Numbers

Last week we began reading the Book of Numbers. We’ll be reading this 4th book of the Torah well into the summer. The book is called Numbers for obvious reasons… It is full of numbers – ages, dates, and most importantly grand censuses.

All these numbers got me thinking… I found some interesting information regarding the number of Israelites who left the land of Egypt. According to the first chapter of Numbers, the total census of men over the age of 20 totaled 603,550. If we factor in their families we’re at a number north of 2 million. That’s a lot of Jews!

A few years ago it seems that the U.S. Army Quartermaster did some calculations. He reported that it would have taken 1500 tons of food per day to feed all those people. Of course they had manna, so they didn’t have to worry. But if they needed to have the food brought in, it would have required a train 2 miles long! That many people would also need 11 million gallons of water daily.

And when they got to the Red Sea, if the sea were split just wide enough for them to cross through 2 at a time, it would have left them with a line 800 miles long and taken 35 days for all to make it across. Therefore, they needed a swath 3 miles wide to get the people walking 5000 abreast through the Red Sea so that they could accomplish the whole task overnight. And when they got to the other side and set up camp, it would have taken up an area of 750 sq. miles!

All of these numbers prompted the commentators in our Etz Haym Humash to write, “These figures presuppose a population of more that 2 million supporting itself for more than 40 years in the Sinai Peninsula. The numbers are impossibly large.” (p.773)

I love the Etz Hayim commentary. It’s a tremendous asset for our congregation. But I think this comment is short sighted. My guess is that 200 years from now, people will say what Holocaust revisionists are saying now: 6 million Jews were murdered in 6 years?! The numbers are “impossibly large”! Except that they are true. And who could believe that in 50 years a couple of thousand Jews in Israel would lead to an ingathering of nearly 7 million Jews in Israel? Those numbers could look “impossibly large”, too.

But the point is that if we believe the language of our prayers, then we believe that with Gd all things are possible. Gd can and has made miracles on a grand scale. That's what we celebrate at Pesach. And if grand miracles can happen for our people, then little miracles can and do happen for individuals all the time.

Haircut for a Cause

Here’s a chance to get a hair cut for a cause. A friend of mine, Mia Harris-Belliard (who happens to also cut my hair) is holding a “cut-a-thon” to benefit CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates of Camden County) at her salon on June 4th. Mia is an amazing person; a young, female entrepreneur of deep religious conviction. I first met her years ago when she had a place in the Cherry Hill Mall, and now she has her own spa called Belliard’s, next to the Commerce Bank at what used to be the Race Track Circle (70 & Haddonfield Rd.) - #8 Grove St.

CASA is an independent, non-profit organization committed for advocating for the best interest of abused and neglected children in out-of-home placement by the NJ Family Court. CASA trains volunteers who undergo a 30-hour course and then CASA supervises them as they advocate form some of the 700 abused and neglected kids in Camden Co. These children could have been sexually abused, not fed, tormented, physically and emotionally abused, or simply left to fend for themselves. CASA helps to keep them from getting lost in the system once they are taken from their homes.

Mia is going to donate ALL the proceeds of the day to CASA. Unfortunately, I found out about this event today when I was in for my post-La’g B’Omer clip, and I don’t have any more hair to give. (I didn't have that much to begin with!) But I can tell you that for $35 you’ll get the royal treatment! They really know how to make you relax! Men and Women.

Call Belliard’s at (856) 665-9323 for an appt. If you need a good cut/styling anyhow, why not add some tzedakah to the endeavor.

The Seal of Truth

“It is impossible for a man to be cheated by anyone but himself.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Last Shabbat I gave a sermon about telling the truth. I’ll send it out tomorrow to those on my list, and others will soon find it on the website.

Here is an interesting source I did not use: The Talmud teaches that “the seal of Gd is Truth.” Once upon a time, letters were sealed with wax. The seal meant that the person who wrote the letter approved of its contents. The seal therefore had to have some distinguishing characteristics. Well, Gd’s seal is the truth. When people tell the truth, especially when telling the truth costs them something, then Gd’s presence is felt.

This is a Jewish teaching that the world needs now more than ever. A front-page story in the Inquirer this week (Mon. 5/22) pointed out how lying can really be a rational response. In a society that values only winners (remember the Nike Olympic ad – “You don’t win the silver – you lose the gold!”), cheaters have very good incentive to do what it takes to come out on top AND feel good about it.

That’s why Judaism has to give us another perspective – the perspective of the Master of the Universe. From Gd’s perspective, it is integrity that counts. That’s why we value our Jewish education so much. It flies in the face of popular culture. Lying, cheating and deception tear away at the fiber of the soul. It does damage inside even when we do not feel it. Study reenforces faith - in our Gd and in ourselves.

