Who’s on First? – Parshat Naso 5772

Eve PosenLeave a comment

In the famous Abbott and Costello routine, hysterics ensue when the name of the first baseman is “Who,” confusing the question word with a proper noun.  Similarly, it can sound like a comedy routine the first time we learn that in Hebrew, me means who, hu means he, and he means she.  Without knowing the specifics of the context, it’s difficult to understand what is going on.  Just as in speech, we will often use context cues to understand a situation in our texts.
This week we read parshat Naso, the second portion in sefer Bamidbar.  The narrative picks up with a second counting of the people; laws about how we are to treat one another and the property that we own; the blessing of the priests to the people; and the laws of the Nazir, detailing how we might dedicate ourselves directly to God.  Among these laws is the notion of connection to a community, to God, and to the greater “people.” 
The text begins with God speaking to Moshe, telling him to take another counting of the people.  Chapter 4, verse 22 reads, “Take also a census of the sons of Gershon, throughout the houses of their fathers, by their families.”  The English translation seems easily understood, but the Hebrew leaves an opening for interpretation.  It begins with the word נשא, which can mean to lift, take, carry, marry, forgive, or suffer.  Given the context – and perhaps even knowledge of grammatical rules – the reader is easily able to intuit which meaning of the root is intended. 
Especially with a root like this, you have to pay careful attention to the use in order to understand a text, and, at the same time, we can see how each meaning of this root must be related.  Reading this verse, we understand that the census which is taken so often is intended to announce how many people are a part of each tribe and thus the nation. 
We also have the responsibility to lift up one another in our relationships and as members of our communities.  As a part of the Levine Academy community this year, we have raised each other up with our learning, our friendships, and our commitment or “marriage” to the notion that we must say Hineini, I am here.  Students said Hineini when they recognized the suffering of others and worked towards supporting one another with the Berry Family bracelet initiative and Dollars for Denim.  Over 75 families participated in our Kindle the Spark learning community and Daven and Donuts, lifting up our voices in prayer and our souls with learning.  We have stood up and been counted as we helped transform our school into “No Place for Hate” and helped to lift the burden of hunger during our Rosh Hodesh food drives. 
This week, the final week of school during the 2011-12 school year, we read parshat Naso, and we are reminded that as a community we can look back not only on our fabulous programs, but on how we’ve lifted each other up, carried each other through good times and bad, and found ourselves fulfilled and blessed to be a part of our special place.  While words can sometimes have more than one meaning, our actions and learning this year have moved us deeper into our relationship with one another and lifted up our school to a holy community.  May we move forward from strength to strength and come together again to learn and grow.

Center of Attention – Parshat Bamidbar 5772

Eve PosenLeave a comment

As a kid I remember the long road to my summer camp.  As soon as the bus turned onto that dirt road, we would start to sing the camp song.  “We are on the road, to anywhere, never heart ache, never care…”  And we knew we had made it when we looked out the window of the bus and there, right in the center of camp, stood the main flagpole.  It was the first thing that caught your eye on the way in and the last image you had of camp on your way out.  This was the center of the camp.  Now, think about your home.  When you walk in, what is your eye immediately drawn to?  A family picture?  The television?  A mirror or wall hanging?
This week we begin reading sefer Bamidbar, the fourth book of the Torah.  Sefer Bamidbar begins with a census of the people and tells us more intimate details about the daily life of the Israelites as they camped out in the desert.  Specifically in parshat Bamidbar we learn not only of the number of Israelites in the camp (603,550) but also of the main setup of the camp.  Earlier in the Torah inparshat Yitro, we learn that the Israelites camped around Mount Sinai and the mountain that God had chosen was the center of their camp.  In the middle of the camp is the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, where the stone tablets with the 10 Commandments are kept and where God dwells.
Placing these tablets at the center of camp meant that it was the first part of camp seen as one entered and the final object one saw when leaving.  The Mishkan was the heart and soul of the camp, the central meeting spot.  And the rest of the Israelites’ camp was set up based on how it related to the placement of the Mishkan. 
The tablets contained the basic guidelines for living in the community.  Each person understood the central rules and regulations, what their role was, and what they needed to give in order for the community to be sustained.  The model put forth in our parshah teaches us that the Torah is the center of our community and also the center of our souls.  This model urges us to live with a focus on Torah, on actions that bring forth a greater good.
As this Shabbat ends we will begin Shavuot, the festival where we stay up all night learning in preparation for receiving the Torah.  We have the opportunity to open our hearts and receive the Torah this year as we do every year, but perhaps this year there’s more we can do to make the values of Torah the center of what we do.  Think about a year in which the first thing and last thing we think about each day are the values that make our families and our community better.
ללמוד  To Learn: ללמד To Teach: לשמור  To Keep  לעשות  To Do:  The Torah teaches us that as we prepare for a new adventure or new learning, we must first take stock in ourselves, a census of our values, goals and needs.  Only then are we of a free mind and clear heart to move forward with the best possible outcome.  Shavuot is the perfect time to renew your learning and take stock in yourself.  Use this long weekend to reflect on what you hope to gain as you receive new learning.

