By Rabbi Alex Freedman.
We all know that we are the people Israel, which is the name given to our Patriarch Jacob in this week’s Parsha, Vayishlach.
Jacob famously wrestles with a man/angel and survives, and G-d bestows a new name to mark the achievement. G-d says, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with beings divine and human, and have prevailed” (Gn. 32:29). The word “Yisrael” is connected to the verb “to wrestle or struggle.” This is fitting because Jacob just physically wrestled a being that was part human, part divine. In every generation, the Jewish people have likewise had to struggle against other people seeking our end, as well as with trying to understand G-d in a challenging world.
I want to share another insight, which I learned from Rabbi Benjamin Blech and his book “Secrets of Hebrew Words.” Note that the spelling of “Israel” in Hebrew contains the first letters of all the Patriarchs and Matriarchs, no more and no less:
ישראל – Israel
יצחק/יעקב -Isaac/Jacob
שרה – Sarah
רבקה/רחל – Rebecca/Rachel
אברהם – Abraham
לאה – Leah
To be of the People Israel is to be an heir to all our Patriarchs and Matriarchs, to inherit their values and to commit to strengthening the Jewish family.
By Hazzan Jenna Greenberg.
This week began with Rosh Chodesh, the celebration of the Hebrew month of Kislev, the darkest month of the year. In this month during which the 8 day holiday of Chanukah begins, we are commanded to illuminate 44 candles over the eight days of this winter holiday. But what else is special about this number in relation to Chag Urim, our festival of lights?
There is a Jewish method of assigning numerical values to each of the Hebrew letters called Gematria. Sometimes we gain new insights by looking at how words and numbers intersect in relation to specific themes. When we take the number 44 and translate that into its Hebrew equivalent, we get Mem-Dalet, Fourty-Four. When we look at these letters as a word, we get Mahd, a word better translated as the suffix “-meter,” most commonly associated with “thermometer,” or Mahd-Chom, literally “measurement of heat.”
When we see this number Mem-Dalet in relation to Chanukah, the connection is clear: on this Chag Urim, Festival of Lights, we turn up the heat every night that we light the Chanukiah. As not only is this the darkest time of year, but the coldest as well. The lights of the Neirot, the candles, warm us both physically and spiritually, as we add to the light on each consecutive night of the holiday.
But there is another Gematria twist on the number 44 in relation to Chanukah.
If we look at actual words that have this same value, one that links beautifully to Chanukah is the Hebrew word for child, Yeled: Yud + Lamed + Dalet = 44. Chag Urim is so often associated with children, as even us adults often think fondly back to our childhood memories of making and eating latkes and sufganiot with family and friends, of singing the blessings and songs as the lights of the Chanukiah burn brightly. And I think many of us try to carry these traditions on to the next generations in our families.
There is something magical that happens when we light these 44 Chanukah candles each year. As adults, this experience often brings us back to our youth. And we watch our children’s faces brighten during this annual tradition. As children, we are in awe as we stare into the beautiful dancing flames as we continue on these holiday traditions every winter.
So when you go shopping for your Chanukah candles this month, perhaps you will have a new perspective on the power of this number.
And if you are in need of those 44 candles, please visit your Sisterhood Gift Shop for all of your Chanukah needs!
Parashat Vayera 5785.
By Rabbi Freedman.
It’s a story Jewish children learn in Hebrew School, and for good reason. Because the narrative around Abraham caring for strangers by his tent contains a core teaching of what Jewish values look like in action. And as adults, we can understand this on a deeper level.
Parashat Vayera begins when Abraham rushes out of his tent on a dog-days-of-summer hot day to welcome three strangers. Magnanimous in every way, Abraham offers to bring them a snack and then basically proceeds to serve Rosh Hashanah lunch combined with Thanksgiving dinner. Of the very best food he could offer. This demonstrates Abraham’s signature value of hospitality, Hachnasat Orchim, which has since been part of Jewish spiritual DNA.
