Friday, October 30, 2015

Lech Lecha 2015 5776

Rabbi Philip Weintraub
Congregation Agudas Israel
10/24/2015
Parshat Lech Lecha

What is a covenant? What does it mean to join a community?  What’s the buy in?  To grow, do we want low barriers for engagement or higher barriers to push for more lasting commitments?

In Parshat Lech-Lecha, Abraham faces one of the highest of all barriers, circumcision.  He marks the covenant not just as a sign upon his body, but upon the organ of procreation, an organ which is particularly sensitive and about which men are particularly sensitive.  Just mentioning circumcision, men start wincing and wiggling in their seats.  Yet as the sign of the covenant between God and Abraham, between God and the Jewish people, it remains to this day.  Even the children of Ishmael, Muslims continue to practice circumcision, reminding us of one connection between our sometimes distant and too often violent family relationship.

Since August I have been studying Tractate Nazir, which focuses not surprisingly on the Nazir.  What is a Nazir?  A Nazir is someone who has made a vow (usually for a set period of time, minimum one month) to abstain from wine, liquor or any grape products, allow his or her hair to grow without cutting it, and to avoid contact with corpses or graves--staying away from hospitals and funerals--even for family members.  Interestingly, at the end of the designated vow period, she or he would immerse in a mikvah and offer three sacrifices, a burnt offering, a sin offering and a peace offering, as well as the sacrificial sides--bread, grain and wine offerings.  They would also shave their heads and burn their hair with the peace offering--as explained in Numbers chapter 6 and elaborated upon in the Mishnah and Talmud.  Rabbinic commentaries are split about Nazirite vows--are they good or bad?  Are they living up to some Jewish ideal or are they failing by denying themselves the goodness of God’s creation?  Is their sin offering because they should remain as Nazirim forever or because we really should never make oaths (as we learn at Kol Nidre)?

As I read about these two covenants, I think about our own community.  Communal research offers two radically different proposals for improving community--low barriers and higher ones.  One suggests that the best way to welcome people is to make it very easy.  You show up, you are in.  It seems easy, but the low barriers do not necessarily encourage strong support of the community, if a better offer arrives, then people switch!  How much loyalty do you feel to your cable or cell phone company--if you could get better service or a better deal, would you switch?  Of course you would!  Another suggests that encouraging people to participate is not enough. Shuls are not commodities or businesses, but communities.  Long term connections, real membership require long term efforts.  To be a community is not only to pay dues or to show up once in awhile, but to make a regular effort, to participate.  Don’t get me wrong, I am incredibly grateful to those who affiliate without regular participation, we cannot exist without them--but my goal here is to encourage all to see the real benefits of truly living as a community.  

As such, we have to do both.  We need engaging programs that get people in the doors once in awhile AND we have to work together to build community over the long haul.  We need to make financial decisions as individuals and as a community not simply to survive, but to thrive.  In a few weeks, USCJ will be offering meetings about helping congregations thrive--I hope that some of us can join together to show what we want from and for our community.

Returning to Abraham, when we welcome people into the Jewish covenant, it is a challenging process--study, mikvah, Beit Din.  We don’t ask the same of those who were born Jewish.  For the future of Judaism, I think we may need to rethink that.  We have to help people realize that Judaism is both incredibly enjoyable, incredibly meaningful and that to receive those benefits, real work is required!   Nothing in a synagogue happens by itself.  Dinner doesn’t get made.  Calls aren’t made.  Visits don’t happen by themselves.  Prayers and sermons don’t write themselves--although that would be a great service, wouldn’t it?  All of you actively MAKE this community and for that I thank you.

Now I need you all to be like Abraham and Sarah.  Wherever they went, they inspired people to Judaism.  We still need that today.  We need to demonstrate to all those around us--Jewish or not--that being Jewish is something to be proud of, that makes us WANT to get up in the morning, that encourages us to celebrate the gift of each day.  We don’t need to make a vow or become a Nazir; we don’t have to restrict ourselves from the gifts of God, but we do have to recognize the gifts that we have.  In this way, we tie ourselves to the Covenant and inspire the next generation.  Shabbat Shalom.

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Building blocks and Axis of Awesome

Science tells us that atoms and matter are the building blocks of life.  In music, notes and chords form the musical universe.  This week a live version of an 
"old" video is racing around the internet.  Embedded below is the  Axis of Awesome's original "4 chords" a demonstration how most #1 hit songs are simple chord progressions.

As I was listening/watching, I thought about prayer and trying to connect to God.  What are the 3 or 4 chords of prayer?  When we teach prayer to children, we generally speak of "praise, petition and thanksgiving."  While simplistic, these frameworks do capture much of our prayer-lives.  Additionally, applied to our lives outside of prayer they can create goodwill in all aspects of our lives, improving our relationships and personal interactions.
  • Praise:
    • In prayer, praise helps us see the greatness of God, acknowledging our limited place in the world and helping us to reach out to our creator.
    • In relationships, praise builds connections.  A sincere compliment opens the door to a sincere conversation.
  • Petition:
    • In prayer, our requests focus our thoughts on what matters, helping us decide what actions we need to take.  For those of us who believe that God hears and responds to prayer, formally asking God is opening the door to a better future.
    • In relationships, asking for what we need helps us get what we need. Relationships are stronger when we communicate honestly.  Asking for what we need can be the second step to deeper connections.
  • Thanksgiving:
    • In prayer, offering thanks reminds us of our place in the world AND that we don't have everything in our control.  Gratitude truly changes us, seeing the greatness in the world makes us happier, more fulfilled individuals.
    • In relationships, offering gratitude is a third step to happier relationships.  If we give thanks we appreciate one another more AND we are more generous in our judgments!
The song that started this entire thought process is below.  It's pretty awesome!


According to wikipedia "The Axis of Awesome is an Australian musical comedy act with members Jordan Raskopoulos, Lee Naimo and Benny Davis. The trio cover a wide variety of performance styles, and perform a combination of original material and pop parodies."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOlDewpCfZQ

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Koren Tehillim


Koren TehillimSince I have been a subscriber of the Koren Talmud, I've made friends with their publicity department and they occasionally send me interesting new books that they are publishing.  Thanks Koren Publishers!


Right before the chagim, I received a couple things, one of which I would love to share with you today. http://korenpub.com/koren/intusd/tanakh/tehillim-psalms/koren-tehillim.html

While not the smallest or lightest copy of the book of Psalms, this might be the most useful and beautiful one.  The Koren font is fabulous and easy to read, with their standard practice of English on the right and Hebrew on the left creating a beautiful tree-like image on each page.  Commentaries are straightforward and help individuals connect the psalms to daily life.  Most useful are the pages at the end, with prayers for healing, at a cemetery and at bedtime.  Since those times are when many people are most likely to recite psalms, having them available is a great resource.  I highly recommend this volume.

From their website:
"With his modern and accessible translation, Rabbi Eli Cashdan brings out the lyrical elegance of the Psalms and offers clarity to the English reader. The text is accompanied by a sensitive analysis and commentary by Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, communal leader, qualified psychotherapist and the Executive Vice President Emeritus of the Orthodox Union. Rabbi Weinreb is a distinguished scholar who brings from his many disciplines, an insightful and innovative approach to the understanding of Tehillim."