As we welcome Shabbat, this weekend will mark the start of Hannukah.
May the sacred lights brighten your soul.
! חג אורים שמח ושבת שלים
And enjoy this wonderful Hannukah medley from the extraordinary Six13:
Category: culture
The Priestly Blessing- A message of hope deliberately placed
The Priestly Blessing is a message of hope in a troubled world. We have long wondered about the Priestly Blessing being placed in Parshat Naso. Many have posited it was out of place, belonging instead in Leviticus (9:22) when Aaron is told to bless the people. But I believe it is placed here purposefully as a message of assurance, to make sure we understand how important we are to each other and to the Almighty.
Naso contains a census of the Tribe of Gershon, the extraordinary stories of the Sotah, a test for the unfaithful wife, and the issues surrounding the intense vows of becoming a Nazirite. And only then do we read the Priestly Blessing; The three-line expansive blessing upon each of us that God protects us, is kind to us, and grants peace to us. It is actually the perfect response to the perplexing and difficult issues that preceded.
We are told we count. That was central in the previous Parsha, BeMidbar, and reiterated as the census to count the Gershonites. But then we are confronted with the Sotah and the Nazirite, as if to ask are there times when we do not count. We all struggle with life. We seek God’s blessings, we seek meaning, we seek good things, namely peace and a good life. But we find ourselves going off the rails. When this happens are we cut off from God’s blessing?
The Sotah is about accusations of infidelity. But in the absence of anything but circumstantial evidence, the magical test is administered by the Priest. The gravitas of this must be overwhelming. But even if a woman survived the test, would her husband fully welcome her home, without harboring some suspicions. Would trust ever be restored fully? Would others in the community maintain lingering doubts, rumors, and stories placing an indelible stain on the woman’s reputation?
Someone taking the vow of a Nazirite may do it for lofty purpose, but based on our understanding of the things that motivate such action, we see the wisdom of Gersonides’ analysis that, A person takes such a vow to silence the unhealthy turmoil inside a person arising from a physical desire that might lead one to sin. Does the person who needed to take the Nazirite vow feel rejuvenated or reborn when the vow is complete? Does the thing that required such focus continue to linger in their souls? Such impulses can extend beyond lust to other impulses that can plague us emotionally or spiritually.
The Priestly Blessing is deliberately and thoughtfully placed here to say we struggle and we continue to struggle. It comes at us from all angles. It is part of being human in a world that is often fraught and difficult. Each of us has a struggle, a demon, a bad action, a feeling of inadequacy. It is part of who we are as human beings.
The Priestly Blessing is a wish for wholeness, a wish for Peace in an unpeaceful world. The Priestly Blessing is a wish for Peace; it is our yearning that these struggles do not mire us in a life that feels dark or hopeless. It is the profound hope that God is there to love and protect us even when we feel we have strayed so far away that we are beyond the reach of even the Almighty’s loving protective wings of peace.
Hope remains. God is there. We are not alone.
May the Almighty Bless you and Protect you.
May the Almighty deal kindly and graciously with you.
May the Almighty bestow Divine favor upon you, granting you wholeness and peace.
Shabbat Shalom.
Rabbi David Levin is a second career rabbi. Trained at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Rabbi Levin’s rabbinate focuses on outreach to seekers of meaning, bringing Jewish Wisdom to their life journey. Rabbi Levin’s work is trans-denominational, embracing and drawing knowledge from all aspects of Judaism. He is a member of the CCAR (Reform Rabbinical Association), OHALA (Renewal Rabbinical Association), NAJC (Neshama, Association of Jewish Chaplains), a Fellow of Rabbis Without Borders, serves on the regional board of NIF (New Israel Fund), and is a volunteer on the Disaster Spiritual Care Team of the American Red Cross.
