Va’Ethanan

Deuteronomy 3:23 - 7:11

Reading Torah is a unique experience.  We begin on the earth, grounded as it were with the simple understanding of the words.  Then we flow mentally and mystically through the roots of the words. If we are very fortunate, we find ourselves playing in the branches of our sacred tree (“It is a tree of life to all who hold fast to it”עץ חיים"  "למחזיקים בו).   

Many have struggled with the question of why Moshe Rabbeinu, the Holiest of humans was not allowed to cross over into the promised land.  Here is yet another interpretation.

כג  וָאֶתְחַנַּן, אֶל-יְהוָה, בָּעֵת הַהִוא, לֵאמֹר.

23 And I besought the LORD at that time, saying:

My Translation/Interpretation: At that time, I needed G to cover, comfort, wrap me in G’s grace. I gave expression to my need:

כד  אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה, אַתָּה הַחִלּוֹתָ לְהַרְאוֹת אֶת-עַבְדְּךָ, אֶת-גָּדְלְךָ, וְאֶת-יָדְךָ הַחֲזָקָה--אֲשֶׁר מִי-אֵל בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר-יַעֲשֶׂה כְמַעֲשֶׂיךָ וְכִגְבוּרֹתֶךָ.

24 'O Lord GOD, Thou hast begun to show Thy servant Thy greatness, and Thy strong hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth, that can do according to Thy works, and according to Thy mighty acts?

My Translation/Interpretation: “Oh Wholly One of Being, My Council, You have begun the process of showing me, teaching your follower, how You thread everything together and Your strong direction. Who else can do as You have done so splendidly with heaven and earth?

כה  אֶעְבְּרָה-נָּא, וְאֶרְאֶה אֶת-הָאָרֶץ הַטּוֹבָה, אֲשֶׁר, בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן:  הָהָר הַטּוֹב הַזֶּה, וְהַלְּבָנֹן.

25 Let me go over, I pray Thee, and see the good land that is beyond the Jordan, that goodly hill-country, and Lebanon.'

My Translation/Interpretation: Let me cross over, or let me at least see that good land that is across the Jordan: This good mountain and Lebanon.”

כו  וַיִּתְעַבֵּר יְהוָה בִּי לְמַעַנְכֶם, וְלֹא שָׁמַע אֵלָי; וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֵלַי, רַב-לָךְ--אַל-תּוֹסֶף דַּבֵּר אֵלַי עוֹד, בַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה.

26 But the LORD was wroth with me for your sakes, and hearkened not unto me; and the LORD said unto me: 'Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto Me of this matter.

My Translation/Interpretation: And G crossed over with me (in my soul), but for your sake did not focus on me.  And G emanated to me: “It is already a great thing (that you have done); do not try to add to this matter with more word/things.”

כז  עֲלֵה רֹאשׁ הַפִּסְגָּה, וְשָׂא עֵינֶיךָ יָמָּה וְצָפֹנָה וְתֵימָנָה וּמִזְרָחָה--וּרְאֵה בְעֵינֶיךָ:  כִּי-לֹא תַעֲבֹר, אֶת-הַיַּרְדֵּן הַזֶּה.

27 Get thee up into the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and behold with thine eyes; for thou shalt not go over this Jordan.

My Translation/Interpretation: “Go up to the top of Pisgah and turn your eyes to the sea, to the south and the east. Let your eyes see, because you will not cross this Jordan.”

There is so much to unpack in this Parasha.  In it we find the first paragraph of the Shema.  This paragraph councils us, with compassion and humor, to focus and to love and even offers deep teachings on the ‘how’. It begins with the challenge to believe in the Oneness that is the source of all creation.  And immediately guides us to a path of love.  We are commanded to love. We ask in our hearts: “How?” The answer comes; “heartfully, soulfully, fully!” Again we ask how. And the answer wafts from the black fire on white fire: “Keep these teachings close to your heart.” And like a young child, we ask again: “How?” And HaShem with patience and compassion answers us. The key to remembering is to share these teachings with our children.  And because HaShem is such a good teacher of us, G’s children, there is humor added to the mix. We are to speak of this powerful teaching only two times in a day, when we are standing up and when we are not standing up.  And for those of us who still don’t get the joke it is repeated. We only have to focus on the power of love when we are at home and when we are not at home. And to help us remember the sacred power of love, the power of holy focusing on the source of love, we are to wrap these words on our arm and wear them as jewels on our heads.  They are our strength and our crown.  And more, we are to write them as reminders on our doors and gates. And even when we are doing well, we must remember the power and purpose of love and the source from whence it and all things flow.