As I say in the sermon, lying is an affront to Gd. Pretending to be someone we are not is essentially saying to Gd – “No, You’ve got it wrong. I am not who You said I am. I’ll pretend to be someone else and no one will know the difference.” But you will. That’s why, of all the commandments in the Torah, the only thing we are told to stay as far away from as possible is lying. It distances us from Gd, from our family and ultimately from ourselves.

Expect More, Get More

It was a proud moment for Beth El. With so many people from so many corners shrying “gevalt” about the state of Jewish education and our children’s dedication to Jewish learning, this morning’s minyan was a bright ray of hope for the future.

For the first time in the 12 years that I have been at Beth El, two of our b’nai mitzvah students led the morning services. Matt Schwartz (Josh and Robin), who will become a bar mitzvah this Sunday (Rosh Chodesh), led all of the davening – and quite well I might add. And Eliana Goodman (Barb and Dave), who will become a bat mitzvah this Shabbat morning read the Torah flawlessly.

To what do I attribute the success of this beautiful morning? To my mind it is simple: Parents who set very high expectations of their children when it comes to Jewish learning. But it was not just the high bar they set for their kids. It was their willingness to sit, night after night with their children reinforcing what they were learning. These are two sets of parents who were willing, in so many words, to say to their kids, “What you are learning now is SO important. In fact it is as important was what you are learning in school. And if you were having trouble in math I would sit with you and review. If you needed encouragement in American History, I would be there with you, night after night, as long as it took. And when it comes to developing your Jewish soul, know that I will be there for you forever, so let’s get busy.”

If every Jewish parent was as concerned with their child’s Jewish soul, their relationship to Gd, to Jewish values, to Jewish tradition, as they are with the secular material their children will soon forget, the light of future generations of Jews would burn even brighter.

Parents who expect more, get more.

Jews Drink Old wine

The years teach much which the days never knew. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Our world is dominated by the young. But, the Rabbinic world knows nothing of mandatory retirement. Some of our greatest modern sages dispensed indispensable advice well into their nineties.

Let me share with you another Mishna from the 4th chapter of Pirkay Avot, from which yesterday’s text came.

“Rabbi Yosi bar Yehudah of K’far Bavli taught:
To what may we compare one who learns from the young?
To one who eats unripe grapes and drinks from the vat.
To what may we compare one who learns from the old?
To one who eats ripe grapes and drinks wine that is aged.

Maybe this helps us to understand why, three times a day, we recite in the Amida the prayer for the righteous. In it we ask Gd to protect three categories of individuals: “the pious, the righteous, and the elderly” – for the three are really one. The years teach much that the days never knew.

Discovery, Not Invention

We study Pirkay Avot, the section of the Mishna (c. 200 C.E.) during the 7 weeks that link Shavuot and Pesach. Since there are 6 chapters to the work, we can read one each week and finish right before the Holiday of the Giving of the Torah.

Today is the 35th day of the Omer, marking 5 full weeks. This means that we are just finishing the 4th chapter of Pirkay Avot. Here is a section of the last Mishna from that chapter:

Rabbi Elazar Ha-Kappar taught: “Everything belongs to Gd… It was not your will that formed you, nor was it your will that gave you birth; it is not your will that makes you live, and it is not your will that brings you death; nor is it your will that some day in the future you will have to give an accounting and a reckoning before the Ruler of rulers, the Holy Exalted One.”

Judaism teaches that we were created by Gd for a purpose and that the journey of life is animated by the desire to discern exactly what that purpose is. Contrary to the views of popular culture, the Mishna suggests that we do not invent ourselves. (How often do we hear this phrase, “She re-invented herself”? Madonna, anyone?) We do not create ourselves, we discover who it is that Gd intended us to be. This life-long process begins by quieting our own spirits enough to understand ourselves, to know who we really are. It begins with acceptance. It begins in a state of rest and peace. And from there we branch out to the world around us, being drawn into contact that with the world Gd has set before us.

Ultimately, at the end of life, Gd calls us into account saying, “Did you see the mileposts I put for you along the way? Did you read the signs? Did you answer my call? Did you figure out what it was that was expected of you?

So often, the challenges that come our way are really signs, mileposts and calls from Gd. Only problem is, we’re too busy to recognize them, and even if we do, we either choose to ignore or reject them. Tradition, on the other hand, seems to suggest that we should be telling ourselves, “Perhaps this is happening to me for a reason…”

Our Rabbi's Yahrzeit

This morning, in our daily minyan, I cradled the Torah and said the memorial prayer for those who had come to shul in honor of loved ones passed. Several individuals were observing Yahrzeit. But to the list of loved ones lost I added the name of my mentor and friend, Rabbi Howard Kahn. Yesterday was Rabbi Kahn’s third yahrzeit. And even though there were no family members present, I could still sense his presence in the room.

