From the Rabbi
Rabbi Robert L. Wolkoff
Previous Messages
“Praying Attention”
Many explanations make clear why the Torah starts with the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The letter Bet has many meanings that can justify it being chosen to inaugurate the Holy Scriptures. One of the most recognized explanations of the Kli Yakar — 16th century Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim Luntschitz — is a short paragraph in his long commentary on the first verse of the Torah. He quotes Proverbs 9:1: “Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars.” The idea that the Torah begins with the letter that spells the same as a house, and looks like a house, means that the Torah starts at home. It also needs a home.
As in the first sanctuary — the Tent of Meeting — being a tent, the Torah makes it clear it’s not about the building. And Meeting means with God, a place to house God in our hearts. As God says, “Veshachanty betocham.” (I will dwell inside them.) It’s also about meeting other people and praying together. As the second letter of the alphabet, Bet also represents the number two. Number one is reserved for God, but humans need company — community. As much as it’s about the house, and housing the glory of God in a sanctuary, the Shechina, it’s also about the community.
Notably, the Torah doesn’t specify a place for the ultimate House of God. Even Jerusalem is not mentioned in the Torah, for different reasons, but also to tell us that the House of God is not a specified place, but a place of inspiration. Wherever we pray, if we set our hearts toward Jerusalem, Jerusalem will come to us. Thus, any place of worship becomes holy — whether in a synagogue or at home. The place becomes Hamakom — The Place — another name for God Himself. What matters is not the location, but the holy space we ourselves create. A few weeks ago, in Parashat Re’eh (Deuteronomy 11:26 – 16:17), the Torah repeats (16 times) the statement by Moses “…the place which the Lord your God shall choose…” God intentionally does not yet reveal the location of His intended sanctuary. As God’s instruction to Abraham of Lech Lecha, “…go one step at a time to the place I’ll show you.” The Zohar, the main text of the Kaballah, compares God’s directive to Abraham to God’s directive to one’s soul in heaven before it comes down to earth, before it is going to an unknown land.
The lesson is this: revelation is slow. In order to receive it, we need to pay attention in life — to stop and listen, to allow room for faith, to take these breaks and contemplate, to pray. Our whole life in this world is bein Hashemashot — in twilight — with some light and some darkness. In order to find our way, we have to walk slowly. When you are not sure, take it slow. It is designed this way so that our relationship with God and the world will not be in haste. Lo al halechem levado — not just bread, but spiritual journey. In the blessing after meals, the Torah commands us to eat, to be satiated (savaata) and then to bless God. Don’t rush. We are to make room for more than just bread in our lives. Taking a break to pray is the Jewish dessert.
With two weeks remaining until the start of the High Holidays and to do Teshuvah, these changes may be hard to make, but are worthy. Let’s pray attention.
Shana Tova — a happy and sweet 5779 to all.
—Rabbi Gadi Capela
“Temple Rising and Israel’s Nationality Bill”
This year, Tisha B’Av, the 9th day of the month of Av, was observed on Sunday, the 10th of Av, because public mourning and fasting are prohibited on Shabbat. It is a day of mourning for the destruction of both Temples in Jerusalem. Thus, we are encouraged to read the book of Lamentations (Eikha): “How does the city sit solitary, that was full of people! How is she become as a widow! She that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how has she become tributary!” The Second Temple period makes it even more depressing — not only because of what the Romans did to the Jews, but what the Jews did to themselves.
The Rabbis tell us that Jerusalem was destroyed exactly because of that baseless hatred between Jews and Jews, and between Jews and other people who were living in the land at the time. During the latter part of the war against the Romans, the Jews in Jerusalem were divided mainly into three factions. Each faction suspected the other of a lack of loyalty to the national cause. They set fire to each other’s storehouses of grain. They killed each other. As Abraham Lincoln expressed it, could a nation divided against itself fight the mighty Roman legions?
The new Israel Nationality Bill moved forward in a stormy Knesset session. Now, even more than three factions exist, attesting to an expression of diversity. Although the new law contains only a few actual legal implications, and it does not impact the citizenship of a non-Jew in Israel, still, Jerusalem comes under fire for its new Basic Law, which is similar, in fact, to many European constitutions. The law is mostly a modern version of the old nationalistic aspirations, and a long-awaited re-establishment of national identity and sovereignty.
