On the Shabbat of Pesach, we read from Megillat Shir haShirim, Song of Songs. From the collection of Ketuvim in our final section of the TaNaKh, this megillah is a romantic biblical poem that compares young love to gazelles frolicking in the field. So why is it read on the holiday of liberation? What is the connection between Pesach and Shir haShirim?
The other Megillot that we read on their various holidays have a very clear connection to the theme of those festivals. When it comes to Song of Songs, the connection is not quite as obvious. This megillah is traditionally understood to symbolize the love between God and the Jewish people. Passover is a celebration of the freeing of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage.
As with so much of Jewish tradition, there are several explanations to connect these two things:
May this spring festival, Chag haAviv, help to ripen our souls throughout these next seven weeks. And let us remember the words of Shir haShirim as a metaphor for our individual and communal relationship with the divine.
Chag Sameach and Shabbat Shalom!
By Hazzan Jacob Sandler.
10 days ago, I had the pleasure of taking an early bus to Indianapolis to experience the Total Solar Eclipse in its full grandeur. I’ve always enjoyed stargazing, taking in the awesomeness of the universe and allowing the vastness of space to remind me of my relative smallness. It’s so fun to have those deep meaningful conversations (DMCs) at camp, where the starry sky is so unpolluted by city lights. But beyond that, I’m not usually a big astronomy nerd. I don’t go out with a telescope to see nearby planets and have no aspirations of being in astronaut. But on a whim, I decided to go check out the eclipse anyway.
I’m a pretty spiritual guy, and I had been speculating about what Jewish thought might say about the Eclipse. I had used my own mystical imagination and crafted a beautiful image of the moon passing in front of the sun, but if I didn’t know that I might see the 2-dimensional version as a unification of sorts. The moon represents the divine feminine – the Shechinah, receiving and reflecting the light of God, guiding the Jewish people and our calendar. The sun represents the divine masculine – Tiferet or the name YHVH – an aspect of God which is brilliant and gives light to the world. By bringing these two bodies in the sky together, we’d see a divine union of Tiferet and Shechina – similar to the metaphor of Lecha Dodi on Friday night which serves to bring together the Divine masculine and feminine in a marital unity. I had imagined that the sun rays peaking out from behind the moon’s shadow would appear to the ancient mystic as a crown of glory on the head of the Divine presence. I was so excited.
Then, on the bus, I did some digging. What blessing should I say? What do the sages have to say on this matter?
It turns out most of the ancient world agreed that a night sky in the middle of the day was a bad omen. The Rabbis of the Talmud in Sukkah 29a discuss them.
Some say if the sun is eclipsed it’s a bad omen for non-Jews who use a solar calendar. If the moon is eclipsed it’s a bad omen for Jews who use the lunar calendar. Some say depending on the color it could mean war is coming or famine or both. An eerie thought given that we are already experiencing a war, but more eerie given Iran’s latest attack. But do I really believe that a predictable eclipse could be a sign of something I presume to be controllable by humankind? A thursday thought is no place to be untangling the issue of free-will or determinism, but it’s just a thought.
The rabbis taught that the eclipse of the sun occurs on account of four things, On account of an Av Bet Din who died and was not eulogized properly [and the eclipse is a eulogy from Heaven]; on account of a betrothed young girl who cried out in the city [that she was being raped] and there was none to save her; on account of sodomy, and on account of two brothers whose blood was shed at the same time.
Again, it’s a predictable scientific phenomenon, and therefore, the eclipse of the sun occurs on account of one thing — timing. But the image of the young girl screaming with no one to save her, is echoed in the screams of the hostages and those fighting to save them. And the image of two brothers whose blood was shed as one is reflection of the deep intimate connection that Israelis and Palestinians, Jews, Muslims and Christians, descendants of Issac and Jacob, or Ishmael or Esau… we’re all brothers. And if that’s not enough, we’re taught that Adam was the single ancestor to humanity so that no one can claim, “my ancestor was greater than your ancestor” which is to say, that the eclipse could be a reminder of God’s sullenness that we humans continue to spill the blood of our brothers.
