Tifereth Israel Synagogue
6660 Cowles Mountain Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92119
(619) 697-6001 | tifereth@tiferethisrael.com
Archive of Messages from Rabbi Rosenthal
High Holy Day Sermons, 5769:
Erev Rosh Hashana - Praised be the True Judge
First Day Rosh Hashana - Struggling With God
Kol Nidre - A Season of Change
Yom Kippur - Choose Life!
June 19, 2009 Shabbat Shalom! Parashat Shelach Lecha
A Journey of Ascents
Dear Friends:
I had planned to write about the Jewish Theological Seminary's conference about the "Mitzvah Initiative" that I attended this week, but since we are leaving for Israel on Tuesday I will leave that for a future date.
This week's parasha, Shelach Lecha, helps set the stage for our congregational tour which has twenty-nine participants! In 
Shelach Lecha Moses sends out twelve scouts to tour Eretz Yisrael in preparation for the Israelite conquest. All of the scouts agree that Israel is an eretz zevat chalav 
u'dvash, a land flowing with milk and honey, but ten of the scouts say the land is unconquerable. Only two of the scouts, Joshua and Caleb, have sufficient faith in God to affirm, "Let us by all means go up, and we shall gain possession of it, for we shall surely overcome it." (Nub. 13:30)
When the Torah speaks of the spies entering Eretz Yisrael it does not use the word "travel" or "walk" but instead verb oleh, which means to "go up." It is the same word we use when we call someone to the Torah; we say they have an aliyah, literally, a "going up."
Although we use the same word, aliyah, to refer immigration to Israel, as our Torah commentary Etz Chaim points out: "No matter where one comes from, going to Israel is referred to as aliyah, 'going up.'" In reference to the scouts Etz Chaim adds: "They went up-not only geographically but to a higher spiritual level."
As we tour Israel this summer I am confident that all of our travelers will share similar spiritual journeys. It is only after experiencing Israel in person that one understands its unique place in the history, psyche, and heart of the Jewish People.
As the poet Yitzhak Yasinowitz expressed it in his poem "To Jerusalem":
I look forward to sharing our travels with you over the next two weeks. We will bring your prayers of blessing, prosperity, and peace with us.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal
Tifereth Israel Synagogue
San Diego, CA
June 12, 2009 Shabbat Shalom! Parashat Naso
Lighting up your Life
Dear Friends:
After God tells Moshe to tell Aaron how to set up the seven branched Menorah (Lampstand) in the Mishkan, the Torah continues:
"Aaron did so; he mounted the lamps at the front of the Lampstand, as the LORD had commanded Moses."
The medieval commentator Rashi explains that with these words the Torah commends Aaron for doing exactly as God had instructed.
Rabbi Mordechai Katz was puzzled by Rashi's comment. Why would the Torah praise Aaron for doing exactly as God had commanded? Aaron was the Kohen Gadol and a God-fearing Jew. Who would have expected him to do anything else?!
Rabbi Katz explains that when human beings begin long, difficult, and challenging tasks they often do so with excitement, enthusiasm, and fervor. However, as time goes on, people get tired or bored and their enthusiasm and commitment waiver.
What at first was a delight may become a burden.
Aaron, the High Priest, was different. Even though the Menorah had to be lit each evening at exactly the same time and in exactly the same way, Aaron was never bored. His devotion never wavered. He approached this mitzvah each day as if it were something completely new, novel, and exciting. When Aaron lit the Menorah he was filled with joy, reverence, and the love of God.
From our own experiences we understand the truth of Rabbi Katz's words. It is very difficult to retain our enthusiasm for something we do all of the time. There is even a phrase that has been coined for people who get tired of doing their jobs or tasks. We say they are "burned out." They not only cannot sustain the initial excitement and enthusiasm they once had, but over time they become bored and frustrated.
We all know many Jews who have become "burned out" on Judaism. They think that Judaism is just one big drag. They don't see the need to study Torah and Mitzvot. Because they do not understand Judaism as serving a higher spiritual and human purpose, they find it dull, superficial, and redundant.
But if we see what we study and practice as serving a highe
r purpose, as serving God and humanity, we can approach our tradition with wonder and excitement each day. When we do a Mitzvah we not only walk in God's ways but help God bring about Tikun Ha-Olam, the perfection of the world. When we study Torah, we bring heaven closer to earth. We keep not only Judaism but our daily lives fresh when we understand that everything we do has eternal significance.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal
Tifereth Israel Synagogue
San Diego, CA
rabbi@tiferethisrael.com
June 5, 2009 Shabbat Shalom! Parashat Naso
Peace Begins at Home
Dear Friends:
Parashat Naso contains one of the most beautiful blessings in the Torah: Birkat Kohanim:
"May Adonai bless you and protect you!
May Adonai deal kindly and graciously with you!
May Adonai bestow favor upon you and grant you peace!"
This three-fold blessing is used on many special occasions, but never more often than on Fridays evenings when parents bless their children before Kiddush.
Midrash Rabbah on the book of Numbers says that the last verse of the blessing, the blessing of peace, is a three-fold blessing in and of itself: "Peace when you enter, peace when you depart, peace with every human being." (Midrash Rabbah Chapter 11).
The Ketav Sofer (Rabbi Abraham Samuel Benjamin Sofer, 1815-1871) wrote that it is possible to understand Midrash Rabbah in light of the Talmud. The Talmud says there are three types of peace: "The one who dreams of a dish sees peace. The one who dreams of a river sees peace. The one who dreams of a bird sees peace." (T.B. Berachot, Perek Haroeh)
The Talmud tells us that there are three types of pea
ce: household peace, national peace, and international peace.
The dish is a symbol of household peace because everyone in the home serves themselves from the same dish. The river is a symbol of national peace because rivers travel through countries but not the entire world. A bird, however, can fly all over the world and therefore symbolizes international peace.
Midrash Rabbah alludes to these three types of peace: "Peace when you enter" - this is household peace. "Peace when you depart" - this is national peace. "Peace with every human being" - this is international peace.
I would like to add an additional lesson that we can learn from our sages: peace is not only a goal but a process. When we strive for peace the place to begin is in our homes and then our country. Only after we accomplish these goals should we turn our attention to the rest of the world.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal
Tifereth Israel Synagogue
San Diego, CA
rabbi@tiferethisrael.com
May 22, 2009 Shabbat Shalom! Parashat Bamidbar
Friday Night's Really Big Shewbread
Dear Friends:
During morning minyan Sol Minsberg said to me, "Just think how organized those Israelites had to be! Can you imagine how difficult coordinating over 600,000 people must have been?"
Sol was referring to Thursday morning's Torah reading. The book of Bamidbar (Numbers) begins with a census of the Israelites and then goes on to elaborately describe the logistics of their encampment in the Sinai dessert. The parasha also depicts how they broke camp and the assignments of Kohanim and Levi'im in transporting the Mishkan and its sacred objects and furnishings.