There is a small detail I want to look at closely. Before Abraham offers them food, he says “Yukach Na Me’at Mayim V’Rahatzu Ragleichem V’Hi’sha’anu Tachat Ha’Etz. Let a little water be brought, wash your feet, and recline under the tree” (Gn. 18:4). Recall that on a hot desert day, water is more precious than money. And here Abraham wants to give invaluable water to the strangers…to wash their feet. Why? The Pshat, simple, interpretation is what the Etz Hayim Humash says: “Water for bathing one’s feet was a much-appreciated comfort to travelers with their sandal-like footwear and the pervasive dust of the roads.” This fits with Abraham’s sincere generosity.
Notice that Abraham doesn’t ask any questions of the travelers, like who they voted for, as it were. If there is one thing that was for certain, these men are not Jews. Impossible, for only Abraham’s family are Jewish. But this religious distinction – which is central to Abraham – falls second to their shared humanity.
Here is what Rashi says about why Abraham washed their feet, a Drash, creative interpretation: Abraham believes these are men who worshiped idols on the ground, and he is strict not to allow any idolatry into his house. In other words, he has serious religious differences with them. The water isn’t to make them physically comfortable – like a moist towelette for their feet. The water makes Abraham emotionally and spiritually comfortable by washing away all traces of idolatry. But not even polytheism stops Abraham from reaching out to the travelers. If Abraham can be a good neighbor to these travelers with profoundly different worldviews – then we should too.
This verse also inspires a Midrash quoted by the Etz Hayim Humash: “God promises Abraham, ‘As you brought a little water to My emissaries, I will give your descendants water in the desert. As you brought them bread to eat, I will sustain your descendants with manna for 40 years. As you gave them shade under a tree, I will give the Israelites a cover of clouds to protect them from the desert sun.’” In other words, the kindness Abraham offers the strangers boomerangs to directly benefit Abraham’s future offspring. Then and now, kindness begets kindness.
By Hazzan Jenna Greenberg.
At the very beginning of Parashat Lech L’cha, God commands Avram to go from his home to a land that God will show him. God continues with the following: “I will make of you a great nation,
And I will bless you; I will make your name great, And you shall be a blessing.”
As I first wrote this Thursday Thought on Election Day, long prior to any final results coming in, my sentiments ring true for these days after when results are now clear.
I can’t help but think of this idea of ‘being a blessing’ and how important it is for us to understand this in light of political diversity in our congregation, in our community, in our country. There is no question that presidential elections can have great potential to cause division among us. But I think it is important to remember the blessings of this week, regardless of the final results, which cause some to mourn and others to celebrate.
So what are some of the blessings of this week?
And for all of these, we must remember that each of us, as descendants of Avram, are blessings. May all of our names be made great by the ways we act to improve upon this country and the world in which we live.
Rabbi Alex Freedman.
The weekly Torah reading that highlights Noah has a peculiar beginning: “These are the offspring of Noah – Noah was a righteous man, perfect in his generations; Noah walked with G-d. – Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japeth.” Why would the Torah tell us that Noah had offspring and then go on a tangent before actually naming his sons? Is the Torah distracted by something? The Rabbis find a deeper lesson.
Here is the Artscroll commentary: “The verse began to introduce the list of Noah’s offspring, but once he was mentioned, Scripture praised him as a righteous man. According to the Midrash, theTorah means to teach that the primary ‘offspring’ of the righteous are their good deeds, for the worthwhile things that a person does are his primary legacy (Rashi).”
In other words, Noah’s first offspring was actually his good deeds. Those came before his children in time, because Noah lived his own life before his children came around.
I appreciate that this interpretation gives such weight to our actions. They are not merely choices to make during the day and ones that fade away into history. Instead our actions are a record of who we are, one that follows us forever, we hope for the good.
This is the first week in a whole month without a Jewish holiday, and 5785 still feels fresh. I hope we retain the sense of renewal that we felt on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. As we re-enter the familiarity of the normal part of the calendar, like Noah, let us give extra attention to our actions post-holidays. Let us treat our choices and actions with the same care we offer our own children.
By Hazzan Jacob Sandler.