Whether or not we modern scientifically educated Jews can ascribe such superstitious meaning to the Eclipse is debatable, but I do believe that as Jews, we can elevate even the most mundane activities to the realm of the holy through mindful awareness, gratitude and intention. So, we can see the eclipse as a celestial representation of what’s possible in God’s awesome natural world. Or, we can see the eclipse as an unsettling reminder that there’s work to do to make the world one of light – uninterrupted by momentary darkness. Because those 4 minutes in the sky were really cool, but these dark times in our world are indeed as frightening as an eclipse might have been in the ancient world.
Blessed is the one whose strength and power fill the world, who made the works of creation.
Baruch SheCocho UGevurato Maaleh Olam v’Oseh Maaseh Beresheet.
By Rabbi Alex Freedman.
We all know from life experience that every big event requires preparation. Tests require study beforehand; interviews required practice in advance; and everyone who had a Bar or Bat Mitzvah knows that they can’t just wing it.
We all know this, and though it is tempting to procrastinate, we all accept this.
I want to suggest that the Passover Seder is truly an important event, and it too necessitates preparation. The Passover meal on the first and second nights is enjoyable because of who is around the table. But its purpose is essential: to have us imagine ourselves as slaves and then free people in the same night; and to identify who is not free in our own day, and what steps we must take to liberate them fully. This conversation does not merely happen on its own, but it must be prepared in advance. The Seder leader has a big responsibility in planning what parts of the Haggadah to lead, what pieces should be shared that are not part of the Haggadah script, and how to encourage others to participate in a meaningful way. This is not easy, and like other challenging tasks, advanced preparation raises the likelihood of success in the moment.
“In every generation, each person must see themselves as if they personally left Egypt.” So we sing in the Haggadah. Almost always, we enter the Seder night from a place of freedom. We American Jews are fully free in our homeland, so the challenge is to imagine what it means to be not free. But this year is different because of October 7th. This year all Jews feel less secure than a year ago. This year there are over 100 Israelis who are being held hostage for the past 6 months and on Seder night. For the first time, it is frighteningly easy to feel we are not fully free. So long as the captives are being held in Gaza, none of us is fully free.
In planning the Seder this year, please raise the topic of October 7th and the hostages. This year around the world, Jews are not slaves to Pharaoh, but we are not completely free, and we must talk about that. This year the place of the Jews in the world is different from every other year, and the Seder should reflect this: in conversation, in ritual (perhaps an empty chair for the hostages), and in tone.
The Seder concludes “Next year in Jerusalem.” May all the hostages be returned home soon so Jerusalem and Jews worldwide can be whole once again.
By Hazzan Jenna Greenberg.
In Parashat Shemini, God lists the kosher and non-kosher animals very specifically, including the credentials for what makes each creature of the water, land and sky fit or unfit for eating: fish must have fins and scales; land mammals must have split hooves and chew their cud; predatory birds are prohibited.
Since these rules are seemingly arbitrary, we might ask why do we have these rules? Why do we keep kosher?
There are many answers to this question, but let’s take a look at a short passage a little bit deeper into this third book of the Torah, Vayikra 20:25-26:
You shall separate animals that are pure from those that are impure, and between pure and impure birds. Don’t make your souls detestable through animals or birds or anything alive on the ground which I have separated as impure. You shall be holy to Me, for I am your holy God, and I have separated you from others nations to be Mine.
According to these verses, kashrut keeps Jews distinct. The dietary laws are designed as a call to holiness.
A second reason that Rambam gives is that non-kosher food is dirty and that the rules of kashrut keep us from getting sick. It is a mitzvah that protects our physical well-being, just as many other mitzvot protect our well-being, both physically and also socially and emotionally. Think of that golden rule coming up in just a few parshiyot: V’ahavta l’reiacha kamocha/ Love your neighbor as yourself. Treating others well helps us feel good about ourselves and, hopefully, the same treatment gets reciprocated back to us as well.
A third reason for keeping kosher that Ramban taught is that certain animals are cruel so we shouldn’t eat them. In other words, you are what you eat.
It is problematic to eat a predator because it could make us predatorial.
So how can we make ourselves kinder people as we eat? Kindness is at the root of kashrut. While Shemini gets specific in which animals are kosher, it makes me think about a famous verse about kashrut and kindness that is repeated three times throughout the Torah: Lo t’vashel g’di b’chalev imo/Don’t boil a kid in its mother’s milk.
