Updates coming soon!

October 31, 2020 T

Halloween is not a Jewish holiday; but I know that many Jews—during normal years—do partake in this distinctly North American pastime. Rabbis and other committed Jews exhibit a range of views with regard to Halloween. It has undeniably paganistic roots; Halloween is a contraction of Hallow’s Eve (All Saints Day in the Catholic Church), which was called Samhain in ancient times. For some Jews, this is too problematic. Others feel that the holiday is thoroughly divorced of these meanings and that it’s a harmless cultural event which is fun for both kids and adults.

My father worked as a dentist and he expressed discomfort with Halloween; though I’m not sure if was our Judaism or our teeth he was aiming to preserve. In any event, my father found himself overruled and I did get to enjoy Halloween as a child. As a Rabbi and a parent, I don’t see Halloween as inherently harmful or good. Even if we are of a mind to oppose Halloween, it’s saddening that something which so many children and parents enjoy will not be taking place this year.  I assume that one day, trick-or-treating will resume, and I won’t oppose it for my children. I do, however, see an opportunity to turn it into something more meaningful. After all, the acquisition of confectionary goods is not a wholesome value, but giving to others certainly is. There’s an opportunity to use Halloween as an occasion to collect money for children in need or to visit a children’s hospital and cheer up sick children. From a Torah perspective, that’s a mitzvah worth putting a mask on for. There’s also something very valuable about meeting the people in your neighbourhood. We live in such atomized, isolated little boxes in our urban/suburban lifestyles and Halloween is an opportunity to break out of that box and build relationships. In conclusion, Halloween is not Jewish, but with a little effort we can make it Jewish. 

Shabbat Shalom,

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October 17, 2020 T

For the last 7 weeks we have been reciting Psalm 27 twice a day. This is a Psalm which guides us to recalibrate our hearts and minds so that G-d is once again at our centre of gravity. It expresses a desire to put G-d at the forefront and inspires us with the trust and faith to know that so long as G-d is with us, we can withstand any challenge. This is why we use Psalm 27 in preparation and for the duration of the High Holidays.

On Sunday night after I finished davening Maariv, I opened up my Hebrew text app and saw Psalm 27. A few nights earlier I would have used the app to daven Psalm 27, but that night I decided, why not look at Psalm 28, the very next one. Here is what I found:

Of David. O LORD, I call to You; my rock, do not disregard me, for if You hold aloof from me, I shall be like those gone down into the Pit. Listen to my plea for mercy when I cry out to You, when I lift my hands toward Your inner sanctuary. Do not count me with the wicked and evildoers who profess goodwill toward their fellows while malice is in their heart. Pay them according to their deeds, their malicious acts; according to their handiwork pay them, give them their desserts. For they do not consider the LORD’s deeds, the work of His hands. May He tear them down, never to rebuild them! Blessed is the LORD, for He listens to my plea for mercy. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him. I was helped, and my heart exulted, so I will glorify Him with my song. The LORD is their strength; He is a stronghold for the deliverance of His anointed. Deliver and bless Your very own people; tend them and sustain them forever.

In the spiritual cycle of the Jewish year, Psalm 28 is the follow up to the High Holidays. It is a continuation of the conversation with G-d in which we are asking for mercy. In particular, the author is asking not to be included with the ‘wrong crowd.’ That is most appropriate for these winter months after the High Holidays, that we continue to be morally vigilant about the world. There is a great deal happening in the world with which we should want no part. We must make efforts not to descend to the depravity we see around us, and for that we also need G-d’s help.

Shabbat Shalom,

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October 3, 2020 T

I am still energized and activated after two amazing days of prayer with Beit Rayim. Despite the tremendous challenges, complication and rapidly changing circumstances, we seem to have created an atmosphere of ruach and holiness. Everything went smoothly. I am so deeply grateful for the hard work of our admin staff, our Cantorial ensemble, and the professional team at EJ Entertainment and our volunteers for making it happen. There were many high points over Yom Tov, but for sure the top highlight for me was Sunday afternoon in the park. I was nervous when I arrived because while I obviously wanted a good turn-out, I was concerned that our gathering would be in violation of the new by-law—which went into effect that very day—prohibiting public gatherings of more than twenty-five people. I watched as more and more members arrived and at 4pm we went to the water for a physically-distant tashlich. By the time we reassembled after tashlich we were definitely more than 50 people. I knew that most people just wanted the shofar, so rather than keep everyone until after Mincha, which was my plan (a Rabbi always wants people to daven), I decided we would blow shofar immediately. Aside from our group there were many families playing in the park, but at the first t’kia blast, everyone stopped. It was in this moment that I felt the most holiness. In the waning hours of Rosh Hashanah my congregants had come from multiple municipalities because they wanted to be there; they needed to be there. Seeing everyone spread across the field, hearing the sound of the shofar carry into the outdoor air, made me feel like we were in Poland or Ukraine two hundred years ago.  It was just such an organic, natural, tribal, historically Jewish moment. We all then noticed that in this short time the sun had come out and we all felt its warmth. We davened mincha, sang avinu malkenu, the pompom Kaddish, and said mourner’s kaddish. I could not have asked for a better or more holy conclusion to Rosh Hashanah and I am very much looking forward to Yom Kippur.

May you be written and sealed in the book of life. May these next few days be a time of contemplation, introspection and meditation.

Shabbat Shalom,

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September 19, 2020 T

We stand now at the precipice of a new year. In just a short while we will be standing together before the Holy One—some will be at shul, most will be at home, but we will ALL be together. The world was created by powerful contractions of the Eternal Light of G-d, a light we can feel only in dribs and drabs in this world, but on Rosh Hashanah G-d turns up the amplitude so that we get a powerful blast of that light. This creates not only a unique potential for connecting with our Creator but also an enormous opportunity for change; we can change ourselves, heal our broken neshamas, make teshuva, and in doing that we can change our world, because when we think, speak and act in ways that reflect our higher truth and sanctify G-d’s Name, that influences others and creates a multiplier effect.

While we are inhibited by these trying and unprecedented circumstances, we must not be discouraged. We cannot pass on davening because we don’t like screens. We can’t give up on shul because we don’t feel connected. We’re all Zoomed out from work and school, but something important is about to happen and you can’t afford to miss it. We have to push through all the barriers because there is so much at stake this year. When we stood together at 5780, none of us had any idea what was in store in the year to come. This year more than ever we need to pray for our world, for our health, our souls, and our families. Whether you’re coming in person or tuning in to watch online, dress in your finest, prepare yourself spiritually before hand and bring everything you’ve got to the game. Pray like you mean it! To help get in the zone, I’ve created a playlist of inspirational music. Check it out before Yom Tov!