This Simchat Torah, we will dance through tears remembering a full year since October 7th, 2023. Many are wondering what, exactly, this is going to look like. The first three hakafot (circuits of dancing) will be recognizably similar to the past few years, with a focus on engaging the children and indulging in the joy that defines the holiday. The fourth hakafah, which is the exact middle, will be slow and somber allowing us to memorialize the yahrzeit of October 7th. We won’t dance. We may even cry. And we will highlight our special new Torah cover as we sing the familiar songs that have carried us through this painful year. The fifth hakafah will serve as a transition back into the joy of the holiday. We will dance again! And we will do so using melodies that inspire hope and celebrate Israel’s strength. Our final two hakafot, informed by the full breadth of emotions we’ve had to hold all year, will be traditional, and joyous with themes of redemption and Jerusalem.
For an outline of the evening’s hakafot:
The annual “Limbo Hakafah”
By Hazzan Jenna Greenberg.
On the first two days of our upcoming holiday of Sukkot, we read from Vayikra 23:42-43 about the mitzvah of dwelling in sukkot for seven days: “All citizens in Israel shall live in sukkot (huts). This is so that future generations will know that I (God) settled B’nei Yisrael in sukkot when I brought them out of Mitzrayim (Egypt). I am God your Lord.”
According to these verses, a sukkah is a kind of shelter and it’s important to remember the shelter that God gave to our ancestors when they left Mitzrayim.
But what kinds of shelter were they? As is often the way in Jewish tradition, a midrash shares two rabbinic opinions. R. Eliezer says: They were actual sukkot, or huts. R. Akiva says: They were clouds of God’s presence.
But could both of these opinions be right? R. Eliezer focuses on the literal, physical hut, whereas R. Akiva considers the metaphorical and spiritual experience of this commandment.
While this is a very hands-on holiday, building and dwelling in a sukkah, even assembling and shaking the arba’at haminim (the 4 species) throughout the week, the physicality inspires the spiritual. When we dwell outside and shake the lulav and etrog, these tangible experiences in and with nature remind us of God’s presence in the world, both over our sukkot and in the creation of everything.
So let us rejoice in God’s creations this week, as we are also commanded in the Torah to be happy on this holiday: V’samachta b’chagecha v’hayita ach sameach, You shall rejoice on your festivals, and should be fully happy!
Chag Sukkot Sameach!!
By Hazzan Jacob Sandler.
It’s hard to believe we’ve passed the one year mark since October 7th 2023. It’s unfathomable that 101 hostages remain in Gaza. I can’t make sense of the rising antisemitism and I remain deeply heartbroken for all we’ve endured this year.
The truth is, every Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, we are called upon to imagine that we stand at the precipice of life and death. However you may feel about the imagery of Unetaneh Tokef and the “Book of Life” in which we seek to have our name inscribed and ultimately sealed, these High Holy Days serve as an opportunity to examine one’s own mortality, and, in so doing, their deeds. If you had asked me on Rosh HaShanah or Yom Kippur last year what I thought the year ahead would bring, I would have surely said something positive. One of my dearest friends and I always go into the new year saying, “This is going to be our year!” As it says in the Mahzor, a year of abundance, a year of blessing, a year of good fortune…a year of song, a year of fulfilling life… a year of rest, a year of consolation, a year of abundant joy, a year of delight…” and it ends with that passage from the people of Sharon, which until this moment I always found puzzling: “May it be Your will, HaShem our God and God of our ancestors, that their homes not become their graves.” (Mahzor Lev Shalem p. 333-334)
And looking back, there were some of those things. There were beautiful babies born, and weddings and b’nai mitzvah and all our usual holidays. And all year, was shadowed by October 7th and its aftermath. I couldn’t have known then that, just as I thought I’d crossed the finish line of the Tishrei holiday season, an entirely new challenge would arise.
I am so honored that in this week of Teshuva, I could lend my voice to the local Port Clinton gathering, organized by those incredible Shamash women. I’m in such awe of their commitment to Israel, their leadership and their strength. I am so honored that I could represent Beth El alongside Rabbi Schwab, Wendy Abrams, Consul General to the Midwest Yinam Cohen and Congressman Brad Schneider at the JUF memorial event on Monday night. It’s moments like these, in community, that I find strength and hope that carry me. At Beth El, we will mark the yahrzeit on Simchat Torah, and I hope you will join us. Because we will dance again. And we will acknowledge that our joy is diminished by this too.
