Toldot 5774

Rebecca’s Origin Story

Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz wrote a wonderful book entitled “Biblical Images.” In this book, Rabbi Steinsaltz takes our biblical heroes, and writes an easily readable narrative to explain the person’s life and story. Just like we have many movies that speak to a superhero’s origin story – Superman, Batman, Captain Kirk in Star Trek, and the like – Steinsaltz similarly tells us about the origin stories of our biblical heroes, based on the Torah and later rabbinic understandings and interpretations.

One of the most fascinating characters is the character of Rivka, or Rebecca. Steinsaltz picks up on the fact that Rebecca is the exact opposite of her husband, Yitzchak, Isaac, and that she is complementary to him (Biblical Images, pg. 43). Isaac appears outstandingly as a person who does not make decisions, as a person to whom things happen. In his first great test, the binding on the altar, Isaac did not act but was acted upon. He did not go to seek a wife; a wife was brought to him. And when Rebecca arrives on the scene, it is Rebecca who makes decisions, who acts, confidently.

Steinsaltz, picking up on rabbinic midrashim, explores Rebecca’s origin story. He explains that while Abraham and his family is described as great and powerful; Abraham’s brother and his descendants, that of Nahor, declined, lost its property, and engaged in petty trade. Rebecca, Nahor’s granddaughter, was the opposite of Isaac who grew up surrounded by trustworthy folk. According to Steinsaltz, Isaac’s world was supportive, secure; he could hesitate or even err because there were always others, loving and concerned to back him up. Isaac knew little of the world of evil and deceit, because his immediate world was harmonious and whole. Rebecca , on the other hand, grew up in a world whose failings she knew all too well. She had learned the meaning of cheating, of hypocrisy.

This narrative shapes the image of Rebecca that we read about in the Torah. Rebecca is assertive, confident; and yet she also brings with her a deceptive side, one that manipulates her husband, Isaac, to do what she knows is right – to give her son, Yaakov, Jacob, the birthright in place of Esav, his older brother.

In the coming weeks, as we read these fascinating stories about our ancestors, I hope that you will take time to explore who they were, how they grew up, and how their origin stories affected who they became as people. For by learning about where we and our ancestors come from, we can learn more about ourselves, our families, and our communities.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi David Russo

Hayyei Sarah 5774

Hayyei Sarah

This week’s parasha, Hayyei Sarah, opens with the death of our matriarch Sarah. In the first part of the story, Abraham personally attends to all the details of her burial and the preparations beforehand. Granted, at this point in the story the sum total of the Jewish community is Abraham, his son Isaac, and the servant Eliezer. Nevertheless, based on this story Jewish communities throughout time have understood we are responsible for tending to the burial needs of the people of our community. 

In our own time that responsibility has been taken on by what's called a Chevre Kadisha, a "holy society:" group of volunteers who, each time we have a loss in our community prepare the deceased for burial according to the traditional Jewish rites. While this is not a particularly well know aspect of Jewish communal life, next week we have a unique opportunity to learn about the rituals of Jewish burial and in particular, the liturgy that the Chevre Kadisha uses in preparing for the deceased burial.

Rabbi Stuart Kelman, the Dean on the Gamliel Institute, will be speaking at a think tank devoted to educating Jews about Jewish traditions around the end of life will be with us at Anshe Emet Synagogue at 7:00 p.m. on Monday October 28 for a program entitled, “Tahara Liturgy: Unravelling the Secrets.” We hope that you’ll join us for what is sure to be a fascinating night of insights into the end of life from a Jewish perspective.

Rabbi Kelman’s presentation is sponsored by Anshe Emet’s Chevre Kadisha, the Progressive Chevre Kadisha, the West Suburban Chevre Kadisha, and the Chevre Kadisha of Congregation Hakafa, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to join with the wider community in considering the ways in which we too fulfill the ancient responsibilities that Abraham taught us in the way he cared for Sarah.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Abe Friedman

Vayera 5773

Vayera 5774

This week’s Torah portion, Vayera tells the story of the three angels who come to visit the tent of Abraham and Sarah. Abraham and Sarah exemplify the mitzvah, the commandment of hachnasat orchim; rushing out to greet the stranger, to welcome them into their tent, to show them hospitality and caring. This stranger relates to this elderly couple that they will have a child together.

The story continues that these angels have another mission. They are enroute to Sodom and Gomorrah and they will destroy these cities. God shares this plan with Abraham and Abraham’s response is well known “will not the judge of the whole world, judge justly?” Abraham has the temerity to challenge God and to question God’s judgment. 

