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Author: Rabbi Schell

  • These I remember …

    Chaverim,In our journey of the High Holy Days, our tradition invites us not only to find our inner selves, but also to deepen our conection with those who lived before us and prepared this path for us. Our forebears are many, and their contributions are uncountable. May we find meaning in their acts and the inspiration to follow them:

    These I remember — The ones whose lives were shaped by a mitzvah: “You must not remain indifferent.” The ones who lost their lives through devotion to a mitzvah: “Justice, justice you shall pursue.” The ones who embodied, through deed and dedication, a mitzvah: “Choose life.” And these I remember… The ones who mended the broken, brought healing to the wounded, fought back despair with the solace of faith. The ones who breathed life into a prayer: L’takein olam b’malchut Shaddai: to establish in the world the sovereignty of High and Noble Purpose. I remember these… Artists of the soul, architects of redemption —the activists and advocates of justice and beauty, exemplars of tikkun olam: repairing the world. On this holy day, we remember…

    Rabbi Adrian M SchellQuote: Mishkan HaNefesh: Yom Kippur: Machzor for the Days of Awe (Page 518).

  •  Avinu Malkeinu

    Chaverim,Tisha B‘Av marked a turning point in our preparations towards the High Holy Days. The days of rebuke and warning are replaced by those of comfort and love. God is not only the judge, assessing our short comings, but also the parent, helping us to grow and to overcome fear and hopelessness. The following prayer encourages us to open ourselves to those important aspects of God, to invite God into our lives, as a source of strength and love:On the night of return, let us find the humility to come close to You, and open ourselves to Your presence. For You are absent only when we fail to make room for You in our hearts; distant, only when we turn away from You. Now, as others have done before us, let us overcome doubt and speak these words of affirmation:  Avinu MalkeinuWe call YouAvinu — as loving Parent, forgive our wrongs and failings; accept us in our human frailty.We call YouMalkeinu — as Sovereign of our souls, help us rise from our brokenness to build a world of shalom. To this vision we offer ourselves anew. Shabbat Shalom—Rabbi Adrian M Schell Quote: Mishkan HaNefesh: Rosh Hashanah: Machzor for the Days of Awe (Page 74).  

  • Let there be light

    This week, South Africa celebrated Mandela Day in honour of a man who undoubtly was a light for this nation, and also a light to the nations. Our Jewish tradition teaches us that striving for justice and equality is the foundation for tikun olam, but also that we have to open our hearts and souls for any other person to contribute to a world redeemed.The smiling children I saw on the many pictures taken last Sunday made me grateful, witnessing that little deeds can bring happiness into this world. Thank you to all of you who supported, contributed and helped to create a special day for those children.Perhaps the following quote from our new Machzor mirrors best this holy bond between our actions and the betterment of the world we live in:

    The first mitzvah in the Torah is “Let there be light!”

    So, we are commanded:In everything you do, be a menorah, a bringer of light. Live with honour, act with integrity, do your work with passion — and the radiance of your deeds will live after you.

    May our ideals burn bright, forever unextinguished, and may we live our lives like the flames we kindle — always stretching upward, striving for the good, reaching for You.

    May God‘s light shine upon you and grant you peace –Shabbat Shalom—Rabbi Adrian M SchellQuote: Mishkan HaNefesh: Rosh Hashanah: Machzor for the Days of Awe (Page 11).To make life easier for you, we will sell the new High Holy Day prayer book every Friday before services. The price per set is R700. Please note that we can only accept cash payments. Learn more about our new High Holy Day prayer book and how you can order your personal set at: www.betdavid.org.za/mishkan/  

  • HAKARAT HATOV: RECOGNIZING THE GOOD

    We loved.And we wept.We were kind—and spoke thoughtfully.We were faithful and trusting.We put forth effort.We were mindful.We embraced.We took delight in the holy books.We were creative.And we yearned.We fought for justice—and searched out the good.We tried our best.And we were attentive.We did what You commanded us to do.We found meaning in Torah.And, most of the time, we did what is right. We proclaimed Your name.And we were accepting.We were joyful.And we cared.

    This wonderful poem from our new Machzor invites us to acknowledge the good in us. May this wisdom serve us as a source of strength where we feel weak, where we need to improve, or where we might have failed on our journey towards Rosh HaShanah.Shabbat Shalom—Rabbi Adrian M SchellQuote: Mishkan HaNefesh: Yom Kippur: Machzor for the Days of Awe (Page 659)