Wishing you only good things in the coming year.

Shanah Tovah!

Shabbat Shalom,

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September 5, 2020 T

“One who says I will sin and then repent, his Yom Kippur does not atone for him.”—Mishna Yoma 8.

Many of us approach Yom Kippur as the one day to be good, the one day to be Jewish, the one day to think about our actions. Consequently, many of us are “stuck” in our spiritual and personal growth. We have a vision of the person we want to be and could be; whether we want to exercise more, be more involved Jewishly, or spend more time with family. We often don’t get there because we don’t take the hard look at our choices in real time, only in post-game analysis. Monday morning quarterbacks don’t win the Superbowl.

This month of Elul, and this very moment is an opportunity to perform chesbon nefesh, a personal accounting of one’s self and one’s actions. Real teshuva means a change in behaviour; no one is asked to be perfect. You can’t change the things that our beyond your knowledge, but you can search and dig a little deeper into yourself and ask the questions: “How could I be kinder?” “How could I be more righteous?”

On Sept 12 we are having a Havadala and Slichot service. This is a perfect way to get in gear as we move inexorably closer to Yom Tov. Preparation is essential in all things. Yom Kippur works best when you spend these next few weeks thinking about yourself, your thoughts, your words, your actions, your relationship to self, family, world and
G-d.

Shabbat Shalom,

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August 22, 2020 T

Tonight (Thursday) begins Rosh Hodesh Elul, the last month of Jewish year. During the next 28 days we are called upon to begin looking within ourselves, to examine our actions, to consider what changes need to take place. How can we become the best possible versions of ourselves?

Elul is a time of awakening, increased illumination and elevation, a time when we become closer and closer to our spiritual essence and to the G-dliness within us. We do not depart from our Earthly realm to reach Heaven. Instead G-d comes more into our own world—not that G-d is ever absent, but the presence is felt more acutely now. The first Lubavitcher Rebbe, Schneur Zalman of Liadi says of this phenomenon “The King is in the field”, meaning the field---our everyday life and not in the palace, which is lofty and distant. Our energy and excitement grows incrementally each day until we come on Rosh Hashanah, face to face with our Creator.

In order to really experience Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, in order to truly change ourselves for the better, it’s critical that we undertake Cheshbon Nefesh, spiritual self-accounting in these next 28 days. Don’t let Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur be the first moment you consider your soul. The work begins now. 

Shabbat Shalom,

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August 8, 2020 T

Yesterday was Tu B’Av (טו באב the 15^th of Av). Every day in the Jewish calendar has its own mazal, a unique energy that flows through the universe. The mazal of Tu B’Av, the Gemara tells us, is so powerful and joyful that it is seconded only by Yom Kippur. In the times of the Beit HaMikdash, on Tu B’Av, all the unmarried women would borrow white clothes from one another (so that no one could tell who was from a rich family and who wasn’t) and they would go out into the fields to be courted by young men. This has earned Tu B’Av its designation as the ‘Jewish Valentine’s day’. Chloe and I chose to get married in the early evening on the 14^th of Av (Yad B’Av, יד באב ) so that we would be partying into Tu B’Av, and so that we could have a Sheva Brachot meal on Tu B’Av, which was a Friday. This year we were grateful to celebrate five years while I officiated a wedding. Chloe came along and it became our first date-night since the pandemic began. There have sadly been so many funerals in our community in the last four months, and many weddings have been postponed due to COVID-19. Because of this, it’s a blessing that we could be so elevated in our joy together.

By now most of us have seen the gruesome images of the explosion that took place in the port of Beirut this week. The destruction was devastating; dozens of people killed, hundreds injured, and thousands left homeless. Despite the fact that Lebanon is officially an enemy state to Israel, and that their government willingly aids Hezbollah, we are forbidden from relishing in their suffering. Most Lebanese resent both their government and Hezbollah; they are prisoners there. We are instead commanded to have empathy and compassion for them as human beings and as descendants of our father, Avraham. As I placed the glass before the groom under the chuppah I remarked that the breaking of the glass does not only represent the destruction of the Temple and our connection to Jerusalem, but also our recognition of the suffering and brokenness of  our world. Even on the happiest day our lives, our wedding day, we are commanded to recognize that brokenness, not to bring us down, but so that we can shine our joy outwards in all four directions, so that our joy spills over onto those who are suffering, to dedicate our joy and our positive energy to healing.

Shabbat Shalom,

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July 11, 2020 T

In a moment of chaos and confusion, a deadly outbreak wrought by G-d, and a forboding union between Israelite and Midianite nobles which Moses and Aaron are seemingly powerless to stop, one man rises and takes matters into his own hands. Pinchas does the dirty, unpleasant work that no one else is willing to do. He ends the marriage violently, which ends the plague and earns a special honour from G-d, he is given Brit Shalom ברית שלום  (a covenant of everlasting peace).

Especially in these chaotic times, we don't want to be embroiled in conflict. We want to retreat into quietude and to live in peace. There is nothing inherently wrong with that desire, but it's not always going to yield the result we want. A famous story in Massechet Shabbat teaches that when a wrong is committed in someone's home and he does not object, he is held liable for it; the same applies to wrongdoing in one's city, and it even applies to the whole world. When we see marginalization of the poor, destruction of our planet's life-support, political corruption, discrimination against BIPOC, LGTBQ, and women, we need object or we're complicit in these crimes. And I don't mean rage posting on Facebook; we need something more constructive, meaningful and impactful.

The name Pinchas is of unknown meaning in Hebrew and is possibly of Egyptian origin, but its letters spell the phrase פן חס lest you be silent. Sometimes the way to find peace is to find quiet and solitude; other times there will be no peace; other times we speak the truth and stand up for our values.

Shabbat Shalom,

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June 27, 2020 T

It is well-known that Judaism encourages the asking of questions,  the challenging of assumptions, and the resolution of conflicts. There are, however, right and wrong ways to go about it. For example, if I disapprove of someone’s actions, the derech eretz—ethically sound—way to approach them would be in private. Shaming and embarrassing them in public would be wrong. There are also right and wrong motives. If one’s concern is for the highest good, the most ethical and righteous outcome, raising challenges is not only acceptable, it is commanded. This is called makhloket l’shem shamayim, disputation for a higher cause (G-d’s cause). If someone’s concern is mixed with an interest for personal gain, or to address a personal grudge, this no longer called makhloket l’shem shamayim; this is now purely a war of ego, something there is little room for in the Rabbinic mindframe.

