Va-Eira: He Appeared
In this Torah portion, G~d summoned Moses to demand that Pharaoh free the Israelites. Moses objected, claiming that his speech impediment would prevent him from being able to articulate this demand. G~d then appointed Aaron, Moses' brother, to be the spokesman. G~d further explained that Pharaoh's heart would harden and the Israelites would not be immediately released.
When Moses and Aaron appeared before Pharaoh, Aaron threw down his rod, which turned into a snake. Pharaoh was not impressed and has his magicians do the same. The next morning, Moses and Aaron went down to the Nile and turned the water into blood. Again, Pharaoh's magicians were able to do the same, so Pharaoh refused to heed Moses' demand to set free the Israelites.
After seven days, G~d told Moses to threaten Pharaoh with a plague of frogs. Aaron stretched out his arms and the land was covered with frogs. Pharaoh's magicians were able to do the same. This time, however, Pharaoh pleaded with Moses to removed the frogs, with the promise that once the frogs were gone, he would release the Israelites. Once the frogs all died, however, Pharaoh changed his mind and refused to let the Israelites leave.
Aaron then was able to summons up a plague of lice. This time, Pharaoh's magicians were not able to replicate this feat. Still Pharaoh refused to let the Israelites go. Moses and Aaron summons a plague of locust, which devour the crops. Pharaoh agrees to release the Israelites if the plague of locust ceases. Once again, however, once the plague is gone, Pharaoh changes his mind. The following day, a plague of pestilence strikes and kills all the livestock of the Egyptians, while the livestock of the Israelites remains healthy. Still, Pharaoh refused to free the Israelites.
Aaron and Moses then threw handfuls of soot into the air, which caused a fine dust to cover the land creating boils on the skin of the Egyptians. Pharaoh still refused to release the Israelites. G~d then has Moses and Aaron release hail upon the land. The stubborn Pharaoh would still not free the Israelites.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
Va-Va'Chi / Genesis 47:28 ~ 50:26
Va-Va'Chi: He Lived.
This Torah portion transitions the stories of Genesis to the Exodus from Egypt. Jacob nears the end of his life and expresses his concern to be buried alongside his ancestors. Joseph takes his sons, Ephraim and Manassah who were born in Egypt, to Joseph. Jacob recognizes Jacob’s sons as his own and declares that they will share a portion of his (Jacob’s) allotment. Thus, Jacob lifted his grandsons to the same level of his genealogical list as his sonw.
Jacob then blessed Ephraim and Manassah, blessing Ephraim, the younger with his right hand and Manassah, the elder with his left hand. This seemed wrong to Joseph, and he tried to correct his father, saying that this would make the younger brother of greater importance. Jacob, however, refused to correct the order of precedence of his grandsons. This is a common motif in Genesis, where the younger supplants the elder.
Jacob blessed Ephraim and Manassah by saying: By you shall the people of Israel give their blessing, saying “May G~d make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.” This blessing is still used today by Jewish parents to their children.
Jacob then gathered all his sons together and gave each a personal blessing. In this blessing, Jacob set the future course for each son and foretells of the twelve tribes of Israel. The blessing has political overtones by giving some sons/tribes a brighter future than others. The blessing of Jacob also expresses his disappointment in some of his sons. The blessings of Reuben, Simeon and Levi, for instance, make it clear that they, although the oldest sons, do not have the prominent place in the family because Reuben slept with Jacob’s concubine and because Simeon and Levi lead the the senseless slaying of the people of Shechem. Judah received Jacob’s blessing to lead the family.
After Jacob’s death, Joseph received Pharaoh’s permission to bury Jacob in the Cave of Machpelah in Canaan, where Abraham and Isaac are buried. This is the burial plot that Abraham had purchased earlier following Sarah’s death. Joseph gathered the family together and they left Egypt for Canaan to bury Jacob, where they observed the traditional mourning period of seven days. After sitting Shiva, the family returned, to Egypt, as Joseph had promised Pharaoh.
