YK '07

YK ‘07


LAST NIGHT, I SPOKE ABOUT SOME OF THE CONNOTATIONS OF “LIGHT” AS THEY RELATE TO US – BOTH AS INDIVIDUALS AND AS A CONGREGATION. THIS MORNING – I CONTINUE IN THAT SAME VEIN. i begin with a story, ONE THAT i HAVE READ TO YOU NUMEROUS TIMES ON PAST HIGH HOLY DAYS. IT IS THE TRANSCRIPT OF AN ACTUAL RADIO CONVERSATION OF A US NAVAL SHIP WITH CANADIAN AUTHORITIES OF THE COAST OF NEWFOUNDLAND IN VERY HEAVY FOG IN OCTOBER, 1995:
aMERICANS: pLEASE DIVERT YOUR COURSE 15 DEGREES TO THE NORTH OT AVOID A COLLISION.
CANADIANS: rECOMMEND YOU DIVERT YOUR COURSE 15 DEGREES TO THE SOUTH TO AVOID COLLISION.
AMERICANS: THIS IS THE CAPTAIN OF A US NAVY SHIP. I SAY AGAIN, DIVERT YOUR COURSE.
CANADIANS: NO… I SAY AGAIN YOU DIVERT YOUR COURSE.
AMERICANS: THIS IS THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS LINCOLN, THE SECOND LARGEST SHIP IN THE UNTIED STATES ATLANTIC FLEET. WE ARE ACCOMPANIED BY THREE DESTROYERS, THREE CRUISERS AND NUMEROUS SUPPORT VESSELS. i DEMAND THAT YOU CHANGE YOUR COURSE 15 DEGREES NORTH. THAT’S ONE FIVE DEGREES NORTH, OR COUNTER-MEASURES WILL BE UNDERTAKEN TO ENSURE OUR SAFETY.
CANADIANS: THS IS A LIGHTHOUSE2…… YOUR CALL!!


the reason i tell you this story is, of course, not only because it’s funny, but also because i think it explains why we have come here today.

Very simply, we live in a foggy world; a world in which it is very easy to wander off course and not even know it. We have learned the hard way that the lighthouse sees things more clearly than we do; that it has the power to cut through the fog that clouds our vision better than we can. Therefore, we come here, at least once a year, in order to check with the lighthouse, and in order to make a midcourse correction, if need be, in order to avoid a crash.

For that is what the Torah and the tradition are - they are lighthouses. They have been cutting through the fog and illuminating the world for all these centuries, and it behooves us, when the fog is thick and we cannot find our way, to check our course with the help of the lighthouse in order that we do not crash.

What does the lighthouse see that we don't see? What does the lighthouse have to say to us today?

Let me name three of the things that I believe we all have trouble seeing because of the fog.

One: the people around us. Two: the possessions we have. And three: our children.

When you look around you, at home, in the office, or on the road, when you are with family and friends, a client or a customer, what do you see?

If your vision is foggy, you see a rival, or a competitor, or a person whom you can use for your own benefit. The lighthouse bids you look again, and correct your course, because if you go through life looking at the people around you that way, you will end up alone.

The lighthouse says that sooner or later you are going to have to understand that your impact upon the world will come, not from how successful you are in beating your competition, but from what you mean to other people and what they mean to you.
When it is foggy out there, it is hard to understand that because the fog makes us forget that the struggle for success, unless it is controlled, can consume your soul. The fog makes us think that there are not enough of the good things in life to go around, and therefore that you better hustle and scramble if you want to get your share. The fog makes us think that everything that someone else has is something that we can't have; that every point of market share that someone else has is one more share that we can't have. But if you live that way long enough, you will crash into the lighthouse; because if you see the world as dog eat dog, then eventually you become a dog.

And so we come here today in order to see the world with the help of the lighthouse; because if we do, if we look at the people around us by the light that comes from the lighthouse, we will see that the other is a partner, a friend, a person who is made in the image of God, and if you see him that way, you will not crash into him.

let’s now turn from people to possessions and look at them from the point of view of the lighthouse.

If you look at your possessions through the fog, you think that they are your strength, and that they are your security. But if you look at them with the help of the lighthouse, you realize that, if you depend on them, then you don't possess your possessions, they possess you! How do you remember this truth while you are in the middle of the rat race?

My suggestion is to take a furlough one day in seven –AKA “Shabbat.” My suggestion is to get out of the rat race one day in SEVEN; so that you may realize that you are a person and not a rat; so that you may realize that you are not a money making machine and not a money spending machine, that you are not a machine at all. You are a person! if you can live on a different plain for twenty five hours a week without making money or spending money, without being part of the rat race, Then you possess your possessions and they do not possess you. and if you can’t do that, if you are so addicted to the accumulation of things that you cannot quit, even for a day, then the lighthouse says that you are headed for a crash. You will end up at the end, after a lifetime of running, rushing, grabbing and spending, feeling cheated; feeling that you have run and run and run and gotten nowhere.

There is one more dimension of our lives that we need to look at with the help of the lighthouse: our children.

Many of us work hard, very hard, in order to give our children everything, and then, we end up, when the fog clears, realizing, too late, that we have given them every THING, everything except that which they need more than all others, namely, ourselves.
no too long ago, A Boston based social psychologist named Tom Cottle conducted a study in which he tried to quantitatively identify the best predictor of how students would do on their S.a.t. exams. his answer – how often students had dinner with their parents. a youngster who has dinner with his parents on the average of twice a week will, on average, do 30 points better on his S. A. T’s than one who has dinner with his parents only once a week! think of that! If that is true, then all the time that we spend, and all the strength and energy that we spend running around, working hard, so that we will be able to give our children every thing, to the point where we have no time and no strength left to give them of our selves, may be a terrible waste. We may end up shortchanging them, and we may have set them on a crash course, without meaning to.
And so the lighthouse says: have Dinner with you kids. more specifically, have Shabbat dinner with your kids—NO MATTER WHAT. And if your schedule does not permit it? THEN CHANGE YOUR SCHEDULE!
The lighthouse says: make a course correction before it is too late. Cut through the fog and see things as they really are. The LIGHTHOUSE SAYS that your kids need you and your time a lot more than they need whatever it is that you earn WITH YOUR hectic schedule. But when it is foggy, and when the whole culture clouds your vision, with its message of more, more, more, more, it is hard to understand this.

And so we come here today in order to look at our schedules, and in order to look at our children, by the light that comes from the lighthouse.

What does the light house say?

It says some very simple, very basic, very obvious truths, which, because of the fog we have somehow lost sight of.

It says things like: be a mentsch, have compassion for others , do a mitzvah, honor your parents, take the torah seriously, observe shabbat, love your neighbor as yourself, and care about what is going on, both at home and on the other side of the world. if you don't understand this, you are setting yourself up for a crash.
The world around us is very foggy, and so it is very easy to get off course. and far too many of us are like the captain in our story who went around saying: I'm an aircraft carrier - You move for me, instead of realizing that we are dealing with a lighthouse, that does not move for anyone, and that lights the way for everyone.

May we not be like that captain. Instead, may we ask the real questions, and may we look to the lighthouse (to torah and judaism) for guidance in how to answer them. May we cut through the fog and correct our course. For if we do, then it will be a good year, a sweet year, a blessed year, for all of us.

