I got an e-mail last night from Sammy Kahn. His uncle, Rabbi Phillip Harris Singer passed away yesterday. The funeral was the same day and the burial will take place in Israel.
Rabbi Singer was a great Talmudist with a wonderful sense of humor. He was married to Rabbi Kahn’s sister, Tziril. They live in Brooklyn. For years I knew him as “Pinny”, long before I ever met the man. Whenever Rabbi Kahn and I had a question of Jewish law he would pick up the phone and dial Pinny. Pinny always had the answer. He would immediately say which page of Talmud to look at and even where on the page the source could be found.
Pinny spoke at Rabbi Kahn’s funeral as well as the unveiling. But my most meaningful memory of Rabbi Singer and Rabbi Kahn together was a conversation they shared one late night a couple of years ago. After being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Rabbi Kahn was told that he had “6 months to live”. On the last day of that 6th month, at midnight, Rabbi Kahn called his brother in law on the phone and the two of them studied Talmud together as the clock struck 12 midnight. The next day, Rabbi Kahn explained to me that if the Malach Ha-Mavet (The Angel of Death) was going to come for him, at least he would find him studying Torah. And who knows, maybe that would send The Angel away.
It must have worked, because Rabbi Kahn lived another 6 months or more after that. They were both men of great faith, and now, in Olam Ha-Bah they are studying together once again.
Beth El mourns the loss of Rabbi Singer and we offer our condolences to his family. Yehi Zichro Baruch – May his memory be a blessing.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Friday, June 16, 2006
Jewish Law/Civil Law
The word “religion” comes from the Latin “ligio”, as in ligament, which means “ties”. Religion is a force that ties us together - together with one another, and together with our Creator. It binds and bonds us together as a People.
In American law, we join together in community voluntarily. We agree to give up some of our personal freedoms (such as keeping everything we earn) for the greater good. As Americans we believe in this greater good and work to maintain it. In some circles this is called “patriotism”. Without this voluntary by-in, the whole system would fall apart. There are not enough police to keep everyone from breaking the law if they chose to do so. Still, your citizenship is voluntary. You can give it up at any time.
Judaism comes at it from a different angle. We abide by Jewish law because we are commanded. According to the Torah, we are bound by the “mitzvot” (commandments) because our ancestors at Sinai entered into a covenant (brit) with Gd. There is nothing voluntary about it. (In fact, in one mainstream interpretation of Jewish law, you can never really convert out of Judaism.) Our service is not because we want to be loyal, but rather because we “owe it” to Gd. Our loyalty comes from personal gratitude, not simply a common sense of people-hood.
Our American Constitution begins “We the People”, because “We” wrote it (not just Jefferson and Madison). We imbue our government with authority. In Judaism, Gd is the source of authority and we obey the laws that Gd gave us. And yet, Gd gave us the authority to develop His laws as times changed. In this sense the two systems overlap. The degree to which change is warranted, justifiable, and indeed necessary is what separates the right side of the Supreme Court from the left, as well as the various movements in Judaism. Understanding the process by which civil law is developed, comparing and contrasting it with the development of Jewish law, gives us a greater understanding of how we became who we are today and where we may be going as Jews.
In American law, we join together in community voluntarily. We agree to give up some of our personal freedoms (such as keeping everything we earn) for the greater good. As Americans we believe in this greater good and work to maintain it. In some circles this is called “patriotism”. Without this voluntary by-in, the whole system would fall apart. There are not enough police to keep everyone from breaking the law if they chose to do so. Still, your citizenship is voluntary. You can give it up at any time.
Judaism comes at it from a different angle. We abide by Jewish law because we are commanded. According to the Torah, we are bound by the “mitzvot” (commandments) because our ancestors at Sinai entered into a covenant (brit) with Gd. There is nothing voluntary about it. (In fact, in one mainstream interpretation of Jewish law, you can never really convert out of Judaism.) Our service is not because we want to be loyal, but rather because we “owe it” to Gd. Our loyalty comes from personal gratitude, not simply a common sense of people-hood.
