Sondra Oster Baras

Reflections on the Feast of Tabernacles by Shira Schwartz

2011-10-18T12:38:00.003-06:00

Thought you would want to read Shira Schwartz's column. She does such a wonderful job in describing the essence of Jewish life.

Shalom,

Sondra Oster Baras
Director, Israel Office
CFOIC Heartland

I found myself daydreaming last night while washing the dishes from dinner. My sink looks out onto our porch where our Feast of Tabernacle booth, our Sukka, stands, slightly darkening the kitchen. The Feast of Tabernacles is one of my favorite Jewish holidays. Maybe because it comes on the heels of the High Holy Days of the Jewish New Year and the Day of Atonement- and we are so ready to feel the release of a festival that commands us, in the Scriptures, to be happy! Both in Leviticus 23:40—“and you shall rejoice before the L-rd your G-d seven days” and in Deuteronomy 16:14 -- “…and thou shalt rejoice in thy feast…thou shalt surely rejoice.” From the first day of the Jewish month of Tishrei when the Jewish New Year begins, with its two days of prayer and the ram’s horn call to Repentance, until the tenth day of Tishrei which marks the Day of Atonement, a day of fasting and introspection, there is a sense of solemnity, of awe, for the holiness of the season. For it is the period when God is inscribing us, sealing our fate for the coming year.

And then… four days later—the Feast of Tabernacles! A drastic transition to this festival of joy! There is a tradition that upon breaking the fast of the Day of Atonement, Jewish families around the world change out of their holiday clothes and start building their sukka, their Feast of Tabernacles booth. We want to say to God that our prayers, our claims of repentance, our pledging to improve our ways, are sincere and well- founded, and we want to start our year with the immediate promise of the fulfillment of a commandment.

My husband Kuti still had a headache from the long fast but our overly eager children only gave him a few minutes to recuperate. They started dragging the pieces of the sukka from our storage area in the backyard, up to our porch. I happily watched from the window over the kitchen sink, marveling that the boys were getting to the age that they could really help and not just get in the way. Perhaps Elitzur was a bit too enthusiastic with the metal poles that formed the frame of our sukka, but everyone managed to duck away from the swinging danger. Then they brought up the piles of tied up bamboo sticks, sneezing from the year’s worth of collected dust. Soon our porch looked like a building zone and Kuti went down to the basement and brought out the fabrics that served as the walls and as many hammers as he could find. Sukkot nowadays are made so cleverly. The poles fit into each other and slide through sewn sleeves in the fabric walls; so very soon our large booth was built. The roof must be made of organic materials and should be partially open to the sky. After spreading out our bamboo poles on top of our structure we threw dozens of huge palm fronds on top and we were done.

Jews are instructed to construct a sukka, a temporary structure in which to dwell for the holiday. We eat our meals there, entertain our guests, hang out and relax, study our Bible and even sleep there. The sukkot are reminiscent of the type of huts in which the Israelites dwelled during their forty years of wandering in the desert after the Exodus from Egypt. They reflect God’s benevolence in providing for all the Jews’ needs in the desert and it recalls the protective “Clouds of Glory” that surrounded the Jewish nation during their wanderings in the desert. This frail structure is meant not to be too sturdy, in order to remind us of the transience of life, and we are asked to leave our homes, go out into nature into these booths and to remember that true security comes from our faith in God… and not from the supposed stability our possessions bring.

Our new house for the following week is done and I come out to ooh and aah. I love the feeling of being outside but not really outside. The children want to start decorating but I promise them that as soon as they come home from school the following day we can get started. And we do. We take out the decorations from last year and weed out what didn’t survive well and keep things that we are attached to. I get my sewing kit and start pinning up the pictures of the Seven Species of Israel. Sukkot, besides being a historical holiday is also a harvest festival and is sometimes referred to with its agricultural name of "The Festival of Ingathering". The large, close up pictures of wheat, barley, grapes, pomegranates, figs, olives and dates, remind me—and I know I’ve said this before!—that I’m living in the land that the holiday’s agricultural name refers to, and I swallow around a lump in my throat. My kids are busy gluing and stapling yards upon yards of paper strips into vibrant chains and soon our ceiling is strewn with color, the chains intermingling with tinsel streamers. By the time Kuti comes home from work he has to find empty spots on the ceiling to string up the lights for our sukka. He runs the electricity wiring through our temporary roof and when he tries the lights everyone is thrilled with the result of our work.

We started a tradition years ago—and I simply love starting some of our own family traditions—to have a verse from the Scriptures or the Book of Prayers or a popular national song —emblazoned on the front fabric wall of our Sukka, facing the street. Every year we give it great thought, trying to make the words meaningful and timely.

During the year of struggle and protests in Israel, when the threat of disengagement hung over the country, we put up the verse from Psalms, “For the Lord will not cast off his people, nor will he forsake his inheritance.”
The following year, still reeling from the Gush Katif expulsion less than two months earlier, we hung up the words of the song which had become a mantra for the Gush Katif struggle: “God’s eternal nation does not fear the long, hard road.”

A few years ago, we felt the need to devote that wall of the Sukka with something which would remind ourselves and passersby of an issue that was sadly still unresolved: Our missing, beloved soldiers who were still being held captive behind enemy lines. We chose the verse from Isaiah 35: “And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads.” Amen.

My oldest, Avigayil, was always the one who cut out the large block letters from colorful cardboard and the year after she got married, she left me a message on my phone saying that she will come before the holiday in time to do the cutting and hanging and not to give her job away. I was thrilled that she wanted to keep her job. This year she and Matan did not build their own sukka and were coming to share the holidays with us, but I hope in later years she takes this family tradition as her own to continue with her own family in her own home.

Part of our tradition is taking a picture of all of the children in front of the Sukka, after everyone is dressed for the holiday and before I light candles. These pictures become a journal of sorts as the years pass. Each year our neighbors know to look for that year's verse as they pass, that first night after candle lighting ushers in the holiday, and they walk towards synagogue for the evening service. I love sitting inside the Sukka, listening to people reading the words aloud to themselves as they pass.

Tables and chairs are brought outside since all our meals for the week will be eaten in the Sukka. The tables are covered with our best cloths, the dishes and silverware gracing our table, nobody minding the bits of leaves that keep floating down to dot our table and our plates.

Inside, our dining room table, not needed for dining for the week, assumes another purpose. Littering the table are yellow green citron fruits, stalks of date palms, and branches of myrtle and willow. Kuti, Avraham, Netanel and Elitzur are busily binding sets of the Four Species, needed for the daily blessings and waving ceremony. The tall, stately date palm takes the center and the myrtle and willow branches are bound tightly on each side. When the blessing is made every day of the holiday, the citron fruit is held close to the bound bundle and the four species are then pointed and gently shaken three times toward the north, south, east and west and then up and down, to attest to God’s mastery over all of creation. Rabbinical commentaries compare The Four Species, with their variety of tastes and scents, to four types of people with varied levels of observance, good deeds and Torah study. Their being tied together symbolizes our desire to unite all types of Jews in service of God. Avraham came home this year with another interesting idea that he learned. Commentaries suggest that the shapes of these species correspond to different parts of the body: the spine is the date palm, the eyes are the leaves of the myrtle, the mouth is the leaves of the willow and the citron is the heart. By binding them together in keeping God’s commandment the Jew shows his eagerness to consecrate his entire being to serving God.

When synagogues full of worshippers take out their sets of the Four Species for the waving ceremony, there is a heady lemony smell of the citron and the rushing sound of branches waving in the air. It brings me to a state that I can almost picture the majesty which once was the waving ceremony in the time of the glorious Temple. I know what we have now pales in comparison and I pray for the day we will return to those days of splendor, but in the meantime I am content. I am already living in the Land which will see the Redemption, please God. And meanwhile I am following God’s commandment to gather these Four Species. It is a huge thrill for our family that we have two of these four species growing in our very own backyard. We have our own huge, lush willow tree with enough willows to use for our own fulfillment of the commandment and for us to share with the whole neighborhood. It is our pleasure to keep a ladder and clippers handy to allow friends and neighbors to help themselves. We even have our own citron tree bearing its scented fruit just in time for the holiday’s use! Only in Israel can you feel the direct connection between the Jewish holidays and the agricultural calendar.

The meal is filled with good food and lots of laughter as we all troop into the house to wash our hands before partaking of bread. Ahuva and Leora open the kitchen window that opens into our Sukka and they serve some of the courses that way, straight through the window to Atara and Avraham, waiting to receive the drinks and platters of food.

During the holiday, Jews invite seven spiritual "guests" (known as ushpizzin in Aramaic) to be with them each of the seven days of the holiday in the Sukka. These virtual guests are the seven "shepherds" of Israel. They are the three patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Joseph (Jacob’s son), Moses, Aaron (Moses’s brother, the first High Priest), and King David. Each day we read the welcoming passage for that day’s “guest” and try to spend some time each day discussing the quality that each of those heroes of Israel personified.

Another tradition our family started is that every evening we sing songs beginning with each letter of the name of the spiritual guest of that day. Our meals in our Sukka are always filled with song and this tradition lends a sense of fun and gives us the first round of songs. We love pausing once in a while to hear what the neighbors are singing, and either joining them or trying to get them to join us. It’s a holiday when everyone is outside and it is a joy to hear the singing from all sides—each family with its own melodies, its own distinct flavor.

When we realize the timer will automatically put out all the lights soon, leaving our “home” in darkness, we say good-bye to our guests, clean up from the meal and transform our Sukka into a massive bedroom! We drag out mattresses from everyone’s beds, squeezing them through hallways, bouncing them down stairs, bring out covers, pillows, books to read before bed and even games to have ready to play with in the morning. This is truly our house for the week. It’s hard not to treat it like one big pajama party but somehow things eventually become still. Netanel and Elitzur sprawled on their covers, Leggo pieces under their limbs; Avraham, having fallen asleep with his glasses on while reciting the prayer for bedtime; and Kuti sits with a couple of apples and a Bible to snack and study a bit before bed.

I remember how in America there were sometimes Sukkot seasons which were so cold that we couldn’t even eat outside, much less sleep outside. I remember huddling at the threshold of the Sukka, waiting for the rain to stop, and then eating our soup, huddled in heavy sweaters to brave the cold. Here the weather is so summery sometimes, that people bring portable fans into their sukka; and the walls are usually made of the thinnest cotton to allow them to breathe and let in any welcome air.

The intermediate days of the holiday are days for taking trips and getting together with friends. Since many Jews will eat nothing except a small snack outside the Sukka, in Israel it is common practice for hotels, restaurants, even National Parks and local zoos to provide an eating Sukka for their guests. I love this country. I love seeing Sukkot built on the rooftops of shopping malls. I love driving though winding forest roads looking for the beginning of a hiking trail and rounding the last bend to find a Sukka waiting for hungry travelers.

What our family tries to do for at least one day of the holiday, is just hang out-- in the Sukka. We stop running for one day and spend the time under God’s canopy playing board games, napping, reading the Bible, and enjoying each other and the holiday. It helps us remember that this is our home for the week. It’s a glorious season, a time that brings home to us what we already know: Where we dwell is not important as long as we dwell in the ways of God and put our faith in his protection.

Shalom,

Shira Schwartz
CFOIC Heartland

Shabbat Shalom - Joseph Buries Jacob in Hebron

2010-12-17T14:47:00.002-07:00

Hope you enjoy my latest Bible thought on the portion of the week, Vayechi.

Vayechi (And He (Jacob) Lived)
Genesis 47:28 - 50:26

This week we read the final chapters of Genesis. Jacob is approaching the end of his life. We are told that he lived until the age of 147 and that he spent the last 17 years of his life in Egypt. Just before his death, he blesses his grandchildren, Ephraim and Menashe, and then blesses each of his sons. He also extracts a solemn promise from Joseph to ensure his burial in Hebron, in the Cave of Machpela.

After Jacob's death, the brothers fear that Joseph will seek revenge from them for selling him into slavery. They approach Joseph with a curious statement: "And they sent word urgently to Joseph, saying: your father did command before he died saying: so shall you say to Joseph. Please forgive the crime of your brothers and their sin, for they have done you wrong..." And Joseph responds that he cannot replace G-d. And he points out to them, that G-d manipulated their evil intentions for a positive outcome. Clearly, Joseph would never have risen to power in Egypt had the brothers not sold him into slavery.

I have always found this interchange curious. In the first place, there is no indication that Jacob ever made the statement the brothers ascribe to him. In fact, there is no indication that Jacob even knew about the sale. Putting the pieces together, we know that Jacob was given Joseph's multi-colored coat, full of blood. The brothers allowed Jacob to form his own conclusions and, as if following a script, Jacob assumes that Joseph has been killed by wild animals. Jacob had no reason to believe his sons were implicated.

Later, however, when the brothers report to Jacob that Joseph is alive, they do not indicate to Jacob in any way, that they know how he reached Egypt. When Jacob and Joseph meet, the issue is also not discussed. The silence on the subject is deafening.

Is it possible that Jacob did not know? Is it possible that he did not guess?

From this last interchange, it is clear that for as long as Jacob was alive, the brothers felt protected. Perhaps, the brothers and Joseph were united in their desire to prevent Jacob any further pain. Not only would Joseph's revenge on the brothers cause pain to their father, but the mere knowledge that his sons sold one of their own brothers, would have caused Jacob immense pain. Furthermore, Jacob, in blessing his sons, comments on their negative behavior in several instances, particularly with regard to Simeon and Levi. Clearly, he would have commented on the sale of Joseph had he known about it.

On the other hand, Jacob never asks Joseph how he got to Egypt. He never asks him why he didn't send for him all these years. He never says a word.

Jacob was not stupid. He must have known that all was not right among his children. But he did not want to know. What he did know was that "All these are the twelve tribes of Israel." (Gen. 49:28). He knew that, unlike the generations before him, there would be no disinherited child, that all 12 of his children would become heirs to the Covenant of Abraham, would become the Children of Israel. Whatever it is that had happened would have to find resolution, a peaceful solution, for they all had to become one nation.

Jacob requests that his children bury him in the Land of Israel and all his children join together for this burial procession. They unite to return their father's body to his precious land and they unite in their pledge to return Joseph's bones to his precious land. The Midrash states that each of the brothers actually managed to be buried in the Land of Israel.

The close of Genesis opens the door to Exodus, to the creation of the People of Israel. It is the key to Jewish history ever since. Despite tensions, even criminal behavior among us, we must always find the way to stay united as a nation, as a family, and to remain connected with every fiber of our body and soul to the Land of Israel.

Reflections on Prayer For Rain by Shira Schwartz

2010-12-16T11:40:00.002-07:00

Thought you would want to read the latest of Shira Schwartz's columns. She does such a wonderful job in describing the essence of prayer in Jewish life.

The rains started last week. It was a long dry spell—too long-- and when the meteorologists started predicting a storm, it was all people could talk about. The anticipation in the air was almost celebratory… as if an important guest was coming to town, or a popular sporting event was about to begin. The rain was predicted for last Shabbat and we all wore our coats to the Friday night service at synagogue, not wanting be drenched by the upcoming deluge. Nothing. We went to bed, hoping we’d be woken by the thrilling tapping of raindrops on our rooftops. Again, nothing. During lunch, a drizzle began and we opened our dining room sliding doors to the cold air, just so we could see and hear the rain. When it really started raining, it was all we could do to prevent Netanel and Elitzur from running out into the downpour;they stuck out their hands, their heads, even their tongue, to experience the glorious wetness. Ahuva and Avraham went off to synagogue for the Afternoon Service during a dry lull, but returned,soaked to the skin, when they were caught by the rain, only a few hundred yards from the house. But they were laughing as they peeled off their wet clothing, exhilarated with the joy of the long-awaited rainfall.

We had been waiting for so long. There is a lovely Prayer for Rain that is recited on Shemini Atzeret, the day after the Feast of Tabernacles,officially the start of the rainy season in Israel. The land of Israel relies heavily on rain for its crops and the tone then in the synagogue is a solemn one, the cantor donning a white robe as on the Day of Atonement. We are judged by G-d during this season and the prayer voices our anxiety for seasonal rains:

“May He send rain from the heavenly towers, To soften the earth with its crystal showers. You have named water the symbol of Your might, All that breathe life in its drops to delight. O’ revive those who praise Your powers of rain…”

There follows six sections,each referring to the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, and the Twelve Tribes, and their connection with water. As when Abraham was asked to offer Isaac’s blood “like water”; and when Jacob bravely rolled the stone off the “well of water”; when Moses was drawn in a reed basket “out of the Nile’s water” and when he struck the rock and “out came water”. Aaron, the High Priest, who, on the Day of Atonement, bathed “with sanctified water”; the twelve tribes whom G-d brought through the “divided waters of the Dead Sea” and “sweetened their bitter water”in the desert.

After these examples, we ask G-d to remember the merits of these worthy ancestors and remember the goodness granted them all, and for our sake, “not hold back water”. The end of the prayer is dramatic. The cantor calls out: “For You are G-d, who causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall. For a blessing and not for a curse-” and the congregation answers “Amen!” “For life, and not for death-“ “Amen!” For plenty, and not for scarcity-“ “Amen!”

Two weeks after the Feast of Tabernacles, the liturgy introduces a phrase to be recited daily from then until Passover: “Give us dew and rain as a blessing.” The custom of adding this blessing for dew and rain dates back to the times of the temples.At that time, Jews would gather in Jerusalem and bring sacrificial offerings during the Feast of Tabernacles. When the holiday was over, people began the long journey home. Those who lived far from Jerusalem needed time to get home, so the prayer is “delayed”, avoiding requesting rain at a time when it would make their travel difficult.

To finish the Reflections...

Shabbat Shalom G-d's Greater Plan

2010-12-10T15:09:00.003-07:00

Hope you enjoy my latest Bible thought on the portion of the week, Vayigash.

Vayigash (And He (Judah) Approached)
Genesis 41:1 - 44:17

This week's portion begins with the most dramatic speech in the Bible -- Judah's plea to Joseph to save his brother Benjamin. "And Joseph could not restrain himself before all that stood by him . . . And he wept aloud . . . And Joseph said to his brothers, 'I am Joseph, is my father still alive?'" (Genesis 45:1-3). The great reunion has taken place. Joseph is reconciled to his brothers, they embrace, and they embark on the journey to bring Jacob and the rest of the family down to Egypt. At the end of the portion, Jacob arrives and is reunited with his beloved Joseph, whom he feared dead all these years. And Joseph settles his family in the Land of Goshen.

Although the reunion is moving and we are all relieved that the family is united and Jacob sees his beloved son Joseph, there is another, much more sinister development happening at the same time. For the descent to Egypt for this happy family reunion also portends the long and bitter slavery of the Children of Jacob in Egypt. As the family reunites and settles into their new surroundings, there doesn't seem to be any awareness of the ramifications of this change in location. But, it is impossible that Jacob, at the very least, did not understand what was going to happen.

In Genesis chapter 42 verse 2, Jacob says to his sons: "Go down there (Egypt) and bring us food from there." Rashi, the 11th century commentator notes that the numerical value of the Hebrew word "redu" (go down) is 210 and is equivalent to the actual number of years the Children of Israel were enslaved in Egypt. Rashi is, thus, indicating that there was incredible significance in this first directive of Jacob to his sons to go to Egypt, as if he knew, at some unconscious level that with this departure for Egypt would begin the long exile in that land.

And Jacob had to know that this long exile would come. G-d Himself promises to Abraham, in the covenant in Genesis chapter 15, that his children would be a stranger in a foreign land and that they would leave that land with great property. This important covenant with G-d would have naturally been passed on to Isaac and Jacob. They would have known, prophetically, that this was coming.

To finish the Shabbat Shalom...

News From the Land - G-d Can Speak To Us Through Fire

2010-12-07T13:05:00.001-07:00

What a week! Today it is raining in Israel, for the first time in months. Indeed, since March, it has rained maybe two or three times, and each time not very heavily. I have no idea how long the rain today will last and whether it will mark the beginning, finally, of the winter season in Israel, but it is a great day in any case. A day worthy of praise to G-d who has seen to our needs and opened up the heavens.

But today's rain is especially meaningful coming as it did on the heels of the worst fire tragedy in Israel's history. On Thursday morning fire broke out in the Carmel Forest, near Haifa. Very soon, it became clear that the fire was raging out of control. Initial efforts to douse the fire with fire engines and hoses were totally ineffective. Complicating matters and actually responsible for the disaster that this fire became was the extreme dryness of the area. Even though it is already December, there has been virtually no rain in Israel this fall. The trees and ground were totally dry. And while we have had dry winters before, this one has been unprecedented in its high temperatures and dry winds. We were still wearing summer clothes, the temperatures were averaging in the mid-20's (centigrade) during the day, and on Thursday, dry desert winds were raging throughout the country, fanning the flames and carrying the sparks for kilometers.

The result was a fire that quickly swept thousands of acres of forested area, including several villages and communities in the Haifa area. The communities of Ein Hod, Ein Hud, Nir Etzion, and Bet Oren were evacuated. One of Haifa's neighborhoods was evacuated, as well as neighborhoods in Tirat HaCarmel and Usefiya, a Druze village nearby. Some 15,000 people fled their homes from the fire, some of them returning after 4 days to discover that nothing remained. Some 100 homes were burned to the ground, others damaged by fire and smoke and requiring substantial repairs. The Yemin Orde Youth Village, a religious village which provides a home and schooling for children from dysfunctional families, particularly Ethiopian immigrants, and gives them a real chance, has been totally destroyed. And of course, what made this tragedy more horrific than anything else was the death of 42 people, most of whom were trapped in or near a bus which caught fire as it transported police and rescue workers to their destination.

There was something supernatural about this fire, as much as its immediate causes were natural in the extreme. It is not yet clear who or what caused the fire, but suspicion is focused on some derelict youths who were careless in disposing of smoking objects. But while most fires caused by such negligence are easily put out, the extreme dryness of the area created a catastrophe. For months, we have looked to the sky and wondered when we would see rain. We added the traditional prayers for rain as the fall holidays ended but a few weeks ago, an additional prayer was added, one that expressed the extreme need for rain. Some people fasted and prayed with special intensity for rain.

Personally, I found these past few months a bit surreal. While we clearly needed rain, I could not help but rejoice in the added weeks of sunshine. And who doesn't smile when the sun shines? I kept asking myself, what is G-d trying to tell us? Usually when there is a lack of rain, it is still cold and miserable outside and it is easy to yearn for rain. But when the sun is shining and the weather feels like summer vacation eternal, it is far more difficult to feel distressed about the lack of water.

But when the fires began to rage, in one instant, heat was transformed from comforting to lethal. The sun was no longer warm and glorious – it had linked up with furnaces to scorch the earth, to destroy acres of beautiful trees, and to kill good people.

To finish the News From the Land...

Shabbat Shalom - Jacob Reconclies With Esau

2010-11-19T11:38:00.002-07:00

Hope you enjoy my latest Bible thought on the portion of the week.

Vayishlach (and he (Jacob) Sent)
Genesis 32:4 - 36:43

This week's Torah portion begins with Jacob's preparation for his confrontation with Esau. He has just returned from years in the home of his uncle Laban, he has four wives and 12 children, a great deal of sheep and other animals, but he remains concerned as to whether Esau is still intent on killing him. He prepares for war, but, concurrently, sends messengers with gifts and prays to G-d for salvation.

Interestingly, the episode is ripe with messengers and angels. And most interestingly, the messengers are sometimes referred to as angels (Genesis 32:4) and the angels are sometimes referred to as men (Genesis 32:25). It is the angel that intrigues me most.

Jacob has successfully transferred his entire entourage across the River Yabok and is the only remaining one on the eastern side of the river. At that moment, a "man" accosts him and fights with him all night long. When the "man" realizes he will never defeat Jacob, he injures Jacob's thigh and then begs Jacob to release him. Jacob, realizing at this point that the man is actually an angel, demands a blessing. The angel then informs Jacob that his name will be changed to Israel.

The changing of a name is something that we have seen before, when G-d changes Abram's name to Abraham and Sarai to Sarah. In both cases, G-d adds letters to their names that are often used as abbreviations for G-d's name and, in changing their names, identifies them with special roles. Abraham will be the father of all nations and, indeed, is the first patriarch of the Jewish people.

Isaac's name is not changed, but G-d is the one who commands his name at birth (Genesis 17:19). Jacob's new name, Israel, also contains G-d's name (El) and the reason given for his name is that he has fought with gods and with people and has prevailed.

To finish the Shabbat Shalom...

Reflections on Prayer: Blessings by Shira Schwartz

2010-11-16T11:17:00.002-07:00

Thought you would want to read the latest of Shira Schwartz's columns. She does such a wonderful job in describing the essence of prayer in Jewish life.

Sondra Oster Baras

The Jewish Liturgy is filled with formal prayer services, performed three times a day, every day, with even more added on Shabbat and festivals! But there are also mini prayers—blessings, actually—which we sprinkle steadily throughout our days, adding significance and spirituality to the events which color our lives.

You can find them every way you turn! We recite blessings when we wash our hands, before and after we eat or drink, when we smell something nice, see something special, hear certain sounds. When we are about to perform a commandment, put on clothing, build a house, or have a baby.

Maybe because blessings are shorter than ordinary prayers… maybe because you can say them on the go, wherever you are… I find blessings especially meaningful—a special spurt of spirituality that keeps me reminded of G-d’s presence in our lives and of our deep desire to keep that relationship steady and constant.

These blessings are varied and many. Some I find myself saying half a dozen times a day, like the blessing over foods which include wheat, barley, rye oats or spelt. , “Blessed are You, our G-d, King of the universe, Who creates species of nourishment.” Doesn’t matter if I’m gobbling a bowl of breakfast cereal, sneaking a slice of Shabbat’s leftover cake, finishing up my kid’s bowl of macaroni and cheese, or licking out the bowl from my mixer. I first say that blessing. Some blessings, though, are said rarely and some people may never even get a chance to utter them, like the blessing said when your son reaches Bar Mitzva at the age of 13. My husband will get to say it three times in his life, once when Avraham hit that age and again when Netanel and Elitzur become Bar Mitzva. The blessing is “Blessed is the One Who has freed me from the punishment due this boy.” Of course the blessing doesn’t mean ‘Good riddance’ and we are not trying to rid ourselves of responsibility for this child. We are, instead, admitting that this boy is now a man and will be burdened with the responsibility of his own actions. A moving, heart-racing blessing to mark a moving rite of passage.

Some blessings have more meaning at different points in your life. My daughter Atara started finding a certain blessing very meaningful not long ago. One August night, a year and a half ago, she had been driving herself and her friend’s home from the neighborhood synagogue where they had been praying the midnight service Rosh Hashana Eve. The car swerved, uprooting a tree on the road divider, totaling the car. Everyone walked out with only minor bruises and aches and pains. Every time Atara drives past that spot, still picturing the now faded black skid marks, she proclaims this beautiful blessing, “Blessed are You, our G-d, King of the Universe, Who performed a miracle for me at this very place.” Our family prepared her a memento of that miracle, framing our old car key with the inscription of this blessing.

To finish the Reflections...

Shabbat Shalom

2010-11-12T16:23:00.001-07:00

Hope you enjoy my latest Bible thought on the portion of the week.

Vayetzei (and he (Jacob) left)
Genesis 28:10 - 32:3

This week's Torah portion is dedicated to the sojourn of Jacob in the house of Laban. It begins with his departure from Beersheva (Genesis 28:10) and ends with his entrance into the Land of Israel at Machanayim (Genesis 32:3). Interestingly, the portion does not end at the conclusion of chapter 31 but adds on an additional 3 verses in Chapter 32. These concluding verses actually provide appropriate "bookends" to Jacob's time out of the Land of Israel.

As we saw in last week's portion, Jacob is an innocent young man, quite unlike his brother Esau. Actually one interpretation of the dispute between Rebecca and Isaac as to which blessings Esau and Jacob should receive respectively is that Isaac didn't see a need for Jacob to receive earthly blessings. He had every intention of conveying the blessing of Abraham to Jacob, which in fact he does at the end of that story, but he envisioned a division between Jacob and Esau between spiritual and earthly blessings. Rebecca, on the other hand, understood that if Jacob was going to be the father of the Nation of Israel, he would not only need righteousness and innocence, but he would need earthly blessings as well. And he would need cunning in order to deal with the enemies that would plague our nation from time immemorial.

Jacob's subterfuge towards his father Isaac can be seen as his first exercise in cunning. His sojourn with Laban was one long lesson in survival within a hostile environment. Innocent Jacob is tricked out of his wife, his beloved Rachel, and is forced to work a total of 14 years before he can be free of his obligation to Laban. But after those 14 years, he is no longer an innocent. He devises an elaborate plan to enable him to leave Laban as a wealthy man. And in fact, Jacob escapes from Laban just in time, once he realizes, with a perception he did not have earlier, that Laban is "not with him as in previous days." (Genesis 31:2).

Rebecca grew up in Laban's household. She is not an innocent like Jacob and is well aware of the lessons that Jacob must learn in order to survive in a hostile world. To survive, in fact, in the face of his own brother Esau who is plotting to kill him. She sends him to her brother Laban for just that lesson.