Several sages explain that such a practice was especially heartless – to take the mother’s milk, intended to nurture the child, and to use that very milk to cook the child, and then to eat them together. Ibn Ezra and Rashbam compare it to the likewise forbidden practices of slaughtering a mother animal together with its child on the same day (Lev. 22:28), and taking a mother bird together with its eggs (Deut. 22:6).
Lo t’vashel g’di b’chalev imo. This verse is ultimately rooted in kindness, and I think is a bigger picture answer to how kashrut makes us kinder.
Connected to the golden rule that we say at the beginning of every morning service: V’ahavta l’reiacha kamocha, Love your neighbor as yourself. In other words, be kind to others. The mystic Isaac Luria brings this message back to God, in that loving others is a necessary condition of our experiencing divine love.
Everything else is commentary.
By Hazzan Sandler.
This week we read a special Maftir and Haftarah for what’s known as Shabbat Parah. The special Haftarah is from Ezekiel. I often like to highlight the Haftarot because, in my experience, the prophets are widely under-studied among normal people. Clergy, academics, maybe day-school alumni may know more but the average person couldn’t tell you much about Isaiah, or Jeremiah or any of those poetic, angsty, hopeful, mystical weirdos we call the Prophets.
I also find the prophets particularly interesting in these times because they prophesied in ancient Israel and Judah before, during and after the exile to Babylon. In a way, these prophets have the most insight (within the Bible) about Jews like us who exist alongside a sovereign Jewish nation in the land of Israel. Mind you, much has changed, but the same calls for justice, righteousness, kindness, and ritual that make up the pages of Prophetic writing are deeply resonant with the challenges of a people that has power, success, influence and comfort. The prophets challenge us not to get too comfortable or corrupted by our own success, and beg us not to go astray from God’s will. The consequences of doing so are linked to our exile and diaspora, and while that theology may or may not suit you, it is, in my mind, a worthwhile perspective to consider.
So what sticks out to me in this week’s special Haftarah?
Ezekiel gives this prophecy in Babylon, so the people are already exiled from Israel. It begins with God bemoaning the behavior of the people, and states (Ez. 36:19), “I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries: I punished them in accordance with their ways and their deeds.”
And I don’t like to psycho-analyze God too much, (for what I hope are obvious reasons), but listen to this fascinating next verse (Ez. 36:20-21): “But when they came to those nations, they caused My holy name to be profaned, in that it was said of them, ‘These are the people of Hashem, yet they had to leave His land.’ Therefore I am concerned for My holy name, which the House of Israel have caused to be profaned among the nations to which they come.”
I want to paraphrase those three verses: “I punished Israel because they messed up bad, and now they’re making Me look bad. My reputation is on the line and I’m now doubly annoyed.”
Does God sound a little petty and self-righteous? Yeah, but in God’s defense, there do need to be consequences when the people do wrong.
The real irony is that God then promises to redeem the people, bring us back to our land, and make the land flourish like the Garden of Eden. He promises to renew us with a new heart and a new spirit. The nations of the world are going to be so inspired and blown away by our comeback that God’s name will be sanctified. God even says this: “Not for your sake will I act, O House of Israel, but for My Holy name” and this is echoed in the Avinu Malkeinu prayer on High Holidays, “Avinu Malkeinu, aseh lema’ancha im lo lema’aneinu — do this for Your sake, if not for ours.” It’s an idea repeated in the first paragraph of every amidah, “umeivi goel livnei v’neihem lema’an shemo beAhava – and [God] sends a redeemer to their children’s children for His name’s sake with love.”
I always found a certain humor in the idea that we pray for God’s help for God’s own sake. My conception of God is usually more transcendent than a being that cares about Its own reputation. That feels too human to me. And yet, we appeal to God’s ego? I find that hard to believe, and it makes me laugh.
