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Category: Rabbinic Thoughts

  • Ki Tisa: A second chance

    Chaverim,This week’s Torah portion interrupts the description of the building of the Tabernacle with a narrative section that includes the story of the Golden Calf, and — although perhaps less famously — the most chutzpadik (impertinent) question in the whole Torah. The question comes after Moses has negotiated twice with God on behalf of the Israelites, with success. His next negotiation with God is not on behalf of the Israelites, but—surprisingly—for himself. Out of the blue, it seems, Moses speaks up again: “Oh, let me behold Your Presence!“It’s a short exclamation, but it’s a big, big question. Judaism has always thought that God cannot be seen. No human being has ever seen God directly — and that’s not merely a coincidence, but a reality of God’s power and vastness, and human limitations. As is typical with the Torah, most of the details around Moses’ question are left up to our imagination and interpretation. Was he begging God out of curiosity or just giving voice to a wish he knew was impossible to grant? Had he been trying to summon up the courage to ask this question for months or did it slip out of his mouth? Was he literally talking about seeing God, or was “beholding God’s Presence” a metaphor?Rabbi Beth Kalisch, following the lead of some of the mediaeval rabbis, such as Rashi and Rashbam, suggests that Moses out of “piety, humility, and perhaps shyness and fear, refuses to look at God’s Presence” at the “burning bush”, and that he asked for a second chance for what must have been felt as a missed opportunity in Moses eyes. So many of our relationships are burdened with unasked questions; mistakes we made at the very beginning of a relationship that now seem like history that can’t be rewritten.”You cannot see My face,” God tells Moses. But, God finds a way to say yes to Moses, offering what we might understand to be next best thing.  The past cannot be rewritten and impossible wishes cannot be granted. But, Kalish writes, if we have the courage and the faith in a relationship to ask the questions we’ve been burying for too long, perhaps there is still a “yes” that we might be able to receive, and to fill that holes that are stopping us from going forward.Shabbat Shalom—Rabbi Adrian M Schell

    Torah Reading for Shabbat Ki TisaExodus 30:11 – 34:35Reading: Ex 32:1-24 – Plaut p. 578; Hertz p. 356Haftarah : I Kings 18:1 – 18:39 – Plaut p.607; Hertz p.369

     

  • How can we remember on Shabbat Zachor?

    Chaverim,I have always been intrigued by the commandment ‘you shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; you shall not forget it’ (Deuteronomy 25:19). Simultaneously we are told to ‘blot out the remembrance’ and to ‘not forget it’; two instructions which appear to be contradictory. This challenge is further compounded by the fact that the commandment appears in the Torah ensuring we are reminded to blot out and not forget.Amalek is a recurring feature in our people’s history, assuming a position as the archetypal villain. And on Shabbat Zachor, it is the original story of Amalek that we are remembering. On Shabbat Zachor (as with most of the other special Shabbatot) outside of the special readings for the day there is no special ritual for the service.Following a tradition my dear colleague, Rabbi Danny Burkeman, started , and which we adopted for Bet David two years ago, we will read also this Shabbat Zachor from our Czech Memorial Torah scroll (saved from Europe after the Shoah) .This Torah itself symbolises the very fulfilment of the commandment to never forget; it emerged from the horrors of the latest Amalakite persecution, as the Nazis sought the destruction of European Jewry. The survival of this Torah scroll, and its use in a Synagogue for worship and prayer, is evidence of the fulfilment of the commandment to ‘blot out the remembrance of Amalek [the Nazis] from under heaven’. And simultaneously, as we honour the scroll as our Czech Memorial Torah scroll, always remembering its story of survival out of the ashes of destruction, we guarantee that we ‘shall not forget it’.Shabbat ShalomRabbi Adrian M Schell 