Jacob leaves Beersheva an innocent man and is immediately met by angels as he dreams of their ascent upon a ladder to heaven. Jacob returns to the Land of Israel, still a righteous man, but one far more aware of evil and its threat to his survival. Upon his entry into the land, he is again met by angels: "And Jacob went on his way and he was met by angels of G-d. And Jacob said, when he saw them, this is a camp of G-d, and he called the place Machanayim." (Genesis 32:2-3) The midrash records an ancient tradition that Jacob was accompanied by angels to the border of Israel, where they then switched places with angels who were to escort him and protect him throughout his visit with Laban. Hence, the meaning of the angels ascending and descending from the ladder. When Jacob returns to the Land of Israel, he is again met by the angels of Israel, welcoming him back to his land, to the place that would become the land of his children, where G-d and His angels would escort and protect the children of Israel for eternity.

News from the Land - A Note on the US Elections

2010-11-09T13:51:00.002-07:00

In Israel we paid close attention to the recent mid-term elections in the US, as US policy has such an effect on Israeli policy. Especially in the case of President Obama, whose foreign policies marked a serious change in the US attitude towards the Middle East in general and towards Israel in particular, we were eager to hear the results. And the results were incredibly close to the predictions beforehand – the Democrats lost the House and reduced their majority margin in the Senate. It is a new day in Washington.

It is still new soon to know how this will affect Israel. On the one hand, Congress will probably be more sympathetic to Israel and less supportive of intensive pressure on Israel by the Administration. Although the US president has practically free reign in the conduct of foreign policy, he cannot finance anything without the consent of the Congress. There is no question that Obama is a weaker president than before and there is some concern that this alone might weaken the position of the US in world politics at a time when the US is, indeed, one of Israel’s few allies. On the other hand, it seems clear to me that Obama himself weakened the American position in international eyes, promoting in so many parts of the world what was perceived as an appeasement agenda.

To me, however, there is a lesson in the US elections that has nothing to do with Israel. It is a lesson about arrogance, about over-confidence, about slogans and dreams and visions that have little or no basis in reality. It’s about the magic of stardom and the shallow way in which so many political campaigns are run and won, in the US, but not only in the US.

Obama came from nowhere. He was a local activist in Chicago who was elected to the Senate overnight. After less than one term in the Senate, he became the president of the most powerful country in the world. He is handsome, articulate and a great speaker. But as he faces his audience, and we saw this more and more in recent months, he tilts his face upwards, in an arrogant pose, as if to say, I know better.

To finish the rest of the News from the Land...

Shabbat Shalom - Rebecca: Deceiver or Prophetess?

2010-11-05T15:30:00.002-06:00

Hope you enjoy my latest Bible thought on the portion of the week.

Toldot (Descendants)
Genesis 25:19 - 28:9

With this week's Torah reading, we move on to the life of Isaac, the second patriarch of the Jewish people. The portion begins in Chapter 25 verse 19 and continues through Chapter 28 verse 9. Indeed, it is the only Torah reading that deals with Isaac as an independent adult.

Isaac is a complicated character. On the one hand, he is a righteous man and Abraham's sole heir. G-d appears to Isaac and endows him with the promises He had originally made to his father Abraham. (26:3 and 24). On the other hand, Isaac seems to be seriously flawed in his ability to perceive character. He prefers Esau because he is a successful hunter and misses the innocence and purity of Jacob.

Rebecca is blessed with the wisdom and perception that Isaac lacks and engineers events so that Jacob receives the blessing. Later, as Jacob departs from his parents, Isaac provides Jacob with an additional blessing -- the blessing of Abraham, the blessing of children and of the land -- the essence the inheritance that will be passed down to the children of Israel.

Scripture introduces the story of the switching of the blessings with the statement: "And when Isaac became old and his eyes were dim." And of course, Isaac's blindness is what enables Jacob to switch places with Esau. However, the Midrash suggests a meaning to this blindness that is far more than physical. The midrash states that when Isaac was placed upon the altar by his father Abraham, the angels of heaven looked down and wept at the thought that Isaac would be sacrificed by his own father. Those tears fell upon Isaac and blinded him.

Clearly, this story is not meant to be taken literally, as after the Binding incident, Isaac lives an active life, traveling to Gerar, negotiating with Abimelech, and is involved in various other activities that would be difficult for him to have accomplished in those days if he were blind. Also, Scripture's statement quoted about indicates that Isaac's blindness is a function of his age.

However, the Midrash is communicating a very special message, relating to Isaac's spiritual blindness, his inability to assess the true nature of Esau's character and the fact that Jacob is his true heir.

Isaac would have had to have gone through an incredible experience up there on Mt. Moriah. He was not a baby -- he knew what was happening, and he submitted himself to G-d's will. Not only was Abraham ready to sacrifice him, he was ready to be sacrificed. As he lay there on the altar, his eyes facing skyward, he achieves a spiritual clarity that is almost angelic. But, at the same time, his ability to perceive evil in the world, to be attuned to false pretences and charades was diminished. Isaac did not see Esau's true character, because he had been blinded to his faults. It enabled him to love his son and value him for the good character traits that he did have -- he was a devoted son and enjoyed bringing his father delicacies from the hunt. But Rebecca needed to be at Isaac's side, guiding his perception and ensuring that Abraham's heir was the worthy son.

When Jacob leaves Beersheva for Haran, G-d appears to him and promises him directly the blessing of Abraham, of children and the land. In so doing, G-d affirms Rebecca's vision and Jacob as the final forefather of the Jewish people.

Shabbat Shalom - Son of Promise: Isaac or Ishmael?

2010-10-29T14:10:00.001-06:00

Hope you enjoy my latest Bible thought on the portion of the week.

Chayei Sarah (Sarah's Life)
Genesis 23:1 - 25:18

This week's Torah reading opens with the death of Sarah, the wife of Abraham, in Hebron. (Genesis 23). Abraham mourns his wife and then immediately goes about the business of burying her. He approaches the Hittites, the native residents of Hebron, and identifies himself as a stranger and resident among them, a foreign resident in modern terms. He asks to purchase a piece of land to bury his wife. The Hittites, recognizing Abraham as an important man, offer to allow him to bury his wife in their land, for free. Abraham refuses their offer, however, and insists on purchasing the land at its full price. In fact, he knows exactly which piece of land he wants - the Cave of Machpela and its accompanying field. The purchase is a public affair, carried out at the gates to the city, in the presence of the Hittites.

The transaction is spelled out in great detail, with special emphasis placed on certain words and phrases. In verse 2, we learn that Sarah dies in "Kiryat Arba, that is Hebron in the Land of Canaan." In verse 17, the transaction is sealed and the location of the field and cave are spelled out: "the field of Ephron which is in the Machpela which is before Mamreh, the field and the cave which is in it and every tree which is in its surrounding borders." In verse 19, the location is spelled out again: "the cave of the field of Machpela before Mamre which is Hebron in the Land of Canaan." It is as if Scripture wants to make sure we realize that Kiryat Arba and Mamre are synonyms for Hebron and that this is in the Land of Canaan. The landmark is so important and its geography is so important - lest we forget!!

Another emphasis in this story is on the money that changes hands: Abraham insists on paying the "full price." (Verse 8). In verse 13, Abraham repeats the fact that he is giving money for the purchase. In verse 16, Abraham transfers "four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant."

It is almost as if Abraham knows that he had better make sure this transfer is done properly, according to the books, or the land will be taken from him. And the way Scripture records it, it is as if G-d wants to make sure we understand exactly where this purchase is - in Hebron, in the Land of Canaan. There is no mistaking it - this land was purchased by our forefather as a family burial plot. It is ours!

Isn't it amazing, therefore, that one of the most disputed places in Israel today is Hebron. Even as hundreds of Jews live in the old city of Hebron, and thousands of Jews live nearby in Kiryat Arba, and tens of thousands live in the surrounding hills of Judea, world opinion says that Hebron belongs to the Arabs. So much for world opinion.

For many years now, a wonderful tradition has developed in Hebron on the Shabbat when we read this Torah portion. Jews from all over Israel converge upon Hebron for this Shabbat. Every home in Kiryat Arba and Jewish Hebron opens its doors to friends and relatives. Teen-agers come from all over the country and sleep on the floors of schools and other public buildings. Shabbat meals are great gatherings and logistical nightmares. No one knows how everyone fits in, but somehow they do. On Shabbat morning, guests and residents alike stream to the Machpela Cave and there, on the very spot where Abraham buried his wife Sarah, the very place which Abraham purchased thousands of years ago, they read this chapter and praise G-d for His bounty. This Shabbat is Shabbat Hebron!

Shabbat Shalom from Samaria,

Sondra Oster Baras
Director, Isreal Office

Shabbat Shalom - Abraham finds a God of Righteousness, Justice and Mercy

2010-10-22T10:57:00.002-06:00

Hope you enjoy my latest Bible thought on the portion of the week.

Vayera (And He Appeared)
Genesis 18:1 - 22:24

This week we read the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Interestingly, though, we know very little of the nature of the evil that had become so entrenched in Sodom and that necessitated its destruction. The first we hear of Sodom is when Lot, Abraham's nephew chooses this area as his residence. Scripture then points out: "And the people of Sodom were evil and sinful before G-d, exceedingly." (Genesis 13:13). When G-d informs Abraham of His decision to destroy Sodom He says: "The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very heavy." (Gen. 18:20). The third piece of information that we have about the evil that is in Sodom is the story of the angels who visit Lot in order to save him from the destruction. Dressed as human beings, they are welcomed by Lot and his family, but the men of the city converge upon the house and demand that Lot deliver the men to them "so that we may know them," an explicit reference to sexual relations. (Gen. 18:5).

From these scriptures, we can assume that the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah are many and varied. If G-d hears the cry of the city, we can assume that people are being hurt and wronged on a regular basis. We are told that the people are evil, an indication that their sins are an integral part of who they are. And the story with the angels tells us that the people of Sodom are not hospitable and that homosexual rape is common.

There is another source that refers to Sodom. In Ezekiel 16 verse 49, the prophet explains the sin of Sodom as their failure to help the poor.

The Midrash adds a number of elements to the Sodom story, recording examples of laws and incidents that illustrate the depravity of the place. It is not clear whether these midrash tales are based on ancient oral tradition or whether they were created to give examples of the sort of depravity that can be analyzed from the Bible itself. But they are illuminating just the same.

One tale tells of a girl who inquires as to the reason that her friend is ill. She discovers that her friend is starving. Responding in a generous, human way, the girl gives her starving friend some flour. When the city officials find out, they kill her, for generosity is a crime in Sodom. Other stories tell of laws against hosting guests and severe punishments that are meted out, both to the guests and to the hosts.

One midrash analyzes the verses in Genesis 13 as follows: the word "evil" refers to their evil behavior towards one another, the word "sinful" refers to their sexual depravity, the words "before G-d", refer to their idolatry and the word "exceedingly" refers to murder, one more sin they were enmeshed in.

The sum total of these verses and their midrashic explanations point to an exceedingly evil and depraved town, where the very norms of human behavior are distorted, where people suffer deeply and the most innocent expressions of good will are quashed. Interestingly, it is the changing of norms, in the form of laws that seems to set Sodom apart from anywhere else. For there are evil people everywhere. The challenge is to avoid evil people, condemn their ways and prevent them from succeeding. But when evil becomes the law of the land, there is no escape.

Reflections on Prayer: Anim Zemirot

2010-10-19T15:07:00.002-06:00

Thought you would want to read the latest of Shira Schwartz's columns. She does such a wonderful job in describing the essence of prayer in Jewish life.

Sondra Oster Baras
Director, Israel Office
CFOIC Heartland

The Shabbat morning services were coming to a close and I peeked through the partition separating the men’s section of the synagogue from the ladies’ section. I wanted to see which little boy was being given the traditional honor, this week, of leading the concluding “Anim Zemirot”, the Hymn of Glory. And I was just in time to see my son Elitzur stepping up to the podium! Kuti took off his prayer shawl, wrapping and positioning the fabric carefully on Elitzur's shoulders, draping the folds so they wouldn’t fall off his narrow shoulders. I could tell that Kuti’s heart was bursting with the same pride I was feeling. I don’t care how many times I see this. It doesn’t matter that I saw my son Avraham doing this and my son Netanel. There is something about watching my seven year old stand up with assurance and pride to lead a full congregation...

Elitzur’s just a little boy… my baby. He still forgoes fork and knife to eat with his hands, any chance he gets; he still calls out from the bus stop, asking me to help him cross the street; he still brings home pockets full of rocks, sticks and marbles and considers them treasures; he still gets a kick out of jokes with bathroom noises in the punch line!

But when he steps up onto the stool at the synagogue podium, in order to reach the prayer book, he becomes a cantor, a leader of men, and his voice rings out sure and strong and so terribly sweet, as he raises his voice in prayer to G-d.

When each of my sons started learning how to read, I would print up a booklet with the words of the Hymn of Glory. I would make sure the print was large and easy to make out, because new readers need all the help they can get! It’s a wonderful feeling to take a new skill, like reading, and immediately use it in the service of G-d. Sure, we would read books from the library, directions for games on the computer screen, even the outside of cereal boxes … anything to encourage reading. But what a joy to show a child that reading can also be a way to get closer to G-d, through prayer.

The “Anim Zemirot” Hymn of Glory is sung responsively, with the first verse read aloud by the young prayer leader, the second verse recited by the congregation in unison, and so on. So we would practice and practice, till the words and the tune were coming out of the ears of everyone in the family! I remember my son Avraham would “force” his first grade teacher to listen to him singing his part, getting him and the class to play the congregation.

Until they were ready. The Hymn of Glory is traditionally sung by a boy under the age of Bar Mitzvah. And it is usually a child’s first induction into playing the role of cantor in the synagogue. Everyone in the congregation finds it adorable to listen to the little boys who step up to sing this hymn; and everyone waits patiently, grinning, as these little boys slowly and carefully make out the words of old. Yet I still never let my sons “step up to the plate” until they were very ready. After all, these are still holy words of prayer, a piece of our tradition, liturgy that has been passed down through generations. I didn’t want my boys to mangle or mess up too badly!

To finish the Reflections...

Shabbat Shalom - How the History of the Children of Israel Began

2010-10-15T12:55:00.002-06:00

Hope you enjoy my latest Bible thought on he portion of he week.

Lech Lecha (Go Forth)
Genesis 12:1 - 17:27

"And G-d said to Abram go forth from your country and from your birth place and from your father's house to the land that I will show you." (Genesis 12:1) So begins this week's Torah reading. And what a reading it is. If there was ever a "Zionist" Torah reading it's this one. And each year, we are reminded that G-d chose Abraham out of all the people of the earth, and made him the father of our nation and the recipient of G-d's promises for the Jewish people.

"And Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem to the Oak of Moreh, and the Canaanite was then in the land." (Gen. 12:6) This marks Abram's entry into the Land of Israel and immediately afterwards, G-d appears to Abraham and makes an amazing promise: "I will give this land to your children." (Gen. 12:7)

Imagine the scene. Abraham is 75 years old, he is married to Sarah, he is traveling with Lot and his entire family, but he has no children. He has spent his entire life in Ur of the Chaldees and a few years in Haran and then G-d speaks to him and tells him to leave it all behind and go to a different land. In fact, when G-d first tells Abraham to leave, he doesn't even tell him where he will end up. He just says "to the land that I will show you." And Abraham is totally obedient to G-d and goes forward, not knowing what he will find when he gets there.

But the first thing he does see is the mountains of Samaria. Up on top of those mountains outside of Shechem he is promised "this land." And, let me assure you, from the mountains outside Shechem you can see just about all of "this land." I believe that this is the reason that G-d does not delineate the borders of Israel at this point -- G-d points out the land to Abraham and he can see it with his own eyes. He can see it and I'm sure he falls in love with it.

But he makes no attempt to conquer the land. G- d has said very clearly that this land would be given to his children. And, Scripture emphasizes this idea with the statement -- the Canaanite was then in the land.

To finish the rest of the Shabbat Shalom...

News From the Land - The Dangers of Appeasement

2010-10-13T11:58:00.001-06:00

Appeasement is becoming all too popular, but it is a dangerous concept indeed. Often couched as diplomacy or compromise, appeasement is all about surrender. It is about giving in to the demands of your enemy, even if you know that those demands are unreasonable or even dangerous to your people.

The settlement freeze is a perfect example of appeasement at work. Last year, President Obama, backed by the leaders of Europe and the rest of the free world, demanded that Israel halt all construction in the communities in Judea and Samaria. Negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians had been frozen for quite some time when the Palestinians rejected Ehud Olmert's ridiculously generous offers which included parts of Jerusalem.

When Obama became president, he was determined to succeed where others had failed. And his incredible arrogance propelled him to pressure Israel as no other American president has ever done. More pressure, went the logic, more surrender. And since in Obama's eyes, Israel is the intransigent party, Israel's surrender on key issues would bring peace.

Israel, in a valiant effort to stave off the pressure and to buy time, decided to agree to a settlement freeze for 10 months only. The freeze was fixed in time and its declared purpose was to make it easier for the Palestinians to return to the table. The Arabs, however, consistently refused to do so, until just a few weeks before the freeze was to expire. Thankfully, the Government of Israel kept its word and the freeze ended on the 26th of September. At least it ended officially. Those with building permits from before the freeze resumed building, but no new building permits have been issued, no new building projects have been approved.

To finish this article...

Shabbat Shalom - When People Destroy Their Own Society

2010-10-08T13:16:00.001-06:00

Hope you enjoy my latest Bible thought on the portion of the week.

Noach (Noah)
Genesis 6:9 - 11:32

This week, we read the story of Noah and the flood. "And these are the descendants of Noah, Noah was a righteous man, innocent he was in his generations." (Genesis 6:9) Many commentators have questioned the use of the word generations - why the plural and why the addition of the word at all? If Noah was a righteous man and he was innocent, what does it matter which generation he was in?

Noah lived a very long life - 950 years, of which 600 years were before the flood and 350 years afterwards. Indeed, his life spanned many generations, not just quantitatively by qualitatively. In fact, he lived until after Abraham was born.

Our sages noted this life span and the fact that the next major hero mentioned in the Bible is Abraham, in order to compare Noah to Abraham. Rashi, the classic Biblical commentator who lived some 1,000 years ago, quote the early Midrashic debate as to the extent of Noah's righteousness. One opinion considers Noah a truly righteous man. This theory explains that since Noah managed to be a righteous man throughout a period in time in which he was surrounded by evil people doing the most horrible of sins, he would certainly have been an even more righteous man had he lived surrounded by goodness and righteousness.

The other theory explains that Noah was only relatively righteous - relative to his own generation. Had he lived in Abraham's time, compared to Abraham, he would have been considered mediocre. But compared to the folks that made up his neighborhood, he was a good guy.

I find both of these arguments fascinating. The first argument assumes that people have it easier doing the right thing when they are surrounded by others who aspire to righteousness. The importance of your environment and the influence your friends and neighbors have on you is significant. It also assumes that it takes extraordinary strength of character to rise above a negative environment. And it is this strength of character that determines the ability of a person to be righteous - for if Noah used that same strength of character in an easier environment, he would have been a saint!

The second argument sees Noah as uninfluenced by his neighbors but as someone who follows his own consciousness regardless of where he is. He is, indeed a good man, but not a man who takes unusual initiatives. He remains consistent in his deeds and would not be influenced by his neighbors, whether for the good or for the bad. Noah was not Abraham, for Abraham immediately beseeched G-d to save the people of Sodom and Gemorrah and Noah did nothing to try and save the people of his time. He lived in his own world, did the right thing, but did not go the extra mile.

May we all have the strength to withstand the negative influences that surround us and to take initiatives to make our world a better place, even when things are going relatively well.

Shabbat Shalom - Finding Utopia?

2010-10-01T11:48:00.002-06:00

Hope you enjoy my latest Bible thought on the portion of the week.

B'reisheet (In the Beginning)
Genesis 1:1 - 6:8

We begin the cycle again. Yesterday we celebrated Simchat Torah and read the final chapters of Deuteronomy with special ceremony. We then proceeded to read the first chapter of Genesis, as a way of saying that the Torah never ends, but every ending includes with it a new beginning. But this week, we begin Genesis from the very beginning and read the beautiful stories of Creation.

You may have noticed that I used the plural "stories" and not story. Because there are two separate stories of creation. Chapter 1, with its day-by-day description of creation, beginning with the simplest of creations, earth and sky, water and light and moving on to plants, fish, animals, and finally man. In that chapter, man is portrayed as the crowning glory of creation, as an integral part of the animal kingdom but as a being apart. While obviously every animal is created as a male and female, only man is mentioned as having two separate sexes. And G-d speaks to man and woman, blesses them and gives them a role - to multiply and fill the earth and rule over the rest of nature. This story of creation emphasizes man as an integral part of nature, but as a superior being within that nature - with superior capabilities and responsibilities.

Chapter 2 begins with a totally different version of the story. The first three verses of the chapter are actually a continuation of the previous chapter, following the sequence of days and setting aside the seventh day as the Sabbath. In verse 4, however, a new story begins. According to this story, G-d creates man before he creates vegetation and animals. He then plants a garden, with trees and rivers, and places man into this garden. At the end of the story, woman is created. Man gives his woman a name and names all the animals as well.

By presenting creation as two different stories, the Bible gives us a complex understanding of the different roles that man plays, both towards G-d and towards the rest of creation. In the first narrative, Adam is part of nature, but superior to it. He is a ruler. In the second story, man is presented as someone who creates and maintains relationships. Giving a name to someone or something is the most fundamental way of identifying the nature of that person or thing. Identity is key to relationship, as each being can only relate to one another if their own separate identity is intact. In chapter 2, Adam establishes relationships with the animals, with his wife, without whom he is alone, and with G-d, who brings each animal to Adam to be named, individually.

Man is a complex being - he can rule the world and he can love and care for his fellow man. Two totally different personality types reside in human nature. And both are essential for the survival of the world. If we only love and empathize, we may not take the steps necessary to control the world so that it serves human needs. If we only control and protect, we may lose our ability to love.

(Inspired by the seminal article by the late Rabbi Joseph Soloveichik, The Lonely Man of Faith.)

Shabbat Shalom from Samaria,

Sondra Oster Baras
Director, Israel Office

Shabbat Shalom - Jerusalem, G-d's Chosen City

2010-09-24T13:08:00.001-06:00

Hope you enjoy my latest Bible thought on the portion of the week, Sukkot.

Reflections From Israel: Prayer - September 2010: U'Netaneh Tokef by Shira Schwartz

2010-09-21T10:59:00.002-06:00

Thought you would want to read the latest of Shira Schwartz's columns. She does such a wonderful job in describing the essence of prayer in Jewish life.

Shalom,
Sondra Oster Baras
Director, Israel Office

It’s hard to believe that it’s been only three days since the High Holy Days passed... Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and ten days later, Yom Kippur, the Day of Repentance, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. In just two days the Feast of Tabernacles begins and we make a mood switch from solemnity and introspection to one of joy and gladness.

I sit at the table making up menus for the upcoming holiday, looking out onto the porch where my husband and the boys are building our sukkah. I am humming a tune to myself and realize it is from the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur prayer services. It is a prayer that is probably the climax, the high point of the whole liturgy, the very essence of the day. It is called “U’Netaneh Tokef Kedushat Hayom”—Let Us Tell How Utterly Holy This Day Is”, and the content of the prayer, as well as its tempo and melody, awakens our gut-wrenching awe. The pivotal moment of this prayer, in our synagogue, is especially moving. Our cantor stands on his platform, his holiday prayer book opened before him and the prayer begins.

The first paragraph depicts the judgment day, where the angels in heaven tremble at the awe-inspiring event of the annual judgment of all creation, with the implication that man should also approach this day with trepidation as every human being's fate will be inscribed.

“Let us now relate the power of this day's holiness, for it is awesome and frightening. On it Your Kingship will be exalted; Your throne will be firmed with kindness and You will sit upon it in truth. It is true that You alone are the One Who judges, proves, knows, and bears witness; Who writes and counts and calculates; Who remembers all that was forgotten. You will open the Book of Chronicles… and everyone's signature is in it. The great shofar [ram’s horn] will be sounded and a still, thin sound will be heard. Angels will hasten, a trembling and terror will seize them - and they will say, 'Behold, it is the Day of Judgment…”

From the time we were in kindergarten we were taught to picture G-d up in heaven, a large book open in front of him, as he calculates our transgressions and our good deeds, weighing one against the other and writing our decree for the coming year. It is chilling to realize that He knows and sees all and we will be judged. The cantor continues, seven men surrounding the prayer podium sounding a poignant chorus to his words, adding drama and depth with their rich harmonies:

“All mankind will pass before You like members of the flock. Like a shepherd pasturing his flock, making sheep pass under his staff, so shall You cause to pass, count, calculate, and consider the soul of all the living; and You shall apportion the fixed needs of all Your creatures and inscribe their verdict.”

I hear this and I realize how much time I have wasted. G-d gave us ten days when he made Himself incredibly close to us, waiting for us to turn to Him and return. How much time have I wasted, when I should have been crying out to Him, begging Him for mercy and forgiveness? G-d is handing us an opportunity. We are praying to the King of Kings, royalty incarnate. And here He is, presenting himself as a shepherd, the plainest of professions, lovingly tending his flock… so close and accessible, not remotely out of reach, as a king upon his throne.

To finish the Reflections...

Shabbat Shalom

2010-09-17T15:30:00.001-06:00

Hope you enjoy my latest Bible thought on the portion of the week.

News from the Land - Looking Forward to the Day There Will Be True Peace

2010-09-14T14:39:00.001-06:00

We just celebrated the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, which began this year on September 8th. At this time of year, we look forward to new beginnings even as we recall the high and low points of the previous year and resolve to do better in the coming year – to be a nicer person, to make wiser decisions, to have patience and understanding as we come to terms with everything and everyone around us.

Just as we approached the New Year this year, we were faced with the renewed talks in Washington between Israel and the Palestinians. As most Israelis treated these talks with great skepticism and even disdain, most of us paid little attention to them. Here they go again, we said to one another. Another photo opportunity for President Obama as he looks toward the critical elections in November. We hoped and prayed that little damage would be done and that except for some nice photographs, little would be accomplished. Of course, if we believed these talks would bring peace, we would be more than eager that they accomplish a great deal. But our experience has taught us that talks of this sort never bring positive results.

Even before Netanyahu had a chance to meet his talking partners, he was informed of the terrible terrorist attack against an Israeli car which killed four people from Bet Hagai: Yitzhak and Tali Imas, parents of six children, the youngest of whom is less than two years old, Kochava Even-Haim, wife and mother of a 10-year old girl, and Avishai Schindler, newlywed. The Hamas terrorist organization took credit for the attack. The following evening another terrorist gang attacked a young couple from Maale Ephraim as they were traveling home. They demonstrated incredible quick-wittedness which ultimately saved their lives. They jumped out of the car and rolled into a ditch while dodging bullets, and escaped with relatively minor injuries. Again, the Hamas was quick to take credit for this attack, doing their utmost to derail any attempts at peace in the area.

I spoke to a young woman last week whose husband had lost his mother during the last terrorism war, when he was only 13. They had been teen-age sweethearts at the time and together experienced the pain and loss that he had gone through. Two years ago, they were married and live in a community in Samaria. She told me that these recent attacks brought it all back to them both and that she hoped and prayed that we were not facing a new Intifada, a new terrorism war.

I can well understand the desire on the part of politicians and do-gooders from all over the world to “fix” the problem that is the middle east. There is no doubt, but we have more than our fair share of violence, terrorism and religious extremism. And it would be wonderful if a few diplomatic talks would be able to rid us of these terrible things. But anyone who knows anything about the middle east, knows that things move differently here. That progress is best made in the shadows, and not in front of cameras and lights. That the launch of “peace talks” usually brings heightened terrorism in its wake and creates expectations that only lead to bitter disappointment, to more violence and bloodshed, and take us further away from peace.

The shooting near Bet Hagai was a reminder to us all of the dangers of such peace talks. A reminder that we would all do well to heed. And coming just before the Jewish New Year, it served as a sober reminder of what we need to be praying for during this high holiday period.

To finish the News From the Land...

Shabbat Shalom - Who Gave the Land of Israel to the Jews?

2010-09-10T15:30:00.002-06:00

Hope you enjoy my latest Bible thought on the portion of the week.

Ha'Azinu (Listen)
Deuteronomy 32:1 - 32:52

This week we read the Song of Moses, one of Moses' final speeches to the Children of Israel before his death. The only other words Moses speaks to the nation after this are the words of blessing in Deuteronomy Chapter 33. But in Deuteronomy Chapter 32, Moses composes a long poem in which he praises G-d, discusses His relationship with His people and reviews historical events, some of which are revealed prophetically to him but have not yet occurred.

I would like to focus on two verses, each of which carries messages which speak to me in an especially relevant way.

"Remember the days of old, Understand the years of each generation." (Deut. 32:7) Moses instructs his people to remember their history. In referring to the days of old, he hearkens back as far as Creation -- remember the events of the universe from its very beginnings. Understanding the years of a generation implies a deeper comprehension of events of people, of their actions and the consequences of those actions.

Moses understands what so few people understand today -- that we are unable to understand our present if we don't understand our past. If we don't understand the ways of nature and the origins of the universe, and especially the fact that the universe was created by G-d, we will never be able to comprehend our role as human beings -- to serve our Creator. And if we don't evaluate the events of history, the expectations G-d has from the Jewish people and from all peoples, His judgment over them and the consequences of our actions, then we will be doomed to failure every time.