Rabbi Levin currently teaches The Ethical Will Re-Imagined, as well as Mussar at the Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy, Introduction to Judaism for the URJ, “Kavod v’Nichum, Understanding Jewish end-of-life rituals”, and the acclaimed series “L’Chaim, Jewish Wisdom for the End of Life Journey” with two esteemed rabbinic colleagues. Rabbi Levin officiates in complex lifecycle events including non-traditional burial and work with interfaith couples. Rabbi David leads interfaith trips to Israel through the CLAL Stand and See project. Rabbi Levin is the organizer of Death Café of Greater Philadelphia
BaMidbar-In the Desert and Everywhere, Everyone counts
As social beings we seek relationships as a way of making meaning. We need to connect to other people’s lives, believing we have something to contribute, and through this validating our own self. We want to count. Each of us is busy, absorbed in our own world with scarce time to think of others. We often find ourselves shunted aside, neglected or forgotten, not because of anything malicious, but because each of us become so focused on the day to day challenges, we forget to reach out and are often left feeling alone. This can be discouraging and even make us doubt our own value. This week’s Torah portion BaMidbar reminds us however, that indeed we are important.
This first chapter of the book of Numbers has the Israelites out wandering in the desert, in the Midbar. But translating the word as desert is deceptive. We picture a desert as a vast place, devoid of life, empty, and forbidding. But the desert is actually a place teeming with life, a place of overwhelming beauty, and an awesome night sky filled with countless stars. It is the place where the children descended from Israel/Jacob become the People/nation of Israel. The Children of Israel are forged in this harsh climate, and preparing to enter the Promised Land. It is a time of growing where everyone is needed to build the nation. Everyone counts.
The idea that everyone counts is so important that God instructs Moses to conduct a census. God appoints leaders of each clan to do help in this important work of accounting for everyone so the greater task of building the nation can occur. As it says in Numbers 1:19, “As the Lord commanded Moses, so did he count them in the Sinai desert.” The desert is a place of accounting, revelation and building, and revealing that each of us has a critical role to play. At this time, nothing is of greater importance.
Even the word BaMidbar speaks to our significance and meaning. The word shares the same letters as the word for speaking or speaker, Midaber. The word BaMidbar that we translate as “in the desert,” could be, “ in the speaking”, or “in the speaker.” Each person has an important contribution to make to the whole. It was true in the Sinai, also it is also true now. The desert is far more than what it might seem on the surface. The Torah portion shares that the Midbar is an extraordinary place of discovery- finding our place, finding our purpose, and finding our connection to things greater than ourselves, our family and our people. BaMidbar teaches that I am worthy of being counted- that I do count!
Each of us counts. Each of us has something worthwhile to say and something important to give. Our life experiences have created a wealth of knowledge and wisdom. We are teachers and caregivers, learning, practicing, educating, and demonstrating what it means to be human, what it means to make meaning in the lives of others and in our own lives as well. That makes each of us significant.
Each of us counts.
What now?
With the marking of Sheloshim for the victims in Pittsburgh and the passage of time, an important question is now being raised, where do we go from here? Or more simply put, What Now?
In the aftermath of tragedy, it is important to rebuild and move forward. In response to a natural disaster, the need to rebuild is clear. Houses, infrastructure, all of the things physicallydamaged or destroyed need to be put back into place, often rebuilt from scratch. But with a disaster of this nature, the rebuilding is not so clearly defined. What is the enduring message we want our rebuilding to carry?
How do we honor the legacy of those taken from us, the outpouring of support from the greater community, the lastingJewish values that have kept our people and our tradition and will continue to do so? Other difficult but important questions to consider include these: Anti-violence training prompted someone to ask how can she run to safety, when saving herself means she leaves behind the more vulnerable? Another question, how do we practice hospitality and welcome people into our Jewish homes (synagogues), when the front door is locked or attended by an armed guard? How can we feel safe when anti-Semitic incidents are not only on the rise, but finding new levels of public acceptance?
There is an urge to rebuild the physical structures quickly, to return to normal and stand up to the hatred with defiance. But there was an important lesson learned from rebuilding lower Manhattan post 9/11. The deliberate but protracted process achieved amazing results. What was no longer is and recreating something from before does not acknowledge the event that has irrevocably changed us. The memorials honor the event and the human tragedy as well as the spirit of courage, hope and love. So too, the Shanksville memorial that I visited on my return from Pittsburgh is a moving and thoughtful tribute to the brave men and women on that fateful flight, United #93. It is prudent to resist the temptation to act too quickly, opting instead for aslower and deliberative process. The result will hopefully become an enduring symbol of strength, courage, hope and love, the best aspirations of our tradition.