Parashat Va'Etchanan is always read on the Shabbat after Tasha B’Av, the day of great sadness, and is known as Shabbat Nahamu, taking its name from the opening words of comfort in its special haftarah.

The concept of binding love on our arms and wearing the love as a crown on our heads has come down to us as a memory device called Tfillin.  So powerful is Tfillin that the Sages of the Talmud teach that the Wholly one of blessing, dons Tfillin every day (BT Brachot 6a); they suggest that in the boxes of G’s Tfillin are verses paralleling the boxes worn by Jews.  In G’s Tfillin are the teachings of love for all humanity, for our planet and for out process.

There is ‘Nahamu’/comfort in the spiritual image of laying Tfillin with the Wholly One of Being, the Source of all being, our Holy Council.

Shabbat of ‘Word/things and visions/divisions'

Shabbat Hazon is the Shabbat of ‘Word/things and visions/divisions.’ I take the name from the title of the Torah portion, D’varim and the Haftarah, Hazon. In the Torah Moshe uses words to remind us of what was. In the Haftarah Yishiyahu paints a vision with words of what will be. It is a fitting theme for the Shabbat before Tisha B’Av.

This year Tisha B’Av falls Motzei Shabbat (Saturday night) and Shabbat Hazon is tonight. Tisha B’Av is the time when we look at all the troubles and travails of our times and our times of yore. We weep for the loss of the 2 Temples and for countless millions murdered in pogroms, inquisitions and holocausts. It is the low point of loss for the Jewish people. We close our eyes and see the visions of destruction and despoliation. We speak the words of woe.

And yet we do not curse our enemies, we do not rant for revenge. Instead we look within. In D’varim, the passage called ‘Word/things’, Moshe is preparing us for the next chapter in our evolution revolution. He prepares us by reviewing. We re-view, we look back again. We study our history in the spiritual hope that when we retrace our mis-steps we will not mis-step again. But Moshe does more than restate. He hints at our root sin of complacency, where we assimilate, where ritual becomes meaningless. In D’varim 4:25 Moshe warns of turning formed things into gods. Woe unto us lest we turn to expensive cars and clothes and neglect the needy. For when our own ‘things’ become more important than our fellow earthlings, we become idol worshippers, worshippers of ‘I-dolls”. There it is in that one sentence, the Remez, the Key/clue to our self-destruction as a people, indeed all people. The prophecy of destruction has been out there for a long time. Whether we are abusing our planet or our civil rights, we are turning to false gods. When we threaten others for not accepting our religious beliefs or our political beliefs, we have turned to false gods.

But, where our Torah portion points with one verse, our Haftarah hammers us with the hard lessons. Paying lip service to our ideals but not paying living service to them is the accusation. Talking our walk but not walking our talk is the accusation in Yishiyahu 1:1-27. That we parade out our rituals with pomp and hypocrisy is the accusation. For what do we need sacred places if we do not make them of our homes and hearts? I go to the church, I go to the synagogue, I go to the mosque, I go to the temple yet I ravage my neighbors’ rights, I belittle his beliefs, I fight his faith. Yishiyahu cries out to us: “Your hands are covered in blood!” To whom does the prophet speak, but to us all. Islamic fundamentalist terror, American callousness, Jewish insensitivity, Christian self-righteousness, is there a people who is blameless?

Our world is the Temple to which Yishiyahu and Moshe refer and its destruction is upon us. These word/things carry power. These visions of division point to our self-destruction. My Rebbe once told me that he thought that when we entered outer-space and looked back on earth all war would end for we would see the oneness of our planet. Moshe tried to direct us to look back to see the oneness of our spirit. We all have a vision of what might be. That vision is a di-vision, two visions. One vision is of the world that could be if we were to work for oneness and one if we continue to look upon divisions with derision.

The Shabbat after Tisha B’Av is called Shabbat Nahamu, the Shabbat of comfort. We have had the Shabbat of the two visions, the di-vision. Then comes the warning of Tisha B’Av the re-view of the sad state to which this world has been brought. And finally we enter with great need the Shabbat of comfort, a Shabbat that challenges us for comfort requires us to ‘come-forth’. For that is the only answer. We need to come forth. We need to come to the fore with answers that build, with answers that accept, nay revel in the differences that make us one. I have heard this country called a melting pot. What a ghastly metaphor. One pours different materials into a melting pot, melt them down and those that remain different are called slag and discarded. No, dear friends we are not a melting pot G forbid. We need to become a stew. In a stew each ingredient adds to the whole, each ingredient has its own unique taste and contributes to the stew in its own way. And let this not be the metaphor for a country, a religion, a race. Let it be the calling card of our planet. We are a stew simmering with differences that make us one. We each add to the flavor of whole, we do not detract, deride nor destroy. Rather we bring to this world a “ray’ach Nicho’ah” a pleasant aroma of a world self-sustainable a world blessed with peace.

