural settlement (established in Holon, south of Tel Aviv and) founded by Charles Netter in June 15, 1870. Mikveh Yisrael was the name of one of the oldest Jewish congregations (Philadelphia, 18th century) and is also a popular name for (usually Sephardic) synagogues. If Mikvah can mean both a pool of water, and hope, what is the connection between the two? In Israel, having a storehouse of collected rainwater would certainly mean one has hope. All through Israel one can find ancient cisterns that the Israelites carved out of rock. A pit without water would be a symbol of hopelessness, and Jeremiah would know- like Joseph, he was thrown into a muddy pit (Jer. 38: 6). It makes sense to call God, Israel's hope (the way the verse is usually translated) but the verse continues, "Adonai, the Fount of Living Waters, M'kor Mayim Hayim." God is also being compared to a pool of water. Jeremiah has used this water imagery for God before, contrasting God with the water of the Nile and the Euphrates. For My people have forsaken Me, the Fount of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, which cannot even hold water... What then is the good of your going to Egypt, to drink the waters of the Nile? And what is the good of your going to Assyria, to drink the waters of the Euphrates? Jer. 2:13, 18

Jeremiah's use of the imagery of God as mikvah, used for ritual purification is the perfect ending for the book of Leviticus that focused on ritual purity. But what does it mean to say, God is our 'mikvah'!? God is both Israel's hope and the source for Divine purification. At the end the last mishnah for the tractate on Yom Kippur (Babylonian Talmud, Yomah 8:9), (a day that revolves around holiness and purity) Rabbi Akiva playing with these two meanings of mikvah (ritual bath and hope) teaches: "Happy are you, Israel! Who is it before whom you purify? And who is it that purifies you? Your Parent which is in heaven, as it is said: "And I will sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean." (Ezek. 36:25). And it further says: "Adonai, the Hope of Israel." Just as the mikvah renders clean the unclean, so does the Holy Blessed One, render Israel clean." Akiva asks two questions: Who is it ... you purify? And who ... purifies you? It is not clear who is doing the purifying. The two questions suggest that there are two aspects to purification; something we do and something God does. We can clean our body by going to the mikvah, but only God can clean our souls. According to the kabbalistic text Reishit Chochmah. the mikvah contains something essential of God, and just as we immerse our body in the water, at the same time our souls must 'cleave' to God. The Shiloh (Isaiah Horowitz) suggests that purification of the body only makes one tahor (pure), while separating oneself from transgressions makes one both tahor and kadosh. With its emphasis on purity, it is easy to overlook Leviticus' central message: to live a life that is holy. Recalling this image of ever-present water, Jeremiah describes the person who trusts in Adonai, "They shall be like a tree planted near water, sinking its roots by a stream, never noticing when the heat comes, its leaves green, careless of times of drought, never failing to bear fruit" (17:8). Shabbat Shalom,

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Parashat Bemidbar [Sinai] (Numbers 1:1-4:20) for May 27, 2006 This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored by Meryl Gardner in loving memory of her mother Harriet H. Cohen. Kolel is very appreciative of Meryl's ongoing support.

Not only should we be faithful, but we should live in a relationship of partnership. Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

HAFTARAH TEXT "And on that day, says the Eternal One, you will call me 'Ishi' [my man] and no longer call me 'Baali' [my husband]. For I will erase the names of the 'Baalim' from her mouth, and they will no longer be mentioned by name. ... I will betroth you to Me forever; I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and justice, in steadfast love and compasion. I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, and you shall know the Eternal" Hosea 2: 18, 19, 21, 22

This week we begin the book of Numbers, or Bemidbar. The books begins 'bemidbar Sinai, in the wilderness of Sinai', hence the Hebrew name, which is taken (as always) from the first significant word(s). The English/Greek name, on the other hand, reflects the content of the book, in this case, focusing on the census that appears in the opening chapters. (This must be a good week for counting; we are in the middle of 'counting the Omer, and this week Canada has just completed its Census 2006.) The book continues with the narrative of the Israelites in the wilderness, with several episodes echoing earlier stories. The opening chapters of the book of Bemidbar are always read the Shabbat before Shavuot, when God spoke to the Israelites at Sinai.

Hosea is the first of the 'minor' prophets, a collection of twelve prophets included in the second section of the Jewish Bible (Tanakh). His name means '[God] has saved.' He lived around 700 BCE and was a contemporary of Micah and was active in the northern kingdom. (The prophet Amos preceded Hosea by a generation.) After the death of Solomon (922 BCE), the united kingdom had split into two. The northern tribes were called Israel (or Ephraim after the tribe of their first king Jeroboam) and the southern kingdom was called Judah. Although this was a time of material prosperity, it was also a time of moral laxity and growing paganism. Hosea's prophecies reflect his fear that the growing power of Assyria to Israel's north would destroy Israel. Very little biographical information is known about Hosea.

Next week, we celebrate the holiday of Shavuot which marks the theophany (God's revelation)

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at Sinai and the giving of the Ten Commandments. The Rabbis see Shavuot as a cosmic wedding between God and Israel, and some communities even read a ketubah (marriage contract) drawn up between the two partners! One examination of the Ten Commandments can further this 'marriage' metaphor. The Ten Commandments can be organized in many different ways; if we divide the ten into five sets of pairs, the respective commandments on each of the tablets (1 and 6; 2 and 7; ... 5 and 10) can be made to match up (more or less). Some require creative midrash to make the connection, but the second one fits rather nicely: "Don't have other gods before Me" lines up with "You shall not commit adultery." In other words, the same monogamous, sacred relationship we have with our partners, is the model for our relationship with God (and vice versa). Don't go whoring after false gods, the Torah says, just like we are commanded to not cheat on our spouses. (Whoring may in fact not just be a metaphor here, as idol worship often included cultic prostituition.) Hosea is the first prophet to use this metaphor of husband and wife for God and Israel, and describes Israel's unfaithfulness to God as akin to a breach of marital trust. This parallels Hosea's turbulent domestic life, but it is not clear if his relationship to Gomer, an unfaithful woman, is an actual person or simply a product of poetic license and a highly imaginative prophet? The commentators Ibn Ezra and Radak consider Hosea's allegory to be a dream. (Recently the popular 'biography' A Million Little Pieces, by James Frye, was highly criticized when it was discovered to have been similarly fictionalized.) But whether Hosea was married to Gomer or not doesn't matter; the point is, God is portrayed as the patient, loving husband, who wants his bride to change her ways, and he will take her back. The word 'husband' comes from the Old English for 'house' and 'dwell' and has the meaning of 'master of the house.' "Animal husbandry' is the management of domestic animals, and according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, to 'husband' means to manage prudently and economically, or to use sparingly. In Hebrew, the word for husband baal has similar connotations, but also means 'master,' as in the expressions 'baal habayit' or 'baal teshuvah.' Someone skilled in prayer is called a 'baal tefilah' just like someone who engages in giving charity is a 'baal tzedakah', and the founder of Chasidism was known as the master of the good name: the Baal Shem Tov. So the word 'baal' in itself is certainly not a negative word. In the Bible, the word can generically refer to 'master' (as above) or 'lord' as in the Old English sense, "M'lord" as well as Lord (capital 'L'). It appears in proper names, such as Jerubaal and Ishbaal. Baal was a name given to the local deity, a Canaanite/Phoenician fertility god responible for thunder and rain among other things. Baal becomes a synonym for idol worship, and the Torah and prophets railed against Baal worship and were commanded to destroy the altars and shrines for Baal. Using the title Baal to refer to God fell out of fashion, and Ishbaal's name (man of Baal) was changed to Ishboshet (man of shame). The name Beelzebub (lord of the flies) mocks the name Baal Zvul, (mighty Baal). Hosea envisions a day when God will no longer be called Baal. Israel will no longer call on the false gods (the ba'alim) and be promiscuous. But Hosea's double entendre also hints that we will no longer serve God as 'master' but as an equal partner. There will shift in our relationship with the divine just as there can be in marital roles. Hosea was ahead of his time. In Israel, some egalitarian couples prefer to refer to their male partners as 'ishi' (literally, my man) as opposed to 'baali' my master. Today here too, couples often introduce their significant other as 'my partner' or 'my spouse' instead of 'my husband' or 'my wife.' Besides being gender neutral, and therefore more 'politically correct' there is another reason why a couple might choose to use 'partner' over 'husband.' Hosea's message is that not only should we be faithful, but we should live in a relationship of intimacy and partnership. Shabbat Shalom,

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Shavuot for June 3, 2006 This week's parasha study is in appreciation of Mark Benjamin and Benjamin's Park Memorial for their educational support of Kolel during the year.

Acts of lovingkindness bring Torah into the world.

MEGILLAH TEXT "Blessed be he of Adonai who has not failed in kindness to the living or to the dead." Ruth 2:20

Study with Baruch Sienna This week we examine the scroll of Ruth, read on Shavuot.

What to talk about this week? We have several texts to choose from. This year's themes have generally been taken from the Haftarah and how it relates to the Torah portion of the week. This week is Shavuot, and on first day (Friday), in addition to the special Torah reading (Ex. 19:1-20:23), the haftarah is taken from the beginning of the book of Ezekiel (1:1-28; 3:12). Shabbat is second day Shavuot, and for the Haftarah a portion from Habakkuk is read (3:1-19 Ashkenazim; 2:20; 3:1-19; this time it is the Sephardim who read one extra verse!). But in Israel, and liberal congregations that only celebrate Shavuot for one day, the regular Shabbat portion (Naso) is read, with its haftarah of Samson taken from the book of Judges. We will talk about Samson next week. Liberal communities and orthodox communities will be out of sync for about a month, until the next 'double portion' when the two calendars can be harmonized. Instead of any of these haftaraot, I've chosen to look at the short but lovely story of Ruth, also read on Shavuot. This is one of the five megillot which are read on various holidays. There are three connections between Ruth and Shavuot. First, the story takes place during the wheat harvest. Second, Ruth is the great grandmother of King David, who according to tradition was born and died on Shavuot. Finally, Shavuot is the festival of receiving the Torah. It was on Shavuot the Jewish people entered a covenant with God by accepting the Torah. Ruth, too, entered into that covenant when she joined the Jewish people; she is consequently considered to be the prototype of the righteous convert.

The scroll of Ruth, one of the five Megillot (scrolls) tells the familiar story of Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi. Ruth was from Moab and went gleaning in the field of Boaz. Boaz was a relative of Naomi's late husband, and was thereby eligible to 'redeem' the land by marrying Ruth. Everyone 'lives happily ever after.' The story concludes with a genealogy of King David.

