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JW

Spring Giddiness by Rumi

Spring Giddiness

by Rumi

Today, like every other day, we wake up empty
and frightened. Don't open the door to the study
and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument.
Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.

The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.
Don't go back to sleep.
You must ask for what you really want.
Don't go back to sleep.
People are going back and forth across the doorsill
where the two worlds touch.
The door is round and open.
Don't go back to sleep.

I would love to kiss you.
The price of kissing is your life.
Now my loving is running toward my life shouting,
What a bargain, let's buy it.

Daylight, full of small dancing particles
and the one great turning, our souls
are dancing with you, without feet, they dance.
Can you see them when I whisper in your ear?

All day and night, music,
a quiet, bright
reedsong. If it
fades, we fade.

'The Faces of Deer' by Mary Oliver

The Faces of Deer
Mary Oliver

When for too long I don't go deep enough
into the woods to see them, they begin to
enter my dreams. Yes, there they are, in the
pinewoods of my inner life. I want to live a life
full of modesty and praise. Each hoof of each
animal makes the sign of a heart as it touches
then lifts away from the ground. Unless you
believe that heaven is very near, how will you
find it? Their eyes are pools in which one
would be content, on any summer afternoon,
toswim away through the door of the world.
Then, love and its blessing. Then: Heaven.

More Birkat Hachama resources

See http://www.blessthesun.org/ and the Birkhat HaHammah blog http://coejlblog.blog.com/4360537/ for a compilation of resources.

For a copy of the Cleveland communitywide celebration flyer see http://jrf.org/birkat-hahammah.

For traditional sources and the complete ritual service see www.berachot.org/halacha/24_birkathachammah.html#4.

For a Song for the Sun performed by Rabbi Shawn Zevit see &feature=channel_page">www.youtube.com/watch?v=629JxUYTlFk&feature=channel_page>&feature=channel_page. It's beautiful!

Calculate the timing for your local gathering for the ritual and education about solar energy at www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/sunrise.html.

Birkat Hachama: Blessing the Sun

This is the my April newsletter column, written for the Temple where I am a rabbinic intern:

How do you feel about the sun? Do you like it? Are you glad it’s here?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, take note: On the 8th of April this year, you will have a special once (or twice) in a lifetime opportunity to bless the sun in an official Jewishly sanctioned way! The holiday of Birkat Hachama will be here, and it’s a holiday that only happens once every 28 years!

Birkat Hachama is a special blessing made on the “anniversary” of the sun’s return to the position that it was in when the universe was first created. (The rabbis of the Babylonian Talmud, circa 500 C.E., determined when that was.) The Talmud says: “Our Rabbis taught: One who sees the Sun at its turning point should say ‘Blessed be the One Who effects creation’. And when does this occur? Abaye said every 28 years when the cycle begins again, and the Nissan equinox falls in Saturn, on the evening of the third day going into the fourth day.”

The full blessing they are referring to is as follows: Baruch atah adonai, elohanu melech haolam, oseh ma’aseh b’reisheit. Blessed are you, HASHEM our God, King of the universe, who effects the work of creation. This blessing is also recited on other occasions of natural phenomena, such as witnessing lighting, comets, meteor showers and even wondrous natural topography, such as great mountains, rivers and vast wildernesses.

For the day of Birkat Hachama, however, other passages and prayers are recited in addition to this blessing, largely from psalms and the prophets. The structure of the prayer service was set down in the Shulchan Aruch, a codification of Jewish law written by Yosef Karo in the 16th century. The service generally includes the following:

• Quotations about the sun from the Tanakh
• Four verses from the Tanakh, which spell out the Tetragrammaton
• Some of Talmud Berachot 59b
• Parts of Psalms 148 and 90
• The blessing recited on natural phenomena (Baruch Atah...ma’aseh b’reisheit)
• Psalms 121, 8 and 19
• The hymn El Adon al kol hama'asim (normally part of Shabbat services).
• Aleinu
• The Mourner's Kaddish

The Internet is teeming with creative Birkat Hachama services, which are roughly structured on this outline, but vary in the addition of other texts or songs. Jewish ecological groups in particular are seizing on this unique opportunity to teach about the ecological values of our tradition.

How can you observe Birkat Hachama? Here are some ideas:

* Download a service off the Internet and get together with some friends for your own potluck and service

* Join the Birkat Hachama group on Facebook: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=20544854723

* Chabad has put together a handy website of information, which includes a “global event finder” where you can find a Birkat Hachama event near you.

www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/817861/jewish/Birkat-Hachamah.htm.

Given it’s from Chabad, my guess is they will only include Orthodox-sponsored events.

* Check your local Jewish newspaper for other events that might be happening in your area.

Shomer Israel song for Tachanun

In preparing to lead mincha service at Elat Chayyim in a few weeks, I've had the great joy of discovering this beautiful song written by Shlomo Carlebach from the first line of the Tachanun prayer. Known as "Shomer Israel," it can be used at any service in which Tachanun is recited.

Thank you, V, for sharing this jewel with me! I can't stop playing it!

http://www.imeem.com/elinka/music/pHK-dnnH/shlomo_carlebach_shomer_israel/

You might also enjoy this beautiful version sung by his daughter, Neshama Carlebach.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogxxf66nWqE

God and the Obama inauguration in 2009

For those of you who Facebook with me, you already know that I was impressed by BOTH ministers who gave addresses at the inauguration on Jan. 20. Yes, I was even impressed by Rick Warren. His anti-gay rhetoric still leaves much to be desired, but fortunately, this kind of intolerance was missing from his speech. He did a commendable job of being inspiring without being offensive -- and his talk went the extra mile to put in certain touches that a Jewish audience in particular would recognize. I noticed too, that his one reference to Jesus was clearly done in a personal, rather than a universal, context.

I did not realize until I received the following email from the Shalom Center, however, that Warren's speech also was inclusive of Muslim faith communities. Yasher Koach, Warren, well done. You've proven yourself to be far savvier and more sensitive (when you want to be) than I, at least, would have ever given you credit for.