KN '07

kn ‘07
Some advertising campaigns ARE AMAZINGLY EFFECTIVE. For instance, if I said the name “Tom Bodett,” would you know which advertising campaign I was referring to? Tom Bodett is the recognizable icon for Motel 6 hotels who famously says in the commercials, “We’ll leave the light on for you.” I learned from the Internet that Tom Bodett, a radio voice who had no prior affiliation with Motel 6, actually ad libbed the tagline, “We’ll Leave the Light on for YoU” In the very first session he recorded for the company. Fifteen years later, Bodett remains the spokesperson for Motel 6 and has relied upon those same words in commercial after commercial, whether on the radio or on TV. The campaign is one of the longest running advertising campaigns in history, and continues to win awards for its creativity and effectiveness in the hotel industry.
So, what is this marketing campaign SO EFFECTIVE? Specifically, why is this catchphrase so successful? The answer I believe has to do with the operative word “light.” Leaving a light on for someone is a sign that they are welcome to join you. You are letting them know that you will open up your house, or hotel, or synagogue and make them feel at home. They will feel invited, accepted, embraced and safe. It is a statement of inclusion.
lIGHT, OF COURSE, HAS MANY CONNOTATIONS IN JUDAISM IN GENERAL AND IN RELATION TO THE HIGH HOLY DAYS IN PARTICULAR. THE “NER TAMID – THE ETERNAL LIGHT” AND THE MENORAH IMMEDIATELY COME TO MIND. as for the high holy days - ACCORDING TO TRADITION, ROSH HASHANAH MARKS THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE BEGINNING OF cREATION, AND THE VERY FIRST THING GOD CREATES IS LIGHT. in addition, on this kol nidre night, the service must begin before the sun sets, i.e., while it is still light. GIVEN THESE ASSOCIATIONS, IT IS MOST APPROpRIATE THAT BOTH THIS EVENING AND TOMORROW WE FOCUS ON SOME OF THE MANY ASPECTS OF LIGHT IN JEWISH TRADITION.
In parshaT B’ha’alotcha IN THE BOOK OF NUMBERS, gOD speaks to Moses telling him that he should command Aaron to light the Menorah in the “Ohel Moed, the Tent of Meeting.” The Kohanim, the priests, were responsible to make sure that this light would never be permanently extinguished. THIS is not the first occasion of an eternal flame in the Torah. We can look to the Burning Bush in which God first appeared to Moses. That light, the fire of the bush that would not be consumed, was an invitation. It was an invitation for Moses to lead the people to freedom.
But getting back to the menorah, the rabbis in the midrash ask what the point of the light of this menorah is in the first place. After all, Israel already has a light, amud ha-esh, the pillar of fire that God illuminates the camp with each night. So, what is the purpose for the light created from this menorah? The response of the rabbis is that it serves as A balance. The pillar of fire is God’s light that shines on us humans, and we in turn reciprocate by shining a light on God. The light is a statement of safety and love. God’s fire illuminates the camp providing protection and a sense of security. Our light, the light of the menorah, shines upon God in appreciation for God’s gifts bestowed upon us.
Judaism understands light in a very positive sense. Light is life. Light is learning. Light is Truth. The rabbinic sages emphasize the peaceful nature of light. Light is not a violent force and we are to take this notion seriously. As the prophet Zechariah explains in his vision upon seeing the menorah, “Not by might, and not by power, but only by the spirit of God.”. we take this statement to refer to our responsibility to the rest of the world. We Jews are to be an “Or Lagoyim - a light to the rest of the world.” Therefore, the menorah was a constant reminder of our mission to be a light unto the nations - a paradigm of virtue and education, of peace and tolerance. While we no longer have the lit menorah because we no longer have the Temple, we are reminded of our responsibility to be a light unto the nations, and to be welcoming to all by the ner tamid, the eternal light that hangs in front of the ark in every synagogue.
each of us, both individuallly and collectively, as members of this kehillah KEDOSHA “this holy community” has the responsibility to see to it that Beth Emeth’s “lights stay on,” not only in the literral sense of providing funds to keep the electric bills paid, but in making sure that Torah - study, Avodah - worship, and Gemillut Chasadim – acts of lovingkindness, all continue to be our mantra and our mission.
Light: Torah;
Light: Future;
Light is learning, programming, education of our youth; social activities; celebratory meals and life cycle events. Light is who we are to the world!
Light has always been the most favored metaphor for all forms of revelation. We speak of "Godly light," "Divine light," the "new light" of the Redemption We use expressions such as, "Do you still walk in darkness or have you seen the light?"
As physical light brightens our path so we don't stumble over obstacles, so the light of Godliness, our spiritual awareness, helps us avoid the pitfalls on the journey of life. Light represents truth, eternal values, the spiritual which transcends the mundane and the temporal.
The story is told of a wealthy man who had three sons. As he was uncertain as to which son he should entrust with the management of his business, he devised a test. He took his three sons to a room which was absolutely empty and he said to each of them, "Fill this room as best as you are able."
The first son got to work immediately. He called in bulldozers, earth-moving equipment, workmen with shovels and wheelbarrows and they got mightily busy. By the end of the day the room was filled, floor to ceiling, wall to wall, with earth.
The room was cleared and the second son was given his chance. He was more of an accountant type so he had no shortage of paper: boxes, files, archives, records, that had been standing and accumulating dust for years and years suddenly found a new purpose. At any rate, it didn't take long and the room was absolutely filled from floor to ceiling, wall to wall, with paper.
Again the room was cleared and the third son was given his turn. He seemed very relaxed and didn't appear to be gathering or collecting anything at all with which to fill the room. He waited until nightfall and then invited his father and the family to join him at the room. Slowly, he opened the door. The room was absolutely pitch black, engulfed in darkness. He took something out of his pocket. It was a candle. He lit the candle and suddenly the room was filled with light.
He got the job.
Some people fill their HOMES WITH lots of physical objects and possessions which clutter their closets but leave their homes empty. Our cars and clothes, our treasures and toys, all lose their attractiveness with time. If all we seek satisfaction from is the material we are left with a gaping void in our lives.
Others are into paper. Money, stocks, bonds, share portfolios, but there is little in the way of real relationships. Family doesn't exist or is relegated to third place at best. On paper, such a person might be a multi-millionaire, but is he or she happy? Is his or her life rich or poor? Is it filled with family and friends or is it a lonely life, bereft of true joy and contentment?
The truly wise son understood how to fill a vacuum. The intelligent person knows that the emptiness of life needs light. Torah - The Creator's revelation to humankind - is light. Shabbat candles illuminate and make Jewish homes radiant with light. Godly truths and the eternal values of our heritage fill our homes and families with the guiding light to help us to our destinations safely and securely.
Light is how the world began ("And God said, 'Let there be light.' And there was light" (Genesis 1:3)
We are shutafim, PARTNERS with God, in the creation of the world. And we are also partners with God in our attempt to perfect the world - tikkun olam. Let us begin here at our shul. Let us take on the continuing responsibility for keeping the light of Judaism alive and well here at CBE. now – and for generations to come!

RH 2 '07

RH 2b - ‘07
FOR MANY REASONS, THESE ARE EXCITING TIMES FOR CONSERVATIVE JUDAISM, NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH IS THAT JUST LAST WEEK PROF. ARNOLD EISEN WAS INAUGURATED CHANCELLOR OF THE JEWISH THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, OUR FLAGSHIP INSTITUTION. EISEN WAS SOMEWHAT OF AN UNUSUAL CHOICE TO HEAD AN INSTITUTION WHOSE NAME INCLUDES THE WORD “SEMINARY,” IN THAT HE IS NOT A RABBI. BUT DURING HIS YEAR AS “CHANCELLOR-DESIGNATE,” AS HE TRAVELLED ACROSS THE COUNTRY MEETING LAYPEOPLE AND RABBIS, HE WAS VERY WELL RECEIVED. I HAVE KNOWN “ARNIE” FOR MANY YEARS AS A BRILLIANT AND CHARISMATIC ACADEMIC COLLEAGUE, AND I AM ELATED THAT HE WAS CHOSEN AS THE SEMNARY’S NEW CHANCELLOR.
ARNIE HAS WASTED NO TIME IN BEGINNING TO ARTICULATE AND IMPLIMENT HIS VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR MOVEMENT. EVEN BEFORE HE WAS INAUGURATED, EISEN PRESENTED WHAT HE CALLS “THE M ITZVAH INITIATIVE” AND CHALLENGED MEMBERS OF THE RABBINICAL ASSEMBLY TO ENTER INTO DIALOGUES WITH OUR CONGREGANTS ON THE MEAN OF THE TERM, MITZVAH. THIS MORNING WE SHALL BEGIN THAT DIALOGUE.
EISEN HAS STUDIED AND WRITTEN WIDELY ON THE AMERICAN JEWISH COMMUNITY AND FEELS STRONGLY THAT WHAT SETS US APART AS CONSERVATIVE JEWS IS OUR COMMITMENT TO AND BELIEF IN THE IDEA OF “MITZVAH.” IN ORTHODOXY, IT IS HALACHA, DIVINELY-GIVEN LAW; IN REFORM, IT IS PERSONAL AUTONOMY, OR “THE SOVEREIGN SELF,” A PHRASE WHICH EISEN COINED IN HIS BOOK, ‘THE JEW WITHIN,’ AND ABOUT WHICH I SPOKE AT LENGTH A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO. (I’M SURE YOU ALL REMEMBER THAT SERMON VERY WELL – AS MY OPENING ANCEDOTE YESTERDAY DEMONSTRATED!)
JUST IN CASE YOU DON’T, THE TERM “SOVEREIGN SELF” MEANS THAT NO ONE – NOT EVEN GOD – CAN COMMAND YOU IN YOUR PERSONAL JEWISH OBSERVANCE. ‘SOVEREIGN SELF”; MEANS THAT ‘I WILL OBSERVE WHAT I WANT WHEN I WANT.’ AND WHILE IT IS THE HALL
MARK OF REFORM, IT ACCURATELY DESCRIBES MANY IN OUR MOVEMENT AS WELL.