In the pastoral scenes and human drama of the book of Ruth, one senses the hand of the Divine working behind the scenes. The story proceeds without explicit divine interference, yet, everything works out in the end. The seemingly random act of choosing Boaz' field sets into motion a series of events that end with the birth of David, the illustrious king of Israel. (The text echoes the fortuitous 'luck' of the servant looking for a bride for Isaac when he 'chances' upon Rebecca at the well.) The story tells of the power of family loyalty and human kindness. Is that why the book of Ruth

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was written? To tell the origins of King David was one reason, to be sure. Is the story warning against the dangers of leaving the land of Israel and intermarriage with the Moabites, or conversely, challenging the Torah's prohibition against marrying Moabites and praising sincere conversion? R. Ze'era asks the same question: The Scroll of Ruth tells us nothing of the laws of cleanness or uncleanness, of what is prohibited or what is permitted. Why then was it written? To teach you how great is the reward of those who do deeds of kindness. (Midrash Ruth Rabbah 2:14) Chesed is not 'random acts of kindness.' To be sure, it means treating others with kindness, but it captures the sense of 'covenantal loyalty', loving acts arising out of an enduring bond of loyalty. Chesed is the backbone of the story of Ruth and Naomi. The word chesed appears three times in the short book of Ruth. Naomi's daughters-in-law treat Naomi with chesed, and her wish for them is that God similarly will treat them with chesed (Ruth 1:8). Ruth's loyalty to Naomi is an act of chesed. Ruth's choice of field confirms for Naomi God's chesed. "Adonai who has not failed in God's kindness..." This is almost an exact parallel of that servant in Genesis (Gen. 24:14). Boaz is able to show chesed to both Ruth and Naomi, and by extension to even Naomi's late husband. Ruth's loyalty to Boaz (quite a bit older) is also seen (by Boaz) as an act of chesed. (3:10) According to the midrash, Boaz showed kindness not only to Ruth and Naomi, but also to their dead. He made sure that the remains of Elimelech and the two sons were properly buried. Chesed is the only mitzvah that we can do for the dead. Indeed, the mitzvah of 'halvayat hameit' taking care of the deceased is also called 'chesed shel emet - True acts of lovingkindness.' "Of all the benevolent acts that a person can perform for another, caring for the dead is considered to be the only truly selfless act, since there is no possibility of the dead repaying the deed. So important is this mitzvah that, in the case of people who die with no one to care for them, even the High Priest, who is prohibited from coming into contact with a corpse, must see to their burial. Traditionally, a Jewish burial society called a Chevra Kadisha - “Holy Society” would be formed in each community to meet this obligation on behalf of the community and see to it that everyopne is cared for when they pass away. In death, everyone becomes equal, and all, rich or poor, are prepared for burial in exactly the same way." Taken from our Torah2Go series: Chesed shel Emet

Chesed is also the backbone of Torah. In the Babylonian Talmud, Rabbi Simlai teaches that the Torah begins with chesed and ends with chesed. The Torah starts with an act of kindness: God clothed Adam and Eve. And the Torah ends with an act of kindness: God buries Moses ( Sotah 14a). Perhaps this is why we read Ruth on Shavuot. To teach us that acts of lovingkindness bring Torah into the world. Shabbat Shalom & Hag Sameach,

BDS

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Parashat Naso (Numbers 4:21-7:89) for June 10, 2006 This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored by Meryl Gardner in loving memory of her mother Harriet H. Cohen. Kolel is very appreciative of Meryl's ongoing support.

The person who chooses their own destiny has true strength.

HAFTARAH TEXT "Take care not to drink wine or beer, or eat anything unclean, for you shall soon be pregnant, and give birth to a boy. His hair is never to be cut, because from the womb he is God's Nazirite; he will begin to liberate Israel from the hand of the Philistines." Judges 13:4,5

Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

Probably one of the most famous figures from the book of Judges is Samson, the hero of the haftarah read this week. The haftarah tells of his birth and the instructions for him to be a nazirite from birth. This is the connection to the Torah portion that details the prohibition against drinking intoxicants (as well as grape products including raisins) and not cutting one's hair. (It is not cutting his hair that gives him his super-human strength.) The Samson narratives read like the Hercules' myth. Samson is the strong (but not particularly bright) tragic hero. The haftarah only describes the announcement of his birth (with parallels to other earlier patriarchs). Later in the story, Samson falls in love with Delilah. The names have significance: Samson's Hebrew name Shimshon is derived from the word for shemesh, sun, while the word 'lailah' (night) would have been heard by the biblical listener for his nemesis Delilah. The origins of Delilah are not clear; some suggest that the name comes from dal (weak or poor); others relate the word to an Arabic term for prostitute. Notwithstanding baby books explanations that the name means 'delicate, amorous' the name Delilah has become synonymous with a treacherous and cunning woman. To further reinforce the idea of Delilah's power to undo Samson, she is from the valley of Sorek, which refers to a choice grapevine. Delilah is a woman of wine!

Here we have the beginnings of the conflict between Israel and the Philistines. This powerful enemy lived on the coast of Israel. The ancient Israelites (unlike today who mainly populate the coastal regions of the country, except for Jerusalem and a few isolated urban areas) lived mostly in the foothills. The Israelite struggle with the Philistines continued until David vanquished Goliath, the most famous Philistine. The name Philistine was adopted by the Romans to refer to that strip of land in the Middle East, the origin of the English word: Palestine. The Philistines were a highly advanced urban society: they had iron which gave them weapons and chariots. Compared to them, the Israelites, coming from the desert, were country bumpkins. The name Philistine

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became synonymous with 'enemy' and German students used the term to refer to non-academics. Ironically, its usage entered the English language to mean any person with no culture or sophistication.

The Torah describes individuals who take a 'vow' to be a nazir, but the obvious connection to the Haftarah (nazir-Samson) also highlights an important difference: Samson does not choose to be a nazirite. In fact, Samson is the only nazirite from birth. The Torah's nazirite is an individual who chooses deliberately to serve God (for a limited period of time). Perhaps because I have just finished teaching the Reform Jewish Information Class, a year-long course for individuals on the road to conversion, I have been thinking about the difference between 'being' and 'choosing.' Over the course of the year, I couldn't help but be impressed by the passion, seriousness and dedication these individuals demonstrated as they tried to absorb in one year what I have taken 40 years to learn. They are sometimes the brunt of negative remarks, but we should remember, it was they who wanted to marry a Jewish partner! After this year, I have no doubts that Judaism is being strengthened by the addition of these thoughtful, sensitive souls to the Jewish people. Today's 'preferred' term for 'convert' is 'Jew by choice.' Parenthetically, the individuals in my class (in the process of converting) were converts. Once they have completed their requirements, (beit din and mikvah) they become Jews. NOTE: they are no longer converts, and it is incorrect and impolite to refer to them that way. They are 100% Jewish. Don't ever let me hear you say, 'Oh, she's a convert.' (Better: 'she wasn't raised as a Jew' or 'he didn't have Jewish parents.') Many years ago, I attended a synagogue where the rabbi, wanting to impress upon the bar mitzvah boy the significance of the day, said that on this day the boy was 'choosing' Judaism. In his remarks, he said that he too, was a 'Jew by choice.' I remember thinking, 'Wow, I never knew that the Rabbi had converted to Judaism?!' Of course he hadn't. His point was, that in today's society, we are all 'Jews by choice.' We all have the choice (unlike our ancestors) to actively live Jewishly or not. For the most part, today this ability to choose has been a disadvantage. Most Jews take their birthright for granted. How many of us would 'choose' to be Jewish, if we weren't born that way? Our parasha (for the second time) records a census: stand up and be counted. Too many Jews today do not choose to be counted. We don't have to choose to be nazirites, but we should demonstrate that we have chosen Judaism. Yes, Samson had powerful muscles from his birthright, but it is the person who chooses their own destiny that has true strength. Shabbat Shalom,

BDS

12/02/2008 03:08 p.m.

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Parashat Behaalotecha (Numbers 8:1-12:16) for June 17, 2006 This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored by Meryl Gardner in loving memory of her mother Harriet H. Cohen. Kolel is very appreciative of Meryl's ongoing support.

The menorah is a symbol of the Jewish people's faith that has endured.

HAFTARAH TEXT "He said to me: What do you see? I said: I see a lampstand all of gold with a bowl on its top; there are seven lamps on it, and on its top there are seven pipes for the lamps. By it are two olive trees, one on the right of the bowl, and the other on its left. Zecharia 4:2, 3

Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

This is the only passage from the book of Zecharia chosen for the haftarot. Zechariah's vision of the menorah connects the haftarah to the Torah's description of the golden menorah. This passage was also chosen by the Rabbis to be read on the Shabbat of Chanukah as well. The Rabbis deliberately play down the Maccabee's military victory by choosing Zechariah's vision: "Not by might, not by power, but by My spirit." The prophet describes our restoration to the land, here described uniquely as admat kodesh, 'Holy Land.' The term Holy Land is a preferred Christian appelation for the Land of Israel, or as Jews usually call it, Ha'aretz (The Land). Zechariah's vision of peace (inviting each other to the "shade of grapevines and fig trees"), not only includes God dwelling in our midst, but many nations recognizing God and becoming one of God's people. Note: there is a unique musical note in this week's haftarah, mercha kfulah (3:2) on the word: zeh.

In 586 BCE, the first Temple of Solomon was destroyed and the Jews had been exiled to Babyonia by Nebuchadnezzar. After his defeat at the hands of Cyrus (539 BCE) Cyrus allowed the exiled Jews to return. Although they encountered adverse economic and political conditions, construction was completed in four years. Zecharia lived during the reign of Cyrus's successor, Darius I. The 'Jewish province' of Babylonia (Yehud) was led by the governor Zerubavel (a descendant from the House of David) and the High Priest Joshua. We know little about Zechariah's personal life, except for the name of his father Berachiah, and grandfather, Ido. The book is difficult, with a clear distinction between chapter 8 and 9, leading some scholars to suggest that it is the work of two individuals.

The Temple, Jerusalem, and the land of Israel were central to the ancient Israelites. My teacher and mentor, Dr. Seymour Epstein (known to all as Epi) taught last week at Kolel's

12/02/2008 03:09 p.m.

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Tikkun Leyl Shavuot (at 5 AM, mind you, so here's what I remember), that the original exiles believed that they had been exiled from God's presence. While the captors taunted the Israelites: "Sing us a song of Zion," their response was, "How can we sing Adonai's song on foreign soil?" Although later, the Rabbis indeed imagine that God too was exiled along with the Jewish people, the original idea is that God was rooted to the land. Zechariah's vision (and reassuring message to Zerubavel the appointed governor), not only promises that Adonai will restore the Jewish people back to the land, but that God will reside among them. The Hebrew (shachanti betocheich) echoes the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and Ex. 25:8. If we are not in the land, we are disconnected from God. (Contrast this with the fact that although our connection to the land has remained central, much (most?) of Judaism has developed on foreign soil: the Exodus, Sinai, and the development of the Talmud.) Although Solomon builds the First Temple, the permanent replacement for the portable Mishkan, God's love affair with Solomon is short-lived. Ultimately Solomon disappoints: he builds shrines to the gods of the two most hated enemies of Israel, the Moabites and the Ammonites ( I Kings 11:7). The fragile united kingdom of Solomon's monarchy falls apart, and the long list of kings of Israel and kings of Judah are not favoured by God. How many kings (besides Saul, David and Solomon) can the average person name? Who knows Asa, Jehoshaphat, Ahaziah, Joram? Instead of political authority, the central biblical figures in this era are the prophets. Contrast the little known kings with our familiarity with Elijah, Isaiah, Amos. God's authority rests with those who speak with God's voice. Kings, Temples, even the land do not guarantee fulfilling God's destiny. The Bible focuses its attention from secular leaders and political power to a new kind of religious voice. In his journeys through biblical landscape, Bruce Feiler (Walking the Bible) tries to reconnect to sacred space, but in the end, reconsiders. I think in his sequel 'Where God Was Born' Feiler correctly distinguishes between two levels. In the words of his archaeologist guide, Avner Goren, "God relates to us on two levels: the level of faith and belief, and the level of nationality and being a people. As a nation, you need land. But as a religion, you do not. ... Moses is the most central figure of the religion, even though he never sets foot on the land. David and Solomon are the greatest leaders of the nation, but they are moral degenerates and disappointments to God. The lesson of the second half of the Bible is that physical land, political power, even the Temple, are not the ends for God's people. Following God's law is the goal."