We begin with 50, 40, 30, 20 then 10 souls; if found to be righteous can save Sodom and Gomorrah. The question that one might ask is, why not one? Wouldn’t it be worth saving Sodom and Gomorrah if there was one righteous person that lived there? Why should that one person be destroyed with the entire city? Didn’t God ever hear the famous rabbinic dictum, “if you saved one life, it’s as if you saved the whole world?”   Why wouldn’t that apply here? 

Our tradition weighs this question, and the answer is constructive. Ten people can save the world, one person can not. Ten people can go out and affect other lives, but one person can not save an entire world.  
This is where we have the idea of a minyan, a prayer community. Ten people can bring God into the world; ten people can affect the world and even save it. That is the lesson. Leaders can inspire others, but ten people can save the world.

This is what a synagogue does, I believe. A synagogue is in the business of changing the world for the better.  We invite people in, people are involved, [and] they are affected by what happens here. They are inspired by our tradition that is taught here. But the real test is how people go from here and make a difference outside the doors. And I know of the work of this community.

This past week, I had the privilege of attending The Conversation of the Century. It is the 100th [year] anniversary of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism; the Synagogue Arm of our Movement. And rather than having a convention, they had a conclave of conversations. From morning until night, small sessions took place on a whole variety of topics. All in an effort to energize congregations through out the country to take these conversations back, turn them into action and to change the world for the better. What was especially powerful for me at this gathering was to watch Rabbi David Ackerman, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, Rabbi Daniel Burg, and Rabbi Charles Savenor, who was one of the principals of the event.  Each one of these rabbis who all began their rabbinate here at Anshe Emet, are leading communities. Each one is making a difference. Each one is inspiring more than ten people to be sure to change the world.
What a remarkable lesson our Torah reading offers each of us. We can not do it alone. And so we need to be in a relationship with each other, we need to join together to make a difference in the world that needs our help, needs our caring, needs our voices and our hands. Let us take the lesson of Sodom and Gomorrah, let us join together with others, let us make a difference and perhaps we will do our part to save the world.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Michael Siegel

Lekh L'kha 5774: Satan Avram and the Pew Study

Satan, Avram and the Pew Study

The day that God spoke to Avram and Sarai and told them: to go forth from their land, from their father’s house to the land that I will show you,

The day that Avram and Sarai were told that God would make a great nation of them and curse those who curse them and bless those that bless them

Avram and Sarai did what any Jewish couple would do at such a breathtaking, historical moment... they went home and packed, packed, and packed some more. They had a lot to do if they were to be ready by morning.

Meanwhile, in Heaven the angels were thrilled. Finally, Jewish history was to begin in earnest and humanity would be offered a new path on which to walk side with God. A special people were in the process of being born and with it the ultimate promise of the world’s redemption. The ministering angels had not celebrated like this since God declared the very first Shabbat.

Truth be told, not everyone was so happy. There was one angel who was sulking amidst all the angelic joy. His name was Satan. You see, he had not been in favor of human beings being created from the very start. "They’ll ruin everything, you’ll see," Satan would often say. He delighted in proving his point. It was Satan who convinced the serpent into having a talk with Eve. Oy, was he happy when the first couple was sent out of the Garden. Satan took pride in the fact that he had personally counseled Cain as to how to deal with his brother Abel. However, Satan’s happiest day by far was when God destroyed the world with a flood. Such Nachas!

But now, God had chosen Avram, the child prodigy, the one who believed long before he heard the Divine voice calling to him. In Avram God saw more than one who listened to His voice, God saw something that was missing in both Adam and Noah: a true partner. Satan was not happy at all that a new age was beginning, not at all happy that the history of humankind was going to take a positive turn, that a people would grow from Avram and Sarai whose destiny was to be an or l’goyim, a light to the nations.

But what could be done now? 

Satan looked forward in history and contemplated telling Avram the terrible things that were going to happen to his descendants in the future. Perhaps if the old man saw how difficult things were going to be for the generations to come that he would choose to sleep in and forget this whole Lekh L'kha, this Go Forth enterprise. But then Satan imagined that Avram would also see how in the face of every catastrophe the people of Israel recreated itself and had the faith and courage to walk forward. Even after something as unimaginable as the Holocaust, his descendants went back to the very country that Avram had been promised and fought to build a remarkable Jewish State.

Just as he was about to give up a thought came to him, well, like a lightening bolt!

Satan thought of a plan that was so diabolical that he smiled from ear to ear. This will stop these senior citizens in their tracks guaranteed, Satan thought as he rubbed his hands together. That same night Satan came down from heaven dressed as a wanderer, and under his arm was the Pew Research Study of the American Jewish Community, published October 13th, 2013. For Satan believed that once Avram and Sarai understood what their descendants in America were going to do to themselves, the self inflicted damage they would do because of the choices that they were going to make for them and their children; [that] for sure Avram and Sarai would stop it before it started.