Following Jacob’s death, the brothers feared that Joseph would take revenge on them for their treatment of him years earlier. He assured them that he had no such designs. He did ask, however, that following his death, he be brought out of the land of Egypt to be buried alongside his ancestor.
Joseph died at age 110 and was buried in a coffin, as was Egyptian tradition.
This Torah portion transitions the stories of Genesis to the Exodus from Egypt. Jacob nears the end of his life and expresses his concern to be buried alongside his ancestors. Joseph takes his sons, Ephraim and Manassah who were born in Egypt, to Joseph. Jacob recognizes Jacob’s sons as his own and declares that they will share a portion of his (Jacob’s) allotment. Thus, Jacob lifted his grandsons to the same level of his genealogical list as his sonw.
Jacob then blessed Ephraim and Manassah, blessing Ephraim, the younger with his right hand and Manassah, the elder with his left hand. This seemed wrong to Joseph, and he tried to correct his father, saying that this would make the younger brother of greater importance. Jacob, however, refused to correct the order of precedence of his grandsons. This is a common motif in Genesis, where the younger supplants the elder.
Jacob blessed Ephraim and Manassah by saying: By you shall the people of Israel give their blessing, saying “May G~d make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.” This blessing is still used today by Jewish parents to their children.
Jacob then gathered all his sons together and gave each a personal blessing. In this blessing, Jacob set the future course for each son and foretells of the twelve tribes of Israel. The blessing has political overtones by giving some sons/tribes a brighter future than others. The blessing of Jacob also expresses his disappointment in some of his sons. The blessings of Reuben, Simeon and Levi, for instance, make it clear that they, although the oldest sons, do not have the prominent place in the family because Reuben slept with Jacob’s concubine and because Simeon and Levi lead the the senseless slaying of the people of Shechem. Judah received Jacob’s blessing to lead the family.
After Jacob’s death, Joseph received Pharaoh’s permission to bury Jacob in the Cave of Machpelah in Canaan, where Abraham and Isaac are buried. This is the burial plot that Abraham had purchased earlier following Sarah’s death. Joseph gathered the family together and they left Egypt for Canaan to bury Jacob, where they observed the traditional mourning period of seven days. After sitting Shiva, the family returned, to Egypt, as Joseph had promised Pharaoh.
Following Jacob’s death, the brothers feared that Joseph would take revenge on them for their treatment of him years earlier. He assured them that he had no such designs. He did ask, however, that following his death, he be brought out of the land of Egypt to be buried alongside his ancestor.
Joseph died at age 110 and was buried in a coffin, as was Egyptian tradition.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Va-Yeishev / Genesis 37:1 ~ 40:23
Va-Yeishev: He Dwelt.
This Torah portion begins the Joseph story-cycle, which continues through the remainder of Genesis. In the center of this Torah portion are two stories of sexual encounters. One involving Tamar and her father-in-law, Judah, and the other involving Joseph and the wife of Potiphar ~ Joseph's Egyptian master.
The Torah portion begins with the teenaged Joseph tattling to his father about his older brothers. Jacob favors Joseph and gives him a coat of many colors. The other sons become jealous. Jacob, meanwhile, begins to have dreams, and in one, which he shared with his brothers, he is the center of attention and all his brothers bow down to him. The brother plot against Jospeh and want to kill him. Reuben, however, convinces them to merely throw Joseph in a pit, which they do, after stripping him of his coat of many colors. Then, they decide to sell Joseph into slavery to a caravan of traders. The brothers are twenty pieces of silver richer, and Joseph is sent on his way to Egypt, where he is sold to Potiphar.
The brothers take Joseph's coat and smear it with the blood of a goat. They bring the bloody coat to their father, who recognizes it and thinks that Joseph has been killed by wild animals. The brothers to not dissuade Jacob of this belief.
