Simanija

Author: Rabbi Schell

  • Toledot: It is about seeing—and not seeing.

    Our parasha reports how Isaac was tricked by Jacob, taking advantage of his father‘s blindness, into giving him the blessing of the firstborn.  But was Isaac really blind? Was he really not able to notice that it was Jacob and not Esau who stood before him?  History is sometimes made by averting our eyes.  Many people think that miracles are about God working magic.  But according to Genesis miracles are about lifting up the eyes.  They are about opening the eyes and seeing what is already there. So miracles are more about us seeing things rather than God’s magic.  Miracles are about noticing the extraordinary in the ordinary. 

    So how do we understand Isaac’s not seeing?  If he is blinded by choice because it is too painful to verbalise what one son is doing to another or how his wife is conspiring against him or how he is favouring one son over another, then what might  the miracle be that he is unable to see? 

    The miracle  is in the sequel.  It is in next week’s portion.  That miracle is the dream of a ladder going to heaven.  This miracles occurs because Jacob is now running from Esau.  Such is the history that is created by Isaac
    choosing not to see.

    We can’t see everything and some things are too painful to see clearly.  The truth must sometimes be concealed and that we must, as a matter of faith, veil our eyes. Our rabbis teach us that we learn from Isaac how to lead a life of faith.  We can look at the world and all its pain.  We can look at our own lives with all the difficulties and say, there is no God; there are no
    miracles.  Or, you can see Nature in all its wonderful colours, and say, “I believe!” Faith is a matter of averting our eyes from our daily pains and seeing instead the sometimes less frequent joys and blessings.  It is about seeing—and not seeing.

    Shabbat Shalom – Rabbi Adrian M Schell

  • Knowing that We Are Blessed

    As Abraham reached the twilight of his years, our Torah portion informs us that “the Eternal had blessed Abraham in every way” (Genesis 24:1).

    The Rabbis were perplexed by such an assertion. No surprise! Do you know anyone on earth who is blessed with everything? Some people may give the impression that they “have everything.” But when you scratch the surface you will find that we all carry burdens- physical, emotional, and
    financial. We live with disappointment, with pain, with hopes not realised and goals never achieved.

    So what about Abraham? As Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman (Nachmanides) suggests, Abraham was blessed with riches, possessions, honour, and
    longevity (Ramban on Genesis 24:1). What for me is missing in this list is love, family and friendship.

    Last weekend, when we were sitting around the tables that were so richly filled with cakes and sweets for the High Tea, and also on Shabbat at the brocha, after the service, I felt that we are a blessed congregation. Not so much because of the food, which was lovely, but because of being a real community, where friendship and togetherness are not only nice terms on paper, but a lived reality.

    When the Torah says that the Eternal had blessed Abraham in every way, perhaps it not only meant the many blessings Abrahm enjoyed in his life-time, but also anticipated the many blessings Abraham‘s children—us—would some days enjoy: a rich tradition, friendship and community.

     Shabbat Shalom

    Rabbi Adrian M Schell

  • Keeping Shabbat the Progressive Way

    Once a year, usually mid-November, a special Shabbat is announced. The so called Shabbat Project should inspire Jews around the globe to keep Shabbat. But what does it mean “to keep Shabbat“?Technically, the laws of Shabbat can seem draconian. There are thirty-nine official “dont‘s,” and they each have subcategories that add hundreds more. One cannot mow the lawn, hunt for food, light a fire, plant a seed, cook food, boil water, sew on a button, erect a tent, use a hammer, bake a cake, or gather kindling.Derived from these ancient laws, a host of modern restrictions has been added by scholars, so now it is forbidden [according to Orthodox interpretation of the law] to turn on a computer, drive a car, flick on a light switch, talk on the phone, replace a battery, or watch television. The list is a long one. Conservative rabbis [in the US] prohibit many of these same activities, but the level of observance among the Conservative Jews is not as widespread as it is among the Orthodox.Progressive rabbis, for the most part, say that these ancient restrictions are no longer binding or enjoy the same priority as ethical laws that may stand in conflict with the traditional Shabbat restrictions (such as visiting or calling family members or friends). However, Progressive Judaism doesn‘t deny that one can find meaning in the restrictions and should try to incorporate them into one‘s religious lives.But how? And which? And why? Join Brett Steingo for a conversationthis Shabbat after the brocha @ 11.45 for 12.00

  • How can I help?

    Our Torah Portion “Noach” reports twice on the downfall of humanity in the eyes of God. In the response to the first, God sends the waters of the flood, which erases all life on earth and God’s answer to the second, the building of the Tower of Bavel, is the dispersion of all humanity to all corners of the earth and the diffusion of language. Both are radical answers to human weakness.Only with Abraham and later with Moses and the Israelites God opens a different path, away from destruction and punishment, towards a process of learning and self-improvement. God offers help and guidance in form of the Torah and all subsequent teachings of our tradition. Moreover, God becomes a role model for us when looking at each other. Instead of searching for flaws and shortcomings and how we can castigate our neighbour, we should ask the question:

    How can I help? How can we make things better?