Here, Rabbi Wasgow explains in further detail why Warren's speech was so excellent -- at least as measured by the interfaith barometer -- as well as some of the reasons Lowery's speech was equally masterful:

I thought God - the real God, the One Who cares passionately about justice, peace, and diversity - came out rather well in the Inaugural ceremonies.

God's official spokespersons did better than I had expected. Rev. Rick Warren - whose choice I had strongly criticized because of his views about gay and lesbian sexuality - did far than I had feared. I was especially moved by his speaking, in English, the Jewish "Sh'ma" about God's Unity and the Muslim "Bismillah Er Rachman Er Rahim" -- "In the name of God Who is Compassionate and Merciful." I doubt that most Christians knew what he was doing in either case, but Jews and Muslims did.

And I respected his going out of his way to affirm that he spoke in Jesus' name not as if Jesus were the self-evidently, universally accepted God Incarnate but rather, explicitly that Jesus is the aspect of God that Warren himself feels called by. I also appreciated his effort to contextualize Jesus as both actually a Jew and in Muslim eyes a prophet by saying his name in both Aramaic and Arabic as well as in the Greek by which most of the Christian world knows him.

And though Warren did not confess and repair the sin of his attacks on gay sexuality, his words were in general pacific.

As for Rev. Lowery: He moved me to tears and to delighted laughter too. Tears when he began with a passage from a poem/song by James Weldon Johnson, "Lift Every Voice and Sing," long known as the "Negro National Anthem." Not only the words of the song but its melody move back and forth from grief to hope, as they reflect on the past and future of black life in America.

I know the song and so do my adult children, who learned it in mostly black schools in the District of Columbia when they were growing up. Indeed, I sang it last Sunday morning when I preached on Martin Luther King and the American future at Old South Church in Boston, and the church leadership chose it from the hymnal of the United Church of Christ to end the service. I thought then, "Every Black church in America is also singing that song this very morning!" But it had not occurred to me that Rev. Lowery might use it.

I am sure that few American whites know it, or understood what Lowery was doing.- But practically every Black American did.I laughed out loud when Lowery then turned upside down the despairing and cynical old Black patter about "black, brown, yellow, red, white." Who could have imagined these in-group cultural artifacts, these nearly secret rituals of Black life, coming out of the closet in such a public way on this most broadly American occasion? As for President Obama himself, any God worth the salt that was spread upon the Temple offerings would have smiled benignly as he mentioned "Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers." Monotheists, polytheists, and atheists all included in our community. (Maybe Obama, like many Buddhists, sees Buddhism as a philosophy, not a religion.)

As for much of the content of Obama's speech - for example -- ''A nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous": it seemed secular on the surface but at least to my ears bespoke an implicitly religious sensibility. Some of the immediate post-ceremony TV commentary heard the speech as prose rather than poetry; but as I read it later, that line and others seemed to me to glow and chime as poetry. God shining through.

Shalom, salaam, shantih, namaste, peace.

- Rabbi Arthur Waskow

How to hug a baby

(Pulled from an email)

1. First, find a baby.

2. Second, be sure that the object you found was indeed a baby by employing classic sniffing techniques.

3. Next you will need to flatten the baby before actually beginning the hugging process.

4. The 'paw slide': Simply slide paw s around baby and prepare for possible close-up.

5. Finally, if a camera is present, you will need to execute the difficult and patented 'hug, smile, and lean' so as to achieve the best photo quality.

What 'voluntary simplicity' means to me

What do these things have in common?

The movies: Surfwise

and Into the Wild

The song: “Society” by Eddie Vedder (in video above)

The blog: Cage Free Family

This recent article in O magazine: “Back to Basics”

When you line them up, it’s obvious, but it’s actually taken me several years to realize how deeply and spontaneously drawn I feel to a philosophy or a movement that I only recently learned the name for: Voluntary Simplicity.

In recent months, there’s been a notable upsurge of articles on this topic in the mainstream media, no doubt spurred by our ailing economy and people’s tightening finances. But maybe, too, I hope, this might also be a reflection of a culture shift in our society -- a growing awareness of the damages caused by our society’s love affair with consumerism.

It isn’t just about wastefulness and its ecological impacts (which are very real and important). I think it goes deeper than that; it gets into what happens to our spirits when we spend so much energy worrying about things. It’s about the mental feedback loop we create for ourselves when, as the lyrics to “Society” say: “You think you have to want more than you need; until you have it all you won’t be free.”

The more we have, the more we want; we never have it all, so we never have enough.

Even for people like Aaron and me, who have never been particularly materialistic and have always hated shopping (if only because of the crowds) – even we find ourselves sucked into this mindset sometimes. Even people who by their natures aren’t particularly materially oriented have to struggle against the huge, moving, oppressive message of our larger culture. Trying to raise children with this awareness, is, I think, even harder. I guess I’m about to find out!

Finally having a phrase for this concept – Voluntary Simplicity – really helps. At least it has helped give me a framework, a vocabulary, for these feelings I’ve been wrestling with for a long time.

What is the voluntary simplicity movement? Well, it has many definitions, but I like this one here, which is offered by a website www.simpleliving.net/main that collects resources on this topic:

“Simple living — aka voluntary simplicity — has just about as many definitions as there are individuals who practice it. Simple living is not about living in poverty or self-inflicted deprivation. Rather, it is about living an examined life — one in which you have determined what is important, or ‘enough,’ for you, and discarding the rest.”

"Living in a way that is outwardly simple and inwardly rich."
— Duane Elgin

I’d like to share a portrait of what this philosophy has meant to my family:

Before the baby came, Aaron and I went through several weeks of mental gyrations, distressed about how we were going to make room for her. Our house is 1,200 square feet, and we only have three bedrooms: one for us, one for his oldest daughter, and the third that was my office. Having an office isn’t just a luxury for me. When in school, I need a quiet place to study for 20+ hours a week. The bulk of my editing and writing work is also done from my office, and I need a phone to conduct interviews, and a quiet space without the sound of a television or household conversations to distract me.

