Rabbi Philip Weintraub
Congregation Agudas Israel
Rosh Hashanah Day 1, 2013
September 5, 2013
L’shanah Tovah, I wish you a sweet, blessed, and fulfilling New Year. May you be written into the book of life. It is wonderful to see your faces this morning. It brings me great joy to celebrate with you, here at Congregation Agudas Israel. I want to welcome back the sweet voice of Shoshana Friedman, a rabbinical student from Hebrew College in Boston. Hearing her voice has elevated my prayers to the heavens and I pray the same is true for all of you.
Last night I shared a fictional story about missed connections. Written as a story about a missed opportunity on a New York City subway, I said that I thought it could be about our relationships with Gd. For many of us, Gd is a missed connection. Deep in our kishkas, deep in our soul we find the seed of belief, the spark of the Divine, but we do not know how to light it up. I call this the Gd-shaped hole.
Within every one of us is the Gd-shaped hole. In 1997, neuroscientists at UCSD claimed they found the Gd spot in our brains. They argued that we were genetically programmed to believe in Gd and many atheist groups used this to argue that Gd is simply a human construct, a delusion or hallucination. From their perspective, Gd is all in our head. More recent studies from the University of Missouri show that spirituality cannot be reduced to one specific section of our brains, rather that various parts of our brain “light” up when we find ways to connect to the Divine. From my perspective, the idea that we have been genetically programmed to belief is not proof against the existence of Gd, but perhaps support for the idea that we are here with a purpose, that Gd put us on this Earth.
When we talk about GD, what are we talking about? Many different people, and many different Jews understand Gd in MANY different ways. When Maimonides spoke about Gd, he said that we could only speak about the Divine in the negative. We could not affirm Gd’s traits unless they were extant in rabbinic literature. If we did not have biblical or rabbinic proof, we could say that GD is NOT evil, but without that support, we could not say that Gd IS good. Maimonides felt very strongly that Gd was not corporeal, meaning Gd does not have a physical body like we do. He argued that any biblical text that spoke of Gd’s hand or finger or leg was speaking metaphorically. Yet, in his time, most Jews believed that when the Torah said we were created in the Divine Image, it meant that literally. There is even a mystical book called the Shiur Komah which includes actual dimensions for Gd’s arms, legs, fingers, toes, head, and even more personal organs!
Within Jewish tradition, we have many names of Gd that speak of different aspects of Gd’s personality (for lack of a better word).
When Moses saw the burning bush, Gd called Gdself “Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh”, I will be what I will be, using Hebrew grammar to show that as we say on these days Adonai melech, Adonai malach, Adonai Yimloch Leolam Vaed, Gd is ruler, Gd was ruler, Gd will always be ruler. Yet that word is from the verb “to be”, meaning that that Gd is, was and always will be, that Gd is eternal. The sounds of that name are like the sounds we make, that Gd is part of every breath we take.
The most important of Gd’s Names is the four letter name, the tetragrammaton, Yod Hey Vav Hey (YHVH). Called the Ineffabale Name, the Unutterable Name, it was pronounced by the high priest on Yom Kippur in the Holy of Holies and otherwise never spoken. (Kabbalists see great meaning in the power of Divine names, claiming to change our world through the judicious use of secret names of Gd. Some have even claimed to bring life from the inanimate, like the famous Golem of Prague.)
YHVH is often followed by the word Tzav’ot, often translated as the “Lord of Hosts” or the Lord of the Armies. While not frequent to the Torah, the Prophets and the Psalms regularly call upon Gd this way.
The Torah opens with בְּרֵאשִׁית, בָּרָא אֱ-לֹהִים, אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְאֵת הָאָרֶץwhen Gd began creating the heavens and the earth. This name of Gd is used in Torah to emphasize Gd’s might, creative power and attributes of justice and kingship/rulership. We use it regularly in the Shema --Shema Yisrael Adonai Elohenu, Adonai Echad. Eloheinu takes Elohim from Gd in general to OUR Gd.
El Shaddai, Gd almighty, Gd who gives great benefits, is written on the outside of our mezuzot. Some say it is an abbreviation for Shomer Daltot Yisrael, Guardian of the Doors of Israel. Others follow a Midrash, saying it means “the one who said “dai””, which in Hebrew means “enough!” (like Dayenu).
Shechinah is often used to speak of Gd’s sheltering presence, Gd’s feminine side, mothering side. Shechinah is used to discuss Gd’s compassion or to call upon when we need help. Shechinah describes Gd’s immanence, the presence we feel when we need GD.
