Archive of Messages from Rabbi Rosenthal

The Current Month:

April 25: Parashat Shabbat Pesach

Dear Friends:

At our congregational Second Night Seder I pointed out that the Haggadah’s "Four Questions" are meant to be the beginning, and not the end, of the evening’s study and discussion. I asked each table to come up with one new question that could be asked at this year’s Seder.

All of the tables asked excellent questions, but the one that moved me the most was: "During all other Seders there have been special contemporary causes which have been highlighted, is there such an issue this year?" (No doubt those sitting at that table were thinking about the now gratefully unnecessary "fourth matza" that was added in identification with oppressed Soviet Jewry.)

I was able to respond immediately to the question. This year many Jews are using Passover to remember and pray for the three kidnapped Israeli soldiers: Gilad Shalit, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. These soldiers were captured in Israeli territory by Islamic terrorists in 2006 and are still in their hands.

Coincidentally, during Shabbat services last Friday night one of the daveners shared that his family was including a prayer for these three soldiers during their seder, and another said they were leaving an empty chair at the table in the soldiers’ honor. In Israel a special seder was held right before the holiday in front of the Prime Minister’s Residence in which friends of the soldiers prayed for them and urged that the government act to free them.

There has been a great deal of speculation about the health and well being of the three soldiers, and a great deal of effort has especially gone into freeing Gilad Shalit. So far, no deal has been worked out, even with Egypt acting as mediator. We are hopeful that progress may soon be made.

While the government of Israel is working to free them, we can help by keeping them in our prayers and in the mind of the American public. Every morning we say a prayer for the three soldiers during our daily minyan and during Shabbat morning services as well (this was my wife, Judy’s suggestion). I have included a copy of this prayer below. I urge you to include Gilad Shalit, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev in your own personal prayers as well.

May God who blessed our ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah, bless and save the kidnapped soldiers:

Ehud ben Malka Goldwasser

Eldad ben Tova Regev

Gilad ben Aviva Shalit.

May the Holy One guard and protect them, deliver them from distress to comfort, from darkness to light, and speedily return them in peace to their families and their people. Amen.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach,

Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal

April 18: Shabbat Shalom! Parashat Acharei Mot - Shabbat HaGadol

Dear Friends:

On Thursday evening I led a class in which I offered various suggestions to enliven Passover Sedarim. In discussing the Four Children I asked how parents might respond to the refusal of the Rasha, the wicked or rebellious child (depending upon one's translation!), to participate in the Passover Seder.

One of the young participants said: "If the entire point of this holiday is freedom, how can you justify making someone who doesn't want to be at a Seder be there? Shouldn't he be free to make his own decisions?" It seems to me that he had asked an excellent question!

My immediate response was: "You have to stay here because I'm the parent and you're the child and I said so!" Fortunately, there were many more thoughtful and compelling responses. One of the best was: freedom does mean doing whatever one chooses without limitations, borders, or repercussions. Freedom, for example, does not mean that one can cry "fire" in a crowded theater or help one's self to a neighbor's belongings. Both of these actions impinge on the freedom and rights of others. Someone else pointed out that freedom without responsibility leads to anarchy and chaos.

It is important to note that the Israelites first major stop in the desert on the way to Eretz Yisrael was at Mt. Sinai. At Mt. Sinai Israel received the Torah which contains God's rules for our daily lives. When the Israelites left Egypt they were free from Egyptian tyranny but they were not free to act in any way they chose. In the Torah God set limits on their behavior so that they would become a holy people.

One class member said they would say to the rebellious child who did not want to remain at the Seder that they needed to remain nonetheless. Ultimately the child might choose to reject Judaism, the Jewish community, and Jewish life. However, before they did so they needed to know what it was all about, what they were rejecting, and perhaps through their participation and study they may change their mind and reassert their commitment to Judaism and the Jewish People.