Aaron also has an office, which he runs his camping stove business out of. It is stacked floor to ceiling with supplies, and a large shipping table, and a jeweler’s bench to do his sautering. All of that used to be done in the dining room in the middle of the house (and there was no real dining room). A year ago, he spent 6 months enclosing the back porch, to make room for his business, so we could have an actual dining room with a table.

The dilemma raised other issues for us beyond the immediate issue of a baby room. For me, it challenged what has been a concept of personal boundary that simply could not be sustained in this living environment. You see, even without the baby coming, moving into this house has been a challenge. I’m a Westerner, and I’m used to my space. I lived alone in a three-bedroom house in Denver, and grew up in a rambling ranch style home where you could cordon yourself off in a nook and spent an entire contented day in complete solitude. That most definitely isn’t possible here.

For Aaron, it challenged his notions of what it means to “be a provider.” Amid all of our talks of what we would do to solve our immediate space problem, he spent several weeks plotting different ways that we might be able to move into a bigger house in a few years – especially if we have a second child. What if he moved this money here, or refinanced that, or did this with his retirement money, or borrowed money from there? We had long talks trying to figure out how we would move into a bigger house because clearly (we told ourselves), it will never work with what we have now.

I won’t bother getting into the dozens of ideas we plowed through to arrive at a solution to our immediate space problem; suffice it to say we reached one. What is more important though, and the reason I’m writing all this, is to say that in that process, along the way, we both came to not only accept but joyfully embrace the fact that we actually can make this house work, even if we add a second child down the road, and even if we add a third (which is not likely).

I can’t tell you what a relief it is – to free ourselves from that feedback loop of “we don’t have enough.” How liberating it is to not be spending anymore mental energy trying to “figure it out” and “plot our advancement”! Every time the gas bill comes and we gasp – we also sigh with relief knowing that we have the smallest house on the block and everybody else has it even worse. Every time we feel burdened by the yard or the unending repair projects, we think about how much worse it would be if we upgraded. Every time the mortgage bill comes, we think about how the money we are saving by not having a larger house will be used to create memories instead of things: summer camp, road trips, time spent with our daughter (in the form of not having to work even more than we already do).

Instead of spending our energy toward more, we are spending our energy toward less: “How much stuff can we get rid of in order to maximize the space we do have?” Legions of people go on shopping sprees and revel in how much fun it is; we’ve discovered it is just as much fun (and immensely more rewarding) to go on divestment sprees, to see just how minimalist we can get.

I’ve sold off nearly half of my book collection; the only books that stay, after I’ve read them, are things I need for my resource library, or books I desperately love. Aaron bought a 5 gigabyte MP3 player where he has downloaded his entire CD collection, and we’ve starting selling off those. He is making digital recordings of all of his record collection, and those are going to go too.

The 10 shelves we spent storing CDs, books and records will now have cloth baskets on them to store Adi’s toys. And unlike Aaron’s teenage daughter (and myself growing up!), when Adi outgrows her toys, she will have to get rid of them. They can’t stay in her room, unused, for a decade, collecting dust. Because she might very well have a sibling sharing the space with her. We will, we hope, instill in her the same joy for living in uncluttered spaces, and the same philosophical belief in only having what you really need.

Is it really this simple? No, of course it isn’t. I wish I could say we’ve reached some higher, enlightened state of being in which we never fear or want for more, but that wouldn’t be true. It has meant compromises, and I’m sure it will present more of them. But we feel like we have made a start – an important start – in the right direction.

I continue to be drawn to stories of others, who are making even more radical steps than we are. The documentary movie Surfwise, which came out last year, told the story of this eccentric doctor with nine sons, who raised them all on a beach surfing. It’s quite a story and really worth renting, if you can find a copy. There were huge detriments to what he did (not the least of which was his children’s complete inability to ever enter high-skilled professions, because they never graduated from high school). But he also created many gifts for his children that most people in our society never experience.



I will continue to be a loyal reader of Cage Free Family, a blog kept by a family who is traveling around the country in a mobile home and living a natural lifestyle. Their model is not very replicable for most of us: The father obviously makes a solid living doing computer work, which he is able to do from anywhere. They live on a very slim budget, but few of us would even have the option of working on the road. I do, though, admire their sense of adventure and freedom, and their commitment to simplicity, and I envy the rich experiences they are able to give their children. Travel is one of the best things any of us can do.

And, finally, every time I run across news stories like this one

www.nytimes.com/2008/09/11/garden/11tiny.html -- about people who make my 1200-square-foot house seem like a palatial estate – I will always drop what I am doing and sit down and read. I’m truly fascinated by these folks, and genuinely admire them. Me, I like my flat-screen TV and my TIVO; I like having a proper kitchen with a stove, and a kitchen table where I can invite folks over for dinner. But my hats off to anyone who can live in an 80-square-foot house and be happy! If we could all learn even just a little bit from their example, it would be a very different country indeed.

“Society” Lyrics
Oh it's a mystery to me.

We have a greed, with which we have agreed,

and you think you have to want more than you need;

until you have it all, you won't be free.

Society, you're a crazy breed.

I hope you're not lonely, without me.

When you want more than you have, you think you need...

and when you think more than you want, your thoughts begin to bleed.

I think I need to find a bigger place...

cause when you have more than you think, you need more space.

Society, you're a crazy breed.

I hope you're not lonely, without me.

Society, crazy indeed...

I hope you're not lonely, without me.

There's those thinkin' more or less, less is more,

but if less is more, how you keepin' score?

It means for every point you make, your level drops.

Kinda like you're startin' from the top

...and you can't do that.

Society, you're a crazy breed.

I hope you're not lonely, without me.

Society, crazy indeed...