Korach claims that all Israelites were holy and thus Moshe and Aaron are wrong to place themselves on a higher level of authority and power. What he fails to understand is that Moshe and Aaron were G-d’s choice of leadership, not their own. His interest is not to create a more equal and just hierarchry within the Israelite nation; he wants to be at the top of power himself for leading this charge. He threatens Moshe and Aaron and leads an open rebellion against him. His fate in the subsequent verses are an indication that his cause was not just.

In today’s time we see many Korachs, so-called defenders of freedom and equal rights, use personal attacks to demonize their political opponents. They claim to serve the higher good, but their interest in personal gain is all too transparent. These Korachs lead themselves and everyone who follows them to destruction. No matter what side of the aisle you vote for, don’t be the person with the torch and the pitchfork howling for blood. Typing angry posts and frothing at the mouth may seem like the right thing in the moment, but if our net effect is more destructive than constructive, we know it’s not right. Seek to understand before seeking change.

Shabbat Shalom,

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June 13, 2020 T

As you know, earlier this week the Province of Ontario announced that places of worship will be permitted to conduct religious services starting Friday, June 12, allowing for up to 30% of building capacity, with physical distancing in place. 

Many of you will have also seen letters issued by various synagogues across the GTA in the last two days announcing their respective reopening plans. To echo the Toronto Board of Rabbis, the mitzvah of pikuach nefesh–saving a life–is paramount to all discussions of reopening. Beit Rayim is committed to ensuring that our own reopening be carried out with the utmost care and consideration for the health and safety of our members and staff.

Presuming we can access our sanctuary, the measures which would be required to facilitate morning services under Phase 2 are beyond exhaustive. To hold services with these measures in place would be extremely challenging for staff and members and would likely be deleterious to morale and the ruach of our prayer service.  We also have many members for whom it is not considered safe to attend services even with these measures in place. Meanwhile, a significant number of our members may not feel comfortable attending at this stage.

In light of the above, Beit Rayim will continue to operate as we have for the past 90 days. Shabbat Evening and Morning services will be conducted over the Zoom platform. Our staff will continue to work from home and will not be available for in-person meetings or events. We understand how disappointing this may be to some of our members; I too long for the moment we can all stand together in our sanctuary with our Aron Kodesh and our Torah and raise our voices in prayer. That day has still not arrived.

Many have asked what this means for High Holiday services. Given the arduous task of facilitating Shabbat services in Phase 2, hosting our usual High Holiday services—even if Phase 3 is announced by September—will be next to impossible. What is possible--perhaps even likely—is that we can facilitate a High Holiday service with limited seating capacity which is also live-streamed (not Zoomed) for the many who will be unable to attend. We are presently making the various technical arrangements which will be necessary for this. Meanwhile, we are exploring the possibility of developing a hybrid live/live-streamed service for Shabbat which could begin later this summer.

Our parasha this week commands the Israelites to kindle the lamps in the Temple. It is these lamps which inspire the Ner Tamid—the always-burning candle above every Aron Kodesh in every synagogue in the world. We are eager to return to these synagogues. We are restless. It is taught that the Ner Tamid’s purpose is to remind you of the flame which burns in each one of us; our neshama, It is this flame to which we must now tend, not the synagogue infrastructure. The purpose of this time of inwardness is to teach us that we all have the flame of G-d burning within us.

Do not lose faith. We will get there one day. 

Shabbat Shalom,

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May 30, 2020 T

I wanted to use my spotlight this week to thank our amazing ShinShinim, Yael and Ravid, who are concluding their term at Beit Rayim this week. I am so sad to be losing them but at the same time I am extremely grateful that we got to have them here with us, teaching us, and that they remained connected to us even when the Jewish Agency called them home for their safety. I am also incredibly proud of the work they’ve done and the growth they’ve shown in the year that passed. Their Divrei Yisrael were always so engaging and meaningful but also fun and light hearted. They’re amazing young adults and their parents should be very proud.

Yael, said something in her Davar Yisrael about Shavuot which is now upon us. She astutely remarked at the difference between diasporic and Israeli experiences of the holiday. Whereas diaspora Jews form their associations out of the religious tradition, think of dairy, stay up all night, and Matan Torah, Israelis live out the Zionist expression of agriculture, visiting farms and fields while crops bloom and ripen. The Israeli expression actually reflects the Biblical root of the holiday and this is one of the many blessings of having a Jewish State; we no longer have to live within text and metaphor, we can practice Judaism in a visceral, physical way in the indigenous climate and land on which it was born.

While all of this is true, on a deeper level of reality—the plane on which the Sages lived—there is no dichotomy between the diasporic and Israeli ideas of Shavuot. Agriculture and Torah work the same way. The seed—information—is planted, nourished with water and sunlight, and grows. Then it seeds again. It goes on in an infinite process which changes and adapts over time; so too our Torah grows, is nourished, and evolves and adapts as a living document. Torah on a deeper level is the principles of reality on which the Universe is based. Everything in the world that comes into being—including the plants that grow and nourish us—unfolds according to principles set in place by the Creator. Where there is life, there is Torah; the bounty yielded by the Earth, that is G-d giving Torah.

Wishing you an open heart and mind on this sacred day of Matan Torah.

Shabbat Shalom,

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May 16, 2020 T

This past Tuesday was Lag B’Omer, which is all too often a neglected holiday in North American Jewish life. This day marks the hilula (yahrzeit) of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, one of the students of Rabbi Akiva. Tradition attributes to Bar Yochai the authorship of the Zohar, a landmark text of Jewish mysticism and Kabbalah. The Zohar describes the death of Bar Yochai as a momentous, even miraculous, event as in the days before his death he revealed the Zohar to his students (20 volumes of mystical discourse on the Torah, rivalling the Talmud in length and depth). The students also describe paranormal phenomena in the moments of Bar Yochai’s death; Bar Yochai himself was surrounded by an aura of white light and his face was radiant. This light filled the room and burst into rainbow colours. At the moment Bar Yochai left the world the light shone out from him to his students. When they emerged from his house others noticed that they too were now radiant. This was a sign that his neshama had ascended to Gan Eden and that his students were now the purveyors of his mystical tradition and the Zohar which was passed down orally until the 12^th century when it was committed to ink.

This story is a beautiful and important statement about the reality of death—it is not simply the end of our existence—but it is consequently also a statement about this life. That there is something powerful and mysterious beyond this world does not mean we are to ignore physical reality; we are meant to access something of that power and mystery here in this lifetime. We access it by evolving our spirit through acts of loving-kindness, expanding our consciousness through the study of Torah, and by drawing that consciousness into the physical world through prayer.

