All in the Family



As we make our way through the book of Genesis Abraham comes to the center of the stage. We are told about his great faith, his amazing trust in an unseen and unnamed God, and his zeal to spread the message of monotheism in a world not yet ready for the truth.
While most commentators, rabbis, and teachers focus on the spiritual attainments of Abraham, I think we do our ancestors a disservice if we do not look at his story from a very human viewpoint. Abraham was a rebel and a free-thinker! To his contemporaries Abraham was positing ideas that went against the status-quo. He was teaching revolutionary ideas that countered everything that any of his listeners had been taught. We never think of Abraham in those terms- we tend to think of a kindly older man, maybe a grandfather type, who is urging people to do the right thing. We hardly ever see the real struggle that he faced as a proponent of a revolutionary new way of looking at the world. Abraham was a real hero but a hero who was little appreciated in his own time. He displayed a daring bravery to speak the truth in an age in which people had become all-too-accustomed to believing in the lies and myths of the past.
As Jews we take pride in being the descendants of Abraham. We boldly assert that we, the people of Abraham, have taught the world that there is only one God. We take pride in tracing the source of our religion back to a man who was but a single voice for truth. I would ask you to consider making another bold assumption about your “yichus” to Abraham.
If Abraham were alive today he would be considered the most politically-incorrect person alive. He would state what he believed without the fear that he would offend someone else and without the need to “qualify” his values and opinions. No, he would not try to offend other people or to detract or demean their beliefs but he would have no hesitation in standing for what he thought was right. Most of all he would never feel the need to apologize for his beliefs. If only we could have a little of his spirit now!
Very few of us will live up to that connection to Abraham. Far too many of us are afraid to say what we really think because we are afraid that it might be unpopular. The world we live in today seems to be one that discourages belief in anything- anything and everything is “fine.” You mind your business and I will take care of mine. Do realize that if you said “I am proud to be a Jew” some would accuse you of being ethnocentric or bigoted or worse. God forbid we should encounter someone who offers a value judgment concerning right and wrong. Such a person instantly becomes a pariah, a snob, a “hater.”
Abraham did make it possible for our people to be moral teachers, to teach about one God, and to teach that even God is subject to an absolute sense of morality and justice. Abraham also still challenges us by example- we fall short of that example any time that we do not speak up for our beliefs, any time we hesitate to speak because we are worried about what is “popular.” Find your voice- find your “inner Abraham.”

Each in His Own Way
This week we observe Yom Kippur- a day of fasting and prayer, a day of fresh beginnings. I share with you a story that gives an insight into the potential that each of us harbors. On Yom Kippur we can harness that potential or ignore it for another year.
The rabbi noticed a man in the back of the synagogue who was crying. While the rest of the congregation stood dutifully intoning the holiday prayers, this man stood silent except for the faint sound of his weeping. Hoping to console him the rabbi made his way back to him to inquire why he wept. The man told his story: “Everyone else has come to pray to the Almighty. They recite the holy words of our ancestors and God hears their prayer. I cry because I am a simple farmer. I never learned to read. All I know is to recite the Aleph-Bet. Surely God will not answer my prayer.”The rabbi responded: “Your sincere tears are prayer enough for God to hear. You may worship God by reciting the Aleph-Bet. That is your special way to petition your Creator.”
This is an important lesson to learn for Yom Kippur. We can fall into the trap of thinking that everything we do has to be judged in comparison to others. We may be a part of a congregation reciting communal prayers but only we know what is in our hearts. The man in the story mistakenly thought that only formal prayer was worthy of God’s attention. His simple recitation was as precious as the prayer of the most gifted Cantor. God allows each of us to be a unique individual. Doesn’t make sense that each of us might have a special, individual way to worship Him? No matter how you are able to address God the simple fact of wanting to address Him is the essence.
Although Yom Kippur is a “community” holiday, it is perhaps the most personal and intimate of the holidays. We all ask for forgiveness but only you know why you are asking. We all ask for long life but only I know what I hope to do with the years I am given. We all say we will do better but that phrase means something different to each of us.
In Hebrew we call worship “avodah,” a word that means service or, in modern Hebrew, work. If we truly want to worship God we do so through service. Very often we best serve God by serving our fellow human beings. Like all aspects of worship, that service may be something different for each of us. In the year ahead you may be presented with many opportunities to live up to the words you recite on Yom Kippur. Whether you are fluent in Hebrew or can only recite the Aleph-Bet God hears and heeds the petitions you place before Him. What he asks in return is that you find your unique way to serve Him in return. That is the real potential for the year ahead- to find that unique talent or gift that God has given each of us and put it to use in creating a world that is a little bit more like Yom Kippur- all of us working toward the same goal.