The 50 Year Itch – Parshat Behar Behukotai 5772

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It seems like the campaigning starts earlier and earlier with every election. As soon as a politician is voted into office, the reelection campaign starts. This may be a sign of our 24/7 media access, an obsession with the power struggle, or simply the evolution of politics.  Although the era of the constant campaign doesn’t seem to help the ever more partisan landscape, it’s also reassuring to be reminded that no one person will have all the authority indefinitely.
For all its blemishes, the real beauty of a democratic society is that our country never really belongs to one person, and it’s never managed by the same person for more than eight years. It’s our built-in level that helps to restore balance.
This week we read a double portion, Behar-Behukotai, which focuses primarily on the laws of agriculture and land.  What makes this section of text unique is that it takes the notion of land ownership and farming and uses that to create a society in which no one group holds complete power forever.  We read about the 50-year land ownership cycle in which we are required to allow the land to rest every 7th year.  In the 50th year of the cycle, all land returns to its original owner.  Imagine a farmer who comes across bad times because of a draught or poor crop.  In order to sustain his family, he might sell off parts of his farm acre by acre.  After 10 years, he might have nothing left, and he might be evicted or have to find another way to make a living.  According to our Torah laws, in the 50th year, this farmer would receive back all his land and become his own landlord again. 
This law seeks to ensure that the circumstances of today do not completely limit your potential in future years.  They level the playing field and account for both good and bad times.  These laws also remind us that we are not the ultimate owners of our land, property, or destiny.  Rather, God is the ultimate creator.  The restoration of land to its original owner and the opportunity to start over serves to awaken our spiritual sense of unity in our community.  Ultimately, we may help someone out by purchasing their land to help them make ends meet, and we may still have to work harder to get where we want, but this week the Torah reminds us that our lot in life is up to us to figure out. 
What is the leveler in your life?  What gets you back on track?  Is it time with your family?   Prayer?  A good night’s sleep?  Find these moments and take advantage of them.  Hard times will come your way, that’s a given, but it’s up to you how you handle them.  You can let an unfortunate situation consume you or you can remember that life is a cycle, and pretty soon it will be time to elect a new attitude.
ללמוד  To Learn: ללמד To Teach: לשמור  To Keep  לעשות  To Do:  Take a rest.  Allow yourself one day out of every 7 to relax.  If we only rest once every seven years like the land, we will be over worked and unable to truly enjoy all that God has created for us.  By taking on this day of rest you will be better able to engage in the world around you.

