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MainOpEds  Offering ourselves and our egoRabbi Moshe ben Maimon, said that the idea of sacrifice was that the person bringing the offering should see his own self as being the sacrifice. Going to a cantorial concertOne of the most interesting things that I noted while attending this concert is the contrast between the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, which I attended for years, and this cantorial concert. Monetary scandalsI need not and will not enumerate specific examples of this weakness, but all of us are aware of their existence and sad influence... Mishpatim: A brutal acknowledgement of human weaknessMishpatim's legal penal code is based on the worst behavior and attitudes of human beings. The outsiderGenerally, people ignore and even resent the comments and opinions of outsiders on internal or domestic matters. Not Moshe. Miracles in all sizesIt is obvious that for things to go right – simply what we call normal life – countless minor miracles must take place.Human stubborness and futilityThe Talmud teaches us that people who are completely evil, based on previous behavior and actions, are incapable of repenting and choosing wisely, even when they stand on the precipice of hell itself. The four words of redemptionThe use of different verbs to indicate the advent of the promised deliverance from Egyptian bondage indicates a process - and we are in the midst of it. Why Moshe, of all peopleMost leaders are eventually undone by the growth of their egos and the resulting arrogance. Not so Moshe. Walking the dogDogs were not popular with Jews in the past because they were used in anti-Semitic pogroms to attack Jews and to ferret out those who were in hiding Vayeshev: Actors in a dramaEveryone involved in the story of Joseph seemingly follows his own individual course of action, but the result is a historic change in the dynamics of the family and the trajectory of Jewish history. When a righteous person departsIs it really true that when a righteous person leaves it is an indelible loss to his community? Don't they just go on with their routine after a short period of time?Do individuals affect history?In the book of Genesis, the Torah emphasizes to us that history and great events spring forth from the actions of individuals The rainbowThe rainbow has great significance to humanity and is not to be observed and thought of as being merely another of the great many phenomena that we call nature. Measuring timeNow that the holidays are over, how do we greet the months ahead? Haazinu: Jewish angstThere appears to be a continuing and gnawing frustration and feeling of dissatisfaction that is present in Jewish society, no matter how great our material blessings and social successes are. Constantly growing - VayelechThe greatness of our teacher Moshe lies in the fact that until the last day of his life he was actively pursuing his goals. Dinosaurs and phonesI am blissfully unable to text or receive texts, cannot take pictures, cannot record conversations or lectures or face time using my prehistoric phone. Great people can be wrong, even when they are JewishThe Jewish people traditionally are hasty people. New ideas capture them and to a certain extent, cause a type of mass hysteria that blindsides them. Raise your head and be countedThe Torah abhors slackers. Nationhood and freedom - two concepts, two holidaysWhy Shavuot is the holiday of nationhood. Bamidbar (Israel): Numerical standstillNumerically speaking, in comparison to the numbers in this week's reading, the Jewish census has been at pretty much of a standstill over all of these long centuries, Behar (for Israel): Being Jewish requires spiritual mountain climbingLife is never smooth or easy – a flat plain, simple to traverse. Rather, it is always an uphill climb that many times leaves us short of breath and doubtful of hope. (Parashat Behar is read in Israel this Shabbat). Kedoshim: No shortcuts to holinessThe sheer number of commandments that govern every aspect of Jewish life emphasizes to us the proportion of the task that lies before us. No guarantee in matters of desire: Acharei MotThere is no guarantee or guardian for human beings when it comes to matters of desire and physical sexuality - which is the reason for detailed Torah strictures on the issue. Education for altriuism is a long processThe Torah is aware of the difficulty of coercing altruism on the part of human beings. Purim alwaysThe fixation of the rest of the world on the Jewish people and Judaism is one of the great inexplicable mysteries of human existence. Childhood and the pursuit of holinessHoliness is something that human beings must create. It is ephemeral and intangible, difficult to define and yet it can be glimpsed and experienced. Population statistics - there is no Judaism without JewsIn order for Judaism and its value system to continue to operate and be of influence in world society, there must be a physical Jewish people. The Jews are counted often in the Torah. The eternal lightThere are two forms of eternity in human affairs and history. Mute testimonyWherever synagogue buildings existed, the Jewish community was able to bring forth generations and remain vital and productive. The pessimists among usThe rabbis stated it in a pithy manner in the Talmud: “is it not sufficient that one is alive?" Validation from non-JewsIt has always been that the Jewish people craved validation from the outside world for principles and beliefs that we know to be valid and correct but with which we feel uncomfortable unless others are willing to agree with us on these matters. Food from heavenIn spite of it being an obvious gift directly from heaven, or perhaps ironically, because it was such an obvious gift from heaven, the Jewish people tended to grumble about it. Why? Using psychology in dealing with PharaohPharaoh's behavior is illogical, unrealistic and self-destructive.Heaven answers always with a non-sequitur.The questions are better left unasked. Shmot: Why did G-d choose someone with a checkered past?:Things never happen the way we think they should happen. The people who lead us are not always the people who we think we should lead us.Vayechi: The end of an eraThis is a paradigm, an example for all Jewish history and life.MIketz: Pharaoh does not realize he is the center of a dramaIt is noteworthy to see how quickly Pharaqoh raises Joseph. He could just have said, "Well, thank you for the interpretation of the dream." The loss of a beloved spouseThe past doesn't leave us, but it is those who look towards the future who continue to lead fruitful lives. Life lessons from the story of CreationThe narrative contained in this week’s beginning portion of the Torah is not only a story of the past, but it is just as importantly a description of our present world and society Feeling at home in the SukkahThe rabbis always felt that a shack in Jerusalem was worthier and more protective than a great palace elsewhere. Haazinu: Are you deaf to the message of Moses?I would think that by now the Jewish people would be aware that it is impossible, and even dangerous, to ignore the message of Moshe and of Jewish tradition.One day the students will remember what their teacher said long agoMoses, the greatest teacher of all time, knew that what he says will take many years to be understood.Standing strong and resilientHow is it that the Jewish people, not numerous and for the most of its history, powerless and stateless, has somehow been able to survive and even thrive? Twenty five years since Oslo - a story of faded hopesThe naysayers were silenced, if not pilloried and deplored -you had to believe that Arafat was another Mandela to be allowed to speak. The 20th century: What happened?The world that began the 20th century had vanished completely by the middle of that century. A judge can only judge by what his eyes allow him to see.We are to realize that ultimate justice is most times beyond our abilities. Looking forwardRemembering past troubles and tragedies never completely inhibited us from looking forward. The Jewish People's propensity to make bad choicesGeniuses are not necessarily the best of teachers because they cannot understand why the students are so dense and do not understand what is so patently obvious. Vaetchanan: The two Ten Commandment textsThere is fascinating discussion over the centuries as to what the text that was inscribed on the tablets of stone actually stated. After the fastAfter the fast day of mourning on the ninth day of Av come seven weeks of resilience and rehabilitation. We cannot choose how we will be rememberedOften in human experience, individuals, even if they live long and productive lives with many different experiences and accomplishments, are nevertheless remembered and always associated with one individual situation and life altering decision. This three-week periodToday's State of Israel is a product of this three-week period, yet there are those who say we should cease mourning the Temple now that we have our own sovereignty. They are misguided. Moses' angerMoshe was subject to becoming angry at certain occasions during his 40-year leadership of the Jewish people. Which? What happened to the Conservative Movement?What caused the decline of a movement that once was seen by many as a force, for good and for bad, in American Jewish society? |