  • Shabbat Teruma: Make Me a sanctuary

    Chaverim,Last week, I shared with you the sad news of the passing of Michael Brookstone, a member of our Introduction to Judaism programme. Many of you met this gentle man, who despite the many hardships he had to endure in his life, always had a smile for others and the will to continue to follow his dreams.What has moved me the most after I had to announce his death is to learn how many hearts he had touched and how he had contributed in his own, unique way to make Bet David a warm home for so many—a place were God can be found, because of the people who come here.Our Torah portion opens with the word from God to Moses: “Tell the Israelite people to bring Me gifts; you shall accept gifts for Me from every person whose heart so moves them.” and some verses later God explains for what those gifts are needed. “And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them” (Ex 25,2 and 8).Studying these two sentences, we  learn something fundamental about any place of worship, any Shul, church, mosque or temple. It is not what we give and how much, only an open heart will provide the space for God. Rashi sees the gifts demanded by Terumah not as dictated practice but rather as an intentional choice. Not only are the gifts voluntary, but also, Rashi suggests, they come from the heart as expressions of good will. The first sanctuary for the Israelites was not only built with gold, silver, wood and so on, but more so by all the volunteer work, and an immense sense of community, creating something special and unique.Michael’s contribution to Bet David was his optimism, which came from his heart. May his memory inspire all of us to open our hearts alike, creating a sanctuary for God among us.Shabbat ShalomRabbi Adrian M Schell

    Torah Reading Shabbat TerumahExodus 25:1-27:19 Reading: Ex 25:13 – 25:36Plaut p. 546; Hertz p. 327Haftarah : I Kings 5:26-6:13Plaut p.559; Hertz p.336

     

  • A place of hope and unity

    Chaverim,There are a number of Shabbatot throughout the Jewish calendar that have special names. The most familiar of these is probably Shabbat Shuva, the Shabbat of Return, which takes place between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. These special Shabbatot each serve a purpose, some historical, some still relevant today. On Friday evening begins Shabbat Shekalim, the Shabbat of Shekels. It takes place every year on the Shabbat before the month of Adar. It is named for a special verse of Torah read on this date which commands every Israelite to contribute half a shekel to support the sacrifices in the ancient Temple.Now, the Second Temple was destroyed in the year 70 CE and, with its destruction, came the end of Jewish sacrificial worship. So, the notion of a half shekel contribution to The Temple is an interesting historical idea, but, beyond that, seemingly irrelevant to our 21st Century lives. And yet, there were several things about this contribution which still resonate today.First, this was a shared responsibility. The obligation to give a half shekel fell to each and every Israelite, regardless of income. This shared tax must have led to a unique sense of unity and belonging among the Israelites.Second, this money went to support what was considered the main institution which guaranteed the welfare of the Israelite nation. From the perspective of the Israelites, that half shekel tax was the first step to providing prosperity, safety and happiness to the entire nation … to providing hope for the future.To have the official opening of our new Bet David campus this Shabbat, Shabbat Shekalim, was a deliberate choice, because the two above mentioned values, which seem to be from another time, but will be hopefully continue to be the supporting pillars of our congregation. A unique sense of unity and belonging in which all who are part of Bet David enjoy the same rights and responsibilities. And Bet David as a place that provides hope for the future, a place where we grow together and strengthen our community and our Progressive Judaism.On this Shabbat Shekalim, I pray our congregation will prosper in its new home and that everyone who seeks a place of peace, safety and hope will find it within its walls.Rabbi Adrian M Schell (Source: Howard J. Goldsmith )

    Torah Reading Shabbat Shekalim – Parashat MishpatimExodus 21:1-24:18 – Reading: Ex 22:27 – 23:22 (Plaut p. 519; Hertz p. 315)Haftarah for Shekalim: II Kings 12:5-16 (Plaut p.1451; Hertz p.993)

     

  • Parashat Yitro: Who am I and who is my neighbour?