I hope you're not lonely, without me

Society, have mercy on me.

I hope you're not angry, if I disagree.

Society, crazy indeed.

I hope you're not lonely...without me.

Eulogy for Rabbi Lew

The messages and blog posts keep coming -- in my email account, on my friends' Facebook profiles, on my college Listserv. Rabbi Lew touched so many people's hearts, and influenced the religious journeys of so many more.

I never met Rabbi Lew. Many of my friends and colleagues did. But I read one of his books and was touched deeply by it. Mostly, I'm saddened by the principle of his death: that in this world griped by bombing, war, financial collapse and ecological ruin, one of the "good guys" had to leave. I'm sad for the redemptive acts he didn't get to finish.

I wanted to share this beautiful eulogy, delivered at his funeral:

http://www.everydayzen.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=258&Itemid=38

D'var Hanukkah: A teaching on Chag HaBanot

I’d like to share some new things I learned about the holiday of Hanukkah this year. As you know, if you were counting your candles, tonight is the 6th night of Hanukkah, which means tomorrow is, of course, the 7th night.

Does anyone here know about anything specifically special the 7th night … ?

Well, until a few days ago, I didn’t either. But it turns out that in some parts of the world, the 7th night of Hanukkah is its own special and distinct holiday. Let me explain …

It is true that Hanukkah is mostly a holiday about warriors and priests, Maccabees and Temple rituals. But in some parts of the world, the holiday has also become associated with special traditions concerning women and girls, via the story of Judith.

As an apocryphal book of the Bible, the Book of Judith has the same status as the Books of the Maccabbees, which tell the story of Hanukkah. But unlike the Maccabbees, which contain a full cast of male characters, the Book of Judith focuses on the heroic acts of one single woman.

This woman does one small but very important thing, and that is she tricks a military general by plying him with a bunch of salty cheeses, which prompts him to drink way too much alcohol and fall asleep. What the general had been planning to do was have an amorous role in the sheep tent with Judith before slaughtering all the Jews. Instead, the poor general wound up literally losing his head to Judith’s sword, and in that way, she was able to save the Jewish people.

In the middle ages, perhaps because of the arisal of anti-Semitism, Judith became a foremost Hanukkah heroine. Her figure was frequently depicted on menorahs, and the tradition developed of eating cheese dishes, to commemorate her clever strategy.

How did Judith’s story become entwined with the Hanukkah celebration? No one really knows. It might be because of the thematic connection between Judith and the Maccabees, both stories are about overthrowing a malevolent enemy army. Or it might also be because Hanukkah is the only Jewish holiday that includes a Rosh Chodesh – the monthly festival of the New Moon, and Rosh Chodesh is the quintessential women’s holiday.

In observant communities today, Rosh Chodesh is very much a living and breathing holiday. On that one day each month, women essentially get a Get Out of Work free card – they don’t have to do any work (at least in theory). It is said that this “holiday” is a reward for the fact that women did not give up their gold to make the golden calf.

Rosh Chodesh always falls on the 7th night of Hanukkah, which is tomorrow, and for women in North Africa, it became a kind of holiday within a holiday called Chag HaBanot, the festival for daughters. On this day, girls and brides received special gifts, and families retold the story of the book of Judith.

In countries such as Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, and Morocco, a variety of customs surrounded Chag HaBanot evolved, which I recently learned about from some writings by Rabbi Jill Hammer. Unfortunately, because the Jewish populations in these countries have essentially died out, the traditions seem to have died out along with them.

One tradition was for women to come to the synagogue, touch the Torah, and pray for the health of their daughters. Mothers would give their daughters gifts, and bridegrooms would give gifts to their brides.

Another tradition was for old and young women would come together to dance, and for girls who were fighting to make extra efforts at reconciliation.

Often there was a feast in honor of Judith, where participants would eat cheese to remember Judith's subterfuge; and women might also take food from a ritual meal of Talmud scholars and give it to their daughters, to protect them from harm.

There was also a custom of passing down inheritances on Chag HaBanot.

While these traditions have largely gone by the wayside, I think we can use them as an inspiration or a genesis for new practices on the 7th night of Hanukkah. For example, we can use candle-lighting tomorrow as a chance to talk with our children or grandchildren about the contributions Jewish women have made to history – whether that heroine is Judith or Golda Meir, or even Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

At a minimum, since tomorrow is Shabbat and Hanukkah and Rosh Chodesh, I think it is three really great reasons not to do any work AT ALL. Drink some cocoa, take a walk, and make someone else do the cooking for a change!

Misadventures in Medicaid Land

Have you ever had a really bad sore throat, which you figured was probably viral so there was nothing that could be done anyway, but you better go to the doctor just to be sure?

So you go to the doctor and the doctor tells you: "Yeah, your throat is really red and there's pus in there, and I'm worried it could be strep," and she then proceeds to tell you that she doesn't have one of those long cotton ball things on a stick to do a throat culture, so you'll have to go over to the hospital to be tested!?

Well, I hadn't either. Until yesterday. But that is exactly the crazy scenario that took place. From the time I took the baby to the sitter's (to keep her out of a waiting room full of sick people) until I got home from the pharmacy, the entire experience took four hours. For a strep test.

It's a crying shame I don't have a voice at the moment because shouting my incredulity would be much more satisfying than pounding it out on this keyboard...

The genesis of this story probably began five months ago, when I submitted a bunch of paperwork to get Adi onto the state's health insurance plan for children. Called CHIP, it is designed to make sure all children in the state have health insurance, and the premiums range from $0 to $50 a month depending on a family's income. Imagine my surprise, then, when Adi was denied enrollment in CHIP because we didn't make enough money (you know ... for the free state health insurance plan). Instead, both she and I were summarily placed on Medicaid.

In the case of her care, this hasn't really mattered one way or the other. The list of doctors who take children on Medicaid was long and lush, and both my first- and second-choice pediatriacians were on the list. Her care, including a delayed vaccination schedule and the prosthetics for her dislocated lips, has been nothing short of wonderful.