Although not completely analogous, one sees a similar type of ritual geography and choreography whe
n we remove and return the Torah to the Ark. Everyone on the Bimah and in the congregation knows exactly what to do as the Ark doors open, the Torah is removed, and presented before and paraded through the congregation. (I have strong memories of how jolted we were when, during a Bar Mitzvah, family members came up to open the Ark only to discover it was still locked!)
I remarked to Sol that it is a good thing that the Israelites were better organized and unified than the Jewish community today! If the Israelites had been as disjointed and polarized as Jews today, we would still be wandering in the desert!
Many people have suggested that the economic downturn may provide blessings as well as curses for businesses and institutions. The challenge may compel them to review their missions and goals, and become more responsible, responsive, and accountable.
Perhaps the challenge of fewer donations and less capital will also inspire Jewish institutions to do the same. Perhaps we will be inspired and motivated to eliminate some of the duplications of services that exist and to work more cooperatively with each other.
By working together our Israelite ancestors were able to withstand the challenges of their forty year desert sojourn. By working together today, not only will the Jewish community survive these difficult times, but benefit from them.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal
Tifereth Israel Synagogue
San Diego, CA
rabbi@tiferethisrael.com
May 15, 2009 Shabbat Shalom! Parashat Behar-Bechukotai
What Does Judaism Say About Slavery?
Dear Friends:
Although ongoing adult learning is incumbent upon all Jews, in 
today's society long working hours makes it difficult to find time to study. For this reason I am considering teaching a midweek off-site monthly class as part of our Rabbi Aaron S. Gold Adult Education Institute.
To help me better plan for this class I am asking anyone who is interested to take a survey to help me clarify the best time, location, and subject matter for the class. The survey is for data gathering purposes only. Responding does not obligate you to attend the class.
If you would like to take the survey now, please click here.
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During Thursday's morning minyan Norm K
atz commented that some of this week's Torah portion, Behar-Bechukotai, made him very uncomfortable. This week's Torah portion discusses and sanctions the institution of slavery. While an Eved Ivri, an Israelite slave was more an indentured servant than the chattel of his master and had to be freed after working for a specified number of years, non-Israelite slaves were the property of their owners in perpetuity.
In our time slavery is considered an unspeakable evil and we may well be horrified by the Torah's sanctioning of it. However, we must remember that while the Torah is divinely inspired, its composition is human and reflects the mores of its time. In the days the Torah was written slavery was considered not only lawful, but moral. However, that was well over 2,000 years ago. Our thoughts about slavery have changed since than.
When reflecting on Judaism's attitude towards slavery we would do well to keep in mind that in 1776 Thomas Jefferson wrote in the United States Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."
Yet despite these words, slavery was permitted in the new American nation and Jefferson himself owned slaves. Slavery was only abolished in 1865 with the adoption of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. constitution. Slavery was still legal in the United States less than 150 years ago. We have all grown since then.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal
Tifereth Israel Synagogue
San Diego, CA
rabbi@tiferethisrael.com
May 8, 2009 Shabbat Shalom! Parashat Emor
Friday Night's Really Big Shewbread
Dear Friends:
On Shabbat it is customary to say motzi over two challot. Several reasons have been given for this practice. Some say it is in remembrance of the double portion of manna that God gave the Israelites every Friday so that they would not have to gather food on Shabbat. Others suggest that each challah corresponds to one of the two verbs used to describe our obligations toward Shabbat in the Ten Commandments as found in their two different iterations in the Torah. In Exodus 20:8 the Torah says "Remember (zachor) the Sabbath day and keep it holy and in Deuteronomy 5:13 we read: "Observe (shamor) the Sabbath day and keep it holy."
Some moderns suggest that the reason we have two loaves of challah on Shabbat is because we eat a large meal which requires a lot of bread!
It is the custom of some Chassidic families to begin their Shabbat meals with twelve loaves of bread. Although one might be tempted to think it is because they usually have large numbers of children, their tradition goes directly back to the Torah's description of the offerings placed in the Mishkan (traveling Tent of worship) and Jerusalem Temple every Shabbat.
"You shall take choice flour and bake of it twelve loaves...Place them on the pure table before the Lord in two rows, six to a row... He shall arrange them before the Lord regularly every Sabbath day... They shall belong to Aaron and his sons, who shall eat them in the sacred precinct...." (Lev. 24:5-9)
In some older translations this offering was called "shewbread" which is one way to translate the Hebrew lechem hapanim, literally "the bread of the face." Some translators suggest that it is better called "the bread of the presence" since it was to be constantly in God's presence.
The twelve loaves of the lechem hapanim were displayed in two rows on top of a special table fashioned exclusively for their display in the Mishkan and Temple. The loaves were unleavened, like matza, and frankincense was poured on them. They would be left on the table for the entire week and replaced with fresh loaves on Shabbat. The Kohanim (Priests) ate the older loaves in a "holy place."
In Leviticus these loaves are called challot. Today we use the word challah to specify the especially fine and braided loaves of egg bread we eat on Shabbat and holidays.
Every Friday morning the deliciou
s aroma of freshly baked challah fills our Silverman Preschool office. They are delivered in the early morning by The Place, San Diego's only Kosher market and restaurant. Preschool parents and synagogue members who have placed orders in advance pick them up for their Shabbat table. I am pleased to see that so many of our families honor Shabbat in this way. Saying motzi over fresh challah every Friday night is an easy way to introduce Shabbat customs and observance into one's life.
Some may think that the custom of lechem mishne, two loaves of Shabbat challah, is extravagant and potentially wasteful since many families will not be able to finish both loaves.
However, I have it on excellent authority that not only do the leftovers freeze well, they also make excellent french toast!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal
Tifereth Israel Synagogue
San Diego CA
rabbi@tiferethisrael.com
May 1, 2009 Shabbat Shalom! Parashat Acharei Mot - Kedoshim
The Righteous of all Nations
Dear Friends:
On Wednesday afternoon I had my annual visit from students studying at Christian High School in El Cajon. I gave them a tour of our sanctuary, showed them the Torah, explained our rituals, and answered their questions.
One of the most difficult things for these students to grasp is that Judaism does not have a definitive view on the afterlife. There is, however, is a definite view on hell. Jews do not believe in eternal damnation. Some sources suggest that there is a purgatory where people suffer after death to make up for their sins, with rare exception, they go to heaven after no more than one year. But when it comes to heaven and questions about the afterlife in general, there are many theories that Jews can accept or reject.
When the students asked me what I thought would happ
en to me after I died I replied that I did not know and it did not concern me. My concern was this world. I would leave it to God to take care of anything that comes afterwards.
"Then why," they pressed me, "should you observe all of the commandments in the Torah if you will not be rewarded?"
"I follow the Torah," I replied, "because it reflects the will of God and following God's will is reward enough for me. Furthermore, following the Torah helps me become not only a godlier, but a better human being."
I was glad when the class' teacher added that Christians believe the same. Christians should also walk in God's footsteps to bring themselves closer to God and closer to humanity rather than to earn a place in heaven.