    Chaverim,The first Mishna in the tractate Rosh Hashana informs us of various ‘new years’. These are times of the year that are considered the beginning of the annual calendar with regard to various laws. The Rosh Hashana for trees is the fifteenth day of the month of Sh’vat, more famously known as ‘Tu Bi Sh‘vat’. This day is considered a festive day. Further, there is the universal custom to make blessings on, and, eat a variety of fruit. The overall focus of the day is to thank God for the gift of trees to the world and to recognise the wonders of nature.Tu Bi Sh‘vat and Parashat YitroIn our Torah portion we read of God‘s encounter with all people of Israel. In this moment of intense, hallowed energy, a voice echoed through the Sinai mountains. It began, “I am the Lord your God…” and concluded with “all that is your neighbour’s.” The Torah’s ten essential guidelines, which address our place in the world are bookended by the self (anokhi) and the other (re’ekha). Rabbi Ira Blum teaches that on a daily basis, we challenge ourselves to consider the existential WHO AM I? and the social WHO IS MY NEIGHBOUR? What a blessing! To be tasked with the responsibility of compassion and respect for others, even as we continue our individual searches for truth and meaning.As we celebrate Tu Bi Sh‘vat this week, let us mirror our natural environment by finding strength and space to nourish personal growth, while cultivating circles of responsibility. May we find balance in our rooted knowledge, and may we continue to enrich one another on our journeys of self-discovery, social awareness, and everything in between.Wishing you a wonderful Shabbat Rabbi Adrian M Schell (Source: Rabbi Ira Blum)  

  • Parashat Beshalach: We don’t need miracles

    Chaverim,The story of the liberation from Egypt is the cornerstone of Jewish existence. Or is it? Read the Torah portion again, and you will find that what is most striking is not the miracles — wondrous as they may be. What is particularly noteworthy is how quickly the Israelites forget about their redemption. Barely did they cross to freedom, when the people complained to Moses and to God. They complained about a lack of water, they complained about a lack of food, and they complained simply about no longer being surrounded by familiar–if hostile–Egypt. Miracles seem to be an ineffective way of inculcating a consciousness of God. In fact, the entire Bible can be read as a book about the consistent inability of God to teach the Jews to be grateful.First, God tries an idyllic garden. That doesn’t work; Adam and Eve disobey anyway. Then God sends a flood. That fails as well. God then sends a liberator, and redeems them from Egypt. After ten miraculous plagues and a split sea, the Jews still act far from God’s expectations. God gives a Torah—the Jews ignore it. God sends prophets—the Jews rebel against them. The Bible seems to indicate that miracles don’t work. People marvel at them while they are in process, and then forget about them the moment they finish.To change human character takes much more than “special effects,” no matter how Divine their origin. There is no need for a big drama, but rather constant and gradual education, reinforcement, and community.The shift from biblical to rabbinic Judaism reflects the growing, divine insight that the way to mold a sacred people lies not in external miracles, but in inner transformation. That change is accomplished through small, prosaic progress. By gradually incorporating mitzvot into our lives–by moving a step at a time toward making Shabbat, Tikkun Olam, social justice, and study a regular part of our being–we can, with time, remake ourselves in the Divine image.Such a transformation is much more difficult than merely splitting a sea. But the reward of such a transformation is precisely what God sought more than three thousand years ago— a Jewish community that puts God at the centre.Wishing you a wonderful Shabbat Rabbi Adrian M Schell (Source: Rabbi Bradley Artson)  

  • Parashat Bo: Ask questions and grow

    Chaverim,It is a wonderful coincidence that our Torah reading, parshat Bo, the section that deals with the culminating plagues and the exodus, turns three times to the subject of children and the duty to educate them, when we, at Bet David, have our Back to School service and the opening of the cheder for 2018. As Jews we believe that to defend a country you need an army, but to defend a civilisation you need education. Freedom is lost when it is taken for granted. Unless one generation hands on their memories and ideals to the next generation – the story of how they won their freedom and the battles they had to fight along the way – the long journey falters and we lose our way.What is fascinating, though, is the way the Torah emphasises the fact that children must ask questions. While most traditional cultures see it as the task of a parent or teacher to instruct, or command in order for the child is to obey (“Children should be seen, not heard,” goes the old English proverb. “Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord,” says a Christian text), Judaism is asking for the opposite. It is a religious duty to teach our children to ask questions. That is how they, how we, grow.Judaism is not a religion of blind obedience. Indeed, astonishingly in a religion of 613 commandments, there is no Hebrew word that means “to obey”. Instead, the Torah uses the verb shema, untranslatable into English because it means [1] to listen, [2] to hear, [3] to understand, [4] to internalise, and [5] to respond. Written into the very structure of Hebraic consciousness is the idea that our highest duty is to seek to understand the will of God, not just to obey blindly, because we believe that intelligence is God’s greatest gift to humanity. Rashi understands the phrase that God made man “in God’s image, after God’s likeness,” to mean that God gave us the ability “to understand and discern.”As we begin a new year of learning, I encourage all of you, children and adults alike, to ask questions, to grow and to help us growing, and to enjoy one of the greatest gifts we have been granted ever, the freedom to learn.Wishing you a wonderful Shabbat Rabbi Adrian M Schell (Source: Rabbi Jonathan Sacks) Torah Reading Shabbat BoExodus 10:1-13:16Reading: Exodus 12:1-28Plaut p. 409; Hertz p. 253Haftarah: Jeremiah 46:13-28Plaut p.427; Hertz p.263TuBiSh’vat is on Wednesday 31.01.2018 