BUT CHANCELLOR EISEN SUGGESTS THAT AS CONSERVATIVE JEWS WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON THE CONCEPT OF MITZVAH.
FOR CONSERVATIVE JEWS, MITZVAH IS A WAY OF SEEING OUR ACTIONS AS A MEANS OF BINDING OURSELVES TO THE JEWISH PEOPLE AND TO THE WORLD-AT-LARGE. SO, TODAY, AT THE NEW CHANCELLOR’S SUGGESTION, WE OPEN A DIALOGUE WHICH, AS I SHALL MENTION TOWARD THE END OF MY REMARKS, WILL CONTINUE IS THE DAYS, WEEKS AND MONTHS AHEAD. SO, LET’S BEGIN!
AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, THE WORD “MITZVAH,” LITERALLY MEANS “COMMANDMENT,” OR “OBLIGATION,” AS IN THE 613 MITZVOT, THE DIVINE COMMANDMENTS, THAT TRADITION MAINTAINS WERE GIVEN TO MOSES ON MT SINAI. BUT, TRUTH BE TOLD, VERY FEW LIBERAL JEWS OBSERVE THE MITZVOT BECAUSE THEY UNDERSTAND THEM AS DIVINE COMMANDMENTS. LET’S TAKE A VERY TIMELY EXAMPLE; YOU ARE HERE TODAY TO HEAR THE SOUND OF THE SHOFAR. THAT IS ONE OF THE 613 MITZVOT. BUT I SUSPECT THAT IF I WERE TO ASK YOU WHY YOU CAME AND YOU WERE HONEST, YOU WOULDN’T SAY “BECAUSE GOD COMMANDED ME TO HEAR THE SHOFAR.” YOU MIGHT SAY “BECAUSE IT’S A TIME-HONORED JEWISH TRADITION” OR “BECAUSE I DID THAT WITH MY PARENTS AND I WANT MY CHILDREN TO DO THE SAME.” OR “BECAUSE I KNOW THAT JEWISH COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD ARE DONG THE SAME THING TODAY.” OR “BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT ROSH HASHANAH IS ALL ABOUT.” THE HEARING OF THE SHOFAR MAY TRULY MOVE YOU, BUT RARELY BECAUSE YOU THINK ANYONE HAS COMMANDED YOU TO HEAR IT.

PUT IN GENERAL TERMS: FUNCTIONALLY, THERE MAY BE NO MITZVOT, BUT THERE IS “MITZVAH,” THE IDEA OF BEING OBLIGATED.
NOT TOO LONG AGO, CHANCELLOR EISEN EXPLORED SUCH ISSUES WITH A GROUP OF LAYPEOPLE; HE ASKED THEM WHAT PART, IF ANY, OF THE TRADITION THEY FELT OBLIGATED TO. HERE AE A FEW OF THEIR ANSWERS: AN AVID FISHERMAN SAID, “I FEEL OBLIGATED NOT TO EAT THOSE CRUDDY THINGS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN.” ANOTHER PERSON SAID: “I FEEL OBLIGATED TO THE STATE OF ISRAEL BECAUSE OF THE HISTORY OF OUR PEOPLE AND TH NECESSITY OF HAVING A SAFELY VALVE.” AND A THIRD SAID: “I FFEL OBLIGATED THAT BECAUSE OF THE PERSECUTION OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE, I WILL NOT TOLERATE HEARING DEROGATORY WORDS ABOUT OTHER RACES OR ETHNIC GROUPS.”
YESTERDAY, OUR PRESIDENT MARTY ZELMAN, REMINDED US OF HOW MUCH WE AT CBE HAVE GOING FOR US: A WELL-RUN, WELCOMING INSTITUTION, PARTICIPATORY WORSHIP SERVICES, OUTSTANDING PRE AND RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS, A WIDE RANGE OF PROGRAMMING, OUTSTANDING YOUTH GROUPS AND MORE. BUT I SUGGEST TO YOU THAT THE ‘STAYING POWER’ OF ALL THAT DEPENDS ON WHAT WE FEEL OBLIGATED TO DO. I HOPE I HAVE WHETTED YOUR APPETITE THIS MORNING. NEXT WEEK, DURING OUR STUDY SESSION ON YOM KIPPUR WE SHALL CONTINUE THIS DIALOGUE/ DISCUSSION ABOUT ‘MITZVAH’. I HOPE THAT PARTICIPANTS WILL CANDIDLY TELL US WHAT, IF ANYTHING, IN JUDASM OBLIGATES YOU.

A FURTHER FOLLOW-UP TO TODAY’S COMMENTS – LONG BEOFRE CHANCELLOR EISEN ANNOUNCED HIS “MITZVAH INITIATIVE” WE ANNOUNCE THAT OUR WED MORNING AND THURSDAY NIGHT CLASSES THIS YEAR WOULD BE DISCUSSING THE RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOK, “JEWS AND JUDAISM IN THE 21ST CENTURY: HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY, THE PRESENCE OF GOD, AND THE FUTURE OF THE COVENANT.” CLEARLY, OUR CLASS DISCUSSIONS WILL ADDRESS THE CONCEPT OF ‘MITZVAH’ AS WELL AS MANY OTHER RELATED ISSUES, NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH IS THE EXTREMELY TANTALIZING ONE WHICH I HAVE INTENTIONALLY AVOIDED THIS MORNING, NAMELY – WHO COMMANDS, WHO OBLIGATES. GOD? THE JEWISH COMMUNITY? PAST SACREDNESS? FUTURE DESTINY? WHO OR WHAT?

TAKEN TOGETHER, MY COMMENTS THIS MORNING, FOLLOWED BY OUR YOM KIPPUR AFTERNOON DISCUSSION, IN TURN FOLLOWED BY OUR COURSE, CONSTITUTE OUR RESPONSE TO CHANCELLOR EISEN’S CHALLENGE TO MAKE ‘MITZVAH’ THE DEFINING ASPECT OF CONSERVATIVE JUDAISM. I HOPE YOU’LL “FEEL OBLIGATED” TO PLAY AN ACTIVE ROLL IN THIS EXCITING NEW ENTERPRISE.

RH 1 '07

RH 1 ‘07
I WANT TO SHARE A STORY THAT I ONLY HEARD FOR THE FIRST TIME RECENTLY, BUT WHICH IMMEDIATEY BECAME ONE OF MY VERY FAVORITES. It’s about a rabbi who gave the same sermon every year on the High Holy Days. Now this particular rabbi was especially beloved in his congregation so no one ever questioned him about this. But after A NUMBER OF years of hearing the same sermon, the board worked up the courage to approach their dear rabbi and ask him to prepare a new sermon for the NEXT YEAR. So as not to embarrass him, they waited until Chanukah to confront the rabbi about his repetitiveness.

Chanukah came and the executive officers MET WITH the rabbi. the president said, “Rabbi you know how much we love you. Our only problem is that you’ve been giving the same sermon on Rosh Hashanah for fifteen years. Don’t you think you it’s time for a new one?”

The rabbi thought for a moment and then said, “Of course, I’d be glad to give a new sermon. By the way, what did I speak about this past year on Rosh Hash” There was a long embarrassed pause. Then the rabbi said, “You seem to have forgotten. I’ll tell you what. I’ll give the sermon one more time so you’ll remember it and then I’ll prepare a new one!”

PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT WHILE THIS IS A TERRIFIC STORY, NO PERSONAL REFERENCE IS IMPLIED!!! I DO not re-usE my old sermons AND I work hard at coming up with something original to say to our congregation EACH YEAR. But the truth of the matter is, there are really only five sermons that any rabbi deliverS in his OR HER life time. And everything ELSE he OR SHE says is basically a repetition of those same five sermons. tHAT’S WHY THE STORY SOUNDS SO FAMILIAR!

That’s right – there are only five sermons. We each come up with clever ways to deliver our message and inspire our congregationS each week; we combine these messages and come up with various permutations. But the five sermons are basically the same:
1. Be good
2. Have faith
3. Love one another
4. Do Mitzvot
5. Learn Torah

The first lesson we all try to teach is “Be good.” It’s that simple. And we have been teaching it for a very long time. When a gentile came to Hillel and asked the great sage to teach him the whole Torah while standing on one foot, Hillel answered: “What is hateful to you don’t do to others.” That’s a lesson that everyone can understand. Goodness begins by not inflicting pain on others. That doesn’t make us a Tzaddik, a righteous person, but at least it insures that we’re not criminals. So the first thing a rabbi must teach his OR HER congregation (and himself OR HERSELF!) is to avoid causing pain to others and strive to live by a modicum of justice and fairness.

The second lesson we try to teach is, “Have faith.” For us as Jews this begins with the words of the Sh’ma – “Hear O Israel: Adonai is our God, Adonai is one.” But faith is more than just a numerical equation. Faith is a way of seeing the world. To have faith means that you believe that life has some larger meaning and purpose, that your presence in this world is more than just some cosmic accident, and that there is goodness in the universe. It means that you believe that there is a transcendent source of right and wrong – that the Ten Commandments are not opinions. To have faith is also to reject the false idols of this world. Or as someone once put it: It is not whether or not we worship God but what we choose to worship that counts in the end. If we reject God, chances are we will invent other objects of worship for ourselves.

The third sermon every rabbi giveS is, “Love one another.” It’s not enough just to be good. As I said, all that means is that you’re not a criminal. It doesn’t mean you have ever helped another person in need or that you’ve done anything to make a difference in the world. Judaism expects much more of us. Beyond goodness, there is love. WE ARE TAUGHT, “V’ahavta lire’akha kamocha, Love your neighbor as yourself.” And as the sages tELL us: “Zeh klal gadol ba-torah” – this is the great principle in the Torah.

The fourth sermon that every rabbi gives is, “Do Mitzvot!” Faith and love mean nothing if they are not acted out in our daily lives. The Torah offers us 613 opportunities not only to feel love and express our faith but to do love and live faith through our day to day actions.