On the other hand, there’s a deep wisdom to be found in recognizing the following: To the extent that we were created “betzelem Elohim – In God’s image” we also are the image of God. We can’t always perceive God, and if we do it’s indirectly. However, human beings have the capacity to learn, grow, make choices, explore morality and do amazing good or evil in the world. And the choices we make–the good we put in the world (or don’t)– are a reflection of God. What we do individually, communally, nationally, or globally all add some good or some bad (or some of both) to the scales of the world. I imagine it is like a computer program. Our actions, large and small, are the input. God set it up to process the input and give an output. God as the Programmer can step in, employ a miracle or two, send a prophecy, give us a Torah etc. But mostly, the way things are is directly related to how we are. We learn this from the Megillah where everything that happens is about humans making choices – not to bow, to cast a lot, to build gallows, to approach the king, to raise the scepter, to fight back. God isn’t mentioned once, yet there is a miraculousness to human beings making difficult, life-saving choices at the right time in the right place.
And so God’s reputation is deeply linked to how we behave. And as the world becomes less and less magical, and perhaps at times really dark and difficult, it’s no surprise atheism is on the rise. But I believe in God. And I believe in my duty to act in ways that will make the world a better place. A place where people say “Thank God” more often than, “Oh God…” As we make our way closer to Passover, celebrating a time when God really showed up for us and took us out of Egypt, I hope we all feel inspired by the words of Ezekiel, and show up for God, by showing up for our world to make it the best it can be, one good choice at a time.
By Rabbi Freedman.
We all know the Purim story – which we will hear Saturday night and Sunday morning – is named for Queen Esther, but why? That was a curious choice by the ancient rabbis living in a man’s world.
For the sake of argument, why not call it Megillat Mordecai? After all, he was the one who overheard the guards plotting to kill the king. His passing along the message – and his subsequent reward of being paraded around in public – were integral to the story. Most important of all, he was the brains behind the mission to save the Jewish people. He devised the plan for Esther to approach the king to save their people. And he inspired her when she initially refused. Those are significant contributions, and the Jews may not have survived otherwise.
So why not name the scroll after him? To borrow a baseball analogy: even the best managers remain on the sidelines. It really comes down to the player in the batter’s box to win the game. In other words, it’s important to have a great idea, but more credit goes to the one who executes it. And here is where Esther shines.
It is Esther whose life is on the line in the near term when she approaches the king unsolicited, not Mordecai. It is Esther who displays unsurpassed courage and bravery when she reveals herself to him as a Jew amidst the genocidal decree, not Mordecai. It is Esther who sticks out her neck, not Mordecai. The rabbis were wise enough to recognize the distinction, and they gave her the ultimate, enduring credit – naming the story after her.
Queen Esther is primarily known for her beauty, but let us not forget her unrivaled bravery and courage as well.
By Rabbi ALex Freedman.
“If you build it, he will come.” The famous line from the movie Field of Dreams means that if Ray builds a baseball field, his father will return.
“If you build it, He will come.” Rabbi Moshe Grussgott of Manhattan points out that this paraphrases an important verse from the Torah reading in Parashat Terumah, which kicks off the construction of the Mishkan, the desert portable sanctuary. If you (the Jews) build it (the Mishkan – portable sanctuary), He (G-d) will come (and dwell among you). This is a pretty accurate summary of Exodus 25:8: “Let them make me a sanctuary, and I will dwell among them.”
Nearly the entire duration of the book of Exodus (Ch. 25-40) is devoted to the Mishkan’s construction, which concludes this week with Pekudei. Why the extensive coverage about the same topic?
– First, details matter. Everyone wants an HD television, the more pixels the better. That picture is more highly detailed than standard definition, and the results speak for themselves. If we want our TV’s in HD, shouldn’t we insist that important projects and relationships be lived in HD too?
– Second, G-d is most present when people give or build. Avot DRabbi Natan makes this conclusion based upon a close reading of our verse: When they make me a sanctuary, I will dwell among them. When people involve themselves in a cause or project, they gain a sense of meaning and purpose, a feeling of being part of something larger than themselves. Some people call this feeling “G-d.”
-Third, building something refines us. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks notes that the only time in the Torah when the Jews did not complain about something was during the construction of the Mishkan. For the first time, they had to provide for themselves, not rely on G-d. And they emerged stronger for it. He writes: “It is not what God does for us that transforms us. It is what we do for God.”
What are you building?