  • Your book of life

    YOUR BOOK OF LIFE doesn’t begin … on Rosh HaShanah. It began when you were born. Some of the chapters were written by other people: your parents, siblings, and teachers. Parts of your book were crafted out of experiences you had because of other people’s decisions: where you lived, what schools you went to, what your homes were like. But the message of Rosh Ha-Shanah, the anniversary of the creation of the world, is that everything can be made new again, that much of your book is written every day—by the choices you make. The book is not written and sealed; you get to edit it, decide what parts you want to emphasize and remember, and maybe even which parts you want to leave behind. Shanah tovah means both a good year, and a good change. [Every single day] you can change the rest of your life. It is never too late. In 72 days, on Rosh HaShanah 5779, we will open a new page in our books of life. 72 days sound like a lot of days left to prepare ourselves for the new year — to organise the usual, and to fix what needs to be fixed.While I agree that there is enough time left to make arrangements for the Rosh haShanah dinner, to get flights booked for family members to join us, and even to get your new machzorim (High Holy Day prayer books) from the Shul, I often have the feeling there is never enough time to review our past year.Therefore, I‘d like you to begin with some simple, but important questions, making the next 72 days hopefully more meaningful: Which of the choices you made make you proud—which not so much? Had you time to celebrate achievements—where have you failed and have you had a chance to think about why?  When did you last suprise your partner/friend/children—and when did you last apologise to them?Shabbat Shalom—Rabbi Adrian M Schell Quote: Rabbi Laura Geller (b. 1949) Mishkan HaNefesh: Rosh HaShanah, Page 5

  • Parashat Chukat: For a future with new hopes and dreams

    This Torah portion records Miriam’s death in one simple verse, “Miriam died there and was buried there.” Unlike the 30-day mourning period for her brother Aaron, who dies later in the same Torah portion, neither her brothers nor the community formally observe Miriam’s death; even though the Torah declares Miriam a “prophet,” a designation never bestowed on Aaron. Instead the Torah quickly turns to a seemingly unrelated topic: the heated quarrel between Moses and the Israelites over the absence of water and its dramatic fallout, God banning Moses from entering the Promised Land.I believe that these seemingly unrelated events are linked. Unaware grief and unresolved loss can lead to grave consequences as in this case. In counselling we are told to allow people to mourn before they can move one, not only to bury their beloved once, but also their dreams they had for a common future. If we don’t give ourselves the time to end one episode in our lives before we embark on the next, the past dreams, hopes, and ideas will overshadow everything we do in the future. Memories of the past will not become a source of strength, but a stumbling block on our path to heal our broken souls.I feel for Moses; I can understand that Miriam’s death must have shaken him to his core. But, reading the Torah as it is, my impression remains that he tried to fill this void by running from one job to the next, reacting to the demands of the Israelites and not adhering to his own needs, ending up in a big break down, losing his faith in God and the people. The consequences are dramatic – but perhaps an important lesson to realise that life changes when someone dies – the future will not remain the same. If we allow ourselves to mourn and mark those changes, we will find the strength to build up a new future, with new hopes and dreams.Shabbat ShalomRabbi Adrian M Schell (Source: Rabbi Lisa Edwards) 

  • Parashat Korach: It is not about what we are, but what we can become

    The revolt in the Israelite camp reached its climax at a mass meeting of the rebels. The majority of the speakers were from the tribe of Reuben. In their so-far sharpest attack, the rebels questioned Moses and Aaron and held them guilty for unlawful appropriation of power and severe mismanagement. They called for an immediate return of the people to Egypt and warned clearly that under the continued leadership of Moses the people of Israel would be led into disaster. Among the rebels was the singer songwriter Korach from the tribe of Levy, who becamefamous for writing many psalms which we still recite.Korach and his supporters, who took part in the rebellion against Moses, died in a tragic manner. In front of thousands of people, who watched terrified, they sank into the ground, as a rift broke up and dragged them into the depth.But why the punishment? Does not everyone in a just society have the right to express their opinion? The rebels had claimed that the whole people of Israel are holy. Which indeed is hugely different to what Moses and the Torah tried to teach: It is not about what we are, but what we can become — one should strive to become holy, one should strive to be a moral and religious people. The Torah presents some guidelines to help with this. The rebels had sharply attacked this teaching and had proclaimed, the whole people of Israel as it is, is holy. They understood holy as being special, with no need for guidance in any matters.Holiness is not granted as a birth right to us, but as a gift, rewarding us for bringing healing—Tikun Olam—into the world.Shabbat ShalomRabbi Adrian M Schell (Source: Annette Böckler) 

  • Big Ideas of our Parasha „Sh‘lach Lecha“

    • God needs us to discover things on our own. This is why the portion begins with the words shelah lecha-literally, send them to spy on the land “for your own sake.” It would not have been enough for God to simply describe the Promised Land to Moses. God needed Moses and the people to directly experience the land so that they could under-stand the challenges that lay ahead. Faith in God alone would not have been sufficient. Since God is not going to tell you what to do in life, you will often need to rely on your own experience in order to make mature decisions.
    • The majority opinion is not always right. The majority of the spies believed that it was impossible to conquer the Land of Israel; a tiny minority (Joshua and Caleb) believed quite the opposite. They advocated for their opinion, and they won; the people would push on into the wilderness and conquer the land. Many of the great things in world history have not happened because the majority was in favour of them; it often takes a creative minority of people to convince others to expand their vision.
    • Arguing with God is an essential Jewish way of relating to God, even if it is not always successful. The tradition of arguing with God goes all the way back to Abraham, who argued with God over the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah. There is also the incident of the Golden Calfwhen Moses appeals to God’s sense of justice: it would be cruel for God to kill the people off in the wilderness. And now here Moses appeals to God’s ego: if God didn’t bring the people into the land, others would say that God was weak. Moses not only speaks to God; he tries to appeal to God and calls God to account.
    • All Jews can be holy. In the past, God had commanded certain ritual garments for only the priests to wear. But now it is different. By commanding the Israelite people to wear fringes (tzitzit) on their garments, God is helping to bring about the day when Israel will truly be a “nation of priests.”