One of the sharpest divisions between Judaism and Christianity, however, is the question of salvation. Whereas these Evangelical Christian students believe that only people who believe that Jesus died for their sins will get into heaven, Judaism believes that "the righteous of all nations have a share in the world to come." We do not believe that one has to be Jewish to be acceptable to God. We instead believe that one has to act in a Godly manner to please God.
This open and pluralistic understanding of Judaism's acceptance of others is not a function of modernity, but rather can be found far back in Jewish tradition.
In Parashat Acharei Mot God told the Israelites: "You shall keep My laws and My rules, by the pursuit of which man shall life: I am the Lord." (Lev. 18:5)
Rabbi Meir said: "How do we know that a 
non-Jew who studies Torah is deemed of equal status to the Kohen Gadol (High Priest)? Because the Torah says: 'You shall keep My laws and My rules, by the pursuit of which man shall live...' The Torah does not specify Kohanim, Levi'im (Levites) and Yisraelim (other Israelites) but rather it says "man." From this we learn that a non-Jew who studies Torah is deemed of equal status to the High Priest."
Thus we see that even the sages of Israel were more concerned with non-Jews following God's laws and rules rather than with their ethnic origins or personal beliefs. As long as non-Jews act in open, loving, tolerant, and generous ways, we believe they are doing God's will.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal
Tifereth Israel Synagogue
San Diego, CA
rabbi@tiferethisrael.com
April 24, 2009 Shabbat Shalom! Parashat Tazria-Metzora
When Help is Needed
Dear Friends:
Rabbi Mordechai of Pitatshuv was a student of the renown Seer of Lublin (Rabbi Yakov Yitzchak of Lublin, 1745-July 15, 1815). Rabbi Mordechai was very poor. He had three daughters who had not married because he could not provide their dowries or their weddings.
Every few weeks Rabbi Mordechai would travel to Lublin to see his mentor, the holy Seer. Every time he left home his wife urged him to tell the great tzaddik about their problems and ask for his blessing and advice. However, as soon as Rabbi Mordechai entered the Seer's presence he would forget about his material needs and never asked for the rabbi's help.
After several years his wife grew frustrated and decided that she, too, would travel to Lublin. She did not tell her husband that she was going and arrived before he did. When Rabbi Mordechai saw his wife standing in the Seer's home he immediately knew why she had come. He told his Rebbe about his family's financial straits.
The Seer was surprised. "Why have you waited until now to tell me?" he asked.
Rabbi Mordechai answered: "I didn't say anything because I thought that you, who is such a great rabbi, would know about my situation through ruach hakodesh (Divine inspiration)."
"No,"replied the Seer. "Let's study what the Torah says about personal (spiritual) afflictions (Heb: negah): 'When a person has on the skin of his body a swelling...and it develops into a scaly affliction (negah) on the skin...it shall be reported to Aaron the priest....' (Lev. 13:2-3) What this means is that when a person has a spiritual affliction (negah) he comes before the priest, and the priest on his own is able to see the problem. The sufferer does not have to say a word.
"However, about scaly afflictions (negah) found in his home the Torah says: 'the owner of the house shall come and tell the priest, saying, "Something like a plague has appeared on my house."' (Lev. 14:35) That is, when it comes to material afflictions or needs the priest cannot recognize them on his own, but needs to be informed by the bearer. You should have told me what you needed and not made me guess!"
We are living through difficult times. Synagogue boards knows that many members who were once financially secure now worry about their future. They also know that full synagogue dues are beyond the capacity of some. However, congregational officers are not blessed with ruach hakodesh and are unable to guess who is especially afflicted by the downturn.
If you need help in meeting your congregational obligations, please come forward and inform the appropriate officers. Don't just abandon the congregation. Just as synagogues expect their members to take care of its institutional needs, so do synagogues need to take of their members, especially in challenging times.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal
Tifereth Israel Synagogue
San Diego, CA
rabbi@tiferethisrael.com
April 17, 2009 Shabbat Shalom! Parashat Shemini
Tears in Heaven
Dear Friends:
We have all heard the expression: "You are what you eat." Many people like to apply it to the prohibition of Jews eating pork: if you eat a pig, you will act like a pig! But what, exactly, is "acting like a pig?"
People usually think of pigs as being big, sloppy, ill mannered
creatures who roll in the mud and snort all day. In reality, pigs are highly intelligent and social creatures. Being told that one is acting like a pig may be more of a compliment than an insult!
Jewish tradition, however, has a different view of piggish behavior. Rabbis see the pig not as a model of slovenliness but rather selfishness. When one is greedy, miserly, or selfish, one is acting like a pig. How do the rabbis arrive at this conclusion? From the Torah's evaluation of the pig meeting the two necessary characteristics of Kosher animals. To be Kosher an animal mus
t have split hooves and chew its cud. This is why cows are Kosher animals. However, the lack of either or both of these characteristics renders an animal treif. What does the Torah say about the pig? Since the pig has split hooves but does not chew its cud it is not Kosher.
Rabbi Emanuel of Rome explains why the pig is the paradigm of selfishness: "A miser is comparable to a pig. How so? While the pig can walk on its hooves it does not give out a geirah to tzedakah (the Hebrew word geirah can either mean cud or a certain type of coin). So, too, a miser goes his own self-centered way without paying attention to those in need.
Rabbi Meir of Kosov once traveled to Kolmai to visit his uncle who was very wealthy and very miserly. Rabbi Meir's uncle was knowledgeable and scholarly. He sat and studied Torah all day, yet refused every opportunity to give tzedakah.
Rabbi Meir said to him: "Since you are so knowledgeable I would like to teach you some Talmud. The Talmud says that God weeps daily for one who cannot afford to study Torah but does so anyway, as well as for the one who can afford to study Torah but does not. (T.B. Chagigah 5b)
"The following question was raised about this passage: it is clear why God cries about the person who is able to study Torah and does not, but why would God cry about the person who is not able to study Torah and does? Shouldn't God rejoice at such dedication?
"Of course God does, so this is what the Talmud really means: when it describes the person who is not afford to study Torah but does it is referring to a wealthy person who is not able to study Torah because he spends all of his time making and hoarding money rather than using some of his time to distribute tzedakah to the poor. When this kind of person does manage to find some time to
study, it is not for the purpose of studying Torah for its own sake, but rather as an excuse for not giving tzedakah and performing good deeds. This is the kind of person over whom God weeps."
While the story does not say, we can assume that his uncle understood Rabbi Meir and changed his behavior.
This story reminds me of another passage from the Talmud in which the rabbis were arguing about which was more important: the study of Torah or the performance of good deeds? They concluded that Torah study is more important, but only because it will lead to the doing of good deeds.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal
Tifereth Israel Synagogue
San Diego CA
rabbi@tiferethisrael.com
April 3, 2009 Shabbat Shalom! Parashat Tzav-Shabbat HaGadol
Here Comes the Sun
Dear Friends:
As has been well documented and often observed, I am not a morning person. This coming Wednesday, however, I have no choice but to greet the dawning of the new day with eager anticipation. In addition to being Erev Pesach, the morning of the Passover Seder, it is also the day upon which the sun is in exactly the same position it was when God created the world.