  • Parashat Va’eira: Each person has a name.

    Each person has a name.We each have a name given by God and given by our father and mother.We each have a name given by our stature and smile and given by our attire.… We each have a name given by the sea and given by our death.

    (Poem by Zelda, Mishkan T’filah, ed., Elyse D. Frishman [New York: CCAR Press, 2007], p. 579The revelation of God’s name YHVH (pronounced Adonai) does lead us to think of Zelda’s poem. But what does it mean to have a name given to us by our parents, our yearnings, our fears, or our enemies? Each of these gives us a name based on what we mean to them or what they expect us to do for them. A name based on our attire or a name we choose ourselves is a name based on what we want the world to think of us. Where do we get the name that calls us by who we really are?In the commentaries of Rashi and Ibn Ezra on Exodus 6:2, we are told that our ancestors did not know God by the name YHVH because that name means that God is faithful to fulfill promises. The promises made to our ancestors in Genesis were not fulfilled in their time, but God speaks and fulfills promises immediately in Exodus. Unfortunately, this just means that YHVH is another description of what the Holy One can do for us.Rambam’s commentary hints that the name YHVH is God’s true essence: not how we see God, not what God does for us, but Who God really is. I don’t believe that human beings can understand the true essence of God. Perhaps that is why we cannot pronounce the Name. Nor do we fully understand the true essence of people around us. Perhaps that is why people need more than one name.However, I do think God can understand our true essence and God knows our true name. It would be nice to think that when we die, God will call us by that name. When we hear it we will recognize it immediately, and all of our behaviour, character, and history will, in that moment, finally make sense.Wishing you a wonderful Shabbat Rbbi Adrian M Schell(Source: Rabbi Tom Gardner ) Torah Reading Shabbat Va’eiraExodus 6:2−9:35 – Reading: Ex 6:26-7:19Plaut p. 384; Hertz p. 235Haftarah: Ezekiel 28:25-29:21Plaut p.401; Hertz p.244Rosh Chodesh Sh’vat is on Wednesday 17.01.18  

  • Let us not allow “collective forgetting”

    One of the most haunting and alarming verses in the Torah comes at the beginning of this week’s portion of Sh’mot: “A new king arose in Egypt who did not know Joseph”(Ex 1:8). The Torah imagines that despite Joseph’s insight and intelligence which saved Egypt from ruin, Egypt forgot that story so completely, that the new Pharaoh didn’t know, understand or value Joseph’s contribution to Egyptian prominence. Not only that, but his lack of knowledge led to the oppressive treatment and subsequent enslavement of the Jewish peopleThe verse is disturbing because it exemplifies how a nation’s selective memory can lead down a destructive path for citizens and strangers alike. As much as the Hebrew slaves were oppressed, the Egyptian people were also impacted adversely by their leader’s decisions and the ten plagues brought by God that afflicted every Egyptian.The text explains that the Egyptians took their cue from Pharaoh. The Egyptians did not need much convincing to set up taskmasters and inflict hardship on the Hebrews. We know of course how the story ends, since we retell it every year at the Passover Seder – we were saved by the strong hand and the outstretched arm.Reflecting on the past year 2017, I have been anticipating this text. I have thought about it when I read about the uptick in hate crimes; I have felt it in the double standards regarding politics towards Israel; and it has reverberated in my mind witnessing the rise of right wing and populist politicians all over the world. It’s been hard to think of little else.It is no small comfort to me that in the subsequent verses we read in our Torah portion we meet Shifra and Puah, the midwives who defy Pharaoh’s edict to kill all the newborn Hebrew boys. Acting out of their faith in God and in their awareness of what is just, they strategically denied Pharaoh’s orders. The Talmud (Sotah 11b) points out that the Torah doesn’t just tell of their disobedience, but says, “they let them (the boys) live” (Exod. 1:17). The rabbis ask why the text needed to add that point, since presumably by their disobedience, the children were spared. They answer that the end of the verse teaches that not only did they not kill the boys, but they actively aided them to live, by giving them food and water (BT Sotah). The rabbis imagines that Shifra and Puah actually became God’s partners in creation, as they granted life to the Hebrew children (Shemot Rabba 1:19).As enigmatic as these rewards may be, they make perfect symbolic sense. The seeds of Tikkun Olam were planted with the midwives’ strategic defiance against injustice, as their actions were about preserving life, and anticipating a future where all people would be free to dwell in safety.As we anticipate the new Year, let the story of the midwives serve to remind each of us that we have the ability to speak and act against any and all injustice. Let us not allow “collective forgetting”. Each of us can be a midwife who helps to birth the future and bear the hardships on the road to justice and freedom, never giving up, always with the greater good in mind.Wishing you a wonderful Shabbat  and a happy (secular) New YearRabbi Adrian M Schell (Source Rabbi Yael Ridberg)