And finally, the fifth sermon is “Learn Torah.” In Pirke Avot we are taught that an ignorant person can not be a God fearing person. Faith has no place in an empty mind. Torah challenges us, and we must challenge it. Judaism challenges us – the more Torah we learn, the more we are capable of making informed and sensitive decisions in our lives. That is why this holiday is called Rosh Hashanah, literally, “the head” of the year. Why do we begin the year with the head? Because “hakol holekh achar ha’rosh, everything follows the head” in life. And an empty head will lead to an empty life.

So there you have it. Five sermons. I’ve now given all my sermons so I guess I can sit down and really enjoy the rest of the holidays. These sermons are so simple. The real challenge is that we have to learn to translate these lessons into life. And these sermons must come from the heart in order to enter the hearts of those who are hearing them.

The Talmud tells us that Rabbi Akiva was an illiterate shepherd until the age of 40. One day he was sitting by a pond when he noticed that there was a large stone with a hollow indentation in it. He wondered how such a stone could have been worn away. And then he noticed that there was water dripping down on the stone from above and that the water had worn a hole in the stone.

Rabbi Akiva said. If water can wear away the hardest of substances then surely there are words of Torah that can penetrate my mind. I’ll go to the Beit Midrash, the house of learning, and begin studying Torah.

I hope that these simple lessons can penetrate our minds and hearts as we begin a new year. Be good. Have faith. Love one another. Do Mitzvot. Learn Torah. There is so much to learn and do in life, but if we can begin with these lessons we will have a truly sweet year

Erev Rosh Hashanah - 06

EREV RH 06




AS HAS BEEN MY CUSTOM OVER THE YEARS ON EREV ROSH HASHANAH, TONIGHT I WILL SHARE A STORY WITH YOU WHICH HAS TOUCHED MY HEART, AS I HOPE IT WILL TOUCH YOURS. THIS YEAR’S STORY WAS WRITTEN BY MASTER STORYTELLERS, PENINAH SCHRAM AND RACHAYL ECKSTEIN DAVIS, AND IS ENTITLED, “THE APPLE TREE’S DISCOVERY.”

IN A GREAT OAK FOREST WHERE THE TREES GREW TALL AND MAJESTIC, THERE WAS A LITTLE APPLE TREE. IT WAS THE ONLY APPLE TREE IN THAT FOREST AND SO IT STOOD ALONE.

WINTER CAME. AS THE SNOW FELL TO THE FOREST FLOOR, IT COVERED THE BRANCHES OF THE LITTLE APPLE TREE. THE FOREST WAS QUIET AND PEACEFUL.

ONE NIGHT, THE LITTLE APPLE TREE LOOKED UP AT THE SKY AND SAW A WONDERFUL SIGHT. BETWEEN THE BRANCHES OF ALL THE TREES, THE LITTLE APPLE TREE SAW THE STARS, WHICH APPEARED TO BE HANGING ON THE BRANCHES OF THE OAK TREE.

“OH GOD, OH GOD,” WHISPERED THE LITTLE APPLE TREE, “HOW LUCKY THOSE OAK TREES ARE TO HAVE SUCH BEAUTIFUL STARS HANGING ON THEIR BRANCHES. I WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING IN THE WORLD TO HAVE STARS ON MY BRANCHES, JUST LIKE THE OAK TREES HAVE! THEN I WOULD FEEL TRULY SPECIAL.” GOD LOOKED DOWN AT THE LITTLE APPLE TREE AND SAID GENTLY, “HAVE PATIENCE! HAVE PATIENCE, LITTLE APPLE TREE.”

TIME PASSED, THE SNOW MELTED AND SPRING CAME TO THE LAND. TINY WHITE AND PINK APPLE BLOSSOMS APPEARED ON THE BRANCHES OF THE LITTLE APPLE TREE. BIRDS CAME TO REST ON ITS BRANCHES. PEOPLE WALKED BY AND ADMIRED ITS BEAUTIFUL BLOSSOMS.

ALL SUMMER LONG, THE APPLE TREE CONTINUED TO GROW. THE BRANCHES OF THE TREE FORMED A CANOPY OVERHEAD AS THEY FILLED WITH LEAVES AND BLOSSOMS. BUT NIGHT AFTER NIGHT, THE LITTLE APPLE TREE LOOKED UP AT THE SKY WITH THE MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF STARS AND CRIED OUT, “OH GOD, I WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING IN THE WORLD TO HAVE STARS IN MY TREE AND ON MY BRANCHES AND IN MY LEAVES, JUST LIKE THOSE OAK TREES.”

AND GOD LOOKED DOWN AT THE LITTLE APPLE TREE AND SAID, “YOU ALREADY HAVE GIFTS. ISN’T IT ENOUGH TO HAVE SHADE TO OFFER PEOPLE, AND FRAGRANT BLOSSOMS, AND BRANCHES ON WHICH THE BIRDS CAN REST SO THEY CAN SING YOU THEIR SONG?”

THE APPLE TREE SIGHED AND ANSWERED SIMPLY, “DEAR GOD, I DON’T MEAN TO SOUND UNGRATEFUL, BUT THAT IS NOT SPECIAL ENOUGH! I DO APPRECIATE HOW MUCH PLEASURE I GIVE TO OTHERS, BUT WHAT I REALLY WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING IN THE WORLD IS TO HAVE STARS, NOT BLOSSOMS, ON MY BRANCHES. THEN I WOULD FEEL TRULY SPECIAL!”

GOD SMILED AND ANSWERED, “BE PATIENT, LITTLE APPLE TREE.”

THE SEASONS CHANGED AGAIN, AND SOON, THE APPLE TREE WAS FILLED WITH MANY BEAUTIFUL APPLES. PEOPLE WALKED IN THE FOREST, SAW THE APPLE TREE, REACHED UP, PICKED AN APPLE, AND ATE IT.

AND STILL, WHEN NIGHT CAME TO THE FOREST, THE APPLE TREE LOOKED UP AT THE STARS IN THE OAK TREES AND CALLED OUT, “OH GOD, I WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING IN THE WORLD TO HAVE STARS ON MY BRANCHES! THEN I WOULD FEEL TRULY SPECIAL!”

AND GOD ASKED, “BUT APPLE TREE, ISN’T IT ENOUGH THAT YOU NOW HAVE SUCH WONDERFUL APPLES TO OFFER THE PEOPLE? DOESN’T THAT SATISFY YOU? DOESN’T THAT GIVE YOU ENOUGH PLEASURE AND MAKE YOU FEEL SPECIAL?” WITHOUT SAYING A WORD, THE APPLE TREE ANSWERED BY SHAKING ITS BRANCHES FROM SIDE TO SIDE.

AT THAT MOMENT, GOD CAUSED A WIND TO BLOW. THE GREAT OAK TREES BEGAN TO SWAY AND THE APPLE TREE BEGAN TO SHAKE. FROM THE TOP OF THE APPLE TREE, AN APPLE FELL. WHEN IT HIT THE GROUND, IT SPLIT OPEN. “LOOK,” COMMANDED GOD, “LOOK INSIDE YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU SEE?”

THE LITTLE APPLE TREE LOOKED DOWN AND SAW THAT RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE APPLE WAS A STAR. AND THE APPLE TREE ANSWERED, “A STAR! I HAVE A STAR!”

AND GOD LAUGHED A GENTLE LAUGH AND ADDED, “SO YOU DO HAVE STARS ON YOUR BRANCHES. THEY’VE BEEN THERE ALL ALONG, AND YOU JUST DIDN’T KNOW IT.”

Yom Kippur/Yizkor Sermon- 06

YK ‘06

most of you, i am sure, have heard of the Rothschilds, the banking family who have business interests throughout much of the world. well, today i want to share with you a story about the “founding father” of the Rothschild clan, Anshel Rothschild, an observant jew who livewd in the middle of the eighteenth century. Anshel amassed a huge fortune and established a close relationship with the Emperor of Austria.

From time to time the Emperor would send visitors to Anshel’s luxurious and famous palace. It was the most lavish and well-appointed palace in all of Austria, and everyone wanted to see its beauty and wealth.

During one such visit Anshel took his guest, an important government official, on a tour of the palace. He showed him room after room, and the guest was awed by the beauty of the gold, the silver, the furnishings, the chandeliers, the imported fabrics. Everything was a sight to behold. There existed nothing like it in all of Austria.

as the tour continued, Anshel passed a closed door and continued walking. but the guest asked to be shown the room behind the door.

“I am sorry,” said Anshel. “This is the one room in the palace that I cannot show you.”

“Why not?” asked the guest. I would love to see every nook and cranny of your most remarkable palace.
“I simply cannot,” answered Anshel, and continued walking.

The tour concluded, and the official returned and reported everything he saw. The palace was even more than one could imagine. “However,” said the official, “there was one room that Anshel refused to show me.”

“Why not?” asked the Emperor

“I do not know. But I can guess. “You know how wealthy those Jews are. My theory is that in that room there is a magic money-making machine. That is why he is so wealthy. Behind that door must be a machine that creates the wealth of Anshel Rothschild.”

The Emperor did not know whether to believe his official, so he sent a second government official to see the palace of Anshel Rothschild. The second official came back with exactly the same story. And so did a third official, and then a fourth.

by this time the curiosity of Emperor Franz was greatly aroused, so he decided to go himself and visit the palace. Anshel took the Emperor on the same tour as he did all the earlier visitors. And when they reached the “forbidden room,” the Emperor asked to go inside and see what was there.

