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Vayakhel/Pekudei and Shabbat HaChodesh: Ending and Beginning

This week, we read in the Torah about completions -- and preparations.

We are finishing up the book of Shmot (Exodus).  Chazak chazak v'nitchazek -- Be strong, be strong, may we strengthen each other!  Shmot began with bursting-out and disorder.  The Children of Israel expanding at an expontential rate, then the beginning of slavery.  As the book ends, Moshe is guiding the assembly of the Mishkan, which has been so carefully laid out.  Eight times the Torah notes that Moshe carried out the work "as the Lord commanded."  The language echoes the days of creation, when God's word translated immediately into reality.  The number eight in Jewish thought represents nature-plus-one -- the perfection we add to the world we find, through our covenant with God.

That's the completion.  Then we take the second Torah out and read the instructions for Pesach MItzrayim, the night of the first Pesach in Egypt.  This Shabbat is called Shabbat "Hachodesh" after the first words of the maftir reading:  Hachodesh hazeh lachem rosh chodashim, "This new-moon shall mark for you the first of the months" (Exodus 12:2).  This is the Shabbat right before Rosh Chodesh Nissan, the beginning of the month of Pesach.  We read about the roasted lamb, the meal eaten dressed for departure, the blood on the doorposts.  The preparations for the launch of everything.

Reading these two sections together, I feel like both are about both -- completion and preparation.  The reading for Shabbat Hachodesh is obviously about the completion of slavery, and the beginning of the march forward toward freedom and Torah.  The end of the book of Exodus is certainly a completion.  The completion of the Mishkan also represents the complete transformation of the Israelites, from Pharaoh's world to God's.

But the transformation is really only beginning.  When the Mishkan was completed,  God's presence immediately entered it.  Even before Aharon and his sons began their rituals for becoming priests and starting up the sacrifices, the "standard" way for summoning God's presence!  God couldn't wait for one thing to end, so that the relationship could begin.  The building project was just the start.

In many workplaces and towns, as we've been reading, it's budget time -- time to start thinking about next year.  In schools at this time of year, it feels like the end is in sight and soon we'll be winding down.  It's tempting for any of us to look out past Pesach and say -- June will be here soon, the world shifts into lower gear, put this year in the books.  Whatever got built up to now, it's finished.

No!  The year is just beginning.  Only two of the five books of the Torah are behind us.  If we've built something, in our lives or in our work -- now it's spring, time for new energy.  Now we're dressed for the march, now our designs are filled with God's presence.  Preparing for Pesach will keep us moving.  Not to tire us out, but to get us a running start for the warm and rich months ahead.

Two Items on Israel

Two announcements today from Israel.  One is the official announcement of "indirect" peace talks over the next four months between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.  It's hard to know what to make of this.  As President Obama said last week about health care reform, every idea there is about the issues between Israel and the Palestinians has been voiced, written, and negotiated about off an on.

Not having the sides together does not seem to be a recipe for success.  I continue to think that it's a good sign that Prime Minister Netanyahu, a cautious person and a sceptic, is in talks that he knows lead to an incredibly substantial withdrawal from the West Bank.  But then I continue to wonder why the Palestinian leadership can't find a way to say yes to those kinds of offers from Israel, why they insist on getting this and more without negotiating directly.  Maybe someone with experise can enlighten us?

The other matter relates to proposed changes in how conversions are (and are not) recognized by the State of Israel.  I'm forwarding a communication that came today from the Rabbinical Assembly, the organization of Conservative rabbis in North America and hope that you will consider copying the suggested letter and e-mailing it to the Prime Minister and to Michael Oren, Israel's ambassador to the United States:

Dear Colleagues,

We need your help on a matter of urgency concerning a bill that will come before the Knesset. We have received word from our colleagues in Israel that a bill may be put forward for passage as soon as tomorrow which affects conversion and we need as many of us and our congregants to forward the following letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu and to your Israeli Ambassador.