Celebrating a Labor-less Day

This year everyone will be saying that Rosh HaShanna “came early.” Of course if you look at the Jewish calendar you will see that Rosh HaShannah came just when it should. The idea of “early and late” comes from our reference to the civil calendar that we use every day. This year our sense of “early” is also due to the fact that Rosh HaShannah comes right after Labor Day. (Oy, so early!) Let’s take a look at what Labor Day can teach us about celebrating Rosh HaShannah.
Labor Day is a day to honor those who work hard- we do so by giving them (and ourselves) a day off from working! Well, how would we honor labor, by making everyone work harder? Jewish holidays are like Labor Day- we mark the cycle of work and accomplishment by a day of rest. It is a good reminder that the best part of the ride is taking the time to get off the rollercoaster and watch it go by. Just as Labor Day comes once a year so does Rosh HaShannah- it is an annual event that gives us the chance to “hop off the train” and catch our breath. It is both the anniversary of the creation of the world and the creation of humanity. Rosh HaShannah marks the creation of the raw materials and the creation of man who, through creativity and labor, was given the task of bringing all the raw material to its full potential.
I have always wished that I had more creative ability- I am always amazed by artists who can paint a beautiful picture guided only by the vision they see in their mind. I have always wondered how an artist knows that a painting is “done.” How do you know when the last brush stroke has been made? When to stop mixing colors in search of just the right shade? When is that “ah-ha” moment when the picture is done and the artist can stand back and appreciate his own work?
Those questions are the ones that confront us on Labor Day and Rosh HaShannah. When do we know that our efforts are complete? When can we stand back and say that we have attended to every detail? For some projects it’s an easy question- if you are painting a house it is pretty easy to know when every wall has been painted. It’s a much harder question to know when the task of turning a house into a “home” is completed.
In each of our lives we are called upon to perform many tasks- some of which, we can, on those “labor-less” days, stand back and say “job well done.” There are other tasks (usually the more important ones) that have no end. On “labor-less” days we can only stand back and look at the progress that we have made.
Rosh HaShannah is such a day- we celebrate creation- an on- going process- we pause from our labor to see how we are doing as God’s partners. Rosh HaShannah is also a day on which we pause to look at the efforts we have made in the tasks that will never be completed- self-betterment and the painting of our personal masterpiece.

A Call To Heal

With this special issue of the Journal we are reminded of the many lives that have been impacted by Breast Cancer. We are reminded of stories of loss as well as stories of triumph. More and more women are now comfortable sharing their stories- the more we know the more we can join together to take steps to see that healing comes to all in need.
It is ironic that as I scan today’s news I am reminded of the inability of our leaders to reach a workable solution to the health care question- at a time in which public awareness has grown like never before we still face the same debate- how do we provide medical care for all of the people in our country. I have no magic answers but I do have faith that there is some solution that will work.
I think it would be hard to find someone who has not been impacted by the sufferings caused by Breast Cancer- all of us have family members, friends, and loved ones who have been plagued by a disease that has become all too common. This special issue of the Journal should spark a common reaction among all of us- “What can I do?” We put our faith in doctors, we try every form of treatment, and we still feel like we are not doing enough. There is nothing worse than seeing someone we love suffer and feeling powerless to help.
One thing we can all do is very tangible and will help everyone- let’s put politics aside. We already know that “business as usual” has crippled our nation. Whether you are on the right or the left you cannot ignore the truth- there has to be some way to insure (no pun intended) that all people can receive the medical treatment that they need. Breast Cancer Awareness Month is the right time for all of us to focus on the needs of those who need healing. No one would disagree but no one has answered the call.
Judaism places an absolute value on every human life. You may have heard the phrase “He who saves a single life has saved the entire world.” Those words were never more meaningful than at this very moment. We now have the science and treatments to heal many diseases. We are growing closer to being able to eradicate more diseases but, at the same moment, we are locked in a battle about how to accomplish these goals. Yes, it is complicated. Yes, it is expensive. Yes, it has brought our government to a total standstill. None of these facts mean that it can’t be done. What would you do to restore health to someone you love? Anything it takes? That’s what our leaders need to do.
If your life has been touched by Breast Cancer you know that it is not an abstraction- it is as real as real can be. It is the nightmare diagnosis that we all fear to hear. Let’s use what we have learned about the power of public awareness and public advocacy to a larger arena. The chances are that most of us will, at some point, need serious health care. We can’t allow that care to be beyond the reach of some of our people. Our government can’t figure out how to do this but I believe that, working together, we can.