    Shabbat Shalom Rabbi Adrian M Schell (Source: Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin )Torah Reading Parashat Sh’lach Lecha: Numbers 13:1-15:41; Reading: Num 14:8-35Plaut p. 983; Hertz p. 626Haftarah:  Joshua 2:1-24Plaut p. 998; Hertz p. 635Upcoming Festivals:Rosh Chodesh Tamuz: 13/14 June 2018Tisha BeAv: 22 July 2018Rosh HaShanah 5779: 9 September 2018 

  • Parashat Beha’alotecha: Mind your words

    Wherever we go in today’s society, we are bombarded by ads about what we should and should not be putting in our mouths. The ads tells us to eat this so that we can lose weight; to not eat that because it could raise our cholesterol; and we constantly hear promises of how ingesting a certain product will make us strong, beautiful, and healthy. But what about what comes out of our mouths?If our tradition teaches us anything, it is the power of words — for good or evil, pain or joy. In this week’s portion Miriam is stricken with tzara‘at, a type of skin infliction that is similar to leprosy. Therabbis are clear as to why: she slandered Moses by both insulting his wife, and then claiming that God speaks with her as well. As a result of what comes out of her mouth, she is stricken with disease and quarantined outside the camp; and only the prayerful words of her brotherMoses lead to her healing. “Please God, heal her now.” (Num. 12:13)There is a vital teaching here that we need to remember at all times. When we speak ill of another person, we are creating a disease that affects the entire community. Like a disease that is easily passed from one to another, those words can become epidemic, a matrix for marginalisation and racism. Like tzara‘at; rumors, gossip, and slander change the way that we perceive someone at such a basic level that the entire community becomes contaminated.“Lashon Hara”, the “evil tongue”, hurts everyone, and therefore I applaud the SAUPJ for their initiative to counter racism in our own language and environment (see below).

    Don’t let racism be our JudaismShabbat ShalomRabbi Adrian M Schell(Source: Rabbi Michael Barclay )

    Anti Racism Initiative of the SAUPJThe SAUPJ, together with the SAJBD, is starting an initiative to stamp out racism in the Jewish community.   Starting in the home, among family and friends, we can stand up to those whose Yiddish vocabulary is limited to Shoch and Shwartze.   These derogatory terms cause great hurt – whilst we expect people to address us and talk about us in a respectful way so should we realise that referring to blacks in that way should be buried in the past.  I urge you to point out to anyone using those words that they are unnecessary and undignified.Don’t let racism be our Judaism. Monica SolomonNational Chair, SAUPJ

      

  • Parashat Naso: May God bless you and keep you

    Our Torah portion for this week is the source of the so-called “Birkat Kohanim” – the priestly blessing:

    “May God bless you and keep you, may God’s face shine upon you and be gracious to you, may God lift up God’s face to you and give you peace.”

    It’s a beautiful blessing that God gave to the priests that we, in turn, give to one another. While the first part of it speaks of blessing and being protected, the second part has this idea of God’s face shining and then being gracious to us. The final part initiates this intimate nearness with God, creating a real sense of peace and belonging.  In this way, we might see that the blessing itself elevates and gets bigger and bigger so that ultimately, the final blessing is firstly for God to see us, and secondly for us to see God.As a rabbi, I have the opportunity to offer the Birkat Kohanim in many contexts. For example, I give this blessing to our B’nei Mitzvah, during a wedding, and I share this blessing with various other people who come up to the bimah marking moments of transition in their lives. And of course, this blessing is part of our Kiddush when we bless the children on Erev Shabbat.The divine power of this blessing is revealed by the Torah in the verse that follows directly after. There it says, “and they shall put my name upon the people of Israel and I will bless them.”  In this way, when we give this blessing, not only do we share in this history stretching back to Aaron and his sons, and firmly associate ourselves with God, as God places God’s name upon the people of Israel, but also receive a blessing in return for doing so.It is wonderful to receive a blessing, but it is even more powerful to be able to give and share that blessing with others. God is there to protect us and to grant peace, but the verses in our parashah also remind us to put God’s name upon the people of Israel in order to receive God’s blessing in return.May we all have many opportunities to share our blessings with one another.Shabbat ShalomRabbi Adrian M Schell (Source: Danny Burkeman)