Satan came to Avram and Sarai’s tent dressed as a poor man. He was immediately welcomed in and fed. Avram apologized saying, We have a big day tomorrow and went back to packing." The stranger said to Avram, "I hear that God promised to make your descendants into a great and mighty people."

"Yup," Avraham said he continued packing.

"Well," Satan continued, "i thought that you would want to know that in about 3,700 years, in a place called America, a country more wealthy then you can imagine, 6.8 million of your descendants are going to live." 

Avram, smiled and with a tear falling from his eye said, "So God did make them as numerous as the stars in the heavens."

"Yes, Yes," Satan said impatiently, "But you should also know that they are choosing not to live in the land of Israel where the majority of your descendants live."

Avram’s face changed, "Let me get this straight, Sarai and I are leaving everything that we ever knew to go forth and my descendants are going to choose to live not in the land of Israel?"  His voice sounded concerned.

"That’s right," said Satan.

"Well," Avram said, "The people of the land will not accept them or their ways and will undoubtedly mistreat them." 

"Not exactly," said Satan. "In fact, it turns out these Americans really like them. No your descendants are succeeding everywhere in this America."

"I see," said Avram; "Well, as long as they don’t marry the people of this land then they will be okay."

Satan replies, "Well if you look inside this study you will see that Intermarriage is at 58%...
And in the homes where there is only one Jewish parent only 20% are raising their child as a Jew…"

"Get out of Haran!?" said Avram.

"No, I am telling you," Satan said. "And nearly one in four say that they have no religion."

Now Avram began turning white. "Are you saying that they are rejecting the God that told me and Sarah to go forth, the God whose promises are being fulfilled all around them?"

"Yup," said Satan, feeling that his plan was working.

"By the way Avram: Only half of the Jews in America can read Hebrew and only around 10% know what they are reading…"

Avram sat down for a minute and began stroking his beard. "Well to tell you the truth, I can’t read Hebrew either."

Satan grew angry, "That’s because Hebrew has not been invented yet! But in this time all of the religious books, prayer books, and the holiest books are written in Hebrew. What is more, Israelis speak Hebrew. Don’t you see how bad things have gotten? Perhaps you want to rethink this whole leaving thing. Let’s just you and I nip this thing in the bud…."

Avram thought for a few minutes and said, "Not so fast; tell me, do these people believe in leading ethical lives?"

Satan replies, "Yes, well over 50% made that a priority of their Judaism.

Avram then asks, "What about feeding the hungry, what about working to make the world better, do my descendants feel compelled to make the world better, do they share their bread with the hungry, do they give Tzedaka?"

"Yes!" Satan was forced to say; "In fact they give Tzedaka in far greater numbers than other people in America."

"OKAY," one last question; "Do my descendants in this place called America take pride in being Jewish, in their heritage and people-hood?"

Satan looked in the study and then breathed a deep sigh and said nothing.

"Well? What does it say," said Avram.

"94% say that they are proud to be Jewish!"

"75% say that they have a strong sense of belonging to the Jewish people."

"70% say they feel either strongly attached somewhat attached to Israel"

"So let me get this straight," Avram said, "My descendants have had a long and difficult history, they have suffered and continued to be Jews. They have done great things for the world as Jews. They have spawned other religions that believe in the oneness of God."

"Well, that’s true," said Satan, "But don’t forget that some have also chosen to leave. Don’t you see the direction this is going in? This year 22% identify as not having Judaism as a religion, some have left Jewish places of worship and are creating independent places to pray to God... What will happen next year or the year after?"

Avram then began to laugh, "Now I understand... Every generation that will follow Sarai and me will have a Lekh L'kha. A moment when they need to separate from what they once knew, they once believed, they once depended on and go forth into uncharted land. And follow the call Lekh L'kha. Each generation will find different ways to challenge their relationship with God, just as I did, only eventually to find God walking right next to them. That is what I think is happening in this strange place you call America. Just as I am going out in the morning not knowing what my future is going to look like, so are they. Just as I have faith in the future, I have faith in theirs.
If the old structures don’t work, I believe that they will build new ones."

At this point, Avram put his arm around Satan and said, "I know that it is going to be difficult. It is going to take bold and creative leadership. I also know that we will lose some Jews along the way. Change is painful, but they can only go forward, backwards is not an option. Avram looked into Satan’s eyes and said, you know, if my children made it for nearly 4,000 years despite everything, I am not giving up on them just yet, and I don’t think you should either."

"That’s it," Satan said. "Enough!" 

At that moment Satan knew that he had more than met his match. And off he flew back to heaven. He got there just in time to see the sun rise and look down to see an old man and an an old woman take their servants and livestock and begin a journey, to the unheard cheers of the heavenly angels.

Surveying the scene he said something that would serve as prophesy for the Jewish people.