Our American Constitution begins “We the People”, because “We” wrote it (not just Jefferson and Madison). We imbue our government with authority. In Judaism, Gd is the source of authority and we obey the laws that Gd gave us. And yet, Gd gave us the authority to develop His laws as times changed. In this sense the two systems overlap. The degree to which change is warranted, justifiable, and indeed necessary is what separates the right side of the Supreme Court from the left, as well as the various movements in Judaism. Understanding the process by which civil law is developed, comparing and contrasting it with the development of Jewish law, gives us a greater understanding of how we became who we are today and where we may be going as Jews.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
The Safest Place to Be
A friend shared this humorous thought with me about the safest place you can be:
1. Avoid riding in automobiles because they are responsible for 20% of all fatal accidents.
2. Do not stay at home because 17% of all accidents occur in the home.(That's 37% already.)
3. Avoid walking on streets or sidewalks because 14% of all accidents occur to pedestrians.(Now that is 51%)
4. Avoid traveling by air, rail, or water because 16% of all accidents involve those forms of transportation. (That's 67%)
5. 33 % percent of all deaths occur in hospitals. Above all, avoid hospitals.
You will be pleased to learn that only 0.01 % of all deaths occur in a synagogue, and these are usually related to previous physical disorders.Therefore logic tells us that the safest place for you to be at any given point in time is in synagogue services. Torah study is even safer. The number of deaths during Torah study is too small to register.For safety's sake, stay alive, go to shul as often as possible and attend Torah Study. It could save your life.
In truth, there is a more serious side to this. In Proverbs (13:20) King Solomon writes, "He who keeps company with the wise becomes wise, but he who consorts with dull and ignorant people comes to grief." We should be surrounding ourselves with people who help to bring out the best in each of us. We should try to find individuals who push us toward higher ideals. People who find time in their busy days for study and prayer; people who manage to devote a small portion of their days to Gd, are elevating their lives to a higher plane. We can only benefit from having some of their spirit rub off on us.
Studies show, time and again, that people who have faith in their lives, who devote time to spiritual pursuits, are more resilient. The challenges of life do not seem as overwhelming, the setbacks do not push them down as far, and the recovery time is that much shorter. A spiritual life may well be a longer life. It will most certainly be more fulfilling.
1. Avoid riding in automobiles because they are responsible for 20% of all fatal accidents.
2. Do not stay at home because 17% of all accidents occur in the home.(That's 37% already.)
3. Avoid walking on streets or sidewalks because 14% of all accidents occur to pedestrians.(Now that is 51%)
4. Avoid traveling by air, rail, or water because 16% of all accidents involve those forms of transportation. (That's 67%)
5. 33 % percent of all deaths occur in hospitals. Above all, avoid hospitals.
You will be pleased to learn that only 0.01 % of all deaths occur in a synagogue, and these are usually related to previous physical disorders.Therefore logic tells us that the safest place for you to be at any given point in time is in synagogue services. Torah study is even safer. The number of deaths during Torah study is too small to register.For safety's sake, stay alive, go to shul as often as possible and attend Torah Study. It could save your life.
In truth, there is a more serious side to this. In Proverbs (13:20) King Solomon writes, "He who keeps company with the wise becomes wise, but he who consorts with dull and ignorant people comes to grief." We should be surrounding ourselves with people who help to bring out the best in each of us. We should try to find individuals who push us toward higher ideals. People who find time in their busy days for study and prayer; people who manage to devote a small portion of their days to Gd, are elevating their lives to a higher plane. We can only benefit from having some of their spirit rub off on us.
Studies show, time and again, that people who have faith in their lives, who devote time to spiritual pursuits, are more resilient. The challenges of life do not seem as overwhelming, the setbacks do not push them down as far, and the recovery time is that much shorter. A spiritual life may well be a longer life. It will most certainly be more fulfilling.
Friday, June 09, 2006
Bless Your Children
Every Friday night, since our children were born, we have blessed them for Shabbat. It is a beautiful custom that let's them know how grateful we are to Gd to have them in our lives. It also lets them know that we believe that they really are blessed and that they can do great things knowing that Gd is on thier side.
Even when the kids are away, travelling, we call them on the phone and bless them as well. That means that when they are in Israel, and both spent weeks there this year with out us, we account for the time difference and bless them long distance.