  • Let us not allow “collective forgetting”

    One of the most haunting and alarming verses in the Torah comes at the beginning of this week’s portion of Sh’mot: “A new king arose in Egypt who did not know Joseph”(Ex 1:8). The Torah imagines that despite Joseph’s insight and intelligence which saved Egypt from ruin, Egypt forgot that story so completely, that the new Pharaoh didn’t know, understand or value Joseph’s contribution to Egyptian prominence. Not only that, but his lack of knowledge led to the oppressive treatment and subsequent enslavement of the Jewish peopleThe verse is disturbing because it exemplifies how a nation’s selective memory can lead down a destructive path for citizens and strangers alike. As much as the Hebrew slaves were oppressed, the Egyptian people were also impacted adversely by their leader’s decisions and the ten plagues brought by God that afflicted every Egyptian.The text explains that the Egyptians took their cue from Pharaoh. The Egyptians did not need much convincing to set up taskmasters and inflict hardship on the Hebrews. We know of course how the story ends, since we retell it every year at the Passover Seder – we were saved by the strong hand and the outstretched arm.Reflecting on the past year 2017, I have been anticipating this text. I have thought about it when I read about the uptick in hate crimes; I have felt it in the double standards regarding politics towards Israel; and it has reverberated in my mind witnessing the rise of right wing and populist politicians all over the world. It’s been hard to think of little else.It is no small comfort to me that in the subsequent verses we read in our Torah portion we meet Shifra and Puah, the midwives who defy Pharaoh’s edict to kill all the newborn Hebrew boys. Acting out of their faith in God and in their awareness of what is just, they strategically denied Pharaoh’s orders. The Talmud (Sotah 11b) points out that the Torah doesn’t just tell of their disobedience, but says, “they let them (the boys) live” (Exod. 1:17). The rabbis ask why the text needed to add that point, since presumably by their disobedience, the children were spared. They answer that the end of the verse teaches that not only did they not kill the boys, but they actively aided them to live, by giving them food and water (BT Sotah). The rabbis imagines that Shifra and Puah actually became God’s partners in creation, as they granted life to the Hebrew children (Shemot Rabba 1:19).As enigmatic as these rewards may be, they make perfect symbolic sense. The seeds of Tikkun Olam were planted with the midwives’ strategic defiance against injustice, as their actions were about preserving life, and anticipating a future where all people would be free to dwell in safety.As we anticipate the new Year, let the story of the midwives serve to remind each of us that we have the ability to speak and act against any and all injustice. Let us not allow “collective forgetting”. Each of us can be a midwife who helps to birth the future and bear the hardships on the road to justice and freedom, never giving up, always with the greater good in mind.Wishing you a wonderful Shabbat  and a happy (secular) New YearRabbi Adrian M Schell (Source Rabbi Yael Ridberg)