Anshel explained that that was the one place he could not show anyone. but the Emperor insisted, and Anshel gave in and agreed to show the Emperor the secret room. He took out his keys, opened the door, and invited his guest to enter. the emperor looked in and was amazed at what he saw. There, in a small room, was a simple pine box and some plain white cloth on a table. That was all there was!

“What is this all about?” asked the Emperor.

“We Jews have strict rules about burial customs,” explained Anshel. When a person dies, he must be buried in a very simple coffin, a plain pine box. And his body must be enveloped in a plain white shroud. This is to maintain the equality of all God’s creatures. No one is permitted to be buried in a fancy, expensive coffin, or in luxurious clothing. Though some may live affluent lives, and others may suffer dire, abject poverty, in death all are equal.”

“But why is this here in this room?” asked the Emperor, impressed but still confused.

“At the end of each day I come to this room, and view my own coffin and the shrouds, and I am reminded that even though I have great wealth and power, and I move in the highest echelons of the Austrian Empire, I am still one of God’s simple creatures, and that one day my life will end like that of all of God’s other children. I do this lest after a day filled with high finance and major financial transactions, I think too highly of myself, and develop an inflated sense of my self-worth.”

the emperor was amazed. in fact, he was speechless. His respect for Anshel Rothschild grew even greater than before and He never again questioned the sincerity, honesty or integrity of Anshel rothschild.

that’s the story. is it true? who knows? but its lesson is more important than its historicity!

each of us will, one day, come to the same end. our tradition has provided a series of democratic rituals that assures us the equality of all humans in the eyes of god and god’s creatures. we may live 2 years or a hundred and 2. but, in th end, as scripture says, “We are dust, and to dust we return.” it is not the wealth we accumulate, but our good deeds that live on after us that really count.

benjamin franklin used the “book of Life” image so previlant on this day, when he once wrote that what matters is not the number of pages in our book that matters, but rather what is written on each page. that is our everlasting legacy. all our wealth ans possessions are fleeting. what lasts are our good deeds and the good memories that our families, friends and community keep alive after we are gone.

may the story of anshel rothschild’s secret room keep us humble, compassionate, and devoted to the highest ideals for which we were created. and may we so live that our lives, like those of our loved ones whom we remember today, will truly BE A blessing. amen

Kol Nidre Sermon - 06

KN ‘06


During this season MANY OF US BOTH SEND AND RECEIVE ‘NEW YEARS’ cards. It is a LOVELY thing to do, to wish each other well.

Most of the shona tova cards that we get and that we send are pretty standard. They are store-purchased cards or cards that we buy from various organizations, and their wordings are pretty much the same. They say: “may you have a healthy and a happy new year,” or: “may there be peace in the world this year,” or something like that. Occasionally, someone will send a longer message in which they bring us up to date on what is doing in their lives. I look forward to getting these annual reports on what my friends have done during the last twelve months, though I MUST ADMIT THAT sometimes I get A BIT BORED reading ALL THE DETAILS.

But this year I RECEIVED two new year's cards that were different, and I want to share them with you THIS EVENING.

The first one READS: Dear STEVE, In the spirit of the season, if there is anything that I have done that has offended you, I want to make amends. But simply saying that in a perfunctory way is too easy. And so if there is anything that I have done that was hurtful, I hope that you will tell me what it was in specific terms so that I can make amends properly. Sincerely yours, And then his name.”

I was moved by that card for two reasons. One is: this is what you are supposed to do at this season of the year. It is not enough to just wish someone a peaceful and a prosperous year. You are also supposed to make amends and to apologize for any hurt that you may have caused them. Otherwise, how can you go into Yom Kippur and ask God to forgive you until and unless you have asked for and given forgiveness to others? How can you ask God to accept your apologies and to wipe away your sin while you have not yet admitted your sin to the one whom you have hurt?

The second reason why I was impressed by this card is that my friend is right: it is not enough to simply say: If I have hurt you in any way during this past year, please forgive me. That's too vague. You have to name the sin. And you have to be specific. Otherwise, it becomes a meaningless cliché, a phrase that you rattle off that means nothing, not to you and not to the one YOU’VE OFFENDED.

The second shana tova card that I received this year came from one of my friends who is into what IS callED 'new age' Judaism’ or 'Jewish Renewal'. THE CARD CONTAINS SENTIMENTS IN BOTH Hebrew and in English, and there Are some wonderful insights in both parts. BUT THIS EVENING, FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, I ONLY WANT TO SHARE THE HEBREW.

THE CARD BEGINS with a blessing that IS based on THIS YEAR’S HEBREW NUMBER, 5767, TAV, SHIN, SAMEACH, ZAYIN,
, WHICH, FREELY TRANSLATED, MEANS “mAY THIS YEAR BE A PURE TREASURE.”

Then the Hebrew GOES on: “yihi ratson shetichaleh shana ukililateha, vatachel shana ubirchateha - may the old year end and may its curses go away with it; may the new year begin and may its blessings accompany it.” This prayer is an echo of one of the prayers in the High Holy Day liturgy and the writer has carried it over from the machzor onto his shana tova card.

Then it says: “hareynu miachalim lachem brochot, briyut gufa unhora mialya.” in rough translation, “we hereby send you wishes for health of body and light from Above.”

It goes on with: “umivakshim slichotchem im b'eze shehu inyan paganu bichvodchem.” - “We ask your forgiveness if, in any matter whatsoever we have diminished your honor.” NOW I REALLY like that phrase, “DIMINISH YOUR HONOR,” because that is the real damage that we all do to each other. I don't think I have hurt anyone's body even once during this past year, and I doubt if you have either. I don't think that I have lifted a fist against anyone during this past year and I doubt if you have either. But I am sure that I have, and I suspect that you have, been “pogea bichavod,” that we have hurt each other's dignity, that we have demeaned each other's esteem, and for this we need to do teshuvah. “Lifgoa bichavod” is a fascinating phrase. In Modern Hebrew, a terrorist incident is called a “pigua,” because it injures people. But you can injure a person spiritually as well as physically. You can injure a person if you hurt their feelings or if you injure their self esteem. That can be just as hurtful as a body blow is. Therefore my friend asks forgiveness if he has been “pogea bichvodi,” if he has damaged my self respect. And I would suggest that you and I do the same thing. If there is anyone whom we have hurt by a cruel word, by a nasty joke or by demeaning them in any way, let us realize that demeaning is also damage, and let us apologize.

And FINALLY, my friend says: “vinizke litshuva meyahava, hamihapechet et zidonot lizchuyot.” “ And may all of us be worthy of achieving the highest level of teshuvah, the kind that stems, not from guilt and not from fear, but from love, because the tradition is that if you repent out of love, then your sins are transformed into merits.” Think of that! If you really repent with all your heart and soul and spirit, then God considers the things that you have done wrong as springboards that led to your transformation, and so God counts them as good deeds, and not as sins.

That is the highest and the holiest wish that anyone can give to another human being at this season of the year, but it only works if we wish it to ourselves as well. May we do the kind of teshuvah that transforms us. May we do the kind of teshuvah that transforms our lives and that not only affects our future but that also affects our past. Because, if you really, really repent, then not only does your future change but your past does too. If you really repent, then God looks at the bad deeds you have done in the past and says; Look what these deeds led to! Look what these deeds brought about! And God blesses those deeds.

So let this be my wish tHIS EVENING - for you and for myself. May we repent, not just pro forma, but really. And may we repent, not out of fear, and not out of guilt, but out of love. And may that love be so pure and so strong that it transforms the bad deeds that we have done, that have led us to the realization that we need to repent, become a source of blessing. may that be the kind of teshuvah that we are all enabled to do in these coming days. AMEN.

Rosh Hashanah Sermon -2nd day

RH 2 ‘06
FROM TIME TO TIME IN THE PAST, I HAVE BASED A HIGH HOLIDAY SERMON ON A BOOK I FELT HAD AN APPROPRIATE MEASSAGE I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU. OFTEN, THE VOLUMES WERE BY MY OLD FRIEND, RABBI HAROLD KUSHNER, AN AUTHOR WHO’S APPROACH TO LIFE AND ITS PROBLEMS I FIND EXTREMELY HELPFUL. QUITE COINCIDENTALLY, OUR HAZZAN, RABBI BARAT ELLMAN, OFFICIATED WITH RABBI KUSHNER ON LAST YEAR’S HIGH HOLIDAYS. WELL, RABBI ELMAN, I HOPE YOU AREN’T TOO DISAPPOINTED, BUT I’M NO HAROLD KUSHNER!! BUT FOR SOME TIME HE AND I HAVE HAD “AN ARRANGEMENT” – HE WRITES A NEW BOOK AND GETS THE ROYALTIES AND I GET A HIGH HOLIDAY SERMON! UNTIL NOW, THAT IS! FOR, WHILE HAROLD KUSHNER HAS JUST COME OUT WITH A NEW BOOK BASED ON THE LIFE OF MOSES AND TITLED, “OVERCOMING LIFE’S DISAPPOINTMENTS” (most appropriate for the hhd!); AND WHILE I’VE READ IT AND ENJOYED IT, AND WHILE IT’S ON THE NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER LIST, I’M GOING TO PASS ON IT THIS YEAR IN FAVOR OF ANOTHER VOLUME, ONE ALSO WRITTEN BY A RABBINIC COLLEAGUE, WHO, WHILE NOT AS WELL KNOWN AS HAROLD KUSHNER, IS QUITE PROMINENT. HIS NAME IS ROBERT LEVINE AND HE SERVES TEMPLE RODEPH SHALOM, A LARGE REFORM CONGREGATION ON MANHATTAN’S UPPER WEST SIDE (Rabbi Ellman probably knows him, too!).