We have added the text of this beautiful ritual to our website. Go to www.bethelsnj.org and on the left side you'll see a tab marked "Prayer and Ritual". Click it and you'll see a pull down tab that says "Blessing Your Children on Shabbat". There you will find the text in English, in transliteration, as well as the source from the Torah and an explanation as to why we use this particular blessing. I hope you and your family find it as meaningful as we do. It is never too late to start blessing your kids and telling them how wonderful you think they are.
Even when the kids are away, travelling, we call them on the phone and bless them as well. That means that when they are in Israel, and both spent weeks there this year with out us, we account for the time difference and bless them long distance.
We have added the text of this beautiful ritual to our website. Go to www.bethelsnj.org and on the left side you'll see a tab marked "Prayer and Ritual". Click it and you'll see a pull down tab that says "Blessing Your Children on Shabbat". There you will find the text in English, in transliteration, as well as the source from the Torah and an explanation as to why we use this particular blessing. I hope you and your family find it as meaningful as we do. It is never too late to start blessing your kids and telling them how wonderful you think they are.
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Defining Marriage
The issue of a Constitutional Definition of Marriage has become a hot topic, again. I thought you might like to know where the Conservative Movement stands on the matter. In 2003 The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism adopted a Resolution, that says:
The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism views the application of equality as a standard which cannot be eroded by any other determinant, race, religion or history. Our Faith Members are not unfamiliar with discrimination and worse.....we will reject it, however garbed and rationalized, will fight for equality and will be determined in our stance by genuine equality, neither discrimination per se nor discrimination garbed in the dress of double standards.
All Americans are entitled to equality under the civil laws of the United States. Marriage being both a religious and a civil status, The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism does not support any action by the federal government or by any state or local government that discriminates and denies equal protection of the civil laws to gay and lesbian Americans who seek to have relationships recognized when they fall within the bounds of the civil law. Where the civil law recognizes certain rights and obligations as following from a relationship created under the civil laws, those rights and obligations should not be denied to any two Americans seeking to create such a civil relationship.
The federal government of the United States has no authority to define the religious elements of a marriage for any religious group. While our scholars may debate the status, rights and obligations under Jewish law of various individuals who seek to conform their lives to Jewish law, no matter what Jewish law may or may not provide concerning marriage, there is no reason for Congress to seek to pass a Constitutional amendment, which limits or discriminates against the civil or legal rights of any individual or group.
The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism views the application of equality as a standard which cannot be eroded by any other determinant, race, religion or history. Our Faith Members are not unfamiliar with discrimination and worse.....we will reject it, however garbed and rationalized, will fight for equality and will be determined in our stance by genuine equality, neither discrimination per se nor discrimination garbed in the dress of double standards.
All Americans are entitled to equality under the civil laws of the United States. Marriage being both a religious and a civil status, The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism does not support any action by the federal government or by any state or local government that discriminates and denies equal protection of the civil laws to gay and lesbian Americans who seek to have relationships recognized when they fall within the bounds of the civil law. Where the civil law recognizes certain rights and obligations as following from a relationship created under the civil laws, those rights and obligations should not be denied to any two Americans seeking to create such a civil relationship.
The federal government of the United States has no authority to define the religious elements of a marriage for any religious group. While our scholars may debate the status, rights and obligations under Jewish law of various individuals who seek to conform their lives to Jewish law, no matter what Jewish law may or may not provide concerning marriage, there is no reason for Congress to seek to pass a Constitutional amendment, which limits or discriminates against the civil or legal rights of any individual or group.
Monday, June 05, 2006
Catching Up With Israel
We are out of sync with Israel…when it comes to Torah readings. Here is an interesting phenomenon: Normally, of course, the whole world reads the same Torah portion on any given Shabbat. However, in Israel, Shavuot is a one day holiday and everywhere else in the world it is celebrated for two. This year, we celebrated the festival last Friday and Shabbat. In Israel, however, they only celebrated on Friday. Shabbat was no longer Shavuot.