In my case, the list of doctors who take adults with Medicaid was noticably shorter. Neither of the two doctors I have used in Philly under my regular insurance plans, nor any of the doctors Aaron has ever used, accept Medicaid. I wound up picking the only doctor who was listed in my ZIP code. Yesterday was the first time I had reason to pay her a visit.

I must say, the whole experience leaves me scratching my head. It looked like a normal doctor's office. She also accepted regular insurance patients, so it wasn't some inner city clinic for indigents or anything. But she couldn't even do a simple strep test!

Sending me over to the hospital, however, was like sending me to an inner city clinic because it was the unit of the hospital for the uninsured. I had to wait over an hour to be "registered" and then I had to wait 45 minutes for the lab to do the throat swab. Then, because Medicaid only covers labwork at one particular chain of labs, they had to send the swab out of the hospital to have it tested elsewhere, even though they had the capacity to test it right then and there.

The results will come back today.

I'm 99% sure I don't have strep. I haven't actually had it since I was a kid. Mostly I was just being a worried mom, worried about giving something so contagious to my baby. But this whole thing felt like a fiasco worthy of a Michael Moore movie; a case of the cure killing you faster than the disease.

Quote of the Day

A: "Maybe we should turn the blanket so the butt nugget spot is down by our feet."

J: "Yeah, but the other side has the gack stain on it."

-- In a household with four cats, a discussion on which way to put the blanket

back on the bed after changing the sheets.

The real story of Hanukkah

This is the third in a series of newsletter columns, written for the Temple where I am a rabbinic intern:

As the Bible’s favorite melancholist, Ecclesiastes, put it עת לפרוץ ועת לבנות -- there is a time to tear down and a time to build up (3:3). It’s a phrase that has crossed my mind many times in rabbinical school, where an inescapable part of the process seems to be learning that the “truths” we grew up with aren’t quite what they were cracked up to be.

In the first year of school, I learned the distinction between “law” and “tradition” (or minhag). Before that year, so many things that seemed sacrosanct, were, I found out, merely social customs that had evolved in certain parts of the Jewish world. This isn’t to say that traditions don’t carry weight, but the revelation opened up an entire range of choices that had never existed before – which is both freeing and frightening.

For years I had heard it was forbidden to name a child after a living relative. It turns out, that’s minhag, and minhag only among Ashkenazi communities. Sephardic communities consider it an honor to name a child after a living relative. What prayers we say during Friday and Saturday services are hugely dependent on minhag – so much so it can be challenging to lead services in liberal communities where people are open to experimentation. Figuring out which prayers you have to keep in and which are optional takes far more skill than the “traditional” mode of prayer where everything is done by rote.

The second year of school, during the second week of biblical history class, we were told that the Exodus may have never happened and that we didn’t emigrate from Egypt – the early Israelites were actually no different from Canaanites. Well, if that doesn’t constitute “tearing down,” I don’t know what does! Suffice it to say, we spent nearly an hour “processing” those tidbits of biblical scholarship and sharing how we felt about them.

Now, this year, in my rabbinic history class, we spent several weeks exploring the Hanukkah story, and learning all sorts of sordid details about the Maccabean heros that are conveniently left out of children’s stories.

The basics of the story are simple enough: The Maccabees were a Jewish liberation movement that won independence from the Hellenistic leader Antiochus. They founded a royal dynasty, called the Hasmoneans, and established independence in the land of Israel for about 100 years (164 – 63 BCE).

The details get a little more complicated. While it is true that Antiochus was issuing ever-stricter edicts against the Jewish people, his actions were actually a reaction against growing nationalism and insurgency by small bands of what might be called Jewish “traditionalists” – Jews opposed to the Hellenistic (Greek-influenced) behaviors of the majority Jews around them. Antiochus' crackdown was basically an attempt to quell disorder and inter-Jewish conflict. As one of my classmate’s put it: It would be like a group of orthodox Jews today starting an insurgency against liberal Jews, believing they are behaving “too American.” And the orthodox winning!

With the establishment of the Hasmonean dynasty, a series of strict (and, we would believe) repressive laws were put into place against “progressive” (or Hellenistic) life. Worst of all, the Hasmoneans established illegitimate rule at the Jerusalem Temple, which caused conflict for generations.

“The Hasmonean experience was to have a profound impact upon Judaism in Judea and its environs,” explains Martin S. Jaffee in his book Early Judaism. “The bitterness spawned in the battle against Hellenism did not dissipate with the Hasmonean victory. To the contrary, as the Hasmonean dynasty wore on, it was routinely accused by outsiders to power of betraying the original ideals of the anti-Hellenistic revolution, of outdistancing even the ancient Hellenizers in diluting the pure essence of Judaism. Opponents could easily question the legitimacy of Hasmonean political leadership from two perspectives: as Kings, the leaders were not Davidic; as High Priests, they were not descended from Aaron through Zadok. From the mid-second century BCE and after … the Temple and its priesthood became a source of conflict… ."

So there you have it: the “real” story of Hanukkah! I think it illustrates beautifully why adult Jewish learning is so important. I love the children’s version, and would never want to change it – but look at how much richer and more textured the story becomes when we explore it as grownups!

Jewish-Muslim healing

I felt very proud to read about the work the rabbi of my former congregation in Denver is doing toward improving Muslim-Jewish relations. To read more about it, visit:
www.ijn.com/features/563-colorado-muslim-society-bnai-chavurah-

This article reminded me of an email I received recently from the Shalom Center, a Philadelphia nonprofit run by Rabbi Arthur Waskow, which is dedicated to promoting peace throughout the world. The email, sent soon after the tragic terrorist attacks in Mumbai, included a reproduction of official condemndations sent out by Muslim organizations in the wake of the attacks.