LEVINE’S BOOK IS A SUMMARY OF THE HISTORICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL LITERATURE RELEVANT TO THE CONCEPT OF THE MESSIAH. BUT BEFORE YOU ALL TUNE OUT, LET ME QUICKLY ASSURE YOU THAT I SHALL ONLY DEAL BRIEFLY WITH THE CONTENTS, AND THAT I AM REALLY MORE INTERESTED IN THE BOOK’S TITLE THAN ITS CONTENTS. WE’VE DISUSSED THE IMPORTANCE OF TITLES IN PRIOR YEARS, WHEN I’VE POINTED OUT HOW MUCH CARE GOES INTO HAROLD KUSHNER’S CHOICE OF TITLES, SUCH AS “WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE” OR “WHEN ALL YOU’VE EVER WANTED IS NOT ENOUGH,” OR “HOW GOOD DO WE HAVE TO BE?”, OR, FOR THAT MATTER, “OVERCOMING LIFE’S DISAPPOINTMENTS.”

THE TITLE OF ROBERT LEVINE’S WORK IS SO GOOD THAT I KNEW I WANTED TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS VOLUME BEFORE I EVEN OPENED IT – BUT I WON’T TELL YOU WHAT THAT TITLE IS – AT LEAST NOT YET!
WE JEWS HAVE CHERISHED MESSIANIC CONVICTIONS THROUGHOUT OUR HISTORY. INDEED, THE WORSE THINGS WERE, THE MORE WE LOOKED FORWARD TO THE ARRIVAL OF A MESSIANIC PERSONALITY WHO WOULD PUT AN END TO THE HORRORS THAT PLAGUED OUR PLIGHT HERE ON EARTH. EVEN AMIDST THE PLENTY AND PROSPERITY OF LIFE HERE IN AMERICA, MESSIANIC CONVICTIONS HAVE RETAINED THEIR GRIP UPON OUR CONSCIOUSNESS. INDEED, SINCE ''9-1 1,'' THE NUMBER OF BOTH JEWS AND CHRISTIANS WHO ARE SURE THAT THE MESSIANIC AGE IS AT HAND HAS INCREASED SHARPLY. THE TOLL THAT TERRORISM HAS TAKEN, IN THE STATE OF ISRAEL AND AROUND THE WORLD, HAS CONVINCED OTHERS THAT THE APOCALYPSE THAT WILL PRECEDE THE ARRIVAL OF THE MESSIAH HAS ALREADY BEGUN. INDEED, A STUDY REPORTED IN TIME MAGAZINE FOUND THAT SEVENTEEN PERCENT OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE SURE THAT THE MESSIAH WILL COME DURING THEIR LIFETIME.
WHILE LEVINE RECOGNIZES THE PERVASIVENESS OF THE TRADITIONAL JEWISH VIEW OF THE MESSIAH, HE DECLARES THAT THROUGHOUT OUR HISTORY, NOT EVEN A "SINGLE DEFINITIVE INHERITOR" OF THE MESSIANIC MANTLE HAS EMERGED. WHAT'S MORE, HE ARGUES THAT THE TORAH DOES NOT CONFER MESSIANIC DUTIES UPON ONE PERSON TO THE EXCLUSION OF EVERYONE ELSE. THE RESULT OF THIS UNCERTAINTY IS THAT FALSE MESSIAHS HAVE ARISEN FROM TIME TO TIME WHO HAVE WROUGHT HAVOC AND DESTRUCTION UPON THE BODY AND SOUL OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY.
LEVINE REVIEWS THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS THAT BEFELL THE JEWISH PEOPLE THROUGHOUT OUR HISTORY IN OUR EFFORTS TO SEEK OUT THE MESSIAH. THUS, AS WISE AND ERUDITE A MAN AS RABBI AKIBA MISTOOK BAR KOKHBA FOR THE MESSIAH IN THE SECOND CENTURY, C.E. THE RESULTS OF THE BAR KOKHBA REVOLT WERE CATASTROPHIC. DURING THE THREE- AND-A- HALF YEARS OF THE UPRISING, 600,000 JEWS LOST THEIR LIVES AND JERUSALEM WAS DEMOLISHED. AS HORRIBLE AS THE BAR KOKHBA FIASCO WAS, THE MESSIANIC MISADVENTURES OF SABBATAI TZVI IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY AND JACOB FRANK DURING THE EIGHTEENTH RANK LIKEWISE AMONG THE MOST WRETCHED CHAPTERS OF JEWISH HISTORY.
AS A RESULT OF THE HORRENDOUS DISASTERS THAT FALSE MESSIAHS HAVE BROUGHT UPON THE JEWISH PEOPLE, OUR SAGES URGED CAUTION IN APPROACHING THIS SUBJECT. TO BE SURE, TRADITIONAL JUDAISM CONTINUED TO PROPOUND THE BELIEF THAT THE MESSIAH WOULD COME, AND REGARDED THIS IDEA AS INDISPENSABLE TO KEEPING ALIVE
HOPES FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE IN THE SOULS OF A PERSECUTED PEOPLE. NEVERTHELESS, GOD WOULD DETERMINE THE DATE AND CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE MESSIAH'S ARRIVAL. IN THE MEANTIME, WE ARE EXHORTED TO CONCENTRATE ON PRACTICAL MATTERS. HENCE, WE ARE TAUGHT IN THE AVOT DeR. NATAN THAT ''IF YOU ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF PLANTING A TREE AND WORD COMES THAT THE MESSIAH HAS ARRIVED, FINISH PLANTING THE TREE, THEN GO SEEK THE MESSIAH.'' LEVINE ALSO QUOTES THE STORY OF A WOMAN WHO BECAME HYSTERICAL WHEN SHE HEARD THAT THE MESSIAH WAS ON HIS WAY. SHE COMMISERATED WITH HER HUSBAND THAT THEY HAD SPENT MANY YEARS WORKING HARD TO GET THE
HOUSE OF THEIR DREAMS AND TO FIX IT UP THE WAY THEY WANTED AND SHE NOW FEARED THAT THE MESSIAH WOULD TAKE IT ALL AWAY. HER HUSBAND REASSURED HER: ''DON'T WORRY. WE SURVIVED PHARAOH; WE SURVIVED HAMAN. AND WITH GOD'S HELP, WE'LL SURVIVE THE MESSIAH, TOO!''
AMONG SOME MODERN JEWS, AND RABBI LEVINE IS CLEARLY IN THEIR RANKS, BELIEF IN A PERSONAL MESSIAH WAS REPLACED BY YEARNING FOR A MESSIANIC ERA IN WHICH EACH HUMAN BEING WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO THE EMERGENCE OF A JUST AND PEACEFUL WORLD.

THE WORST PROBLEM REGARDING THE TRADITIONAL BELIEF IN A MESSIAH, AS LEVINE SEES IT, IS THAT IT GETS US OFF THE HOOK WHEN IT COMES TO CURING THE ILLS OF THE WORLD. WHY SHOULD I WORRY ABOUT HOW BAD THINGS ARE IF THE MESSIAH WILL STRAIGHTEN THEM OUT WHEN HE OR SHE GETS HERE? IN SHORT, MESSIANISM CAN BE A ''COP-OUT'' IF WE REGARD OURSELVES AS EXEMPT FROM THE TASK OF IMPROVING OUR SOCIETY. SIMPLY OPENING THE DOOR FOR ELIJAH AT THE PASSOVER SEDER DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE SUM TOTAL OF WHAT IS EXPECTED OF US BY WAY OF RESPONSE TO THE ILLS OF THE UNIVERSE.
IN PRAGMATIC TERMS, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER YOU HOLD THE TRADITIONAL JEWISH VIEW OF A PERSONAL MESSIAH OR YOU ADOPT A MODERNIST POSITION. WE STILL EACH HAVE THE JOB OF STRUGGLING TO CREATE A BETTER SOCIETY AS WE AWAIT THE MESSIAH'S ARRIVAL. OUR FAITH TEACHES US THAT EACH AND EVERY PERSON MUST PARTICIPATE IN THE TASK OF TIKKUN, OF REPAIRING AND PERFECTING THE UNIVERSE. WE ARE ALSO INSTRUCTED THAT GOD DELIBERATELY CREATED AN UNFINISHED WORLD IN ORDER TO GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY OF PARTICIPATING WITH THE ALMIGHTY AS “SHUTAFIM - PARTNERS,” IN IMPROVING IT.
AND NOW, FINALLY, WE ARE READY TO HEAR THE UTTERLY BRILLIANT TITLE OF ROBERT LEVINE’S BOOK. IT IS: “THERE IS NO MESSIAH – AND YOU’RE IT”!
AND, FOLKS, THAT ABSOLUTELY SAYS IT ALL! LISTEN TO IT ONE LAST TIME: “THERE IS NO MESSIAH – AND YOU’RE IT”!