For many years Rabbi Kahn and I began each morning davening together. He liked to put his t’fillin on in his office before he came into the minyan. I always imagined that he intoned his own personal prayers during that quiet time, before he came and joined the rest of us. And then, when he made his way to the Chapel, he would sit at the end of the front row, usually with his eyes closed. When he stood, he often leaned against the wall, or turning towards it, hid his face in the small fold of the wall where the bimah began. At moments like that he looked to me like so many who lean into the Kotel, the Western Wall of Jerusalem, offering sacred words from deep within.

To this day, Rabbi Kahn’s place at the end of the first row is vacant. No one else sits there. And, given the fact that we may well move the shul in the next few years, chances are no one ever will. But the truth is, no one ever will fill his spot. There was only one Rabbi Kahn, and his presence will always be felt – not just at Beth El, but in the hearts of all those whose lives he touched.

Warren Buffett - Part Two

Meyer Kripke was a young Rabbi in Omaha, Nebraska. One night, he turned to his wife, Dorothy, herself an author of Jewish children’s books, and asked her a question from out of the blue. "Now that we are starting to save some money, perhaps we should invest it. It doesn’t make sense to leave it all in the bank", said Meyer. "Oh, you should give it to Susan’s husband, Warren, he seems like a smart investor", said Dorothy.

Well, of course, Susan Buffett’s husband was Warren, and his investment prowess is now legendary. When the Kripkes retired, they were multi-millionaires. They gave a good bit of their fortune to their alma mater (and mine) The Jewish Theological Seminary and the money was used to refurbish the Seminary Library Tower which was burned by an arsonist in the late 1960’s. The tower had been abandoned for more than two decades. It is now the Kripke Tower and is home to one of the finest collections of Jewish books in the world – thanks to the Kripkes and Mr. Buffett.

Warren Buffett - Part One

The second richest man in the world just bought a majority interest in an Israeli company. Earlier this week, Warren Buffett of Omaha, bought an 80% interest in the family owned Iscar Metalworks, located in the Galilee. The cost - $5 billion. The fact that the world’s most savvy investor chose Israel for his first overseas investment is most heartening. Israel has an incredibly talented work force and is home to many of the world’s leading companies. It’s nice to make the papers about something other than terrorism or the military.

But what makes this even more interesting to me as a Jew is the nature of the conversations leading up to the deal. The Wertheimer family started the company and has been wonderful to its employees, giving them not just job security, but educating them and providing for their families. Buffett heartily endorses such practices (even as many in the business world see these benefits as taking away from the bottom line) and has assured the Werthiemers that their policies vis-à-vis employees will stay. In a world where so many companies are taken over and gutted; at a time when downsizing and outsourcing have become household words, it is most satisfying to see that two leaders of industry did not need to sell out workers to make great profits and set high industry standards.

The Wertheimers were offered much more money by other potential buyers but they went with Warren Buffett because he assured them that he would not fire employees, and that they could continue their employee benefit programs as well as all the activities they do to support community in Israel. In remarks carried on Israel radio, Buffett said, “I can guarantee that that will not happen. You can broadcast that; you can have me sign it in blood. It doesn’t happen. It doesn’t happen in any of our companies.” In short, Iscar did not take the highest offer. They took the best one. This is one deal that makes me proud to be an American and proud to be a Jew.

Philtrum

The Talmud in Masechet Niddah (30b) teaches that ineutero a fetus knows all the Torah. But when a baby is born, an angel comes and slaps it on the mouth and causes it to forget all the Torah it used to know.

The obvious question is why did Gd bother to teach the fetus all the Torah if one of the angels was going to cause him to forget it anyway? Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik has a great answer. The Talmud, he says, wanted to teach us that when a Jew studies Torah she encounters something that is not foreign or extraneous, but rather intimate and familiar. She has already studied it! The stored knowledge is already part of her. She studies, in effect, her own stuff! Learning is the recollection of something familiar. The Jew, says Rabbi Soloveitchik, who studies Torah is like the amnesia victim who tries to reconstruct from fragments the beautiful world he or she once experienced.

Jewish learning truly is a journey of self-discovery.

How Minyan Breakfasts Started

He was in the restaurant business his entire life. Early hours were nothing new to Al Syken. He weighed about 140 pounds but his whole life was devoted to food. And nothing made him happier than to see someone enjoying one of his special recipes.

Years ago (1995), Cantor Shapiro, of blessed memory, came up with the idea of having a breakfast on Monday and Thursday mornings after minyan. For a month or two Cantor Shapiro shopped for and set out the food himself, but it soon became too overwhelming. So Gd sent Al. Al had lost his wife, Lenore just a few weeks earlier and he volunteered to prepare the breakfasts. Within a few weeks we went from bagels and cream cheese to lox and eggs, blintzes, fresh fruit and homemade cheese cake. (And shnapps, too.) The smell of fried onions would hit you when you got out of your car! Minyan attendance rose steadily. We had such good crowds that I decided to teach during the Thursday morning breakfasts. We had “benchers” made up so we could sing the grace after meals.