In prayer we call upon Avinu Shabashamayim, our father in heaven, Melech Haolam, Ruler of space and time or King of the universe. On special days, like Yom Kippur, we speak of Avinu Malkeinu, our father our ruler. In our machzor, an alternative Avinu Malkeinu is included, (p. 244) that offers another 21 names for Gd.) We sing Anu Amecha, vata Eloheinu, anu vanecha, vatah avinu. We are your people, and You are our God, we are your children, and you are our parent. We are Your servants and You are our master, we are your congregaiton and You are our portion. (Machzor Lev Shalem, p.347)
Every single time we pray an Amidah, (which on the High Holidays is a LOT), we open with Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Velohei Avoteinu, Elohei Avraham, Elohai Yitzhak, V’elohai Ya’akov, Elohei Sarah, Elohei Rivkah, Elohai Rachel, V’elohei Leah. I am happy that our Machzor translates differently than our Siddur. In our siddur it simply says Gd of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but our Machzor clearly says Gd of Abraham, Gd of Isaac. . .What is the major difference between the two? The first says that each of them prayed and connected to Gd in the same way. The second translation shows that each and every matriarch and patriarch, every single one of our ancestors connected to Gd a little bit differently. The same is true today. Whether you walk into a Satmar shtiebel or Belzer congregation or Reform Temple or Conservative shul, you will find that not only do our communities think of Gd in slightly or radically different ways, but every individual understands Gd just a little bit differently.
For some Jews, their image of Gd is the one we speak of regularly on Rosh Hashanah, sitting in a throne judging us like a shepherd judges his sheep. For others, Gd is much more abstract. It is the goodness in the world, the good we do or the good ALL do. Some Jews speak of Gd not as a being, but as a force, or even a verb. For some Gd is more exclusive than Gd is for others. Some Jews relate to Rabbi Mordechai Kaplan’s rationalist view, while others find Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s view more inspiring. For some Jews any discussion of Gd is too much! They would rather pray, live as Jews, and not worry too much about the precise nature of Gd. It is too abstract or simply too much. Many people are simply too busy to stop and ponder the nature of the Divine.
For me, I think it is important for us to have these conversations periodically. Thinking about Gd is thinking about our connection to Judaism, to life. We were all created, placed on this world for a purpose. We live and die on this Earth, yet with our death has our soul completed its journey?
However we think about GD, opening the door to Gd is much like the story I told last night. If we are sitting on the subway, ignoring the person we so desperately desire to speak to, we might miss our chance. The difference is that with Gd, Gd is always on that subway. Gd never gets off. Even when we feel that Gd has abandoned us, even if we do not believe in Gd, Gd is there waiting for us.
Today you have given yourself a gift. You might not think about it that way. You might be thinking about what time is lunch? Or when can I sneak out when no one is looking? Or how many pages are left? Yet, even if you are thinking that, you have given yourself the gift of sacred time. You have looked at your work, your life and said, I need to take a day to recharge, to engage my spiritual batteries. Whether you come for the joy of a day in prayer or because it is simply what you do on Rosh Hashanah, I believe you are better off for walking through these doors today.
In the days to come, I will continue to discuss this Gd shaped hole. I will continue to discuss ways to fill it. You have taken the first step. You are here.
Within every one of us is a Gd shaped hole. It is the place that craves spirituality. It is the place that craves the experience of the Divine, of Gd. It is a place that craves holiness, friendship, family, food, sex, the full depth and breadth of human experience. Some of those needs can be met in this room. Some cannot. To me, the synagogue, prayer is like a spiritual check-up. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are our yearly physicals. Shabbat is our regular exercise and daily prayer is like our morning coffee (if that is your custom).
We can try to fill the Gd shaped hole with lots of things, some good, some bad and some just things. We can buy new toys or cars or homes or gadgets or curtains or pillows or furniture. We can look for love from others or from things. We can search for comfort with food or drink or in the arms of others. Yet at the end of the day, there is only One who can fill and fulfill this hole, this need and make us shalem, whole. The only one that fill that Gd-shaped hole is GD. By being here today, I pray that we help you discover the holiness within, Gd, who has been with you the entire time.
Tomorrow I will discuss joy, happiness. How can we be happy in an imperfect world? How can Gd and Judaism bring genuine joy into our lives, even amidst difficult times? On Yom Kippur, I will be speaking about more ways to access our traditions, more ways to let Gd in. In this room are many flyers and articles. They discuss all that we are doing here. I hope you will look at them, join us on other days and bring your holy voice and holy presence to my classes, our social events and more. Every single one of you has the spark of the Divine within. Every single one of you brings blessing into this holy space simply by walking through the doors. Help us and help yourself at the same time. Come again! Besides, if you come any other Shabbat or Holiday, the service is quite a bit shorter.
Now I know that as soon as I close my mouth, many of you are going to walk out that door. That’s just how it is. I do want to let you know though, that Musaf is NOT as long as you think it is AND continues to focus on the themes of this day: holiness, judgement, tshuvah and the biggest one of all, the place of Gd in our lives.
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