The second verse that I find meaningful is Deut. 32:15 "And Yeshurun (a name for Israel) grew fat and kicked...then he forsake G-d who created him." When life is good and blessings are abundant -- then it is easy for Israel to forsake G-d, to forget that the source of our blessings is His generosity. When we are in trouble, it is natural to cry out for help. But when things are good, we tend to brag and attribute our success to our efforts alone. We forget that it is G-d who has blessed us, that it is He who created us, and to Him we owe our gratitude.

If all of Israel, if all of the world, would turn to Him in the height of our prosperity, the world would be a better place. The western world is a wealthy world and a secular world indeed.

If all of Israel remembered the lessons of history, even our own recent history with regard to our conflict with the Arabs, and if our entire nation remembered that it is G-d who has created us and who is responsible for our blessings, we would all hold on to the gift He has given us and never let go. We would all treasure Biblical Israel forever.

To watch this weeks Ha'Azinu Shabbat Shalom video...

Reflections on Rosh Hashanah by Shira Schwartz

2010-09-08T13:28:00.001-06:00

The following Reflection on Rosh Hashanah was written by Shira Schwartz several years ago. Today Rosh Hashanah begins at sun down. We wanted to share Shira's article with you again so that you can understand and appreciate the holiday of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

September 2006
I hosted seven people at my home for the two day Rosh Hashanah holidays. Add that to me, my husband and our seven kids, and we were quite a house full. Sixteen people to house, feed, and keep happy. The basement was set up with two beds and two cribs to accommodate my nephew, his wife and their two baby boys. My eldest daughter offered to move out of her room so we could give it to the two teenage guests-my niece and my cousin who are both here in Israel for a year of intensive Bible study. My daughter then moved into the bedroom of my three sons. Two stayed on their bunk beds, my daughter took the single bed, and my ten year old slept on a mattress on the floor. Two of my teenage girls stayed in their room with their high-riser beds. And my youngest teenage daughter took a mattress on the floor of her bedroom and gave her bed to my mother. Thankfully my husband and I got to keep our room! It gave us a place to escape the pleasant but harried business of round-the-clock hosting.

For days before the holidays I washed linens, borrowed mattresses and planned menus, made shopping lists and cooked, cooked and cooked some more. Made sure I had the special sugared cereal the little kids like, lots of salads for the vegetarians in the house, and main dishes and side dishes that would present a pretty plate. I labeled and juggled all the pans and dishes in the refrigerator and freezer to make room for the bounty. And I counted out the dishes I had in the cabinet for dairy and meat and convinced myself that it would be okay to use paper goods for the meals.

Throughout all the preparations I kept telling myself that I had to stop figuring out different ways of dressing a chicken and new ways of preparing potatoes and focus on the holy days. I wanted to know when it was going to hit me that we were about to usher in two of the most holy days in the Jewish calendar.

It hit at candle lighting Friday night. Every Shabbat as I say the blessing over the candles I ask God to bless my family. But this Friday night was the eve of Rosh Hashanah - the Jewish New Year. The time that God prescribes what kind of year each Jew will have! And as I said the blessing I kept my eyes squeezed shut just a bit longer, picturing each person in my family. Will this year be the year my eldest daughter finds a man to share her life with? Will this year find my boys remaining so enthusiastically positive about their Bible studies? Will my husband continue to find the time to incorporate his volunteer work with his full-time job? Will I be able to keep finding the strength to hold them all together? I think of the power God has, holding our future in His hands and I tremble, for how worthy are we truly?

To finish the Reflections...

Shabbat Shalom - Are You Choosing Life or Death?

2010-09-03T11:49:00.002-06:00

Hope you enjoy my latest Bible thought on the portion of the week.

Nitzavim/VaYelech (Standing/ And He Went)
Deuteronomy 29:9 - 31:30

Deuteronomy 31:10-13 records a very special commandment: "Read this Torah before all of Israel in their ears. Gather the people together, men and women and children, and the stranger that is within your gates that they may hear and that they may learn." At the end of the seven year cycle, at the close of the Sabbatical year, all of Israel is to gather during the Feast of Tabernacles and hear the Torah read aloud. It was customary for the King of Israel to read selected verses from the Torah. What an impressive gathering it must have been.

Many years ago, when I first came to Israel, we were present at the renewal of this custom. We had small children and we brought them all, so that we could fulfill the complete spirit of this message. Thousands gathered at the Western Wall, the closest we could get to where the Temple once stood, and the President of Israel, then Chaim Herzog, read aloud from the Torah. The Chief Rabbis and other dignitaries were present. It was indeed an awesome experience.

Every seven years since then the ceremony has taken place. The last time was several years ago, during the height of the Intifada. At that time, a few of us who were involved with Christian supporters of Israel, decided to hold a parallel event which would welcome Christians to this very special occasion. The Bible says that the stranger within our gates should be invited and we wanted to make sure our loving "strangers" were included. The event was in English and hundreds were there. Just as the prayers were closing, the Mosque began its call to prayer, blasting out its sounds as if to drown us out. But many had brought shofars and at that very moment, began blowing them with such gusto. It was indeed a memorable event.

Once again, I will close my comments with a prayer for the temple to be rebuilt and become, once again, a focus for prayer for the entire world. "For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all people." (Isaiah 56:7)

Shabbat Shalom - Declaration - Value In a Spoken Word

2010-08-27T11:12:00.001-06:00

Hope you enjoy my latest Bible thought on the portion of the week.

Ki Tavo (When You Will Come)
Deuteronomy 26:1 - 29:8

There is a common joke among Jews that summarizes all of our Jewish holidays in one sentence: They tried to kill us, G-d saved us, let's eat. It doesn't quite apply to every holiday, but certainly Passover, Purim and Hanukkah fit the bill. And the statement certainly tells us a great deal about Jewish culture.

In this week's Torah reading, the first verses bring us full circle within the Jewish experience, creating a pattern that is repeated throughout history. "And it shall be when you come in to the land, which the Lord your G-d has given you for an inheritance, and you will possess it and dwell within it. You will take of the first of all the fruit of the earth which you shall bring of your land that the Lord your G-d has given you and shall put it in a basket and go to the place which the Lord your G-d has chosen to place His name there ...And you will speak and say before the Lord your G- d: ...and the Egyptians persecuted us ... and we cried to G- d...and He heard our voices...and G-d took us out of Egypt, ...and brought us to this place and gave us this land flowing with milk and honey...AND NOW I HAVE BROUGHT THE FIRST FRUITS OF THE EARTH THAT YOU, G-D, HAVE GIVEN TO ME." And you shall lay it before G-d." (Deuteronomy 26:1-11)

The very special ceremony of the first fruits is essentially a thanksgiving offering to G-d for the success of the harvest. But unlike any other thanksgiving ceremony in any other country, involving any other people, this ceremony reflects the entire history of the Jewish people -- the suffering of exile, the miracle of redemption, the in gathering into the Land of Israel, and the successful development of the country and the people in the land.

With the simplest agricultural accomplishment, the ripening of the first fruits, we embody all that is special in the relationship between G-d and the Jewish people. And, essentially, this is what every Jewish holiday is about. For we don't just eat to enjoy a feast. We eat to enjoy the harvest, the gifts that we receive from G-d. We attend synagogue before the festive meal and thank G-d for the miracle of redemption. And we often serve special foods which remind us of the miracle.

Jewish life is a spiral, as similar events occur throughout the ages that bring us closer to the final redemption. We have suffered many exiles since Egypt and have witnessed many national miracles. The establishment of the State of Israel and all that has happened here since is the most recent of these miracles. May G-d grant us the final redemption; restore the Temple in Jerusalem so that we may, once again, bring our first fruits before Him in thanksgiving for what we have received.

Shabbat Shalom - Our Responsibilty To Others

2010-08-20T11:16:00.003-06:00

Hope you enjoy my latest Bible thought on the portion of the week.

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Ki Tezeh (If You Should Go Out)
Deuteronomy 21:10 - 25:19

This weeks Torah portion includes the largest number of commandments of any other weekly portion. Beginning with Chapter 21 verse 10 and proceeding through Chapter 25, verse after verse is filled with situations and the rules of practice that are applicable.

As I read through the verses, one struck me in particular. "Do not deliver to his master the servant who is escaped from his master to you. He shall dwell with you, among you, in that place which he shall choose in one of your gates where it is good for him. Do not oppress him." (Deuteronomy 23:16-17).

As I read this I was immediately reminded of the terrible blight of slavery that was so much a part of American society for so many years. As a child growing up in the US, I learned a great deal about the Civil War and about the condition of slavery that precipitated it. I loved reading books about the abolitionists and my favorite stories were those about slaves who escaped their masters and about the famous underground railroad, a system of volunteers who helped smuggle slaves north to freedom, ultimately to Canada.

I read documents of the time and a common statement of the slave-owners was that slavery was mentioned in the Bible, that it was condoned by G-d. As I read these verses, I realized, so clearly, that Biblical slavery was really not about slavery as we understand it all.

The Bible refers to slavery as an existing institution in Biblical times which it was. But through this verse we see the fundamental difference between Biblical slavery and American slavery of the 18th and 19th centuries. The Bible makes it very clear that the master's responsibility is to make his servant comfortable. He must feel at home and he must be treated well. In reality, a Biblical slave is essentially a servant. He is certainly not a possession.

When slaves escaped their masters in the US, they were returned to their masters even if they had escaped to parts of the country where slavery was illegal. This was because a slave was considered property and one had an obligation to restore stolen or lost property.

The Bible makes it very clear. A slave is not property. He is a human being with dignity. And if he is not happy and escapes, he may find refuge with someone else. No one can ever force him to go where he does not want to go.

How many lives would have been spared? Imagine what America would be today if this verse had governed people's thinking 200 years ago.

Reflections on The Shema by Shira Shwartz

2010-08-17T16:02:00.001-06:00

Thought you would love to read Shira Schwartz's latest column about Jewish Prayer in Israel.

Yesterday, my daughter Avigayil came by with my 21-month-old grandson Amit, for a visit. He was being especially cooperative in letting her "run him through his paces", happily showing off his latest learned tricks. As soon as she started singing "The Wheels on the Bus", he called out 'beep beep beep', skipping to the next verse of the song. We walked outside and he walked near the curb and wagged his finger seriously at the street saying, "Nooo. Not allowed!" When Avigayil put his hand a few inches from my cup of coffee, he pulled away and dramatically whispered, 'Hot!'

I enjoyed watching my daughter almost as much as I enjoyed watching Amit. I saw pride in her face... joy... adoration... emotions I was sure was reflected in my own face. The miracle of his amazing little mind being able to recognize and remember; to steadily acquire new vocabulary, and even to grasp concepts like danger and fear... right and wrong.

And then Avigyail got to his next trick and I melted. She only had to begin the words "Oh, Lord, Loyal King" and Amit automatically stuck out his small right hand and covered those light-filled eyes of his. He started moving his lips as if in silent meditation as Avigayil said the words of the Shema prayer aloud for him: 'Hear Oh Israel, the Lord is our G-d, the Lord is One.'

My daughter and I locked eyes, and I can only describe the feeling we shared as gratitude. Gratitude that this third generation child was showing signs of being ready to join the ranks of yet another of G-d's people who choose to communicate with Him through prayer.

The Shema prayer is the first prayer a baby is exposed to. There is a Jewish tradition, that on the night before a baby boy's circumcision ceremony on his eighth day, little children are invited to come and gather around his bassinet, to sing the words of the Shema, beseeching the angels to watch over him. While still a baby, he is held in his parents' arms every night, bottle, pacifier and blanket at the ready, as the words of the nighttime Shema are softly said for him as he is lulled to sleep. Soon, he learns to go through the motions by rote, and only later he says the age-old words on his own. There is nothing quite so moving as watching a room- full of kindergarteners covering their eyes and singing out sweetly together, the words of the Shema.

To finish the Reflections...

Shabbat Shalom - Justice With Judgement

2010-08-13T11:07:00.002-06:00

Hope you enjoy my latest Bible thought on the portion of the week.

Shoftim (Judges)
Deuteronomy 16:18 - 21:9

In this week's Torah portion, we read about the restrictions placed on a king of Israel. "But he shall not have many horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt in order to obtain many horses since G-d has said to you, You shall no longer return that way. Neither shall he take many wives that his heart shall not turn away; neither shall he procure great quantities of silver and gold. And it shall be when he sits upon the throne of his kingdom that he shall write for himself a copy of this Torah . . . that his heart not be lifted above his brothers and that he not turn aside from the commandments..." (Deuteronomy 17:16-20)

These verses set forth guidelines to be followed by the kings of Israel, to ensure their righteousness and the absence of corruption in their kingdoms. Although, we no longer have kings, our political leaders would do well to follow these rules.

1. The prohibition against owning many horses is linked with the prohibition against returning to Egypt. Key here is the idea that G-d redeemed His people from Egypt - a king of Israel must make sure never to take steps that would lead his people to be enslaved once again.

2. The prohibition against many wives is more a political rather than a sexual issue. In ancient times, kings took many wives as a way of cementing relationships with neighboring kingdoms, as a sort of peace treaty. However, the danger is that these wives will lead the king astray, that the foreign cultures these women bring with them into the kingdom will lead the king astray from G-d's word and the Jewish way. Again, a word of caution against unhealthy relationships with neighboring nations.

3. The prohibition against too much silver and gold is designed to prevent corruption. If a king does not own too much, he cannot be swayed by money and financial power.

4. And finally, the king is commanded to write his own copy of the Torah and to keep it at his side, to read it and study it and follow the commandments. A king, or any political leader, must be a G-d fearing man and he must avoid arrogance at all costs. If he seeks G-d's counsel in political decisions, he will ultimately do the right thing.

If the leadership of the world followed these four principles, the world would be a far better place.

News From the Land - What It Means To Be an IDF Soldier

2010-08-10T14:15:00.004-06:00

Last week, my son was drafted into the Israeli Army. For the past two years, he has been studying in a Hesder Yeshiva, spending about 16 hours a day studying Bible and Talmud, deepening his connection to G-d, His commandments, the land and the people of Israel. The Hesder program combines religious and military obligations, but last week he began active service as a paratrooper.

I took him to the base where he was supposed to report for active duty. There, he met friends who, like him, had been studying in Yeshiva for two years and were now reporting for active duty. Parents milled around, fluctuating between intense pride that their sons were going to serve our country, and anxiety for their safety and well being. As a parent of four boys, I was calmer given my previous experience, but I was certainly excited. My son is already a young man and he will be asked to shoulder tasks that only adults can undertake. If called upon, he will have to risk his life. I pray that he will return home safely, that he will never have to experience warfare. But I know he will make me proud whatever it is he has to do.

The Israeli army has long had a dual reputation – as an army with amazing capabilities and soldiers who are brave, bold and incredibly competent. But, in recent years, our soldiers have been labeled butchers, war criminals, almost terrorists. At this very moment, there are Israeli officers who cannot travel to some European cities for fear of being arrested for war crimes. Their only crime was to defend the citizens of Israel.

How did the Israeli army became the target of so much hatred, of so many lies and distortions of the truth. Governments are responsible for protecting their citizens and establish armies and police forces to accomplish that goal. When attacked by enemies, armies respond, with might and with ammunition. People are killed in warfare, even civilians who get in the way of the crossfire. And while no one likes war and we all yearn for peace, no one ever used to question the legitimacy of a country using military might to counter a military or other physical threat to the sovereignty of a nation or to the well being of its citizens.

Until Israel. Ever since Israel became a state, we have been attacked by our neighbors. In 1948, 1956, 1967 and 1973, full-blown wars erupted when Israel was attacked by Jordan, Egypt or Syria. Our waterways were blockaded illegally and our cities were bombed. We responded and with G-d's help, defeated our enemies. In 1967, that victory enabled us to liberate the very heartland of our country, Judea and Samaria. In 1982, after constant shelling of our northern cities and terrorist infiltrations from Lebanon, Israel invaded Lebanon and remained there, in alliance with the local Christian army, in varying degrees until 2000, when the last Israeli soldier left Lebanese soil. For years afterward, the Hizbollah, in control of Southern Lebanon, continued to bomb our northern cities. In 2006, four of our soldiers were kidnapped by Hizbollah and Israel responded. The resulting war caused huge damage to Hizbollah strongholds in Southern Lebanon and was ended with UN resolution 1701 which called upon the Lebanese Army to take control of the southern part of its country and prohibit the rearming of Hizbollah. But Hizbollah has been rearming and just last week, Lebanese Army snipers killed one Israeli officer and seriously wounded another, on the Israeli side of the border.

To finish the News From the Land...

Shabbat Shalom

2010-08-06T15:20:00.002-06:00

Hope you enjoy my most recent Bible thought on the portion of the week.

Re'eh (Behold)
Deuteronomy 11:26 - 16:17

"You are the children of the Lord your G-d; you shall not gash yourselves nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead. For you are a holy people to the Lord your G-d, and the Lord has chosen you to be a special nation out of all the nations on the face of the earth." (Deuteronomy 14:1-2)

As part of a list of laws that Moses teaches the Children of Israel, these two verses not only introduce a prohibition but state a basic principle. The prohibition is against injuring oneself or shaving one's head as a way to mourn the dead. The rituals mentioned here are just two examples of pagan Canaanite rituals and the prohibition against these rituals is actually part of an over-riding prohibition against adopting the customs of the pagan nations.

The prohibitions themselves both center on self- effacing activities, common in pagan rituals. For in the pagan world, man is not created in G-d's image and therefore is not a holy being. Human beings should not harm themselves, because human beings are created in His image. Life is holy and a living person has value.

But the Scriptures go on to say that the Jewish people are a holy nation, set apart from other nations in the world. For just as the human being is created in His image and is therefore intrinsically holy, the Jewish nation was chosen by G-d and has therefore been given holiness.

By connecting the prohibitions associated with pagan worship with this statement of the holiness of the nation, G-d makes it very clear that He expects His people to act holy, to separate themselves from the rest of the nations, to keep His commandments. In later rabbinic literature, this idea is referred to as the responsibility of the Jewish people to be a light unto the nations.

We are often witness to the fact that the nations of the world hold the Jewish people and the State of Israel to a higher standard. Frankly, in most cases, those nations are not really interested in placing Israel on a higher pedestal, but creating a basis for criticism against Israel. However, we do expect more from ourselves than others do, and this often gets us into trouble. We agonize over every enemy civilian killed in a war to the point that we compromise the extent that we protect our own civilians. It is a conflict not easily resolved.

It is a conflict we grapple with daily. But at the end of the day, we have the obligation to secure our land, for our people, and protect our citizens as best we can.

As for the ultimate vision for our people and our land, I believe it is best laid out in the verses just a few chapters earlier: "The Lord will drive out all of these nations from before you, and you shall possess nations greater and mightier than yourselves. Every place where the sole of your foot shall tread shall be yours, from the wilderness to Lebanon, from the river, the Euphrates, to the uttermost sea shall be your border. No man shall be able to stand against you for the Lord your G-d shall lay the fear of you and dread of you upon all the land that you shall tread upon as He has spoken to you." (Deuteronomy 11:23-25)

Shabbat Shalom - G-d is in Charge

2010-07-30T15:05:00.003-06:00

I hope you enjoy my latest Bible thought on the portion of the week.

Eikev (Therefore)
Deuteronomy 7:12 - 11:25

"If you will say in your heart, 'these nations are more than I, how can I dispossess them?' You shall not be afraid of them, but shall well remember what the Lord your G-d did to Pharaoh and to all of Egypt. . . so shall the Lord thy G-d do to all the people of whom you are afraid." (Deuteronomy 7:17-19)

As I read these verses today, the words just jumped out at me. This was said by Moses, as part of his final talks to the Children of Israel before his death and before their entry into the Land of Israel. But it could have been said to me, and to my neighbors, right here and now in the Land of Israel.

As I write these words, the Israeli Army is fighting in Lebanon, searching for Hizbollah rockets and terrorists, trying in every way they can to destroy the fire power that is raining down upon Northern Israel for over a month now. Our soldiers are fighting hand to hand against murderous terrorists. They walk through hostile territory, careful to dodge land-mines, explosives and gunfire. Those in tanks are being attacked by sophisticated anti-tank missiles. So many have been killed.

Perhaps some of them are frightened. Perhaps the mothers and fathers, the elderly and the children, cooped up in bomb shelters for weeks, yearning for the silence that they used to take for granted before the constant noise of bombardment -- of rockets landing and artillery fire being shot in response -- perhaps these people are frightened.

Is there a better comfort than to know that G-d is in charge? Than to know that He brought the most incredible miracles once before to save His people and that He can do it again?

May G-d protect us. All of us.

Shabbat Shalom from Samaria,

Sondra Baras
Director, Israel Office

News From the Land - How One Man's Vision Changed Israel

2010-07-14T14:27:00.002-06:00

What an amazing week! Since Sunday, I have been participating in the annual Bible Seminars in Gush Etzion, the largest Jewish Bible Study event in the world! And what an event it has been. For 16 years, the Herzog College and Har Etzion Yeshiva in Gush Etzion, have hosted this Bible Seminar and each year it grows bigger and bigger, attracting more and more participants and offering more and more lectures.

This year, the seminar expanded to 5 days, five lectures a day. During each lecture hour (actually 1 ¼ hours), there is a selection of about 8 different lectures that one can choose from, spanning just about every book of the Hebrew Scriptures, and featuring the finest lecturers, Bible teachers and rabbis in the country. I have been attending this Seminar for more than ten years and it is an amazing experience, each year! In the three days I have attended the classes this week, I have heard lectures on the development of Moses as a character, the nature of prophecy, Isaiah Chapter 40 and the meaning of comfort, coming to terms with Biblical arguments with G-d, the first Greek translations of the Book of Esther, the Binding of Isaac, and the list goes on. My hand is falling off from taking notes and my head and heart are bursting with the new knowledge and the wonderful insights that come from intensive study of the Bible.

Thousands of people participate in the seminars, coming from all over Israel and even from abroad. Rabbis and experienced teachers, join ordinary men and women who just love the Bible. It is a time when friends meet each other in the center of Biblical Judea, exchange news of family and friends and then discuss the lessons just learned. I met friends who I studied Bible with 35 years ago in Jerusalem and continue to study with once a week in Gush Etzion. I met my high school Hebrew teacher – I see her each year at this seminar! She was a young Israeli woman living in Cleveland for a few years and during that time, taught Hebrew at the local Jewish school, before returning to Israel. I reminded her yesterday that it was thanks to her that my Hebrew is so fluent.

This year, though, the Bible Seminars were particularly meaningful because last Friday, a great rabbi passed away. His name was Rabbi Yehuda Amital and he was the founder and head of the Har Etzion Yeshiva. I feel personally connected to this Yeshiva because all four of my boys have studied there, two of whom still do. When Rabbi Amital founded the yeshiva, more than 40 years ago, the idea of boys combining religious studies with army service was a brand-new concept. His was one of the first yeshivas to launch what became known as the Hesder program, where young men spend five years in a combined program of religious study and military service. His was also the first yeshiva to be established in Judea and Samaria! And, as a result of the vision of Rabbi Amital, the study of the Bible became a major course of study in the Yeshiva, beside the Talmud, Mishna and books of Jewish thought.

To finish the rest of the News From the Land...

Shabbat Shalom - Balaam's sin against Israel, and his Punishment

2010-07-09T13:52:00.001-06:00

Hope you enjoy my latest Biblical thought on the portion of the week.

Matot/Massei (Tribes/Travel)
Numbers 30:2 - 36:13

Numbers chapter 32 describes an interesting encounter between the tribes of Reuben and Gad and Moses. Having just conquered land to the east of the Jordan River, they request permission to settle permanently in this area, in the Gilead and Bashan, an area rich in grazing land and so vital to these two tribes of many cattle. Moses' initial response is a distressed one: "Your brothers will go to war and you will sit here? And how can you discourage the hearts of the Children of Israel from entering the land which G-d has given to them?" (Verses 6-7).

Moses then reminds them of the sin of the spies who had returned from the Land of Israel and spoke ill of the land, causing the people to doubt the success of their imminent entry. G-d's response, of course, was to punish the people and delay the entry for an additional 38 years. Moses fears that if Reuben and Gad remain in the land east of the Jordan, the rest of the people will refuse to enter. After years of experience with the Children of Israel, Moses is quite aware that the littlest provocation can instill fear and lack of faith in the people. As a result, he continues, "If you turn away from Him (G-d), He will again leave them in the desert and you will destroy the entire nation." While Moses' fear of angering G-d seems very legitimate, and his fear that Reuben and Gad's actions might have a negative influence on the people is logical, the last phrase which indicates that the nation of Israel would be destroyed seems a bit extreme. After all, the nation survived its first delay. Why wouldn't it survive an additional one?

Remember, however, that at this point in time, Moses is close to his death and G-d has already told him how he will die. (27:13) An entire generation has already died in the desert, those adults who had actually experienced the exodus from Egypt and the revelation at Sinai. The only people who were adults at these two seminal events who are still alive and who will actually enter the Land of Israel are Joshua and Caleb, those valiant spies who were rewarded because of their faith and love of the Land. If these individuals remain in the desert another generation, no one who enters the land will have experienced the Exodus and Sinai. And it is this vital detail that threatens the continued existence of the nation.

The people of Israel are the only people in the world who were exiled from their land for 2,000 years and yet remained intact as a people and as a faith. What kept us going all those years was the fact that we had the Torah, the Bible, as a guide through the years of exile, and we had a land to yearn for. But those two elements, Bible and Land, had to be linked together, experientially, in some way, in order for the connection to last for eternity. Joshua leads the people into the land, having himself personally experienced the Exodus, the revelation at Sinai, and indeed all the wars and tribulations of the desert. Through his personal experience, he can help the Children of Israel connect to the land, and experience the meaning of freedom from slavery, of receiving the Torah. Through Joshua, the link is preserved and passed on forever.

Shabbat Shalom for Friday 7/2/2010

2010-07-01T16:41:00.001-06:00

A little early but hope you enjoy my latest Biblical thought on the portion of the week.

Pinchas (Pineas)
Numbers 25:10 - 30:1

Numbers 27:12-23: "And G-d said to Moses, Go up to this Mt. Avarim and see the land that I have given to the Children of Israel." So begins a moving dialogue between G-d and Moses towards the end of Moses' life. Everything that happens in the remaining chapters of Numbers and all of Deuteronomy actually takes place in the last year of the Israelites' stay in the desert, just prior to their entry into the Land of Israel. And, with this verse, G-d instructs Moses as to the last days of his own life. Like Aaron, G-d will guide Moses up a mountain and there he will die. But, prior to his death, Moses will be able to see the entire Land of Israel spread before him, a land that he yearns to enter but G-d prevents him from doing so.

The actual occurrence of this event is recorded in Deuteronomy chapter 34. Moses ascends Mt. Nebo, on the Avarim, and is able to see, miraculously, the entire land of Israel.

But what is most interesting in this section of Numbers is not G-d's instruction to Moses, but Moses' response to G-d. He does not argue with G-d nor plea for his life. Instead, his first concern is the continued leadership of the Children of Israel. With this reaction, Moses proves to be the essential leader, a man whose very essence has become his concern and sense of responsibility for the nation, above and beyond his own selfish concerns for his life and death.

Moses asks G-d to appoint a man "who may go out before them, and who may go in before them, and who may lead them out and may bring them in" a shepherd for the flock that is the Children of Israel. And G-d instructs Moses to appoint Joshua to this job.

Note that it is not G-d who appoints Joshua, but Moses who does so, in accordance with G-d's command. For Moses is, first and foremost a man, and his concern is for a man who will lead the nation. G-d clearly remains in charge and it is the function of the leader to heed G-d's will in leading the nation. In fact, Moses' charge to Joshua is: "Be strong and of good courage...And G-d is the One who will go before you, He will be with you, He will not fail you nor forsake you." But it is Moses who encourages Joshua and who charges him with his mission: "You must go with this people to the land which G-d has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it." (Deuteronomy 31:7-8)

It is amazing how G-d is often used as a crutch by people who try to evade responsibility. We can sit back and let things run their own course, they will often say, for G-d is in charge. But Moses did not see things that way, and neither did G-d. Real, human leadership was needed for the Children of Israel and Joshua was going to have to lead his people into battle. Did that mean that G-d was not part of the plan? Of course not. But man needed to take responsibility, and the leaders needed to be responsible for the people and for guiding the people in the way that G-d intended.

Moses wanted to make sure that a worthy leader was appointed to replace him before he died. And that leader, Joshua, was the man who actually brought the Children of Israel into the Land of Israel. Our current leaders are no Moses and Joshua. But every week, on Shabbat in the synagogue, we pray to G-d to provide our leaders with wisdom and the guidance they need to make the right decisions. May our leaders have the wisdom and the faith that Joshua had, to do what is right for the nation of Israel and assist us in settling the Land of Israel, as G-d has commanded.

Shabbat Shalom from Samaria,

Sondra Oster Baras
Director, Israel office

Shabbat Shalom - Standing Alone, and Blessed by G-d

2010-06-25T15:34:00.004-06:00

Hope you enjoy my latest Bible thought on the portion of the week.