Eventually, Al got too weak to make the breakfast, and others took over for him. Years later, the breakfasts live on. Unfortunately, Al Syken does not. His funeral was Sunday. There were 10 family members. Five or six friends from work and his neighborhood came, and about a dozen regulars of the daily minyan were at the funeral, too. Al departed this world the way he lived in it, in his own quiet, and unassuming way. But I really do believe that Gd sent Al to Beth El for a purpose. When he had no reason to live, the breakfast became his cause. When he had no friends, the minyan became his social set. And when we needed someone to show us what a big difference a few small gestures of hospitality could make, Al was there to teach us.

What I love most about my position at Beth El (somehow the word “job” just doesn’t describe it) is the myriad of wonderful souls I meet, all different and yet each with so much to give. I learn so much from so many good people, all trying their best to lead good and noble lives. All, in their own small ways, are making a big difference in the lives of others, bigger than they will ever know. I am thankful that in our busy world there is a quiet Chapel where relationships are formed and friendships flourish. I imagine that in the world to come, Al is thankful, too.

To Hallel or Not to Hallel?

Today is Yom Ha-Atzma-oot, Israel Independence Day. It was marked in our community by a celebration at the JCC. It was also observed, at Beth El, with special prayers.

When it comes to writing special prayers for modern Jewish events, the Conservative Movement is in the forefront. For instance, we have special prayers in the Siddur Sim Shalom for Yom Ha-Shoah, Holocaust Memorial Day; prayers that are not found in the Orthodox ArtScroll Siddur that we use for our daily minyan. (We elected to go with ArtScroll because it has interesting commentaries and good instructions on how to pray.) Sim Shalom also has a special “Al Ha-Nisim” (For the Miracles) prayer for Yom Ha-Atzma-oot. Al Ha-Nisim prayers are in all siddurim for the miracles of Hannukah and Purim, but not Israel Independence Day. Still, the person leading services this morning added the special Al Ha-Nissim for Israel Independence Day, switching to Sim Shalom to do so.

We also added Hallel (Psalms of Praise), usually reserved for “official” holidays. This is what the Movement recommends. Furthermore, we introduced the Hallel with the traditional blessing that ends, “Who has commanded us to recite the Hallel.” Interesting, though. How can we say “Who has commanded us”? The Torah, the Bible did not know about the modern state of Israel, so how can we say that Gd “commanded” us to offer these prayers on this day. We can say, “Who commanded us” for Sukkot – that’s from the Torah. But Israel Independence Day?

The answer is that the Rabbis of old had the power to connect the chain of tradition, dating back to the Torah, to modern situations and act as if the Torah “would have approved” had it known about it. Hannukah, for instance. We say the blessing “Who has commanded us to light Hannukah candles”, even though the holiday came after the Bible. More recently, the Rabbis decided that Israel is in fact a miracle, on par with those of Purim and Hannukah, and we should therefore say Hallel.

When we read about Israel in the paper, all the trials and tribulations, we sometimes forget, or overlook the miraculous nature of the place. After years and years and years of wandering and suffering, we have a home of our own. We have made the desert bloom. From the ashes of the Holocaust, from the helplessness of the decade before, Israel rose to stand proudly on its own two feet with a powerful army, a strong economy and more college students per capita than any country in the Middle East. And if these aren’t good reasons to praise Gd with Hallel, I don’t know what is…

Darfur

There was an unmistakably large Jewish presence at the Rally for Darfur in Wahsington yesterday. Although I could not go because of the Beth El Annual Meeting, my wife and daughter did. They got there fairly early on one of the busses from our daughter’s Jewish Day School, Akiba. We sent 5 busses from our Federation as well. Helene called me to say that it looked as much like a rally for Israel as it did for Africa.

Carrying signs that read, “Never Again, Again”, and “Not On Our Watch” there were dozens of U.S.Y., Federation and synagogue groups. Elie Weisel spoke, as did Ruth Messinger, president of the Jewish World Service. Coming as it did so close to Yom Ha-Shoah, the parallels were obvious. Who knows better than Jews what it means to suffer and ultimately be slaughtered while the world watches and does nothing?

Amongst the thousands and thousands in attendance, the Jewish presence was clearly noted. The Washington Post picked up on it as you can see in today’s article - www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/30/AR2006043001219.html
I am so proud to be part of a people who says, “Never Again” and really means it.

T.S Eliot wrote: “Footfalls echo in the memory ---Down the passage which we did not take --- Towards the door we never opened”. On Pesach we open the door, not just to remind ourselves that we are not allowed to lead cloistered lives, but to welcome Elijah. To be a Jew means to work diligently to bring a better world into being, to open doors for other people, and to never have to wonder what would have been had we really cared.