The bill sponsored by MK David Rotem of Yisrael Beitenu, deals with both the authority of the Chief Rabbinate and matters of Conversion. The Rotem Bill concerns three matters:

1.     It grants legal authority to the Chief Rabbinate for Conversions (while until now there was de facto recognition this gives legal recognition to the role of the Chief Rabbinate in this area) and would make it much more difficult for conversions to be performed by our Movement, by more “open-minded” Orthodox rabbis, and by Reform rabbis.

2.     It provides for the ability of local rabbis in Israel to establish conversion courts. This is a good part of the bill of which we are supportive because it will potentially permit the establishment of more forward looking conversion courts. However, the first part of the bill passes, the Chief Rabbinate may declare these courts null and void, which would obviate any cause for our support.

3.     Section 3 of this bill is highly problematic. Here is the summary of Section 3 by our colleague, Reuven Hammer:

 “Section 3 of the proposed conversion bill that we strongly oppose states that anyone that who entered Israel as a non-Jew and then converted to Judaism-either in Israel or the Diaspora would not be eligible for citizenship under the Law of Return. First of all this is exactly the case that we now have before the Supreme Court, asking that our conversions in Israel be recognized and citizenship rights granted to our converts. This is an attempt to go around the Supreme Court. Secondly, the wording is so vague that it could mean that if such a person had visited Israel at any time, no matter when, their conversion would not be recognized for citizenship in the future. Thirdly this would be the first time that Israel is officially making a distinction between one who is born a Jew and a righteous convert, something that we find deplorable and unsupportable in Jewish Law. Since our movement is the movement that is most involved in conversion in America and elsewhere, we and our congregants are the primary target of the bill. We urge everyone to make their protest known immediately to the Israeli government.”

WE STRONGLY URGE THAT YOU CALL UPON YOUR COMMUNITIES TONIGHT TO FORWARD THE FOLLOWING LETTER OR ITS EQUIVALENT TO THE PRIME MINISTER AND YOUR AMBASSADOR.

The Honorable Benjamin Netanyahu

Prime Minister of Israel
Office of the Prime Minister

Jerusalem, Israel

 

Dear Prime Minister Netanyahu,

 

We write to request your immediate intervention to prevent passage of the legislation being brought forward by MK David Rotem (‫הצעת חוק הרבנות הראשית תיקון- סמכות בעניני גיור)

Passage of this bill in its present form especially section 3, will have the effect of providing for a path to alter the Law of Return or, at the least, cause undue hardship to anyone in Israel who has come from Diaspora communities and seeks conversion in Israel .

Sadly, this is reminiscent of those attempts in 1997 to enact similar legislation which ultimately led to the establishment of the Ne'eman Commission.

While we are supportive of your efforts to create greater accessibility to conversion courts in  Israel  and have done all we can to aid in this effort, the overall impact of the Rotem Bill will set back these efforts. Moreover this legislation will adversely impact the work of our Masorti movement and its members in Israel . This we cannot abide.

Even more regrettably, should this bill be enacted, it will exacerbate a widening gap between Diaspora and Israel communities, which we are all working very hard to avoid. 

Therefore, we believe it is imperative that you,  Israel ’s leader, who cares so deeply about the well-being of our people, intervene and urge withdrawal of this bill. 

The email for Prime Minister Netanyahu is:

Prime.Minister'sOffice@it.pmo.gov.il

For Amb. Oren’s office:

info@washington.mfa.gov.il

For a list of other Ambassadors click here

If you should have any further questions please contact Stuart Weinblatt, our Israel Policy Chair.

Heschel This Week on Halacha and Aggada

Halacha (literally "walking") refers to Jewish law -- the rules.  Aggada (literally "telling", like the Pesach Haggada) refers to everything else in Judaism -- stories, theology, philosophy, all religious thinking.

Halakhah deals with details, with each commandment separately; agadah with the whole of life, with the totality of religious life.  Halakhah deals with the law; agadah with the meaning of the law.  Halakhah deals with subjects that can be expressed literally; agadah introduces us to a realm which lies beyond expression...Halakhah without agadah is dead; agadah without halakhah is wild.

