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First Day of Sukkot – יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל סֻכֹּת (Leviticus 23:33-44)

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This Week’s Torah Portion: First Day of Sukkot – יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל סֻכֹּת (Leviticus 23:33-44)

While the Temple is the embodiment of the Jewish place, the Sukkah is perhaps the embodiment of the Jewish space. It is not planted in a specific geographical place, it can be erected anywhere in the world, and it becomes a Sukkah when it is erected according to the guiding principles, especially when daily life is carried out in it during the seven days of Sukkot. The sukkah is a unique Jewish space because it is a space that is, on the one hand, festive, and on the other hand, includes the everyday grind within it.

The Sukkah is a kind of house located outside. It allows the Jewish person to live inside even when they cannot be inside, to be at home even when they are under the dome of heaven. The Sukkah says that a Jewish space can exist anywhere and that even when there is no stable home, we can create stability through the actions we do and the actions we take in the world. The apparent impermanence of the Sukkah is not impermanence, but a declaration of stability in an ephemeral world.

Parsha First Day of Sukkot – יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל סֻכֹּת Summary:

In these verses, we are instructed to observe the festival of Sukkot for seven days. The first of the seven days is a sacred day, one on which we refrain from work. Our ancestors brought sacrifices to the Temple on each of the days and lived in a booth. Why would we be expected to dwell in a fragile booth, exposed to the elements? Perhaps it is so that we do not take our possessions for granted. Anyone who has experienced a hurricane or a fire in their home knows just how fragile our dwellings really are. We are told of the lulav and the etrog and we are commanded to rejoice on each of the seven days. How wonderful to be commanded to celebrate! First Day of Sukkot – יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל סֻכֹּת

Haazinu – הַאֲזִינוּ (Deuteronomy 32:1–52)

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This Week’s Torah Portion: Haazinu – הַאֲזִינוּ (Deuteronomy 32:1–52)

It is almost Yom Kippur, almost the end of the cycle of the days of Awe, the 10 days of Repentance!

This is such a radical idea, as individuals it puts on us the maximum of responsibility and gives us maximum hope, both at the same time.

We are proud children of a culture and religion that truly believes that humans are good by nature and that we can choose to be good. Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur repeat to us year after year that we belong to a rich culture that believes in repentance, in the ability of each one of us to change and to be who we ought to be. It is an unending task, we will never be perfect, not even close, as we recognize our imperfections, we continue to struggle to become better people.

Parsha Haazinu – הַאֲזִינוּ Torah Summary:

Moses sings his last song, a love poem to God and a chastisement of the people, who are not worthy of Adonai. (32:1–6) The poem recounts the blessings that God has bestowed on the Israelites, the wicked deeds they have committed, and the punishments that God then inflicted upon them. (32:7–43) God tells Moses to begin his ascent of Mount Nebo, from where he will see the Land of Israel from a distance but will not be allowed to enter it. (32:45–52) Haazinu – הַאֲזִינוּ

Yom Rishon shel Rosh HaShanah 5784 – יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה (1st Day of the New Year)

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This Week’s Torah Portion: Yom Rishon shel Rosh HaShanah 5784 – יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה (1st Day of the New Year)

The Lamb is always there if we will but lift our eyes.

Tonight is Rosh Hashanah and the beginning of a new year, 5784. We joyously welcome this new year together as a holy community. My favorite part of Rosh Hashanah is hearing the sound of the Shofar. There is nothing quite like that soul-stirring blast. It raises the hair on my arms, makes my heart beat just a bit faster, and calls me to something ancient and almost unknowable.

One of the more difficult parts of Rosh Hashanah is our reading of the Akedah, The Sacrifice of Isaac. This story is a part of Parashat Vayera,  a parsha filled with angels, destruction, drama, and miracles.

The story of Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac completes this Parsah, and it is a thrilling and terrible tale. Who could conceive of sacrificing their child to demonstrate their faith in God? What meaning are we to take away from this horrific tale?