Bonfires are lit on Lag B’Omer to commemorate the abundance of light left behind Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai on his departure. May we all merit a piece of that light and may we use it to illuminate the lives of ourselves and others.

Happy Lag B’Omer

Shabbat Shalom,

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May 2, 2020 T

On Sunday morning I took a walk to buy groceries and I decided I wanted to listen to the news on YouTube while walking. I’d had enough CBC and it’s Yom Ha’atzmaut this week so I thought I’d listen to Kan Hadashot in Israel. In the segment I heard they were, of course, discussing matters related to the coronavirus. Keep in mind, this outlet is not Times of Israel, not Jerusalem Post; the content is not produced for English-speaking North American listeners. This is what Israelis listen to while driving to work, or what they watch sitting at home in the evening. It’s not about Israel, it is Israel, and in fact it was about how other countries are currently dealing with the crisis.

Nearly every country around the world is now attempting to determine if and how to begin easing the restrictions on civilian life. Across the developed world we can see many levels of caution. The segment I listened to featured an intense discussion comparing the German response to the American response. They listened to Angela Merkel and then they listened to Donald Trump. The reporters remarked with mild astonishment that the United States is allowing certain states to determine what businesses have been reopened and warned that it is still very unsafe to do so,  stressing that we are still very much at the height of this pandemic.

When Theodor Herzl envisioned the Jewish State, he saw it as a nation among the nations of the world; an active member of a global community and a beacon of justice and enlightenment. The Israel I heard on the news was just that nation, not sealing itself off from the world but looking outward with concern and compassion at the rest of the world. True cosmopolitans, they  look not to Washington as a yardstick of sanity and reason, but Berlin.

Shabbat Shalom,

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April 18, 2020 T

Having just  finished the final Yom Tov of Pesach, I know that a number of you are feeling increased stress and uncertainty with regard to this ongoing pandemic. Official projections have made clear that we are only in the very beginning of our ordeal. The thought of enduring social isolation for months to come is not a welcome thought, especially for those of us with small children at home, especially for those who are alone in the house all day every day, and especially for those of us whose incomes have been negatively affected by the crisis. Words of Torah and prayer can offer comfort at times, but they do not change the fact that this is a stressful and frightening time.

There is no better time than the present to take up meditation as a way to relieve stress and ease the affects of insomnia. In its simplest form, to meditate is to focus on the breath to the point where one is only aware of that breath.

1. Find a quiet space (in some homes, like mine, this can only be achieved when others are asleep)

2. Determine a set length of time (20 minutes is a good start)

3. Sit comfortably (there is no need to sit cross legged or on the floor)

4. Focus on the breath going in and out.  (There is no need to control or change your breathing; simply observe the feeling of the breath going in and out. Extraneous thoughts will occur almost immediately. It’s a certainty. This does not indicate that you have failed at meditating.)

5. When you notice that you have lost focus on the breath and have gone back to scattered, frenetic, or worried thoughts, just gently shift the focus back to the breath.

This is the basic technique of mindfulness meditation. When it comes to Jewish Meditation there are additional steps and tools which can aid us in focus and guide us toward a higher state of consciousness. Check our website for additional resources on Jewish Meditation.

Shabbat Shalom,

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April 4, 2020 T

It is well known that during Pesach we are forbidden from consuming chametz, (חמץ) leavened grains, but this prohibitive mitzvah is not the only one regarding chametz. As Pesach approaches, we are also required to actively destroy or remove all chametz from our homes. This can be done by several means, but the primary and preferable means is by burning. For the normal household, this will include foods which we often stock up in excess and keep in storage (dry pasta, cereals, etc). The ancient Rabbis recognized the financial and practical hardship it would impose on us to demand that we consume or dispose of every such item in our homes so they devised a system whereby we could “sell” them to someone who isn’t Jewish who would “own” the chametz for the duration of the festival. The way this is done is that individuals sign a form authorizing the Rabbi to sell their chametz on their behalf.

In addition, each of us must recite a formula on Erev Pesach (found in the Haggadah) that halakhically renders null all chametz in his or her home. (Does not work for anything you plan to repossess and eat after the festival, it only applies to whatever wasn’t sold or destroyed). This year, with the extra challenge of social distancing it will be harder to fulfil the physical requirements of destroying chametz. Thus, these two mechanisms, the sale of chametz and the verbal nullification of chametz become even more important. You don’t have to worry about the crumbs that fall into cracks in your linoleum since you will have nullified your chametz verbally. The formula is: All leaven and anything leavened that is in my possession, whether I have seen it or not, whether I have observed it or not, whether I have removed it or not, shall be considered nullified and ownerless as the dust of the earth.

Because of the restrictions of social distancing, it is harder to find Kosher for Passover food. In light of this, the Rabbinical Assembly had provided some updated guidelines available here which I encourage you to see. If you have questions about Passover, please join me for Rabbi Chai this coming Tuesday at 3:30pm.

Please join us for our Zoom Seder for the first night of Passover, Wednesday April 8th at 7pm. If you plan to join see also this checklist on how to prepare for the Seder.  Regarding the Fast of the First Born, please see this ruling here, regarding the fast this year.

Shabbat Shalom,

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March 21, 2020 T

There is profound irony in this week’s parasha being Vayakhel. The root of this word is קהל  , to gather or congregate, something we are expressly discouraged from doing at this time as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are sadly unable to gather in our prayer space to worship on Shabbat. For many of us this is a devastating reality as the Shabbat morning service is something of a life support. When our lives are falling apart, when the world is falling apart, our instinct is to meet with the Rabbi or to come to synagogue. Now we can’t. When a loved one passes, we are comforted and surrounded by the warm embrace of our community. Now our congregants are sitting shiva alone. As inherently social organisms, human beings do not do well in isolation.

In this unfamiliar and unprecedented moment of social distancing, we must double our efforts to connect by other means, digitally and remotely. In recent years, there has been sharp criticism of social media platforms as purveyors of a false sense of connectedness: everyone’s connected but no one is connecting, sound familiar? Ironically and perhaps sadly, this is all we have now.

Not all is lost, Beit Rayim services will move onto the web, using livestreaming services. I have published a fairly detailed Rabbinic responsum outlining how and why it is permissible at this time to do so. The school will also be connecting digitally on Sundays. In the coming weeks, we will hopefully develop other means to connect remotely to the community. Those who do not have computers are now the most vulnerable; stuck at home all day with nothing but a phone and television. These individuals need us now more than ever. I’ve been reaching out to our membership by phone, but one man can only do so much. If you’re able to help, please shoot me a message and let me know.