    Shabbat Shalom – Rabbi Schell 

  • A first thought for 5780 – Shabbat Shuvah

    This Shabbat is Shabbat Shuvah, the Shabbat that falls between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. Our tradition teaches that the gates of repentance are always open, and we are constantly reminded that it is never too late to change one’s ways and start anew. The haftarah for this Shabbat begins, “Shuvah Yisrael…” (Return, O Israel…). (Hosea 14:2)That idea of returning, or turning to a different path, permeates the season. What’s significant, perhaps, is not that we are repeatedly given  opportunities to change, but that we need them. None of us is perfect,  there’s always room for improvement. What this Shabbat and Yom Kippur reminds us is that not only can we always return, but also forces us to ask ourselves why we aren’t starting right now. If it’s never too late to begin, it’s also never too early to start.In my sermon on Rosh HaShanah, I shared with you my thoughts on having hope and feeling gratitude, especially in moments that are difficult for us. Yom Kippur with its laws and regulations to fast and “atone“ is too often understood as a burden, but actually, Yom Kippur is a happy day, reassuring us that the above mentioned change is possible and that God is with us every single moment of our lives. God is stretching out God‘s hand on Yom Kippur, awaiting us at the open gates.May you all be sealed in the book of life, rewarded for your honesty towards yourself and God. May you gain strength from Yom Kippur to master the tasks that await you in the coming year. May you feel God’s Presence within you always, and never lose faith and trust in God and God‘s people.Gmar chatima tova!—Rabbi Adrian M Schell 

  • Rabbi’s greetings for the New Year

    My dear friends,dear congregants,guests and visitors,Chayim and I send you heartfelt greetings for a blessed Shanah Tovah u’Metukah, a year of goodness and sweet experiences!How deeply embedded in our hearts are the many fine memories of the services we observed together, the simches we celebrated, the joys and sorrows we shared, the hospitality you provided us, the personal stories you entrusted to us and the hopes and dreams we prayed would be realised in the past year!Bet David enshrines kedushah, something very holy, in the way everyone is welcomed, and is embraced. The feeling of kehilah (community) permeates every gathering. The values of Torah are found in the many ways you and your families live as Jews and contribute to our shared aim to repair the world (Tikkun Olam).May 5780 bring more of those simches and less sorrow, more beauty and more fullfilled dreams.May you go from strength to strength with blessing!L‘shanah tovah tikatevu—For a good New YearRabbi Adrian and Chayim Schell 

  • A final thought for 5779

    For the last Shabbat in 5779, our Torah comes with one of the readings I love most in the entire year. In parashat Nitzavim we find the following directive: “I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. You shall choose life.”But, what does it mean to choose life? It’s not as if we need to be told to live.  Rather, God is telling us that by choosing to follow God’s ways, we are choosing a good life. A blessed life. But this brings us to the age-old question “Why do the wicked prosper?” Why do we see evil people enjoying success in this world while good people struggle?One of the classic answers is that while evil people may seem to be living it up in this world, they will suffer in the next, while the righteous will receive their reward in the world to come. Earthly pleasures are finite, but spiritual pleasures are infinite. The problem with this answer is that many of us haven’t got the patience to wait for the world to come and see if this is really true. Our struggles are now, and we want relief now.But maybe the answer isn’t some logical discourse, but a shift in perspective.  A wonderful teaching by our sages says: “Good life is defined not by what you get, but by what you give.” When you look at life this way, the question disappears. It becomes almost irrelevant. No matter how little I have, there is always something I can do—some way I can reach out. By the same token, a life defined by how much you get can never satisfy. No matter how much you have, you always want more and more.In order to be able to “choose life,” we need to be able to see it—to recognise it as life. This is what the Torah’s command gives us. It’s not really a directive. The point isn’t to tell us what to do, but to show us—to help us hold on to the perspective, to help us see how much more there is to life than we often see at the first moment.For this Shabbat and these High Holy Days, it is my hope that we will find ways to see so that we can choose the right path for us, our families and society.Shabbat Shalom and a good start into the New YearRabbi Adrian M Schell (Source: Rabbi Shuchat) 

  • Indifference to our world is intolerable, unethical and it breaches our morality