And Abraham raised his eyes and saw–behold, a ram!–afterwards, caught in the bushes by its thorns; so Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up instead of his son.

The Rabbis of Pirkei Avot, The Ethics of the Fathers list this ram as a part of a classification of creations that stand outside of time or reason. Midrash suggests that the true miracle is not the ram, but what Abraham does at the sight of the ram. Abraham “lifts his eyes and saw…” Abraham had to redirect not only his hand–away from his son–but also his perception–away from the idea that God really demanded such an awful sacrifice. In a moment of terror and inescapable dread, the miracle is that Abraham is able to undergo a change of spiritual understanding just in time and see alternatives just at the moment he is most “caught by the horns” in a horrible situation.

In this reading, the midrash from Pirkei Avot is about our potential to grow in understanding and insight, finding miracles to be grateful for even under dire circumstances. The ability to see the ram- i.e., to perceive the better choice–can be understood as the deeper yet more everyday kind of miracle.

What are the hidden miracles you now perceive as you look back on 5783? What will you do differently this year, so that you might perceive other miracles beneath seemingly difficult circumstances?

Shanah Tovah u’Metukah, may you have a Good and Sweet New Year!

Parsha Yom Rishon shel Rosh Hashanah Summary:

Rosh Hashanah Morning, Day 1 (Genesis 21) (Many Reform congregations omit this portion, and read Genesis 22 on Rosh Hashanah, Day 1.) Sarah, who has longed for a child for many years, conceives a child with Abraham and gives birth to Isaac, meaning “one who laughs.” Isaac’s birth fulfills Gods promise that they will bear a son who will grow to be a generation. As Isaac grows into his boyhood, Sarah is conflicted by the presence of her servant Hagar and her son Ishmael that she conceived with Abraham and Hagar is banished from the home. God visits Hagar in the wilderness her, promises that Ishmael will also grow into a great nation, and tenderly provides water for the mother and son. Ishmael grows to adulthood and is married. This portion is a reminder that God’s promises are kept, and God’s compassion extends beyond the tents of our people. Rosh Hashanah Morning, Day 2 (Genesis 22) (Many Reform congregations read this portion on Rosh Hashanah, Day 1.) This portion is commonly known as The Akeidah, or “the binding.” In these terse and tense verses, the subject matter touches upon God, the nature of faith, and the demands faith may make of us. God calls upon Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac as a supreme test of faith. Abraham, God’s loyal servant, agrees. Just as Abraham is about to offer his son up as a sacrifice, an angel calls out to him, instructing him not to harm the boy, and Abraham sacrifices a ram in place of his son. For the ancient reader this may have served as a rejection of human sacrifice, a practice of ancient Israel’s neighbors. For the modern reader, perhaps one is called upon to consider one’s own tests and sacrifices. The haftarah (1 Samuel 1:1-2:10) Tells the story how Hannah prayed to God for a child, and how her prayer was answered with subsequent birth of Samuel. Yom Rishon shel Rosh HaShanah 5784 – יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה (1st Day of the New Year)

Nitzavim – Vayeilech – נִצָּבִים – וַיֵּלֶךְ (Deuteronomy 29:9–30:20, 31:1–30)

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This Week’s Torah Portion: Nitzavim – Vayeilech- נִצָּבִים – וַיֵּלֶךְ (Deuteronomy 29:9–30:20, 31:1–30)

Parsha Nitzavim always arrives on a Shabbat in the season of Teshuva, the weeks leading up to the High Holy Days. Nitzavim begins on Moses’ final day on earth. In the first six verses of Moses’ speech, the word Hayom (today or this day) appears five times This repetition, coupled with its unique timing, gives Moses’ words a sense of urgency and newness. Unlike the rest of humanity, Moses is uniquely positioned to hold advanced knowledge about when he will die. Knowing this is Moses’ final address to the People of Israel, they will listen more deeply and intently to his words.

