Emor - Representing our Community

Emor - Shabbat 4/30/11

In Emor (literally “speak,”) God tells Moses to speak to the kohanim (priests) and tell them about the special laws that pertain to them and to the priestly service in the Sanctuary.  The second half of Emor then takes us through the cycle of the yearly Jewish calendar, hitting all of the highlights: the weekly Shabbat; the Passover Festival in Nissan, which was originally the first month of the year; the counting of the Omer for forty-nine days followed by Shavuot; a “remembrance of shofar blasts,” as Rosh Hashanah was initially called; a “solemn fast” ten days later; the week-long Sukkot Festival; and finally Shemini Atzeret on the heels of Sukkot.

There is an incident at the end of Emor which always reminds me of my childhood, when my mother would sternly remind us before we went out, "Remember—you’re representing the Jewish people!”  I always found this a bit hyperbolic, if not downright problematic; why should anything I or my siblings did reflect on anyone other than ourselves?  Surely, I thought, in the unlikely event that any of us actually committed some terrible act while out with our friends, no one would think to impugn our entire community or religion because of it. 

It turns out, though, that at least one commentator took my mother’s point of view.  At the end of the parasha, an Israelite is punished after blaspheming God's name.  In telling us about this person, the Torah records that his mother’s name was Sh’lomit, daughter of Divri, from the tribe of Dan.  The obvious question is, why so many identifiers?  Or put another way, why drag poor Grandpa Divri into this mess?? 

Rashi explains that this episode indicates how one can bring shame not only upon himself when he acts wrongly, but also upon his family and community.  Despite our efforts to avoid stereotyping and collective punishment, people will instinctively pass judgment upon those who are associated with a given offender. 

At least we can rest assured, says Rashi, that the opposite is also true; one who acts righteously brings praise and honor to those around him.  These are important lessons when considering how we can positively represent our community at all times, as important as the other lesson I (re)learned this week—Mother always knows best!

Kedoshim - Words to Live By

Not surprisingly, the parasha of Kedoshim (meaning “holy”) includes the section of the Bible referred to as the Holiness Code.  These chapters in Leviticus are characterized by a refrain, “kedoshim tihyu…You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.”  Most of the Ten Commandments are restated here, as well as a broad range of other mitzvot, blending ritual requirements with ethical mandates. 

One verse from the beginning of the Holiness Code states, “You shall keep My laws and rules by which man shall live…” The Rabbis pick up on the words, “vachai bahem – you shall live by them,” and explain this to mean that we ought to live by the mitzvot and not die by them.  In other words, the purpose of the mitzvot is to lead a good life, not to put life at risk.  The Rabbis called this concept "pikuach nefesh," the maintaining of life.  

Thus, for example, if someone is starving and his life is at stake, it is more important to sustain his life by giving him un-kosher food than it is to keep the commandments of kashrut.  The same goes for lighting a fire on Shabbat if someone is freezing, and so on.  According to Jewish tradition, the only times it is preferable to give up your life are when given the choice between dying and committing murder, idol worship or sexual misconduct (such as incest).  Fortunately we don’t have to face such choices very often! 
           
The phrase “vachai baheim - you shall live by them” also has implications for how we approach Jewish education.  Judaism is not merely a subject to be studied, but a way of life to be lived.  This means that textual learning must be accompanied by real, authentic experiences that bring the text’s content to life.  Learning about tzedakah is not the same as giving; learning about prayer is not the same as actually davening; learning about Torah is not the same as truly engaging in Torah study.  I am proud to say that this has always been the philosophy at the TAS Hebrew School.  The more we are able to provide students with experiential learning opportunities, the greater the chances that the next generation of Jews will truly exemplify “vachai bahem.”

Sanctity at the Seder

The seder (which literally means "order") consists of fourteen discreet steps, beginning with Kadesh, namely saying Kiddush. 

If you look closely, you'll notice that the Kiddush consists of two different parts - a longer blessing which sanctifies the day as a sacred holiday, and a shorter blessing over the cup of wine, which we use as a symbol of our joy.

There is a famous dispute in the Talmud between the schools of Hillel and Shammai over which blessing to say first, that over the wine or that over the day.  I initially saw this debate as insignificant hairsplitting, but a comment in the FJMC Haggadah helped me see it in a new light.  According to Shammai, we should recite the blessing over the day first, because it is the day itself which is special, and if it were not for the nature of the day then we would not have any reason to be drinking the wine in the first place.  Hillel, by contrast, argues that we should recite the blessing over the wine first, because a day is not necessarily holy, whereas we are always supposed to say a blessing before drinking wine. 

Now we can see that there is something deeper behinde this debate.  At its core, the dispute is over the nature of what makes something holy.  For Shammai, the day is inherently sacred due to the fact that it was divinely decreed as a holiday on the calendar.  However, Hillel posits that holiness is something that is latent or potential, akin perhaps to kinetic energy, and it is ultimately our human rituals or actions that imbue the day with sanctity. 

As we celebrate our seders this year, we can reflect on what it is about the holiday of Passover that is inherently sacred or special for us, and also what it is that we personally do - as individuals, family and community - to bring a sense of sanctity to what might otherwise be just another day. 

(By the way, if you look again at the Kiddush in the Haggadah, you'll notice that we follow Hillel, and recite the blessing over the wine first.)  Chag sameach!

Shabbat Ha-Chodesh - The Mystical Quality of Mitzvot

 Shabbat Ha-Chodesh

Shabbat 4/2/11

This Shabbat is the week before the new month of Nisan (aka "Shabbat Ha-Chodesh").  Nisan is considered a particularly sanctified time, given that it is the month or our redemption; as such, certain "sad" prayers are omitted during this month, and it is even traditional not to give a full eulogy.  On Shabbat, we read a special maftir portion (after the regular parasha of Tazria) in which the Israelites are commanded to observe Rosh Chodesh, the festival of the new month, beginning with Nisan as the first month of the year.  The Torah then goes on to discuss the observances of Passover in Nisan, including eating matzot for seven days and refraining from chametz. 

The commentator Or Hachayim asks, If the matzah is supposed to be a reminder of the Israelites' rush out of Egypt before their dough could rise, why is it commanded here?  The people won't leave Egypt until later in the chapter!  How can the Torah legislate a memorial for something that hasn't happened yet? 
He answers that we should understand that the Israelites, as a result of eating the matzah and performing the commanded rituals, thus brought about a quick redemption from God.  His comment points to a conception of mitzvot as having a certain theurgic or mystical quality; what we do "down here" has an effect "up there." 

What role do mitzvot play for you?  Do you have a mystical conception of them, like Or Hachayim?  Or are mitzvot a way of practicing discipline, and improving yourself?  Are mitzvot a means to an end, such as remembering the events or miracles of the past, or is the performance of mitzvot an end in itself? 

Whatever our personal understanding of mitzvot, may we all find meaning in their observance as we enter the heightened sanctity of the month of Nisan.  Happy Rosh Chodesh!