As we approach Yom Kippur, I see with new eyes just how mysterious the year ahead is. I see how little I can take for granted, and I pray that God lives up to the name “Av Harachamim” the merciful Parent. I pray, with my whole, yet heavy and still broken heart, that we be forgiven, individually and as a people. And though it can be hard to ask “Who shall live and who shall die?” I want to raise up the final words of that Unetaneh Tokef prayer: “Uteshuvah, utefillah utzedakah ma’avirin et roa-hag’zerah” Repentance, prayer and acts of loving justice can lessen the harshness of the decree. May we all be blessed for a better year. May we all be sealed in the book of life. May our intentions, our emotions and actions help us to create the world we need – one of peace, safety, truth, and love. G’mar Chatimah Tovah.
By Rabbi Alex Freedman.
We all say “Shanah Tovah” around Rosh Hashanah, and we all say “Happy new year” around January 1st. But they do not mean the same thing.
“Shanah Tovah” means “Have a good year.” And “good” does not always mean “happy.”
Of course I wish we all do have a happy 5785, but that feels out of touch right now. With the horrors of October 7th fresh in our minds; antisemitism incidents at record numbers; the plight of the hostages still in Gaza pressing down on our hearts; and the uncertainty of Israel’s immediate future because of what is happening in Lebanon, this is decidedly not a happy time for the Jewish people. And yet we will gather soon as families and a Beth El community to celebrate the new year with its renewed potential. And we should still say “Shanah Tovah” with conviction.
“Shanah Tovah” means “Have a good year.” And “Tovah/good” takes us to the beginning of Genesis, when G-d creates the world and sees each feature as “Tov/good.” In fact, there is actually one day when G-d creates something and does not declare it to be “good.” The second day is when G-d creates the firmament, the atmosphere that divides the lower waters from the upper. Something about that does not merit the appellation “G-d saw that it was good.”
We keep reading and see that the phrase “G-d saw that it was good” then appears twice on the third day, when G-d gathered the lower waters into oceans and later created seed bearing fruit. What accounts for this unique placement?
The Etz Hayim Humash cites Rashi and shares: “The Sages explain this as due to the act of separation on that day, which may be necessary but is never wholly good…” In other words, what is “good” for the Torah is when an action is complete and makes whole. Division is the opposite.
In this light, we should each wish each other a “Shanah Tovah,” a year when we become more whole, more united, and more complete. May 5785 bring such blessings to all of us.
By Hazzan Jenna Greenberg.
In parashat Nitzavim, we read the following in Deuteronomy 29:28: “Concealed acts, hanistarot, concern the Lord our God; but with overt acts, haniglot, it is for us and our children, Lanu ul’vaneinu, ever to apply all the provisions of this Teaching, HaTorah hazot.” In the context of our parasha, hanistarot and haniglot are acts understood as concealed sins and revealed sins, respectively.
Rashi explains that the concealed or hidden things are between us and God, but the overt or revealed ones have greater potential to affect others. In other words, Kol Yisrael aravim ze bazeh: All Jews are responsible for one another.
Another commentator, the Netziv, explains that this verse is letting us know what our job is to understand about the world. The “hidden things” are the reasons God knows for why things happen, and it’s not our job to worry about those things.
When thinking about this idea of “hidden things,” I am also reminded of Psalm 81:4, the Psalm for Thursday: “Sound the shofar on the New Moon, the festival day when the moon is hidden.” We say these words in the Rosh Hashana Ma’ariv service. This imagery evokes our senses: what is missing in our sight is celebrated with the very audible primal sounding of the ancient shofar, a sound that we’ve been hearing each morning of this final month of 5784.
This announcement during Elul wakes us up each morning, hopefully driving the hidden personal goals within each of us to be revealed by the actions we take. The shofar reminds us that we are accountable to ourselves, a private agreement within each of us, but also to others, in the public ways we act in the world.
May that wake up call drive each of us to make this new year better for us as individuals and for all of us as a community.
Shabbat Shalom and Shana Tova.
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