How would you act if you knew beforehand when your last day on earth would be? What would you do with your remaining time? None of us knows when that time will come, making the placement of Nitzavim amidst our season of Teshuva especially poignant. Nitzavim challenges us to live each day as Hayom: to engage with each day as if it were our last, living each moment to the fullest, speaking words of sincerity and focusing on what is truly important.

Parsha Nitzavim – Vayeilech – נִצָּבִים – וַיֵּלֶךְ Summary:

Moses tells the assembled people that God’s covenant speaks to them and to all of the generations who will follow. (29:9–14) God warns the Israelites that they will be punished if they act idolatrously, the way the inhabitants of the other nations do. (29:15–28) Moses reassures the people that God will not forsake them and that they can attain blessings by following God’s commandments. (30:1–20) Moses prepares the people for his death and announces that Joshua will succeed him. (31:1–8) Moses instructs the priests and the elders regarding the importance of reading the Torah. (31:9–13) God informs Moses that upon his death, the people will commit idolatry and “many evils and troubles shall befall them.” God tells Moses to teach the people a poem that will “be My witness.” (31:14–30)

Ki Tavo – כִּי-תָבוֹא (Deuteronomy 26:1–29:8)

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This Week’s Torah Portion: Ki Tavo – כִּי-תָבוֹא (Deuteronomy 26:1–29:8)

“Amen” appears 12 times in 12 consecutive sentences in this week’s Parasha, Ki Tavo. Amen may be interpreted in several ways: 1) accepting the consequences of a statement; 2) agreeing to something that has happened or is currently the case; 3) expressing belief in something that will happen but has not yet come to fruition.

We are eight days away from Selichot and just two weeks away from Rosh Hashana. What are you saying “Amen!” to? What are you accepting, agreeing to, and stepping into faith for as you enter this New Year?

Amen also indicates a ritual of public performance. When the Hazzan completes the leading of a prayer, the kahal (congregation) will chant together “Amen” in response. It is a public affirmation of communal prayer. The linking of our voices in prayer gives even more sacred power to the season upon us. Let us come together as a community and imagine what we accept together. What are we stepping together in faith toward as we move forward as a sacred community?

Parsha Ki Tavo – כִּי-תָבוֹא Torah Summary:

The Israelites are instructed to express their gratitude to God for their bountiful harvests and freedom from slavery by tithing ten percent of their crops for the Levite, the stranger, the orphan, and the widow. (26) The people are told to display on large stones God’s commandments for all to see. (27:1-8) The Levites are to proclaim curses upon those who violate God’s commandments. (27:15-26) The Israelites are told that if they obey God’s mitzvot faithfully, they will receive every blessing imaginable. They are also told that if they do not fulfill their brit with God, many curses will descend upon them. (28:1-69) Moses reminds the Israelites of the miracles they witnessed in the wilderness and commands them to observe the terms of the covenant so that they may succeed in all that they undertake. (29:1-8) Ki Tavo – כִּי-תָבוֹא “You have declared this day that Adonai is your God … And Adonai has declared this day that you are God’s people … ”(Deuteronomy 26:17-18) We choose God and God chose us. It is a mutual relationship we have with God. As the rabbis interpret in the Talmud. The people of Israel crown Adonai every day when we say at our Temples and synagogues, “Hear Israel Adonai is your God, Adonai One.” The Israelites are instructed to express their gratitude to God for their bountiful harvests and freedom from slavery by tithing ten percent of their crops for the Levite, the stranger, the orphan, and the widow. (26) The people are told to display on large stones God’s commandments for all to see. (27:1-8) The Levites are to proclaim curses upon those who violate God’s commandments. (27:15-26) The Israelites are told that if they obey God’s mitzvot faithfully, they will receive every blessing imaginable. They are also told that if they do not fulfill their brit with God, many curses will descend upon them. (28:1-69) Moses reminds the Israelites of the miracles they witnessed in the wilderness and commands them to observe the terms of the covenant so that they may succeed in all that they undertake. (29:1-8)