How do we know? We have to trust an extremely complicated mathematical formula that was developed by the Rabbis around 2,000 years ago. According to rabbinic calculation, on Wednesday we complete the 206th twenty-eight year solar cycle since creation and begin the 207th. This momentous event calls for...not a celebration...but, a bracha, a blessing. The ritual is called Birkat HaChamah, the "blessing of the sun."
On Wednesday morning we are supposed to wake up early and greet th
e rising sun with the words: "Praised are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe who makes the Act of Creation." Fortunately for me, if one is "detained," one has until noon to say the bracha. Here at the synagogue we will gather outside the Goodman Chapel at 7:30 a.m., right before morning minyan, to pronounce the bracha. You are invited to join us.
If one reads the bracha above carefully one notes that the blessing does not thank God who made (past tense) the Act of Creation, but rather who makes (present tense) the Act of Creation. Similarly, in the weekday morning service we pray to God: "In your goodness, day after day You renew creation."
Jews do not believe that creation was a one time unchanging event, but is an ongoing process. As Rabbi Reuven Hammer writes in "Or Hadash," the commentary on the daily siddur: "...this affirms that creation is ongoing. The universe evolves and it is the power of God that sustains and renews it daily." (Or Hadash, p. 30)
We do not live in a static world. Every day brings biological evolution and g
eological change. God did not create the world and walk away. God breathes new life into it each day. Being mindful of this should not only help us become more grateful for all the blessings we enjoy, but of our responsibility to sustain and enhance the world that God created as well.
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach,
Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal
Tifereth Israel Synagogue
San Diego, CA
rabbi@tiferethisrael.com
March 27, 2009: Shabbat Shalom! Parashat Vayikra
Hearing Voices
Dear Friends:
The Talmud teaches that, after the destruction of the Temple, revelation was taken from the prophets and given to children and fools. Jews do not believe that God talks directly to any human being. If Jews want to know what God "thinks" about any given subject today, we turn to our holy books and religious authorities for answers.
In the Torah, however, several conversations between God and human beings are recorded. For example, the Torah says that when Moses entered the Mishkan: "The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one man speaks to another...." (Ex. 33:11)
This verse raises at least two difficulties. First, if God spoke to Moses "as one man speaks to another," why didn't the Israelites also hear what God was saying? Why did they need Moses to pass God's word onto them? Second, how is it possible for God to "speak" to Moses when speaking is a human activity? Isn't the Torah anthropomorphizing God?
There are those commentators who answer the first question by claiming that, while Moses clearly heard God's vo
ice inside the Mishkan, the sound did not extend beyond its borders. That's why the Israelites couldn't eavesdrop! However, one commentator basing himself on Rashi solves both problems in one fell swoop: "God's voice would be heard by Moses but the Israelites would not hear (Rashi) because the voice came to him in the "world of thought" and not through vocalized speech." (Beshem Amru, Vayikra, p.1) In other words, Moses did not hear God "as one man speaks to another" but in his own mind. Moses perceived God's voice. He did not actually hear it.
But the solution to one problem raises another: If Moses only heard God in his head, did Moses really hear God or was the divine voice in his head a figment of his imagination? For that matter, how is anyone to judge whether people who say that God speaks to them are especially receptive to revelation or emotionally disturbed?
It is because it is impossible to distinguish between genuine revelation and hallucination that our tradition teaches that God needed a more effective way to communicate with humans than to communicate directly with them. Jews do not rely on heavenly voices, but rather seek God's will in the Torah and the process of interpretation which informs it.
Is it a perfect system in which it is always clear what God wants us to do? No, but it is preferable to having to decide whether someone who speaks in God's name is a true or false prophet.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal
Tifereth Israel Synagogue
San Diego CA
rabbi@tiferethisrael.com
March 20, 2009: Shabbat Shalom! Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei-HaChodesh
Some Timely Advice
Dear Friends:
Pesach is celebrated in the month of Nisan, which begins on Thursday. While it is customary to announce the upcoming Rosh Chosdesh (new month) in the synagogue on the preceding Shabbat, the month of Nisan receives special acknowledgment. On the 
Shabbat before Nisan we read a special maftir which contains the instructions to the Israelites to select their lamb for the Passover offering on the tenth of the month and protect it from harm until it is offered at the beginning of the festival on the evening of fourteenth of the month.
Our maftir begins: "The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: This month shall mark for you the beginning of the months; it shall be the first of the months of the year for you." (Ex. 12
:1-2) As I have noted before, the Biblical calendaring system is different from the Jewish calendar we use today, which was adopted in Babylonia. The Biblical calendar year begins in the spring (with Pesach) while our current Jewish calendar year begins in the fall (with Rosh Hashana.) That is one reason why the Torah says: "This month [the month of Passover] shall mark for you the beginning of the months."
The comment
ators Bekhor Shor and Sforno, however, suggest that we understand this verse not as referring to our place in time but to our spiritual existence. Up until the exodus the Israelites' lives were not their own, but subject to the needs and whims of their taskmasters. When God took them out of Egypt, the month of Nisan marked for them the beginning of their freedom (Bekhor Shor). Sforno adds: "While you were enslaved your days were not your own; now the months shall be 'for you.'
A very common complaint I hear today is that people feel that their "time is not their own." They have so many commitments and obligations that they feel torn apart, frustrated, and exhausted. It is if someone else owns their lives.
The Torah reminds us that we can only be free when we control our time rather than time controlling us. That is one reason that Shabbat is not only an important day. It is the one day of the week when we do not permit ourselves the luxury of turning away from those things which control our lives, and allow ourselves the time to rest, relax, study, feast, and enjoy the company of those we love.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal
Tifereth Israel Synagogue
San Diego, CA
rabbi@tiferethisrael.com
March 12, 2009: Shabbat Shalom! Parashat Ki Tisa-Parah
The Red Heifer
Dear Friends:
Not long after our hearing has returned to normal (having survived the din of Purim!) do our thoughts turn to the upcoming festival of Pesach. This Shabbat we read parashat Parah, the rite of the Red Heifer, as the maftir portion of the weekly reading Ki Tisa.
When the Temple was in existence, the Red Heifer, a cow with perfectly non-blemished red hair, was sacrificed and used in purification rites. If someone became ritually impure through contact with a dead body, the ashes of the Red Heifer mixed in water was sprinkled over them as part of the purification process. We read of the rite before the month of Nisan to remind us that only the ritually pure could eat the special Passover offering during the holiday.
After the destruction of the Temple the rite of the Red Heifer halted. Not only did all animal sacrifices cease but so did the practical applications of most laws of tumah and tahara, ritual impurity and purity. For example, since the Passover lamb was not longer slaughtered and consumed, there was no need for ritual purification before Pesach.
Some of the laws of tumah and tahara not connected to the sacrificial system are still observed (at least by some Jews!). One example is a Cohen being forbidden to come in contact with the dead and therefore is prohibited from visiting cemeteries (with some exceptions). Another example is a woman being in a state of ritual impurity during her monthly period and after giving birth. She becomes ritually pure again, and thus permitted to resume sexual relations with her husband, only after visiting a mikva (ritual bath).