Israel Mattuck would agree: "In the ancient world a 'nation' comprised a religion, political unity and often common descent. For the Prophets, religion had the central place in the Hebrew nation. All their thought about Israel has to be understood in the light of their belief that it was a people of religion." Although we mourn the destruction of the Temple, and our people's exile to Babylonia, it was there, with the prophets, that the tribal and cultic practices of a small band of Israelites were transformed into the universal and ethical beliefs of the Jewish religion, and what we would call Judaism was born. Zechariah's final image is the menorah flanked by two olive trees (now Israel's official emblem). Like the eternal flame, it is a symbol of the Jewish people's faith that has endured. Shabbat Shalom,

12/02/2008 03:09 p.m.

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Parashat Shlach Lecha (Numbers 13:1-15:41) for June 24, 2006 This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored by Meryl Gardner in loving memory of her mother Harriet H. Cohen. Kolel is very appreciative of Meryl's ongoing support.

The signs to enter God's Promised Land and see God's Presence may be found in surprising places!

HAFTARAH TEXT "Now, since I have shown loyalty to you, swear to me by Adonai that you in turn will show loyalty to my familiy. Provide me with a reliable sign..." Joshua 2: 12

Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

In this week's parasha, Shlach Lecha, we read of the disastrous episode of the spies sent to scout out the land of Israel. It is this lack of faith and gratitude that sentences the Israelites to wander in the desert for 38 [more] years. In a parallel account, (hence its choice by the Rabbis for this week) the haftarah provides closure: Joshua similarly sends two spies, and this time the mission is successful. Besides the obvious connection to the book of Numbers' spy story, the haftarah has a number of parallels to other narratives in Torah. The crimson thread connects this narrative also to the birth of Perez and Zerach (Gen. 38), the sons of Tamar. Like Rahab, Tamar was a Canaanite woman who used sexual seduction to secure safety for her herself and her family. The crimson thread that identifies Rahab's house and protects her and her family is reminiscent of the blood on the doorposts that protected the Israelites in Egypt. (Parenthetically, the 'crimson thread' that identified the harlot's house is said to be the original 'red light' district.) Finally, Rahab's bravery lying to the king about the spies' whereabouts calls to mind the midwives who similarly risk their lives when confronted by Pharaoh. Interestingly, Rahab actually explicitly refers to the Exodus narrative as one of the things she knows about the Israelites' God.

Jericho was one of the oldest inhabited cities of the ancient Middle East. Because of its low altitude it has a subtropical climate; its rich soil makes it a suitable site for growing dates. The spies are sent to Jericho, but by that time, the city had been uninhabited for centuries, possibly giving rise to the legend of 'walls tumbling down.' The famous story of its dramatic capture with trumpeting shofars (disputed by modern historians and archaeologists) appears in chapter 6, (and is not included in the haftarah). The book of Joshua is the first book of the section of Prophets, and continues chronologically from the death of Moses. Joshua succeeds Moses and is the military leader who invades and conquers Canaan. Joshua lived around 1200 BCE (the beginning of the Iron Age).

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Rahab is a fascinating character. The Hebrew root of her name: r.h.b means 'wide' or 'spacious'. The word frequently appears with the former meaning when dimensions such as 50 cubits wide are listed (Noah's Ark, and the Ark of the Covenant). The latter meaning is given as the etymology of the city Rehobot. After several disputes over wells between the herdsmen of Gerar and the herdsmen of Isaac, they dug another well that they didn't fight over, and they named the place Rehobot, for "now at last Adonai has granted us ample space to increase in the land." (Gen. 26:22). The Bible uses the phrase, rehov ha'ir, which probably refers to the centre, open area of the city (like the Roman forum). In modern Hebrew, the word rehov means street. Appropriately enough, Rahab 'worked the street.' Rahab is identified as a 'zonah - prostitute' which lends an almost comic quality to the story. One tradition recorded in the Babylonian Talmud goes even further, and describes her as the Marilyn Monroe of the Bible- just saying her name can make men climax (Megillah 15b). Generally, however, the Rabbis try to recast Rahab; you may recall your grade school teacher's explanation (following Rashi) that zonah refers to being an innkeeper, like 'birkat hamazon'. Some midrashim go even further and make Rahab into a righteous convert like Ruth, since she says, "Adonai your God is God in heaven above and here on earth" (Josh. 2:12). This is surprising, because in the Bible, prostitution is often paired with idolatry, which is described as literally, whoring after other gods. The remedy for such idolatrous prostitution is found at the conclusion of our parasha, where, instead of 'looking' after false gods, we are commanded to look at the tzitzit (blue threads): "You shall look at it and recall all the commandments of Adonai and observe them so that you do not follow your heart and eyes whoring after them" (Num. 15:39). The word to 'follow' is taturu, the same verb used to describe the 'spying' of the scouts: latur et ha'aretz (it even sounds like the English: tour!). Rashi comments: the eyes and heart are the bodies' spies. The lesson of the spies' mission gone horribly wrong is that they focused on the wrong things. Rabbi Lawrence Kushner (liberally adapting the midrash of Shmot Rabbah 24:1) describes the experience of two Israelites, Reuven and Shimon at the greatest miracle, the splitting of the sea: "What is this muck?" Shimon scowled, "There's mud all over the place!" "This is just like the slime pits of Egypt!" replied Reuven. "What's the difference?" complained Shimon. "Mud here, mud there; it's all the same." ... For Reuven and Shimon the miracle never happened.

In addition to this theme of prostitution/ spying, the motif of looking at a particular coloured thread also connects the Torah and haftarah portions (see last year's Metzora column for a discussion on the connection between blue and red threads). In the haftarah too, the spies are told to look for a red cord. The red string is a sign, 'ot' which serves as an ironic reminder that the Israelites disregarded the 'ot' the very signs that God had performed: "How long will this people spurn Me, and how long will they have no faith in Me despite all the signs [otot] that I have performed in their midst? (Num. 14:22). In the Rahab narrative, the red thread becomes a sign of loyalty, the very opposite of prostitution. It seems that even earth-shattering miracles are no guarantee that our lives will be filled with God's Presemce. Perhaps we have to look for God's signs in more subtle ways. Rahab, the Canaanite prostitute is an unlikely hero. Yet it was Rahab who had the faith in God that the Israelites themselves hadn't demonstrated, and helped them keep their eyes open.

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To enter God's Promised Land, we have to be prepared to see God's Presence, and the signs may be found in surprising places! Shabbat Shalom,

12/02/2008 03:10 p.m.

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Parashat Korach (Numbers 16:1-18:32) for July 1, 2006 This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored by Meryl Gardner in loving memory of her mother Harriet H. Cohen. Kolel is very appreciative of Meryl's ongoing support.

Our answer to God's call should be: 'Speak, for Your servant is listening.' Study with Baruch Sienna

HAFTARAH TEXT "Hineni [Here I am]! Testify against me, in the presence of Adonai and in the present of God's anointed one [Saul]: Whose ox have I taken, or whose as have I taken? Whom have I defrauded or whom have I robbed? From whom have I taken a bribe to look the other way? I will return it to you." I Samuel 12:3

This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

In many of the parashiyot that we have seen thus far, the connections between Torah and haftarah portions have been obvious. This week, the connections are much subtler. Our story from the book of Samuel, (Samuel's opposition to appointing a king over Israel) at first glance is quite dissimilar to the narrative of Korach's rebellion. True, the issues of leadership are a common motif. Korach challenges Moses' leadership, and Samuel considers the Israelites' desire for a king to be challenging God's leadership. By choosing a [mortal] king, he worries that they are betraying God. He warns them that they, together with their king, must continue to obey God and follow God's ways. There does exists a clear linguistic link between the two selections. Samuel defends his honour and denies any wrongdoing of taking bribes: "whose ass have I taken" which echoes Moses' rebuttal to the rebels Datan and Aviram, "I have not taken the ass of any one of them..." (Num. 16:15).

The books of Samuel and Kings were originally all one continuous narrative, but because of their length, they were later divided into four volumes: I & II Samuel, and I & II Kings. The books of Samuel are part of the Early Prophets. Unlike the books of the Torah, the names of these books are taken from the [first] central character. The book of Samuel centres around three central characters: Samuel, Saul and David. Samuel is a nazirite from birth (like Samson - see Parshat Naso, but we don't hear any stories of him having superhuman strength!). Samuel functioned as the last of the judges and the first of the prophets. Samuel (c. 1070 BCE) anoints Saul as the first king of Israel. The book of Samuel describes the transition of the Israelites from a loose confederacy of tribes into a united monarchy. The book of Samuel concludes with the end of David's reign (961 BCE). Jewish tradition is ambivalent about the idea of a king; the books of Samuel and Kings reflect both pro- and anti-monarchy sentiments.

12/02/2008 03:11 p.m.

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Possibly, the Rabbis choice of this haftarah was to compare Samuel to Moses. Like Moses, Samuel is a major character of the Bible, and both these central figures function as in the dual roles of judge and prophet. Both are called 'ish ha-elohim' (Deut. 33:1; I Sam. 9:7). They are mentioned together in Psalms: Moses and Aaron among God's priests, Samuel, among those who call on God's name... (Ps. 99:6a). Moses appears in four of the five books of the Torah, like Samuel, who appears in the (now four) volumes of Samuel and Kings. Adding Samuel to the Korach narrative, allows us to compare the leadership styles of three central characters: Moses, Korach, and Samuel. Korach is the self-appointed leader. He is described as challenging Moses and ultimately God's authority. Clearly, Korach had too much ego. He thought he knew what the problem was and how to solve it, even if no one asked him. Like Korach, sometimes we are guilty of having too much ego. Moses, on the other hand, almost refused to listen to God's call. Moses is the reluctant leader. When Moses encounters God at the burning bush, he comes up with several excuses as to why he shouldn't be chosen. I am reminded of the shamash (beadle, or caretaker) who is moved during the penitential prayers of the High Holy Days, and says, 'Oh God, I am a gornisht, a nothing." At which point, the president of the shul elbows the rabbi, and in a sarcastic tone, asks, "'Look who's also a 'nothing'?!" Like the shamash, we are sometimes too humble. The danger of being too modest is that we don't have the courage to challenge injustice. Instead we believe that we are too weak to effect change, saying, 'Who are we to change...' So how do we find a healthy balance between Moses and Korach? I think Samuel represents the middle ground. Unlike Korach he has no vested political interests; he does not support the monarchy, because he himself wants to be king. Although like Moses, Samuel prays on behalf of the Israelites, he is also prepared to chastise them. He threatens them with rain (rain during the wheat harvest would have destroyed the wheat crop). But most of all, the lesson he teaches us, is how to respond to God's call. Instead of the reluctance shown by Moses, when God first calls, Samuel's answer (like Abraham), is Hineni, I am here/[ready]. Samuel then continues, 'Speak, for Your servant is listening' (I Sam. 3:10). We should not be like Korach, who assumes that he has the authority of God, nor like Moses, who believes that he is unworthy. We should be always open to listening so we will hear God's voice. Then, our answer should be 'Speak, for Your servant is listening'' Shabbat Shalom,

BDS

12/02/2008 03:11 p.m.

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Parashat Hukat-Balak (Numbers 19:1-25:9 ) for July 8, 2006 This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored by Myra Merkur in loving memory of her husband, David Israel son of Abraham and Masha.

Humility before God must be the starting point.

HAFTARAH TEXT "It has been told you O mortal, what is good, and what Adonai requires of you-only this: to do justly, and love mercy, and walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8

Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

For the last few weeks, our column has been out of sync with most liberal synagogues (and Israel) but with this week's combined portion of Chukat-Balak, we are all now 'back on the same page,' so to speak. When these portions are combined, the haftarah of Balak, a prophecy from Micah is read. (We skip over the haftarah for Hukat this year- the story of Jephthah [Yiftach].) The introductory image of dew makes me feel like this would be a fitting haftarah for Moses' final poem recorded in the portion Haazinu, which begins: May my discourse come down as the rain, My speech distill as the dew, Like showers on young growth, Like droplets on the grass (Deut. 32:2). But Micah's prophecy connects to our portion as well. Besides the explicit reference to Bilaam (or Balaam) and Balak, king of Moab (Micah 6:5), the haftarah ends with the answer to the question of 'what is good' mah tov, echoing Bilaam's famous speech: mah tovu. (which begins the morning prayer service).