Balak
Numbers 22 - 25:9

The story of Balaam and his desire to curse the children of Israel is a fabulous one. At the request of Balak, King of Moab, he tries to curse Israel, but at each opportunity, G-d prevents him from doing so. Finally, without a choice, he blesses the nation of Israel in some of the most beautiful verses in the Bible.

And Balaam lifted up his eyes and he saw Israel camping according to their tribes and the spirit of G-d was upon him. . . . How good are your tents, Jacob, and your dwelling places, Israel." (Numbers 24:2-5)

You may recall that at the opening of the Book of Numbers, we discussed the newly important family unit. As the Children of Israel are being counted, the significant unit of identity is the family.

And indeed, it is this family unity, this dwelling according to their tribes and within their tents that attracts Balaam. Our sages noted that what Balaam actually saw within the camp of Israel was an incredible sense of modesty and respect for each other's privacy. The openings of the tents were set up in such a way that they did not face the openings of the neighboring tents, allowing each family some minimum degree of privacy. And each tent belonged to a family, for there is holiness in the family unit.

It could not have been easy for millions of people to live in such close quarters and in temporary dwellings for so many years. Although there are numerous accounts in the book of Numbers of the people questioning G-d or of their lack of appreciation for the miracle of their lives, there isn't a single account of family disputes or neighborly quarrels. And while we can assume that there was a certain amount of this, it clearly was not significant, or it would have been mentioned.

Instead, we have Balaam's account of the goodness of the tents of Israel.

As an outsider, Balaam was attracted to this idea of family harmony, within the context of national unity. This was an idea that was foreign to the Canaanite nations of the time, a culture that was permeated with pagan values and child sacrifice.

Interestingly, there is no indication that the children of Israel knew of Balaam's attempt to curse Israel and his subsequent blessing of them, for there is no interaction between Balaam and the Children of Israel at any part of the story. Balaam stands upon the mountains of Moab and views the new nation from afar without their awareness. And what he sees is a blessing.

The Jews are frequently concerned with how they are viewed by the world. Our traditions and our faith are different from others and we tend to fear the worse among those who view us from afar. But Balaam taught us an important lesson -- if we stay true to those values we inherited from our forefathers, we will always be blessed. For even those who would curse us will have no choice but to bless us.

And Balaam echoes G-d's promise to Abraham: "Those who bless you will be blessed and those who curse you will be cursed." (24:9).

Shabbat Shalom from Samaria,

Sondra Baras
Director, Israel Office

Shabbat Shalom

2010-06-18T05:10:00.001-06:00

Hope you enjoy my latest Bible thought on the portion of the week.

Hukat (Statute)
Numbers 19 - 21

Numbers 20 presents a fascinating story, the story of the death of Miriam and the subsequent loss of water. Verse two: And the nation settled in Kadesh and Miriam died there and was buried there. Verse three: And there was no water for the nation.

Clearly, Miriam's life is associated with water; upon her death there is a sudden lack of water. This association with water is actually seen earlier, just after the parting of the Red Sea. Immediately after Miriam's song of praise to G-d, upon the plentiful Red Sea that has drowned the Egyptian enemies, there is a lack of drinking water. (Exodus 15:22-25) G-d then provides the water needed for drinking which remains plentiful until Miriam's death.

Then begins the story of Moses and Aaron bringing forth water from the rock, that has had centuries of Bible scholars puzzled. What exactly did Moses and Aaron do wrong to have warranted G-d's terrible wrath and punishment: "Because you have not believed in me to sanctify me before the Children of Israel, therefore, you will not bring this congregation to the land that I have given to them."

Some commentators have noted the difference between G-d's commandment to Moses and Aaron to speak to the rock and Moses and Aaron's actual action, which included hitting the rock. Because Moses and Aaron had assembled the entire nation of Israel and were about to demonstrate a tremendous miracle of G-d, bringing water from a dry rock, it was vital that they obey the letter of G-d's instruction, so as to ensure the miracle exactly as G-d had intended.

I have always been troubled by this interpretation. After all, going to Israel is what Moses and Aaron had dreamed of and remained loyal to more than anyone else in the nation. To deprive them of this dream for such a technical error seems difficult to understand.

I would like to suggest a slightly different interpretation. Yes, the fact that Moses and Aaron had gathered the entire nation to witness the miracle is critical. For it is moments like these that can make all the difference -- the difference between a tremendous sanctification of G-d's name and the absence of such sanctification. Pay attention to what Moses actually says to the nation: "Will we not draw you water from this rock?" They don't say -- watch how G-d will draw water from this rock, but rather, "we" will draw water. They missed the point -- and they missed a tremendous opportunity to sanctify G-d's name. They hit the rock and made it look as if there were some magical powers in the staff that made the rock bring forth the water. When actually, this was G-d's doing.

There is no question in my mind that Moses and Aaron were well aware that it was G-d's miracle that they were taking part in. But they missed the opportunity to demonstrate that in no uncertain terms to the children of Israel. And that is the meaning of G-d's statement to them: "You have not believed in me to sanctify me before the Children of Israel."

This is a powerful lesson, indeed. For it behooves us all, as human beings, to recognize G-d's hand in daily events in our lives and in the lives of nations. And we must declare that hand of G-d, not just understand it within our own selves. I believe that the victories that Israel has experienced in the many wars against her, especially during Israel's War of Independence, when Israel survived as a new state, and the Six Day War, when Israel regained control of the heart of biblical Israel, were miracles, direct gifts from G-d. Perhaps if more of us were to declare that in public, in recognition of what G-d has given us, He would enable us not only to enter the land, but to dwell there in peace and security.

Shabbat Shalom from Samaria,

Sondra Oster Baras
Director, Israel office

Shabbat Shalom

2010-06-11T15:02:00.001-06:00

Hope you enjoy this week's Bible thought I the portion of the week.

Korach (Korah)
Numbers 16 - 18

"For the tithe of the children of Israel which will be raised up for G-d, I have designated as a contribution to the Levite, as their territory, for I have said to them, they will not inherit territory within the children of Israel." (Numbers 18:24)

The Levite tribe is set aside as a separate tribe in Israel, dedicated to worshipping G-d on behalf of the nation of Israel in the Temple and, therefore, prevented from owning land or receiving their own tribal territory.

In a previous verse, G-d makes it clear that the tithe replaces whatever financial benefit would accrue to the Levite from owning land. But the tithing system ensures that the Levites will never be involved in business or farming affairs but will be able to devote themselves to worship and service of G-d.

At the end of the Book of Genesis, before his death, Jacob blesses his children, reminding them of events in their past and providing them with insights as to their future. His blessing to Levi and Simeon reflects his displeasure with their rash behavior after their sister Dina was raped by the people of Shechem. "I will divide them within Jacob and spread them out across Israel." And, indeed, these predictions are prophetic. Simeon is virtually absorbed into the tribe of Judah and disappears as a separate tribe. Levi, on the other hand, is raised up to a special level of sanctity, and spread across the land, not restricted to any one territory of its own.

Levi, who began his tribal existence with a rash and violent action, is selected to lead a life of ultimate peace and serenity, serving in G-d's temple. When not serving in the Temple, the Levites taught the nation of Israel, spread out as they were throughout the land. Moses and Aaron come from the tribe of Levi and served the nation of Israel faithfully in the desert. And yet, Moses began his career killing an Egyptian who had wronged his people.

Perhaps there was something in Levi's temperament that needed a restraining hand that carried enormous potential for good, for humility and service, but needed to be channeled in the proper direction. Perhaps it is those individuals with the greatest passion, the greatest zeal for setting things right, that have the greatest ability to do good, and to serve G-d with the greatest fervor. But it is often these same people who need the restraining hand of wisdom that a life of service, of doing for G-d and for His people, can give to them.

Shabbat Shalom from Samaria,

Sondra Oster Baras
Director, Israel office

News From the Land

2010-06-08T13:53:00.001-06:00

It’s been just over a week since the Gaza flotilla hit the news all over the world. In Israel it remains a major story in the news, and each day, new information is revealed. Yesterday, Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that the violent group on the Marmara had boarded the boat in a different location from the rest of that boat’s passengers. They had different instructions and different objectives than the rest. It seems that the passengers who initiated and took part in the violence came armed and ready for exactly that purpose. Their declared goal was to attack and hurt, if not kill, Israeli soldiers.

While government ministers and spokespersons have been busy gathering facts and releasing statements to the public, private citizens, both Jewish and non-Jewish have been trying to aid the PR effort. Most successful of all has been Caroline Glick’s Latma group. Latma is the name of a Hebrew language website which produces a weekly satire show for Israeli audiences with a decidedly right-wing bent. Just after the Gaza Flotilla incident, they decided to produce a song, this time in English, which would expose the hypocrisy of the world and the evil intentions of the Marmara group in a satiric, humorous way. They created an incredible piece, a spoof on the live-aid production “We are the world” renamed as “We con the world.”

This piece succeeded beyond anyone’s wildest imagination. Within 48 hours, it had surpassed 1 million hits on youtube. It was covered on every Israeli news channel. I received it in my e-mail box several times and friends phoned me to tell me about it. At work today, my husband played it for colleagues, all of whom loved it and wanted to replay it again and again. I have personally been singing the refrain and some of the verses to myself for the past few days.

What about this song has struck such a chord? In the first place, it is funny and has a catchy tune. But much more importantly, it makes fun of the very people around the world that we are feeling so frustrated about. As we watched the flotilla drama unfold and it became clear that our soldiers were ambushed and attacked brutally, all of Israel united behind our soldiers and resisted any attempts to condemn them. At the same time, we became aware of the unbelievably biased approach to the story as it was being reported outside of Israel. News stories told of starvation and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, of unwarranted violence against “peace activists” who were only looking out for the “poor Palestinians.” Again and again, Israel is compared to an evil Goliath and the Palestinians, or their “activist” allies become the David. And, again and again, Israelis listen to these blatant lies and horrible distortions and scream from frustration. What does it take to convince people that we are the good guys in this story? Why is it so easy for seemingly normal countries and normal people to believe the stories of terrorists before they believe ours?

To finish the News From the Land...

Shabbat Shalom

2010-06-04T12:49:00.002-06:00

Hope you enjoy my most recent Bible thought on the portion of the week.

Shelach (Send Forth)
Numbers 13 - 15

And the men, whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land. Now those men who brought up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the Lord. (Numbers 14:36-37)

Moses sends the leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel to check out the land of Israel, to investigate its people and evaluate their strength or weakness, to taste the fruits and crops and determine the fertility of the land. The expectation is high and, indeed, the spies return with a report that the land flows with milk and honey. They bring back the fruit of the land to demonstrate its juiciness and sweetness.

But they also bring back a bitter report, that the land is full of giants and fortified cities. Despite the obvious natural riches that the spies observed, they reach a horrifying conclusion: "We are not able to go up against the people for they are stronger than us. And they spread an evil report of the land..." (Numbers 13:31-32)

Clearly, the spies were lacking in faith. They observed the fortifications, but didn't take into account the fact that G-d would protect them and would ensure their victory.

Interestingly, though, it is not their lack of faith that G-d refers to when he brings punishment upon them. It is the fact that they have slandered the land, bringing evil words before the people of Israel.

G-d has prepared His people to receive the ultimate gift -- a land that He created especially for them, that He designated for them from creation and revealed His purpose to their forefather Abraham. And just as they are about to receive the gift, they reject it. Yes, they are afraid of the enemies that await them in the land, but they go beyond an expression of fear. They turn away G-d's precious gift.

In 1948 and again in 1967, G-d presented this gift to His people once more. The State of Israel was created and later, the Biblical Heartland was liberated. This was the result of military victory, but the miracle of it all embodied G-d's gift to His people. But instead of accepting the gift and trusting in Him to assist us to hold on to the gift, there were people within Israel who rejected it. Out of fear, indeed, but they rejected it nonetheless. And as the years progressed, they began to slander the land, calling it a land, "which eats its inhabitants" (Numbers 13:32), a land which will know no peace unless the people of Israel abandon it.

Yes, the land has been slandered and G-d surely trembles at the sound of it. There are a dedicated few that defend the land at every juncture, that cling to it with every fiber of their bodies. But will this be enough to protect us all?

Shabbat Shalom - The Promise Before Failure Happens

2010-05-28T15:51:00.002-06:00

Hope you enjoy this weeks Bible thought on the portion of the week.

Beha'alotcha (As You Raise Up)
Numbers 8:1 - 12:15

"And it came to pass, when the ark set forward that Moses said, Rise up Lord, and let your enemies be scattered and let those you hate you flee before you. And when it rested he said Return, Lord, to the ten thousand thousands of Israel." Numbers 10:35- 36.

In the Hebrew text, there is an inverted "nun" placed before and after these two verses, a one-of-a-kind symbol in the Scriptures. Clearly, these two verses are meant to be set apart, to draw our attention to something dramatic.

And, in fact, these verses mark a highlight in the experience of the Children of Israel in the desert. Until this point, we have read of the counting of the children of Israel, of the dedication of the tabernacle and the procession of the camp, as each tribe gathers around each flag. Revelation at Sinai happened the year before, G-d has forgiven His people after the sin of the golden calf, the tabernacle has been built and dedicated, the priests have been instructed in their duties and the camp is organized and ready to march. And in fact, these two verses signify their marching orders. We have already learned that the camp travels only when the holy cloud is lifted and here, Moses calls upon G-d to rise up, to lift the cloud and the nation will march forward, into the land of Israel.

The journey should only take 11 days. They have already traveled 3 days. (Verse 33).

But with the opening verse of Chapter 11, everything begins to crash. The nation complains repeatedly and is punished. Miriam speaks ill of her brother and his wife and is punished. And then, of course, comes the sin of the spies, resulting in the most severe punishment of all -- an entire generation would die in the desert and never see the Promised Land.

These two verses promise what could have been. These two verses echo the trumpets that were about to be sounded and the royal procession that would have brought the nation of Israel into the Land of Israel within weeks. Instead, it would be 38 more years.

The State of Israel was established in 1948 among much fanfare and trumpet-blowing, both the trumpets of war (unfortunately) and the trumpets of G-d's miracles. Ever since, we have eagerly awaited the completion of the process, the final resting in the Land of Israel, in peace with our neighbors. But so many things went wrong. So many of our people did not really understand the spiritual significance of these events. We are ready to march forward, but G- d may be putting a hold on the procession for now. Will we have to wait a generation until we proceed? We don't know. But we must continue reading these verses, calling upon G-d to rise and lead us into the Promised Land, for even if there is a delay, He will surely lead us on to redemption.

Shabbat Shalom - Are the Bitter Waters so Bitter?

2010-05-21T12:34:00.002-06:00

Hope you enjoy my most recent Biblical thought on the portion of the week.

Naso (To Carry/Appoint)
Numbers 4:21 - 7

"Speak to Aaron and to his sons saying: Thus shall you bless the children of Israel, it is to be said to them: May G-d bless you and keep you, May G-d shine His face upon you and be gracious to you, May G-d turn His face to you and grant you peace." (Numbers 6:23-26)

G-d instructs Moses to teach Aaron how to bless the children of Israel. The blessing is written in the singular - the word "you" refers to the individual, not the common you. Each and every person of Israel is blessed by the priests.

Notice the end of the first verse - "it is to be said to them". The language of the blessing is dictated to the priests, the children of Aaron and through that dictation, they will bless the people of Israel. While G-d invests the priests with this special obligation to bless Israel, He does not give them power over them. G-d provides the wording and they perform their obligation. In this way, the priests should not become arrogant and believe that they have a special power of their own, to bless the people or refrain from blessing, as they choose, to create the content of the blessing, as they wish. They are merely vessels of G-d's will.

In fact, the words "it is to said to them" have been interpreted to mean that it is the people of Israel who must initiate this blessing - when the people of Israel dictate this blessing, it is repeated by the priests and they bless Israel. In fact, this is the custom in synagogues to this very day.

The priestly tradition has been preserved for thousands of years, even though we no longer have a Temple in which to serve G-d through sacrifice and the other rituals prescribed in the Bible. Every Jew with the name Cohen (or Cohn, Kahn, Kahan) is a descendant of a priest, and this tradition has been passed from father to son. Each priest knows who he is and continues to bless the people of Israel. Every single day in Israel (only during holidays abroad), during the morning prayer services, the priests in the congregation proceed to the front of the synagogue at a specified time, raise their prayer shawls above their heads to hide their faces, turn to face the congregation, raise their arms above their heads and recite the Aaronic blessing. However, they only recite the blessing after being called upon to do so by the leader of the service. And that leader pronounces each word of the blessing first, softly so as not to attract undue attention. The priests then repeat each word in a loud chant.

The priests were a holy group of people, invested with special duties and obligations. They owned no land in Israel and were responsible for the service in the Temple. They, in effect, represented the people of Israel to G-d and enabled the people to serve G-d. They were also identified with peace. Aaron was a man of peace, far calmer of spirit than his brother Moses. His descendant, Pinchas (Phineas), a hot- headed individual, is invested with G-d's covenant of peace. (Numbers 25:12). And the Aaronic blessing ends with the wish for peace.

It is imperative that the priests remain separate yet part of the people of Israel. They are not political leaders but spiritual ones. In fact, during the second temple period, the priests usurped the political leadership and chaos and corruption resulted. Their duties to bless do not confer upon them extra powers or privileges. They are servants of G-d, servants of the needs of the people. And in fulfilling their duties, according to G-d's will, they can indeed bring peace among the Jewish people.

Reflections on Ushering in and Bidding Farewell to Shabbat by Shira Schwartz

2010-05-18T07:51:00.002-06:00

Thought you would love to read Shira Schwart'z latest column about Jewsish Prayer.

In my home, as in most Jewish homes around the world, Friday afternoon, as Shabbat approaches, tends to be hectic. I call a five-minute warning upstairs to my girls who are putting the final touches on their Shabbat finery, remind my boys to turn off the computer and stereo and start setting the Shabbat table. My husband Kuti sets the clock timers which will turn the lights and our electric heating plate off and on at the right times over the next 25 hours and places our family’s collection of cell phones on a high shelf. I make sure all the delicacies we prepared are warm and ready, while I fix Elitzur’s attempt at buttoning his white shirt, the traditional uniform for boys on Shabbat.

And then it’s time. Time to bring in the Shabbat. The liturgy of Jewish prayer is rich and fascinating, and some of the most beautiful prayers are those composed particularly for the day of Shabbat. But none are as meaningful to me as those which, through spiritual contemplation, usher in this holiest of days, the prayers that guide us lovingly from the mundane to the spectacular, from the secular to the divine.

At least two candles must be lit, representing the first words of the commandment concerning Shabbat… “keep” and “remember” from two separate passages in the Torah. (Exodus 20:8; Deuteronomy 5:12) In our home we light a candle for every member of our family. Our silver Shabbat candlesticks are set on top of our piano. I remember choosing those candlesticks with Kuti when we were engaged and how my mother would buy us a new candlestick after each of our children was born.

The Shabbat candles are lit eighteen minutes before sunset every Friday evening. After sunset we do not kindle a flame, so to light a candle later would be a desecration of Shabbat. The commandment of lighting Shabbat candles rests upon the household, but it is the woman of the house, in her role as the mainstay of the home, who does the actual lighting. The wife, the mother, usually has more influence over the spirit of the home, so she is given the privilege of lighting the candles. Women have a naturally spiritual nature so that qualifies them to be the ones responsible for bringing the peace and sanctity of Shabbat into our homes and our lives. When I am away for Shabbat, visiting friends, traveling abroad, or recuperating in the hospital after having a baby, I still light candles where I am. And then someone else has to light candles in our house to make sure the light still fills our home.

The Shabbat candles are meant to bring harmony and joy, peace and tranquility into the home. They serve to remind us of the spiritual elements of Shabbat. Think about it. Just like a candle illuminates a dark room, the Shabbat candles can help illuminate the recesses of our souls, allowing us to explore new dimensions... the intangible energies of our existence.

To finish the Reflections...

Shabbat Shalom - Kehat's Dangerous Job.

2010-05-14T08:20:00.002-06:00

Hope you enjoy my most recent Bible thought on the portion of the week.

Bamidbar (In the Desert)
Numbers 1:1 - 4:20

The Book of Numbers opens with a census taken of the entire nation of Israel. In fact, throughout this book, there are a number of counts taken, both of the entire nation and of the priests and Levites.

What strikes me, though, is the recurring use of the word family in these first chapters. The count is done on a family basis. The nation of Israel is organized on a family basis. Each tribe is actually a collection of families and this notion is stressed throughout these early chapters.

The Book of Genesis is a story of Adam and his descendants, through Shem and his descendants, and finally Abraham and his descendants. It is a tale of one family with many branches. And the key branch, the one that inherits center stage, is the one that carries us into the Book of Exodus.

In Exodus, we no longer have a sense of family, but a sense of nation. The family of Jacob has become the nation of Israel.

In the Book of Numbers, however, the family unit returns, as a key element in the national structure. And, in fact, family is essential to so much of Jewish culture and values. Our families have always been the key to the survival of the Jewish heritage. The children are commanded to respect their parents and the parents are obligated to teach their children. In fact, the Shabbat table itself has been a key factor, throughout the ages, in enabling parents to transmit centuries of faith and tradition to their children. The Ten Commandments themselves place the Shabbat just before the obligation to respect our parents -- clearly they are meant to be linked.

For those of you who have been blessed with children, you know what an unbelievable treasure they are. Even during the most difficult times, when we question the meaning of life and the direction we must take, if we have children we have one constant. We know we must love and protect them and teach them right from wrong. That in itself is direction.

It's Time For Israel to Make a Stand

2010-05-11T10:31:00.001-06:00

I have just returned from a two-week visit in the US. Everywhere I went, people expressed concern about the relationship between the US and Israel. People wanted to know what is happening in Israel, what is Obama up to, how do people in Israel feel about Obama and about the US. People were puzzled over the US objection to building in Jerusalem and could not understand what was happening with regard to Iran. I tried my best to answer the constant barrage of questions, but, frankly, felt that I had little to offer.

Indeed, relations between the US and Israel are strained and each day the newspapers are filled with additional items in this regard. This morning’s paper told us that Netanyahu would refrain from building any new homes in Ramat Shlomo, the Jerusalem neighborhood that was the cause of the stir when Vice President Joe Biden came to town. Other sources claimed that Netanyahu made no such commitment but had merely explained to both Obama and Biden that the recent announcement of plans to build 1600 new apartment units would not reach the construction stage for two years, given the normal bureaucracy and infrastructure preparation that any such building project entails.

As September nears, however, and the end of the 10-month construction freeze in Judea and Samaria approaches, all of us are very concerned as to whether Netanyahu will indeed lift the freeze or whether he will succumb to US and international pressure to extend it further. Many commentators are predicting a hot summer, and they are not referring to the weather. The proximity talks with the Palestinians are due to begin and it is far from clear whether these talks will indeed bring us closer to a peace agreement or if they will, actually, hasten us towards war. As Syria becomes more active in smuggling weapons to Hizbollah in Southern Lebanon, as the Hamas in Gaza continue with their smuggling exploits in the south, it certainly feels as if we are moving further from peace than ever before.

What is clear, however, is that Obama’s statements and attitudes towards Israel represent a change in US policy. While the American people remain staunchly pro-Israel, its administration is bending over backwards to demonstrate even-handedness. Obama has indicated that it sees Israel as the key intransigent in Israeli-Palestinian dealings and such attitudes just serve to encourage intransigence and even outright terrorism on the part of the Arabs. Indeed, terrorist cells in Judea and Samaria rear their heads every time a US official visits Israel. American hesitation and ineffectiveness on the Iran sanctions issue has also served to project an image of a weak America, or at least of an indecisive one. Clearly, Iran is not taking the US seriously.

I have always been a straight talker and have never had much patience for diplomatic double-speak. But I can appreciate the fact that sometimes such language is appropriate and even effective. However, the time has come for Israel to say things in the clearest, most straightforward way.

• Israel must declare to the entire world that Jerusalem is the undivided capital of Israel and that its future will not be on the bargaining table.

• Israel must declare to the entire world that the so-called Palestinian refugees must be permanently settled throughout the Arab world, with the support of both the host Arab countries and the international community. Israel has already absorbed its refugees and is, therefore, absolved of any such burden towards the Arabs.

• Israel must declare that the nation of Israel has been irrevocably connected to the Land of Israel since the time of Abraham, some 4,000 years ago and that connection is centered in Judea and Samaria.

• Israel must declare that the Jewish people will live and settle in the heartland of Biblical Israel forever.

• Israel must declare that it will not tolerate a nuclear Iran nor tolerate Iran’s proxies in Lebanon and Gaza and will take whatever steps it deems necessary to defeat these dangerous enemies.

To finish this article...

Shabbat Shalom - An Unbreachable Covenant

2010-05-07T14:00:00.001-06:00

">Watch this weeks Behar/Bechukotai Torah portion...

Behar/Bechukotai (At the Mountain / My Statutes)
Leviticus 25:1 - 27:34

"If you walk in my statues and keep my commandments and do them, then I will give you rain in due season and the land shall yield its increase . . . And I will give peace in the land." (Leviticus 26:3-6). So begins a critical chapter in the Bible, one that sets forth clearly G-d's expectations from His people and the rewards and punishments that follow obedience or disobedience respectively. Amazingly, all of the rewards and punishments are connected with the Land of Israel. If we follow G-d's word, He will reward us with peace and prosperity in our land. If we disobey Him, we will be exiled and spread among enemy nations.

But G-d concludes this chapter with a fabulous statement, a promise that the Jewish people took with them into exile, time and time again. "And yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away nor will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly and to break my covenant with them, for I am the Lord their G-d." (Verse 44).

Just last week, a Muslim cleric, Hamed Al-Tamimi, a member of the Supreme Judicial Council of the Palestinian Authority, published a document which accuses Christian Zionism of being antithetical to the Christian faith. Unfortunately, this claim has many supporters among Christian adherents of replacement theology. But replacement theology is based on the assumption that G-d has broken His covenant with His people Israel and the promises made specifically in the Bible to Israel are no longer relevant.

When I read these verses in Leviticus, with their express assurance that, despite exile and deserved punishment, G-d will never break His covenant with us, I can only wonder at the faith of those Christians who can't see the truth of these Scriptures.

Thank G-d, there has been a great resurgence in faith and more and more Christians are returning to the Bible, to reading the actual word and, as a result, opening their eyes and their hearts to the people of Israel. I have personally met so many Christians who have come to this awakening and it is life-changing for them. My own encounter with these Christians, with so many of you, has certainly been life-changing for me.

We live in special times. May we all enjoy G-d's promised blessings of peace in the land.

Shabbat Shalom Counting the Omer -- Counting on G-d's love

2010-04-30T12:59:00.002-06:00

Emor (Speak)
Leviticus 21:1 - 24:23

Chapter 23 of Leviticus sets forth all the various Jewish holidays that are Biblically based. "These are the feasts of the Lord, holy gatherings, which you shall proclaim in their own time." (verse 4). The scriptures then set forth, respectively, the holiday of Passover, the waving of the "Omer" or special first harvest offering, the counting of 7 weeks from the Omer ceremony to an additional holiday, Rosh HaShana (Jewish New Year), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and the Feast of Tabernacles.

The holiday marked on the 50th day from the counting of the omer is not named here, but its name is provided in two additional scriptures: Exodus 34:22 and Deuteronomy 16. It is the holiday of Shavuot, which, in Hebrew literally means weeks, a reference to the only distinction this holiday has in the Bible, a holiday that is the culmination of seven weeks of counting.

However, an easy calculation will demonstrate that this holiday actually falls on the very same day that the Torah was given at Sinai. "In the third month after the children of Israel left Egypt, on that day, they came to the Sinai Desert." (Exodus 19:1) Scripture then describes some additional travels until they arrive at Mt. Sinai and some discussion between G-d and Moses. Following, there is an instruction from G-d to the children of Israel to prepare themselves for 3 days, at which point, they are to receive the Torah.

Figure it out. If the children of Israel arrive at Mt. Sinai on the third day of the their arrival at the Sinai Desert, and then wait an additional three days until the Torah is given, the date of that revelation is the sixth day of the third month. Now count from the second day of Passover, (the 16th day of the first month) the night of the waving of the Omer, exactly 50 days, and you arrive at the 6th day of the 3rd month.

And in fact, this holiday is a very special one in the Jewish calendar. We are not only celebrating an agricultural event, the holiday of the harvest and the culmination of 50 days of harvest, which began with the omer, the first of the harvest, and culminates with the wheat harvest. But we are also celebrating the spiritual birth of our nation, for it was not until revelation at Sinai that G-d gave us the Torah, which, in turn, became the spiritual tie that binds us together with G-d forever.

But we had to do some scriptural research to figure this out. The harvest is a natural time to celebrate -- most ancient cultures included harvest celebrations. But a true celebration of the Shavuot holiday must include the celebration of the giving of the Torah, an internal, spiritual holiday that must be discovered, much as each and every person must discover the spiritual truths that are waiting to be uncovered throughout the Bible.

Reflections on Prayer: The Prayers for the State of Israel and Her Armed Forces by Shira Schwartz

2010-04-29T13:43:00.004-06:00

Thought you would love to read Shira Schwartz's latest column about Jewish prayer.