    Chaverim,In this week’s column I’d like to share with you an excerpt from my sermon I delivered last Friday. The sermon was about the powerful dictum of Parashat KiTeitzei, wich asks us not to remain indifferent — “Lo tuchal le’hitalem“.Lo tuchal le’hitalem – you shall not remain indifferent – it is an in-your-face moral and ethical requirement, taking us further into our humanity, reminding us that however practical Judaism is, however much a religion of doing, the doing is based on our shared humanity, our striving to reach a fuller and richer knowledge of our Source. Judaism is not only about what one does and doesn’t do. It is more than what       rituals one keeps, or at what time one separates Shabbat from the rest of the week. It isn’t lived only on a spiritual plane nor exclusively in the material world but it is rooted in the ethical and the moral.Of course, I mention this imperative of the Torah in the light of the political discussions we have in South Africa currently. The despicable acts towards women, the xenophobic attacks, the general outlook on the value of a human life that seems to become less and less of value to many – all this needs our attention.  We cannot pretend not to see what is happening. We cannot hide ourselves or be indifferent to our surroundings, however inconvenient it might be and we have to respond to them – because it is a essentially Jewish requirement.Lo tuchal lehitalem- you shall not hide yourself; you shall not be indifferent.  We are not permitted to look the other way, to continue with our lives as routinely as before. Hiding the truth from ourselves and not acting to help others is a direct prohibition..May we all, in the final days of this current Jewish year find ways to bring holiness into this—our—world, by stepping out of our comfort zone and into actions of meaning.Shabbat ShalomRabbi Adrian M Schell  

  • Please help us – so that we can help others

    You shall not deduct interest from loans to your countryman, whether in money or food or anything else that can be deducted as interest. ” (Deuteronomy 23:20)Chaverim,The Torah portion, Ki Teitzei, prescribes a great act of tzedakah. The idea that we ought to assist our brethren in reduced circumstances with timely, interest-free loans so that they may maintain themselves through their own work, without resorting to the acceptance of alms, is surely a utopian ideal. Economies don’t generally operate without the taking of interest. But the laws of the Torah were designed to protect the hungry from starvation and the disenfranchised from being reduced to utter want. Judaism demands that we move against the weakness of our natures and strive to lift ourselves above our baser impulses. Our tradition’s singular commitment to justice tempered with mercy has been the backbone of the well-being of so many for generations.There are only  three more weeks left before the High Holy Days and it is good practice at this time of the year to look out for the well being of our fellow Jews, neighbours and ourselves. Perhaps it is our liturgy that reminds us how fragile life is and how easily one can loose literally everything in life—but hopefully not the support of one’s congregation.Therefore, I appeal to you to help us at Bet David, so that we can help others. We have at Bet David a Discretionary Fund which is handled by me, and I promise you that the money from this fund is only used to help individuals when they need us, following the aims and ideals of our tradition and the Torah.Not to forget Kehillah, our sisterhood who has helped so many over the years that it is beyond words and counting. This is often done behind the scenes and has brought immense relief to individuals and families. Everyone who has helped in the past has contributed to their outstanding work.And finally, Bet David itself also needs your financial support. The infrastructure that we offer is more than a house of worship. Thanks to your support, Bet David offers assistance and help to those in need and at times of great difficulties.Please consider a donation to Bet David before the High Holy Days. Any contribution will make a difference. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.– Rabbi Adrian M Schell 

  • Parashat Re’eh: Justice, Justice shall you pursue!

    Chaverim,The pursuit of justice is one of the most frequently repeated concerns, and not only of the Torah, but of Jewish tradition. The teaching is to pursue justice in dealing with social, political, and international matters.  In addition, Jewish tradition teaches, “speak up for those who are silent, for the rights of the unfortunate. Speak out, judge justly, champion the poor and the needy.”Several commentators ask the question: Why does Moses repeat the word Tzedek, or “justice,” in his statement: “justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may thrive and occupy the land that Adonai your God is giving you?” – Pointing out that the commandment could stand without the repetition since the Torah does not often repeat words, interpreters offer a number of explanations: Some say that by repeating the word Tzedek Moses underscores the importance of pursuing justice as a means of community survival. Others argue that the term is repeated to convey the idea that the pursuit of justice is not only the responsibility of government, of judges within the society, but also an imperative for each individual.  This may have been what Rabbi Acha meant when he quoted Rabbi Tanchum, who said, “though a person may be a scholar of Torah and a teacher of greater renown, careful in observing all the ritual commandments, if such a person is able to protest wrongdoing neglects to do so, he is to be considered cursed.” Or in the words of Rabbi Chijah: “if a person is neither a scholar, nor a teacher, nor known for observing all the ritual commandments, but stays up to protest against evil, such a person is called a blessing.”For rabbinic interpreters the pursuit of justice in society was paramount.Correcting the evils perpetrated by human beings was considered the highest ethical priority.  Moses’ repetition of “justice, justice” was understood to mean: “don’t be satisfied with observing wrongdoing. Stand up and protest against it!” Obviously, the pursuit of justice is critical and of central concern for any society.  Within the Bible and embedded within rabbinic commentary, theaccomplishment of justice is a requisite for truth in peace.  We are commanded to pursue justice because no human community can survive without it.– Rabbi Adrian M Schell (Source: Fields, Parashat Re’eh)