Micah lived around the time of the prophet Isaiah (8th century BCE) in a small town of Judah. The northern kingdom of Israel had already been destroyed, and now the Assyrians threatened the southern kingdom of Judah. The prophets believed that social injustice was at the root cause of this political/ military calamity, and that ethical living could reverse the fortunes of the Israelites.

The earliest source for there being 613 mitzvot (commandments) in the Torah is brought in the name of R. Simlai (Makkot 23b). There, the number seems to be derived from 365 negative commandments (don't do this...) corresponding to the days of the year, and 248 positive commandments (do this...) corresponding to the number of body parts (as counted by the rabbis). Rav Hamnuna explains that the number is derived from the gematria of the word Torah which is 611 (400+200+6+5) plus the first two (of the ten) commandments that were given directly by God to the Israelites. The whole concept is somewhat controversial, and although many midrashim refer to this

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number, it is an 'aggadic' (ie. midrashic) device as opposed to a legal, halachic category (such as the 39 categories of work on Shabbat- see below). A number of different lists of the 613 mitzvot exist (Rambam, Ramban, etc.) which suggests that there actually are more than 613. Additionally, although we still refer to Taryag mitzvot (in Hebrew gematria the number 613 is written as 'tuf-reish-yod-gimel'), today, many of the mitzvot are no longer in force since the Temple has been destroyed and sacrifices are no longer made. In addition, no one person could ever fulfill all the mitzvot, as some can only be performed by exclusive and incompatible categories, such as the Kohein Gadol or the king, priests or lay Israelites, men or women, etc. On the other hand, even a fragment of the 613 balloons out to an enormous number of smaller rules and more specific prohibitions. So, for example, the one mitzvah of 'not working on Shabbat' is clarified in the Mishnah to refer to 39 types of 'work' (melachah) which are then further subdivided into a myriad of further restrictions. The Gaon of Vilna expresses this point of view: The mitzvot are thus multitudinous beyond enumeration, to the point that one who has a discerning eye and an understanding heart can conduct every detail of his behavior and affairs, both great and small, according to the Torah and the mitzvot. One is then able to fulfill the mitzvot at every time and every moment beyond enumeration. The 613 mitzvot mentioned are only roots, but they spread forth into many branches. Which of them are roots and which of them are branches is actually a matter that is concealed from us. However, there is no need to know this because every mitzvah and every utterance of the Torah includes the entire Torah and all the mizvot, their principles, their details and their fine points.

At the same time, there exists an opposite trend in rabbinic thought, to try and reduce the number of rules. Instead of memorizing a page of physics' formulas, if you know the basic principles going into the exam, you can generate the whole page. Similarly, if we could reduce the 613, or thousands of rules into a few principles, wouldn't that be great?! And so in the passage of Makkot (24b), R. Simlai continues: King David reduced the number to 11 (Psalm 15), Isaiah condensed the number to six (Is. 33:15-17) and Micah, in probably one of the most famous and quotes verses from the prophets, compressed the number to three: "It has been told you O mortal, what is good, and what Adonai requires of you-- only this: to do justly, and love mercy, and walk humbly with your God." (6:8). (The passage continues, reducing the Torah to two and even one (Habakuk 2:4).) There is a tension between these two directions represented by the Vilna Gaon (every detail is a mitzvah) on the one hand, and R. Simlai's reduction of Torah to a single principle on the other. Many orthodox prefer the former approach while early reformers were attracted to the latter view. They agreed with the prophets' criticism of external observance accompanied by unethical behaviour, and the emphasis on social justice over ritual. Micah's threefold summary emphasizes justice, lovingkindness and inward piety. The usual translation of our haftarah's final verse reflects biblical poetry: 'It has been told you O mortal what is good' parallels the second phrase, 'and what Adonai requires of you.' But the subject of the first phrase is not clear. The verse could also be translated: Mortals have told you what is good, BUT what does Adonai require of you. The modern thinker Rosenzweig sees the first two (as yet, unaccomplished) goals of justice and goodness as 'works in progress.' We can't work for justice or be committed to acts of lovingkindness without walking humbly before God. In our society we may be constantly bombarded with messages of "what is good", but humility before God must be the starting point. Shabbat Shalom,

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Parashat Pinchas (Numbers 26:1-30:1) for July 15, 2006 This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored by Meryl Gardner in loving memory of her mother Harriet H. Cohen. Kolel is very appreciative of Meryl's ongoing support.

How is our rejection of God with the Golden Calf connected to the loss of the Temple?

HAFTARAH TEXT "The word of Adonai came to me: What do you see, Jeremiah? I replied: I see a branch of an almond tree. Adonai said to me: You have seen right, for I am watchful to bring My word to pass." Jeremiah 1:11-12

Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

Normally, the haftarah for parashat Pinchas is taken from the book of Kings and describes Elijah, like the eponymous character of the weekly portion of Pinchas as a 'zealot'. The passage from Kings includes the famous description of furious wind and earthquake and fire, but God was not in these forces. Afterwards, there was a 'still small voice' a phrase that expresses experiencing the Divine Presence. However, when Parashat Pinchas falls after the 17th of Tammuz, (as it does this year), instead of the regularly assigned haftarah, the first of three special haftarot of admonition is read. These haftarot commemorate the destruction of the First and Second Temples and deal with the punishment that will be meted out to the Jewish people. According to tradition, the walls of Jerusalem were breached by the Babylonians (First Temple) and the Romans (Second Temple) on the 17th of Tammuz. The three haftarot are then followed by seven haftarot of consolation.

Jeremiah lived during the reign of King Josiah (635 BCE) who restored the Temple cult and instituted religious reforms after finding an ancient scroll believed to be the book of Deuteronomy. Some scholars identify Jeremiah as the author of the book of Deuteronomy. The Kingdom of Judah was caught in the crossfire between the superpowers of Egypt to the south and the Babylonians in the North. The Northern Kingdom of Israel had already been destroyed by the Assyrians in 721 BCE. Egypt marched through the land of Israel to attack Babylonia, and enroute battled with the Israelites at Megiddo, killing Josiah. The Egyptians however were defeated by Nebuchadnezzar in 605 BCE, and Jerusalem came under Nebuchadnezzar's rule. In 586 BCE Jerusalem was razed and the Temple destroyed. The religious and political elite were exiled to Babylonia, but a remnant of the Jewish population fled to Egypt and took Jeremiah with them.

The prophets often used metaphors and allegories of common objects and the natural world around them that was familiar to their listeners. We, who do not live in Israel, and who do not speak Hebrew miss a lot of the rich meaning in the allusions of biblical language. In Jeremiah's opening prophecy, God shows him an almond branch, and we are told that this

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signifies that God is 'watchful' to bring the events to fruition. Of course, reading the English, we miss the pun: the Hebrew root for almond, shakeid (rhymes with "a maid") means 'to be watchful' (shokeid). Later Jeremiah continues to use this verb. God says, "And it shall come to pass that as I have watched over [shakadti] them to uproot and to break down, to demolish and destroy and harm, so now will I watch over [eshkod] them to build and to plant" (Jer. 31:28). The almond becomes a symbol of God's watchfulness. But we still don't get it. Why an almond branch? Why should the almond in fact be a symbol of 'being watchful' or 'being reliable'? Many of us are familiar with the Jewish connection to almonds from the Tu B'shevat song: Hashkadiyah porachat, mistranslated as "The almond tree's in blossom..." as shkadiyah is actually an almond orchard, not an almond tree. But we know from that song and Tu B'shevat, that the almond tree is a symbol of springtime in Israel and associated with Tu B'shevat because it dramatically bursts into pink and white blossoms (as early as February or even January!) before its leaves appear. Both wild (bitter) and domestic varieties of almonds grow in Israel. (The wild variety can be eaten with the rind when young, but in its later stages requires roasting to destroy poisonous alkaloids.) Because the almond is the first tree to bloom, and passes rapidly through several beautiful and dramatic stages of growth, it becomes a symbol of God's watchfulness. Aaron’s staff was also made of almond wood (Numbers 17). Like the tree, this rod miraculously bloomed overnight and bore almonds to validate Aaron’s claim to the priesthood! The commentators ask why Aaron’s rod was made from almond wood. Rashi answers: ‘Because it is the first tree to blossom.’ This indicates that God would quickly punish those who attempt to challenge the authority of the priests. According to the Mekhilta, this rod was one of the items created the first week of Creation before Shabbat. The kings of Judah continued to use this staff until the destruction of the Temple when it disappeared. It is said that Elijah will give this same almond rod to the Messiah (Numbers Rabbah 18:23). The almond branch is therefore a symbol of royal/priestly authority. Jeremiah's vision of an almond branch connects God's watchfulness with the symbolism of sovereignty. But why was this passage from Jeremiah chosen for the first of the three weeks between the 17th of Tammuz and the Ninth of Av (Tisha b'Av). What is the connection between almonds and the 17th of Tammuz? Well, it turns out, that the almond nut in fact ripens in late summer, around the time of Tisha b’Av! The Talmud further connects the almond ripening to the destruction of the Temple: ‘Just as 21 days elapse from the time the almond sends forth its blossom until the fruit ripens, so 21 days passed from the time the city was breached until the Temple was destroyed,’ (Jerusalem Talmud, Ta’anit 4:8). So the 21 days of the almond's ripening correspond to the three week period between the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av. But that doesn't make sense. We already determined that the almond flowering is the first of the season, in early spring! The late summer fruit and the Talmud’s assertion that the almond produces its fruit [only] 21 days after its flowers appear (Bekhorot 8a) is confusing. This discrepancy can be resolved by examining how the almond grows more closely. It turns out that there are two ripening periods of the almond. The almond can be eaten fresh; the green fruit are eaten whole and are considered a Passover delicacy by many Oriental Jews. (Sometimes these 'fresh' green almonds can be found in specialty food stores here in North America.) It is only the hard 'nut' which we are more familiar with that ripens six months later. The 'fresh' almond in fact appears 21 days after its flowers. The 17th of Tammuz this week marks the beginning of the period of mourning for the destruction of the Temple(s). But the Rabbis attribute a number of catastrophes to that date. According to tradition, one of the gravest sins of the Israelites in the wilderness--the Golden Calf--occurred on the 17th of Tammuz. How is the Eigel HaZahav (the Golden Calf) connected to the 17th of Tammuz? The Israelites turned to the Golden Calt because they felt lost and abandoned by God. God was abandoned by the people. Centuries later, these feelings were rekindled with the destruction of the Temple and the loss of Jewish sovereignty. This Shabbat, I think I'll ponder the issue Jewish sovereignty today, and the idea of God's watchfulness being restored miraculously 'overnight'-- while munching on some almonds. Shabbat Shalom,

12/02/2008 03:14 p.m.

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Parashat Matot-Masei (Numbers 30:2-36:13) for July 22, 2006 This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored by Meryl Gardner in loving memory of her mother Harriet H. Cohen. Kolel is very appreciative of Meryl's ongoing support.

Our covenant with the Fountain of Living waters can be reestablished.