In an article in the July 19 Wall Street Journal, Eugene Kontorovich wrote: “Get Over It—Israel Is the Jewish State.” The article begins with the following statement: “Let the handwringing and denunciations begin. On Thursday, Israel finally expressed in constitutional law the basic achievement of Zionism: Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people. In the seven years since the new provision was first proposed, it has attracted a barrage of criticism from the U.S. and Europe. Foreign politicians have demanded Israel not pass the law, and they have not been mollified by the removal of most of its disputed provisions.”
Perhaps Kontorovich was referring to the proposal that communities could be established based on “religion or ethnicity,” which was replaced with a statement of support for Jewish settlement. This law is declarative, not operative; it articulates “values.” It gives status to the Law of Return and to symbols — flag, anthem, etc. — and fixes Israel as “the Jewish State,” homeland of the Jewish people, and Hebrew as the official language.
The Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research, established in 1998 by former Swedish Prime Minister Göran Persson, was designed to fight anti-Semitism by uniting governments and experts to strengthen, advance and promote Holocaust education. According to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, modern anti-Semitism is in several ways relative to the Nationality Bill. Among other provisions that relate directly to the Holocaust, the bill calls it anti-Semitic to deny the Jewish people their right to self-determination, to consider the existence of the State of Israel as a racist endeavor, and to require of Israel behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.
This week, July 27-28 is Shabbat Nachamu, which takes its name from the Book of Isaiah (40:1-26) and speaks of “comforting” the Jewish people for their suffering. May Shabbat Nachamu bring us true consolation.
—Rabbi Gadi Capela
“A Limb of a Living Animal”
Earlier this year, when we were dealing with the issue of a path to citizenship for the so-called Dreamers, children brought to this country by illegal immigrants, I wrote “Let My People Stay.” In my essay, I compared the discussion about immigration to that of abortion. I claimed that America may secure its borders, but it cannot ignore the life that developed in its womb, of people willing to leap forward through a bloody door in order to give their families better lives.
This week, it became clearer how antiquated immigration laws can tear through the flesh of families, ripping a limb from a living animal. While America is trying to protect its borders, as have many other countries in the world, America has to remember to protect its spiritual and ethical borders as well.
When Noah and his family left the Ark after the flood, they started a new world. At that point they were given seven basic laws of human conduct that no man or woman should violate. Six of these laws were already given to Adam, the first human being. The Tosefta — the earliest complete rabbinic version of these seven laws lists them as follows: to have an adjudication process, no idolatry, no blasphemy, no sexual immorality, no bloodshed, and no robbery. The seventh law, the prohibition against tearing and eating the limb of a living animal, was given to Noah when, after the flood, humankind was permitted to consume meat. “However, flesh with its life-blood [in it], you shall not eat.” (Gen. 9:4) The Noahide Laws apply to all of humanity and human matter.
Genesis previously tells us that a family is one flesh: “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh.” (Gen. 2:24) A family is one flesh. It doesn’t matter how “tender” the shelter is. The most common reason immigrants leave their home country is to give their children a better life. Of course, there are exceptions: In cases of criminality and other risks, tough immigration laws are necessary to enforce.
The Mishnah tells us that Rabbi Chanina, the Deputy High Priest, says: “Pray for the welfare of the government, for were it not for the fear of it, man would swallow his fellow alive.” (Avot 3:2). It’s important to have a strong government, but strong nationalism is good only when it can contribute to the global efforts. Like LGBT and other marginalized populations, these immigrants can become the “unlikely harbingers” with a unique message of social justice — marginalized for a while, like the Israelites in Egypt, but not forever.
The USCJ, in partnership with all the major American Jewish movements throughout the United States, joined the JCPA (Jewish Council for Public Affairs) and the ADL (Anti-Defamation League), in a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen. At the end of his letter, David Bernstein, president and CEO of the JCPA, wrote the following: “There are proven alternatives to the incarceration of families fleeing violence that don’t permanently traumatize young children or make people suffer unnecessarily.”
In the brightest day of the year, let us make the darkness of separation disappear. Amen.
—Rabbi Gadi Capela
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