By Hazzan Jenna Greenberg.
Taking a closer look at some of the materials used for the Mishkan, we learn in parashat Vayakhel that they include items such as precious metals (gold, silver and copper), materials like linen and wool in various colors, animal skins, wood, oil, spices, and precious stones.
The name of one of these materials is rather intriguing. Linen, known as sheish, is a word that to most of us means the number 6. The rabbis teach that sheish meant both of these things. It was linen, and each thread in the sheish yarn was made of six strands.
This is particularly fitting to me as today marks my mother’s 6th yahrzeit and, like our artisan ancestor Betzalel, Mom was an artist too: she was an amateur tailor, creating many Halloween and Purim costumes; a professional potter, who taught pottery classes that I often attended, and we even had a pottery studio with a wheel in our basement!
The importance of art to her is also fitting as the importance of creating and protecting beautiful things in Jewish tradition is rooted in Parshat Vayakhel.
We learn that the Mishkan had three top layers, which were placed on top of each other. Layer #1, made up of sheets of colorful cloth, was on the bottom, and you could see it only if you were inside the Mishkan. Layer #2 was made up of sheets of goats’ hair, creating a protective tent over that first layer, like a raincoat. Even these layers protecting our beautiful Mishkan were beautiful in their own right.
Rashi says that we can learn a lesson from this second covering: “The Torah teaches a rule of life: People should take care of beautiful things.”
Think of all the ways that we do this today, especially with our beautiful and holy ritual items. We use a beautiful bag to protect our tallitot, and on top of that, many use a plastic covering made for the purpose of protecting that first layer, and ultimately, the tallit within the first bag. We use beautiful mezuzot which are ultimately protective and often artistic cases for the Torah text on the klaf within. Ritual items such as the lulav, etrog and Kiddush cup often have a protective case or box that often serves more than just that protective purpose, if you’ve seen any of the artistic renditions of said items. Even a siddur can have a beautiful, protective cover, as our Kitah Gimel students will receive next week at their special Shabbat service.
Through all of this, I believe that one of the greatest values we learn from this week’s parsha is that of Hiddur Mitzvah: beautifying the mitzvot. We should go above and beyond to take care of the ritual items we use, elevating their purpose and beauty to an even higher level of holiness in the way that we protect and care for them.
As we learned from both our parsha and Rashi’s commentary, not only should we create beautiful things, but we should take care of them as well. By doing so, we honor the artists who create the masterpieces that we admire and use. And when they are no longer with us, we honor their memories by caring for the artistic items they created.
By Hazzan Jacob Sandler.
Last week I returned from Song Leader Boot Camp – a national conference that focuses on Jewish leadership, education, and music. Having attended 9 of the last 11 conferences over the past 10 years, it’s come to be more than just a conference but a community of fellow songleaders, educators, clergy and musicians alike. In addition to many wonderful sessions, and prayer experiences, it provided me time and space to reflect on my own life, my work, my passions and those not so pleasant areas where I’d like to improve.
Coming back from the highs of such intentional communal gathering to an overflowing inbox of emails (some of which, I’ll admit, were already piling up before I left), I had a tough transition back to ‘normal life.’ There are real things I want to do better, and real ways I want to be better.
If I can get vulnerable for a moment, I thought about how grateful I ought to be for this wonderful community – I work with incredible professional partners and lay people, I’m well compensated and I feel so loved and embraced by the community. I also thought about how despite the truth of that, it’s hard work and it’s relentless. And I’ve gained weight since I’ve started and though I’m not asking for suggestions, I’ll admit it would be nice to start that family and plant some deeper roots. So, what do I do with these really big feelings?
I had a moment I imagine is familiar–I woke up, groaned, and started the daily wrestle with myself to get out of bed and face the day. I wish I could sleep in… but instead of rolling over to snooze that one extra time (that I don’t really have time for), I thought, “what if I actually said Modeh Ani?” You know that short prayer you sung in Hebrew school to the tune of “You are my sunshine” or maybe Jeff Klepper’s tune at camp (look it up you’ll recognize it).