These past two days have been a roller coaster of emotions. Monday was Israel’s Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror. Every school, every city, every small community, had a ceremony commemorating the country’s heroes-- those who fell in the battlefields of our endlessly long list of wars, and those who fell because they were walking on the wrong street, riding the wrong bus, guarding the wrong mall, standing outside the wrong pizza parlor, when a terrorist decided to strike out and destroy. Sadly, every one of those schools, those cities and communities has lists of their own: Classmates, colleagues, neighbors and brothers. The ceremonies began at 8 P.M. at night, with a minute-long siren that pierced the air and our hearts as we stood in painful, respectful silence. The next morning, at 11 A.M. the siren wailed again, catching people at work, at the market, driving along the highway. Computer screens were dimmed, grocery wagons pushed aside, and car ignitions turned off, as everyone stopped and stood at attention. The country shut down as everyone spent their afternoons visiting their loved ones at local and military cemeteries.

And then, last night, as night fell, the parties began! Memorial Day ends with the start of Israel’s Independence Day. There is no chance to change moods, to find the strength to celebrate. Independence Day’s back-to-back placement with Memorial Day is a harsh, but necessary juxtaposition of what life in Israel is about. Our Independence Day—our celebration of our State of Israel must be seamed so closely with Memorial Day, for without the selflessness of our fallen heroes, we would have nothing to celebrate. The Jewish people of Israel understand the reality of living in this incredibly wonderful, always complicated country.

These two holidays make me think of two marvelous, short prayers which are said from the pulpit during every Shabbat and festival prayer service. The first one I find myself connecting to our Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror and it is called “The Prayer for Protection of the Israel Defense Forces”. Today I am including the full text because it is short and its words so simple yet so priceless:

May He who blessed our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob -- may He bless the fighters of the Israel Defense Forces, who stand guard over our land and the cities of our G-d, from the Lebanese border to the desert of Egypt, and from the Great Sea to the verge of the wilderness, on land, in the air, and at sea.

May the Almighty cause the enemies who rise up against us to be struck down before them. May the Holy One, Blessed is He, preserve and rescue our fighters from every trouble and distress and from every plague and illness, and may He send blessing and success in their every endeavor.

May He vanquish by their means those who hate us, and may He adorn them with a crown of deliverance and a mantle of victory. Thus may the verse be fulfilled: ‘For it is the lord your G-d who marches with you to do battle for you against your enemy, to bring you victory’. Now let us respond. Amen.’

The prayer speaks for itself and, I’m sure, moves you. But for the people of the congregations of Israel, each time this prayer is intoned, its gravity, its reality, hits home with harshness, urgency. And when our country is at war or the situations on our borders are volatile, or when we are under steady missile attacks, or during periods of threats to kidnap our soldiers, the prayer is especially meaningful and poignant. My oldest son Avraham is only 14, but as he gets older and taller, his voice deeper and his upper lip fuzzier, I find it easier to picture the day when he will don that khaki uniform and join the Israeli army. But for now, I only need to look around the synagogue at friends and neighbors whose sons, husbands, brothers and boyfriends are protecting our borders and keeping us safe, and I feel for them. And sometimes I choke on my answering “Amen”.

To finish the Reflections...

Shabbat Shalom

2010-04-23T15:28:00.001-06:00

Shabbat Shalom Relationship with G-d

2010-04-23T15:04:00.002-06:00

Aharei-Mot/Kedoshim-(After the Death/Holy)
Leviticus 16-20
"You shall be holy for I the Lord your G-d am holy." Leviticus 19:2. Throughout Leviticus, G-d commands Moses to teach the children of Israel, or to instruct them in various commandments and rules of behavior. With this scripture, G-d introduces a few laws pertaining to our relationship with G-d, such as the Shabbat and the prohibition against idol worship. However, most of the commandments in this section relate to relationships within society, the treatment of the poor, honest employment practices and the very basic commandment, to love our neighbor as oneself.
But the first commandment, which serves to introduce the entire chapter, G-d commands us to be holy. And to be holy because He is holy. In this brief instruction, we come to understand the very essence of man's relationship to G-d. G-d is perfection. G-d is holiness. And it is G-d that we must emulate. We must be holy because He is holy!
And how is that holiness expressed? Not like in so many other religions, exclusively through rituals and ceremonies. Yes, we do need to keep the Shabbat and bring the ritual sacrifices to G-d and not to pagan idols. But that is dealt with so briefly. The thrust of the chapter is the expectation of holiness in our dealings with our fellow man. G-d is compassionate, and we must emulate this characteristic of G-d as well. For it is through our relationships with our fellow human beings, through acts of compassion and charity, that we can indeed become holy and, as a people, become worthy of the description that G-d himself assigns to the people of Israel "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." (Exodus 19:6)

Shabbat Shalom Purity In Word and Deed

2010-04-16T08:33:00.002-06:00

">Watch this weeks Torah portion...

Tazria/Metzora (Leper)
Leviticus 12:1 - 15:33

"This shall be the law of the Leper on the day of his cleansing, he shall be brought to the Priest." (Leviticus 14:2). So begins a detailed description of the rituals involved with purifying someone who has been afflicted with Biblical Leprosy.

The original Hebrew word used in the Bible for this leprosy is "Zaraat," which is commonly translated as leprosy. As all modern individuals are aware, however, leprosy is a medical affliction which, since the invention of antibiotics, is fully treatable medically. In referring to "Zaraat", the Bible discusses a purely spiritual cleansing, performed by the priest. It is clear, therefore, that the word leprosy is actually a mistranslation of the word "Zaraat" and that the disease referred to in the Bible, although similar in its physical manifestations to leprosy or some other skin disease, is actually a spiritual ailment requiring a purely spiritual cure.

Although the Bible does not mention in these chapters in Leviticus what the cause of such an affliction would be, we do have a hint of the cause in a later chapter. "And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Kushite woman whom he had taken... And the anger of G-d was inflamed against them . . . And behold Miriam was snow white, stricken with "zaraat." (Numbers 12:1-10) Miriam was stricken by G-d with this same skin disease, clearly as a punishment for having spoken ill of her brother Moses.

G-d does not treat gossip lightly. As men and women, created in His image, we are commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves and to treat everyone with respect. This includes not maligning them, even in a light, gossipy way. Our sages have said that if one shames another person in public it as if he has murdered him. The import of this statement is that a person's honor, reputation and dignity are often as important to him as his physical life. When you damage a person's reputation, you are destroying an important part of his humanity. Similarly, when we gossip about people, we tarnish their reputation and cast a shadow upon their motivations or actions. When Miriam criticized Moses' relationship with his wife, she did just that and she was severely punished.

News From the Land

2010-04-13T14:43:00.001-06:00

Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel. Each year, as the sun sets the night before, we begin the incredible mood change from delightful spring day to a day of mourning and dedication to the memories of the six million who were murdered by Hitler, the Nazis and their European allies, more than 65 years ago.

Last night, we watched the ceremony on television and listened carefully as President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke to the nation. Both spoke beautifully and personally about the Holocaust. Peres referred to a recent visit to his childhood home, where his family and friends had been murdered. He mentioned tasting the water from the well that was in the yard of his childhood home and tasting blood and ashes instead of the once sweet water. Netanyahu referred to our brothers and sisters, our fellow Jews who had been murdered so brutally and whose stories are so fresh in our minds.

But both of these national leaders referred to the dangers that threaten Israel and the Jewish people today. Both referred to the dangers of a nuclear Iran and its satellite nations and terrorist organizations who draw moral and financial support for their murderous attacks against Israel. Both referred to the dangers of radical Islam. And both referred to a world, to the United Nations and nations across the globe who are ignoring these dangers.

This year, we didn’t have to wait for Holocaust Remembrance Day to remember the dangers of anti-Semitism. As the tensions between the US administration and the Government of Israel grew in recent weeks, most Israelis were thinking the same thing: Are there anti-Semites in the White House? Is President Barak Hussein Obama an anti-Semite?

To finish the News from the Land...

Shabbat Shalom - Holiness

2010-04-09T15:51:00.002-06:00

">Watch this weeks Shemini Torah portion

Shemini (Eighth)
Leviticus 9:1 - 11:47

One of the most tragic events in the Bible takes place in this week's reading. Leviticus 10 begins with the story of the death of Nadav and Avihu, who brought a "strange fire" before G-d. It is not clear exactly what Nadav and Avihu did that angered G-d. However, unlike the lengthy descriptions of the building of the tabernacle and its consecration, which included repeated assertions that all was done "as G-d commanded Moses," clearly Nadav and Avihu took an initiative that extended beyond the parameters of G-d's commandment.

But it is Moses' words of comfort to Aaron, who has just lost two of his sons, that is most telling. "This is as G-d has said, I will be sanctified in them that come near me and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron was silent." (Leviticus 10:3)

It is a great privilege to enter the tabernacle and perform the holiest tasks of all. The high priest is the only one allowed to enter the holy of holies and only on the Day of Atonement. There is great holiness attached to everything any priest does and they are truly able to serve G-d in a very special way. But there are tremendous restrictions on them as well. They must serve G-d exactly as He asks, with no deviations.

It is difficult for us to understand this sort of relationship with G-d that is so strict and so dangerous. But there is comfort in the fact that such demands are only made upon those that G-d is closest to. And it is through these incredibly close relationships that G-d's name is sanctified.

Many are those who have died or suffered who seemed to be so close to G-d, so faithful to His name. We may question the justness of it, for what would such wonderful people have done to have deserved such pain. But perhaps Moses' words to Aaron can be a comfort to us all in these circumstances. Perhaps G-d expects more from those He is closest to. And through this relationship, we can better understand
G-d's perfection.

Shabbat Shalom from Samaria,

Sondra Baras
Director, Israel Office

Shabbat Shalom during Passover

2010-04-02T11:10:00.002-06:00

">To watch this weeks Shabbat Shalom...

This Shabbat falls in the middle of the Passover holiday so we suspend the regular reading of the Torah portion and read sections of Exodus 33 and 34 instead. But, unquestionably, the central theme of the entire Passover holiday is the story of the Exodus from Egypt, a story which we read on the first and last days of the holiday. And the highlight of the holiday, of course, is the Seder, the festive service and meal that takes place in Jewish homes on the first night of Passover.

I would like to dedicate this Shabbat Shalom to a short discussion of the central theme of the Haggadah, the book that defines the order and content of the Seder service. “And you shall tell your son on that day saying: because of this which G-d did for me when I left Egypt.” (Exodus 13:8). This Scriptures captures the essence of the Seder – the telling of the story to our children, ensuring that they know the Biblical story of the Exodus and understand that every custom we perform, every ritual and prayer that night is connected to the Exodus from Egypt.

The Haggadah begins with the four questions which are asked by the youngest child or all the children at the table. The questions are meant to arouse the curiosity of the child and, indeed, reflect some of the customs which have come to be associated with the Seder meal. The format of questions, however, is meant to inform and instruct us as parents – it is our job to inspire the curiosity of our children so that they may ask us questions. And it is these questions, in turn, which propel us into our job of teaching our children the meaning of the evening.

And, indeed, immediately following the four questions, we begin to teach our children: “We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt.” So begins the story of the Exodus from Egypt.

Later on in the Haggadah, four different sons are described – a wise son, a wicked son, a simple son and a son who does not know how to ask. Each son (except the last) poses a question with regard to the Passover service and each son is answered differently. The questions of each son as well as their answers are actually quotations from Scripture, or in the case of the Wise son, a quotation from the Mishna. But the scripture above regarding the telling of the Passover story to the sons is quoted in both the answers to the wicked son and to the son who does not know how to ask.

To finish the Shabbat Shalom...

Shabbat Shalom - Sanctity of Blood

2010-03-26T15:18:00.001-06:00

Tzav (And He (G-d) Commanded Moses)
Leviticus 6 - 8

Chapter 8 in Leviticus discusses the anointing of Aaron and his sons as priests in the Tabernacle and the anointing of the Tabernacle itself. The process is very detailed. The first step is the washing of both Aaron and his sons. Then Moses dresses Aaron. Then Moses anoints the Tabernacle in oil. Then Moses anoints Aaron in oil. Finally, a series of sacrifices and ceremonies follow, after which Moses instructs Aaron and his sons to remain in the Tabernacle for seven days and nights. At the conclusion of this process, the Tabernacle will be ready for regular service.

A few things about this process struck me as I was reviewing the sequence. First of all, Moses is the one who takes the lead, who has received the instruction from G-d and who does the washing, anointing, sprinkling of the blood and so much more. Moses is the active player in this entire process -- Aaron and his sons are passive recipients of their new role. Interestingly, though, Moses will not be allowed to bring the sacrifices once the Tabernacle is completed, because it is only Aaron and his sons, and his descendants forever on, who are appointed to that role.

Secondly, both the priests and the vessels in the Tabernacle are anointed in oil. Generally, the anointing oil is used to appoint someone to a particular position -- both Saul and David are anointed by prophets. But here, the oil is also used to anoint inanimate objects.

Lastly, when Moses instructs the priests at the end of the process, he makes it very clear that they must not leave the Tabernacle at all for 7 days "that you will not die." (Leviticus 8:35). Clearly there is a danger involved in serving G-d in the Tabernacle.

Each of these issues teaches us something very valuable about leadership and serving G-d. Until now, Moses has been the sole recipient of G-d's instruction and has passed that instruction on to the people. With the anointing of Aaron and his sons, however, Moses imparts some of his authority to Aaron, enabling him and his sons to be the sole people responsible for serving G-d in the Tabernacle. Aaron passively receives this instruction as Moses actively gives it, but Moses has actually handed over something he will never have again. He willingly and lovingly gives up a part of his leadership, so that the people can be better served, separately, by the priesthood and by political leadership. From this point forward, each role will serve G-d in a totally different way.

In anointing the vessels, in addition to the people, Moses is designating those that will act as vessels of service to G-d. When the priests serve in the Temple, they do not act independently, serving G-d as the spirit moves them. They serve only according to His will and in accordance with His laws. They, like the vessels, are there only to serve.

And finally, the issue of danger. G-d has enabled us to serve him in a Temple that is actually G-d's home, for it is where He is going to dwell. It is not a casual place, but a place where the utmost respect and care must be taken to obey G-d's will. The priests are there to serve and they must do it carefully, for their very lives are at stake. It is a most serious business.

Shabbat Shalom - Worshipping the G-d of Israel

2010-03-19T14:27:00.002-06:00

Thought you would enjoy my most recent Biblical thought on the portion of the week.

Vayikra (And He (G-d) Called)
Leviticus 1:1 - 5:26

This week we begin reading the Book of Leviticus. This book of the Torah is dedicated primarily to instructing us in the various sacrifices that are brought in the Tabernacle and, later on, in the Temple, as well as other instructions pertaining to the work of the priests and the Levites. Chapter 4 begins with a discussion of the various sacrifices and procedures to be followed when someone sins by accident, in other words, not as a result of intent but rather from carelessness or ignorance. The Torah begins with the incident of an ordained priest who makes a mistake, then moves on to the Assembly of Israel (verse 13) which refers to the High Court, then moves on to a prince (which can refer to any political leadership position, such as the head of a tribe), and finally concludes with the mistakes of the individual.

Bringing a sacrifice to the Temple is a public affair - the ceremony for this particular type of sacrifice is quite specific and there is nothing private about the situation. Everyone recognizes the priest or the prince and will understand based on the type of sacrifice brought and the ceremony performed, that this leading figure has sinned. He cannot hide behind the vestments of his office, but must publicly admit that he has done something wrong, even if only by accident. Furthermore, the instruction regarding the public officials precede the instruction for the individuals, conveying a clear message that the leadership is expected to set the standard for the nation in this issue.

Especially interesting is the passage that discusses the sacrifice brought by the high court when they have ruled incorrectly. (verses 13 - 21). Imagine a supreme court judge who has discovered that he incorrectly interpreted his country's constitution bringing a sacrifice for his incorrect ruling!

To finish the Shabbat Shalom...

Reflections on The Passover Service by Shira Schwartz

2010-03-17T14:31:00.002-06:00

Thought you would love to read Shira Schwartz's latest column about Jewish prayer.

In just two weeks, Jews from all over the world will be sitting down to the Pesach Seder, the festive meal that opens the Passover holiday. It is a culmination of weeks of preparation and anticipation. (See "Reflections on Passover" from April 2007) Everyone-young and old, religiously observant and secular-sits down at their holiday table, whether at a communal Seder at a hotel or local synagogue, or at a grandparent's or friend's home. In front of everyone's seat is a goblet for the traditional Four Cups of Wine and a book. This book is called the Haggadah, which means "the narration", "the telling", and "the reciting". The Passover Haggadah is the instruction manual of the evening. People joke that the holy book Jews have the most copies of in their homes, is the Haggadah. Even a Bible doesn't come close, because a few copies of the Bible can service a whole family. But when people sit down to the Seder, everyone gets a copy of the Haggadah.

It is the prayer book for the night, and it describes the order of events and rituals, using a highly structured, rabbinically formulated order of instructions, organized into 15 steps. But it's not your classic book. Instead, it's a collection of literary works from assorted time periods. It contains Biblical passages, psalms and hymns, benedictions, prayers, and explanations, and is even interspersed with stories, parables and pieces of dialogue from Talmudic literature. The Haggadah is a rich compilation of fascinating passages, with something for everyone-- even built-in breaks for hands-on-activities and the partaking of the traditional, symbolic foods. You can find a wealth of varieties and editions of the Haggadah. Some are illustrated with glorious ancient works of art, others with charming, comical cartoons. The Haggadah has been transliterated for those who don't read Hebrew but want to read it in the original language, and has been translated into every language in the world!

The whole idea-the central purpose of this night-is to demonstrate our freedom-to experience our Exodus from enslavement in Egypt to serving G-d as the only true Master. The Rabbis tell us, "In every generation one should show himself as if he had been liberated from Egypt." Memory in Judaism should not be a technical attempt to reconstruct an ancient event. The account of the miracle of our Exodus from Egypt should be internalized, dramatic and dynamic.

Throughout the Seder, Jews are commanded to drink Four Cups of Wine. This is by no means a social ritual to loosen our tongues; it is by no means a way to cause lightheadedness and frivolity. On the contrary. When Jews partake of wine during the Sabbath and holidays, it is a way of sanctifying the day... a way to infuse that special time with spirituality. Wine is considered a royal drink, one that symbolizes freedom. It is the appropriate beverage for the night when we celebrate our freedom from Egyptian bondage.

Each cup of wine has its specific time and purpose during the evening's rituals and each one has its own benediction, its own specific prayer.

To Read the Rest of the Reflections...

Shabbat Shalom - Why We Keep the Sabbath Holy

2010-03-12T13:48:00.002-07:00

Hope you enjoy my most recent Bible thought on the portion of the week.

">Watch this week Vayakhel/Pikudei Torah portion...

Vayakhel/Pikudei (And He(Moses) Gathered/Accounts)
Exodus 35 - 40

This week's portion includes the final chapters of the book of Exodus, chapters 35-40, a long portion indeed. Most of the portion involves the building of the Tabernacle, where the original instructions given to Moses in earlier chapters are actually put into practice and the Tabernacle is erected.

The first verse in chapter 40 provides us with the date that the Tabernacle was completed -- the first day of the first month, or the first of Nissan. Nissan is the month which begins the Biblical count of months and it falls at this time of year. It is also known as the month of the spring (Deuteronomy 16:1). It is not the month of Rosh HaShana -- the New Year, for that holiday falls in the seventh month (Leviticus 23:24). According to Jewish tradition, the Jewish New Year marks the day when the world was created, and it does signal the start of a new year. But the months are actually counted from Nissan, the month of redemption. For it is in the first month when the Exodus from Egypt took place. Essentially, then, the Bible counts the months from the time when the Jewish people became a nation, became G-ds' nation.

It is, therefore, significant, that the Tabernacle is erected on the first day of this same month, almost one full year after the exodus from Egypt. So much has happened during this first year. The miracles of the Exodus, followed by revelation on Mt. Sinai, the miraculous provision of water and food (manna), the terrible sin of the golden calf, followed by the second set of ten commandments, and, finally, the erection of the Tabernacle.

To finish the Shabbat Shalom...

News From the Land - Coming Home to Israel

2010-03-10T10:35:00.001-07:00

Last night I joined hundreds of Christian friends of Israel and some fellow Israelis at Pastor John Hagee's Night to Honor Israel in Jerusalem. It was my sixth Night to Honor Israel - I have been to three such nights in Pastor Hagee's church, one in Colorado Springs, and one other in Jerusalem two years ago. And while the sight of hundreds of Christians cheering Israel, singing Hebrew songs and applauding a prominent Israeli leader is no longer new to me, I never fail to become excited at the experience, each time anew.

But what moved me more than anything yesterday was the performance of one of Israel's most famous singers - Dudu Fisher. Fisher is an Orthodox Jew who first became famous in Israel singing traditional Jewish music, mostly from prayers and Scripture. He then branched out to include musical dramas and even did a stint on Broadway, all the while maintaining his faith and his strict Shabbat observance. But for most Israelis, Dudu Fisher is, first and foremost a religious Zionist who sings the hopes and dreams of us all that the State of Israel will indeed be pleasing in G-d's eyes.

He opened his performance with a moving song / prayer, beseeching G-d to bring home the long-suffering Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, held prisoner by the Hamas in Gaza for more than 3 years. But what brought tears to my eyes was a beautiful song that wove together the theme song from Exodus, "This Land is Mine" with the popular Hebrew song: Am Yisrael Chai, Od Avinu Chai - The Nation of Israel lives, our Father lives. Behind Fisher, the screen showed moving pictures of Jews coming home to Israel -- photos of the Holocaust survivors arriving on the famous Exodus ship and other efforts to bring Jews to the shores of this land despite the British restrictions before the birth of the State; Ethiopian Jews arriving in the 90's, American Jews arriving in recent years, Russian Jews coming home. I recognized a woman who made aliyah from the UK a few years ago and settled in my own community - there she was on the screen arriving in the Land with her children and husband, her face reflecting the emotional storm she must have been experiencing - to finally arrive in the Land of Israel as a new immigrant, to come home in a truly profound way.

To finish the News From the Land...

Shabbat Shalom - Moses' Shining Face

2010-03-05T13:59:00.002-07:00

Hope you enjoy my most recent Bible thought on the portion of the week.

Watch this weeks Ki Tisah portion...

Ki Tisah (When You Count)
Exodus 30:11 - 34

This week's Torah portion begins with verse 11 of Exodus 30 -- the commandment of each member of the Nation of Israel to give a half a shekel for the upkeep of the Tabernacle. Interestingly, there are a number of ideas that are compressed into these few verses.

The section begins with the verse: "When you will count the heads of the children of Israel according to their number, then each man will give a ransom for his soul to G-d as you count them, and there will not be any plague among them when you count them." From this verse, we understand that the donation of the half shekel is not just about contributing to the work of the Temple. It is intrinsically connected to a census of the nation, to atonement and to the prevention of plague. It seems strange that these seemingly unconnected ideas should all be played out within the simple act of donating a half shekel to the Temple.

In fact, this small section was read in the synagogue a few weeks ago, as an additional reading to the normal weekly portion, just before the month of Adar began, for it was in that month that the half shekel donation took place, in anticipation of the annual maintenance of the Temple before the Passover holiday.

The atonement element of the half a shekel can actually be understood in the context of the verses that precede this section, when G-d instructs Moses and Aaron in the construction of the incense altar which will be used by Aaron to atone for the sins of the nation on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur.) Logically, then, if the half a shekel is used for the upkeep of the Temple, or the Tabernacle, it is a donation to the service of that holy place which acts as a vehicle of atonement for the nation.

To finish the Shabbat Shalom...

Shabbat Shalom - Priesthood Versus Worshiping the Golden Calf

2010-02-26T14:49:00.005-07:00

I hope you enjoy this weeks Biblical thought on the portion of the week.

Watch this weeks Tezavah Torah Portion...
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Tezavah (Command)
Exodus 27:20 - 30:10

This week's portion begins with the end of Exodus chapter 27 and includes the instructions for Aaron and their priests in their worship roles -- their clothes, the sanctification process they will go through, and some instruction regarding the altar, the incense altar and the "tent of meeting." It is the instruction with regard to this "tent" that I would like to focus on this week.

In discussing the regular daily sacrifice, Scripture refers to the place where it will be brought: "at the entrance to the 'tent of meeting' before G-d that I will meet with you there to speak to you there. And I will meet there with the Children of Israel and it will be sanctified in my glory." (Exodus 29:43-44). I have purposely placed the words "tent of meeting" in quotations, because it is the translation of these words that I want to discuss.

The actual Hebrew words for tent of meeting are "Ohel Moed." Ohel means tent and Moed usually means time. In fact, it is this same word that is used to introduce the festivals of G-d in Leviticus 23:4: "These are the times of G-d, to be considered holy, which you will call them in their times." In essence, however, the word "moed" has been used to refer to the holidays and is interchangeable with the word for festival. From the verse in Leviticus, therefore, we see that the word Moed really means time, but it is used to refer to festivals.

In the scripture in our portion, however, the word is also used to denote meeting, as the end of verse 42 and verse 43 make clear, for the words for meeting, come from the same root as moed.

To finish the Shabbat Shalom...

Shabbat Shalom for Friday, February 19, 2010

2010-02-19T10:02:00.002-07:00

Hope you enjoy my most recent Bible thought on the portion of the week.

Reflections on Prayers Upon Rising by Shira Schwartz

2010-02-16T12:24:00.004-07:00

Thought you would love to read Shira Schwartz's latest column about Jewish Prayer.

I lay in bed in the morning, trying to decide, through transparent eyelids, whether daylight has truly dawned or whether I have a few more minutes to burrow back under the covers. But then the alarm clock rings and all sense of illusion is gone and I sit up, groggily groping for my glasses from my night side table, and recite aloud:

“Modeh ani le’fanecha melech chai v’kayam, shehechezarta bi nish’mati b’chem’lah. Rabah emunatecha." I gratefully thank You, living and eternal King, for You have returned my soul within me with compassion - abundant is your faithfulness!

Our first words-our first attempt at speech- when we arise in the morning, are “I thank You G-d”, thanking Him for returning our souls and granting us another day to serve Him. This short prayer of thanksgiving, recited immediately upon awakening in the morning, somehow helps set the tone for our accessible relationship with our Maker, throughout the day.

People have asked if I think it’s appropriate to speak to the King of Kings, while still rumpled in bedclothes, unwashed. But I always found it inspiring to use our first waking moments in service of G-d. And because the prayer does not include the actual mention of G-d’s name, the reverence necessary during other prayers, is overlooked.

What is this “Modeh Ani” prayer? I think of it like this: At night, as we lock the doors, shut the lights, pick up the toys strewn on the den floor, and add some soap and water to the dishes we won’t get to till morning, we also plug our cell phones into an outlet to recharge over night. Think how every night our souls ascend to heaven. I think of it as a recharging of sorts. Whatever we did yesterday, whatever shape our tired, tainted souls are in as we get into bed at night, by the next morning G-d returns them to us, restored, renewed, refreshed. He is saying to us, that He trusts we are up to whatever challenge or task the new day brings. He believes in our uniqueness, in our ability to go out and illuminate a piece of G-d’s world. I find “Modeh Ani” empowering. We are being granted the gift of life day after day after day. Because in some way, sleep is a micro-death experience of sorts, and it is only through G-d’s mercy that we are given another chance at life, another opportunity to do good with our G-d-given souls.

Our first moments, as we slide into consciousness, are devoted to thanking G-d. One of the main elements of Judaism is giving thanks, showing gratitude to those who have done us good. The Hebrew word for Jews is Yehudim, or the people of Judah. Judah's name was given in thanksgiving and indeed both "Judah" and "Yehudim" contain the root word for thanks “Modeh Ani Le’fanecha” literally means that I am grateful to You, G-d, as I pray before You. We must never forget before whom we stand.

The story is told of a United States convention of neurologists from all over the world. One of the discussions was about the phenomenon of people fainting upon getting up from bed. A Professor Linda McMaron of Great Britain maintained, that after much research and study, it was found, that such fainting is caused by the sharp transfer between lying down and standing up. Professor McMaron said that it takes 12 seconds for the blood to flow from the feet to the brain. But when a person quickly stands up upon waking, the blood gets ‘thrown’ to the brain too quickly and the result is fainting. She suggested that each person, even one who does not have a tendency to faint upon waking up, should sit on the bed, and count slowly to 12 to avoid dizziness, weakness, and fainting.

To finish the Reflections...

News From the Land

2010-02-11T10:38:00.004-07:00

On Thursday evening I participated in a very moving event. The Gush Katif Committee, that wonderful group of people who have been representing the refugees from Gush Katif since their expulsion, invited all those who have been helpful and supportive of the Gush Katif refugees to join them for an evening of thanks and update. We gathered in Nitzan, at the temporary headquarters of the Gush Katif Heritage Center, a building which was funded partially by donations from CFOIC Heartland, and viewed a moving photographic and artistic display that had been mounted there to commemorate the life that was Gush Katif. Most moving were the doors of a holy ark, rescued from one of the synagogues in Gush Katif and mounted on the walls of the building as a memory of the vibrant religious life that was so much a part of Gush Katif.