Judy and I wish all of you a Chag Sameach v'Kasher, a Happy and Kosher Pesach.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal

April 11: Shabbat Shalom! Parashat Metzora-Biur Chametz

Dear Friends:

At Minyan services this week Sol Minsberg suggested that we all hold garage sales before Pesach.

He explained that on the day before Pesach (on Thursday night this year, because of Shabbat) we are supposed to go through our homes and rid ourselves of chametz (leavened or fermented grain products). This is in fulfillment of the Torah commandment: "Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread; on the very first day you shall remove leaven from your houses, for whoever eats leavened bread from the first day to the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel." (Ex. 12:15) On the day before Pesach we give away our chametz, throw it out, and sell it to a non-Jews. During the holiday we only matza and foods which are Kosher L'Pesach.

Don Isaac Abarbanel (15th century Spain and Italy) wrote: "the obsessive search and destruction of chametz from our homes has spiritual as well as ritual overtones. Yeast came to symbolize arrogance because the bread raised itself above the level of matza though it was only filled with pockets of hot air. Yeast is also a catalyst that symbolizes the restless force of the evil inclination (yetzer ha-ra). Just as yeast causes fermentation in bread and wine, it also turns them sour when not controlled. Similarly, the instinctual forces, desire and ambition, can contribute to progress but also to discontent and corruption. On Pesach, which celebrates the rejection of Egyptian civilization and a new pristine beginning of Jewish freedom, the matza is more appropriate fare than bread." (Translation: A Different Night Haggadah, p. 15)

Sol suggested that just as we remove all chametz from our homes before Pesach so should we remove all arrogance, hostility, and discontent from our lives before the holiday. One can only appreciate physical freedom if one's heart and soul are also clean of negativity, envy, prejudice, and hatred.

In other words, the week before Pesach we should hold spiritual garage sales and rid the "garbage" from our lives! Better, yet, let's just throw it away and make sure it does not creep back.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal

April 4th: Shabbat Shalom! Parashat Tazria-HaChodesh

Dear Friends:

At one time, the dinner table was held sacred by most families. It was the one place that all family members gathered during the day. They joined not only to eat, but also to share conversation about their lives and debate the events of the day. No matter what family members did before or after, they were sure to come together for the evening meal.

Today it is common for many families never to eat together. Their schedules are so busy that kids often eat before their parents or everyone eats on their own, often sandwich in hand in front of the television. We are always in a rush and do not have time for such civilities as shared meals and dinner time conversation.

When the Israelites were leaving Egypt they were given strict instructions on how to consume the Pesach lamb they had just slaughtered: "This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly..." (Ex. 12:11) The Israelites had to eat quickly because God was taking them out of Egypt that night. They had no time to spare as they gathered their meager belongings and prepared to flee from slavery to freedom.

Our Passover sedarim are pointedly the opposite. We are not fleeing from Pharaoh but celebrating our freedom. We recline on pillows and leisurely eat a multi course meal. No one is forcing us to go out and labor and we are not escaping from a despot. We have the time and luxury to enjoy our meal, our conversation, our family, and our friends.

In the Passover Haggadah we read: "Now many are still enslaved. Next year may all be free!" Slavery is not only physical, it can be spiritual as well. Being in a rush all the time because we are over-committed is also a form of slavery. We are allowing something external to have ultimate claim to our lives. Not being able to share dinner because everyone is always in a hurry is indicative of one living life of servitude rather than freedom.

Passover holds many powerful lessons for us. One of them is that we must free our souls, as well as our bodies of all that diminishes us as human beings. We must always retain first claim on our time and use it for those things we hold of value, rather than squander it on something else.

May the upcoming Passover holiday remind all of us to break the bonds of whatever still enslaves us, so that next year we may truly be free.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal

Parshot for February and March 2008
Parashot for January 2008
Parashot for December 2007
Parashot for October and November 2007

High Holy Day Sermons, 5768:

Erev Rosh Hashana: Going Green • Rosh Hashana First Day: Israel • Kol Nidre: Religion and Politics • Yom Kippur: Posterity