The code of conduct is like the score to a musician.  Rules, principles, forms may be taught; insight, feeling, the sense of rhythm must come from within...[Yet] to reduce Judaism to inwardness, to agadah, is to blot out its light, to dissolve its essence and to destroy its reality.  Indeed, the surest way to forfeit agadah is to abolish halakhah.  They can survive only in symbiosis...It is impossible to decide in Judaism whether supremacy belongs to halakhah or to agadah, to the lawgiver or to the Psalmist.

Parashat Ki Tissa -- What Don't You Believe In?

Parashat Ki Tissa is about two profound spiritual crises.  To use a Talmudic phrase, shnayim she-hem echad -- two that are really one.

The more famous one is the Golden Calf.  When Moshe has been away on top of Mt. Sinai for forty days and forty nights, the people ask Aharon to make them "a god, who will go in front us" (Exodus 32:1).  Aharon obliges, creating this idol and proclaiming, "This is your God, Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt" (32:4) -- a direct echo of the opening of the Ten Commandments.

The most interesting interpretation is that the people thought the calf was a reasonable representation of their God, the very One whose miracles and words they had experienced.  Not another god, but the God encapsulated in a form.

The other crisis belongs to Moshe himself.  After pleading to God not to destroy the people, Moshe asks God, "Show me, please, Your Presence" (33:18).  The Hebrew word -- kevodecha, usually translated "Your glory" -- comes from the root kaved, which means something heavy, something with substance.  God's kavod is God's presence, God's present-ness here on earth.

So here they are, the people and Moshe, really asking for the same thing -- something they can see and perceive in a tangible, palpable way.  They are in the same boat.  The people, who experience God through miracles and Moshe's own reports.  And Moshe, who speaks with God "face to face, as a person speaks with his neighbor" (33:11).  Even that is not enough.

To the people, God says no.  You shall make no images of Me.  To Moshe, God says:  "A man cannot see My face and live" (33:20).  But also, "I will make all My goodness pass before You" (33:19).

What is the Torah trying to say here?  Even Moshe is not satisfied with words, teachings, ideas.  But the Torah says:  There is nothing a living person can see that would be any truer.

Often people say that they don't believe in God.  Usually, it's some particular image of God that they don't believe in.  I say image in the widest sense.  We've mostly been taught this image:  God is the Creator, Who made the universe and operates it, or chooses just to watch.  Who speaks or spoke specific words and commands.  Who possibly rewards and punishes.

The Torah itself gives us this image.  But here, the Torah has God say to Moshe that this picture is not God.  If you want to verify that God "looks like" the One who does all those things -- God will not oblige.  God has goodness, but even that does not fully define God.  God teaches, but even that does not fully define God.

Nothing fully defines God.  We sit, like Moshe, in a cleft of rock, seeing only glimpses of some part of God's reality through a covering.  Like the curtain over the aron kodesh.

Maimonides compares this to a fire.  We can't stare forever directly into a fire, nor can we see what the fire really is.  We can feel its heat and the effects of its energy.  So too with God.  We can perceive the effects of God's energy, though God's essence is obscure.

So like Moshe and the people, we reach for understanding.  We hopefully do it with humility.  Not seeing God means not tyrannizing or judging others who do not share a particular view of God.  Not seeing God means having something in common with others who seek, and with those who study God's teachings and God's goodness (and act on them!).  Don't let the God you don't believe in cut you off from God. 

Heschel This Week on Prayer and Living

Prayer must not be dissonant with the rest of living.  The mercifulness, the gentleness, which pervades us in moments of prayer is but a ruse or a bluff if it is inconsistent with the way we live at other moments. The divorce of liturgy and living, of prayer and practice, is more than a scandal; it is a disaster.  A word uttered in prayer is a promise, an earnest, a commitment.  If the promise is not kept, we are guilty of violating a promise.

A liturgical revival cannot come about in isolation.  Worship is the quintessence of living...Let the spirit of prayer dominate the world.  Let the spirit of prayer interfere in the affairs of man.  Prayer is private, a service of the heart; but let concern and compassion, born out of prayer, dominate public life.

-- "On Prayer" (1970)