The categories of tumah and tahara are very difficult 
for moderns to understand. They have nothing to do with "dirty" and "clean" but rather with states of physicality which are acceptable and not acceptable to God. In broad strokes, contact with those things which have to do with death (i.e., dead bodies, menstrual blood, venereal emissions, certain molds, rot and spoilage) make one ritually impure. One becomes ritually pure again by going through certain cleansing rites, primary of which is immersion in a mikva.
Even those Jews who do not follow the laws of tumah and tahara today do so at least one time a year: at their Passover sedarim. Jews are supposed to dine in a state of at least symbolic
ritual purity. Thus, traditional Jews ritually wash their hands before eating bread and say the blessing: "Praised are You Adonai our God, Sovereign of the Universe, who shows us the way of holiness through mitzvot, and commands us to wash (literally: "raise up") our hands. You may have noticed or participated in this ritual before communal meals at the synagogue where we customarily set up "hand washing stations." At the Passover seder we all (not just the leader!) wash our hands twice: without the above blessing before we eat the karpas (the green vegetable) and with the blessing before we eat the matza.
Admittedly, the laws of tumah and tahara are foreign to most Jews today. However, as with all mitzvot, what is not meaningful today may become central to one's life tomorrow. For example, in the synagogue I see more and more people lining up to ritually wash their hands before saying motzi at communal meals. I will even go so far as to predict that once San Diego's communal mikva is built, traditional and liberal Jews may find new relevancy in the traditions of taharat hamishpacha, family purity.
Today, reading about the Red Heifer reminds us that Passover is fast approaching (as if we didn't know!), but it also reminds us that not all Jewish rituals have rationales which we understand.
Nevertheless, that should not stop us from incorporating them into our lives and finding new ways for them to speak to us.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal
Tifereth Israel Synagogue
San Diego CA 92119
rabbi@tiferethisrael.com
March 6, 2009: Shabbat Shalom! Parashat Vatezaveh-Shabbat Zachor
Bad Things do Happen to Good People
Dear Friends:
For several weeks my Basic Judaism students have been involved in heated theological discussions about the existence of God and the nature of evil. The basic problem: if God is all good and all powerful, then why does evil exist? Or, as Rabbi Harold Kushner asked in his well known book on the subject: "Why do Bad Things Happen to Good People?"
One response that I unequivocally reject is that the pain and suffering that people
experience in life is punishment from God for their bad behavior. This is the theology of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel and the current spiritual leader of the Shas party. Rabbi Yosef once announced on Israel radio that the Shoah (Holocaust) was God's punishment for the sins of the secularized Jews of Europe.
Although condemned by many other rabbis, including Orthodox rabbis, Rabbi Yosef was not innovating, but rather reiterating a well established Jewish approach to evil: bad things happen to good people to punish them for their sins.
Many years before the Shoah the Ketav Sofer (Abraham Samuel Benjamin Schreiber of Pressburg, 1815-1879) gave the same response in commenting on this week's special maftir, Zachor. On the Shabbat before Purim we read the Torah's account of the tribe of Amalek's attack on the Israelites in the desert. Amalek attacked Israel from the rear, assaulting the weakest and weariest members of the people first. Haman is a descendant of Amalek, and his death is seen by our tradition as retribution for the vicious attack of his ancestors, as well as his own misdeeds.
The Ketav Sofer asks the theological question, which he says is well known: "Why were Pharaoh, Amalek, Haman, etc., punished? How could they be held responsible for their actions? Weren't they all agents of God sent to punish the Israelites for their transgressions?"
His answer? Although they were agents of God, they were motivated by their own desire to attack Jews. Here is how he parses Deuteronomy 25:17-19:
"Remember what Amalek did to you on your journey, after you left Egypt-how, undeterred by God, he surprised you on the march, when you were famished and weary, and cut down all the stragglers in your rear....you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under the heaven. Do not forget!"
(The Ketav Sofer's following interpretations are in bold)
"Remember what Amalek did to you..." even though "you were famished and weary and [you, the Israelites] did not fear God" and therefore were deserving of Divine punishment, despite this "you shall blot out the memory of Amalek" what he intended to do you, that he wanted to cause you harm. What you should not forget (i.e., remember) is that even when you battle Amalek today you should not do it out of anger and vengeance but rather to fulfill the will of God.
In this rather convoluted way, the Ketav Sofer was teaching that a) the Israelites were attacked by Amalek as punishment for their sins, and b) everything that happens is the will of God, and that human feelings and emotions should be sublimated to doing God's will.
Needless to say, I have a problem with both of his conclusions! I do not believe in a God who punishes people for their bad behavior through illness, pain, or death. I also do not believe that is possible to completely sublimate human emotion and personality in taking any action, including the performance of mitzvot. I believe that God recognizes our humanity and makes allowances for our failures, shortcomings, and feelings. I find such beliefs masochistic and "blame the victims" for their suffering.
How, then, does one adequately explain the existence of pain and suffering in the world in the presence of an all-powerful and all-good God? Unfortunately, at this point in my life, I cannot. I am still searching for an adequate theological response. But I know what I do not believe, which includes claiming to know what is in God's Mind.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal
Tifereth Israel Synagogue
San Diego, CA
rabbi@tiferethisrael.com
January 30, 2009: Shabbat Shalom! Parashat Bo
Empty Symbols
Dear Friends:
In preparation for the Exodus from Egypt, Moses tells the Israelites how to explain the Passover rituals and the miraculous events to future generations:
"And when your children ask you, 'What do you mean by this rite?' you shall say, 'It is a Passover sacrifice to the Lord, because he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when he smote the Egyptians, but saved our houses." (Ex. 12:26-27)
The Mechilta, one of the classic collections of midrashim, explains that the verses above can be interpreted positively or negatively. Affirmatively, the Torah could be reassuring the Israelites that there would be future generations asking about and celebrating the Passover. Conversely, it could be predicting that, in the future, even as basic and formative event as the Passover would be forgotten and require explanation.
The commentator Raiyonot Hadrosh incorporates both perspectives into his comments. He writes that during their years of exile and wandering, Jews may forget the Torah and its meaning and significance to our people However, they may still observe the most well known Jewish rituals, such as the Passover Seder, without
knowing what they are about.
Even if Jews fall to such a sorrowful state, says Raiyonot Hadrosh, we can still find hope for the future. As long as Jews continue to preserve even small elements of Jewish religion and culture, it will be refutation to our enemies, such as Pharaoh and Hitler, who wanted to destroy us. (Meorah shel Torah, Shemot, p. 44)
I humbly beg to differ with this commentator's conclusion. Jewish form independent of Jewish substance is not meaningful nor a guarantee of a Jewish future. There are abundant stories of devout Catholic women of Spanish descent who light candles on Friday nights without knowing that th
eir rite is a remnant of the celebration of Shabbat in their families. There are countless families who light candles on Chanukah without saying the blessings or telling the story, or who come together on Passover for an elaborate family dinner but do not read the Haggadah or recount the Exodus.