Say a Blessing

There is an adage in the Talmud that says a Jew should recite one hundred blessings a day. Most of us are familiar with a few blessings: one for bread, one for wine, one for a joyous event, and even one for a new fruit. There are actually many other kinds of blessing that are little known. These tend to be blessings to acknowledge unusual events or seeing usual things. One could say that Jews are constantly stopping to thank God for every event during the day. So what is the point- an usual or joyous event in our lives brings its own reason for pause. An open heart can’t help but pause a moment as we see a beautiful sunset or the beauty of the ocean. We don’t necessarily need to be reminded of such special moments. The point is that we need to be reminded to be thankful for every, albeit less inspiring moments, like the simple act of eating.

There are many times that religious teachers struggle with explaining the important principles of Judaism. We like short simple answers – we especially like short simple answers to long complicated questions! Such a question that I hear all the time is “What is the most important idea for a Jew to believe?” Of course there is no single, most important idea or doctrine. It would be like asking the most important ingredient in a recipe. It is the sum total of ingredients that make the dish, not just one spice or flavor. I never like to say that Judaism can be boiled down to one such ingredient- it’s the sum total of Judaism’s recipe for life that makes us the holy nation that we are. It takes many ingredients for such a complicated recipe. Just think about it- how many people have wondered the how and why of Jewish existence.

While being Jewish is no easy dish to prepare, I do think that some of the ingredients are essential. One of those essentials is a big dash of gratitude mixed with a healthy proportion of perspective. We are always quick to think of what we lack rather than appreciating what we have. We are always quick to dismiss what is around us in search of something, the next big thing, the exotic. That is when we need to open Judaism’s cookbook and be reminded of what counts most in this messy, messy kitchen called life.

Judaism asks us to always pause and be thankful for each precious moment and be thankful for the ability to create such moments. Sometimes we might speed right by the best moment in the day and not even know it. Take a deep breath and thank God for life- if you were ill you would be very grateful for that moment! Walk on the beach and appreciate the beauty of the ocean. Take a moment and enjoy the flavor of fresh bread. All ample reasons to say a blessing, all ample reasons to keep perspective.

Be a Jew who is grateful for everything that comes your way. No, it may not all be good but that is where perspective teaches you to say a blessing for your ability to keep going. Find one hundred reasons to be grateful and I guarantee that you will find one hundred more.

Syria: A Lose- Lose Situation

For the past two years we have watched the civil war in Syria spiral into more and more human tragedy. As we go to press the death toll stands at 90,000 (more by some estimates) and our government has announced that Assad has crossed the “red line” as solid evidence mounts that he has used chemical weapons on the rebels. For many of us it is very hard to be concerned- Syria is an enemy of Israel- so we take some solace in the fact that our enemies are on a course of self-destruction. Our solace will be very short lived if we only take a look at the bigger picture. I would like to offer some thoughts about why you, an American Jew, should be concerned about Syria.

First, as a human being, you should be concerned about the loss of human life. There is nothing more precious than a single human life no matter what his or her religion or politics. To tolerate a government that murders its citizens with chemicals is wrong- the world should react quickly and strongly to end Assad’s rule. He has joined the ranks of Hitler and Stalin by killing his own people and ignoring the international consensus that chemical warfare is immoral. Although it is not something that I say or write lightly, I hope that America will lead the way in helping the rebels defend themselves.  I also recognize that that too is a lose-lose situation because of another reality.