The process of recovery will take time. It is a natural desire to try to shorten, if not deny, the grieving process. But our tradition clearly understands the importance of this special time. We grieve and then slowly begin the process of reintegrating ourselves into life with the experience and pain of loss a new part of us. Only then might we gain a new perspective. And from this perspective, we can create something honoring those we have lost and promoting our values for the sake of the generations to come.
Sadly, It is all about the Money
The current uproar over the new Nike ad featuring Colin Kaepernick has served to wonderfully pit right against left in another puerile chapter of the culture wars. Instead of seriously grappling with issues in our country we’d prefer to scream at each other about whether one side or the other is sufficiently patriotic. The sad truth is that the ad is really about selling sneakers and generating buzz.
The group that is feeling offended by this ad is not the Nike target demographic. The people that align with Kaepernick are the demo that Nike wants to sell their product to. The ad is provocative on many levels. That is precisely what is intended. The advertisers did their job and now everyone is talking about it. The increased sales bear this out.
Colin Kaepernick is portrayed as a champion. Whether Kaepernick is a villain, hero, or even heroic victim is beside the point. That is unfortunate. But there is another agenda.
The NFL is concerned about generating revenue and retaining fans. Kaepernick found a means to make a living as a spokesperson. The President is using the opportunity to rally his base. If any were interested in addressing the issue, this is an extraordinary opportunity to join in the fight for the virtues that those who kneel and those who stand both embraces; namely a country dedicated to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. A nation of laws that stands for equality and justice. The vast sums of money generated by the corporations (NFL and Nike) could underwrite a campaign to get healing conversations started, patriotic conversations that address the issues of inequality that continue to keep us from fully realizing the American Dream and perhaps even help create positive change. And the President could use the power of his office and his strength as a marketer to be the convener to make it all happen. But unfortunately, we prefer to revel in the buzz.
Buzz on!
You are My Lifeline
In my early training as a lifeguard, I was taught that you can only do so much to save another. You swim out to the distressed and offer a life ring, once they grab on to it, you can swim into shore rescuing him/her. But they had to grab hold of the flotation device otherwise you would risk both of your lives. You could go most of the way, but you needed the participation of the other. Later on, I learned a more aggressive approach to lifesaving using grips and evasive maneuvers to assert control over the victim. Finally, I learned that sometimes to save a life required knocking the other person out with a swift cross to the jaw. You saved two lives in that precarious moment, yours and the victim’s.
How actively and strongly do we intercede when it comes to saving another? How do we determine the appropriate course of action? Sadly, it often devolves into a matter of personal convenience. Whether it is suicide, drug abuse, or so many of our civic/social problems, we often find it easier to ignore them. How often do we step over the person sitting in the street begging rather than at least engage their humanity?
People need to be seen and heard. The silent scream of despair of one soul should ring as loudly in our ears as the giant thunderclap from the heavens. Wringing hands and feeling another’ pain consoles our own ego, but it does nothing to help another in need. If there is something we all need more of, it is human connection. Every one of us is nurtured by interactions with others. It makes us feel cared for, it makes us feel human. The loss of this most basic need dehumanizes us and only bad things can ensue.
We have reached a tipping point. It is time for each of us to reenergize human connection. Social media is a place to share, but it is does not replace the interpersonal one-on-one experiences with another. Government programs can provide safety nets but cannot create the human warmth and validation each of us so desperately needs. Communities of caring such as synagogues and churches can bring us together in important ways. But it all begins with me and my ability to see you, as an individual in your humanity; every one of us realizing that we need each other to truly be complete. And in that critical precarious moment, I am the person who can rescue you and you are the person who has the power to rescue me.
WE gotta start hearing one another
Ki Tisa is so timely coming in the wake of the Parkland tragedy. The giving of the Law, the singular seminal moment in the Jewish people’s experience, is juxtaposed against the story of the Golden Calf and revolt, the nadir of the Jewish experience. In the immediate aftermath of Parkland, our conversation has devolved into diatribe and intransigence. Seventeen dead barely buried and already we hear polarizing voices condemning and chastising those who do not share the same viewpoint.
Everyone has an idea about how to approach the problem that we have in America. And everyone has an opinion on what the problem is. And sadly, no one is willing to listen to anyone else, particularly when it comes from “the other side.” Whether you think the idea is good or bad, President Trump’s suggestion to arm trained teachers to carry concealed weapons into the schools should be part of the conversation. But the left would rather attack the idea and vilify the person rather than consider the merits of the argument as part of a broader conversation. The NRA would rather demonize those who do not embrace its views instigating people attending the CPAC conference to entrench against the subversive left instead of becoming part of a national discourse.