It is no accident that this week is Vayakhel, because it is incumbent upon us now more than ever to use whatever digital means we have to connect, to be creative in how we use these platforms. In the words of Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky, every hand we don’t shake must become a phone call we make. Reach out, talk to one another. We can’t be physically in the same space, but we are still a community. Let’s all step up and make that happen.

Shabbat Shalom,

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March 7, 2020 T

The Ritual Director and I are presently preparing to read the Megillah (SO YOU SHOULD ALL COME ON MONDAY NIGHT) and it has me thinking about Esther, one of the great female heros of the Bible. We know nothing of her parents, really. We know that her father, Avichayil was of Benjaminic lineage. This is significant because King Saul was also of Benjaminite lineage. Saul’s refusal to execute King Agag (who was descended of Amalek, nemesis of Israel, who was descended from Esav) resulted in his removal from the throne. Agag’s future descendant was Haman. Thus Esther and Mordechai completed a cycle of destiny, and in fact, I would not be surprised to find a passage somewhere to the effect that Esther (or Mordechai) was actually a Gilgul (a reincarnation) of Saul.

The name Esther means hidden, as in אסתר פני I will hide my face (Deut. 31:18). G-d’s name is not mentioned once in the Book of Esther because G-d is hidden in the story and most often G-d is hidden in our lives as well, but always there. Esther, however, is an alias given to her by her uncle, Mordechai upon adopting her. Her birthname was Haddasah, named after her parents’ favourite charity. Hadas is, of course, one the 4 species of Sukkot, possibly referencing salvation. Her father’s name, Avichayil, means my father is strength (אביחיל), it could mean my father is my strength. Here however, the meaning is clear: Esther is the strength of her father; it is her wisdom, her strength, her bravery and her courage which brought redemption to her father’s soul, as well as her great great great great great grandfather’s soul.

We do not know why the world is the way it is. We do not know why unfortunate circumstances befall us and why we are tried and tested the way we are, but it is important to remain aware of the fact that, as Jews, we are obligated to keep faith in our good deeds. The work we do in this life time to evolve ourselves brings redemption for mistakes that our parents made, and our grandparents, and our great grandparents, for many many generations back. That’s a big responsibility, but it’s because we also have the power to do it.

May we all merit to do so.

Shabbat Shalom,

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February 22, 2020 T

This Monday, the new moon of Adar will appear. The Talmud says מישנכנס אדר מרבים בשמחה  when Adar begins we increase joy. It is time to amp up your happiness, tickle your funny bone, and turn that frown upside down. We are encouraged to engage in humorous conversation and light-heartedness, even practical jokes. At the climax of the Adar - the full moon, we celebrate Purim, which is the Jewish Mardi Gras - a festival of fun and gaiety. But is it really a happy month or are we trying conjure happiness and joy as a means to defend against something dark and troubling, like the timeless hatred and violence against our people showcased in the Book of Esther?

Adar is so named because during this month, G-d who is called –Adir– Mighty empowers the Jewish people with greater Might. Adirut is not just strength, it is the power which allows us to prevail over time, over space, over death and all adversity. The mitzvot of Purim: a) to recall the time when light prevailed over absolute darkness, b) to give to the needy, to c) to feed friends and family and d) to celebrate are all formidable medicines for the emotional malaise that tends to take hold of us as winter nears its end. Happiness and laughter are the greatest weapons against hatred and violence.

The Talmud says that during Adar, Jewish people have auspicious mazal (“good luck” and astral alignment). One who is in a legal dispute with someone who is not Jewish is advised to have a court date in Adar in order to tip the odds in his favour. I hope that this will aid me in my ongoing struggle to recover money from the Canada Revenue Agency. In hockey, Zack Hyman may start suddenly scoring more goals and sadly that is the only ray of hope for Leafs this season, as it appears the playoffs are well out of reach.

Shabbat Shalom,

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February 8, 2020 T

Last week, while news outlets bubbled with commentary on the upcoming—and now well-known—Senatorial verdict on Articles of Impeachment of the 45^th President of the United States. While the World Health Organization experts declared a global state of emergency over a new viral outbreak that has infected thousands and killed several hundred people, there was a piece of hopeful news.

For the first time in history, a delegation of senior Muslim leaders from 25 different countries joined with their American Jewish counterparts to visit the camps and extermination sites of Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland. A very short time ago, it was considered taboo in most Islamic countries to give credence to the veracity of the Holocaust and widespread denial of its happening was the norm. We should not be so naïve as to think that has changed, but we must also not be so cynical as to discount the significance of this visit. Religious leaders hold a lot of sway in many of their home countries, and they can encourage others to question the official propaganda and learn the truth. Let us pray that their mission bears fruit and that future generations are raised without hatred for us or for anyone.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/this-must-never-happen-again-says-saudi-cleric-as-muslim-group-tours-auschwitz/

Shabbat Shalom,

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January 25, 2020 T

Jewish thought and prayer is engaged in texts which hail from pre-ancient, ancient, late ancient, medieval, late-medieval and of course, modern times. Over the vast span of human civilization, we often deal in terms which vary in their meaning from one era to the next. One of these terms is shame. Our contemporary culture regards shame as almost entirely—if not entirely—negative. How then, do we approach a text which tells us, for example, that when one hears beautiful, enlightening words of Torah from the mouth of a great scholar, he should instantly be filled with a feeling of shame and lowliness? (Likutei Moharan, II, 72)

Our own culture has developed an allergic reaction to shame, and for good reason. Like the elements of the period table—which are potentially harmless or potentially lethal depending on the other elements to which they are bonded—emotions, depending on the other thoughts and emotions to which they’re attached, can be useful or toxic. Shame is a volatile emotion which becomes toxic very easily. I call this shaming. During the counter-cultural revolution of the late 1960s and 1970s, people came to realize that shaming children is counter-productive to their learning and development. Hitherto, the opposite was thought to be true. Generations upon generations of men and women were educated and motivated by being shamed by their teachers and elders. Eventually, we realized the toxicity of this emotion and began avoiding it to a fault.

We must dissociate this toxic shaming from the shame that Jewish texts say we should feel at times. What the text is advocating, we would more likely identify as bashful or humble, the feeling of not wanting to be honoured or famed. In the example above, the text is warning us from priding ourselves when we acquire knowledge of Torah. In fact, the more learned one is, the more humble they should be. Productive shame also includes an awareness of one’s own moral failings, but only to the point of awareness. All too often, people develop toxic shame, or shaming, which drags them into depression and despair. From this place, it is impossible to grow out of whatever behaviors we originally became aware of.