HAFTARAH TEXT "Though you wash yourself with lye and use more and more soap, the stain of your guilt reamins before Me, says the Lord Adonai." Jeremiah 2:22

Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

We continue this week with the second installment of the three special Haftarot of Admonition corresponding to the three weeks between the 17th of Tammuz and Tisha b'Av, and pick up from where we left off last week. The haftarah is taken from Jeremiah 2:4-28. Then Ashkenazim conclude with a single verse, 3:4; Sephardim read verses 4:1-2 instead. These ad ditional verses are so the passage ends on a positive optimistic note. Our final encounter with Jeremiah in this yearly cycle of reading contains much we have seen before: the image of God, the Fount of living waters forsaken, (see Behukotai), Israel as prostitute (see Shlach), the plaintive cry of 'Eich' (Jer. 2:23) foreshadowing the opening 'Eichah' of Lamentations (see last year's Devarim). This week we read the combined portions of Matot-Masei, concluding the book of Numbers.

Jeremiah lived during the reign of King Josiah (635 BCE) who restored the Temple cult and instituted religious reforms after finding an ancient scroll believed to be the book of Deuteronomy. Some scholars identify Jeremiah as the author of the book of Deuteronomy. The Kingdom of Judah was caught in the crossfire between the superpowers of Egypt to the south and the Babylonians in the North. The Northern Kingdom of Israel had already been destroyed by the Assyrians in 721 BCE. Egypt marched through the land of Israel to attack Babylonia, and enroute battled with the Israelites at Megiddo, killing Josiah. The Egyptians however were defeated by Nebuchadnezzar in 605 BCE, and Jerusalem came under Nebuchadnezzar's rule. In 586 BCE Jerusalem was razed and the Temple destroyed. The religious and political elite were exiled to Babylonia, but a remnant of the Jewish population fled to Egypt and took Jeremiah with them.

"Out, damn'd spot." (Shakespeare's Macbeth, Act I:V). Blood stains certainly have a way of indelibly marking one's guilt. No matter how hard Lady Macbeth scrubs, she can't get her hands clean. Jeremiah uses a similar washing metaphor: "Though you wash yourself with lye, and use more and more soap, the stain of your guilt remains before Me, says Your Lord Adonai" (Jer.

12/02/2008 03:15 p.m.

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2:22). The Hebrew neter is translated here as 'lye; the English natron and nitrate are from the same root. Lye or soda is a chemical base that was used as a cleansing agent in biblical times. Lye (like baking soda) mixed with vinegar (mentioned in Proverbs 25:20) would bubble energetically. Today lye refers to sodium or potassium nitrate; in the Bible, it probably referred to sodium carbonate, called in Arabic natrun, which can be found as a deposit underneath layers of common salt. A number of plants containing soda and potash that grow in Israel were dissolved in oil and used to make a liquid soap. A second word, borit, (rendered here as 'soap') refers to possibly one of several plants called ‘soap plants’ such as the soapwort (Saponaria) that have cleansing properties and were used locally in early times. Saponin is the lather-producing substance found in some plants and is poisonous if taken internally. The biblical terms are used to describe both the physical cleaning of clothes and hands (Job 9:30) as well as metaphorical cleanliness (Job 22:30). If we've committed an act that pollutes us, we can't feel clean no matter how long we spend in the shower. Jeremiah understands that until we change our behaviour, our washing with soap is in vain. At the conclusion of the book of Leviticus, the haftarah from Jeremiah also referred to abandonning God, Mikveh Yisrael, as forsaking the Fountain of Living Waters. But our relationship with God can be restored if we stop chasing after false gods and return to the one true God. Then our covenant with the Fountain of Living waters will be reestablished. And if we return, and remove our abominations from God's presence, Jeremiah promises this blessing that, "Nations shall bless themselves by you and praise themselves by you" (4:2). Shabbat Shalom,

12/02/2008 03:15 p.m.

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Parashat Devarim (Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22) for July 29, 2006 This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored by Meryl Gardner in loving memory of her mother Harriet H. Cohen. Kolel is very appreciative of Meryl's ongoing support.

Worst of all are those who pretend to be righteous.

HAFTARAH TEXT "Hear the word of Adonai, You chieftains of Sodom; Give ear to our God's instruction, You folk of Gomorrah." Isaiah 1:10

Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

This week we begin the book of Deuteronomy, or Devarim. This portion always falls on the Shabbat before Tisha b'Av and has the special name: Shabbat Hazon, taken from the opening words of the book of Isaiah and the first words of the haftarah: Hazon YishayahuThe vision of Isaiah. This is the first (of seven) haftarot of consolation. This first haftarah is from the opening prophecy of Isaiah; the remaining six are from what modern scholars call the 'Second Isaiah.' The verse in the haftarah "Alas, [eichah] she has become a harlot, the faithful city that was filled with justice..." (1:21) echoes the opening of the book of Lamentations (Eichah in Hebrew).

Isaiah, son of Amotz is the most popular of the prophets for the Haftarah: fourteen of the weekly portions (in the Ashkenazic calendar) are from Isaiah. Isaiah lived in the southern ki ngdom of Judah in the latter half of the 8th century B.C.E. While Isaiah hoped that the northern king dom of Israel would be restored (regrettably, the ten northern tribes vanished permanently), his pro phecy was also a warning that to the leaders and population of Judah. 'You could be next if you don't change your behaviour.' Indeed, a hundred years later, Judah was conquered, but this time, a remna nt did survive, and returned to Israel and re-established a new nation.

Listen up! Listening is a key idea in Judaism. After the opening verse that identifies Isaiah and his contemporaries (the kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah), Isaiah declares: "Hear O heavens, and give ear O earth..." This first word, shim'u foreshadows the Shma that appears in next week's Torah portion, Va'etchanan. Isaiah is deliberately using this language; Moses begins his final discourse, "Give ear, O heavens, let me speak; Let the earth hear the words I utter!" (Deut. 32:1). (For a discussion on these two verses see this previous year's Haazinu).

12/02/2008 03:16 p.m.

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But then, Isaiah turns to his listeners, calling them Sodom and Gomorrah. Isaiah qualifies the comparison: unlike Sodom and Gomorrah that were totally destroyed, God will save a remnant of Zion. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah on the Syrio-African rift, (probably an earthquake accompanied by the release of sulfur and bitumen and volatile gases from the earth's crust ignited by lightning) was a cataclysmic event. Everything was obliterated and in the Torah the memory of this event has come to be a model of God's destruction for wicked behaviour. Even today, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are synonomous with 'iniquity and wickedness,' but what was the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah? Some believe that the sin of the cities was homosexuality, as the residents wanted to have sex with the [male] angels, and the verb 'sodomize' even became a legal term to refer to homosexual acts. Some anti-homosexual websites even use the term 'Sodomite' to refer to the homosexual. The Torah does prohibit cultic male homosexual acts, but homosexuality as we understand it today was not known in the Bible, and it seems unlikely that Isaiah is accusing his listeners of homosexual behaviour. Other tradtitional interpretations suggest that the sin of Sodom was their greediness and lack of compassion. The Talmud tells the story of a young girl who gives a poor man some bread. Outraged at this act of kindness, the residents smear her with honey and hang her from the city wall until she is stung to death by bees. Pirkei Avot compares four types of people. One says, "what's mine is mine, and what's yours is mine." This is understandably wicked. The one who says "what yours is yours and what's mine is yours" is righteous. You might think, "what's mine is mine and what's yours is yours" is the average person; but surprisingly this is called, the 'character of Sodom.' To mind one's own business and not care for others is not the highest ethical behaviour. There is even a story of the guest house in Sodom where guests had to fit the bed. Tall guests would have their feet chopped off; short guests would be put on the 'rack' to be stretched. This story demonstrates that the problem was that while they observed the letter of the law, they did it in a way that violated the very essence of what the laws were trying to instill. How easy it is to quote out of context. "I take no delight in the blood of bulls ..." or "I hate your new moons, your festival days..." Is God (or at least Isaiah) against ritual? Isaiah's language is pretty strong. "Bring me no more futile offerings; incense is an abonimation to Me." An abomination?! According to Exodus, incense is holy (Ex. 30: 37). But these examples are how Isaiah is choosing to illustrate the Israelites's behaviour that he has compared to Sodom and Gomorrah. There are those who are clearly wicked and those who are clearly righteous. But worst of all are those who pretend to be righteous, who observe the ritual minutaie without acting ethically. These are the Sodomites today. Only with justice and repentance will Zion be redeemed. Shabbat Shalom,

12/02/2008 03:16 p.m.

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Parashat Va'etchanan (Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11) for Aug. 5, 2006 This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored by Linda Halton in memory of her mother and father William and Freda Brayer.

On Tisha B'av we reflect on Israel's exile at the hands of the Romans and pray that we will have the strength to withstand this current attack.

HAFTARAH TEXT "The nations are but a drop in a bucket, Reckoned as dust on a balance; The very coastlands God lifts like motes. Lebanon is not fuel enough, Nor its beast enough for sacrifice. All nations are as naught in God's sight; God accounts them as less than nothing." Isaiah 40:15-17

Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

This week with the recent events in Israel and the world, it seems fitting that we commemorate Tisha b'Av, the saddest day in the Jewish calendar. Tisha b'Av marks the destruction of the Temple and the exile of the Jewish people from the land of Israel. The first Shabbat after Tisha B'Av we read Parshat Va'etchanan, but the Shabbat is more commonly referred to as Shabbat Nachamu, this name taken from the opening words of the haftarah from (Second) Isaiah: Nachamu, nachamu- Comfort, comfort My people. This is the first (of seven) haftarot of consolation that follow the past three weeks of haftarot of admonition. The portion Va'etchanan contains both the Shma and a recapitulation of the Ten Commandments (that differs in both slight, and more significant ways from the text in Exodus.

Second Isaiah lived a century later than Isaiah, after the exile (586 BCE). The prophet addresses the exiles of Judah now in Babylon and brought words of comfort. Because of his message of consolation that Israel's sins are forgiven, we assume that these prophecies were delivered after Cyrus the Mede conquered Babylon and permitted the Judeans to return to Jerusalem (538 BCE).

I don't like to use this weekly column as a soapbox for political commentary around current events, but I can't ignore the recent events in Israel. I am tired of Israel being attacked, both physically and in the media. "Pro-Israeli" websites present what seems to me to be a more balanced perspective; the rest of the world sees Israel as the aggressor, Israel as the source of violence and Israel as the reason for instability in the region. With every civilian casualty and Israeli air strike, the world goes on a media feeding frenzy to attack Israel's position. Yet

12/02/2008 03:17 p.m.