Here there is a brief interlude to follow the story of Judah and Tamar. Judah left his brothers and married a woman who bore him three sons ~ Er, Onan, and Shelah. When the eldest son was ready to marry, Judah found Tamar to be his wife. But Er was wicked and he died. Under the ancient custom of a levirate marriage, Tamar was then married to the second son, Onan. Under this custom, the wife of a deceased, childless man was married to a living brother, so that any sons born of that pair would be considered sons of the deceased man. Onan refused to properly cooperate, and he, too, died. The third son, Shelah, was too young to marry at the time, so Judah tells Tamar to go to her father until Shelah is older. Judah, however, decides not to allow his third son marry Tamar. Tamar, therefore, took it upon herself to rectify the situation.
Tamar discarded her widow's garb and dressed in a provocative manner. When Judah saw her, he mistook her for a prostitute and made her an offer. She asked for his signet ring and his staff. She became pregnant by him. When Judah learned that Tamar was pregnant, he wanted her killed, but she was able to produce his ring and staff, thus, he had to acknowledge that he had been deceived by his behaviour towards her. She later gave birth to twins ~ Perez and Zerah.
Meanwhile, Joseph was doing well in Potiphar's household until Potiphar's wife propositioned him. Joseph refused to take her up on the offer. She then accused him of rape. Potiphar has Joseph thrown into prison. His prison mates included the Pharaoh's chief cupbearer and the chief baker. Each has disturbing dreams, which Joseph interprets. The cupbearer's dream indicates that he will soon be pardoned. The baker's dream, however, is more bleak and foretells his pending execution. Both dreams come true. The cupbearer promises to tell Pharaoh of Joseph's skills, however, once he is freed, he promptly forgets, leaving Joseph in prison.
This Torah portion begins the Joseph story-cycle, which continues through the remainder of Genesis. In the center of this Torah portion are two stories of sexual encounters. One involving Tamar and her father-in-law, Judah, and the other involving Joseph and the wife of Potiphar ~ Joseph's Egyptian master.
The Torah portion begins with the teenaged Joseph tattling to his father about his older brothers. Jacob favors Joseph and gives him a coat of many colors. The other sons become jealous. Jacob, meanwhile, begins to have dreams, and in one, which he shared with his brothers, he is the center of attention and all his brothers bow down to him. The brother plot against Jospeh and want to kill him. Reuben, however, convinces them to merely throw Joseph in a pit, which they do, after stripping him of his coat of many colors. Then, they decide to sell Joseph into slavery to a caravan of traders. The brothers are twenty pieces of silver richer, and Joseph is sent on his way to Egypt, where he is sold to Potiphar.
The brothers take Joseph's coat and smear it with the blood of a goat. They bring the bloody coat to their father, who recognizes it and thinks that Joseph has been killed by wild animals. The brothers to not dissuade Jacob of this belief.
Here there is a brief interlude to follow the story of Judah and Tamar. Judah left his brothers and married a woman who bore him three sons ~ Er, Onan, and Shelah. When the eldest son was ready to marry, Judah found Tamar to be his wife. But Er was wicked and he died. Under the ancient custom of a levirate marriage, Tamar was then married to the second son, Onan. Under this custom, the wife of a deceased, childless man was married to a living brother, so that any sons born of that pair would be considered sons of the deceased man. Onan refused to properly cooperate, and he, too, died. The third son, Shelah, was too young to marry at the time, so Judah tells Tamar to go to her father until Shelah is older. Judah, however, decides not to allow his third son marry Tamar. Tamar, therefore, took it upon herself to rectify the situation.
Tamar discarded her widow's garb and dressed in a provocative manner. When Judah saw her, he mistook her for a prostitute and made her an offer. She asked for his signet ring and his staff. She became pregnant by him. When Judah learned that Tamar was pregnant, he wanted her killed, but she was able to produce his ring and staff, thus, he had to acknowledge that he had been deceived by his behaviour towards her. She later gave birth to twins ~ Perez and Zerah.
