The first Torah reading in the book of Numbers is connected to the divine Covenant with the People of Israel, and the Haftorah reading relates to its restoration in the time of the prophet Hosea. Having strayed from G*d, the people are returning to their traditions and observances, and will be rewarded with a renewed closeness with G*d:
The reconciliation begins with G*d leading us, as he has done with His people since Abraham, into the wilderness. In the empty, barren wilderness, we can hear His "small still voice" as it "speaks tenderly" unto us. In that place we can see the love that has always been there, and can respond with our own prayers.
In similar vein, we should see our fellow man not as "not my people", but as "children of a living G*d".
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Proverbs 31
A fellow blogger mommy posted this on Facebook the other day. She is a Christian woman, relating what she learned about Proverbs 31 from a Jewish friend. This passage apparently has a very different context in the two traditions. In Judaism, this is the source of the song Eshet Chayil ("Woman of Valor"), which men traditionally sing to their wives for Shabbat, celebrating them and their accomplishments. In Christianity, many apparently take it as a to-do list for women..... Very different!
Well, as I often do when people reference the Bible, I went to look it up in context. I found it interesting that the famous acrostic poem does NOT start at the beginning of the chapter, but only on the tenth verse. The skipped verses are:
The first verse announces that this entire section is the King's mother instructing him in being a good king. It is, start to finish, a woman's voice speaking to a powerful man, lovingly guiding him in reaching his full potential as a powerful, spiritual being. And what is it that she tells him?
1. Don't be a womanizer!
2. Learn from the examples of others to avoid ruin.
3. Don't get drunk. You are a powerful man, and alcohol will undermine your ability to fulfill your duties honorably.
So far, pretty straightforward advice. but she pushes on:
4. Rather than drinking yourself, give drink to the poor and suffering, to help them forget their misery.
5. Speak up for those who have no voice, who have been written off by society.
6. Speak up for justice, for all those who are poor and needy.
While the first three can be seen as selfishly good advice for living a happy, wholesome life, this set of instructions admonish the King to go beyond living honorably. As one who is in a position of power, he must be proactive in using that awesome power for good. He must seek out those who are suffering and have no voice, alleviate their suffering, speak up for them, and act on their behalf.
And how is he to do all this? The King's mother knows full well both the temptations of the world (1-3) and the daunting magnitude of standing up for the downtrodden (4-6). Don't try to do it alone, she tells him:
And THAT is the context for Eshet Chayil.
Well, as I often do when people reference the Bible, I went to look it up in context. I found it interesting that the famous acrostic poem does NOT start at the beginning of the chapter, but only on the tenth verse. The skipped verses are:
The first verse announces that this entire section is the King's mother instructing him in being a good king. It is, start to finish, a woman's voice speaking to a powerful man, lovingly guiding him in reaching his full potential as a powerful, spiritual being. And what is it that she tells him?
1. Don't be a womanizer!
2. Learn from the examples of others to avoid ruin.
3. Don't get drunk. You are a powerful man, and alcohol will undermine your ability to fulfill your duties honorably.
So far, pretty straightforward advice. but she pushes on:
4. Rather than drinking yourself, give drink to the poor and suffering, to help them forget their misery.
5. Speak up for those who have no voice, who have been written off by society.
6. Speak up for justice, for all those who are poor and needy.
While the first three can be seen as selfishly good advice for living a happy, wholesome life, this set of instructions admonish the King to go beyond living honorably. As one who is in a position of power, he must be proactive in using that awesome power for good. He must seek out those who are suffering and have no voice, alleviate their suffering, speak up for them, and act on their behalf.
And how is he to do all this? The King's mother knows full well both the temptations of the world (1-3) and the daunting magnitude of standing up for the downtrodden (4-6). Don't try to do it alone, she tells him:
And THAT is the context for Eshet Chayil.
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Haftorah Beam - Bechukotai
This week's haftorah reading doesn't seem very closely connected with the Torah reading. The theme is trust in G*d to meet our needs. Relying on others, or even our own efforts, is seen as worthless without an underlying faith in G*d's supremacy. This is very hard for people to internalize. Relying on a deity feels (and often looks) like making no effort and expecting rewards to land in one's lap for the asking. However, Jeremiah makes this sermon in the context of the commandment of Shmitta.