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even with a pro-Israeli perspective, killing over fifty (mostly women and children) civilians in an air strike is never a good thing. It is tragic when 75 year old grandmothers and 4 year old children are killed by Israeli missiles, and it certainly does not advance the cause of peace. But it is never pointed out that these unfortunate (and I'll admit- all too often) incidents are, to use the military euphemism, "collateral damage". Too bad that the media also doesn't point out that Hezbollah shields itself behind UN posts and schools and other civilian positions, believing that Israel will not dare retaliate precisely to avoid civilian casualties. Israel doesn't target civilians, unlike Hezbollah who deliberately is firing missiles onto Israeli schools and hospitals. Hezbollah's hundreds of missiles raining down on Israel (and Israeli casualties) don't make the front page. It seems Hezbollah has permission to attack. But in this current conflict, each side has miscalculated the other's fierceness and willingness to fight with the result of ever escalating violence and destruction. Even with Israel's army's response, Israel has suffered significant military and civilian casualties. Israel is now fighting on two borders; and the news headlines from the rest of the world are equally depressing: suicide bombers and car bombs continue to inflict casualties in Afghanistan, a recent shooting of a Jewish woman in Seattle has shocked the community, and violence in India and Sri Lanka make the world a scary place. As long as the conflict was about Palestinian sovereignty and land borders, I believed that eventually a peace settlement would be (or theoretically, could be) reached. But Hezbollah has raised the conflict to a new level. I am anxious and disturbed by this latest conflict, and agree with many analysts that see this new war as not just 'more of the same.' We have to stop pretending that Iran's message that "Israel must be wiped off the map" and Al Qaeda's call to all Muslims to attack the western world is just empty rhetoric. Israel and the US are seen as the enemies of Islam, and the conflict is real. Good meaning Muslims must challenge these messages of hate and intolerance and work for a moderate Islam that can function in modern society. Isaiah's "Lebanon is not fuel enough" refers to the cedars of Lebanon that in the days of the Bible were used for the Temple sacrifices. Too bad that today it seems that Lebanon is again 'not fuel enough' and is being 'sacrificed.' It seems unlikely that the US efforts can stabilize Lebanon, and neutralize Hezbollah which has become even more popular in confronting Israel's 'invincible' army. In fact, Hezbollah continued to attack Israel undeterred from Israel's air strikes, and has come out of this conflict stronger than ever. So on Tisha B'av we reflect on Israel's destruction at the hands of the Romans and pray that we will have the strength to withstand this current attack. This week's haftarah words of comfort are therefore more timely than ever: "Ascend a lofty mountain, O herald of joy to Zion; Raise your voice with power, O herald of joy to Jerusalem-Raise it, have no fear; Announce to the cities of Judah: Behold your God!" (Isa. 40: 9) Shabbat Shalom,

12/02/2008 03:17 p.m.

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Parashat Ekev (Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25) for August 12, 2006 This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored by Meryl Gardner in loving memory of her mother Harriet H. Cohen. Kolel is very appreciative of Meryl's ongoing support.

Even with suffering we can still choose to believe that our lives have meaning, and to believe in God. Study with Baruch Sienna

HAFTARAH TEXT "Zion says, 'Adonai has forsaken me, My Lord has forgotten me.' Can a woman forget her baby, Or disown the child of her womb? Though she might forget, I never could forget you. See, I have engraved you On the palms of My hands.... " Isaiah 49:14-16a

This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

We continue with the second Sabbath of Consolation (a series of seven special haftarot: shiva d'nechemta). Although these seven readings are linked to the calendar, bridging the commemoration of the destruction of the Temple and the exile from Israel, this week's reading also has a connection to the Torah reading of Parshat Ekev. "See, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands," God says (Isa. 49:16). This parallels the reading from Deuteronomy (that is read as the second paragraph of the Shma) where God asks that we impress the words upon our hearts and hands (Deut. 11:18).

Isaiah, son of Amotz is the most popular of the prophets for the Haftarah: fourteen of the weekly portions (in the Ashkenazic calendar) are from Isaiah. Isaiah lived in the southern kingdom of Judah in the latter half of the 8th century B.C.E. While Isaiah hoped that the northern kingdom of Israel would be restored (regrettably, the ten northern tribes vanished permanently), his prophecy was also a warning that to the leaders and population of Judah. 'You could be next if you don't change your behaviour.' Indeed, a hundred years later, Judah was conquered, but this time, a remnant did survive, and returned to Israel and re-established a new nation.

When something good happens to us, we rarely ask, "Why us?! What did we do to deserve this good fortune?!" But when something bad happens, we're quick to complain, "Why doesn't God do something? Why doesn't God answer our prayers?" This was the feeling of the exiles. Isaiah is describing the despair of the exiles who ask, "Has God forgotten us?" In the haftarah, God reassures the people of Israel that God will never forget Zion. I once heard a rabbi say that God always answers our prayers- but sometimes the answer is no. On one level I understand this has some truth to it- as the Rolling Stones sing, "we can't always get what we want." It's also true that sometimes what we think we want is often not the best thing for us. As the Chinese proverb says, 'be careful what you wish for.' Just like our

12/02/2008 03:19 p.m.

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kids, we often have very limited perspectives and make poor choices. As parents, we often say no, and for good reason. Eating chocolate ice cream right before supper might seem like a good idea, but when our kids ask for it, we say no. Why should God be any different? But on another level, God answering 'no' is a big problem. Unless we're prepared to say that our unanswered prayers were not sincere enough, or we are not deserving, God is not off the hook. In the same week of a coal mine tragedy, where familiy and friends were praying for their loved ones' rescue, a woman reported winning the lottery: "God has answered my prayers." Well, that must have been some mighty praying, if her prayers to win the lottery were answered, while the coal miners (except for one) sadly lost their lives. Was God too busy arranging for the winning ticket to organize the rescue efforts. We have to really wonder about God's priorities, or come to the conclusion that either God can't help (which makes God a wimp), or worse, God won't help (which makes God a sadist)-- or (the worst heresy)- there is no God at all. As Israel is fighting a war, we wish that God could just wave a magic wand and make Israel secure. Some Jews believe that reciting prayers or affixing kosher mezzuzahs will be an effective defensive strategy. But as the God character (played by Morgan Freeman) says in the film Bruce Almighty, 'I don't work that way.' So what good is God and what good is prayer? These questions challenge the very foundations of religious faith and there are no easy answers. But what is interesting is that individual survivors of the Holocasust walked out of the same camps either absolutely convinced that there was no God, or more steadfast than ever in their belief in the Creator. In other words, the existence of suffering does not by itself seem to determine whether one believes or not. Indeed, Vickor Frankl, himself a survivor went on to discover the meaning of his life which he articulates in his classic volume, Man's Search for Meaning. Even suffering, according to Frankl, can have meaning. He writes, "In spite of all the enforced physical and mental primitiveness of the life in a concentration camp, it was possible for spiritual life to deepen.... They were able to retreat from their terrible surroundings to a life of inner riches and spiritual freedom." Even with suffering, we can still choose to believe that our lives have meaning, and to believe in God. Shabbat Shalom,

12/02/2008 03:19 p.m.

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Parashat Reeh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17) for August 19, 2006 This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored in honour of Mr. and Mrs. Barry and Beverly Fluxgold.

Life requires a balance of physical sustenance, emotional nourishment and spiritual joy.

HAFTARAH TEXT "Ho, all who are thirsty, Come for water, Even if you have no money: Come, buy food and eat: Buy food without money, Wine and milk without cost." Isaiah 55:1

Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

We continue with the third Sabbath of Consolation (a series of seven special haftarot: shiva d'nechemta). These seven readings are linked to the calendar, bridging the commemoration of the destruction of the Temple and the exile from Israel, with the upcoming season of the High Holy Days. God promises the restoration of Zion, but at the same time, calls on the people of Israel to turn back to God. This is the essence of teshuvah, repentance.

Isaiah, son of Amotz is the most popular of the prophets for the Haftarah: fourteen of the weekly portions (in the Ashkenazic calendar) are from Isaiah. Isaiah lived in the southern kingdom of Judah in the latter half of the 8th century B.C.E. While Isaiah hoped that the northern kingdom of Israel would be restored (regrettably, the ten northern tribes vanished permanently), his prophecy was also a warning that to the leaders and population of Judah. 'You could be next if you don't change your behaviour.' Indeed, a hundred years later, Judah was conquered, but this time, a remnant did survive, and returned to Israel and re-established a new nation.

Our series of Haftarot of consolation continue with the message of God's restoration. The first verses of the Haftarah describe God showering the people of Israel with material riches: gems and precious stones. God is the source of power and God promises safety from oppression. The Haftarah then continues with an additional theme: in addition to this promised material prosperity and physical security, God invites the people of Israel to be in a mutual, covenantal relationship. God's declaration "Come for water" (Isa. 55:1) is universally understood by commentators to be a metaphor for Torah or divine instruction. In a famous midrash, the Rabbis compare the Torah to water, using our verse from the Haftarah as its 'prooftext': The words of Torah are likened to water, as it is written, O all who thirst, come for water, (Is. 55:1) Just as water goes from one end of the earth to the other, so does Torah go from one end of the earth to the other; Just as water is a life source, so is Torah a source of life;

12/02/2008 03:20 p.m.

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Just as water is free to all, so is Torah a free commodity; Just as water comes from heaven, so too is the Torah's origin in heaven; Just as water makes many sounds, so is the Torah heard in many voices; Just as water quenches one's thirst, so does Torah satisfy the soul... (see Midrash Shir HaShirim I:19)

Like our verse, the Midrash in fact continues to compare the Torah to milk and wine: The words of Torah are likened to milk. Just as milk is pure and clean, so the Torah is pure and clean. The words of Torah are likened to wine. Just as wine cheers the spirit, so Torah cheers the spirit, as it is written, "Wine that cheers the hearts..." (Ps. 104:14). (Shir HaShirim Rabbah I:19) Rabbi These three liquids, water, milk and wine are all important symbols in Torah and Judaism. Water is life's most basic requirement. Rain is the ultimate source of fresh water, and in the Torah water (rain) are gifts from God. No human involvement is required. Milk is also a basic requirement for infants, but afterwards is more of a luxury than a necessity. Life-sustaining mothers' milk comes from women, but like rain, no conscious human action is required to produce it. The nourishment of Torah and the bounty of the land of Israel are described as "milk and honey." Finally- wine, a symbol of joy that sanctifies Shabbat, festivals, and life cycle events is produced by humans [in partnership with God]. God produces the grapes, but human effort is required to transform the juice into wine. Rabbi Joanne Yocheved Heiligman in The Women's Haftarah Commentary (ed. Rabbi Elyse Goldstein) further suggests that the three fluids water, milk, and wine represent physical sustenance, emotional nourishment, and spiritual joy respectively. A shortage of clean drinking water severely impacts on the quality of life. Individuals who lack loving human relationships develop poorly. And a life without a spiritual, joyous component can either be a dull, 'Dilbert-like' existence, or (to the other extreme) a superficial hedonistic, pleasure seeking vapid existence. All three components are necessary for a healthy, balanced life. Shabbat Shalom,

12/02/2008 03:20 p.m.

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Parashat Shoftim (Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9) for August 26, 2006 This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored by Peninah Zilberman in memory of her grandfather, Yacove Zilberman.

HAFTARAH TEXT "Awake, awake, O Zion Clothe yourself in splendour; Put on your robes of majesty, Jerusalem, holy city"

Whether we live in Israel or Isaiah 52:1 not, we must consider our relationship to Zion in our lives as Jews. Study with Baruch Sienna

This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

We continue with the fourth Sabbath of Consolation (a series of seven special haftarot: shiva d'nechemta). These seven readings are linked to the calendar, bridging the commemoration of the destruction of the Temple and the exile from Israel, with the upcoming season of the High Holy Days. God promises the restoration of Zion, but at the same time, calls on the people of Israel to turn back to God. This is the essence of teshuvah, repentance.

Isaiah, son of Amotz is the most popular of the prophets for the Haftarah: fourteen of the weekly portions (in the Ashkenazic calendar) are from Isaiah. Isaiah lived in the southern kingdom of Judah in the latter half of the 8th century B.C.E. While Isaiah hoped that the northern kingdom of Israel would be restored (regrettably, the ten northern tribes vanished permanently), his prophecy was also a warning that to the leaders and population of Judah. 'You could be next if you don't change your behaviour.' Indeed, a hundred years later, Judah was conquered, but this time, a remnant did survive, and returned to Israel and re-established a new nation.