First Day Rosh Hashanah Sermon - 06

RH 1 ‘06

CAN YOU IMAGINE JULY 4TH WITHOUT ANY AMERICAN FLAGS ON DISPLAY? OR MEMORIAL DAY WITH NO PARADES IN ANY SMALL TOWNS? OR CAN YOU IMAGINE HANUKKAH WITHOUT MENOROT? WELL, THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT IS HAPPENING TODAY, ON THIS THE FIRST DAY OF ROSH HASHANAH THIS YEAR. WE CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAY - BUT OMIT ITS MOST VISIBLE SYMBOL – THE SHOFAR. WHY?
WHY REMOVE THE CENTRAL SYMBOL OF THE DAY? SURELY THERE ARE TECHNICAL REASONS, WHICH SOME OF YOU PROBABLY KNOW. THE GENERAL NOTION THAT AFTER THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE THE DECREE WAS MADE NOT TO BLOW THE SHOFAR ON SHABBAT. THE TECHNICAL REQUIREMENT THAT WE SHOULD NOT CARRY OR FIX A BROKEN SHOFAR ON SHABBAT; AND IN ORDER TO AVOID THOSE CONTINGENCIES WE SIMPLY REMOVE IT ALTOGETHER.
BUT I THINK THAT THIS YEAR NONE OF THESE REASONS PERTAIN. I WANT TO SUGGEST THAT THERE IS A MORE GLOBAL REASON WHY THE SHOFAR IS ELIMINATED TODAY. MY NOTION IS EXTRACTED FROM THE MIDRASH, THE RABBINIC COMMENTARY, ON A PSALM, 98, THAT WE RECITE IN OUR PRAYERS.
THE WORDS GO SOMETHING LIKE THIS: “ZAMRU LADONAI B’CHINOR…BHETOTZROT…V’KOL SHOFAR…ETC.” – “SING TO THE LORD WITH THEHARP, WITH HORNS, AND WITH THE VOICE OF THE SHOFAR.” THE MIDRASH IS STRUCK WITH THE MENTION OF SEVEAL INSTRUMENTS. WHY NOT JUST ONE?
ITS ANSWER, SOMEWHAT COUNTERINTUITIVELY, IS – “BECAUSE ISRAEL HAS NOT YET BEEN REDEEMED. TO TEACH YOU THAT THERE IS NO COMPLETE JOY UNTIL ISRAEL IS REDEEMED.” THAT MIDRASH HELPED ME TO UNDERSTAND WHY THERE IS NO SHOFAR ON THIS PARTICULAR SHABBAT/ROSH HASHANAH. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE TECHNICAL REASONS. IT HAS TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT IN THE WORDS OF THE PROPHET JEREMIAH, “M’ZTAFON TIPATACH HARAAH, THE TERROR ARRIVED FROM THE NORTH.” IT HAS TO DO WITH THE STATE OF ISRAEL BECOMING CAPTIVE NOT ONLY TO THAT TERROR BUT TO THE NEGATIVE GAZE OF THE WORLD COMMUNITY. ON THIS ROSH HASHANAH BECAUSE “AM YISRAEL – THE PEOPLE, ISRAEL” AND “MEDINAT YISRAEL - THE STATE OF ISRAEL,” ARE FAR FROM BEING REDEEMED - OUR SHOFAR – OUR HOLYDAY RELIGIOUS FLAG – STANDS AT A HALF MAST. IT IS SILENT!
THIS MORNING IT IS NOT MY INTENTION TO OFFER A POLITICAL OR MILITARY ANALYSIS OR TO REPEAT WHAT YOU HAVE ALREADY HEARD AND READ ABOUT THIS DEPRESSING WAR WITH HEZBOLAH. SOME OF YOU KNOW THAT ANDREA AND I WERE IN JERUSALEM DURING THE FIGHTING AND HAVE READ THE E-MAIL COMMENTS I OFFERED DURING OUR STAY. TODAY, I WOULD RATHER CONVEY TO YOU THE MOVING WORDS WRITTEN BY TWO FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES, ONE OF WHOM I HAVE KNOWN FOR DECADES AND THE OTHER ONLY FOR TWO MONTHS. I FIRST PRESENT THE WORDS OF RABBI DAVID ZISENWINE, SOMEONE I HAVE KNOWN SINCE THE ‘60S. 35 YEARS AGO DAVID AND HIS LATE WIFE, ANNE, DECIDED THAT THEY WANTED TO RAISE THEIR FAMILY IN ISRAEL AND SO THEY GAVE UP CONGREGATIONAL LIFE IN COLUMBUS, OHIO, WHERE, AFTER ORDINATION, DAVID HAD EARNED A PhD IN EDUATION. HE RELOCATED, HAS THREE GROWN CHILDREN, AND CURRENTLY IS A PROFESSOR OF EDUCATION AT TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY WHOSE SPECIALTY IS THE TEACHING OF RELIGIOUS CURRICULA IN ISRAELI SECULAR SCHOOLS. LET ME SHARE WITH YOU WHAT HE WROTE ON THE FIRST DAYS OF THE HEZBOLLAH WAR:
“THIS WAR CAUGHT US OFF GUARD. UNLIKE PREVIOUS INVOLVEMENT WHERE THERE WERE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WISDOM AND MORALITY OF OUR MILITARY RESPONSE, THIS WAR HAS NOT EVOKED THIS TYPE OF PUBLIC RESPONSE.
“I SEE MYSELF AS PART OF THE RESPONSIBLE, ZIONIST LEFT. I USUALLY HAVE STOOD WITH THOSE WHO RAISE THE MORAL ISSUE WHEN DEALING WITH ARABS IN ISRAEL AND BEYOND OUR BORDERS. THIS TIME IS DIFFERENT. THE REALITY IS THAT HEZBOLLAH VIOLATED OUR BORDERS, KIDNAPPED SOLDIERS, AND BEGAN RANDOMLY FIRING MISSILES AT OUR CIVILIAN POPULATION. IF ANYTHING IS IMMORAL, IT IS THIS CONTINUING AND UNRELENTING ATTACK ON OUR POPULATION. I SEE IT, AS DO MANY OTHERS, AS AN OUTRIGHT ATTACK ON OUR EXISTENCE. HEZBOLLAH IS IDEOLOGICALLY, AND NOW PRACTICALLY, COMMITTED TO OUR DESTRUCTION. I HAVE NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT. I SEE THEM AS THE PROXY FOR IRAN. WE HAVE PROBABLY NEVER CONFRONTED SUCH A DETERMINED ENEMY, AND I JOIN THOSE WHO SAY – STOP IT NOW BEFORE THEIR ARSENAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL ABILITY GETS STRONGER. YOU HAVE TO LIVE HERE, AND EXPERIENCE THE PAIN AND SUFFERING OF THE ENTIRE NORTHERN PART OF ISRAEL TO APPRECIATE THE FEELINGS THAT I SHARE WITH YOU.
“THE LAST FEW WEEKS HAVE SHOWN US THE POTENTIAL THREAT WE ARE FACING. I BELIEVE NASRALLA. HE WANTS TO DESTROY THE STATE OF ISRAEL AND IS WORKING HARD TO DO IT. WE CAN’T AFFORD THE LUXURY OF NOT HURTING HIM BADLY – NOW! I KNOW THAT THIS SOUNDS HARSH TO AMERICAN JEWISH EARS, BUT IT IS THE EXISTENTIAL REALITY.
“I AM PART OF THE VERY LARGE GROUP THAT SEES THIS AS A FIGHT TO THE DEATH. IT IS NOT SOAP OPERA DRAMA, BUT REALITY AS WE SEE IT FROM HERE. I MUST ADMIT THAT I SOUND LIKE SOME RIGHT WING CRAZY, BUT THIS REALITY IS CRAZY. THE LEFT HAS BECOME THE CENTER.”
JUST FIVE WEEKS LATER, THE FOLLOWING, VERY DIFFERENT CORRESPONDENCE ARRIVED FROM A NEW FRIEND, RABBI DANIEL GOLDFARB. LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING ABOUT RABBI GOLDFARB.
DANIEL GOLDFARB IS ALSO AMERICAN BORN. HE GRADUATED FROM HARVARD, THEN COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL, AND ONLY THEN WAS ORDAINED AS A CONSERVATIVE RABBI. IN 1976 HE LEFT BOTH THE POSSIBILITY OF EITHER A RABBINICAL CAREER IN THIS COUNTRY, OR A LAW CAREER TO MAKE ALIYAH. THERE HE WORKED FOR MANY YEARS AS A LAWYER. IN 2000 HE LEFT LAW TO BECOME THE DIRECTOR OF THE CONSERVATIVE YESHIVA. IT IS IN THIS ROLE THAT I MET HIM THIS PAST JULY WHEN I LECTURED AT THE YESHIVA.
DANIEL AND HIS WIFE, ADA, HAVE FOUR CHILDREN, ALL OF WHOM SERVE IN THE IDF. SO DANIEL GOLDFARB’S CREDENTIALS, TOO, ARE IMPECCABLE. HIS LETTER, WRITTEN SOME FIVE WEEKS AFTER RABBI ZISSENWINE’S WAS MORE SOBER: LESS HUBRUS AND DEFIANT, AND CERTAINLY MORE REALISTIC:
“THE WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE HEZBOLLAH IS NOW IN ITS FIFTH WEEK. IT REMINDS ONE OF TWO BOXERS SLOGGING AWAY IN THE TENTH ROUND, TOO STRONG AND PROUD TO FALL, YET EACH TOO WEARY AND PAINED TO KNOCK OUT THE OPPONENT.
“ISRAEL DID NOT SEE THIS AS SIMPLY ANOTHER PROVOCATIVE INCIDENT BUT AS WAR, AND RESPONDED LIKE THE U.S. DID AFTER PEARL HARBOR AND BRITAIN AND THE ALLIES DID FOLLOWING THE GERMAN MISSILE ATTACKS, AND RIGHTLY SO.
“ISRAEL'S FAMED MILITARY DID NOT ACHIEVE A QUICK AND DECISIVE VICTORY, A SURPRISE FOR MANY. THERE WERE SEVERAL REASONS FOR THIS. THIS WAS A NEW TYPE OF COMBAT - ONE OF BALLISTIC MISSILES, NOT TERRITORY.
“THE EXTENT TO WHICH HEZBOLLAH DUG IN VILLAGES NEAR THE BORDER, THE TENACITY WITH WHICH THEY FIGHT AND, MOST IMPORTANT, THE SOPHISTICATION OF THEIR EQUIPMENT AND WEAPONRY, MOST PARTICULARLY ANTI-TANK MISSILES OF RUSSIAN AND IRANIAN PRODUCTION, HAVE ALL MADE PROGRESS IN DRIVING THEM OUT OF SOUTHERN LEBANON SLOW AND COSTLY IN HUMAN LIFE.
“WE ARE IN A STANDOFF.
“THE RESULTS ARE TWO SELF-PROCLAIMED "WINNERS BY TKO," HEZBOLLAH AND ISRAEL, EACH BY ITS OWN CRITERIA OF VICTORY; AND ONE LOSER, LEBANON, KNOCKED OUT BY BOTH HEZBOLLAH AND ISRAEL, BUT ULTIMATELY THE VICTIM OF ITS OWN DENIAL. MR. SENIORA'S GOVERNMENT CAN NO LONGER LIVE UNDER THE ILLUSION THAT LEBANON CAN HAVE IT BOTH WAYS - BEIRUT THE SNAZZY, SOPHISTICATED PARIS OF THE MIDDLE EAST WHILE HEZBOLLAH RUNS A TERROR KINGDOM IN THE SOUTH AND LOBS MISSILES OVER A THIRD OF ISRAEL, CAUSING A MILLION ISRAELIS TO FLEE THEIR HOMES OR LIVE FOR WEEKS IN BOMB SHELTERS.”