We fully expect to farm the land "by the sweat of our brow", and we do so for six consecutive years. On the seventh, however, we are instructed to leave the land fallow, to give it a "Sabbath". Today, modern agricultural science confirms that this practice allows the earth to restore nutrients for future growth, but in Biblical times this took an enormous leap of faith. However, we are NOT instructed to make no effort. The six years are to be front-ended, and that work is very concrete. Furthermore, the sabbatical year is not one of passive "flopping", but of focused, directed faith in G*d.
We fully expect to farm the land "by the sweat of our brow", and we do so for six consecutive years. On the seventh, however, we are instructed to leave the land fallow, to give it a "Sabbath". Today, modern agricultural science confirms that this practice allows the earth to restore nutrients for future growth, but in Biblical times this took an enormous leap of faith. However, we are NOT instructed to make no effort. The six years are to be front-ended, and that work is very concrete. Furthermore, the sabbatical year is not one of passive "flopping", but of focused, directed faith in G*d.
7 Blessed is he who trusts in the Lord,Whose trust is the Lord alone.8 He shall be like a tree planted by waters,Sending forth its roots by a stream:It does not sense the coming of heat,Its leaves are ever fresh;It has no care in a year of drought,It does not cease to yield fruit."Work as though it all depends on you; Pray as though it all depends on G*d."
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Haftorah Beam - BeHar
Once again, this week's Torah was part of a doubled parsha last year, and I kinda focused on the other parsha in my commentary. The Haftorah reading is from Jeremiah, and mostly discusses a real estate deal between the prophet and another member of the community. It concludes:
When the problems of the world seem insurmountable, this is reassuring...
24 Here are the siegemounds, raised against the city to storm it; and the city, because of sword and famine and pestilence, is at the mercy of the Chaldeans who are attacking it. What You threatened has come to pass — as You see. 25 Yet You, Lord God, said to me: Buy the land for money and call in witnesses — when the city is at the mercy of the Chaldeans!"
26 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah:
27 "Behold I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too wondrous for Me?
When the problems of the world seem insurmountable, this is reassuring...
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Privilege
This article by a Princeton freshman has gone viral on social media lately. Some people love it, some hate it, but it does get people to talk about what we actually mean by "privilege".
The boy in question, as I said, is a freshman. He has just arrived on campus from a relatively homogeneous, suburban upbringing, and he feels as though he is called upon to apologize for having it good. He feels defensive, quite naturally, and makes a good case that everybody has baggage, and that using the meme "check your privilege" as a weapon is not a good way to further dialog.
I just spent all morning looking for a post I saw a few months ago, which explained "privilege checking" in a proper context. I can't find it, but it explained that we all have areas of privilege and areas of non-privilege. In any given conversation, "checking privilege" means (approximately) checking our cultural assumptions which devalue someone else's oppression. In those areas where we have privilege, we should be more circumspect about interjecting our opinions vs. listening to those who lack it.
For example, if Tal Fortgang was attending a symposium for grandchildren of Holocaust survivors, he would probably resent being approached by a Holocaust denier. Or a Palestinian activist who draws a moral equivalence between Nazi genocide and Israeli occupation. Or even a Rwandan refugee who tries to redirect the conversation to his own national tragedy. Because all of these, while they may or may not be appropriate conversations in other contexts, devalue the Jewish experience of the Holocaust.
I was thinking about this this morning while praying the Shacharit. Part of the morning blessings is:
.יְהִי רָצון מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה' אֱלהַי וֵאלהֵי אֲבותַי שֶׁתַּצִּילֵנִי הַיּום וּבְכָל יום מֵעַזֵּי פָנִים וּמֵעַזּוּת פָּנִים
My translation (Google translate did a lousy job with it): "May it be Your will, YHVH my G*d and the G*d of my ancestors, that You will save me today and every day from oppressors and from oppressiveness."
This seemed to me to connect with the debate about privilege. Today and every day, we do not wish to be oppressed, but we must be introspective about ways in which we benefit from a system which oppresses others, as well. At the same time, we must remember that this is a process of introspection: using "check your privilege" as a bludgeon against others, to silence rather than promote dialog, is counterproductive.
The boy in question, as I said, is a freshman. He has just arrived on campus from a relatively homogeneous, suburban upbringing, and he feels as though he is called upon to apologize for having it good. He feels defensive, quite naturally, and makes a good case that everybody has baggage, and that using the meme "check your privilege" as a weapon is not a good way to further dialog.
