Emor 5775

In this week’s parasha, Emor, we read a verse that is critical in both ancient and modern Jewish discourse (Lev. 22: 32):

וְלֹא תְחַלְּלוּ, אֶת-שֵׁם קָדְשִׁי, וְנִקְדַּשְׁתִּי, בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל  אֲנִי יְהוָה, מְקַדִּשְׁכֶם

“Do not profane My holy name, that I may be sanctified in the midst of the Israelites, I the Lord who sanctify you.”

Beginning in the late Second Temple period, Israel battled the Seleucid Greeks and Antiochus IV, and later the Roman Empire, both of whom sought to outlaw Jewish practice.  Rabbi Jonathan Sacks identifies that this is the first time that martyrdom became a significant feature in Jewish life. The question arose: under what circumstances were Jews to sacrifice their lives rather than transgress Jewish law?

While Jewish tradition affirms that saving a life takes precedence over most of the mitzvot, and that the preservation of life supercedes almost anything, Judaism simultaneously holds sacred the lives of Jews who have been murdered by virtue of the fact that they are simply Jewish. We remember all of our brothers and sisters who have given their lives under this overarching category of Kiddush hashem, of sanctifying God’s name, as found in this week’s Torah portion.

Rabbi Sacks explains that central to Jewish self-definition is the notion that while God is the God of all humanity, that God has chosen Israel to be God’s witnesses, God’s ambassadors, to the world. When we fulfill this role, we are sanctifying God’s name.

We at Anshe Emet are honored to host the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, as we fulfill this command of sanctifying God’s name as being witnesses to one of the greatest tragedies in world history. Next week, you can join us for a riveting presentation by Dr. Wendy Lower entitled Some were Wives, Some were Mothers. Dr. Lower, a former Museum fellow, will speak about the research from her chilling book on the role of female perpetrators during the Holocaust.

I hope that you will join Michelle and Glenn Holland, our co-hosts, as we fulfill this week’s parasha’s affirmation to stand as God’s witnesses in our world.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi David Russo

Emor 5775

A New Pair of Spectacles for the Guide for the Perplexed

The expressive nature of the Hebrew language is revealed in its sound, its cadence and in the remarkable connection between words.  Because Hebrew words are constructed from three (3) letter roots there is an interconnectedness between a vast array of words.  Consider the word for eyeglasses: "Mishkafayim".  The same root word is used to form "Hashkafat Olam": world view.  The internal lesson is that our "Hashkafat Olam", world view, is a form of spectacles through which we view the world.

I was reminded of this notion of spectacles and worldview while reading the opening verses of our Torah reading this week.  In Parshat Emor the Torah offers us an in depth look at the reality of the Priesthood.  Who can offer a sacrifice, who amongst the Priesthood can participate in the holy rites of the Mishkan and who may not.  The list of those forbidden  to partake and the causes are disturbing to the modern ear.  Physical challenges render Kohanim unfit for duty in the most important rituals.  While we can attempt explanations the fact is that the entire system of sacrifices, of ritual purity and impurity appear so foreign for the vast majority of the Jewish community, as well as a God who demands such worship appear difficult and foreign to a significant number of Jews in the world today.

What are the proper "Mishkapfayim" to view such passages in order to gain a perspective that speaks in a meaningful way to those who live in a different world than that of the Torah.  One person who understood this dilemma was Rambam.  Amongst Moses Maimonides' writings was an extraordinary book entitled “The Guide for the Perplexed” in which he offers a bold, rational and thoughtful approach to an array of some of the greatest Jewish philosophic and theological issues of his day.  The problem is that the "Moreh Nevuchim" proves too difficult for most readers to penetrate.  It does not help that at times Maimonides writes in code to his reader.  One would do well to have a pair of Jewish "Mishkafayim" in order to gain some understanding of The Guide for the Perplexed!