Poker Face – Parshat Emor 5772

Eve PosenLeave a comment

As a new rabbi, I am always looking for areas where I can improve my performance.  I often reflect, thinking about what I might do differently the next time I teach a lesson, give a d’var Torah, or offer advice.  One thing I’ve been working on is my poker face.  You might wonder why a rabbi would need a poker face. You see, I wear my heart on my sleeve, and my emotions often give me away.  But in rabbinical school, we were instructed to keep our emotions in check.  Who wants to see the rabbi cry at the wedding she’s officiating?  The problem is that for someone who tears up at Folgers commercials, keeping a straight face isn’t always easy.  When I am in a fantastic mood, my face lights up, and when I’m worried, it doesn’t take a mind reader to see it in my eyes.  So the question is where is the middle ground and what does the Torah have to say about public displays?
This week we read parshat Emor, which reminds us about the laws for purification of the priests, the holidays we are to celebrate throughout the year, and the ways in which we are to treat one another and animals.   The majority of these rituals are meant to be done in public, with the entire community a part of them.  To this day, we do not say the Barchu or mourner’s kaddish while praying alone because there is a certain power in experiencing these moments with a community.
Chapter 22, verses 31-32 teaches “Therefore shall you keep my commandments, and do them; I am the Lord. Neither shall you profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the people of Israel; I am the Lord who hallows you.”  These verses come at the end of a long section about how we should treat one another and live our lives.  Late 19th and early 20th century commentator David Tzvi Hoffman suggests that the public performance of a mitzvah not only benefits the one who performs it, but also affects those who see it.  Our actions model for others what appropriate behavior is and have the power to send positive or negative feelings towards others.
The sages teach in the Talmud that there is no greater achievement for a Jew than acting in a way that causes others to praise and respect the God of Israel and the ways of Torah.  Think about this the next time you hear someone saying mourner’s kaddish.  Consider the anger, the sadness, the loss that this person is feeling and the faith it takes to stand up and praise God.  When my father died four weeks to the day after my grandfather, saying kaddish was terribly painful.  At one moment I was a part of the congregation, and the next, their voices were all silent while I said those words to honor my father.  While my pain couldn’t be hidden, I also know that being a part of the community helped me to heal, and perhaps that public act helped in some way to strengthen someone else’s faith.
Sometimes a poker face is appropriate, and as a rabbi it can come in handy.  But remember that faith isn’t about hiding your emotions or pushing them away.  Faith is the recognition that there is holiness in every emotion and in every moment.
ללמוד  To Learn: ללמד  To Teach: לשמור  To Keep:  לעשות  To Do:  Parshat Emor details the laws of our holidays and the behaviors of our leaders.  The mitzvot about our Holidays lays out for us the value of time, the small moments and actions that when noticed can change the course of our days and years.  As we continue to count the Omer, these 7 weeks between Pesach and Shavuot, become aware of the value of each day.  Are you counting up to something, like we do for the Omer? Or are you counting down, away from the starting point?  Do you count the day when you’re finished with it, or when it just begins? 
Check out this wonderful website with a unique take on our parshah:http://midrashmanicures.com/

A Fine Line – Parshat Acharei Mot-Kedoshim 5772

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As any parent or pet owner can attest, objects of temptation must be kept out of reach and probably out of sight as well.  When there is something we want and know we can’t have, there is often a greater sense of temptation to see how close we can get without getting caught or hurt.  A child might enjoy looking at the flame of a candle, but a few inches can mean the difference between enjoyment and a burned hand.  A child and a dog might have fun playing together, but one too many pulls on the dog’s tail can easily result in a scratch or bite. The question is do our relationships have similar boundaries and what are they?
This week we read a double parshah, Acharei Mot-Kedoshim.  Parshat Acharei Mot deals with what happens after Aaron’s sons have offered up strange fire to God and with forbidden relationships between human beings.  The structure of this section of text pushes us to look at our relationships with both God and others and see the boundaries and intimacies of each relationship.  Parshat Kedoshim deals with what is known as the “Holiness Code” that helps us to understand how we can walk in God’s ways and create a community of relationship and understanding.
Chapter 16, verse 1 of Vayikra states “And God spoke to Moshe, after the death of Aaron’s two sons, who came too close to the presence of God, and died.”  We learn earlier in the text that there are boundaries to how close the general public, and even the priests, are allowed to come to God.  There are boundaries and borders around Mount Sinai when God dwells there, and even Moshe never sees God face to face.  Nadav and Avihu, two of Aaron’s sons, are intrigued by the presence of God, and when it came time to make offerings, they overstepped the boundaries and were burned, literally. 
This text begs us to ask, what does it mean to be too close to God?  We know that we are not supposed to make idols or use God’s name in undesirable ways.  We’ve learned that we are created in God’s image, betzelem Elohim, which suggests that in certain ways, God is actually inside each of us.  Perhaps when we look at this story of Nadav and Avihu, it is a reminder that we can’t push boundaries or limits too far.  As we strive towards connection with the Divine, with our heritage, spirituality and religion, we must also remember that pushing too hard or too fast might lead to a spiritual death instead of spiritual growth.  Just as building our relationships with others takes time, energy and effort, so too building our relationship with God requires patience, humility and introspection. 
As we read the words of our Torah this week, let us continue to build our relationships with the Divine and with one another, but let us understand the small and steady steps necessary to ensure positive future growth.
ללמוד  To Learn: ללמד  To Teach: לשמור  To Keep:  לעשות  To Do:  Chapter 19 of sefer Vayikra, the book of Leviticus details the laws of how we are to deal with one another.  Read through thesemitzvot and challenge yourself and/or your family to pick one to focus on for the coming week.  See how this changes the way you view others, yourself and the world around you.