The organization assembled this list because we Americans have a tendency of assuming that the Muslim world is staying silent in the midst of these autrocities. "Over the years, I have noticed a pattern like this," Waskow states. "When some terrorist group claiming roots in Islam commits a mass murder, Muslim organizations denounce those actions. The mainstream US media ignore such denunciations. Then some people denounce the Muslim world for the absence of condemnations against terrorism, and grow new fury against Islam. In the hope of forestalling this sequence, I am sending (below) some quotations and citations of Muslim responses to the Mumbai murders."

The content of these statements is less important than the fact they are being issued.


Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
CAIR Condemns Mumbai Attacks
Muslim Civil Rights Group Demands that Hostages Be 'Released Immediately and Unconditionally'
Press Release: Council on American-Islamic Relations
November 27, 2008

A prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group today condemned attacks on a number of sites in the Indian financial capital of Mumbai that left at least 100 people dead and many more injured.The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) also called for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages taken during the attacks. Witnesses say the attackers sought out American and British citizens.[ ...]
In a statement, CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad said: "We condemn these cowardly attacks and demand that all hostages taken by the attackers be released immediately and unconditionally. We offer sincere condolences to the loved ones of those killed or injured in these senseless and inexcusable acts of violence against innocent civilians. American Muslims stand with our fellow citizens of all faiths in repudiating acts of terror wherever they take place and whomever they target."
The Washington-based group also asked the Indian government to protect all its citizens from the type of retaliatory attacks that have taken place following similar incidents in the recent past.CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 35 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)
MPAC Condemns Mumbai Terror Attacks
November 26, 2008
The Muslim Public Affairs Council today condemned a series of seven terror attacks in Mumbai, India, which have left at least 80 dead, and more than 900 injured. According to media reports, about 40 British nationals and other foreigners are currently being held hostage at a Mumbai hotel.[ ... ] Those responsible for these brutal and immoral attacks should be swiftly brought to justice. Islam considers the use of terrorism to be unacceptable for any purpose.
"We at MPAC extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and the Indian people. As Americans, we are familiar with the imminent and the long-term repercussions of terrorism," said Executive Director Salam Al-Marayati. "Here at home, we remain committed to combating, rejecting and effectively countering the scourge of terrorism in all forms."
Founded in 1988, the Muslim Public Affairs Council is an American institution which informs and shapes public opinion and policy by serving as a trusted resource to decision makers in government, media and policy institutions. MPAC is also committed to developing leaders with the purpose of enhancing the political and civic participation of Muslim of Muslim American. MPAC offices are located in Washington, DC, New York City and Los Angeles.

Indian Muslim Council-USA
US Based Indian American Group Denounces Terrorist Attacks in Mumbai
November 27, 2008
Indian Muslim Council-USA
IMC-USA (http://www.imc-usa.org), an advocacy group dedicated towards safeguarding India's pluralist and tolerant ethos, denounces in strongest possible terms the terror attacks in Mumbai, the financial capital of India. IMC-USA empathizes with the families of victims, hostages and police officers killed in the attacks and hopes for the safe release of the hostages.
Rasheed Ahmed, President of IMC-USA said: "The perpetrators of these crimes against humanity should be captured and punished to the maximum extent of the law."
IMC-USA calls on the Indian government to find ways to increase the safety and security of ordinary citizens as well as provide immediate and adequate compensation to all the victims of this carnage. Recent years have witnessed an alarming growth in the number of groups committing mindless acts of violence against innocent civilians. In the past few months alone there has been a string of bomb blasts in many cities, ethnic cleansing and targeting of minorities, police harassment and scapegoating of innocent civilians and fake encounter killings.
"The Home Minister is responsible for this widespread deterioration of law order and security situation and should be held accountable," stated Rasheed Ahmed.
IMC-USA also calls on the Indian government to setup a high level commission to investigate the increasing scourge of violence and terrorism in the country and ways to engage the civil society in effectively curbing this menace.

Kashmiri American Council (KAC)
Mumbai Terrorist Attacks Reprehensible Crimes Against Humanity: Dr. Fai
November 27, 2008
The Kashmiri American Council (KAC) expressed its utter disgust at the terrorist attacks perpetrated in Mumbai, India. Condemning the bestiality in the strongest terms, the KAC pledged to contribute, in whatever form possible, to the rehabilitation effort of the affected families.
Dismayed at the photos displaying the carnage, fleeing victims and burning buildings, Executive Director of KAC, Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, prayed that the authorities would pursue all reasonable efforts to investigate, apprehend, and punish those who are guilty of committing these reprehensible crimes against humanity.
The KAC Board, in an extraordinary meeting, pledged to oppose those who would resort to violence in order to pursue whatever ends they claimed. Reports indicating that terrorists specifically targeted Western tourists further aggravate enlightened sensibilities. Targeted victimization of innocents has no justification and encourages retribution from any and all quarters. To that end, the KAC hopes that all India's citizenry allows for a cooling period and hopes that communal harmony prevails during this troubling time in India s history.

Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN)
CAIR-CAN Condemns Mumbai Attacks Islamic Group Hopes for Safe and Speedy Return of Hostages
November 28, 2008
The Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN) today condemned the attacks in Mumbai, India in which Montreal actor Michael Rudder and Toronto yoga instructor Helen Connolly were wounded. Currently, six Canadians are also unaccounted for and are believed to be held hostage.
Foreigners from diverse countries, including Canada, the U.S., the U.K., Sweden, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Yemen, Israel, New Zealand and Singapore, are among those being held captive according to Indian officials. "We categorically condemn the Mumbai attacks and demand that all hostages be immediately released. We also pray for the safe and speedy return of those held captive," said Sameer Zuberi, CAIR-CAN Communications Coordinator.
"Our condolences go out to the families of those victimized in these tragic events. As people of faith we must strongly speak out against the terrorizing and kidnapping of innocent civilians," Zuberi added. CAIR-CAN also called on the Canadian government to direct all resources necessary to assist those Canadians affected by the Mumbai attacks.