Meanwhile, Joseph was doing well in Potiphar's household until Potiphar's wife propositioned him. Joseph refused to take her up on the offer. She then accused him of rape. Potiphar has Joseph thrown into prison. His prison mates included the Pharaoh's chief cupbearer and the chief baker. Each has disturbing dreams, which Joseph interprets. The cupbearer's dream indicates that he will soon be pardoned. The baker's dream, however, is more bleak and foretells his pending execution. Both dreams come true. The cupbearer promises to tell Pharaoh of Joseph's skills, however, once he is freed, he promptly forgets, leaving Joseph in prison.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Va-Yishlach / Genesis 32:4 ~ 36:43
Va-Yishlach: He Sent
There are three major themes in this week's Torah portion: (A) Jacob reunites with his brother, Esau; (B) Dinah and Shechem; and (C) the Family of Jacob.
The Torah portion begins with Jacob preparing to meet his brother. When they were last together, Esau had threatened to kill Jacob, so Jacob was obviously concerned about their meeting. Jacob sent out servants who returned with information that Esau was coming with 400 men. Jacob feared that his brother was coming armed with war, so he divided his group into two camps. In addition, he sent a large selection of animals from his herds as an appeasement gift to Esau.
Before meeting his brother, Jacob spent the night at the River Jabbok where he wrestles with a mysterious being. Jacob's hip is wrenched from its socket. Jacob, however, refuses to let go of this being until he receives a blessing. The being gives Jacob a new name, Israel, saying "you have struggled with G~d and with human beings, and you have prevailed. From this day forward, Jacob had a limp. It is also the reason why the meat of an animal around the sciatic nerve is not eaten.
Jacob and his brother meet in peace. Instead of joining forces, however, Jacob and Esau part ways. Jacob journeys to Shechem where he purchases some property.
Dinah, daughter of Leah and Jacob, visits with the local women. She catches the eye of Shechem, son of Hamor, the local prince. He grabbed her and they had sex. Shechem falls in love with Dinah and wants to marry her. Dinah's brother's react violently. They tell Shechem that he may marry Dinah only if he agrees to become circumcised. Shechem agrees, and all the men of the city are circumcised. While they are recovering from their surgery, Dinah's full brothers, Simeon and Levi conspire to kill all the men of Shechem and capture all the women and children.
When Jacob learns what his sons have done, he is angry. He moves his family to Bethel. Rachel struggles and dies giving birth to Benjamin. Isaac dies at the age of 180 and Esau and Jacob/Israel bury him. The Torah portion ends with the genealogy of Esau.
There are three major themes in this week's Torah portion: (A) Jacob reunites with his brother, Esau; (B) Dinah and Shechem; and (C) the Family of Jacob.
The Torah portion begins with Jacob preparing to meet his brother. When they were last together, Esau had threatened to kill Jacob, so Jacob was obviously concerned about their meeting. Jacob sent out servants who returned with information that Esau was coming with 400 men. Jacob feared that his brother was coming armed with war, so he divided his group into two camps. In addition, he sent a large selection of animals from his herds as an appeasement gift to Esau.
Before meeting his brother, Jacob spent the night at the River Jabbok where he wrestles with a mysterious being. Jacob's hip is wrenched from its socket. Jacob, however, refuses to let go of this being until he receives a blessing. The being gives Jacob a new name, Israel, saying "you have struggled with G~d and with human beings, and you have prevailed. From this day forward, Jacob had a limp. It is also the reason why the meat of an animal around the sciatic nerve is not eaten.
Jacob and his brother meet in peace. Instead of joining forces, however, Jacob and Esau part ways. Jacob journeys to Shechem where he purchases some property.
Dinah, daughter of Leah and Jacob, visits with the local women. She catches the eye of Shechem, son of Hamor, the local prince. He grabbed her and they had sex. Shechem falls in love with Dinah and wants to marry her. Dinah's brother's react violently. They tell Shechem that he may marry Dinah only if he agrees to become circumcised. Shechem agrees, and all the men of the city are circumcised. While they are recovering from their surgery, Dinah's full brothers, Simeon and Levi conspire to kill all the men of Shechem and capture all the women and children.