Recently, Micah Goodman published a book to address this exact issue entitled: “Maimonides and the Book that Changed Judaism: Secrets of the Guide for the Perplexed”.  As a precocious young boy Micah Goodman began reading the guide and set about mastering its contents.  He fully appreciated its importance and relevance for Jews living today and so he wrote a book for the modern Jew.  The book became an immediate best seller in Israel with secular and religious Jews alike.  The book has now been translated into English and it is a remarkable accomplishment.  

I am so pleased that Micah Goodman will be our scholar in residence this Shabbat.  Please join us on Friday night at 8:00 pm when he speaks about his book, or on Shabbat morning when his topic will be "The Judaism of the New Israel".  At 1:30 pm I will be joined by Rabbi Shoshana Conover and Rabbi David Wolkenfeld as we respond to his thinking on Jewish leadership.  During my studies at the Shalom Hartman Institute I have had the privilege of studying with Micah and can tell you with a true sense of surety that he has offered me a new "Haskafah", perspective,  on whatever he has taught.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Michael Siegel

Emor 5774

Emor 5774

In this week’s parasha, Emor, we read a phrase that seems to be commonplace in the Torah (Lev. 24:22):

מִשְׁפַּט אֶחָד יִהְיֶה לָכֶם, כַּגֵּר כָּאֶזְרָח יִהְיֶה:  כִּי אֲנִי ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם.

You shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger and the home-born, for I am the Lord your God.

While many of us are used to this phrase that appears at the end of the verse “I am the Lord your God”, we often wonder, why do these words keep repeating themselves? We know that God is commanding us to do this!

Rashi asks this question on this verse, and responds:

)כב) אני ה' אלוהיכם - אלוהי כולכם, כשם שאני מיחד שמי עליכם כך אני מייחד שמי על הגרים:

Rashi explains, that when the Torah says, “I am the Lord your God” in this verse, he is proclaiming that he is the God for every person. That just as God’s name is unique for the Israelites, so too is God’s name reserved for gerim, for the stranger in our midst. I would suggest that just as we become used to this refrain, “I am the Lord your God”, Rashi encourages to look deeper into the words, and seek out equality for every person in our community, because that is how God wants God’s presence to be made manifest in our world.

With this week’s parasha in mind, I would like to invite you to join me at ONE Northside’s first inaugural convention, which we are hosting at Anshe Emet. On Sunday, May 4^th, from 2:30 - 4:00 p.m., we will be hosting a full house of 1,200 people to celebrate what ONE Northside has already accomplished – preserving people’s rights to housing, supporting those with mental health issues in our community, and helping to resolve major issues of violence in our neighborhoods. We will be upholding this biblical imperative of ensuring that civil rights are provided equally – for the Jewish community, the resident, and the stranger in our midst.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi David Russo

Emor 5773

The Long View

The festival calendar – a start to finish list of all the Biblical holidays – features prominently in this week’s parshah, Emor.  Beginning with Pesach, because the Torah keeps time based around the Exodus, our Torah portion lists the date and key observances of each festival in turn.

At the same time, the Torah also presents us with the dates and rituals of the festivals in other places.  For example, parashat Bo, in the book of Exodus, gives the date of Passover and details how we should celebrate that festival.  So why would the Torah, which is otherwise sparing in its language, include a second listing of the holidays?

While it is true that Emor’s festival calendar gives the dates and practices for each holiday, the ultimate message of this parshah goes beyond the practicalities.  By drawing all of the festivals together and presenting them in chronological order, the Torah calls our attention to the bigger picture.  Yes, each festival has its own meaning and character; but all of them, taken together, also form a larger picture, one that reveals the underlying purpose of human existence.

The Torah’s calendar begins in Nisan, with Pesach.  Consequently, our festivals take us on a journey from slavery to liberation (Pesach); from wandering in the desert to settling in our homeland (Shavuot); to an acceptance of God as the Master of all things and acceptance of personal responsibility for our choices (Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur); and finally reflecting on the overall course of our journey, recognizing the distance we have traveled from slavery in Egypt to complete freedom (Sukkot).  In this way, parashat Emor asks us to take the long view, to see that the Jewish calendar’s parts add up to an even greater whole.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Abe Friedman