JTS Torah Archive

Judaism’s Two New Years

Mar 23, 2002 By Ismar Schorsch | Commentary | Shabbat Hagadol | Pesah

In the Middle Ages, when rabbis were largely specialists in and adjudicators of Jewish law, they preached in the synagogue but twice a year, on Shabbat Hagadol prior to Passover and on Shabbat Shuvah prior to Yom Kippur. The ritual intricacies of each festival called for some public instruction. The custom highlighted the affinity between these two seasons which each in its own way initiated the start of a new year.

Dove and Rabbit

Mar 23, 2002 By Matthew Berkowitz | Commentary | Tzav | Pesah

The experience of the exodus from Egypt, Yeziat Mitzrayim, which we commemorate on Passover, is indelibly marked in the collective consciousness of the Jewish nation. It is this notion — of having been slaves to the Egyptians — that plays such a profound role in defining the moral and ethical demands that the Torah places on us. Having known the experience of oppression, we are commanded to take that to heart, lest we turn to oppress our fellow human beings. Thus, Passover is a time in which we dwell on the essence of what it is that defines us as a people: how does our experience of slavery shape the way we behave today? What does it mean to be a chosen people? And how is that we as a people deal alternately with powerlessness and power?

The Third Party

Mar 16, 2002 By Melissa Crespy | Commentary | Vayikra

Of the various sacrifices discussed in Parashat Vayikra, the one which struck me this year had, ostensibly, nothing to do with offending or pleasing God! It concerned a guilt offering brought to God after one had wronged his “neighbor” or “fellow”:

“If a person sins and commits a trespass against the Lord by dealing deceitfully with his fellow in the matter of a deposit or a pledge, or through robbery, or by defrauding his fellow, or by finding something lost and lying about it ; if he swears falsely regarding any one of the various things that one may do and sin thereby… ” (Leviticus 5:21).

Va-yikra’s Lessons for Conservative Jews

Mar 16, 2002 By Matthew Berkowitz | Commentary | Vayikra

This week marks the beginning of the third book of the Torah, Vayikra, alternately referred to in Hebrew as Torat Kohanim, the ‘teaching of the priests’, and in Latin as Leviticus. Modern scholars and traditional commentators alike highlight the positioning of Vayikra , literally at the heart of the Five Book of Moses. Such placement of Vayikra speaks to the centrality of its teachings in the Israelite experience, especially as they pertained to the sacrificial cult practiced by the Israelites in the First and Second Temple periods.

From Behind a Cloud

Mar 9, 2002 By Lewis Warshauer | Commentary | Pekudei | Vayak-hel | Purim

The Book of Exodus ends on a note of triumph. The liberation from Egypt was followed by the giving of Torah and the building and dedication of the Tabernacle. God forgives the Israelites for their sin with the golden calf — and, in the closing lines of the book, God’s presence, in the form of a cloud, comes to rest upon the Tabernacle. Nahmanides, in his closing comment on this, the second book of the Torah, gives it the title: the book of redemption.

One Signal, Many Prophets

Mar 2, 2002 By Ismar Schorsch | Commentary | Pekudei | Vayak-hel

This week’s double parashah brings the book of Exodus to a triumphant close. No sooner is the Tabernacle erected (on the first of Nisan, the start of a new year), than it is graced by God’s presence. “When Moses had finished the work, the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting and the Presence of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting, because the cloud had settled upon it and the Presence of the Lord filled the Tabernacle” (40:33-35). The repetition serves to highlight the fact that God had taken up residence in the sanctuary to which all of Israel had contributed. God’s favor was visibly certifiable. The nation would not journey unaccompanied.

Transcending “Soulless Piety”

Mar 2, 2002 By Ismar Schorsch | Commentary | Ki Tissa

Writing in the week of my father’s yahrzeit, I am drawn to reflect again on some of the spiritual heirlooms he left behind. One of my favorites is the piquant term “soulless piety” which he coined to describe an all too common phenomenon that results when ritual observance loses its emotional charge and we find ourselves just going through the motions. Judaism is a religion predicated on behavior rather than belief; compliance outranks spontaneity in its scale of values.

Two Cows

Mar 2, 2002 By Lauren Eichler Berkun | Commentary | Ki Tissa | Shabbat Parah

There is a certain irony when parashat Ki Tissa falls on Shabbat Parah. In our weekly Torah portion, we read about the sin of the golden calf. In the maftir for this special Shabbat preceding Passover, we read about the ritual of the red heifer. Two cows on one Shabbat! One cow represents our complete abandonment of God a mere forty days after the revelation at Mt. Sinai. The other cow represents our ability to purify ourselves in the face of death and defilement.

A Kingdom of Priests

Feb 23, 2002 By Melissa Crespy | Commentary | Tetzavveh

Upon meeting non-Jews who are unfamiliar with what a rabbi is, I often tell them my role is somewhat akin to the role of a priest or a minister in the Christian tradition. But the truth is, there are significant differences between rabbis and priests. While rabbis often “officiate” at life cycle and worship ceremonies, Judaism does not require them to perform these rites. Whereas, in the Catholic church, priests are often the only ones who can perform life cycle and worship ceremonies, known as sacraments.