When Jacob learns what his sons have done, he is angry. He moves his family to Bethel. Rachel struggles and dies giving birth to Benjamin. Isaac dies at the age of 180 and Esau and Jacob/Israel bury him. The Torah portion ends with the genealogy of Esau.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Interfaith Dialogue
I was recently invited to be one of the speakers at an Interfaith dinner, organized by a Turkish Muslim organization. The topic of the dinner was Dialogue Civilizations, which is a rather daunting theme. Below are some excerpts from my talk.
Dialogue among Civilizations
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defins "Dialogue" as:
a. A conversation between two or more persons;
b. An exchange of ideas and opinions;
c. A discussion between representatives of parties to a conflict that is aimed at resolution.
For our purposes tonight, we are talking of an exchange of ideas and opinions.
Dialogue is not about winning an argument or changing one’s own beliefs; It is about communicating and listening.
Interfaith dialogue is very important, but we must also bear in mind that the very nature of religion is both a source of conflict and a way to resolve conflict. That is why communicating and listening are such vital parts of the dialogue.
Interfaith Dialogue has many aspects. On a personal level, it can strengthen one’s own faith because it forces one to examine one’s own belief system. In addition, it exposes one to a new or different way of viewing G~d. On a more global level, interfaith dialogue has the ability to affirm the beliefs of both sides by discussing shared beliefs and differences. Such dialogue strengthens the faith communities when they ally with each other.
In order for true Dialogue to work, the parties must be honest with each other. Trust is a critical element of the dialogue. This means not only talking about our commonalities, but also about our differences. Sometimes these differences are things that make us uncomfortable. Misperceptions, dangers and concerns facing Jews and Muslims in America must be addressed. Anti-Semitism must be discussed. Terrorism must be addressed. This is where trust comes in.
Following the Inquisitions, many Jews settled in Turkey. Turkey welcomed the Jews and they were accepted into the community. Jews have generally felt welcome in Turkey ever since. Thus, the rise of anti-Semitism in Turkey in recent months is of concern to American Jews. This is a topic that needs to be discussed.
Sometimes interfaith dialogue can be exhibited through actions. My husband and I were honored with a trip to Turkey a few years ago. Our group included, among others, a cantor and a Catholic priest. One of the things that really sticks out in my mind was our visit to the city where there was a Church, a Mosque, and a Synagogue all in a circle. We entered each house of worship. In the synagogue the cantor sang a Jewish prayer. In the church, the priest recited a prayer, and in the Mosque, we heard the call to prayer. We later visited the city of Ur, where Abraham began his journey. Although Abraham’s story is somewhat different in the Islamic tradition, than it is in the Judeo-Christian tradition, all recognized Abraham as linking the three religions. These experiences enhanced our understanding of each other’s faiths.
Another example of dialogue through actions is the Hadassah Medical Organization in Jerusalem. The Hadassah hospitals are the leading research centers in Israel, specializing in trauma medicine, for obvious reasons. The hospitals have treated literally millions of patients from around the world regardless of race, religion or nationality. In addition, Jewish and non-Jewish doctors and nurses work side-by-side in treating patients. For this reason, the Hadassah Medical Organization was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005.
Judaism has a concept of Tikkun Olam, which literally means “repair the world.” The modern interpretation of Tikkun Olam involves doing work to improve society. The term indicates one should do perform an act, not because it is required by Biblical law, but because it helps others. In other words, it is our responsibility as humans to repair the is wrong in the world. Engaging in positive interfaith dialogue exemplifies this concept of Tikkun olam.
Also, just sitting down with each other, as we are doing this evening, sends a powerful message to the community-at-large. We have many people of many faiths gather here tonight. While we may all have the same goals in wanting to open dialogue, we are also letting the community know that we are here and willing to come together.