The key to all emotional struggles is balance. Rabbi Simcha Bunim of Pshischa taught that each person should have two pockets to help him remember his place in Creation. In one should be a slip of paper that says “I am only dust and ashes.” In the other should be a slip of paper upon which is written “The whole world was created for me.” Using our judgement—a faculty which improves only with time and experience—we must discern when is the appropriate time for each slip. 

Shabbat Shalom,

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January 11, 2020 

Some time over the last year I saw a video online of a Rabbi talking about Daf Yomi¹. He said that since the end of Daf Yomi was soon approaching, those who are doing it (which includes me) need to begin thinking about a new daily learning regime to replace it. After all, it is a well-noted adjuration (notably quoted in Pirkei Avot) to establish fixed times for Torah study. One option is, of course, to start from the beginning and do the 14^th cycle of Daf Yomi. For me, this option did not interest me. I, of course, look forward to much more Talmud study in my future, but Daf Yomi is actually not the ideal way to study Talmud, though it has immense value as a practice. There are a number of other texts which have long-established schedules and calendars. Two of note are Nakh² Yomi and Tanya³ Yomi, the latter of which I actually took up and completed simultaneously to Daf Yomi. I began to think about what I would do once Daf Yomi was over.

Last spring, when I attended the Rabbinical Assembly conference. One of the sessions I went to was led by my teacher, Rabbi Brad Artson, who brought a text from the Zohar. In it, he mentioned that he began a practice, after completing a cycle of Daf Yomi, of learning a page of Zohar per day. This idea excited me, because, in many ways, the Zohar is parallel to the Talmud. Parallel but entirely different in scope, style, and interest. Zohar is the main body of text out of which the subject matter known as Kabbalah was formed in the medieval period. It was published around 1300 CE, nearly a millennium after the Talmudic era. The Talmud uses logic and dialectic to determine Jewish law, the Zohar uses poetry and coded language to teach about the spiritual realities that underlie the Torah. It is an entirely different project. Zohar is extremely difficult to understand; since so many of us are used to operating analytically and seeking to understand concepts logically, the Zohar, or, the psychedelic Talmud, is incredibly elusive—offering no explanation for wildly fantastical statements and imagery. It is also written in medieval Aramaic, a dialect unique to the Zohar, so without a companion text to translate and explain, reading it is a fool’s errand. Fortunately, there is now a version which includes not only a translation into modern Hebrew, but also a Hebrew commentary which elucidates the text, known as the Matok Midvash. Since it’s publication ten years ago, I’ve been dreaming about owning it, but it is quite costly and I am not accustomed to spoiling myself. But now, my wait has finally ended. I have committed to reading one page a day of Zohar, and because I now own a full set of the Matok Midvash Zohar, I will likely be able to understand what I am reading!

——

1. Daf Yomi, the global communal practice of reading one daf (page) of Talmud per day, resulting in its completion in seven and a half years. Started in 1920, the 13^th cycle of Daf Yomi concluded on January 2^nd.

2. Nakh נך is the acrononym for Neviim v’Ketuvim¸ the books of Prophets and Writings, fromתנך .

3. Sefer Tanya is the seminal work of Reb Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the 1^st Lubavitcher Rebbe, known as the Alter Rebbe, the progenitor of Lubavitch Chasidism. Tanya consolidates and organizes the key concepts of Chasidic Judaism by aligning the classical Jewish texts (Tanakh, Mishnah and Talmud) with the major works of Kabbalah (Zohar etc.)

Shabbat Shalom,

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December 28, 2019 

You may have seen an article in last week’s CJN entitled The Super-Bowl of Talmud. This title refers to the Siyyum HaShas, the completion ceremony for the 13th cycle of Daf Yomi. Daf Yomi is the practice of reading one page of Talmud per day, completing the Talmud in just over seven years. This practice was instituted in 1923 by the late Rabbi Meir Shapiro who was, at the time, head of the Chachmei Lublin yeshiva in Poland. At the time the practice was limited to the students of his yeshiva. Now it has grown exponentially to an estimated 40,000 people worldwide. When even one tractate of Talmud is completed, there is supposed to be a big celebratory conclusion, called a Siyyum. When the entire Talmud is completed, the celebration has to be even greater. Every seven years, when the Talmud is completed, thousands of people gather at Madison Square Garden in New York City for the Siyyum.

The current 13th cycle of Daf Yomi began in the summer of 2013. At the time, I was about to begin my final year of Rabbinical school. Several of the Rabbis who taught at the Ziegler School had just completed the 12th cycle of the Talmud and they decided to hold a panel discussion for the Ziegler students to advise any of us who might be considering joining the next cycle. I was inspired by this discussion and decided to do it. I always said, I don’t know where I’ll be living when the cycle is finished but I MUST be in New York on that day.

Amazingly, time has flown through me and past me to such an extent that until I saw the article, I hadn’t realized the Siyyum was coming up so soon - January 1st, 2020. I am now furiously going about making arrangements to be in New York that day. I look forward to this event and also to coming back to Beit Rayim to share the experience with all of you.

Shabbat Shalom,

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December 14, 2019 

In my sermon last week I explained how the angels—ascending and descending the ladder in Jacob’s dream —are understood in the lens of the Zohar: they descend from higher orders of reality (where light vibrates on a higher frequency, a higher dimension) into our world, which is comparatively low, dark and coarse in order to refine and transmute physical matter into a light. Through this process, the angels act on G-d’s behalf to help along the spiritual evolution of our planet. The Zohar teaches that humans also take part in this cosmic energy exchange. The Jewish people—by being commanded in 613 mitzvot—have a specific task within this project.

We learned recently in our Jewish Meditation class that the relationship between these two orders of reality can be described through the letter aleph (see below). In fact, each Hebrew letter communicates and expresses a unique function in the traffic-flow of spirit/matter between the two worlds. In this analysis, the aleph is divided into two yuds—the upper yud representing G-d and the higher dimensions of existence, the lower yud representing our physical, three dimensional existence—simultaneously separated and joined by a vav. The lower and upper yuds both desire to unite with the other. How does the vav both unite and separate them and why?