We then viewed a visual presentation which showed photographs of the communities as well as of the rebuilding that is currently taking place. An update was presented which showed us the progress made by the Gush Katif refugees since their expulsion 4 ½ years ago. On the one hand, the numbers are frightening - so little accomplished in so little time. Only a handful of families are living in permanent homes. On the other hand, the determination of the people to persevere, to find solutions to enormous bureaucratic and financial challenges, to continue searching for ways to contribute to Israeli society - this was moving indeed. The infrastructure is just being laid in so many of the new neighborhoods, homes are just under construction, but the people are optimistic and looking forward to settling in their new communities. While our hearts cry out for their continued suffering, they look upon it all as a challenge, something they need to accomplish, with G-d's help.

We gathered for a delicious dinner and while we ate, the Gush Katif leadership presented each of those present, invited guests only, with a plaque, a special token of their thanks to us for all we have done for them throughout this difficult period. As the representative of CFOIC Heartland that evening, I was presented with a lovely plaque and felt proud to have been the representative of all those Christians who have stood with the people of Gush Katif throughout this difficult period.

As we each were called to the podium to accept our plaque and our words of thanks, I could not help but notice how different this event was from so many other honor-giving events I have attended. The atmosphere was warm and friendly, personal in a way most events are not. Each person there was someone who cared. And each had contributed something special to the welfare of the Gush Katif refugees. There were Members of Knesset, from various political parties, there were rabbis, psychologists, mayors, representatives of the Jewish Agency. But each of us had forged relationships with the Gush Katif people. Each of us had someone we could hug and who could hug us, who could sincerely and with tears in their eyes, thank us for what we have done.

To finish the News From the Land...

Shabbat Shalom - The Nations Recognize the Power of God

2010-02-05T13:44:00.002-07:00

Hope you enjoy my most recent Bible thought on the portion of the week.

Yitro (Jethro)
Exodus 18 - 20

This week's portion begins with Jethro's historic visit to the Children of Israel in the desert. The story begins in Exodus Chapter 18: "And Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses's father-in-law, heard of all that G-d did to Moses and to his nation Israel, that He brought Israel out of Egypt." This verse is packed with information that tells us a great deal about Jethro and about his motivation to join his son- in-law in the desert.

Jethro is a high priest of Midian. He is not only a member of a pagan nation but is a religious leader. We have previously met Jethro as Moses' father-in- law, but Scripture reminds us of this fact anyway, perhaps to contrast the religious leader of the Midianites with the religious leader of the Israelites. Not only are these two men of great stature in opposing religions, but they are family, and they clearly respect one another greatly.

Jethro is spurred on to join Moses because of what he has heard about the miracles that G-d performed in taking the Children of Israel out of Egypt. Presumably, he has heard of the 10 plagues, of the parting of the Red Sea, and of the total defeat of the powerful Egyptian army against a rag- tag group of former slaves, men, women and children -- "with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go." (Exodus 10:9) And just following that miraculous event, the Children of Israel are attacked by Amalek, a powerful band of nomadic tribes, and roundly defeat them. He joins Moses because he wants to know more.

To finish the Shabbat Shalom...

To watch a teaching on this weeks Yitro Torah Portion...

Shabbat Shalom - The Great Exodus!

2010-01-29T13:06:00.004-07:00

Beshalach (Let Go)
Exodus 13:17 - 17

This week's portion tells the story of the parting of the Red Sea, the culmination of the Exodus from Egypt, and includes the Song of Moses (and the shorter Song of Miriam). Grand events happen in this week's Torah reading and it is, indeed, an awe- inspiring few chapters. But I have chosen to focus on one verse at the beginning of the portion.

"And Moses took Joseph's bones with him because he had had the Children of Israel swear saying: G-d will remember you and you will bring out my bones from here with you." (Exodus 13:19)

Just before Joseph's death, he asked his brothers to swear that they would, indeed, disinter his remains at a later time, at a time when G-d would remember them and take them out of Egypt. (Genesis 50:25). At the time that Joseph instructs his brothers in this way, the enslavement of the Children of Israel had not yet begun, and yet Joseph speaks to them with a sense of ominous expectation, as if he senses that after his death, things will not go well with his people. But he promises them that G-d will remember them, will take them out of Egypt, and asks that they remember him at the same time.

Interestingly, the words used here for "remember" are a unique phrase: "Pakod Yifkod." When G-d speaks to Moses and instructs him as to what he should say to the elders of Israel, He uses the very same words: "I have remembered you and all that is being done to you in Egypt." (Exodus 3:16). And later on, after Moses repeats these words to the elders of Israel, they respond: "And the nation believed and they heard that G-d had remembered the Children of Israel." (Exodus 4:31). Again, the word for "remember" used here is from the same root - Pakod!

To finish the Shabbat Shalom...

To watch this weeks Beshalach Torah Portion...

Shabbat Shalom - Obedience and Blood Sacrifice

2010-01-22T15:22:00.002-07:00

Hope you enjoy my most recent Biblical thought on the portion of the week.

Bo (Go)
Exodus 10 - 13:16

This week's Torah portion includes the final three plagues and the beginning of the exodus. It also includes the instructions for the celebration of the Passover holiday and the procedure for the sacrifice of the lamb. The chapter which includes these instructions, Chapter 12, begins with the following Scripture: "This month is for you the head of the months, it is first for you of the months of the year." (Exodus 12:2). This is G-d's instruction to Moses regarding the Biblical calendar, which is a lunar calendar, and forms the basis for the Jewish methods of counting months and calculating the holidays.

Rashi, the most widely-read traditional Biblical commentary, notes that the use of the words "this month" indicates that G-d actually pointed out the moon, the word "month" being interchangeable with the word "moon." In other words, G-d spoke to Moses on the first day of the lunar month and showed him the moon as it looks on the first day of the month -- a tiny sliver. In this way, G-d instructed Moses as to how to identify the first day of the new month. Interestingly, the first month of the Jewish calendar is the month of Passover, the month of our redemption from slavery. In Biblical terms, it is referred to as the first month. Today, we call the month by name -- Nissan.

The Bible refers to the months by number. The first time the months are referred to in the Bible is during the story of the flood, when the Bible clearly tells us the date that the waters receded. (Genesis 8:4) However, it is not until the above-quoted verse in Exodus that we understand that the first month is the Passover month, the month of Nissan. We also know from Deuteronomy 16:1: "Preserve the month of spring" that this month of Nissan always falls in the spring. This last verse also teaches us that we must add an extra month every 3 years (approximately) to ensure that the month of Nissan always falls in the spring, as the lunar calendar is 11 days shorter than the solar calendar.

After the destruction of the first Temple, when the Jews were exiled to Babylonia, which soon after became part of the Persian Empire, we adopted the Persian names for the months, as the Persians also used the lunar calendar. Hence the renaming of the first month, Nissan.

To finish the Shabbat Shalom...

To watch the video of this weeks Bo Torah Portion...

Reflections on the Amidah by Shira Schwartz

2010-01-19T14:20:00.002-07:00

Thought you would love to read Shira Schwartz's latest column about Jewish Prayer in Israel.

All prayer is an opportunity to converse with G-d, to reach out to Him and make contact. The Jewish prayer service in synagogue involves a loud and lively give and take between the Cantor and the Congregation, and it is not unusual for everyone to break into song. Sometimes things get downright energetic and there’s a glorious roar of voices calling out to G-d, the ancient chants and melodies reverberating through the walls of the house of worship.

Perhaps that’s why the “Amidah” is such a special part of the prayer service. Sometimes it is hard to find and maintain the focus needed to pray. And the “Amidah”, also called “The Silent Meditation”, has just the right built-in elements to help set the mood for the quiet of introspection needed to talk to the King of Kings.

Prayer services take place in the synagogue three times a day but I only attend the service on Shabbat morning. I recite the Amidah prayer each morning at home, but it is in the synagogue, surrounded by hundreds of people, where, ironically, I feel the full impact of the silent prayer.

As the last words before the “Amidah” fade away, we take three steps back to ready ourselves with the correct frame of mind to begin this special prayer, and then take three steps forward, symbolizing our eagerness to get close to our Maker. During those steps we whisper the verse, “My Lord, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Your praise.” That sentence is remarkably effective and psychologically satisfying and sets the tone perfectly for my conversation with G-d. It prepares me, gives me a chance to absorb myself in the prayer I am about to say. To humble ourselves before G-d, we bend our knees and bow at both the beginning and the end of the first blessing, and for the rest of the “Amidah” we stand erect, our feet pressed closely together in a stance of respect.

To finish the Reflections...

Shabbat Shalom

2010-01-15T12:03:00.002-07:00

Vaera (and I appeared)
Exodus 6:2 – 9:35

This week's portion begins with Exodus Chapter Six verse 2. G-d speaks to Moses and explains to him that He is the G-d that appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that He hears the suffering of the Children of Israel and that He will keep His promise with their forefathers and free them from the bondage of Egypt. "And Moses spoke these words to the Children of Israel but they did not listen to Moses, from shortness of spirit and hard labor." (Exodus 6:9)

This exchange between G-d and Moses and the subsequent repetition of the message to the Children of Israel, contains a powerful message to us, the Children of Israel, even today. G-d establishes the moral basis for the redemption of the Children of Israel – based on the covenant that He made with our forefathers "to give them the Land of Canaan, the land of their dwelling place, where they dwelled." (Exodus 6:4). Not only did G-d promise the land to our forefathers, but the fact that our forefathers actually dwelled in the land already, seems to give that promise extra significance. The right of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel is not only a question of G-d's promise, it is a question of our roots in the land.

During this passage, there are five phrases that represent redemption: "And I will remove you", "And I will save you", "And I will redeem you", "And I will take you", and finally, "And I will bring you to the land...". At the Passover Seder, when we celebrate the redemption from Egypt, we drink four cups of wine. The number four is said to represent the four different phrases that represent redemption – the first four mentioned in these passages. But what of the fifth phrase – "And I will bring you to the land"?

To finish the Shabbat Shalom...

To watch the Shabbat Shalom Vaera Torah portion...

News From The Land

2010-01-12T11:19:00.003-07:00

Dear Friends,

In recent weeks, I have been feeling as if we are living in some sort of suspended existence, at least from a political perspective. Here is a taste of some of the events that have made the local news:

1. The Likud party, under the leadership of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, has been negotiating with a number of Kadima MK’s in an attempt to woo them away from their party to the Likud. Most of these MK’s were originally Likud members before Ariel Sharon split the party and took half of the MK’s with him to the left-leaning Kadima in the wake of the Disengagement. Once this political scheme became public knowledge, rumors abounded that the Kadima party was on the verge of a split. Indeed, a number of leading Kadima MK’s accused their leader Tzippy Livny of incompetence and corruption, while Netanyahu waited eagerly for the party to crack. In the end, the party remained intact and Netanyahu was perceived as a prime minister overly eager to expand his coalition government to include more left-leaning figures. At a time when Netanyahu is coming under increased criticism from the right as a result of the building freeze, we can only ask ourselves – Does Netanyahu intend to continue the freeze indefinitely, which would necessitate expanding his coalition to include left-wing politicians for him to remain in power?

2. Most of the mayors of Judea and Samaria, together with the leaders of the Yesha Council, embarked on a number of protest measures against the building freeze. In some cases, tempers flared and local protests in the communities became vocal and ugly. There is no question that the building freeze creates a precedent that international pressure can force an Israeli government to adopt a policy with regard to Judea and Samaria that runs against its own platform and political positions. However, it can be argued that a temporary building freeze enables Israel to be perceived as the flexible party so that the continued obstinacy on the part of the Palestinian side would be blamed for the lack of progress towards peace. The mayor of the Jordan Valley has taken an interesting position – he has chosen to take Netanyahu at face value. His assumption is that the building freeze is indeed a temporary measure and therefore he is not fighting it, but is assuming that building will indeed resume in 10 months. Of course, at the end of the 10 month period, we will see if the government embarks on a massive building campaign or allows the freeze to continue. What exactly does Netanyahu have in mind?

3. The other day, in the course of a television interview, George Mitchell, President Obama’s special envoy to the Middle East, noted that the US could withhold loan guarantees to Israel in the event that Israel did not bow to US dictates. His statement hit Israel with the force of a bombshell. Many years ago, when the first President Bush was in office, he threatened Israel with the withholding of loan guarantees should Israel continue to develop the communities in Judea and Samaria. Prime Minister Yitzchak Shamir held firm and the community building continued apace. The loan guarantees were frozen. Later on, Yitzchak Rabin became prime minister and accommodated the US government with a widespread building freeze. The loan guarantees became available to Israel but the result was the Oslo Accords – the worse gamble in peace process diplomacy ever to be embarked upon by Israel. More than 1,000 Israelis lost their lives in the terrorism that followed. Is that what Mitchell is interested in accomplishing?

To finish the News from the Land...

Shabbat Shalom

2010-01-08T10:34:00.005-07:00

Hope you enjoy my most recent Biblical thought on the portion of the week.

Shmot (Names)
Exodus 1 – 6:1

This week we begin the Book of Exodus. The first portion is one of transformation – the children of Israel, the family of Jacob, become the "Hebrews" and the Children of Israel, with a national focus. The family of Amram and Yocheved become the first family of Israel, as Moses is transformed from infant, to impulsive young man, to leader and prophet. The process of transformation in each case is both moving and beautiful.

I would like to focus my thoughts this week on Miriam, Moses' sister who watches carefully as the Daughter of Pharaoh reaches out to draw Moses from the water. She is a young girl but she has great concern for the fate of her baby brother. As Pharaoh's daughter takes pity on the child and decides to care for him, Miriam is there, on the spot, to suggest her own mother as a wet-nurse for the new baby.

Later on in the Bible, we learn more about Miriam. We learn that she is a leader and initiator as she leads the women in song and dance after the Exodus. She is punished by G-d with leprosy when she gossips about her brother's wife. And when she dies, she is mourned by the entire nation.

The Midrash tells a fascinating story about Miriam that adds an additional dimension to her character, but is quite consistent with the qualities we already see in the Biblical story. After Pharaoh decrees the death of all Jewish babies, insisting that they be thrown mercilessly into the Nile, the Midrash tells us that many men separated from their wives, so as not to risk pregnancy and the birth of a baby that would then by slaughtered by Pharaoh. Amram and Yocheved separated as well. However, Miriam with a wisdom and poignancy far exceeding her years, scolds her father and insists that her parents come back together. She tells them: isn't it enough that Pharaoh has decreed death to the sons of Israel – by separating, you are decreeing death on both the sons and daughters of Israel! Moved by their daughter's anguish, Amram and Yocheved reunite and the result is the birth of Moses.

To finish the Shabbat Shalom...

To watch a video of this weeks Shmot Torah Portion...

Shabbat Shalom

2009-12-23T15:13:00.002-07:00

Hope you enjoy my most recent Biblical thought on the portion of the week.

Vayigash (and He (Judah) Approached)
Genesis 44:18 – 47:27

This week's portion begins with the most dramatic speech in the Bible -- Judah's plea to Joseph to save his brother Benjamin. "And Joseph could not restrain himself before all that stood by him . . . And he wept aloud . . . And Joseph said to his brothers, 'I am Joseph, is my father still alive?'" (Genesis 45:1-3). The great reunion has taken place. Joseph is reconciled to his brothers, they embrace, and they embark on the journey to bring Jacob and the rest of the family down to Egypt. At the end of the portion, Jacob arrives and is reunited with his beloved Joseph, whom he feared dead all these years. And Joseph settles his family in the Land of Goshen.

Although the reunion is moving and we are all relieved that the family is united and Jacob sees his beloved son Joseph, there is another, much more sinister development happening at the same time. For the descent to Egypt for this happy family reunion also portends the long and bitter slavery of the Children of Jacob in Egypt. As the family reunites and settles into their new surroundings, there doesn't seem to be any awareness of the ramifications of this change in location. But, it is impossible that Jacob, at the very least, did not understand what was going to happen.

In Genesis chapter 42 verse 2, Jacob says to his sons: "Go down there (Egypt) and bring us food from there." Rashi, the 11th century commentator notes that the numerical value of the Hebrew word "redu" (go down) is 210 and is equivalent to the actual number of years the Children of Israel were enslaved in Egypt. Rashi is, thus, indicating that there was incredible significance in this first directive of Jacob to his sons to go to Egypt, as if he knew, at some unconscious level that with this departure for Egypt would begin the long exile in that land.

And Jacob had to know that this long exile would come. G-d Himself promises to Abraham, in the covenant in Genesis chapter 15, that his children would be a stranger in a foreign land and that they would leave that land with great property. This important covenant with G-d would have naturally been passed on to Isaac and Jacob. They would have known, prophetically, that this was coming.

Joseph instructs his father and brothers to tell Pharaoh that they are shepherds and request to settle in Goshen, a distance from the center of Egypt -- a place where they can live their own life and worship their own G-d, without having to fear from a people who worship animals and other pagan gods. Joseph understood the potential for persecution should the Children of Israel live among the Egyptians. Perhaps he sensed what could happen to his family after his death -- what actually happened when a new king arises to the throne "who did not know Joseph." (Exodus 1:8)

The descent to Egypt is a necessary evil, an event that G-d foretells and then orchestrates. As a result of that descent, there will be a subsequent ascent, the Exodus from Egypt and the formation of the Nation of Israel. Even today, as we watch history, we have a sense that this has been foretold, that it is being orchestrated. We may have a fuzzy idea of how it will all play out, but without the details. For centuries, the Jewish people suffered persecution, but what gave them hope was G-d's promise to eventually return them to their land. Similarly, Jacob's children could hold on to G-d's promise to Abraham: "The fourth generation will return here." (Genesis 15:16). Levy's children descended to Egypt and four generations later, Moses's children entered the Land of Israel.

To watch the Shabbat Shalom video Vayigash portion...

Shabbat Shalom - Joseph tests his brothers

2009-12-18T11:57:00.004-07:00

Hope you enjoy my most recent Biblical thought on the portion of the week.

Miketz (the end)
Genesis 41:1 - 44:17

In this week's Torah portion, we continue the story of Joseph in Egypt. The portion begins with Joseph's rise to power, thanks to his interpretation of Pharaoh's dream. He is given full responsibility for feeding the nation and, indeed surrounding nations, during the upcoming famine. It is in this position that he meets up with his brothers, those same people who had so cruelly sold him as a slave many years earlier.

In Genesis chapter 42, verses 7-8, we are told repeatedly that Joseph recognizes his brothers but they fail to recognize him. This is easy to understand, as he is now older, dressed as royalty, speaking Egyptian, and in a position that they would never have dreamed he would be in. He also has an Egyptian name (Genesis 41:45). But Joseph recognizes his brothers and he remembers his dreams. This is clearly a reference to one of the causes of their jealousy and hatred for him as they declared on that fateful day so many years earlier -- "Behold! The dreamer is coming." (Gen. 37:19). Joseph remembers his brothers and how they had treated him, their own flesh and blood. In the story that follows, Joseph attempts to test his brothers, their loyalty to one another and their willingness to sacrifice for each other, rather than kill one another.

And Joseph is not disappointed, for clearly the brothers have learned their lesson and repented. When Joseph imprisons them all and demands that they send a representative to bring Benjamin, they do not do so. They remain in custody for three days. When he suggests that they offer one to be imprisoned and go and return with Benjamin, they immediately recognize their sin against Joseph: "For we are guilty concerning our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he pleaded before us and we would not hear, therefore is this trouble come upon us." (Gen. 42:21-22). In the end, Joseph seizes Simeon and imprisons him and the rest have no choice but to leave without him.

To finish the Shabbat Shalom...

To watch this weeks Miketz Torah portion...

Reflections on Yeshiva High Schools by Shira Schwartz

2009-12-11T15:12:00.002-07:00

Thought you would love to read Shira Schwartz's latest column about Jewish living in Israel.

We had parent teacher conferences on Sunday for my 14 year old son Avraham. Avraham’s our first boy after four daughters, so choosing a high school for him had been a new experience. Dormitory schools are pretty standard, especially for boys, and I tried not to be insulted that my independent son happily gravitated to schools far away from home! There are so many options, but Avraham had quickly narrowed down the options last year and applied and got accepted to a Yeshiva high school in the Galilee. And this was to be our first chance to see him in his new surroundings.

Our time slot was for 3:30 in the afternoon but we left early to allow for the close to two-hour drive and to give ourselves time to tour the area a bit. Avraham had been home for Shabbat so he was with us in the car, quiet at first in the back seat, but perking up as we drove further north. He started pointing out intersections and landmarks where he would pass or hitch rides every time he’d travel back and forth. There are bus options for Avraham to make the trip, but the busses don’t come that often and the route is long and indirect. Avraham prefers the hitching option, relying on his independent spirit, good sense of direction and the kindness of strangers to get him there and back. It was such fun seeing the enthusiasm in his eyes… the way his whole body language spoke of pleasure and pride in the area he had come to know and love.

As we drove, the scenery changed and soon the rocky terrain of Samaria was replaced with the green green fields and hills of the lower Galilee. We had packed a picnic lunch and allowed Avraham to direct us to a spot his school had visited. We drove as close as we could to the hill, passing herds of grazing cows, and climbed up the last bit after Avraham, who was scrambling lightly ahead of us. And then the view! Checkerboard fields with varying shades of rich, brown, overturned earth, and the greens of newly sown pastures. And when we turned the other way, we were graced with a view of the Kinneret- the Sea of Galilee, spread out in all its peaceful, sparkling blue glory.

Avraham’s Yeshiva is a special place. Besides being renowned for its demanding Bible and Talmud curriculum, it offers a high-level of secular studies. But what makes it unique is that it is also a High School for Environmental Studies. Nature… the land… is the students’ classroom. The breathtaking setting of the lower Galilee offers the boys a hands-on learning experience. Every second Tuesday the boys leave the campus for a day of learning under the open sky. Picture them. Teenage boys, in open sandals and baseball caps leaning over an overturned rock, their almost manly hands delicately examining a purple bloom edged with thorns. Every rock and flower, every path through a wooded forest, becomes a lesson in learning about their beloved Biblical land. Each class’s counselor, besides being hired to handle the usual homesick children, homework problems and messy dorm rooms, is also a professional tour guide.

To finish the Reflections...

Shabbat Shalom - Joseph Sold Into Slavery = Civil War?

2009-12-11T14:57:00.013-07:00

Hope you enjoy my most recent Bible thought on the portion of the week.

Vayeshev
And He (Jacob) Settled)
Genesis 37 - 40

This week's portion begins the story of Joseph, beginning with Genesis chapter 37. We learn that Jacob favors Joseph and buys him a striped coat, which results in the brothers' terrible jealousy of him. Joseph is introduced to us as a dreamer and as he interprets his dreams, it becomes clear that he sees himself as superior to his brothers. The story progresses, or actually regresses, until the brothers plot to kill Joseph, then sell him to a caravan of traders instead. Joseph is brought to Egypt, sold as a slave and the portion ends with him in prison.

The resolution of this story will play itself out in subsequent chapters, but it is the sale of Joseph by his brothers that lies at the core of all that happens in this portion. In the middle of the portion, clearly interrupting the flow of the story, is the story of Judah and Tamar. But this story is carefully placed in order to present a different Judah, a man who has clearly strayed from righteousness, and is suffering for it. His sons have been killed by G-d, he visits a prostitute (or so he thinks) and is willing to have his daughter-in-law killed. Following the sale of his brother Joseph, a horrendous crime in which he played a central role, Judah is a troubled man.

The unity of the brothers is unraveling. How is it that these jealous, warring brothers will become a unified nation able to serve G-d and receive His commandments at Sinai?

The bondage in Egypt will play a critical role in forging the nation. The nation of Israel will not emerge from slavery a perfect nation. But they will have become a nation and will leave Egypt as one. Perhaps it is Pharaoh who helps this process along - for when he enslaves the children of Israel and then decrees that all Jewish boys must be put to death, he creates a common destiny for all of the children of Israel.

To finish the Shabbat Shalom...

To watch this weeks Torah Portion on Vayeshev...

News From the Land

2009-12-08T15:03:00.001-07:00

For past few days, the news has been full of reactions to Netanyahu’s freeze of all building in Judea and Samaria. It seems that with one government decision, all hell has broken loose. On the day after the fateful decision was announced, air force planes flew over the communities of Judea and Samaria, filming the status quo which would be frozen for the next 10 months. Throughout this past week, government inspectors have visited communities, delivering work stoppage orders, often being met by protesting residents and mayors.

Many have questioned whether this decision is, indeed, such a problematic one. However, when the background to the decision is examined and when the details of its implementation become known, the entire process is extremely problematic.

Binyamin Netanyahu was elected less than one year ago on a platform of support for the continued growth and development of Judea and Samaria. While he made it very clear that he was interested in reaching some sort of peaceful agreement with the Palestinians, to the extent possible, Netanyahu also made it very clear that the areas of Judea and Samaria are a central part of the Land of Israel and the residents of these areas, pioneers and true Zionists.

Added to this, is the fact that the overwhelming majority of Israelis believe that the Disengagement from Gaza was a mistake. Rather than bringing peace and quiet on our southern border, ever since the withdrawal from Gaza in August of 2005, terrorism and missile and artillery attacks from Gaza on our southern cities and villages have increased ten-fold. Operation Cast Lead, initiated just one year ago at great sacrifice, contributed significantly to the weakening of Hamas in Gaza and the relative quiet since then. But intelligence reports warn that the situation can easily become dangerous at any time, requiring further military intervention.

To finish this article...

Shabbat Shalom

2009-12-04T14:15:00.004-07:00

Hope you enjoy my most recent Biblical thought on the portion of the week.

Vayishlach (And He (Jacob) Sent)
Genesis 32:4 - 36

This week's Torah portion begins with Jacob's preparation for his confrontation with Esau. He has just returned from years in the home of his uncle Laban, he has four wives and 12 children, a great deal of sheep and other animals, but he remains concerned as to whether Esau is still intent on killing him. He prepares for war, but, concurrently, sends messengers with gifts and prays to G-d for salvation.

Interestingly, the episode is ripe with messengers and angels. And most interestingly, the messengers are sometimes referred to as angels (Genesis 32:4) and the angels are sometimes referred to as men (Genesis 32:25). It is the angel that intrigues me most.

Jacob has successfully transferred his entire entourage across the River Yabok and is the only remaining one on the eastern side of the river. At that moment, a "man" accosts him and fights with him all night long. When the "man" realizes he will never defeat Jacob, he injures Jacob's thigh and then begs Jacob to release him. Jacob, realizing at this point that the man is actually an angel, demands a blessing. The angel then informs Jacob that his name will be changed to Israel.

To finish the Shabbat Shalom...

Shabbat Shalom

2009-11-20T12:43:00.003-07:00

Toledot (Descendants)
Genesis 25:19 - 28:9

With this week's Torah reading, we move on to the life of Isaac, the second patriarch of the Jewish people. The portion begins in Chapter 25 verse 19 and continues through Chapter 28 verse 9. Indeed, it is the only Torah reading that deals with Isaac as an independent adult.

Isaac is a complicated character. On the one hand, he is a righteous man and Abraham's sole heir. G-d appears to Isaac and endows him with the promises He had originally made to his father Abraham. (26:3 and 24). On the other hand, Isaac seems to be seriously flawed in his ability to perceive character. He prefers Esau because he is a successful hunter and misses the innocence and purity of Jacob.

Rebecca is blessed with the wisdom and perception that Isaac lacks and engineers events so that Jacob receives the blessing. Later, as Jacob departs from his parents, Isaac provides Jacob with an additional blessing -- the blessing of Abraham, the blessing of children and of the land -- the essence the inheritance that will be passed down to the children of Israel.

Scripture introduces the story of the switching of the blessings with the statement: "And when Isaac became old and his eyes were dim." And of course, Isaac's blindness is what enables Jacob to switch places with Esau. However, the Midrash suggests a meaning to this blindness that is far more than physical. The midrash states that when Isaac was placed upon the altar by his father Abraham, the angels of heaven looked down and wept at the thought that Isaac would be sacrificed by his own father. Those tears fell upon Isaac and blinded him.

Clearly, this story is not meant to be taken literally, as after the Binding incident, Isaac lives an active life, traveling to Gerar, negotiating with Abimelech, and is involved in various other activities that would be difficult for him to have accomplished in those days if he were blind. Also, Scripture's statement quoted about indicates that Isaac's blindness is a function of his age.

However, the Midrash is communicating a very special message, relating to Isaac's spiritual blindness, his inability to assess the true nature of Esau's character and the fact that Jacob is his true heir.

Isaac would have had to have gone through an incredible experience up there on Mt. Moriah. He was not a baby -- he knew what was happening, and he submitted himself to G-d's will. Not only was Abraham ready to sacrifice him, he was ready to be sacrificed. As he lay there on the altar, his eyes facing skyward, he achieves a spiritual clarity that is almost angelic. But, at the same time, his ability to perceive evil in the world, to be attuned to false pretences and charades was diminished. Isaac did not see Esau's true character, because he had been blinded to his faults. It enabled him to love his son and value him for the good character traits that he did have -- he was a devoted son and enjoyed bringing his father delicacies from the hunt. But Rebecca needed to be at Isaac's side, guiding his perception and ensuring that Abraham's heir was the worthy son.

When Jacob leaves Beersheva for Haran, G-d appears to him and promises him directly the blessing of Abraham, of children and the land. In so doing, G-d affirms Rebecca's vision and Jacob as the final forefather of the Jewish people.

Reflections on the New Moon

2009-11-17T12:02:00.002-07:00

This past Shabbat I sat in synagogue, listening to the Blessing of the New Month, Kislev, which will begin tomorrow.