While these individuals and families retain Jewish forms, the forms are bereft of Jewish meaning. Their rituals contain no narrative from which to derive hope and meaning for one's life and future, nor expression of yearning or hope for a better world. Statistically we know that there is scant hope that these remnants of Jewish life will be appreciated and preserved by future generations.
The future of our Judaism, the Jewish People, and Israel does not lie in those who preserve Jewish form but not content. Our future lies in tho
se who infuse their lives with knowledge, and whose celebration of Jewish holidays and rituals reflect their love and understanding of Torah. As the Midrash teaches, if the Torah becomes an empty vessel we have only ourselves to blame.
I leave for the International Rabbinical Assembly Convention in Israel next week. I look forward to emailing you from Jerusalem!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal
Tifereth Israel Synagogue
San Diego, CA
January 23, 2009: Shabbat Shalom! Parashat Vaera
"Defiance"
Dear Friends:
About a month ago I received a package of educational material based on
the recently released movie "Defiance." According to the lesson plan, "Defiance is the epic tale of three brothers-Tuvia, Zus, and Asael Bielski-who risked their lives and rose up against Nazi tyranny and seemingly insurmountable odds...Unlike most other resistance groups, who welcomed only young, able-bodied men and women who could fight, the Bielskis welcomed all, conducting what would become the largest rescue of Jews by Jews during World War II, ultimately saving some 1,200 Jewish men, women, and children."
I took my 10th grade Hebrew High class to see the film on Tuesday, hoping to be inspired, and instead, was sadly disappointed. What should have been a thoughtful challenge to our notions of right and wrong, good and bad, victim and aggressor, turned out to be a typical Hollywood "shoot 'em up" of good guys with lots of guns versus bad guys with lots of guns. To be fair, the movie is rated "R" for violence and language, but the numerous battle scenes so assaulted our senses that we left the theater in shell shock rather than reflection.
The movie did ask such questions as: is it moral to steal food to stay alive? and how should one deal with a captured soldier who 
murdered your family? However, it did not explore how these actions affected the partisans. The various responses of Jews to the Nazis were raised (flee? fight? wait for the terror to pass?) but not developed. Too much of the movie was about Jews fighting with other Jews as well as Jews fighting with their enemies rather than about the heroic, human, and moral elements. Overall "Defiance" is melodramatic and superficial.
I will have to wait until next week to discuss the film with my Hebrew High students. As much as I am looking forward to that conversation, I would be more interested in speaking with non-Jews who saw the movie. The theater was filled, rather surprising for a Tuesday evening.
"Defiance" is unlike other Holocaust movies in o
ne specific way: while showing the horrors of the Holocaust, it does not dwell on them. Rather, the movie portrays the Jew as brave, strong, and heroic. The Bielski brothers and their followers acquire weapons and use them. They defend themselves and at times initiate attacks. They are prepared to die rather than be captured. The last place one would think of them is standing complacently in a line to the gas chambers.
As a Jew who has studied the Holocaust and the varied responses of Jews to the Nazis, I am familiar with the role of Jewish partisans and ghetto fighters in the war. Non-Jews may not be as familiar. I wonder what they made of this portrayal of Jews as fighters, warriors, and heroes who not only fought back, but aggressively attacked their enemies. I also wonder if the depiction of Jews in this movie, who met aggression with aggression, helps them better understand the psyche of modern Israelis, who, when confronting Arab hostility, are informed by the painful realities of Jewish history?
As I said, I do not recommend the movie. Its positives do not redeem its negatives. But it is refreshing to see a Holocaust movie which shows the important role that Jewish resistance played in our people surviving the Shoah.
Finally, for those of you who are interested in an excellent book about Jewish resistance during World War II, I suggest you read "Until Our Last Breath" by Michael Bart. "Until Our Last Breath" tells the story of Michael's parents, Leo and Zenia Bart, z"l, who were members of Tifereth Israel Synagogue and members of Abba Kovner's resistance group Nekama during the war.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal
Tifereth Israel Synagogue
San Diego, CA
rabbi@tiferethisrael.com
January 16, 2009: Shabbat Shalom! Parashat Shemot
Meaningful Labor
Dear Friends:
A story is told about factory workers who manufactured parachutes during World War II. Their job was tedious and bor
ing. Every day the workers performed the exact same task as the day before.
One morning the factory owner began telling his employees about the importance of their task. The parachutes they were making might one day save the lives of their husbands, brothers, and sons. The workers' attitudes improved considerably. Even though the work was still boring, they knew they were performing a noble deed.
Whether a task is ennobling or punitive often depends less on the work than on the reason for it. When people feel they are doing something worthwhile and productive they are happier than when they believe they are doing busy work or trying to look busy.
The Pharaoh of the Exodus recognized this truth a
bout human nature. The Torah says: "The Egyptians ruthlessly imposed upon the Israelites the various labors that they made them perform. Ruthlessly they made life bitter for them with harsh labor at mortar and bricks and with all sorts of tasks in the field." (Ex. 1:13-14)
The commentator Sha'ar Simcha noticed that the Torah emphasized the ruthl
essness (Hebrew: ferach) of the Egyptians in making the Israelites work. He claims that although one might think that it was the harshness of the labor that made it so ruthless, this is not the case. The work was hard, but not impossible. What made it inhumane was that it was purposeless. The Egyptians made the Israelites build buildings, then tore them down, and made the Israelites build them again. The Israelites became overwhelmed with the pointlessness of their efforts. Soon the Egyptians broke not only their bodies, but their souls as well.
Human beings need to feel purposeful about our lives and our work. We hate to feel that we are meaningless cogs in a big machine. If we don't feel what we do has value even though we are free, we are still enslaved.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal
Tifereth Israel Synagogue
San Diego, CA
rabbi@tiferethisrael.com
January 9, 2009: Shabbat Shalom! Vayechi
Showing Their True Colors in the Park
Dear Friends:
Last Saturday night I received an email from someone I knew and trusted about a pro-Hamas demonstration taking place in Balboa Park last Sunday. The email contained a forward from someone I did not know, asking friends of Israel to participate in a counter-demonstration at the same time. I did not email the information to our congregation since I was not sure if it was legitimate, but decided to head to the park after I finished my Sunday morning teaching.
The email was legitimate. I joined about 100 friends of Israel who faced off with about the same number of pro-Hamas demonstrators. Even though they had a loudspeaker (I assume because they had a permit) and we did not, we raised our voices loudly enough to make our case heard by onlookers. It was a peaceful gathering, though several police officers eventually appeared to make sure there was no violence or physical contact between the demonstrators.
While we 
shouted "No more rockets and no more Haas!" primarily, but not completely, Muslim demonstrators railed against the "occupation" and "Israeli aggression." We asked for peace and security for Israel's citizens. They shouted, "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!" placing their true intentions on the table: the destruction of the State of Israel. One speaker even went so far as to say that the Jews should return to Russia, Eastern Europe, and the other places from which they fled.