MuslimMatters.org
From Muslims Condemn Mumbai Terror Attack
By Brad A. Greenberg
Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles
November 26, 2008
www.jewishjournal.com/thegodblog/item/muslims_condemn_mubai_terror_attack_20081126/
Muslims worldwide have been denouncing the attacks, and not parsing their words. This condemnation is from MuslimMatters.org:
Regardless of who was involved, the people who carried these attacks out are animals, with little sense of humanity or morality. As Muslims, we condemn such senseless carnage against innocent civilians, wherever it may occur. This goes against the fundamental spirit of Islam, which promotes a culture of life and humanity, not bloodshed and violence. And another example of why extremist ideology, whatever that ideology may be, needs to be refuted and condemned. "Whoever kills a person [unjustly]… it is as though he has killed all mankind. And whoever saves a life, it is as though he had saved all mankind." (Qur'an, 5:32)
Today, we join all Indians in expressing our outrage and our condemnation of this senseless spilling of innocent blood.
May Allah grant patience to the victims of terrorism, and may He extract full justice against the perpetrators.

Leaders of Muslim Majority Nations, Arab League Slam Mumbai Terrorism
Agence Frances Presse and Africasia (UK)
November 27, 2008
http://www.africasia.com/services/news/newsitem.php?area=mideast=081127131945.2rm0mkv6.php


The Shalom Center 6711 Lincoln Drive Philadelphia, PA 19119
www.shalomctr.org office@shalomctr.org 215.844.8494

Quote of the Day

"I wish it were three hours later so I would have an excuse to go to bed."

-- Aaron, 6:15 p.m.

Yes, they are exciting times here on Delmont Avenue...

Parshat Chayai Sarai

This semester, I’m taking a course on poverty and social justice, and one of our units focused on land acquisition in the Bible. I’d like to share with you some of what I learned, since one of the more famous stories related to land acquisition is actually found in this week’s Torah portion, Chaye Sarai, the Life of Sarah.

Although called “The Life of Sarah,” our portion actually begins with Sarah’s death. Interestingly, she is not with Abraham when she dies, and once word reaches her husband, he begins negotiations to purchase a cave and its surrounding land not only for her burial place, but for the burial of his future progeny.

The story takes up the entire chapter, and I’d like to take a moment to go over the story together.

Genesis Chapter 23

And Sarah was a 127 years old; these were the years of the life of Sarah.
And Sarah died in Kiriath-Arba; which is Hebron in the land of Canaan; and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.
And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke to the Hittites, saying,
“I am a stranger and a sojourner with you; give me possession of a burying place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”
And the Hittites answered Abraham, saying to him,
“Hear us, my lord; you are a mighty prince among us; in the choice of our tombs bury your dead; none of us shall withhold from you his tomb, that you may bury your dead.”
And Abraham stood up, and bowed to the people of the land, to the Hittites.
And he talked with them, saying, “If your mind is that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar.
That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he has, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me as a possession of a burying place amongst you.”
And Ephron lived among the Hittites; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites, of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying,
“No, my lord, hear me; the field I give to you, and the cave that is in it, I give it to you; in the presence of the sons of my people I give it to you; bury your dead.”
And Abraham bowed down before the people of the land.
And he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “But if you will give it, I beg you, hear me; I will give you money for the field; take it from me, and I will bury my dead there.”
And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,
“My lord, listen to me; the land is worth 400 shekels of silver. What is that between you and me? Bury therefore your dead.”
And Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, 400 shekels of silver, current money among the merchants.
And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders around, were made over
To Abraham for a possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at the gate of his city.
And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan.
And the field, and the cave that is in it, were made over to Abraham for a possession of a burying place by the Hittites.

There are many striking elements of this story, and one mystery.

· First, the description of the negotiation is quite detailed, making this story actually longer than the Akeidah – the binding and near sacrifice of Isaac.

· Two, this is the only example of land purchase in the Bible that involves money. There is one other case of land purchase in the Bible, but there, the currency is in the form of sheep.

· The mystery involves the presence of the Hittites, who are associated with a region of modern day Turkey. The trouble is, there is no evidence that the Hittites ever lived this far south – so their presence in the story is puzzling. If this story was written in the late 8th century BCE, as many scholars surmise, it was the Assyrians who controlled the region. But even if it were written at another time, there was no time when the Hittites were in power here.

· Finally, regardless of that quixotic detail, it is clear that the author of this chapter is trying very hard to stress the legitimacy of the trade agreement. The Hittites offer to give the land to Abraham for free, and three times, the text tells us, Abraham pays 400 shekels for it and seven times, the text says, Abraham stated the contract in earshot of a group of Hittite witnesses. It is clear that there is a real emphasis on the sale’s validity.

What makes Abraham’s insistence on purchasing the land so interesting from a literary perspective is that up until this point, God has done nothing but tell Abraham that he is going to receive the land of Canaan as his inheritance.

In Genesis 12, Abraham is first told he will be given the land. In the next chapter, 13, God says to him: “As far as you can see, North, East, South and West, the land is for you and your offspring forever.” Then in Genesis 15, God tells Abraham that all of his offspring will get the land. Now, in Genesis 23, we learn that Abraham goes out and pays for a piece of it!

From a historical perspective, Abraham’s purchase raises some tantalizing questions. Was the emphasis on purchase and validity so strident because the author was trying to assert the right of the Israelites to live on land now being occupied by Assyria? And by naming the fictional Hittites, he avoided potentially enraging the ruling power?

Or is the land purchase story simply a later insertion by someone who just didn’t notice the incongruity of having Abraham purchase land that only a few chapters earlier had been promised to him by God.

Or, is the promise-purchase contradiction not a contradiction at all? God promised the land to the Israelites, but maybe that never was meant to mean we wouldn’t have to pay for it. Maybe it simply meant whomever we would buy it from would be amenable to selling – as the Hittites apparently were.

It’s a question we may never answer, but is fun to wrestle with.