I decided to say it. I said each word really slowly. I recognize I have the privilege of knowing word by word how to say it and also what each word means–but it went something like this:
Modeh – thank. First gratitude, even before
Ani – I or I am. It means ‘I am grateful’, but really it means ‘grateful am I’ — gratitude first, then ego.
Lefanecha – before You – that is in the presence of God.
Three words in, and I’m very aware that first thing in the morning I am grateful, then I’m myself, and then I’m in the presence of God. Who by the way is:
Melech Chai VeKayam — Eternally Living Sovereign. Imagine a King, or your boss or anyone in charge is just right there, ready to be thanked and you’re still in pajamas… It’s a wild practice. Deeply humbling.
But to be fair, there’s good reason to be thankful, even when you want to sleep in or snooze. Why am I thanking God?
Shehechezarta bi nishmati — that You have returned to me (literally in me) my soul. And the word for soul Neshama is related to the word for breath, Neshimah. It’s no coincidence that this waking up breath parallels the breath of life God breathed into the very first Adam in creation. We wake up and are created anew. But why?
B’chemlah – with compassion. We recognize the gift of this day is a kind gesture from God. But also,Rabah Emunatecha — great is Your faith. Not emunati – not on the merit of my faith, which may come and go with the weather. Not because I believed hard enough was I given this day. Rather, because God has great faith. God believes in us.
I’ve been saying Modeh Ani each morning for almost a week now. And it continues to amaze and inspire me that God believes today could be the day we do something amazing. Today we might turn it all around, today we might make a good choice, say a kind word, or any number of amazing things. God believes in us, and we can take that vote of confidence with us into our day.
I’ve felt the difference it makes. Beginning the day with gratitude (even if it’s a little forced or contrived at first), flips the script. I don’t think it’s the magic of the words but the power of the ideas they express. So, if any of this resonated for you in your own busy life, I hope you’ll carry these ideas and give it a try. Let me know if it helps. And if nothing else, I hope you gained a deeper understanding of these words that you’ve known so long.
By Rabbi Alex Freedman.
We all know that we are supposed to dress up and wear nice clothes for Shabbat/holiday services at shul. Why is that?
I think many people would answer: because everyone else is dressing up! Indeed, when everybody is dressing up for an event – any event – we feel out of place if we don’t match the attire.
But I think we must consider a deeper answer to this question. Optimally, we dress up for ourselves. We don’t dress up for others because synagogue – while there are certainly social elements – is primarily a religious experience. We don’t dress up for God because God is not swayed by the clothing we wear. Instead, we dress up for ourselves. That is, we recognize that the clothing we wear affects how we feel, and so wearing certain clothes prepares us better to encounter God and Torah at shul.
I think we all intuit this. Were we to go to synagogue in our pajamas, we would feel tired and ready to sleep, not ready to pray. (Related to this, I always feel strange on the night of Purim when I am praying in some silly costume. To me, it feels off.)
The clothes we wear on our outside significantly affect how we feel on the inside. This is a core message from this week’s Torah reading, Tetzaveh. The focus of this portion is describing in elaborate detail, the special garments to be worn by the High Priest and ordinary priests while serving in the Mishkan sanctuary. Aaron the High Priest was to wear eight special garments, including a breastplate with all the names of the tribes. The Torah notes that it should go over his heart: “ Aaron shall carry the names of the sons of Israel on the breastplate of decision over his heart when he enters the sanctuary, for a remembrance before the Lord at all times” (Exodus 28:29). Aaron was the spiritual leader of the Israelites, and yet he had to wear not just one special garment in the sanctuary, but eight! It was the Torah’s way of having him prepare for the ultimate spiritual leadership role.
I remember hosting a Zoom town hall with the congregation about the first High Holiday services during Covid, when almost everybody was to stay home and use the livestream because it was considered physically unsafe for a large crowd to be in the building. Somebody asked a question in jest, “can I watch services on my couch in my pajamas?” We all chuckled. But then, on a serious note, I responded with a teaching: Of course you can wear whatever you like; no one will know and nobody will stop you. But consider wearing your shul clothes even on the couch because you will feel more prepared for services and connected to the prayers, for that is our prayer uniform. This is similar to the Halacha that on Shabbat we are supposed to wear special clothing, even away from services. Not to dress up for each other, but to dress up to honor the day itself.”
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