Everyone who calls himself a friend of Israel should be concerned about the civil war in Syria. We cannot just stand back and watch with the “let them kill themselves” attitude. If the lessons of the so-called “Arab spring” have taught us anything it should warn us to be careful about what we wish for – the Arab spring brought groups into power that are filled with more hate than the governments that fell. It seems as if the Middle East is on a non-stop course from bad to worse. Do not believe the naiveté of those who speak about democracy and freedom in the Arab world- that is a dream that will never happen. Assad has been a constant threat to Israel but there are many indications that a rebel-lead government would be even worse. Again a catch 22 – do we hope that Assad will survive the challenge because he is a known quantity? Do we just sit back and hope that a new regime won’t be “that much worse?”

Many Americans have grown war-weary. In retrospect we see that Iraq was a mistake. We see that Afghanistan is a fiasco only waiting to get worse. We are bitter about the loss of so many American lives that, in the view of many, will have been for nothing. We are also bitter about the economics of war- millions of dollars spent fighting wars and helping other countries at a time in which our own country and our own people are in desperate trouble. The money keeps getting printed. People make less. Everything costs more. Against that background it is very hard for many of us to really worry about a civil war in a country that most Americans could not find on a map. Again a lose-lose situation. It is a little too late to become isolationists but it is also a little too late to continue to believe that America can police the entire globe.

Bottom line? We will have to take a terrible gamble- to leave Assad in power is an insult to humanity. The world has to have a shared voice and take a shared action against every regime that murders its own people- it is a moral obligation. We must make the loss a power an immediate threat to any government that sanctions murder. It is the only way we have of protecting humanity against the tyranny of self-appointed rulers. We also have the obligation to be alert – there is no promise that the new bully on the block won’t be worse that his predecessor.

Getting To Know You




When I speak to veterans of World War II there is one story that seems to be repeated all the time- boot camp. The young Jewish draftee is dumped in some camp in a place that he never heard of and finds his way to the barracks filled with soldiers who had never met a Jew before. You know the rest of the story—the young Jewish draftee is asked to show his horns! As crazy as it sounds to us I know those stories are true and, yes, the other soldiers really did expect to see horns.

If anything positive came of such encounters I hope it was a barrack filled with men who learned that Jews do not have horns and, in fact, are just like them in so many ways. It was a reciprocal education- many young Jews learned to live out in the “goyisha velt” and many non-Jews learned that all the stereotypes they had heard were not true. I believe it was a positive encounter. I have always believed that anti-Semitism is bred by ignorance. People will believe almost anything about someone they don’t know. As a rabbi I feel it is a real mitzvah any time I can teach a non-Jew about our religion.

It seems strange but these veterans’ stories came to my mind as I read about a recent vote in the Israeli Knesset. No, not a story about Israelis and Palestinians getting to know each other but about Israelis getting to know each other. Last week a bill was passed that requires young Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) men to be drafted into the Army at age 21. Until now that community had been exempt from service. Needless to say, this has caused much bitterness from those who serve. This move is not a done deal- religious political leaders are still threatening to pull their votes from the coalition government and, as written, the law does not take effect for four years.

There will be much more political fallout to come and no one knows what will happen but I believe there could be one very beneficial effect- by serving in the IDF religious and secular Israelis will be forced to live together and to get to know each other. These two worlds exist side by side in Israel- the secular and the Orthodox. They live in physical proximity but they live in different worlds. This creates a wall that very few ever bother to scale. It only creates hatred and mistrust in both communities

There are several truths that stand behind this new bill. Israel needs a standing army- universal service is not an option it is an unfortunate necessity. Until the burden of protecting Medinat Yisrael is shared equally by all, such service will remain a point of friction and resentment. I know that the Haredim have their own reasons for not wanting to serve in the military but I believe their service and the interaction that it will foster could go a long way toward uniting two parts of Israeli society that have been and remain total strangers to each other. It will be a bitter medicine to many but I believe the patient will be healthier and stronger in the end.