(When I shared this with my wife, Judy, she said we should have told them that we have already gone back to where we came from: the Land of Israel!)
In this most recent war, Haas and their terrorists are doing what they do best: attacking Israeli civilians as a "justified" response to the "occupation" and crying out in dismay when they cause civilian deaths by hiding rocket 
launchers, munitions, and terrorists amidst the Palestinian population.
I am outraged by those who are decry Israel's "aggression." Protecting one's citizens is not aggression. It is not only legitimate, but obligatory self defense. Does anyone think that the government of the United States would sit on its hands if rockets were being launched at San Diego from Tijuana? Also, bear in mind: we are currently engaged in a war in Afghanistan because Bin Laden planned his attacks against the United States from there.
This Shabbat (Jan. 9-10, 2009) has been designated as "Solidarity Shabbat." During Shabbat services we will pray for the security and well being of Israel and her citizens, and a cessation of violence. I will also share the most recent background information I have received.
I have received several requests for information about the current war that can be shared to explain the facts. Here are three worthwhile links to follow:
1. The following is an excellent article about the current situation and the events leading up to it:
2. This is an excellent commentary from the Wall Street Journal by Alan Dershowitz explaining that Israel's self defensive actions do not violate International Law.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123085925621747981.html
3. This YouTube video shows clearly how the almost daily rocket barrage has terrorized Israel's citizens:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5eKXOBf5_w
We all hope that the war will be over soon, but it can only end when Hamas decides that launching rockets and committing terrorist acts against Israel are counterproductive, and to no longer put Palestinians, as well as Israelis in harm's way.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal
Tifereth Israel Synagogue
San Diego, CA
rabbi@tiferethisrael.com
January 2, 2009: Shabbat Shalom! Vayigash
The Almighty Dollar
Dear Friends:
There are many words in the Hebrew language which sound and are spelled alike but have different meanings. One such word is etzev. Etzev normally means "sorrow" but it can also mean "idol," as in Psalms 115:4: "Their idols (atzabeihem) are silver and gold made by human hands."
When Joseph revealed himself to his brothers in Egypt, he reassured them that he did not wish to seek revenge. He told them: "Now, do not be distressed (ta-atzvu) or reproach yourselves because you sold me hither; it was to save life that God sent me ahead of you." (Gen. 45:6)
When the founder of Chabad, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi's son was a little boy, he wandered into the room where three of his father's chassidim were waiting to meet with the Rebbe: Rabbi Shmuel Monkis, Rabbi Shlomo Raflis from Vilna, and Rabbi Joseph of Soklov. All three of these men were not only great scholars, but wealthy and generous businessmen as well.
Rabbi Monkis loved to play with the Rebbe's son, so as soon as the little boy saw him he ran over and sat on his lap. He noticed that the other two men were engaged in quiet and tense conversation and looked exhausted and weary.
"Why are you so sad?" Rabbi Monkis finally asked them.
"It is because," they replied as one, "we are living in difficult times and our businesses are suffering."
The Rebbe's son looked at Rabbi Monkis and said: "You didn't need to ask them why they are so sad. After all, you could have learned it from a verse from the Bible: "Atzabeihem -their sadness-is because of silver and gold made from human hands." (Sippur Chasidim)
In quoting this verse the Rebbe's son was showing great wit as well as wisdom. Not only was he playing with the meaning of the word etzev in the Bible, noting that the two rabbis' monetary problems were due to money, he was also reminding them of the primary meaning of etzev, that is, perhaps they were so troubled and distressed because they had allowed their gold and silver to become their gods and take over their lives.
Many people are also troubled and distressed today because of our country's financial woes. Our sadness and fears are real, but let us not allow them to consume our lives. Let us remember that the most important things in life, faith and love, are still free!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal
Tifereth Israel Synagogue
San Diego, CA
rabbi@tiferethisrael.com
December 26, 2008: Shabbat Shalom! Miketz-Shabbat Chanukah
Let There be (energy efficient) Light!
Dear Friends:
Another name for Chanukah is Chag Ha-Orim, the "Festival of Lights." A few days before this year's holiday we presented our sanctuary with an appropriately themed Chanukah gift: an LED light bulb for the Ner Tamid.
An LED (light-emitting-diode) is a semiconduct
or that emits light when a current is applied. LED bulbs use much less electricity than incandescent bulbs and are even more energy efficient than fluorescent bulbs. They have many applications, including illuminated information panels on electronic devices and red, yellow, and green traffic signals. LEDs are more expensive but can last up to ten times longer than incandescent bulbs.
Our Ner Tamid replacement LED bulb costs about $25.00
. However, the Ner Tamid is on 24 hours a day. We calculated that the previously installed 45 watt bulb cost about $83.00 in electrical power per year. The new LED bulb provides the same amount of light using only 4 watts of power and costs $8.30 per year to run. Given the cost savings and longevity of the bulb, you can see we will reap substantial savings.
One of my favorite trick questions during Chanukah is to ask people how many candles the Maccabees kindled in the Menorah after they cleaned and reconsecrate the Temple. Some people say "eight." That answer is wrong because, although a Chanukah Menorah has eight branches plus a shamash, the Temple Menorah had only seven branches. If they answer "seven" they are still wrong. Our ancestors did not place candles in the Menorah, they used oil lam
ps. Why? Because the technology for manufacturing candles did not yet exist.
Why did candles eventually take the place of oil lamps? Because they were easier to store and burn than oil lamps. As long as they do not contravene Jewish law, Jews take advantage of technological advances as they become available.
A couple of years ago I gave a High Holy Day sermon about the importance of protecting the earth and conserving natural resources. At Tifereth Israel we have made a concerted effort to save energy and cut down on waste. It is not only good for the environment, but good for the budget as well!
As we near the end of the Festival of Lights, I suggest we all take stock of our energy consumption and do what we can t
o conserve. Although it is difficult to find a silver lining in last year's spiraling fuel prices, it did encourage people to drive less. It would be a shame now that prices have fallen, that we return to our wasteful ways.
Midrash Rabbah on Ecclesiastes describes God giving Adam, the first human being, a tour of the Garden of Eden. He shows Adam everything: the grass, the trees, the animals, fish, fowl, and insects. Then God says to Adam: "See how beautiful all My creations are, all This has been created for your sake. So reflect on this, and take care not to foul or destroy my world.
For if you do, there will be none to repair it after you."
Shabbat Shalom and Happy Chanukah!
Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal
Tifereth Israel Synagogue
rabbi@tiferethisrael.com
December 19, 2008: Shabbat Shalom! Va-yeishev
When Silence Hurts
Dear Friends:
One of the most controversial campaign statements made by President-elect Barack Obama was that he would be willing to speak with the leaders of Iran and other enemies of the United States without preconditions. Many were horrified and argued that to enter into dialogue with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and others of his ilk would grant them legitimacy and prestige.
While I do not wish to debate the intricacies and nuances of Obama's subsequent interpretations of his position, it is worthwhile to note the famous words of Israeli General Moshe Dayan: "If you want to make peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies."