This story of the purchase of the cave at Machpelah is the first story of land acquisition in the Bible, but it is far from the last. Our tradition gives us other, equally vexing stories that describe entirely different ways in which we acquired the land.

The books of Numbers and Judges describe a peaceful allotting of the lands by a Goral, or lottery, system. The Book of Joshua describes a bloody blitzkrieg series of battles in which the Israelites conquered the land in pockets, and decimated the local inhabitants.

There is, in other words, more than one version of the story. But those are other stories for another time.

An open letter from Alice Walker to Barack Obama

http://www.theroot.com/id/48726

Nov. 5, 2008

Dear Brother Obama,

You have no idea, really, of how profound this moment is for us. Us being the black people of the Southern United States. You think you know, because you are thoughtful, and you have studied our history. But seeing you deliver the torch so many others before you carried, year after year, decade after decade, century after century, only to be struck down before igniting the flame of justice and of law, is almost more than the heart can bear.

And yet, this observation is not intended to burden you, for you are of a different time, and, indeed, because of all the relay runners before you, North America is a different place. It is really only to say: Well done. We knew, through all the generations, that you were with us, in us, the best of the spirit of Africa and of the Americas. Knowing this, that you would actually appear, someday, was part of our strength. Seeing you take your rightful place, based solely on your wisdom, stamina and character, is a balm for the weary warriors of hope, previously only sung about.

I would advise you to remember that you did not create the disaster that the world is experiencing, and you alone are not responsible for bringing the world back to balance. A primary responsibility that you do have, however, is to cultivate happiness in your own life. To make a schedule that permits sufficient time of rest and play with your gorgeous wife and lovely daughters. And so on.

One gathers that your family is large. We are used to seeing men in the White House soon become juiceless and as white-haired as the building; we notice their wives and children looking strained and stressed. They soon have smiles so lacking in joy that they remind us of scissors. This is no way to lead. Nor does your family deserve this fate.

One way of thinking about all this is: It is so bad now that there is no excuse not to relax. From your happy, relaxed state, you can model real success, which is all that so many people in the world really want. They may buy endless cars and houses and furs and gobble up all the attention and space they can manage, or barely manage, but this is because it is not yet clear to them that success is truly an inside job. That it is within the reach of almost everyone.

I would further advise you not to take on other people's enemies. Most damage that others do to us is out of fear, humiliation and pain. Those feelings occur in all of us, not just in those of us who profess a certain religious or racial devotion. We must learn actually not to have enemies, but only confused adversaries who are ourselves in disguise. It is understood by all that you are commander in chief of the United States and are sworn to protect our beloved country; this we understand, completely.

However, as my mother used to say, quoting a Bible with which I often fought, "hate the sin, but love the sinner." There must be no more crushing of whole communities, no more torture, no more dehumanizing as a means of ruling a people's spirit. This has already happened to people of color, poor people, women, children. We see where this leads, where it has led.

A good model of how to "work with the enemy" internally is presented by the Dalai Lama, in his endless caretaking of his soul as he confronts the Chinese government that invaded Tibet. Because, finally, it is the soul that must be preserved, if one is to remain a credible leader. All else might be lost; but when the soul dies, the connection to earth, to peoples, to animals, to rivers, to mountain ranges, purple and majestic, also dies.

And your smile, with which we watch you do gracious battle with unjust characterizations, distortions and lies, is that expression of healthy self-worth, spirit and soul, that, kept happy and free and relaxed, can find an answering smile in all of us, lighting our way, and brightening the world.

We are the ones we have been waiting for.

In Peace and Joy,

Alice Walker

The Obama victory: impact around the world

Like most folks I know, I was absolutely glued to the TV last night, watching the returns role in with baited breath. And I couldn't possibly go to bed without hearing Obama's and McCain's speeches. Hats off to John; I was immensely impressed by how gracious he was.

Of course the baby still got up three times last night, so color me Two Sheets to the Wind today.

I woke up this morning to read two touching emails from two friends who live abroad. I think their words illustrate just how much this Obama victory means not only to Americans, but to our friends all around the world. As the commentators were saying last night on CNN, this election has given us a real chance to redeem ourselves and our reputations on the world stage, and indeed it appears that is already happening.

From Liora, a Jewish woman from Holland:

CONGRATULATIONS !!!!

I heard this morning at the 6 O'clock News that Obama was elected. Barukh HaShem!!

The national Radio 2 broadcast Obama's speech and played "Coming to America" by Neil Diamond, then broadcast a little bit of Bush congratulating Obama, but that was faded out, followed by a (early seventies) Dutch protest song called "Mr. President" about all the killings which somehow don't bother the president in his sleep, and that was followed by: "Hit the road Jack (Bush) and don't you come back no more no more no more no more, hit the road Jack (Bush) and don't you come back no more!" (I thought that was quite funny!)

From Vera, a Muslim Israeli who will be coming to the U.S. to study next year:

Dear beloved friends and family,

Don't even wonder how Obama got me and Aead, people who live on the other side of the world, all excited about him becoming the US president. He is a miracle. As non-Americans, non-white, that are coming to the US soon, Me and Aead couldn't feel safe and so happy about coming to the states in the middle of a harsh situation and an economic crisis.

When we got to know Obama through his AMAZING speeches, he got us enthusiastic about him winning, he gave us hope although we live across the ocean he touched our hearts, and gave us the hope for a change. Last night we couldn't go to sleep (day time at the US is night time here), no one in our families understood why me and Aead are watching news from the states, they thought that we can go to sleep and then see the results in the morning. When he was announced winner, I couldn't stop myself from crying loud, Aead kept greeting me: Mabrook, Mabrook....

Now we feel much more safer about coming the the US, we feel hope in the air, we feel the positive energy that change has already brought. I want to thank you all, specially those who worked very hard to help Obama win, scarifies their time, put a lot of energy and efforts to help.

Thank you, Mabrook, God bless you. See you soon

Vera and Aead

Amen