Masei 5774

Following the rather bloody ending of last week’s portion, Matot, wherein God demands the destruction of the Midianite people, their kings and all (even the foreign prophet, Balak is not spared) for having led the Hebrews into idol worship, we come to a seemingly dry recitation of the many stops our people had to make in their 40 year trek through the wilderness toward the Promised Land: Parshat Mas’ei (Journeys). A trip that might have taken only a few days or weeks at most, is dragged out until the generation of slaves slowly dies out and a generation of free and strong people enter Eretz Yisrael. One can imagine that this was no vacation. It was an arduous and long, meandering trip through an unforgiving wilderness. And yet, we chant this long list of way stations in an almost sing song set of “ta’amey hamikrah” or tropes. Why not reflect the travails of that generation in a reflective plaintive tune?

It possibly is because after this long list, God speaks to Moses and commands him to “Speak unto the children of Israel… when you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan…you shall drive out the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein; for unto you have I given the land to possess it…”
This ordeal by fire has a glorious result: a land in which the Jewish people can be a free nation, not slaves or hangers on…not the wanderers.

It would seem that after more than 2,000 years, after the trials and tragedies of our history, after the Sho’a and the settling of the land that has become an example onto the nations in so many ways, we have yet to fully realize the comforts of a free nation in a world at peace. The Davidic glory days of Israel were not all that long lived. The Romans sent us into exile in the 1st century and it took us a very long time to come back in force to our land.

Living in a miraculous time, 66 years after the establishment of the modern Eretz Yisrael, we cannot make the same mistakes we did so very long ago. A strong and courageous Israel is the only guarantee (if there is such a thing) that our grandchildren will yet swim in Eilat, Tel Aviv, and the Galil in a hundred and two-hundred years.

“Hope in Adonai, be strong and let your heart take courage, and hope in Adonai!”

Shabbat Shalom,
Hazzan Alberto Mizrahi

Metzora 5774

SOUNDS OF FAITH:
Our link to the Eternal

Metzorah, our Parsha this week, is a disease that is said to be afflicted upon one who has slandered a fellow human being or spoken ill of someone. The Torah takes this very seriously. When we examine other texts, Psalm 34 says, "Who is the one desiring life...guard your tongue from evil and your lips from deceit...seek peace and pursue it!" It would seem that if one is careful about the way they speak of fellow human beings, they would certainly be on the road to avoid doing anything that would harm that same being.

We speak as we sing, as we cry and as we pray; using the breath that was breathed into us at birth and taken away at the end. Breath makes SOUND and allows us to join with the harmony of the universe in our quest for our FAITH and belief in the Almighty. I have no doubt that all music, but above all music that is sung, is our spiritual connection to Hashem. The study of Torah being the most important "mitzvah," prayer and the SOUNDS OF FAITH are our closest physical link to the Eternal.

This is what we will present this Sunday, April 6, at 3:00 p.m. in the sanctuary of Anshe Emet Synagogue.  I need not tell you about the plethora of talent from Muezzins chanting their call to prayer to a gospel choir and soloists rocking the House of The Lord! I cannot wait to join this magnificent whirlwind of sounds from the softest hush to the loudest exultation!  I pray you will join us in what will be an S.R.O. concert!


Shabbat Shalom,
Hazzan Alberto Mizrahi

Tzav 5773

TZAV – SHABBAT HAGADOL – TAL

In this week’s Parasha, Tzav, Moshe is told, “Command (Tzav) Aharon and his sons regarding the law of a Burnt-Offering."  The Kohanim were not to eat of this offering, it was to be burnt whole on the Mizbe’ach all night long until it was ashes. There are also many stories about how the ashes were cleaned from the Mizbe’ach but we will leave that for another time.

This is the Shabbat before Pesach, called the Great Sabbath, or Shabbat HaGadol!  We chant a special Haftarah from the book of Malachi, from which most people think is derived the name of the Shabbat itself.  “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great (HaGadol) and awesome day of the Lord.” The parallels to Pesach are quite clear: just as the world was created in the month of Nissan; and the people of Israel were freed of Egyptian slavery in the same month, Nissan; so, too, will they be redeemed of their sins in time to come, in the month of Nissan. As Elijah is the one to announce the coming of our redemption, so Passover tradition calls upon us to open the door for Elijah the prophet to enter and join our Seder. Pesach, representing the redemption of our people from Egypt serves as the great redemption in the time of the Messiah to come.

A curious yet very beautiful prayer is recited once a year, on the first morning of Pesach, at the beginning of the Amidah repetition for Mussaf. It is called TAL, or DEW, a prayer for dew, not in our land but in Eretz Yisrael. Pesach heralds the end of the rainy season in Eretz Yisrael. The coming months are long and very hot and yet, plants grow during this season due to the breezes that bring moisture from the Mediterranean Sea which appear as dew each morning. Without this blessing, all of Israel would be mostly arid. Dew is a symbol of reivival. And so, this prayer speaks of our hope for a rebuilt renewed Jerusalem and Land of Israel; a prayer that has actually been answered after thousands of years.