I just spent all morning looking for a post I saw a few months ago, which explained "privilege checking" in a proper context. I can't find it, but it explained that we all have areas of privilege and areas of non-privilege. In any given conversation, "checking privilege" means (approximately) checking our cultural assumptions which devalue someone else's oppression. In those areas where we have privilege, we should be more circumspect about interjecting our opinions vs. listening to those who lack it.
For example, if Tal Fortgang was attending a symposium for grandchildren of Holocaust survivors, he would probably resent being approached by a Holocaust denier. Or a Palestinian activist who draws a moral equivalence between Nazi genocide and Israeli occupation. Or even a Rwandan refugee who tries to redirect the conversation to his own national tragedy. Because all of these, while they may or may not be appropriate conversations in other contexts, devalue the Jewish experience of the Holocaust.
I was thinking about this this morning while praying the Shacharit. Part of the morning blessings is:
.יְהִי רָצון מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה' אֱלהַי וֵאלהֵי אֲבותַי שֶׁתַּצִּילֵנִי הַיּום וּבְכָל יום מֵעַזֵּי פָנִים וּמֵעַזּוּת פָּנִים
My translation (Google translate did a lousy job with it): "May it be Your will, YHVH my G*d and the G*d of my ancestors, that You will save me today and every day from oppressors and from oppressiveness."
This seemed to me to connect with the debate about privilege. Today and every day, we do not wish to be oppressed, but we must be introspective about ways in which we benefit from a system which oppresses others, as well. At the same time, we must remember that this is a process of introspection: using "check your privilege" as a bludgeon against others, to silence rather than promote dialog, is counterproductive.
Monday, May 5, 2014
Haftorah Beam - Emor
The haftorah reading for this parsha is not as problematic as the Torah reading which I discussed last year, and echoes the theme of priestly obligations. They are subject to more rules than the general population in matters of dress, diet, marriage and so on. Rather than being more privileged, as you would expect of the priestly class they are more restricted. This is summed up thus:
The additional restrictions and obligations are seen as a prized value, representing G*d's will through them. The verse goes further to remind the reader that the Levites had no portion in the Land of Israel, but instead lived among the other tribes. This, too, is a reminder that their portion of divinity trumps worldly possessions. This is parallel to Jewish "Chosenness". We are Chosen, yes -- for additional restrictions, for prolonged exile among the nations, and for bearing the brunt of persecution throughout the ages. But we bear these difficulties as a badge of honor, a symbol of our special relationship with our Creator.
This contrast is echoed again in this week's observances: Just a week after the Festival of Freedom (Passover), we commemorated Holocaust Memorial Day; a week after that (yesterday), we remembered the fallen soldiers in Israel's wars for its national survival; and today we return to the spirit of joy with Israeli Independence Day. Our joy and our freedom are inextricably linked to our struggles, both in the past and in the current generation.
This is how Memorial Day is observed in Israel.
| כח וְהָיְתָה לָהֶם לְנַחֲלָה, אֲנִי נַחֲלָתָם; וַאֲחֻזָּה, לֹא-תִתְּנוּ לָהֶם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל--אֲנִי, אֲחֻזָּתָם. | 28 And it shall be unto them for an inheritance: I am their inheritance; and ye shall give them no possession in Israel: I am their possession. |
The additional restrictions and obligations are seen as a prized value, representing G*d's will through them. The verse goes further to remind the reader that the Levites had no portion in the Land of Israel, but instead lived among the other tribes. This, too, is a reminder that their portion of divinity trumps worldly possessions. This is parallel to Jewish "Chosenness". We are Chosen, yes -- for additional restrictions, for prolonged exile among the nations, and for bearing the brunt of persecution throughout the ages. But we bear these difficulties as a badge of honor, a symbol of our special relationship with our Creator.
This contrast is echoed again in this week's observances: Just a week after the Festival of Freedom (Passover), we commemorated Holocaust Memorial Day; a week after that (yesterday), we remembered the fallen soldiers in Israel's wars for its national survival; and today we return to the spirit of joy with Israeli Independence Day. Our joy and our freedom are inextricably linked to our struggles, both in the past and in the current generation.
This is how Memorial Day is observed in Israel.
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