May that be the lesson Shabbat Hazon, the Shabbat of vision of the past and of a brighter future.

Torah Portion - The Week of July 20-26 / Tammuz 17-23

First Thoughts
This week's potion begins with the word "Matot," the plural of "Mateh." But it does not speak of a walking stick, it speaks of the tribes. Again we see the wonder of words, specifically the spirit words of Hebrew.

The word Mateh is rife with realizations. Within the root, we root out the words for 'bed,' 'downwards,' 'headquarters' and 'tribe,' as well as, 'walking staff.'
What do all these blossoms of the root have in common? They all have to do with being grounded.

When we need to be comforted, when we need to find our balance, when we need to be grounded in a world that seems to be spinning out of control, the Mateh comes to balance us.
In this case, it is the tribe that we seek for balance. We all need connections. We connect with family and community and country.

But the origin of these connections is the tribe. Our tribe gives us borders and boundaries. Our tribe offers us comfort and encouragement. And within our tribe, we seek council and consolation.

In other words, we can lean on our tribe like a staff upon the trail.


Dvar Torah(a word of Torah)
There are Torah potions that lend themselves easily to modern Midrash. They leap from ancient times into the modern mold with ease. And yet, there are other potions, like this one, filled with blood and fire and force.

There are potions that point to the disparity of inequality between male and female in a male dominated society. These potions point to our similarity to the other peoples of that ancient time. They highlight the other potions, potions in which we find firmly fixed formulas for elevation. They point to potions filled with spiritual enlightenment far beyond the history in which they are ensconced. And we might just leave it at that, ignoring the hard questions brought up by this potion.

But I believe we cannot and should not gloss over the bitter potions, nor try to sugar coat them so that they go down with ease. There is a song that contains the verse, "a little bit of honey makes the medicine go down." That does not apply to honest understanding. In this potion, we have two examples. (The second speaks to the horrors of Jihad and we will leave it for another day.)

The first is in regard to vows. A man's vow is sacrosanct. What he says, he should do' period. That in itself is frightening.

I remember as a child walking the hallway to my father's (z'tl) office. Along the wall was a virtual gallery of visual renderings of biblical stories. There was one painting in particular that has remained vivid in my mind. In the background of the painting is a young girl running to meet her father. There is joy and relief in her face. If that were all there was to the depiction, it would have been a sweet, and poignant painting. And yet, in the foreground is a close up of the father's weathered, pained and tearful face. His name was Yeftah.

In Judges 11:30-31 he makes a vow. "And Yeftah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said: 'If Thou wilt indeed deliver the children of Ammon into my hand, 11:31 then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, it shall be the LORD'S, and I will offer it up for a burnt-offering."
And that is the root of his ruin. As the picture displayed so powerfully, the first thing to come from his doors of his house was his beloved daughter. That painting is the only one from the gallery that I can still see with painful clarity. The horror imbedded in the paint on canvas cries out to the harshness of this very potion. A man may never retract a vow. If our people had not grown, if our faith was not flowing, we would be left with the same harshness as those who preach and teach terror to the world.

But Torah is a flowing work, filled with interpretations that elevate our lives. The Rabbis of Talmud interpret the rules of the Neder and the Shvuah (the two types of vows mentioned in our potion). They simply state that neither Neder nor Shvuah may break with Halacha (the path of the Jew). We may not make a vow that pulls us from the path of holiness and wholeness, the way of our people. We may not vow to slaughter a human being as a sacrifice to G (or for any reason for that matter). Talmud moves to mitigate what could become tragedy.
Talmud softens severity.

But what of the inequality to women? What of a woman's vow? According to our text, a woman is dependent upon the approval of her father or brother or husband. In other words, if a man is in the picture, the vow can be nullified or softened. Yes, this is unfair, unjust, inequitable and iniquitous. A woman's vow should have the same weight as a man's.

And yet, maybe it should have been the other way around. If a man makes a vow, his mother or wife or sister has the right to say: "Are you out of your mind!?!?!!?!?!?"

Maybe instead of pulling the woman to the man's side of the Mehitzah (separation of the sexes), men should be pulled to the woman's side. Maybe there should be some checks and balances between the male and female. When making a vow we should look within. We should explore the "In-Yo," the "Yin and Yang" of the self. When emotions run strong, we should take a moment to sit in council with the feminine and the masculine within our soul.