“May it be Your will, our G-d and the G-d of our forefathers, that You inaugurate this month upon us for goodness and for blessing. May You give us long life—a life of peace, a life of goodness, a life of blessing, a life of sustenance, a life of physical health, a life in which there is fear of heaven and fear of sin, a life in which there is no shame nor humiliation, a life of wealth and honor, a life in which we will have love of Torah and fear of heaven, a life in which G-d fulfills our heartfelt requests for the good. Amen, Selah.”

The Shabbat before the New Month is known as Shabbat Mevarchim, The Sabbath of Blessing. After the Torah reading, the prayer leader holds the Torah, recites this poignant blessing for a good month, then announces the day of the upcoming week when the new month will begin.

It’s a short prayer—nothing that takes too long to say, but the words… the hope the prayer holds within it… gets me each time. In a way, it reminds me of a miniature version of the Holy Days of Awe- of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. Then, we turn to G-d, praying and pleading for a good year. And here we are asking for a good year… one month at a time. The few short paragraphs always make me think of the month gone by and the upcoming one. Are we waiting for a baby to be born? Waiting for the results of an election? One short month can change the life of a family, of a country, so drastically and dramatically. We are asking for something so simple and so basic—but we are in fact asking for everything important. “A life of peace”. When will we, in this beleaguered country of ours, ever have to stop asking for that? “A life of physical health”. We all have our private lists of those who need G-d’s help for a recovery from sickness and pain. “A life of wealth and honor”. In these times of economical hardships everywhere, everyone is just looking for the means to support their families with self respect.

To finish the Reflections...

Shabbat Shalom

2009-11-13T16:24:00.002-07:00

Chayei Sara (the life of Sarah)
Genesis 23 – 25:18

This week's Torah reading opens with the death of Sarah, the wife of Abraham, in Hebron. (Genesis 23). Abraham mourns his wife and then immediately goes about the business of burying her. He approaches the Hittites, the native residents of Hebron, and identifies himself as a stranger and resident among them, a foreign resident in modern terms. He asks to purchase a piece of land to bury his wife. The Hittites, recognizing Abraham as an important man, offer to allow him to bury his wife in their land, for free. Abraham refuses their offer, however, and insists on purchasing the land at its full price. In fact, he knows exactly which piece of land he wants – the Cave of Machpela and its accompanying field. The purchase is a public affair, carried out at the gates to the city, in the presence of the Hittites.

The transaction is spelled out in great detail, with special emphasis placed on certain words and phrases. In verse 2, we learn that Sarah dies in "Kiryat Arba, that is Hebron in the Land of Canaan." In verse 17, the transaction is sealed and the location of the field and cave are spelled out: "the field of Ephron which is in the Machpela which is before Mamreh, the field and the cave which is in it and every tree which is in its surrounding borders." In verse 19, the location is spelled out again: "the cave of the field of Machpela before Mamre which is Hebron in the Land of Canaan." It is as if Scripture wants to make sure we realize that Kiryat Arba and Mamre are synonyms for Hebron and that this is in the Land of Canaan. The landmark is so important and its geography is so important – lest we forget!!

Another emphasis in this story is on the money that changes hands: Abraham insists on paying the "full price." (verse 8). In verse 13, Abraham repeats the fact that he is giving money for the purchase. In verse 16, Abraham transfers "four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant."

It is almost as if Abraham knows that he had better make sure this transfer is done properly, according to the books, or the land will be taken from him. And the way Scripture records it, it is as if G-d wants to make sure we understand exactly where this purchase is – in Hebron, in the Land of Canaan. There is no mistaking it – this land was purchased by our forefather as a family burial plot. It is ours!

Isn't it amazing, therefore, that one of the most disputed places in Israel today is Hebron. Even as hundreds of Jews live in the old city of Hebron, and thousands of Jews live nearby in Kiryat Arba, and tens of thousands live in the surrounding hills of Judea, world opinion says that Hebron belongs to the Arabs. So much for world opinion.

For many years now, a wonderful tradition has developed in Hebron on the Shabbat when we read this Torah portion. Jews from all over Israel converge upon Hebron for this Shabbat. Every home in Kiryat Arba and Jewish Hebron opens its doors to friends and relatives. Teen-agers come from all over the country and sleep on the floors of schools and other public buildings. Shabbat meals are great gatherings and logistical nightmares. No one knows how everyone fits in, but somehow they do. On Shabbat morning, guests and residents alike stream to the Machpela Cave and there, on the very spot where Abraham buried his wife Sarah, the very place which Abraham purchased thousands of years ago, they read this chapter and praise G-d for His bounty. This Shabbat is Shabbat Hebron!

Shabbat Shalom

2009-11-06T10:22:00.010-07:00

Vayera (Abraham Argues With God)

Genesis 18 – 22

This week we read the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Interestingly, though, we know very little of the nature of the evil that had become so entrenched in Sodom and that necessitated its destruction. The first we hear of Sodom is when Lot, Abraham's nephew chooses this area as his residence. Scripture then points out: "And the people of Sodom were evil and sinful before G-d, exceedingly." (Genesis 13:13) When G-d informs Abraham of His decision to destroy Sodom He says: "The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very heavy." (Gen. 18:20). The third piece of information that we have about the evil that is in Sodom is the story of the angels who visit Lot in order to save him from the destruction. Dressed as human beings, they are welcomed by Lot and his family, but the men of the city converge upon the house and demand that Lot deliver the men to them "so that we may know them," an explicit reference to sexual relations. (Gen. 18:5).

From these scriptures, we can assume that the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah are many and varied. If G-d hears the cry of the city, we can assume that people are being hurt and wronged on a regular basis. We are told that the people are evil, an indication that their sins are an integral part of who they are. And the story with the angels tells us that the people of Sodom are not hospitable and that homosexual rape is common.

There is another source that refers to Sodom. In Ezekiel 16 verse 49, the prophet explains the sin of Sodom as their failure to help the poor.

To finish the Shabbat Shalom...

Shabbat Shalom

2009-10-30T11:54:00.003-06:00

Lech Lecha (Go Forward)
Genisis 12-17

"And G-d said to Abram go forth from your country and from your birth place and from your father's house to the land that I will show you." (Genesis 12:1) So begins this week's Torah reading. And what a reading it is. If there was ever a "Zionist" Torah reading it's this one. And each year, we are reminded that G-d chose Abraham out of all the people of the earth, and made him the father of our nation and the recipient of G-d's promises for the Jewish people.

"And Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem to the Oak of Moreh, and the Canaanite was then in the land." (Gen. 12:6) This marks Abram's entry into the Land of Israel and immediately afterwards, G-d appears to Abraham and makes an amazing promise: "I will give this land to your children." (Gen. 12:7)

Imagine the scene. Abraham is 75 years old, he is married to Sarah, he is traveling with Lot and his entire family, but he has no children. He has spent his entire life in Ur of the Chaldees and a few years in Haran and then G-d speaks to him and tells him to leave it all behind and go to a different land. In fact, when G-d first tells Abraham to leave, he doesn't even tell him where he will end up. He just says "to the land that I will show you." And Abraham is totally obedient to G-d and goes forward, not knowing what he will find when he gets there.

But the first thing he does see is the mountains of Samaria. Up on top of those mountains outside of Shechem he is promised "this land." And, let me assure you, from the mountains outside Shechem you can see just about all of "this land." I believe that this is the reason that G-d does not delineate the borders of Israel at this point -- G-d points out the land to Abraham and he can see it with his own eyes. He can see it and I'm sure he falls in love with it.

To finish the Shabbat Shalom...

Shabbat Shalom

2009-10-23T11:11:00.003-06:00

Noach (Noah)
Genesis 6:9 – 11

This week, we read the story of Noah and the flood. "And these are the descendants of Noah, Noah was a righteous man, innocent he was in his generations." (Genesis 6:9) Many commentators have questioned the use of the word generations – why the plural and why the addition of the word at all? If Noah was a righteous man and he was innocent, what does it matter which generation he was in?

Noah lived a very long life – 950 years, of which 600 years were before the flood and 350 years afterwards. Indeed, his life spanned many generations, not just quantitatively by qualitatively. In fact, he lived until after Abraham was born.

Our sages noted this life span and the fact that the next major hero mentioned in the Bible is Abraham, in order to compare Noah to Abraham. Rashi, the classic Biblical commentator who lived some 1,000 years ago, quote the early Midrashic debate as to the extent of Noah's righteousness. One opinion considers Noah a truly righteous man. This theory explains that since Noah managed to be a righteous man throughout a period in time in which he was surrounded by evil people doing the most horrible of sins, he would certainly have been an even more righteous man had he lived surrounded by goodness and righteousness.

The other theory explains that Noah was only relatively righteous – relative to his own generation. Had he lived in Abraham's time, compared to Abraham, he would have been considered mediocre. But compared to the folks that made up his neighborhood, he was a good guy.

I find both of these arguments fascinating. The first argument assumes that people have it easier doing the right thing when they are surrounded by others who aspire to righteousness. The importance of your environment and the influence your friends and neighbors have on you is significant. It also assumes that it takes extraordinary strength of character to rise above a negative environment. And it is this strength of character that determines the ability of a person to be righteous – for if Noah used that same strength of character in an easier environment, he would have been a saint!

The second argument sees Noah as uninfluenced by his neighbors but as someone who follows his own consciousness regardless of where he is. He is, indeed a good man, but not a man who takes unusual initiatives. He remains consistent in his deeds and would not be influenced by his neighbors, whether for the good or for the bad. Noah was not Abraham, for Abraham immediately beseeched G-d to save the people of Sodom and Gemorrah and Noah did nothing to try and save the people of his time. He lived in his own world, did the right thing, but did not go the extra mile.

May we all have the strength to withstand the negative influences that surround us and to take initiatives to make our world a better place, even when things are going relatively well.

Reflections on Simchat Torah by Shira Schwartz

2009-10-20T11:45:00.002-06:00

Two weeks ago we celebrated “Sukkot”- our beloved Feast of Tabernacles. But there’s a one day holiday tagged on to the tail-end of that week long festival, which I feel, sometimes gets lost in the shuffle. In Hebrew it’s called “Simchat Torah” and it means “Rejoicing with the Torah”. It follows the last day of Sukkot so directly, that there isn’t even any time to dismantle and put away our Sukkot booths that we built and lived in all week.

In a way, it’s hard to make Simchat Torah special because it follows such an incredible holiday of Sukkot, with its leafy roofed booths and the ceremonious Four Species. In order to make sure we treat this new holiday with its own due respect, we make sure NOT to eat in the Sukka and move back indoors. It’s a slightly ambiguous holiday because it doesn’t really commemorate any specific historical event. Pentecost celebrates the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. Passover commemorates the Exodus from our enslavement in Egypt. The Feast of Tabernacles reminds us of the huts the Israelites lived in as they wandered in the wilderness. Hanukah memorializes the Maccabean defeat of Antiochus and the rededication of the Temple.

And Simchat Torah? We are simply celebrating the fact—rejoicing in the knowledge-- that we have the Torah. So why now? The reading of the weekly Torah passage every Shabbat in our synagogues is set up in such a way, that every year we finish reading all Five Books of Moses. And the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings falls right now.

To finish the Reflections...

Shabbat Shalom for October 16, 2009

2009-10-16T10:25:00.002-06:00

Breishit (In the beginning)

Genesis 1 - 6:8

We begin the cycle again. Last weekend we celebrated Simchat Torah and read the final chapters of Deuteronomy with special ceremony. We then proceeded to read the first chapter of Genesis, as a way of saying that the Torah never ends, but every ending includes with it a new beginning. But this week, we begin Genesis from the very beginning and read the beautiful stories of Creation.

You may have noticed that I used the plural "stories" and not story. Because there are two separate stories of creation. Chapter 1, with its day-by-day description of creation, beginning with the simplest of creations, earth and sky, water and light and moving on to plants, fish, animals, and finally man. In that chapter, man is portrayed as the crowning glory of creation, as an integral part of the animal kingdom but as a being apart. While obviously every animal is created as a male and female, only man is mentioned as having two separate sexes. And G-d speaks to man and woman, blesses them and gives them a role - to multiply and fill the earth and rule over the rest of nature. This story of creation emphasizes man as an integral part of nature, but as a superior being within that nature - with superior capabilities and responsibilities.

Chapter 2 begins with a totally different version of the story. The first three verses of the chapter are actually...

To finish the Shabbat Shalom...

News From the Land - Indeed, The World Has Gone Mad

2009-10-13T15:39:00.007-06:00

Each year we celebrate a month of holidays in the fall, beginning with Rosh HaShana, the Jewish New Year, followed by Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, and concluding with the week-long Feast of Tabernacles. Yesterday was the last day of the Feast, the day we celebrate the conclusion of the annual reading of the Torah, Simchat Torah. It is an intense month and a joyous month and yesterday's celebration in the synagogue is a worthy conclusion - we spend hours together in the synagogue, praying, dancing and singing, celebrating the beginning of a New Year, thanking G-d for the incredible gift of the Torah, His word, that He has given us, and celebrating it all in the company of family and friends, in the synagogue that in Jewish life is far more than a House of Worship. It is a house of community, a home away from home.

Last night, we began the return to our routines, as we dismantled the Succah, the hut-like structure that we spend so much time in during the Feast of Tabernacles, and got ready for the week. And what a return to ordinary life it was. On Friday afternoon I had heard a news brief that President Barak Obama had received the Nobel Peace Prize and first thought that it was a joke. Later on, I realized that it was anything but a joke but in the hustle and bustle of preparing for the holiday, I didn't give it much thought. Last night, I turned on the news and began listening to the incredulous reactions that are so widespread in Israel. My daughter walked in and I asked her if she had heard the news and her response was so typical of her honest, forthright manner - "has the world gone mad???"

Indeed, the world has gone mad. And it did not begin this week with this bizarre announcement. For years, the recipients of the peace prize have been subjects of controversy. When Yasser Arafat shared the peace prize with Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin for the Oslo Accords, I was convinced that the last thing these three deserved was a peace prize. Arafat, of course, was an unrepentant terrorist, which even his co-prize sharer, Shimon Peres, came to realize in due time. But the Oslo Accords were anything but the harbingers of a new peaceful time. Since 1993, when the first of the accords were signed, terrorism in Israel grew to unprecedented proportions. More than 1,000 innocent civilians were murdered in Israel, as they sat in coffee shops, rode city buses and walked the streets of our cities.

To finish this article...

Friday, October 9, 2009

2009-10-09T09:44:00.005-06:00

Simchat Torah -- Zot HaBracha (This is the Blessing)
Deuteronomy 33-34

This Shabbat is also the holiday of Simchat Torah, the day we celebrate the conclusion of the annual cycle of reading the weekly portions of the Five Books of Moses, the Torah. Two weeks ago, on the Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we read Deuteronomy chapter 32. On Simchat Torah we finish the Torah.

The final verses of the Torah are truly moving and have always spoken to me in a very personal way. Moses dies and is buried by G-d somewhere in the Land of Moab where no one knows his grave site. This was very important, so that no one would turn his grave site into a shrine. Moses was a great man, but a man who was G-d's messenger. He was not G-d and it was important that no one would ever worship him as such.

Scripture then attests to Moses' uniqueness as a prophet -- "And there was never again a prophet in Israel like Moses whom G-d knew face to face." G-d spoke to Moses directly, not in a dream and not through visions. None of our forefathers, as great as they were, had that same direct and immediate relationship with G-d. Scripture then mentions "the signs and wonders that G-d sent him to do in Egypt . . . that Moses did before the eyes of Israel."

There is a great sense of loss when Moses dies and Scripture attests to the fact that there was never and will never be anyone like Moses. But the amazing thing is that...

To Finish the Shabbat Shalom...

Shabbat Shalom

2009-10-02T09:18:00.002-06:00

First Day of Succot

Leviticus 22:27 - 23:44

This week, the holiday of Succot, the Feast of Tabernacles, falls on Shabbat, so once again the regular Torah reading is suspended and a special portion for the holiday is read instead.

On the first day of the holiday, on Shabbat, we read from the end of Leviticus 22, verse 27, as well as the entire chapter 23. This includes a description of all of the Feasts, and this portion is read during one of the days of Passover as well.

Following this section, a shorter section is read from Numbers 29 verse 12. This verse begins the description of the sacrifices that were brought in the Temple on each day of Succot. As a result, we read the set of verses for each day on the appropriate day of the holiday: for example, we read verses 12 - 16 on the first day, verses 17-19 on the second and so on.

For centuries, we have followed this custom and I don't think I ever thought of this as special. But think about it -- we are celebrating holidays that were given to us by G-d, as taught to us by Moses some 3,500 years ago. The instructions were meticulous and when the Children of Israel entered the Land of Israel and built the Tabernacle, and later the Temple, each of these instructions was followed to the letter. But we have been without a Temple for nearly 2,000 years! We have not brought these sacrifices since then! And yet, we still consider this to be the ultimate way to celebrate the holiday. It is the way G-d wanted us to celebrate, and we express our longing for the rebuilding of the Temple and the return to these ancient rites by reading these verses on the day that they are supposed to be performed.

To finish the Shabbat Shalom...

Netanyahu's Speech at the UN General Assembly

2009-10-01T10:49:00.003-06:00

Binyamin Netanyhu addressed the United Nations last week and represented the People of Israel like never before. He stood proud and tall and challenged the world to stand with Israel and against anti-Semitism. Please read and pass on to all who cherish Israel and who cherish truth and freedom.

Shalom,

Sondra Oster Baras

Mr. President,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Nearly 62 years ago, the United Nations recognized the right of the Jews, an ancient people 3,500 years-old, to a state of their own in their ancestral homeland.

I stand here today as the Prime Minister of Israel, the Jewish state, and I speak to you on behalf of my country and my people.

The United Nations was founded after the carnage of World War II and the horrors of the Holocaust. It was charged with preventing the recurrence of such horrendous events. Nothing has undermined that central mission more than the systematic assault on the truth.

Yesterday the President of Iran stood at this very podium, spewing his latest anti-Semitic rants. Just a few days earlier, he again claimed that the Holocaust is a lie.

Last month, I went to a villa in a suburb of Berlin called Wannsee. There, on January 20, 1942, after a hearty meal, senior Nazi officials met and decided how to exterminate the Jewish people. The detailed minutes of that meeting have been preserved by successive German governments.

Here is a copy of those minutes, in which the Nazis issued precise instructions on how to carry out the extermination of the Jews. Is this a lie?

A day before I was in Wannsee, I was given in Berlin the original construction plans for the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. Those plans are signed by Hitler's deputy, Heinrich Himmler himself. Here is a copy of the plans for Auschwitz-Birkenau, where one million Jews were murdered. Is this too a lie?

This June, President Obama visited the Buchenwald concentration camp. Did President Obama pay tribute to a lie? And what of the Auschwitz survivors whose arms still bear the tattooed numbers branded on them by the Nazis? Are those tattoos a lie?

One-third of all Jews perished in the conflagration. Nearly every Jewish family was affected, including my own. My wife's grandparents, her father's two sisters and three brothers, and all the aunts, uncles and cousins were all murdered by the Nazis. Is that also a lie?

Yesterday, the man who calls the Holocaust a lie spoke from this podium. To those who refused to come here and to those who left this room in protest, I commend you. You stood up for moral clarity and you brought honor to your countries.

But to those who gave this Holocaust-denier a hearing, I say on behalf of my people, the Jewish people, and decent people everywhere: Have you no shame? Have you no decency?

A mere six decades after the Holocaust, you give legitimacy to a man who denies that the murder of six million Jews took place and pledges to wipe out the Jewish state. What a disgrace! What a mockery of the charter of the United Nations!

Perhaps some of you think that this man and his odious regime threaten only the Jews. You're wrong. History has shown us time and again that what starts with attacks on the Jews eventually ends up engulfing many others.

This Iranian regime is fueled by an extreme fundamentalism that burst onto the world scene three decades ago after lying dormant for centuries.

In the past thirty years, this fanaticism has swept the globe with a murderous violence and cold-blooded impartiality in its choice of victims. It has callously slaughtered Moslems and Christians, Jews and Hindus, and many others. Though it is comprised of different offshoots, the adherents of this unforgiving creed seek to return humanity to medieval times. Wherever they can, they impose a backward regimented society where women, minorities, gays or anyone not deemed to be a true believer is brutally subjugated.

The struggle against this fanaticism does not pit faith against faith nor civilization against civilization. It pits civilization against barbarism, the 21st century against the 9th century, those who sanctify life against those who glorify death. The primitivism of the 9th century ought to be no match for the progress of the 21st century. The allure of freedom, the power of technology, the reach of communications should surely win the day.

Ultimately, the past cannot triumph over the future. And the future offers all nations magnificent bounties of hope. The pace of progress is growing exponentially. It took us centuries to get from the printing press to the telephone, decades to get from the telephone to the personal computer, and only a few years to get from the personal computer to the internet.

What seemed impossible a few years ago is already outdated, and we can scarcely fathom the changes that are yet to come.

We will crack the genetic code. We will cure the incurable. We will lengthen our lives. We will find a cheap alternative to fossil fuels and clean up the planet.

I am proud that my country Israel is at the forefront of these advances - by leading innovations in science and technology, medicine and biology, and water, energy and the environment. These innovations the world over offer humanity a sunlit future of unimagined promise.

But if the most primitive fanaticism can acquire the most deadly weapons, the march of history could be reversed for a time. And like the belated victory over the Nazis, the forces of progress and freedom will prevail only after a horrific toll of blood and fortune has been exacted from mankind.

That is why the greatest threat facing the world today is the marriage between religious fanaticism and the weapons of mass destruction, and the most urgent challenge facing this body is to prevent the tyrants of Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Are the member states of the United Nations up to that challenge? Will the international community confront a despotism that terrorizes its own people as they bravely stand up for freedom?

Will it take action against the dictators who stole an election in broad daylight and gunned down Iranian protesters who died in the streets choking in their own blood?

Will the international community thwart the world's most pernicious sponsors and practitioners of terrorism?

Above all, will the international community stop the terrorist regime of Iran from developing atomic weapons, thereby endangering the peace of the entire world?

The people of Iran are courageously standing up to this regime. People of goodwill around the world stand with them, as do the thousands who have been protesting outside this hall. Will the United Nations stand by their side?

Ladies and Gentlemen, the jury is still out on the United Nations, and recent signs are not encouraging.

Rather than condemning the terrorists and their Iranian patrons, some here have condemned their victims. That is exactly what a recent UN report on Gaza did, falsely equating the terrorists with those they targeted.

For eight long years, Hamas fired from Gaza thousands of missiles, mortars and rockets on nearby Israeli cities. Year after year, as these missiles were deliberately hurled at our civilians, not a single UN resolution was passed condemning those criminal attacks.

We heard nothing - absolutely nothing - from the UN Human Rights Council, a misnamed institution if there ever was one.

In 2005, hoping to advance peace, Israel unilaterally withdrew from every inch of Gaza. It dismantled 21 settlements and uprooted over 8,000 Israelis.

We didn't get peace. Instead we got an Iranian backed terror base fifty miles from Tel Aviv. Life in Israeli towns and cities next to Gaza became a nightmare.

You see, the Hamas rocket attacks not only continued, they increased tenfold. Again, the UN was silent.

Finally, after eight years of this unremitting assault, Israel was finally forced to respond. But how should we have responded?

Well, there is only one example in history of thousands of rockets being fired on a country's civilian population. It happened when the Nazis rocketed British cities during World War II.

During that war, the allies leveled German cities, causing hundreds of thousands of casualties. Israel chose to respond differently. Faced with an enemy committing a double war crime of firing on civilians while hiding behind civilians - Israel sought to conduct surgical strikes against the rocket launchers.

That was no easy task because the terrorists were firing missiles from homes and schools, using mosques as weapons depots and ferreting explosives in ambulances.

Israel, by contrast, tried to minimize casualties by urging Palestinian civilians to vacate the targeted areas. We dropped countless flyers over their homes, sent thousands of text messages and called thousands of cell phones asking people to leave.

Never has a country gone to such extraordinary lengths to remove the enemy's civilian population from harm's way. Yet faced with such a clear case of aggressor and victim, who did the UN Human Rights Council decide to condemn Israel?

A democracy legitimately defending itself against terror is morally hanged, drawn and quartered, and given an unfair trial to boot.

By these twisted standards, the UN Human Rights Council would have dragged Roosevelt and Churchill to the dock as war criminals. What a perversion of truth! What a perversion of justice!

Delegates of the United Nations,
Will you accept this farce? Because if you do, the United Nations would revert to its darkest days, when the worst violators of human rights sat in judgment against the law-abiding democracies, when Zionism was equated with racism and when an automatic majority could declare that the earth is flat.

If this body does not reject this report, it would send a message to terrorists everywhere: Terror pays; if you launch your attacks from densely populated areas, you will win immunity.

And in condemning Israel, this body would also deal a mortal blow to peace. Here's why. When Israel left Gaza, many hoped that the missile attacks would stop. Others believed that at the very least, Israel would have international legitimacy to exercise its right of self-defense.

What legitimacy? What self-defense?

The same UN that cheered Israel as it left Gaza and promised to back our right of self-defense now accuses us -my people, my country - of war crimes?

And for what? For acting responsibly in self-defense. What a travesty!

Israel justly defended itself against terror. This biased and unjust report is a clear-cut test for all governments. Will you stand with Israel or will you stand with the terrorists?

We must know the answer to that question now. Now and not later. Because if Israel is again asked to take more risks for peace, we must know today that you will stand with us tomorrow.

Only if we have the confidence that we can defend ourselves can we take further risks for peace.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
All of Israel wants peace. Any time an Arab leader genuinely wanted peace with us, we made peace. We made peace with Egypt led by Anwar Sadat. We made peace with Jordan led by King Hussein.

And if the Palestinians truly want peace, I and my government, and the people of Israel, will make peace. But we want a genuine peace, a defensible peace, a permanent peace.

In 1947, this body voted to establish two states for two peoples - a Jewish state and an Arab state. The Jews accepted that resolution. The Arabs rejected it. We ask the Palestinians to finally do what they have refused to do for 62 years: Say yes to a Jewish state.

Just as we are asked to recognize a nation-state for the Palestinian people, the Palestinians must be asked to recognize the nation state of the Jewish people. The Jewish people are not foreign conquerors in the Land of Israel. This is the land of our forefathers.

Inscribed on the walls outside this building is the great Biblical vision of peace: "Nation shall not lift up sword against nation. They shall learn war no more." These words were spoken by the Jewish prophet Isaiah 2,800 years ago as he walked in my country, in my city - in the hills of Judea and in the streets of Jerusalem. We are not strangers to this land. It is our homeland.

As deeply connected as we are to this land, we recognize that the Palestinians also live there and want a home of their own. We want to live side by side with them, two free peoples living in peace, prosperity and dignity.

But we must have security. The Palestinians should have all the powers to govern themselves except those handful of powers that could endanger Israel.

That is why a Palestinian state must be effectively demilitarized. We don't want another Gaza, another Iranian backed terror base abutting Jerusalem and perched on the hills a few kilometers from Tel Aviv.

We want peace.

I believe such a peace can be achieved. But only if we roll back the forces of terror, led by Iran, that seek to destroy peace, eliminate Israel and overthrow the world order.

The question facing the international community is whether it is prepared to confront those forces or accommodate them.

Over seventy years ago, Winston Churchill lamented what he called the "confirmed unteachability of mankind," the unfortunate habit of civilized societies to sleep until danger nearly overtakes them.

Churchill bemoaned what he called the "want of foresight, the unwillingness to act when action will be simple and effective, the lack of clear thinking, the confusion of counsel until emergency comes, until self-preservation strikes its jarring gong."

I speak here today in the hope that Churchill's assessment of the "unteachability of mankind" is for once proven wrong. I speak here today in the hope that we can learn from history -- that we can prevent danger in time.

In the spirit of the timeless words spoken to Joshua over 3,000 years ago, let us be strong and of good courage. Let us confront this peril, secure our future and, God willing, forge an enduring peace for generations to come.

Shabbat Shalom

2009-09-25T10:14:00.002-06:00

September 25, 2009

Ha' Azinu (Listen)

Deuteronomy 32

This week we read the Song of Moses, one of Moses' final speeches to the Children of Israel before his death. The only other words Moses speaks to the nation after this are the words of blessing in Deuteronomy Chapter 33. But in Deuteronomy Chapter 32, Moses composes a long poem in which he praises G-d, discusses His relationship with His people and reviews historical events, some of which are revealed prophetically to him but have not yet occurred.

I would like to focus on two verses, each of which carry messages which speak to me in an especially relevant way. "Remember the days of old, Understand the years of each generation." (Deut. 32:7) Moses instructs his people to remember their history. In referring to the days of old, he hearkens back as far as Creation -- remember the events of the universe from its very beginnings. Understanding the years of a generation implies a deeper comprehension of events of people, of their actions and the consequences of those actions.

To finish the Shabbat Shalom...

He's no Mahatma Obama by Michael Freund

2009-09-24T11:31:00.003-06:00

I couldn't have said it better myself. Enjoy Michael Freund's commentary on the meeting between Obama, Netanyahu and Abbas.

Shalom,

Sondra Oster Baras
Director, Israel Office

Barack Obama is one impatient president.