Hearing the Haftarah read in Hebrew, careful listeners might recognize some of the verses from the popular Shabbat hymn sung on Friday night: Lecha Dodi. The poet Shlomo Alkabetz used these images to liken the Shabbat bride to the city of Jerusalem: Hitor'ri, hitor'ri, ... Uri, uri... livshi bigdei tifarteich... Hitna'ari mei'afar kumi... [Rouse, rouse yourself, ... Awake, awake, .... Put on your robes of majesty, ...Arise, shake off the dust.] Like the metaphor of the Shabbat bride, Isaiah portrays Jerusalem as a young woman shaking off her dust and being clothed in splendour and majesty. Isaiah describes the restoration of Israel as the return to Zion and the return to Jerusalem. Zion is just one of the many names used to refer to Jerusalem. According to the Rabbis, there are seventy names for Jerusalem. The term Zion in its original and most limited sense referred to the Jebusite fortress situated on it and captured by David. David renamed the hill Ir David (City of David), an area now being excavated for David's palace. Zion also referred to the Temple and the Temple grounds, and in the Maccabean period, the Temple Mount was called Har Zion. Later, the word Zion by way of synecdoche (the technical term for referring to a whole by a part) came to refer to the whole city of Jerusalem , and even all of Israel. Zion and Jerusalem are often used in biblical poetry: For out of Zion shall go forth Torah, and the word of Adonai from

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Jerusalem. Even Israel's national anthem, Hatikvah, refers to the Jewish homeland as the 'land of Zion and Jerusalem.' The movement to return to Israel is not 'Israelism' but 'Zionism.' And in our prayers, the term Israel usually refers to the people of Israel, not the country or land, and Zion is used to refer to the geographical location. The Jewish heart's compass points to Zion. (Today, Har Zion is a popular name for synagogues.) Finally, Zion is not only a term for Jerusalem and the land of Israel. God says to Zion: "You are My people" (51:16). The Jewish people are also 'Zion.' Today, what does it mean to be a 'zionist'? When Israel is attacked, Jews around the world rally to protect it, but in relative peaceful times, Jews in North America are by and large, rather comfortable with their lives as Jews outside of Israel. In the provocative book, New Jews, authors Caryn Aviv and David Shneer argue that the Israel-Diaspora dichotomy is no longer a useful distinction. The book's unnecessary negativity (they sarcastically suggest that the title of their book should have been 'Israel, who needs it?'), spoils their challenging and critical analysis of diaspora and Israeli culture and relationship. Cynthia Ozick relates how growing up she played a street game where each player names the city she has "come from." So her playmate Peggy O'Brien chose Dublin, and Maria Viggiano, Naples. How, Ozick asks, does an eight year old in the borough of Bronx choose 'Jerusalem' as her inheritance? The other verse in this week's haftarah readers might recognize is one that has been turned into a song (and a popular Israeli folkdance) found in verse 7: Mah navu al he'harim... The dance Mah Navu was the very first Israeli folkdance I learned, and I'm always disappointed that synagogue worshippers don't perform this (easy, slow) dance spontaneously or at the conclusion of the service when we sing these words of Isaiah. For me, it symbolizes a rupture between modern Israeli culture and traditional Jewish observance. I strongly disagree with Aviv and Shneer. Whether we live in Israel or not, we must consider our relationship to Zion in our lives as Jews. Shabbat Shalom,

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Parashat Ki Tetze (Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19) for Sept. 2, 2006 This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored by Sam and Jack Markle in memory of their mother Bessie and stepfather Sam Slywowicz. Kolel appreciates the support of its readers .

God feels close when we nurture our relationship through prayer and mitzvot. Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

HAFTARAH TEXT "This is like the days of Noah to Me-I promised then never again to cover the earth with the waters of Noah. So now I promise never again to be angry with you or rebuke you. Though the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, My love shall never depart from you, and My covenant of peace shall not be removed-says the One who loves you, the Eternal." Isaiah 54:9-10

We continue with the fifth Sabbath of Consolation (a series of seven special haftarot: shiva d'nechemta). These seven readings are linked to the calendar, bridging the commemoration of the destruction of the Temple and the exile from Israel. Like last week, there are phrases in this haftarah that Alkabetz borrowed in his Shabbat hymn Lecha Dodi: "Lo teivoshi... You shall not be put to shame (54:4), and Yamin u'smol.. You shall spread out to the right and the left (54:3). This week's haftarah combined with the haftarah of Re'eh from two weeks ago make up the haftarah of Parshat Noah. The prophet recalls the covenant God made with Noah (vs. 9) and like that promise, God promises never again to be angry with Israel.

Isaiah, son of Amotz is the most popular of the prophets for the Haftarah: fourteen of the weekly portions (in the Ashkenazic calendar) are from Isaiah. Isaiah lived in the southern ki ngdom of Judah in the latter half of the 8th century B.C.E. While Isaiah hoped that the northern king dom of Israel would be restored (regrettably, the ten northern tribes vanished permanently), his pro phecy was also a warning that to the leaders and population of Judah. 'You could be next if you don't change your behaviour.' Indeed, a hundred years later, Judah was conquered, but this time, a remna nt did survive, and returned to Israel and re-established a new nation.

The prophets often compared God's relationship with Israel to the relationship of a husband and wife (see Hosea's haftarah in Parshat Bemidbar). This week, too, Isaiah says, "For Your husband is your Maker, the One called God of the hosts of heaven...The Eternal calls you "wife" again... (vs. 5,6). The image of God, as husband who will take back

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his divorced wife, symbolizes how Israel in exile will be returned to in triumph to Zion. Rabbi Plaut points out that today, the metaphor of divorce is problematic because divorce laws in Judaism are not egalitarian. Only the husband divorces this wife. (Even today, especially in Israel, the issue of agunot -- women are 'anchored' to their recalcitrant husbands is difficult). However, even though it is troubling, in ancient Israel it made sense, as God and the people of Israel were certainly not considered equal partners in the relationship.On the other hand, I am not sure that the metaphor is any more challenging than the child-parent metaphor (Avinu Malkeinu: our Parent, our Ruler) that will be prominent in the High Holy Day liturgy that is fast approaching. Unlike the parent-child relationship, the key word that describes the marriage relationship (even in non-egalitarian or traditional marriages) is the word 'covenant.' In fact, in Hebrew the wedding ceremony is called brit nisu'im. This Hebrew term may not be that familiar; the word 'brit' is probably more familiar to us from the ceremony of brit milah, or 'bris' (covenant of circumcision). Today, covenant ceremonies for girls are becoming more popular, and I remind our readers that girls too can have a brit, as the 'bris' does not refer to the cutting but rather simply means 'covenant' and it is the word milah that means circumcision. The Hebrew word brit can refer to two very important life cycle moments: birth and marriage. This may be a midrashic stretch, but I think the word 'brit' could also be appropriately used to refer to the "bar/bat mitzvah." In fact, I find this egalitarian phrase (bar/bat) awkward, and I am surprised that no one has coined the phrase 'brit mitzvah' to the 'coming of age' ceremony that is celebrated today. After all, that is an apt description, as the thirteen year old (or twelve year old for some girls) is accepting the responsibilities of the covenant and of the mitzvot (and the word 'brit' almost seems that it is composed by blending the words bar and bat). I find it interesting that all three life cycle events: birth, bar/bat mitzvah (via this 'midrash'), and marriage are therefore linguistically or conceptually connected to this notion of 'covenant.' But how do the three life cycle events differ? Well, of course no one asks the infant their opinion. Parents make a unilateral decision to enter the child into the Jewish community. At a bar/bat mitzvah, or to use my newly coined phrase, brit mitzvah, the child has more of a say-- indeed the whole significance of the day is to acknowledge the child's transition from a minor into an adult member of the community. The adolescent accepts the "yoke of the commandments" (in traditional terms: 'ol hamitzvot) but this lacks a certain mutuality. It is only the brit that is in the context of marriage that refers to a mature, mutual covenant. Plaut concludes with one more point: even if the husband/wife metaphor is generally inappropriate for modern readers, "in one major aspect it is as applicable today as it was in Isaiah's time. Love and trust need constant nurturing in human marriage, and faithlessness will destroy it." God, too, feels close when we nurture our relationship through prayer and mitzvot, and as we enter the season of teshuvah, Isaiah's message is as true today as it was in his time. Shabbat Shalom,

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Parashat Ki Tavo (Deuteronomy 26:1-289:6) for Sept. 9, 2006 This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored by Meryl Gardner in loving memory of her mother Harriet H. Cohen. Kolel is very appreciative of Meryl's ongoing support.

The people of Israel in partnership with the Divine source of Light, can usher in the light of redemption. Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what

HAFTARAH TEXT "Arise, shine, for your light has dawned, The Presence of Adonai has shone upon you! Behold! Darkness shall cover the earth, and thick clouds, the people, But upon you Adonai will shine, And God's Presence be seen over you. And nations shall walk by your light, Kings, by your shining radiance." Isaiah 60:1-3

connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

We continue with the sixth and penultimate Sabbath of Consolation (our series of seven special haftarot: shiva d'nechemta). These seven readings are linked to the calendar, bridging the commemoration of the destruction of the Temple and the exile from Israel. Like for previous weeks, Alkabetz borrowed phrases from this week's haftarah in his Shabbat hymn Lecha Dodi: "Kumi ori ... Arise, shine, for your light has dawned..." (60:1).

Isaiah, son of Amotz is the most popular of the prophets for the Haftarah: fourteen of the weekly portions (in the Ashkenazic calendar) are from Isaiah. Isaiah lived in the southern ki ngdom of Judah in the latter half of the 8th century B.C.E. While Isaiah hoped that the northern king dom of Israel would be restored (regrettably, the ten northern tribes vanished permanently), his pro phecy was also a warning that to the leaders and population of Judah. 'You could be next if you don't change your behaviour.' Indeed, a hundred years later, Judah was conquered, but this time, a remna nt did survive, and returned to Israel and re-established a new nation.

Reading the Haftarah for this week's Parashat Ki Tavo, the imagery of light jumps out at us. Light is a symbol of the Divine (Adonai is my light Ps. 27:1), and Isaiah promises, "No longer shall you need the sun, for light by day, nor the shining of the moon for radiance by night; for Adonai shall be your light everlasting, your God shall be your glory..." (Is. 60:19). Light was God's first creation, and light is also a symbol of revelation. The light of our haftarah is the third point of Rosenzweig's triangle (in his Star of Redemption): a symbol of redemption.

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Creation: There is the physical light of creation (sun, moon, and stars). Technically, I know that actually, the moon is not a 'source' of light, and is really only reflecting the sun's light. In the ancient world, the moon was used for the calendar, and its light was quite important. As the 'Wise' of Chelm point out, 'The moon is more important than the sun, for after all, the sun shines during the day when it's light, but the moon shines at night when it is dark! (There is actually a real 'Chelm' but I am referring to a mythical town of foolish people). Revelation: The theophany at Sinai is described with fire and lightning, and the Torah itself is likened to light: Torah Orah. Redemption: The final light of redemption will outshine the other sources of light. This brings us right back to a midrash on the light of creation, since if we read the text carefully, we will notice that in fact the 'light' created on the first day precedes the creation of the sun, moon and stars, (on day four), the only natural sources of light in the ancient world. The Rabbis resolve this difficulty by suggesting that the original light of the first three days was not any light that we have today, but a primordial light (today we might suggest the light of the Big Bang)! This light, was 'hidden away' for the righteous, and will be revealed at the end of days. Now most of the time, we can tell the past tense from the present tense. But without context, "I read the newspaper" could be present tense- (the answer to "What do you do in the morning?") or the past ("What did you do yesterday?"). In Hebrew the verb to read is clear, since kara means read (pronounced rehd) vs. korei (meaning read pronounced reehd). But some verbs in Hebrew, are similarly ambiguous. The verb lavo, to come is both ba for the masculine singular present (He comes) hu ba, and 3rd person masc. past, (He came). Verse one of our haftarah begins, "Arise, shine, for your light has come/came" (ki va oreich). The verse continues with a parallel: God's glory shone (zarach) past tense. So translators are probably right to keep the first verb also in the past tense, as in biblical poetry, these parallels are usually symmetrical. But the very next verse continues that God's light will shine (yizrach). So now, I'm legitimately confused. Shone, shining, will shine? Which is it? This is not only a pendantic question of translations. The issue is when is our redemption. Isaiah is describing the restoration of Zion and God's redemption. But which comes first? Do we wait to be redeemed, and then we will be restored to Zion, or is it the other way around. After all, the original opposition of some Orthodox to the early Zionist movement (and sad to say, of some extremist groups still today - many of whom actually live in Israel without supporting the State) was this very question. Clearly our 'light shining' is connected to our redemption. But I think an answer can be found in one more use of the word light in the phrase, Or goyim. I, Adonai, in My grace, have summoned you, And I have grasped you by the hand. I created you, and appointed you a covenant people, a light of nations— Opening eyes deprived of light, Rescuing prisoners from confinement, From the dungeon those who sit in darkness (Is. 42:6,7). The people of Israel themselves are also a source of light when we act in partnership with the Divine source of Light. Then surely will all enjoy the light of redemption. Shabbat Shalom,

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Parashat Nitzavim-VaYeilech (Deuteronomy 29:9-31:30) for Sept. 16, 2006 This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored by Meryl Gardner in loving memory of her mother Harriet H. Cohen. Kolel is very appreciative of Meryl's ongoing support.