Vav is also expressed as the number 6, thus the vav represents the six days of Creation and the six days of work in our week. Before Creation, only G-d existed. There was no separation. Each time G-d created something, G-d was bound to the Creation by the very act of Creation. At the same time, there was now something which wasn’t G-d, thus creating a separation. In this way, the vav both separates and unites the two worlds. The goal of mitzvot—particularly Shabbat, wherein the six days of Creation are transcended—is to render the vav translucent so that we can feel and experience the light descending from higher frequencies and attune ourselves to those frequencies. This is the neshama yetera, the extra soul one is granted Erev Shabbat and which departs after Shabbat.

This demonstrates, if nothing else, the wealth of information that is hiding and waiting to be discovered even in something simple and basic as the letter Aleph.

Shabbat Shalom,

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November 30, 2019

I had a wonderful weekend at Beit Rayim. Shabbat morning I had an amazing time in the Family Service. If you have young children and you haven’t been to our Family Service, you don’t know what you’re missing. I use what I call the Disney effect, where my remarks and the general flow of the service resonate with children and parents simultaneously. Please attend our next one, Dec. 14^th at 10:00 am. The regular service was also wonderful, the service flowed like butter. I was feeling the Shabbat groove and it seemed that everyone was enjoying themselves. Walking home, I remarked how grateful I am to do what I do.

Sunday morning I was in the Kimel Beit Midrash with Grades 4-7 as usual. I help the Grade 7 Hazzanim lead their school in prayer while offering age-appropriate insights into the prayers. I work the room as we pray and make the kids smile. I want children and teachers to be happily enjoying themselves during these prayers. That way they like shul and school and they also absorb more of what they’re taught. I suggested the following technique: I asked them to slow down the Shma immensely; we take a deep full breath before each word and draw out the word almost until our breath runs out. This creates a meaningful moment in which children can embody the prayer in a meaningful way. It’s almost like a meditation. It seems unorthodox, but in fact, this measure aims to correct our deviation from the original intentions of the Shma. To learn more about this, attend the meditation classes on Thursday evenings.

We have a great thing going at Beit Rayim and I am a very lucky man to be the Rabbi here. It is a duty and privilege.

Shabbat Shalom,

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November 16, 2019 

This week when we open our news, we are bombarded by reporting of intensely distressing news all over the globe: fires engulf Eastern Australia where they are expected to wreak unprecedented destruction, Hong Kong police clash with demonstrators in protests that have lasted months, missiles rain down on southern and central Israel in retaliation for taking out an Islamic Jihad leader, and, in far less serious news, a long-serving, celebrated sportscaster—a role model—upsets his viewers by using language to describe immigrants and refuses to apologize. He should know better.

Amidst the chaos that confronts us, it is extremely difficult not to give in and despair of the world. Oh no! Oh my! Vey, vey, vey! This reaction, though, serves only to amplify and compound the chaos so that the more we observe it, the more it is so. Instead, we must insist on its opposite. We have to be the calm in the midst of the storm; the eye of the hurricane, resting in the assurance that the momentary chaos in front of us is merely a stepping-stone to a higher order. Planets can orbit a star for millions of years in perfect, peaceful clockwork before one of the planets is struck by a comet, sending it into an erratic orbit, the gravity of which disturbs the orbits of all the other planets, possibly flinging some into deep space and altering the shape of the solar system as a whole. It would be false to say that ‘chaos’ (the comet) disrupted the ‘order’ (the original orbit), for in truth that comet was orbiting the star as well, but its orbital pattern was simply much longer. It’s not chaos, it’s a higher order.

Biblical narratives depict civilizational corruption, destruction and rebirth. The Temple order was so corrupt by the 6th century, that only destruction and exile could enable the revival of the Jewish spirit. A new seed does not sprout until its shell is broken. We are seeing the seeds breaking. Resist the urge to despair of the many destructive changes you are seeing around you; they are part of a natural cycle. See yourself as the calm within the storm, the still silence that speaks after a big snowfall.

Tonight (November 14th) is the first session in our series on Jewish Meditation. You can learn here to cultivate the calm I am describing so that you can be at peace with yourself internally and project serenity outward. If you missed tonight, try next week and come this Shabbat at 8:30 am for a guided meditation which leads into Shacharit.

Shabbat Shalom,

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November 2, 2019 

The New Moon of Cheshvan has now risen over us. Every new moon brings opportunity for cleansing, for rebirth, revitalization and renewal. Even now, after the noise and celebration of all the holidays has faded, and my sukkah is disassembled and awaiting storage, and the sky is dark with thick clouds, and the rain begins to fall, there is still opportunity for new beginnings. What was your most awesome moment over the past month? What inspired you? What thoughts and feelings arose in your psyche? What kind of change have you sought?

It is still busy at Beit Rayim. We are welcoming soon a new executive director while our other admin staff work hard to hold down the fort in the meantime. There are numerous events, meetings, and courses to attend. Anyone looking for enrichment and spiritual growth will find a treasure box of offerings. You can learn how to meditate and integrate Jewish technique into your practice. You can learn how to assist the clergy in the ritual sphere as well.

In Cheshvan, there are no chagim to hold us. We have to push for it. Open your hands, and you will receive.

Shabbat Shalom,

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October 19, 2019 

This week I had the pleasure of receiving guests in my home for our Open Sukkah program. Beit Rayim graciously provided delicious food and I brewed up a pot of my world-famous chai masala (spiced tea), perfect for a cold autumn night. Avivit brought activities for children: make-your-own edible sukkahs, which the children enjoyed. While it was a little too cold to hang out in the sukkah itself, many adults and children came outside to wave the Lulav and Etrog. They were eager to perform this rare mitzvah and, once they had done so, they reported feeling much better. Some of them had not had the opportunity to wave Lulav yet this year, so it was a big moment for them. This is what I found most impressive: that people should be so drawn to doing a mitzvah that they feel something is not right until they have performed it, and having performed it they feel a sense of contentment and satisfaction. That feeling—contentment and satisfaction—is the essence of Sukkot, as it says and you shall rejoice on your festival

(Deut. 17:14).

Shabbat Shalom,

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October 5, 2019 

During these ten days of awe I participated with thirty other local Rabbis in a Yom Iyun, a day of learning. Our theme was to connect our process of Teshuvah to tikkun Olam.  I walked into a classroom with more than twenty grade 9 students. I first had them move all the desks so that we were all in one giant circle and I sat on a swivel chair in the middle of the circle. Next, I guided them in a breathing exercise which engaged their hand muscles. I used this opening exercise as a means to introduce the concept of fixing the world by shifting internally. I used the example of the shofar, which triggers an internal awakening to change our external behaviour, as well as the example of Shabbat whereby controlling our own actions creates a ripple affect of peace outward. With fourteen-year olds, one can never be sure if they are absorbing what they learn.