After trying to rush through an unprecedented overhaul of America's colossal health-care system in just a matter of a few weeks, he now seeks to solve the century-old Israeli-Palestinian dispute by forcing a photo-op meeting in New York in order to jump-start negotiations in its wake.

Some may cheer this approach, but as I argue in the column below from the Jerusalem Post, it is more a reflection of the president's impetuosity than of a well-crafted policy. As such, its chances of success are highly in doubt.

And while the commander-in-chief may have recently cited India's founding father as his "real hero", his lack of patience and even arrogance clearly show that he is no Mahatma Obama.

Thanks, and Shana Tova,

Michael Freund

If anyone still thinks of US President Barack Obama in superhuman or pseudo-messianic terms, those thoughts can now surely be put to rest.

Just prior to his joint meeting on Monday in New York with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, the leader of the free world put on a performance that was so dreadfully uninspired as to border on the unpresidential.

In a statement to reporters, Obama could barely contain his annoyance, emphatically declaring that "simply put, it is past time to talk about starting negotiations - it is time to move forward. It is time to show the flexibility and common sense and sense of compromise that's necessary to achieve our goals."

Sounding like a scorned substitute teacher being ignored by his pupils, Obama lectured his Middle Eastern guests, telling them, "Permanent-status negotiations must begin, and begin soon. And more importantly, we must give those negotiations the opportunity to succeed."

SOME MAY cheer this "straight talk" as precisely the kind of push that is needed to restart the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. But the truth is that it is more a reflection of the president's impetuosity than of a well-crafted policy. As such, its chances of success are highly doubtful.

Indeed, the US media was rife with leaks from administration officials about how "impatient" Obama is. Fox News, for example, reported: "Though it's early in the Obama administration, aides suggest he's running out of patience with both sides." The New York Times took note of "the president's impatience with the slow pace of the peace negotiations," and Politico revealed that White House "aides indicated that Obama is frustrated and impatient with what they described as foot-dragging by the Israelis and inflexible positions from the Palestinians."

The president is clearly a prisoner of his own restlessness, diving head-first into one complex and knotty problem after another with little to show for it but bruises. Thus, the same man who tried to rush through an unprecedented overhaul of America's colossal health-care system in just a matter of a few weeks, now seeks to solve a century-old conflict by forcing a photo-op meeting in New York in order to jump-start negotiations in its wake.

This is no way to run a country, and certainly no way to bring about a real and lasting peace - not among bickering members of Congress, and certainly not between Arabs and Israelis.

YET PERHAPS the strangest thing of all is that Obama himself should know better than to act with such rashness. After all, just two weeks ago, on a highly-publicized visit to a high school in Arlington, Virginia, he cited Mahatma Gandhi, who was a pillar of patience, as one of his key influences.

Asked by a precocious ninth-grader whom he would like to dine with, the president replied, "You know, I think that it might be Gandhi, who is a real hero of mine...He is somebody whom I find a lot of inspiration in."

Assuming that to be true, it is hard to understand how Obama failed to learn the key lesson that embodied Gandhi's storied political career, which India's founding father once pithily summed up as follows: "Patience and perseverance, if we have them, overcome mountains of difficulties."

As he stood alongside Netanyahu and Abbas, Obama sounded nothing like the iconic Indian leader. "We have to find a way forward," he said, as though offering some profound new insight that no one else had thought of previously. "Success depends on all sides acting with a sense of urgency," Obama added, once again invoking haste as a cornerstone of his approach.

Little thought seems to have gone into how to reach his stated goals, other than to express irritation and let off some steam.

But instead of coming across as willful and determined, Obama sounded petulant and arrogant, particularly when he sought to suggest that the Middle East's complexity and history must be shunted aside to move forward.

With all due respect to the American president, he is obviously no Mahatma Obama. He is a man in a rush, who obviously thinks he knows best - better than Israel's public and its leaders - what is in Israel's interests.

But here, too, the president would do well to recall the words of his icon. It was Gandhi who proclaimed that "it is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err."

Even the man occupying the White House.

Shabbat Shalom

2009-09-18T08:49:00.003-06:00

Rosh HaShanah

Genesis 21-22

This Shabbat, we celebrate one of the holiest days of the year, Rosh HaShanah, a two-day holiday of repentance, prayer and feast, which falls this year on Saturday and Sunday, the 19th and 20th of September. As with all holidays, the normal sequence of the Shabbat Torah reading is suspended and the special reading for Rosh HaShanah is read instead.

I find the Rosh HaShanah selections special and never fail to feel a thrill and a sense of awe as we read them each year. On the first day, we read the story of the birth of Isaac, beginning with the words, "And G-d visited Sarah as he had said" (Genesis 21:1).On the second day, we read the continuation of that story, the binding of Isaac, beginning with the words "And G-d tested Abraham" (Genesis 22:1). Two incredible stories, linked to one another as the history of Isaac, Abraham's only true heir. Two incredible stories which speak volumes regarding the relationship of G-d to the Jewish people.

Interestingly enough, the Hebrew word translated as "visited" in Genesis 21:1 is the word "pakad." This word is also used to mean count or appoint. In fact, I am not sure why "pakad" has been translated as visited in this case, for the word appoint would carry so much more meaning. For in enabling Sarah to bear a child, the child who will inherit the blessings and promises given to Abraham, she has been appointed to a weighty job indeed. For through this birth, Sarah becomes the first matriarch of G-d's chosen people. The very conception of Isaac is miraculous. Sarah is 90 years old and has ceased to menstruate. G-d could have easily given her a child at a younger age, but He wants to ensure a miraculous birth -- a birth that all would recognize as a gift from G-d.

To finish the Shabbat Shalom...

As Israel Salutes the Ramons, Father and Son

2009-09-14T15:13:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, Israelis were riveted to their television screens as word of the tragically fatal accident of Assaf Ramon spread like wildfire. Assaf was a pilot in the Israeli Air Force, having just received his wings and an award of excellence a few weeks ago. For some unknown reason, he lost control of his plane in a training maneuver and crashed to his death just south of Hebron. Assaf was the son of Ilan Ramon, Israel’s first and only astronaut who was killed in the 2003 Columbia Space Shuttle tragedy. Ilan Ramon, also a pilot for the Israeli air force, had participated in the attack on the Iraqi nuclear reactor in 1981 and was an Israeli hero.

Over and over again, we saw pictures on the screen of father and son, or the young Assaf standing near pictures of his father Ilan at memorial ceremonies after his tragic death. They replayed an interview that the 16-year old Assaf had given just after his father’s death in which he relays a conversation he had with President Bush. Assaf had mentioned how proud he was of his father who had taken part in the mission against the Iraqi nuclear reactor and Bush had responded that he intended to finish the job Assaf’s father had started.

I could not help but think of the current state of relations between the US and Israel. But it wasn’t Iraq I was thinking of, it was Iran, the current source of a nuclear threat against Israel. Israel did take the initiative more than 20 years ago and destroyed the nuclear reactor in Iraq before it could be fully operational. Today, as we read reports coming out of Iran of their own nuclear program, aimed as it is at destroying Israel, I can only hope and pray that both the US and Israel will do what it takes to get the job done.

Bibi Netanyahu spoke a few days ago in a gathering of Likud activists before the Jewish New Year. He made it very clear that it is Iran that is the biggest threat to Israel today and the highest priority in all diplomacy efforts. He intimated that any willingness on his part to freeze settlement activity was in order to help galvanize world support for stronger action against Iran.

Frankly, I don’t believe Iran should have anything to do with settlements and the people of Israel should continue asserting their right to build throughout the Land of Israel, including Judea and Samaria. But as I watched the interview of the young Assaf Ramon replayed on our television screens even as we learned of his tragic death, I am encouraged in the knowledge that there are many more pilots and brave warriors in Israel’s air force and throughout the IDF who will do whatever is needed to defend Israel against her enemies. I read one newspaper account which noted that Israel was uniting around this tragedy. In truth, Israel unites around Israel. We will always stand together when threatened and we will salute our heroes with pride and sometimes with tears in our eyes. Those who have raised the settlement issue to divide us have learned that we cannot be divided. Not really. We may argue about settlements, but we are only arguing about strategies. At the end of the day, we stand together for Israel.

May G-d bless us with a happy and safe New Year.

Shabbat Shalom

2009-09-11T09:03:00.003-06:00

Nitzavim/VaYelech

(Standing /He went)

Deuteronomy 29:9-31

This week's portion includes Moses' last speech to the nation before the final poem that is Chapter 32 and the blessings in Chapter 33. Chapter 30 is often referred to as the "Return" chapter, including as it does references to both a physical and spiritual return to G-d and the Land of Israel. But a close examination of the verses in this chapter reveal a confusing sequence of events.

The first verse of the chapter sets the stage - the blessings and curses have already come to pass. The Nation of Israel has already settled in the Land and enjoyed its blessings, but has also sinned and been exiled, and the land has been decimated, as predicted in Chapter 28. At this point, there will be a return to G-d, a repentance that is initiated by the people themselves. In the first verse, G-d promises that "you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God has driven you." The actual Hebrew phrase for "call them to mind" is literally, "return to your heart." Using the same word "return" that will figure so prominently in this chapter, the stage is set for an introspection, a reminder of the blessings and the curses and the covenant set forth in chapter 28. The second verse is clearer: "And return to the LORD your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul." The initial awakening will bring in its wake a repentance, a return to G-d.

The following verses speak of a physical return -- G-d will return the people of Israel from their exile among the nations to the Land of Israel. But verse 6 goes back to a more spiritual return: "And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live." This verse, in fact, raises a number of questions. If the entire process begins with a spiritual return, as noted in the first two verses of the chapter, what does this return signify? And if the initial return is initiated by the people themselves, why does G-d have to get involved and help the return along with the circumcision of the heart mentioned in verse 6?

To finish the Shabbat Shalom...

East Jerusalem's Lost Years By Seth Frantzman

2009-09-04T09:07:00.003-06:00

As the US and other countries mount pressure against Israel and insist that Israel freeze all activity in both Judea and Samaria and in East Jerusalem, it is worthwhile noting the rich history of the Jewish communities in East Jerusalem. This is an excellent summary.

Sondra Oster Baras
Director, Israel Office
CFOIC Heartland

**************************************

The recent protests in Sheikh Jarrah against the eviction of two Palestinian families from a house have once again focused international attention on east Jerusalem. International condemnation of Israel has come from a variety of sources. Robert Serry, a special coordinator with the UN, has argued that he "deplores today's unacceptable actions by Israel." The EU Presidency has condemned what it calls "unacceptable evictions" and secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said that the events are "not in keeping with Israeli obligations."

A member of one of Jerusalem's former leading families, Hasib Nashashibi claimed: "The recent evictions are part of a plan to surround the Arab neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah with Jewish settlements, in order to separate the approximately 500 Arabs from the rest of the city and take control of the major roads in the area." But the events in Sheikh Jarrah are, like so many things in the conflict, part of a larger history that the

international community and Jerusalemites sometimes seem to forget. What is today called Sheikh Jarrah in the 19th century included two Jewish neighborhoods known as Nahalat Shimon and Shimon HaTzadiq. The latter commemorated Simon the Just, a Jewish high priest from the 4th century AD and was purchased by Jews in 1876. Nahalat Shimon was built by Sephardic and Yemenite Jews in 1891. Sheikh Jarrah was primarily a Jewish neighborhood in the late 19th century and remained so up until 1948.

According to research carried out by Prof. Ruth Kark of the Hebrew University, the Jewish housing developments were bordered by villas constructed by Jerusalem's leading Arab families. East of Salah a Din (Saladin) street was the 'Husseini Quarter' which included six houses of the Husseini family which were constructed beginning in the 1890s. Other leading Muslims began building in Sheikh Jarrah in the 1870s. By 1918 the total number of Muslim houses in the neighborhood had grown to thirty.

It was a cosmopolitan neighborhood that included the American Colony compound, St. George's Anglican Cathedral, an ancient Muslim mosque commemorating a soldier of Saladin and the 'Graves of the Kings', a site with graves of various Jewish figures, which had been acquired by a Jewish family and given to the French government in the 19th century.

In December of 1947 fighting broke out between Jews and Arabs in Jerusalem. Initially the leading Muslim families asked Arab fighters from outside the city to leave their neighborhood, and the Jews there, in peace. By March 1948, however, Arabs from a unit called "al Shabab" [The Youth] invaded the neighborhood and set the Jewish synagogues and houses on fire, causing the residents to flee. In April, the Hadassah Convoy massacre, where 79 Jews were murdered, took place in the neighborhood. Sheikh Jarrah was not the only Jewish neighborhood in east Jerusalem

destroyed in the war. Silwan, where Yemenite Jews had settled in 1882 was also taken over along with the Old city's Jewish quarter which was razed. After 1948 East Jerusalem passed into Jordanian control. The city's Christian population declined from around 30,000 before 1948 to some 11,000 in 1967.

In every history of Jerusalem these seem to be the lost years of the city where nothing seems to happen. But in fact much happened in East Jerusalem. Beit Hanina, an Arab neighborhood north of the city, became a thriving center for wealthy Jerusalemite Arab families. In addition the emigration of wealthy Jerusalemite Arabs led to an influx of Hebronite Muslims who arrived in great numbers looking for work. Although initially poor they soon came, due to high birth rates and religious devotion, to dominate many neighborhoods in the city.

The UN was involved in settling Palestinian refugees in East Jerusalem as well. The disputed houses in Sheikh Jarrah were actually handed over to the Hannoun and Gawi families in 1956 under the auspices of UNWRA. The Jewish community which actually owned the properties was not consulted. Neither was the Jewish community consulted when graves on the Mount of Olives were destroyed beginning in 1956.

According to a 2009 report by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs some 38,000 grave stones were destroyed by the Jordanian authorities, partly to pave a road through the cemetery. A large hotel was constructed on the summit of the hill.

Many of the disputes about East Jerusalem have their origins in what happened between 1948 and 1967, a period often ignored by historians, governments and activists. The UN was never given authority to resettle Palestinians in Jewish property, yet this was a task it undertook. Before condemning Israel, Robert Serry should first apologize for his own organization's theft of Jewish property without compensation. The Jewish properties in question might well have been left in ruins, like part of Nahalat Shimon and the grave of Simon the Just was. In fact none of the

rampant destruction of Jewish sites in Jerusalem was condemned by the UN during the period of Jordanian rule.

Had the international community cared then as much as it does now perhaps the disputes would not have come about. If people understood more about the period of Jordanian rule and the dynamic Arab changes of Jerusalem one might better understand the actual history of the city, rather than focusing merely on Israeli actions and Palestinian victimization.

The writer is a PhD student in geography at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and runs the Terra Incognita Journal blog. (Jer. Post Aug. 31)

Shabbat Shalom

2009-09-04T08:33:00.002-06:00

Ki Tavo
(When you will come)
Deuteronomy 26-29:8

This week's portion opens with the ceremony of first fruits that is performed in the Temple, once the Children of Israel enter the Land of Israel. "And when you will come to the land that the Lord your G-d has given you as a territory and you will inherit it and settle in it. And you will take from the first of the fruits of the earth which you will bring from your land which the Lord your G-d has given you..." (Deuteronomy 26:1-2).

There are a number of words in these first verses that provide the focus for the entire section. The fact that the land has been given to Israel by G-d is mentioned twice in these two sentences, clearly as a means of emphasis in this chapter. Also, the word that I have translated as territory in the first verse, is actually the Hebrew word "Nahala", which includes the concept of inheritance. In other words, Nahala is not merely a piece of land, but one that has been designated as the rightful possession, in essence an inheritance from G-d, of the Jewish people.

Following this introduction, the instruction is given to bring the first fruits to the Temple and recite a specific statement which begins with the acknowledgement of Jewish history, the enslavement of the people in Egypt, the exodus brought about by G-d, and the entrance into the Land of Israel, made possible by G-d who has granted the people this "land flowing with milk and honey." (26:9)

To finish the Shabbat Shalom...

Shabbat Shalom

2009-08-28T10:08:00.001-06:00

Ki Tezeh
(If you should go out)
Deuteronomy 21:10-25

This week's Torah portion includes the largest number of commandments of any other weekly portion. Beginning with Chapter 21 verse 10 and proceeding through Chapter 25, verse after verse is filled with situations and the rules of practice that are applicable.

As I read through the verses, one struck me in particular. "Do not deliver to his master the servant who is escaped from his master to you. He shall dwell with you, among you, in that place which he shall choose in one of your gates where it is good for him. Do not oppress him." (Deuteronomy 23:16-17).

As I read this I was immediately reminded of the terrible blight of slavery that was so much a part of American society in the 18th and 19th centuries. The abolitionists were very active in opposing slavery and established the underground railroad, a system of volunteers who helped smuggle slaves north to freedom.

A common statement of the slave-owners was that slavery was mentioned in the Bible, that it was condoned by G-d. The Bible does refer to slavery as an existing institution in Biblical times, which it was. But through the verses in this Torah portion, we see the fundamental difference between Biblical slavery and American slavery of the 18th and 19th centuries. The Bible makes it very clear that it is the master's responsibility to make his servant comfortable. He must feel at home and he must be treated well. In reality, a Biblical slave is essentially a servant. He is certainly not a possession.

To finish the Shabbat Shalom...

Shabbat Shalom

2009-08-21T10:28:00.002-06:00

Shoftim
(Judges)
Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9

In this week's Torah portion, we read about the restrictions placed on a king of Israel. "But he shall not have many horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt in order to obtain many horses since G-d has said to you, You shall no longer return that way. Neither shall he take many wives that his heart shall not turn away, neither shall he procure great quantities of silver and gold. And it shall be when he sits upon the throne of his kingdom that he shall write for himself a copy of this Torah . . . that his heart not be lifted above his brothers and that he not turn aside from the commandments..." (Deuteronomy 17:16-20)

These verses set forth guidelines to be followed by the kings of Israel, to ensure their righteousness and the absence of corruption in their kingdoms. Although, we no longer have kings, our political leaders would do well to follow these rules.

1. The prohibition against owning many horses is linked with the prohibition against returning to Egypt. Key here is the idea that G-d redeemed His people from Egypt - a king of Israel must make sure never to take steps that would lead his people to be enslaved once again.

2. The prohibition against many wives is more a political rather than a sexual issue. In ancient times, kings took many wives as a way of cementing relationships with neighboring kingdoms, as a sort of peace treaty. However, the danger is that these wives will lead the king astray, that the foreign cultures these women bring with them into the kingdom will lead the king astray from G-d's word and the Jewish way. Again, a word of caution against unhealthy relationships with neighboring nations.

3. The prohibition against too much silver and gold is designed to prevent corruption. If a king does not own too much, he cannot be swayed by money and financial power.

4. And finally, the king is commanded to write his own copy of the Torah and to keep it at his side, to read it and study it and follow the commandments. A king, or any political leader, must be a G-d fearing man and he must avoid arrogance at all costs. If he seeks G-d's counsel in political decisions, he will ultimately do the right thing.

If the leadership of the world followed these four principles, the world would be a far better place.

Shabbat Shalom from Samaria,

Sondra Baras
Director, Israel Office

The Turn Against Israel by John Podhoretz

2009-08-20T11:20:00.004-06:00

Take a look at this article by John Podhoretz in the recent issue of Commentary Magazine. This is an intelligent analysis of President Obama's new policies toward Israel. We must all do what we can to unmask the diplomatic double-speak and get to the truth. A recent survey found most Americans to be decidedly pro-Israel. We cannot let the American president change that!

Barack Obama began the first week of June with a series of interviews on the eve of his journey to Cairo to deliver his address to the “Muslim world.” In all of them, he spoke of the Israeli-Palestinian situation and the central importance of resolving it as part of his aim of beginning anew with the Arab and Muslim nations that have grown so disenchanted with the United States. To National Public Radio, the President made a point of invoking the ties that bind America to Israel and the “special relationship” between the two nations before asserting that part of being a good friend is being honest. And I think there have been times where we are not as honest as we should be about the fact that the current direction, the current trajectory, in the region is profoundly negative, not only for Israeli interests but also U.S. interests. And that’s part of a new dialogue that I’d like to see encouraged in the region.

The President is, of course, entirely right about how “profoundly negative” the “current direction, the current trajectory, in the region” is for American and Israeli interests. A theocratic regime committed in word and spirit to Israel’s destruction is relentlessly marching ahead with the development of nuclear weaponry. The conclusion of its march poses not only a threat to Israel’s existence but portends a Persian Gulf arms race with implications that ought to terrify everyone. This is precisely the kind of “new dialogue” Israel and the United States should be pursuing in the Middle East—honesty about the trajectory of Iran.

But, of course, honest discourse about Iran was not the fearless truth Barack Obama wished to bestow upon Israel or the Muslim world.

Rather, his honesty solely concerned the trajectory of the “settlements”— which is to say, those acres between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea on which Jewish people now live that have not been declared part of the state of Israel by the international community.

The President’s honesty compelled him to inform his friend that these acres of earth have been improperly and illegally built upon, and that their existence imperils the creation of the Palestinian state he believes is a political and moral necessity.

Obama’s notion that presidents before him have not been “as honest as we should be” about the settlements is a peculiar one. Every occupant of the Oval Office since Richard Nixon has spoken unfavorably about them. Indeed, when it comes to policy specifics, it is hard to see exactly how Obama has ushered in a new era of “honesty” in the U.S.-Israel relationship.

And yet there is no question that we have entered a new era, one that I expect will be characterized by tensions and unpleasantnesses of a kind unseen since the days when George H. W. Bush was president, James A. Baker III was secretary of state, and the hostility toward Israel oozed from both men like sweat from an intrepid colonial traveler’s brow as he journeyed across the Rub-al-Khali.

One tiny detail gives the game away: Obama’s very use of the word “honest.” It was carefully chosen, and is pregnant with meaning.

In the matter of relations between nations, the adjective “honest” is often deployed to denote animosity. When, for example, a State Department official describes a discussion between diplomats as “open and honest,” that description is presumed to mean that the proceedings were heated and confrontational.

And in the relations between the United States and Israel, “honest” has a provenance that cannot be ignored. It is most often used as part of a two-word phrase whose euphemistic purpose has long been to criticize American closeness to Israel and assert that any such intimacy needs to be abandoned in favor of a more distant, distinctly cooler posture.

The phrase is “honest broker,” as in, “the United States should serve as an honest broker in the Middle East.” It goes back at least 30 years, and seems first to have entered the realm of American cliché in tribute to President Jimmy Carter’s role in the Camp David peace process between Israel and Egypt. The success of that negotiation led to calls for the United States to continue to serve as an “honest broker” when it came to the relations between Israel and the 21 other Arab countries that, unlike Egypt, still continued to refuse to recognize its existence.

Therein lay the flaw in the “honest broker” idea whereby it was exposed for the disingenuous notion it was. For Israel’s only offense to those nations was its very existence. There can be no honest deal-brokering if one party refuses to accept the reality of another. The term suggested each party had equal weight and equal standing, but that was precisely not the case with Israel and the Arab states. The Arab nations had the geopolitical weight; Israel had the moral standing.

What the honest-brokerers actually meant when they said that the United States should play an uncommitted role was that we ought to keep our distance from Israel in order to maintain good relations with Arab states—many of whom, after all, not only sat atop mammoth oil reserves but whose potentates were also genial and lovely hosts, in contrast to the informal and stiff-necked sabras who simply didn’t know how to act in a courtly fashion toward the starched foreign-service officers who served as the nation’s emissaries.

It was only in the 1990s, when Yasir Arafat was parachuted into the West Bank from his exile in Tunis and reinvented as a negotiating partner for Israel, that the phrase began once again to find purchase. For now, at last, there was a deal to be brokered; the Palestinians were now at the table, eager to claim the land Israel had taken in war.

Those who advocated for the Palestinian cause argued that the only way such a thing was going to happen would be if the United States were to serve as an “honest broker”—which is to say, implicitly, as the representative of the Palestinians in the negotiation. And indeed, effectively, that is what the Clinton administration did do, so well that it all but designed a Palestinian state, induced then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak to accept it, and then went into slack-jawed shock when Yasir Arafat rejected it and started a terror war instead.

Nonetheless, those in the “honest broker” camp believed the Clinton administration was compromised by its acceptance of the phrase “special relationship” and Clinton’s own expressions of closeness to the assassinated Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Such is the nature of those who hunger for the “honest broker” role—nothing less than a breach with Israel will do. The honest-brokerers presume that the United States has tilted in Israel’s direction for all sorts of reasons, all of them corrupt, corrupted, and corrupting.

The government is always being manipulated, the honest-brokerers say, by the all-powerful Israel lobby, the all-powerful neoconservatives, or the all-powerful born-again Christians. Presidents hunger for the Jewish vote in Florida and Pennsylvania, and therefore betray America’s true interests. For the honest-brokerers, then, American support for Israel is always viewed as dishonest.

People will argue about the text of Obama’s Cairo address as long as he is president, because he is to plain-spoken clarity what blue-hued cotton candy is to nutrient. But the message he was delivering to his own State Department, to his own diplomats who will be carrying out his policies, was plain: The goal of American foreign policy in the Middle East is now the creation of a Palestinian state. Very little will be expected of the Palestinians in the creation of that state; Hamas should renounce terror and recognize Israel, but a failure to do so will not kill the deal. Violence should be foresworn, but even that is of secondary importance to the state itself.

A great deal is, however, expected of Israel. Settlements are to be frozen, including their “natural growth.” Israel must bolster the Palestinian economy, provide Palestinians with jobs, and make things better in Gaza. Israel is to give; the Palestinians are to receive. Israel’s giving is to be accompanied by a promise of reduced violence. Palestinian receiving will be accompanied by Israel’s surrender of more territory beyond the entirety of Gaza and the near-entirety of the West Bank already in Palestinian hands. Israel, the president asserts, will be better off if all this happens. Trust him. He’s Israel’s friend. A better friend than anyone else, remember, because he’s willing to be honest about Israel’s need to sacrifice itself on the altar of nothing more than a promise, and maybe not even that.

And so the turn against Israel that so many predicted during the 2008 campaign is coming to pass—with a smile, and a nod, and an invocation of a word that actually means something very different from friendship. It might even mean its opposite.

Reflections on Torah Study by Shira Schwartz

2009-08-18T13:46:00.002-06:00

I went more than three weeks ago, but it’s still so fresh in my mind and it was such a glorious day, that I wanted to share it with you. On Thursday, July 23rd, I joined thousands of men and women of all ages flooding the campus of the Herzog College of Gush Etzion for the annual Bible conference. What was, just a few years ago, a small summer seminar for teachers, has been transformed into an unrivaled center of learning. The annual Bible “Days of Learning” conference had started on Monday and I caught the fourth and final day. I caught a ride with Sondra Baras, who, as she does every year, took off all four days from work to attend the entire program. We left at 7:30 in the morning for the hour and a half ride. We arrived at 9, parked, and set across the lovely college campus of the Yeshiva- the School for Bible and Talmud studies. Beautiful buildings and dormitories dotted the landscaping and sturdy trees and flowering shrubs decorated the sprawling lawns.

By the time we made it indoors to the main building, the trickle of people had turned to a steady stream and I hurried to get in line for registration. Sounds crazy to say, but one of my favorite parts of the whole day was standing on that line. Most of the 5,000 (!) participants had registered by mail or on the internet and they arrived with beautifully organized packets of when and where each course they chose was taking place, and they started making their way to their first class. They were helped by gracious young men and women ushers, wearing visible staff vests, who were “directing traffic”. Watching the flow of humanity passing by me and glancing at those on line with me for late registration, I just stood there in awe of what I was seeing. There were thousands of people: senior citizens, some making their way haltingly through the halls; there were middle aged couples who had decided to take off from work to spend the day there together; there were newly married women in traditional kerchief head coverings who had to make arrangements to leave small children at home; there were young soldiers and yeshiva students and teenage girls who chose a day of Torah study as a way to spend their summer break.

To finish the Reflections...

Shabbat Shalom

2009-08-14T11:24:00.002-06:00

Re'eh
(See)
Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17

This week's portion includes a number of laws pertaining to people who exert an undue influence over others in order to sway them away from obeying G-d's commandments. The first refers to a false prophet, the second to an individual who sways his relatives or close friends, and the third, to wicked individuals who influence an entire city. In all three cases, the objective of the influencer is to sway people away from G-d and towards pagan worship. In all three cases, the influencer is punished by death.

The first case is that of the false prophet. In this case, the source of the undue influence is the fact that the so-called prophet is able to perform wonders and uses these so-called miracles to sway others to believe the truth of his words. But G-d is very clear on this point - this is a false prophet for the content of his message is inherently false. G-d has already given us His law, His commandments, and will never change them. If someone should come along and try to change anything fundamental, such as the belief in one G-d, Scripture tells us clearly that he is not to be believed, regardless of the wonders and miracles he is able to perform.

"But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery . . ." (Deuteronomy 13:6) It is G-d's redemption of the Nation of Israel from Egypt, the parting of the Read Sea and the accompanying miracles, which provide the evidence of G-d's sovereignty on this earth. Our sages noted that a simple maid present at the parting of the Red Sea experienced a greater revelation from G-d than the prophet Ezekiel, such was the power and force of that great event. So, no matter the signs and wonders that an individual may be able to perform afterwards, they cannot rescind the messages that G-d has given us in His Torah.

To finish the Shabbat Shalom...