TWO LETTERS FROM TWO FRIENDS - FIVE WEEKS APART. ONE HARD- NOSED AND STOICALLY DEFIANT. THE SECOND HARD - NOSED AND STOICALLY RESIGNED.
TODAY, THE SHOFAR IS SILENT BECAUSE “YISRAEL LO NIGALEEN” - ‘THE PEOPLE AND THE STATE OF ISRAEL THIS YEAR REMAIN UNREDEEMED.”
YET IN OUR PRAYERS IN THE AMIDAH ON THIS DAY WE ALSO EXPRESS THE NEW YEAR WISH “TEN KAVOD L’AMECHA” – “GRANT HONOR, LORD, TO YOUR PEOPLE ISRAEL.” IN SPITE OF THE NON-REDEMPTION OF OUR STATE THIS YEAR, THERE IS GREAT “KAVOD” -GREAT HONOR FOR OUR PEOPLE, EVEN IF IT WAS NOT A MAGNIFICENT, NECESSARY, AND DESERVED VICTORY AGAINST AN ENEMY THAT WANTS NOTHING LESS THAN THE ANNIHILATION OF THE JEWISH STATE. THAT “KAVOD” WAS IN THE REACTION OF OUR PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY AS CONTRASTED WITH MOST IN ARAB WORLD. THAT REACTION WAS NOT TO BLAME THE EXTERNAL WORLD FOR THIS STALEMATE, BUT TO BLAME OURSELVES – ESPECIALLY THE GOVERNMENT OF ISRAEL BOTH PRIOR TO AND DURING THE EXECUTION OF THE WAR. IN THE WORDS OF OUR OWN PRAYER BOOK “UMPNEI HATAENU GALEENU M’ARTZENU” – “BECAUSE OF OUR OWN SINS WE HAVE BEEN EXILED FROM OUR LAND.”
IRONICALLY, IN THAT SELF-BLAME IS THE POSSIBILITY OF REPAIR AND HOPE AND OPTIMISM EMERGING OUT OF THIS SUMMER’S HARD AND DEPRESSING REALITY. THAT HOPE IS THAT THERE IS SUCH SERIOUS SELF EXAMINATION GOING ON IN ISRAEL TODAY. THAT MEANS THAT THE NEXT TIME – AND WE ALL KNOW THAT THERE WILL BE, WILL TRAGICALLY BE A NEXT TIME, ISRAEL WILL GET IT RIGHT. THEN WE SHALL BE ALLOWED TO SOUND THE SHOFAR ONCE MORE.

JTS's new Chancellor!

You may know that the Jewish Theological Seminary recently named Prof. Arnold Eisen of Stanford as its new Chancellor. The fact that Eisen is not a rabbi has raised some eyebrows since one of the Seminary's schools is The Rabbinical School. A number of my colleagues have raised concerns about the Seminary's head not being an ordained rabbi. I respectfully disagree and feel that Eisen was an inspired choice, and I want to commend the Search Committee for thinking "out of the box" and choosing a top-notch academic who is a receognized expert on American Judaism and also a committed and active Conservative Jew. I know Prof. Eisen and have the utmost repsect for him. His appointment augers well for the future of Conservative Judaism.

from Michelle:

The committee’s feeling was that we want to ensure that we have an *inclusive* congregation, where minorities within our community feel just as welcome as the majorities. Those minority groups are not limited to those with disabilities. From that perspective, GLBT people are a minority (in sexual orientation) & are often intentionally or (more often) unintentionally slighted. For example, our preschool and religious school registration forms ask for “Mother/Guardian name” and “Father/Guardian name”. So, where does this leave gay or lesbian parents? More inclusive wording might be “Parent’s Name” two times for even though marriages & adoptions for partners are illegal in Virginia, we can reduce the subtle exclusion in our congregational community.

Has King David's Palace been Found?

I spoke this past Friday night about an Israeli archeologist named Eilat Mazar who feels she may have uncovered what might be the remains of King David's palace in Jerusalem. Some of you may have seen the first page article in the Washington Post describing the find. This is an issue with not only archeological ramifications, but Biblical and political ones as well. In terms of the Biblical ramifications, there is a raging debate about the accuracy of the Bible in general and the size and extent of the ancient Jewish kingdoms and Jerusalem in particular. A group known as "minimalists" believe that Biblical accounts are greatly embellished and that Jerusalem was little more than 'a hick town' in the time of David. If it could be shown that there existed a sizable building there (even if it were not 'a palace'!) in David's time, that would indicate that the city might have more closely approximated the Bible's description.

In terms of the political ramifications, the site of Mazar's excavation is on land captured by Israel in 1967 which the Palestinians claim. The discovery of a sizable Jerusalem in David's time would certainly strengthen Israel's claim of Jewish presence there for millennia.

That's it for this brief review of the current situation vis-a-vis Mazar's claim. I'll keep you updated.

Bombings in Amman!

Some readers may be aware of the fact that I was among approximately 50 rabbis invited to a luncheon in September hosted by King Abdullah of Jordan. This was a truly historic event - the first time a Muslim monarch has invited a group of rabbis to meet. It received next to know meadia coverage because Katrina was the #1 story. In his remarks at the luncheon, the King made a passionate plea for cooperation in combatting radical fundamentalism - in Islam, Judaism and Christianity.

About a month after the luncheon, it came to our attention that a mult-part TV series which was highly antismeetic was airing in Jordan and 24 of the attendees wrote to the King. Within 48 hours the program was withdrawn.

In light of the terrible hotel bombings this week, I have sent the following letter both to the Jordanian Ambassador and to the King:

Dear Ambassador Kawar:

As a rabbi and a participant in the luncheon you hosted in September, I am writing to express my condolences in the wake of the hotel bombings. Caring people throughout the world are outraged whenever and wherever terrorism rears its ugly head. The loss of innocent lives at the hands of terrorists is something that rational individuals should never tolerate. The fact that so many of the dead were celebrating weddings poignantly underscores the senselessness of these acts.

Please know that my thoughts and prayers and are with you and the Jordanian people at this most difficult time. May God continue to guide you in your struggle again those who resort to acts of terrorism to achieve their ill-conceived goals.

Sincerely,

Rabbi Steven Glazer
Herndon, VA