Torah teaches. Even in what appears on the surface to be a reflection of ancient ignorance, there are lessons to be learned, spirit growth to be gleaned.

The First Century Rabbi Ben Bag Bag taught us, "Turn the Torah, turn it again and again, for everything you want to know is found within it." (Pirkei Avot 2:25)


B'Ohr,
Reb Bahir Rocky Mountain Hai

Shabbos is for lovers

The Spiritual Romance of Shabbos

A couple approached me to perform their marriage ceremony. When we interviewed each other, they told me that they did not want a 'religious' ceremony. "Then why come to a Rabbi," I asked. "Because our parents want a Rabbi to do the ceremony," they replied. Well, it is nice that we do things for our parents. I agreed to marry them but I did not agree to a secular ceremony .

We began our meetings. Every time different spiritual aspects of Judaism were brought up, they were met with displeasure. They just were not interested. One day I decided to come at the challenge from a different angle and that, dear friends is the story I wish to share.

They both worked very hard. I suggested that they find a time to be together without the baggage of the workweek. They agreed that such an idea was important and I went on. "This should be a space without time," I suggested. "Watches and clocks become unimportant in this space. Imagine a whole day where you concentrate on each other, not on the telephone or email or business of any kind, which includes worrying about the bills, or who said what at work. This is a time for the two of you!" They were warming to the idea.

Next I suggested that they should start this 24-hour weekly vacation, not in the morning, but at night. In this way they could divest themselves of the workaday and invest in the holiday before going to bed. They agreed that this idea made sense.

I then recommended that this space without time should have the theme of romance. They really liked that concept. "So let's discuss what makes the beginning of this space romantic. Mood is important." I suggested. The woman came up with the idea of candles as a 'mood-modifier'. "What a good idea," I agreed. "And what about a 'mood-enhancer' after a long week of work and separation? How about a little wine? This too was met with enthusiasm."Great, we have candles to soften the edges of a hard week and wine to enhance the mood. Now, how about something simple to eat, to begin your romantic meal." I proposed that they buy what is often called 'egg bread' from a bakery and just before the meal, heat it up in the oven. The aroma would be heartening and the warm soft bread would make a sweet beginning to the romantic time together.

I pushed the idea that this was a romantic getaway from time by putting forth the idea that they should, in the morning read to each other and take a walk together and maybe even a picnic. Their enthusiasm was growing.

"But how do we end this wonderful romantic day," I asked. I answered my own question with the idea of creating memory pegs so that they could carry a sense of the romantic space into the next week. "First, light a candle together as the stars twinkle. Then drink a little wine together, maybe even from the same cup. Next, find some sweet smelling spices. After all our olfactory system is deeply connected to memory. Lastly, put the candle out in the wine. With no lights on, the room will be plunged into darkness as the candle sizzles out in the wine. The taste of the wine, the smell of the spices and even the light of the candle will linger in your minds." They were quite taken with the idea, so much so that they began that week.

Of course I suggested that they try to do it on Friday night, the traditional end of the workweek in Judaism. And during the next several months, they perfected their romantic ritual. They even began to invite some friends over to share in the romantic dinner ritual on Friday night.
All was going well until they invited another Jewish couple over who asked why they did not say the Shabbos blessings as they began their Shabbos rituals. They were flabbergasted and even a tad miffed with me. When they came for their next session they said: "You tricked us!" Then they explained how their other Jewish friends blew the scam.

I asked them if, up to that point, they had enjoyed and found a beauty in the idea of celebrating a romantic time called Shabbos. They admitted that they had. "What is in a name...," I quoted. Then I urged them to continue, saying that I might be able to help them enjoy it even more. I asked for their patience and began to teach them the blessings for the rituals that they were doing.

I explained that the blessing said for lighting candles was a statement of awe for the sacred connection of light.

The blessings for wine and Hallah (egg bread) were statements of awareness that these items come from the earth not simply from the supermarket; that we are connected to the earth from which comes the food we eat and the wine we drink.

Then I went one step further. When we become aware, when we bring awe into our relationship with each other, we are elevating our relationship by acknowledging that we have another relationship of importance. Some call it 'G'; some call it a 'greater power'. I call it, 'The Wholly One of Being' (pun intended).

A few weeks later, the couple celebrated their wedding embraced in a religious ceremony. Though over the years I have lost touch with this couple, I like to think that they have continued to celebrate Shabbos and that they have expanded on their romantic adventure into a realm of spirituality.

Shabbos is for everyone and we all need a Shabbos.