As we enter this season of repentance, God will take one step towards us for every step we take to return.

HAFTARAH TEXT "God thought: Surely they are My people, Children who will not play false. So God was their deliverer. In all their troubles, God was troubled, and the angel of God's presence delivered them. In God's love and pity, God Godself redeemed them, Raised them, and exalted them all the days of old. Isaiah 63:8,9

Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

We have finally reached the seventh, and last Shabbat of Consolation. Much of the imagery and poetry has been used by Isaiah before: the metaphor of marriage, being clothed in splendour, and Zion's feeling of being forsaken is replaced with gratitude for God's deliverance. This is the climactic conclusion to the seven weeks that we have travelled from Tisha B'av to the High Holy Day season. This Shabbat is also the Shabbat before Rosh Hashanah (beginning this year on Friday night, Sept. 22).

Isaiah, son of Amotz is the most popular of the prophets for the Haftarah: fourteen of the weekly portions (in the Ashkenazic calendar) are from Isaiah. Isaiah lived in the southern kingdom of Judah in the latter half of the 8th century B.C.E. While Isaiah hoped that the northern kingdom of Israel would be restored (regrettably, the ten northern tribes vanished permanently), his prophecy was also a warning that to the leaders and population of Judah. 'You could be next if you don't change your behaviour.' Indeed, a hundred years later, Judah was conquered, but this time, a remnant did survive, and returned to Israel and re-established a new nation.

Last week in shul, a fellow congregant noticed that in their edition of the chumash, there were some words printed without vowels, and wanted to know the significance of these unvocalized words. What they were noticing was the phenomenon of k'ri [read] and k'tiv [written]. Different chumashim display this either as a footnote, as marginalia, or, as in the case of the Conservative movement's Etz Hayim edition, right in the text itself. Around the 10th century, a group of scholars arose who established the correct text of the Bible. They are called the Masoretes, from the Hebrew word, Masorah, which means to transmit, and denotes 'tradition.' (Indeed, the Hebrew version of Fiddler on the Roof has Tevye singing, "Masoret, masoret..."

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The Masoretes were also responsible for the vowels (which they invented) and the musical notes (trope) that were added to the original biblical text. In their careful work of establishing the correct text, these sages noted that sometimes an accepted reading was theologically difficult, or incorrect (comparing differing reliable manuscripts due to a scribal error), or in some cases not 'proper' for public reading, and therefore provided a substitute word. By the tenth century, the biblical text's sanctity was accepted, and altering the text was not possible, so the solution was to still write the text the accepted way, but a marginal notation indicated how the text was to be read. Indeed, a Torah reader who did not follow the k'ri would be removed from his position. Those who claim that the Torah has 'codes' in its letter sequences might reconsider their position since the Bible has about fifteen hundred of such variants. Which brings us to this week's haftarah, and a very interesting example of k'ri and k'tiv [written]. The Hebrew word for 'no' is lo, spelled lamed-aleph. The word, his, is a homophone: lo, but spelled differently, lamed-vuv. The words sound the same, but look different. According to the Masoretic text as written (k'tiv), and supported by the Septuagint, an ancient Greek translation, verse 9 reads: "God was their Deliverer in all their troubles; no [lo- with an aleph] angel or messenger was with God, but God's own Presence delivered them." This theology is familiar from the Pesach Haggadah's insistence (notwithstanding the explicit reference to an angel for the actual Exodus, cf. Num. 20:16), that God alone, not an angel or a messenger, delivered Israel. Rashi, too, agrees with this reading. But the more interesting reading follows the musical cantillation marks (which also indicate phrasing) and breaks the sentence differently, according to the Masoretic k'ri which translates the lo as His (God's): "In all their troubles, God was troubled, and the angel of God's presence delivered them." This reading is not supported by the ancient texts, or even by the conclusion of the verse that says, "God, Godself redeemed them," yet this midrashic understanding has been popular, and all ten contemporary translations I checked follow this rabbinic theology. Ibn Ezra, who is normally noted for his 'pshat' approach (even more than Rashi) agrees with this latter reading, that when Israel was afflicted, God suffers. (Christianity has made the idea of God's suffering along with humanity, or indeed, on behalf of humanity a central pillar). The Rabbis used this verse as the prooftext for a midrash on the burning bush. Starting with the verse from Song of Songs (5:2) 'My dove, my twin.' Rabbi Yannai said: 'As with twins, when the head of one aches, the other also feels it, too, so [aware of how radical was this theology the Rabbis add: if one dare attribute such words to God]-- the Holy One said, 'I am with him in trouble' (Ps. 91:15). And again, 'In all their afflictions, God is afflicted.' " (Isa. 63:9) The Holy One said to Moses: "Do you not sense that I live in distress whenever Israel finds themselves in distress? Just look at the place out of which I speak to you-- out of a thornbush. I am--if one may ascribe such a statement to God--a partner in their pain. Ex. Rabbah 2:5.

God is not aloof, and as we enter this season of repentance, God too, wants us to return. This shortens our path since for every step we take in God's direction, God, too, takes a step closer to us. "Turn back to me—says the LORD of Hosts—and I will turn back to you" (Zechariah 1:3). Shabbat Shalom,

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Parashat Ha'azinu (Deuteronomy 32:1-52) for Sept. 30, 2006 This week's parasha study has been generously sponsored by Susan Gerhard in honour of her grandparents, Reuven and Golda Kreitzman and in memory of her father Harry Kreitzman.

I can think of no better way to start the process of Teshuvah, than by beginning to be grateful .

HAFTARAH TEXT "Blow a shofar in Zion, Solemnize a fast, Proclaim an assembly! Gather the people, Bid the congregation purify themselves. Bring together the old, Gather the babes And the sucklings at the breast. Joel 2:15, 16

Study with Baruch Sienna This year's cycle of weekly Parasha study explores what connections and insight we can find by examining the Torah portion together with the Haftarah.

On Shabbat Shuvah we read the final Haftarah of the weekly Shabbat cycle. Like the past few months, the haftarah is chosen for its connection to the calendar (this week is the Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur), and not the weekly Torah reading of Haazinu. The passage from Joel begins, "Blow a shofar in ZIon, Sanctify a fast..." After the holidays of Sukkot and Simchat Torah, we will begin a new cycle of Torah readings once again with Parashat Bereishit, and will return to studying the Torah portion. Every Shabbat can be referred to by the name of the Parasha, (Shabbat Bereishit) or in some weeks, when a special additional portion is read, the Shabbat has a special name taken from this additional 'maftir' (Shabbat Zachor). Sometimes, when a holiday falls on Shabbat and interrupts the regualr weekly readings, Shabbat gets its name from the holiday (Shabbat Chol HaMoed Pesach). So, I think it is fitting, that this week, our last column on the haftarot, this Shabbat takes its name (Shabbat Shuvah), not from the Torah portion, but from the haftarah: Shuvah Yisrael, Return O Israel. The Haftarah is also unusual in that it is taken from more than one book; selections from Hosea, and Micah or Joel form the Haftarah (depending on whether the Torah portion VaYeleich or Ha'azinu falls on Shabbat Shuvah and whether Ashkenazic or Sephardic custom is being followed). (Note also that the passage from Hosea is included in the regular Shabbat Haftarah read on Parshat VaYetze.)

Hosea is the first prophet included in the second section of the Jewish Bible (Tanakh) , after the historical books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings. He lived around 700 BCE and was a contemporary of Amos. After the death of Solomon, the united kingdom had split into tw o. The northern tribes were called Israel (or Ephraim after the tribe of their first king Jer oboam) and the southern kingdom was called Judah. Although this was a time of material prosperity, it was also a time of moral laxity and growing paganism.

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This is the only Haftarah that includes a passage from the prophet Joel. Joel speaks o f the Day of Judgment, and describes a plague of locusts. The Sages believed Joel was a contemporar y of Amos and Hosea, but scholars are unsure of the book's composition. Joel is a short (4 chapt er) book, and includes the famous verse: "Your elders shall dream dreams, and your youth shall see v isions" (3:1 or 2:28 in some translations). The passage from Joel seems like a description of Rosh Hashanah: "Blow the shofar...Gather the people..."

This week's Torah portion Ha'azinu, the last regular Shabbat reading, is a one chapter poem anticipating the Israelites forsaking God. (The Torah's final two chapters are read on Simchat Torah, and then we begin the cycle anew with Shabbat Breishit.) Moses describes the history of God's relationship with Israel: God is faithful, and the Israelites, in return, worship other gods and do not show gratitude. God's anger will then flare up, and visit famine upon them. The passage from the prophet Joel balances the Torah. Joel too describes a famine caused by a plague of locusts, but God will be roused by the nation's return, and God will again honour the covenant with the Israelites, showering them (literally) with rain, so their crops (of grain, wine, and oil) will be abundant. Joel says: "And you shall eat your fill and praise the name of Adonai your God Who dealt so wondrously with you...I am Adonai your God, there is no other" (Joel 2:26, 27). This is a paraphrase of Deut. 8:10, "You shall eat and be full, and you shall bless Adonai your God..." In both places, the idea is that the earth's bounty is a gift from God, and that abundance should be a sign of God's blessings. Perhaps because of the family meals around the holidays, I am conscious of feeling overly full. But the Torah worries that instead of being grateful and loyal, precisely the opposite will happen: "When you have eaten your fill, have built fine houses to live in... beware lest your heart grow haughty and you forget Adonai your God who freed you from the land of Egypt..." (Deut 8:12, 14). How curious. The more we have to be thankful for, the less we seem to be grateful. In Judaism, saying blessings is our way of expressing gratitude. Indeed, the verse quoted above is the 'prooftext' for Birkat HaMazon, the Grace after Meals. The rabbis said that one should offer 100 blessings a day! That might seem like a lot, but think of all the people (seen and unseen) that we should be grateful to each day: the bus driver, the grocer, the farmer, the truck driver, the city hydro workers. This past summer, after a severe summer storm knocked out power in the Muskoka cottage country area, how grateful were we when we heard the familiar hum of the refrigerator turn on, indicating that power had finally been restored! It's easy to complain. Nothing is perfect. But how many blessings we have each day! Let us thank those around us, family, friends, and even strangers. In this season of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, I can think of no better way to start the process of Teshuvah, than by beginning to be grateful.

Shabbat Shalom and Shanah Tovah,

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