We need to create a safer more secure society and work towards solutions that address violence. There is no single fix, there is not even a single problem. The issues are deep and multi-layered. I suggest two things to start:
First, we charge the CDC with doing a deep and full study of gun violence in America. All comprehensive analysis has been thwarted by the Dickey amendment since the CDC’s last investigation in 1993. We need to have an intelligent conversation about gun violence and that starts with knowledge.
Second, we need to listen more and talk less. Everyone needs to try to appreciate the position of the other side. You may believe that a gun has absolutely no place in our society at all. There are those who are diametrically opposed to that viewpoint. Both sides have something important to contribute to the national conversation. Until we can stop characterizing the other as “enemy” there is no room for constructive discussion.
Reach out to your congressman and senator to demand the CDC does the important investigative work to provide insight and analysis. Then as a nation, we can move toward finding solutions to the problems we all face. There are solutions to the problem that can make for a better and healthier society. We must find them together.
Do we Deserve our Kids?
Our tradition speaks at great lengths about filial obligations, the responsibilities of children to honor and revere their parents. Likewise, much is written about our obligations as parents to raise children properly, to teach them, and to prepare them for the world. But do we teach them Torah when we do not live it our selves? We do not teach them to build a better world but instead how to selfishly survive in it.
We offer them a world based on material gain, our nation withdrawing from its predominant place in the world, communal strife, a political system challenging the legitimacy of its fundamental institutions, and an economy that will burden them with almost intolerable crushing debt. We have not built a better world for them. And yet, these young people have galvanized in the wake of the Parkland horror. And that gives me hope. For even though we have not done right by them, they seek changes that will benefit us all.
Do we deserve our kids? That remains an open question until we begin to act as though they truly are the most prized things in our lives. We can start by supporting them in their efforts to address gun violence, this grievous wrong in our society that has murdered so many of them. Support them as they raise their voices, join them as they march in March. Help make the world they inherit better than what we have now.
Have a good day! (and please come home alive)
How many parents send their children off to school with this blessing?
The level of violence in our society is incomprehensible. It happens on so many levels but the most blatant manifestation is the tens of thousands of people who are murdered with guns. Seventeen children and teachers are the most recent victims, murdered in their school.
There is no single solution to the problem, but that cannot keep us from working hard to reduce violence and death. Mental Health issues may be at the heart of much of this, but there is an entire category called crimes of passion wherein people resort to guns when the rage is uncontrolled. But the mass murders of innocents such as children and teachers in school can only happen in a society that is content with permitting it. We cannot be complicit any longer.
We are responsible. We do not invest in adequate security for our schools, we do not invest in mental health professionals to help troubled people, we do not invest in systems to keep lethal weapons restricted, we do not ban weapons of mass destruction such as assault rifles.
We can blame feckless and craven Congressmen and State House representatives for inaction, but the ultimate responsibility is ours. If we do not demand action and accountability, these elected representatives devolve into pawns and lackeys. They will neglect the duties of their offices and work only to retain their offices by kowtowing to those with a particular political agenda and money to promote it.
Today we are reeling yet again at the tragedy in a Florida High School. But when we are finished burying the dead, we must galvanize the people to demand thoughtful action to address our horrific problem. There are important organizations advocating ways to reduce gun violence. Join them in their life-saving work.
Shabbat Shalom and Happy New Year
This Shabbat we read Parsha Vayechi, closing the Book of Genesis. This coincides with the end of the secular year 2017. The religious and secular realms share something else as well; we immediately move forward into the Book of Exodus and seamlessly, 2018 starts.
Exodus’s incredible story awaits its unfolding. And if only based on the events of the past year, we anticipate 2018 will be filled with things that will both challenge us and have a far-ranging impact upon us. How we respond will also have a great effect on the future as well.
We end Genesis, as with every book of Torah, with the traditional closing: “Hazak, Hazak, v’nitchazek! Be strong and together we shall be strengthened!”
May we live 2018 energized with the courage of our convictions and move forward together. May 2018 be a year of blessings for us all, in which we work toward creating a legacy worthy of the next generation.
Shabbat Shalom and Happy New Year!