"Maaseh Avot, Siman L’vanim: The actions of the Patriarchs and Matrirachs will be signs for their descendants. Your children’s children will follow their example."

Just then, Satan heard the voice of God crying out:  "Eheyh bracha, be a blessing, be a blessing." 

To this Satan muttered to himself, "Yes they will, and despite my best efforts it looks like their descendants will be a blessing as well."

And so we will.  And so we will!

Lekh L'kha 5774

Walking Away

When my son, Robert, was about 9 or 10, he told me he wanted to be allowed to go to the little store across Belmont by himself.  That meant he would be crossing a major intersection with a traffic light all by himself. I wasn’t ready to let him go, but I did. He returned safe and sound and I got several more grey hairs!

When I read this week’s parasha, Lekh L'kha, I wondered what Avram and Sarai’s parents felt when they were told their children were “getting up and going,” leaving their ancestral home and all they knew. It must have come as a shock and I have to believe those parents were terribly sad, probably knowing, in all likelihood, they would never see their children again.

Many if not all of us have had our own “lekh l'kha” moments in our lives---times when a voice (sometimes an inner voice, perhaps even God’s voice) tells us  it’s time to leave our home and venture out---whether it’s across a busy street, whether it’s off to college, or whether it’s a move to another state or country.  And our parents---or we as parents--- know that it’s time to let go---that a parent’s job is to help their children be independent enough to leave the nest and make their own way in this world.

I hope that Avram and Sarai’s families found comfort in the fact that these two trusted in a power greater than themselves to bring them safely to... somewhere, just as we too hope and pray that our children will be safe and find fulfillment in their journeys.

This parasha brings to mind a beautiful poem by Cecil Day-Lewis, the former poet laureate of the U.K.  Here is the last stanza of the poem, Walking Away.  I offer this to all of you who have ever watched your loved one, no matter what age, walk away from you into their new future.

I have had worse partings, but none that so
Gnaws at my mind still. Perhaps it is roughly
Saying what God alone could perfectly show –
How selfhood begins with a walking away,
And love is proved in the letting go.

Shabbat Shalom,
Debby Lewis

Noah 5774

Noah 5774 

In the age old battle between creationists and evolutionists, literalists and non-literalists over the meaning of the early chapters of the book of Bereisheet (Genesis) the story of Noah and the flood has provided the backdrop for what seems to me to be a useless debate.  Such questions as whether or not there was a real flood, whether or not the many flood stories from the ancient world substantiate the veracity of the Biblical account or undermine it are not in alignment with the real purpose of Torah study.

Jews study Torah to know what God expects of us and what life lessons can be learned from our recollections of our encounters with God.  A lovely example from the wealth of Hasidic teachings based on Parashat Noah claims that the essence of the story of the flood is found in the language used in following verses:

“And God said to Noah: Come into the ark  (bo … el ha-tevah), you and all your household, because I have seen you stand before me as a  righteous person in this generation" (Bereisheet 7:1),

and

"Go forth from the ark (tze min ha-tevah) , you and your  wife and your sons and your sons’ wives with you" (Bereisheet 8:16).

We understand “Come into the ark” and "go forth from the ark" literally as referring to Noah’s first entering the ark and eventually  leaving the physical ark which God commanded him to build in order to  save himself, his family and a remnant of the animals from the flood in order to guarantee the continuity of life on the earth.

But these words may also be interpreted in another way, as Hasidic tradition taught in the name of the Baal Shem Tov:  the ark is not merely a physical vessel such as that which Noah built, but also the spiritual space which we are each of us commanded to construct for ourselves in all our generations, with all our strength and energy.

"It means that when it says ‘Come into the work, you and all your household, Come you and all your household  into the ark... for tevah (ark) also means word.  This implies that a person must delve into the meaning of every word of the words of the Torah and of the prayers with all one’s strength, energy and spiritual dedication." (Iturei Torah, Volume 1, p. 67)

How does one “go into the “tevah”?  Just as Noah did.  We build our own.  The Torah that we learn and live by is the “tevah” that we build with all our strength and energy.

A story is told about an elderly carpenter who was ready to retire to Florida. He told his employer of his plans to leave the house-building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife.  He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by.

The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one  more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials.

It was an unfortunate way to end his career. When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the boss handed the front-door  key to the  carpenter.

"This is your house," he said, "my gift to you."  

Can you imagine his shock and what he must have been thinking! If he had only known he was building his own home, he would have done it all so differently.  Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well.  Whereas if he had realized that every project is a reflection of what one puts into it – the extent to which one sees it as one’s own “teva” and not someone else’s – oh how he would have done it differently.

Our lives are the result of our choices in the past and the choices we continue to make each day.

Culling such a lesson from the story of Noah is the reason that we read this parasha again and again and again.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Matt Futterman

Senior Educator