The Priest’s Brother

Feb 23, 2002 By Matthew Berkowitz | Commentary | Tetzavveh

Parashat T’tzavveh describes the positions of priests and the high priest (cohen gadol), the clothing of their office and their initiation ceremony, complete with sacrifices and incense. Nechama Leibowitz points out an unusual feature of the parasha: Moses’ name does not appear once. He appears indirectly, as God says, “You yourself, speak to all the wise–hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron’s garments to sanctify him…” (Exodus 18:3). But even in the first phrase of the parasha, which so often reads, “And God spoke to Moses, saying…,” in T’tzavveh we read only, “And you yourself shall command the children of Israel (ve ata, tetzaveh et bnei Israel) that they bring you pure olive oil, beaten, for light, to burn a perpetual light” (Exodus 27:20).

Flames That Ascend on Their Own

Feb 23, 2002 By Melissa Crespy | Commentary | Tetzavveh

The Rabbis, ever careful readers of the Torah text, noticed an oddity in the first verse of our parashah. In describing how olive oil shall be brought to light the menorah — the seven—branched lampstand which stood in the Sanctuary — the Torah says: “You shall further instruct the Israelites to bring you [v’yikhu aylekha] clear oil of beaten olives for lighting, for kindling lamps regularly.” Shouldn’t the text say “instruct the Israelites to bring Me …” This was, after all, to be the Sanctuary where the Israelites felt the Divine Presence.

“A Place for Your Stuff.”

Feb 16, 2002 By Joshua Heller | Commentary | Terumah

I’ve always appreciated a monologue by George Carlin on the topic of “a place for your stuff.” The comedian describes the way we accumulate physical things in our homes and basements. When we travel, we take a smaller version of our “stuff” with us.

The Women’s Section

Feb 16, 2002 By Lewis Warshauer | Commentary | Terumah

A woman of valor–who can find her? In ancient Israel, the place one could not find her was in the Temple, except in a section called the ezrat nashim — literally, women’s territory. Only men served in the Temple as priests and Levites. This was partly a consequence of monotheism. In other ancient religions, with goddesses as well as gods, women would often control thetemples to goddesses.

Heavenly Justice

Feb 9, 2002 By Lewis Warshauer | Commentary | Mishpatim

The other day, I was mentioning the wide impact of the books of Rabbi Harold Kushner, and the person I was talking to said, “Oh yes ­ When Good Things Happen to Bad People.” We laughed, because the actual title of the book is When Bad Things Happen to Good People. It is the suffering of good people — or, at least, innocent people — that is so troubling and that accounts for the great popularity of books that address this topic.

Seeing Revelation

Feb 9, 2002 By Lauren Eichler Berkun | Commentary | Mishpatim

The conclusion of this week’s Torah portion raises a profound question about the nature of Revelation. Was the revelation at Sinai an auditory or a visual experience? According to the book of Deuteronomy, the answer is quite clear: “You came forward and stood at the foot of the mountain. The mountain was ablaze with flames to the very skies, dark with densest clouds. The Lord spoke to you out of the fire; you heard the sound of words but perceived no shape — nothing but a voice” (Deut. 4:11).

A Leadership Checklist

Feb 2, 2002 By Joshua Heller | Commentary | Yitro

This week we read parashat Yitro, whose primary focus is the revelation at Sinai, and the Jewish people’s preparation for that unique event in the history of the Jewish people. Aside from several spiritual and ritual preparations, the creation of a effective system of leadership is an essential practical component of the readiness for this great event.

Guilt of the Parents

Feb 2, 2002 By Matthew Berkowitz | Commentary | Yitro

Parashat Yitro is known for the appearance of the Ten Commandments, aseret ha—dibrot, the ten revealed “words” of God. While the majority of demands are straightforward and theologically tenable, a qualification in the second commandment has left generations of Jews wrestling with its implications. God declares, “You shall not make for yourself a sculptured image, or any likeness of what is in the heaven above, or on the earth below . . . You shall not bow down to them or serve them. For I the Lord your God am an impassioned God, visiting the guilt of the parents upon the children (poked avon avot al banim), upon the third and upon the fourth generations of those who reject Me, but showing kindness to the thousandth generation of those who love Me and keep My commandments” (Exodus 20:4—6). How are we to understand this biblical concept of vicarious punishment?

Role of the Synagogue Regarding Newcomers

Jan 26, 2002 By Melissa Crespy | Commentary | Beshallah

Young Ms. Goldberg walks into the doors of a local synagogue.

Turning to God in Celebration, Not Distress

Jan 26, 2002 By Lewis Warshauer | Commentary | Beshallah | Pesah

Last winter, I visited the Ukraine with a number of other American rabbis. Our purpose was learn about the revival of Judaism in the former Soviet Union, and also to do some teaching in places where teachers don’t come that often.The day after arriving in Kiev, we made our way to Zvenogorodka, a town that used to be a shtetl but now has no Jewish neighborhood.

Fear and Power

Jan 19, 2002 By Lewis Warshauer | Commentary | Bo

The final blow is about to fall. The tenth plague, the killing of the first–born of Egypt, is soon to occur. Yet in contrast to the unfolding of the first nine plagues, this one must wait a bit. Two things must happen first: the Israelites must ask their Egyptian neighbors to give them objects of gold and silver, and they must prepare for the first Passover. The Torah explains why the Egyptians would agree to give the Israelites what they request: “The Lord disposed the Egyptians favorably toward the people. Moreover, Moses himself was much esteemed in the land of Egypt [literally, was seen as very great] among Pharaoh’s courtiers and among the people.” (Exodus 11:3)