Shavuot has its own Torah readings, which talk about the giving of the Torah. On Shavuot (and other holidays) the regular Torah reading cycle is interrupted, put on hold as it were until the next “regular” Shabbat. Well, last Saturday was already a "regular" Shabbat in Israel, so they read the portion Beha’alotecha, while we were still doing Shavuot. This Shabbat we’ll get to Beha’alotecha, but they’ll be already moving up a week in trhe Torah portions.
We won’t catch up to them until July 8th, my second Shabbat in Israel with my Beth El trip this summer. They will read the portion Chukkat on July 1st and then Balak on July 8th . We will combine Chukkat and Balak on July 8th and thereby even it all up. In the meantime, it means that a person coming from Israel to the States would hear the same Torah portion two weeks in a row.
I’m glad that this doesn’t happen too often… Not only is it somewhat difficult to explain, but, in some small way I find even harder to explain, it undermines the idea of One Jewish World/One Torah that gives me such a sense of Jewish unity. It’s comforting to (usually) know that when we are sitting in shul in Cherry Hill, Jews ½ way around the world are reading the same stories, and thinking about the same topics we are. It makes the Jewish world that much smaller and tighter, and I love that feeling of being part of a global Jewish community centered around one sacred text and one awesome living Gd.
Shavuot has its own Torah readings, which talk about the giving of the Torah. On Shavuot (and other holidays) the regular Torah reading cycle is interrupted, put on hold as it were until the next “regular” Shabbat. Well, last Saturday was already a "regular" Shabbat in Israel, so they read the portion Beha’alotecha, while we were still doing Shavuot. This Shabbat we’ll get to Beha’alotecha, but they’ll be already moving up a week in trhe Torah portions.
We won’t catch up to them until July 8th, my second Shabbat in Israel with my Beth El trip this summer. They will read the portion Chukkat on July 1st and then Balak on July 8th . We will combine Chukkat and Balak on July 8th and thereby even it all up. In the meantime, it means that a person coming from Israel to the States would hear the same Torah portion two weeks in a row.
I’m glad that this doesn’t happen too often… Not only is it somewhat difficult to explain, but, in some small way I find even harder to explain, it undermines the idea of One Jewish World/One Torah that gives me such a sense of Jewish unity. It’s comforting to (usually) know that when we are sitting in shul in Cherry Hill, Jews ½ way around the world are reading the same stories, and thinking about the same topics we are. It makes the Jewish world that much smaller and tighter, and I love that feeling of being part of a global Jewish community centered around one sacred text and one awesome living Gd.
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Confirmation Anchor
It was an absolutely beautiful Confirmation service. Friday night, 17 of our finest 10th graders led the evening service in front of their family and friends in our Sanctuary. During the course of the service we paused and the students presented expositions of Talmud texts they had studied over the past few months with me.
The students had studied in pairs and presented with their partners. Every presentation was moving. Each showed that the students had really wrestled with the texts trying very hard to apply them to their everyday lives. There is much that I could share from their teachings, but one particular statement stands out.
One 17 year old young lady told those assembled, "This year I have learned that there are two types of people in the world. There are people who always react to the world around them, changing as they go along. And then there are people who stand by their principles and values no matter what life brings their way. My Jewish learning has taught me the principles that will guide me in the future."
And that really is what Jewish education is all about. It's about digging deep roots so that the winds of change will not bowl over the individual. It's about tapping into a timeless tradition that has given us strength over time. It's about feel like a link in a sturdy chain of tradition that is anchored at Sinai.
Mazal Tov!
The students had studied in pairs and presented with their partners. Every presentation was moving. Each showed that the students had really wrestled with the texts trying very hard to apply them to their everyday lives. There is much that I could share from their teachings, but one particular statement stands out.
One 17 year old young lady told those assembled, "This year I have learned that there are two types of people in the world. There are people who always react to the world around them, changing as they go along. And then there are people who stand by their principles and values no matter what life brings their way. My Jewish learning has taught me the principles that will guide me in the future."
And that really is what Jewish education is all about. It's about digging deep roots so that the winds of change will not bowl over the individual. It's about tapping into a timeless tradition that has given us strength over time. It's about feel like a link in a sturdy chain of tradition that is anchored at Sinai.
Mazal Tov!
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