Parashat Vayeishev tells us that Jacob favored his son, Joseph, above his brothers. This favoritism combined with Joseph's dreams of filial domination earned him their enmity. "And when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of his brothers, they hated him so that they could not speak a friendly word to him." (Gen; 37:4)
Rabbi Yonatan Eibeshitz said that in this verse we find the reason for Joseph's brothers' eventual sorrow. Their hatred of Joseph was so great that they refused even to speak with him. Perhaps, Rabbi Eibeshitz observes, if, despite their jealously, they had continued to work at their relationship with him, they could have found a way to defuse their hatred instead of selling him into slavery.
Rabbi Eibeshitz adds, that in the brothers' response to Joseph, we find the root cause of the continued perpetuation of conflicts between people and nations: neither party is ready to listen to the other or understand the positions and beliefs of their opponent. If people entered into honest communication with their foes, they would discover that much less divided them than united them.
There have been countless times throughout my rabbinic career when I have felt and heard the pain of congregants who have family members who are not on speaking terms. Sometimes the pain is so great that it leads to the exclusion of family members at simchas and sorrows. There are many people who cannot "speak a friendly word" to those who should be the closest to them.
Sometimes it is not possible to heal old wounds, but that does not free us from the obligation of trying to renew paralyzed communication, lest we suffer the same sorrowful fate as Joseph and his brothers.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal
Tifereth Israel Synagogue
San Diego, CA
rabbi@tiferethisrael.com
December 11, 2008: Shabbat Shalom! Vayishlach
Part Of, or Apart From, America?
Dear Friends:
As Jews approach the end of December, Judaism's status as a minority religion is constantly on our minds. As we witness the joy and celebration of Christmas all around us, we are more keenly aware that we do not quite fit into mainstream American culture.
Most of us deal with this by proudly asserting our legitimate place on the American landscape. Although most of our neighbors are not Jewish, freedom of religion and protection of minority rights are among the most cherished underpinnings of American society.
The vast majority of Americans respect our beliefs and practices and do not marginalize Jews. Witness, for example, the acknowledgment of Chanukah on television and in the print media, and Menorah lightings in public locations.
Not all Jews, however, want to fit into American society. There have always been Jews who isolate themselves and interact with their non-Jewish neighbors as little as possible. This reluctance to mix has historically been based on two assumptions: 1) mixing with non-Jews will lead to assimilation and a loss of Jewish identity, and 2) the non-Jewish world is
anti-Semitic and harmful to Jews.This negative attitude toward cultural mixing is reflected in a Chassidic commentary on this week's parasha. In parashat Vayishlach Jacob returns to Canaan. He knows that before he can settle he must confront and make peace with his brother, Esau, whom he has wronged. Before Jacob meets Esau he prays to God: "Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau..." (Gen. 32:12)
Many commentators question the redundancy found in the verse. Why does Jacob have to say, "from the hand of my brother" and "from the hand of Esau" when one of these phrases would have sufficed? Obviously, the intention is to teach us an additional lesson.
The midrash tells a story of an ax head that was thro
wn into a forest. Knowing how much damage the ax could cause, the trees were terrified. A wise man passing through tried to calm down them down. He said to the trees, "You don't have to worry about the ax head. It can't do you any harm on its own. It is only if one of your brothers gives it a handle that you need fear for your lives."
So it is with Jews and non-Jews, one Chassidic master said. If we continue to live in our separate worlds the non-Jews cannot harm us. It is only if when try to live with them that we give them the ammunition to cause us harm. That is what the Torah meant when it said: "from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau." It is only when your brother lends a hand to Esau that Esau is able to do you harm." (Maiyanot Hanetzach in Otzar Chaim)
I was greatly troubled when I read the Chassidic interpretation cited above. While I understand that these feelings against the non-Jewish world grew in nations and cultures which hated Jews, I reject applying the results of such fear in America today. It is not only a false and unfair conclusion about our neighbors, but it is harmful for Judaism as well. Judaism has always grown and evolved as a consequence of its exposure to new phenomena, insights, and cultures. Closing Judaism off from the world ossifies it and freezes it in time.
Additionally, if Jews do not interact with the no
n-Jewish world, we negate the commandment to spread Torah and the message of God's care and love throughout humanity.
I believe that it is a mitzvah to interact with all those around us. One cannot help perfect the world if one declines to be part of it.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal
Tifereth Israel Synagogue
San Diego, CA
rabbi@tiferethisrael.com
December 5, 2008: Shabbat Shalom! Vayeitzei
The Evil of Laban Still Exists
Dear Friends,
After marrying Rachel and Leah, fathering children, and acquiring wealth, Jacob decides to flee from his father-in-law, Laban.
In Genesis Laban is portrayed as a shady character. In Rabbinic literature he becomes the epitome of evil. So much did the rabbis despise Laban that they awarded him a greater place of dishonor in Jewish history than the Pharaoh of the Exodus. Every year during Pesach we read in the Haggadah: "While Pharaoh only intended to kill the boys, Laban sought to uproot the whole of Jacob's family, the Children of Israel."
For the rabbis, Laban represented the worst of the enemies of the Jewish people: those who sought not just to suppress them and their religion but to wipe them out of existence.
Sadly, Hitler was only one of the many Labans Jews have faced throughout our history. We witnessed that he and his vocation are alive and well last week in the murderous atrocities of the Islamic extremists who attacked India last week. They especially targeted Americans, Brits, and Jews.
What did Rabbi Gavriel and Rivkah Holtzberg and all of the other Chabad House victims in India have to do with the grievances of the terrorists? The only terrorist to survive, Azam Amir Kasab, was quoted in the Times of India as saying he and the other terrorists targeted the Chabad House to avenge the killing of Arabs in Israel.
Chabad Houses, which are located throughout the world, are religious and educational institutions, and not involved in political causes. The Holtzbergs were there to help Jews living in or visiting India to worship and learn and provided housing for travelers. But for anti-Semites. the distinction between Jews doing tzedaka versus political work is irrelevant (not that their attacks are justifiable in any case). As Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said: "The hatred of Jews, the State of Israel, and Jewish symbols are still a factor that spurs and encourages such murderous acts."
We join with our Jewish brothers and sisters around the world and all people of faith and good will in mourning the Holtzbergs and all those who were murdered. We also pray for the quick and full recovery of those who were injured.
Once again we are totally baffled by those who believe acts of terror, murder, and violence are appropriate ways to teach the world about the righteousness of their cause. As Shimon Peres, the President of the State of Israel, said at the Holtzbergs' funeral, "If the entire world doesn't join together as one person and say, 'Enough,' then the world is in danger."
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal
Tifereth Israel Synagogue
San Diego, CA
rabbi@tiferethisrael.com
Archive, 5769:
Rabbi's Divrei Torah, 5768
High Holy Day Sermons, 5768:
Erev Rosh Hashana: Going Green • Rosh Hashana First Day: Israel • Kol Nidre: Religion and Politics • Yom Kippur: Posterity