The musical motifs of Tal bring an almost mystical solemnity to the otherwise celebratory prayers of Pesach. It is traditional for the hazzan or shiliach tzibbur to don a white robe as they would do on the High Holy Days. Dew is no small matter and the prayer for it is taken seriously (as is the prayer “GESHEM’ for rain chanted on Shmini Atzeret in the Fall). We have often had the choir join me for the beautiful setting of Tal by Yossele Rosenblatt. This year, we will be davening in the Malkov Chapel and I will be chanting a special solo setting by my revered teacher, Moshe Ganchoff a”h. I hope to see you in the synagogue during the entire holiday, but I personally invite you to join us for the beautiful and elevating prayer, TAL –

May dew fall upon the blessed land. Fill us with heaven’s finest blessings. May a light come out of the darkness to draw Israel to You as a root finds water from….DEW! 

TAL, TAL, TAL TEIN…LIRTZOT ARTZACH. SHITEYNU BRACHAH, BRACHAH B’DITZACH……………..TAL……TAL……BO T’VAREICH MAZON……B’MASHMANEINU, AL YEHI RAZON

More to come on the first morning of Pesach, Tuesday, March 26 at 9:30 a.m.

Shabbat Shalom,

Hazzan Alberto Mizrahi

Miketz 5773

Hanukkah / Miketz 5773

As a rule we read the Parsha of Miketz on Shabbat Hanukkah. The story is well known. Joseph wrongly accused and thrown in jail. His prophecies to Pharaoh, his appointment as Viceroy and his wisdom in saving Egypt from a long drought by saving the crops of the good years, speak to a miraculous series of events that eventually rejoin Jacob’s family after a twenty-two year absence of the prodigal son that had disappeared and was assumed dead. It is oft quoted that at the darkest part of the year, we increase the light of Torah by lighting an additional candle each of eight evenings of the holiday. The ascendency of Yoseph from an Egyptian prison to becoming the Viceroy of the Pharoah  is paralleled by the Hashmonaim rising up from disturbing conflict within the Jewish community and terrible persecution from the Greeks, to defeating their overwhelming tormentors and rededicating the Holy Temple of Jerusalem during one of the darkest hours of Jewish history. Yes, we speak about the miraculous vial of oil that should have lasted one day but kept the Menorah burning for eight days. But it is more a triumph of faith and sacrifice for one’s belief that brought on the miracle.

In the spirit of light and joy, I ask you to join me and the fabulous jazz group, TRIO GLOBO, in a concert of Hanukkah and Seder songs in the jazz milieu, MATZAH TO MENORAH! As the kickoff for our new CD of the same name, there is nothing like hearing this music live. Jazz is an improvisational art, and ensuing interpretations are rarely the same. We will present the music of our CD plus a short tribute to my dear friend, Dave Brubeck, who died on December 5, one day before his 92nd birthday. Many musical surprises and a Hanukkah sing-along will climax this fun program for the entire family. Adults $36, Students over 17 $18, kids 17 and younger are FREE!

Come celebrate the Bears win over Green Bay, earlier that day, (or come get out of your funk if they lose): Sunday afternoon, December 16, at 4:00 PM.  Let us all exit Hanukkah on high note!

Shabbat Shalom,
Hazzan Alberto Mizrahi

Do We Learn From the Past?

The web weaved by generations of our fore fathers come to fruition for Jacob in this fascinating Parsha. In Vayigash, we see the dangers of favoritism within the family starting with Abraham and Sarah toward Isaac, Rebeccah toward her favorite Jacob and Isaac for Esau, while Jacob, then favors his son with Rachel, Joseph, over all those with Leah and his concubines. Where does this take them and us? It brings on the suffering that is perhaps unavoidable in real life. The Torah may be interpreted in many ways but is certainly not a "fairy-tale ending" sort of document. We would hope to learn through its constant study and perhaps escape the inescapable. But, human nature being what it is, we most likely find that life's complications and sorrows did not begin nor will they end with us. Jacob comes to Egypt and is reunited with his beloved Joseph. Having finally been told the truth of what ensued, all he can feel is relief that he did not cause Joseph's demise when he sent him to meet his brothers in the field. He meets and speaks, seemingly on equal footing, with Pharaoh. He is now resigned to living out his life with some peace while Joseph takes de facto leadership of the family. To his credit, Joseph forgives his brothers and they are promised they will live off the fat of the land. Despite this magnanimity, his first actions toward them in last week's Parsha began with the trickery that seems to be part of the family gene. Nevertheless, "all's well that ends well" and the family settled in Goshen, saved from the famine and with a bright future ahead. We all know what happens in two weeks- Sh'mot! Vayigash, this weeks parsha, and next week's Vayechi paint a somewhat idyllic picture of life in Egypt for the Jews. They have risen to great heights in the government, become quite affluent and seem to be living in peace and comfort within an Egyptian society not generally tolerant of outsiders. It reminds one of our existence in the United States. A short few years, one generation removed from the Holocaust and following many years of difficult anti-semitism throughout the early part of the 20th century even within this most wonderful and tolerant of countries, we take our safety for granted in the knowledge that there is an "Eretz Yisrael," whose strongest ally is the United States, and that we are a vital part of our government and society.  Let us not forget the lessons of the Torah. Diligence, a sense of history, a constant re-examination of the political and societal fabric and ever stronger support for Israel, in every way, may be the way to create a brighter future and avoid the mistakes of our ancient past. Shabbat Shalom and Happy New Year, Hazzan Alberto Mizrahi