In closing, I would like to leave you with a quote from Hillel, an important Jewish scholar from the Rabbinic age. He lived around the time of Jesus, from approximately 110 BCE to 10 CE: If I am not for myself, who will be for me? / If I am not for others, what am I? / If not now, when?
Now is the time for our dialogue.
© Smolinsky, 2010
Dialogue among Civilizations
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defins "Dialogue" as:
a. A conversation between two or more persons;
b. An exchange of ideas and opinions;
c. A discussion between representatives of parties to a conflict that is aimed at resolution.
For our purposes tonight, we are talking of an exchange of ideas and opinions.
Dialogue is not about winning an argument or changing one’s own beliefs; It is about communicating and listening.
Interfaith dialogue is very important, but we must also bear in mind that the very nature of religion is both a source of conflict and a way to resolve conflict. That is why communicating and listening are such vital parts of the dialogue.
Interfaith Dialogue has many aspects. On a personal level, it can strengthen one’s own faith because it forces one to examine one’s own belief system. In addition, it exposes one to a new or different way of viewing G~d. On a more global level, interfaith dialogue has the ability to affirm the beliefs of both sides by discussing shared beliefs and differences. Such dialogue strengthens the faith communities when they ally with each other.
In order for true Dialogue to work, the parties must be honest with each other. Trust is a critical element of the dialogue. This means not only talking about our commonalities, but also about our differences. Sometimes these differences are things that make us uncomfortable. Misperceptions, dangers and concerns facing Jews and Muslims in America must be addressed. Anti-Semitism must be discussed. Terrorism must be addressed. This is where trust comes in.
Following the Inquisitions, many Jews settled in Turkey. Turkey welcomed the Jews and they were accepted into the community. Jews have generally felt welcome in Turkey ever since. Thus, the rise of anti-Semitism in Turkey in recent months is of concern to American Jews. This is a topic that needs to be discussed.
Sometimes interfaith dialogue can be exhibited through actions. My husband and I were honored with a trip to Turkey a few years ago. Our group included, among others, a cantor and a Catholic priest. One of the things that really sticks out in my mind was our visit to the city where there was a Church, a Mosque, and a Synagogue all in a circle. We entered each house of worship. In the synagogue the cantor sang a Jewish prayer. In the church, the priest recited a prayer, and in the Mosque, we heard the call to prayer. We later visited the city of Ur, where Abraham began his journey. Although Abraham’s story is somewhat different in the Islamic tradition, than it is in the Judeo-Christian tradition, all recognized Abraham as linking the three religions. These experiences enhanced our understanding of each other’s faiths.
Another example of dialogue through actions is the Hadassah Medical Organization in Jerusalem. The Hadassah hospitals are the leading research centers in Israel, specializing in trauma medicine, for obvious reasons. The hospitals have treated literally millions of patients from around the world regardless of race, religion or nationality. In addition, Jewish and non-Jewish doctors and nurses work side-by-side in treating patients. For this reason, the Hadassah Medical Organization was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005.
Judaism has a concept of Tikkun Olam, which literally means “repair the world.” The modern interpretation of Tikkun Olam involves doing work to improve society. The term indicates one should do perform an act, not because it is required by Biblical law, but because it helps others. In other words, it is our responsibility as humans to repair the is wrong in the world. Engaging in positive interfaith dialogue exemplifies this concept of Tikkun olam.
Also, just sitting down with each other, as we are doing this evening, sends a powerful message to the community-at-large. We have many people of many faiths gather here tonight. While we may all have the same goals in wanting to open dialogue, we are also letting the community know that we are here and willing to come together.
In closing, I would like to leave you with a quote from Hillel, an important Jewish scholar from the Rabbinic age. He lived around the time of Jesus, from approximately 110 BCE to 10 CE: If I am not for myself, who will be for me? / If I am not for others, what am I? / If not now, when?
Now is the time for our dialogue.
© Smolinsky, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
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