Emotional peace, inner spaciousness, and security are something all of us are lacking. Teens are lacking it acutely. By giving them some tools to create calmness, I hope I have empowered them to affect positive change around them. I hope that you too will avail yourselves of these tools and attend meditation sessions this fall.

Shanah Tova everyone!

Shabbat Shalom,

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September 21, 2019 

I am still buzzing from an incredible weekend! It all started Thursday night as we dedicated a NEW SEFER TORAH in honour of Reb Chezi Zionce z”l. There was teaching, singing and dancing. It was an exhilarating experience. One could palpably feel the ruach and love of Torah in our community.

The following Shabbat we had that same luminescent buzz in the sanctuary. Regulars and guests were upbeat and cheerful. Two women—relatives of the Bat Mitzvah—read Torah for the first time out of a Torah that was being read for the first time! Sony Nsieri, who worked very hard on the project of commissioning this Sefer Torah, had the honour of being the very first one to read from it.

The next day was the first day of school and my job for that morning was to address teachers, staff and parents at the orientation. As educators, we know that when students enjoy themselves during class, they apply themselves more and absorb the material better- so to get everyone’s attention I blasted my shofar really loud. In my address, I made everyone raise their hand and say “I promise, to always have fun at Beit Rayim Synagogue and School”.

Elul is a time of light. We can feel the brilliance of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur radiating into our lives more and more each day. We are now less than two weeks out. Last weekend was the half-way point of the month, i.e. the full moon. Ner mitzvah v’Torah or, every mitzvah is a candle and the Torah is light (Proverbs 6:23). When the moon was shining its brightest we were finishing our new Sefer Torah, as the ink filled in the final missing spaces in the letters, completing the circuit and allowing the cosmic power that is Torah to fill the world.

The effect it had is amazing.

We are now very close to the finish line of 5779. Let’s ride this wave together and give thanks for all of the positive energy we’ve had so far.

Shabbat Shalom,

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September 7, 2019

We have now entered into the holy month of Elul. Elul 1^st is the launch pad for Rosh Hashanah. Four Shabbatot from now, on Tishrei 1^st, we will be lifted up into the stratosphere and the ionosphere and we will come into the heart of Heaven – Lev Shamayim whence spake the Eternal One at Sinai, and we will stand before the Throne of the Ruler – Kiseh HaMelekh and we will hear the blasting of the shofar, and we will feel the thunder of the Day of Judgement…or we will sit idly in our seats, follow along, stand, sit, and repeat cooperatively. Then we will get bored and maybe check our phones even though phones aren’t allowed on Yom Tov. And then if we get tired of that we might look at the time and wonder how much longer this thing is going.

It is up to each one of us to decide how our Rosh Hashanah will go. The conditions of the day - the sound of the Cantor’s voice, the length of the Rabbi’s remarks, the temperature of the room -  will have an influence, but you are the decision maker. The time for making that decision is now. In the coming weeks, prepare yourself for the experience. Study some Elul Torah online or make a daily practice of reading Psalm 27 , or learn to blow a shofar. Meditate, do yoga, or exercise mindful breathing during your workout. As you do these things, think about the mental, emotional, verbal, and physical habits. Address them from the perspective of your body, like a healing exercise.

The work begins now. Don’t show up on Erev Yom Tov unprepared.. 

Shabbat Shalom,

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august 24, 2019 

I am grateful to be home after a relaxing and restful family vacation. This week I want to share some timely sentiments from my colleague, Rabbi Rachel Barenblat:

This week's Torah portion, Ekev, includes powerful words. Like these: "And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your G-d demand of you? Only this: to revere the Lord your G-d, to walk only in His paths, to love Him, and to serve the Lord your G-d with all your heart and soul[.]" (Good stuff, eh?)

It also includes a line which has always resonated for me. Pharaoh is described in Torah as a man with a hardened heart. Sometimes we ask G-d not to harden his heart against us. And here G-d is asking us to do the same: to make sure our hearts don't calcify, and to peel away whatever keeps us "hard-hearted" so that we can relate to the world in an open way.

It sounds so simple, but it isn't easy. In any given day, each of us has reasons to harden her heart. Personal reasons, like misunderstandings and harsh words -- and more global reasons, like the suffering and trauma we would see if we really looked at the wide world. Imagine walking through a supermarket with your heart truly open to everyone you meet there. (Imagine walking through a market like Makola or Machane Yehuda.)

Going on vacation tends to open my heart wide. It's an amazing experience...though sometimes re-entering the "real world" leaves me feeling like I have the bends. These days I think about this in terms of ratzo v'shov, the ebb and flow of spiritual energies. (The term comes from Ezekiel, who applied it to angels.) I oscillate between protecting my heart enough to be able to function, and opening it enough to be able to love and feel and pray.      

Shabbat shalom,

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august 3, 2019 
 

In my sermon last week I discussed the incredible story of Greta Thunberg, a teenage girl from Sweden who staged a one-woman climate protest in front of her country’s parliament building. Her protest inspired the global climate protests which began to grow over the following year. In March of 2019, 1.4 million students in 112 countries walked out of their high school classrooms to demand their that their governments take collective, decisive action on climate change. I compared her to Pinchas, a man of the younger generation, born after the Exodus, who was the only one to stand up against destruction to save his people.

The children of this crusade are not asking for anything grand or unreasonable. They have one simple request: to live. They want a future wherein they have a reasonable chance of survival. Also last week, Forbes ran an article which was penned by one of their senior contributors, Steve Denning, which focuses on the threat posed by climate change and also on our lack of global action thus far. Please read the article in its entirety:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2019/07/21/implementing-the-one-viable-solution-to-climate-change/amp/ 

This is not political. This is not partisan. This is fact. I know that I am taking risks by taking a stand, but our children, our grandchildren and their children are too important to remain silent.

Shabbat Shalom,

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July 20, 2019 

On the 17th of Tammuz in the year 70 AD Roman legions broke through the walls of Jerusalem which had been under siege for months. In the weeks that followed there was enormous violence; Jerusalem saw pillaging, slaughter and rape of her men, women, and children. Finally on the 9th of Av, the destruction culminated in the burning of the Mikdash, our sacred Temple, our earthly link to G-d. For centuries these three weeks have been observed as a time of quasi-mourning. In the memory of the Rabbis, the underlying cause of Jerusalem’s destruction was not the Roman ambition to conquer the world. Rather, it was because of the zealots.

When I think of how to apply this history to this moment in time, I am reminded of a scene in the movie World War Z. If you haven’t seen the film, it’s basically a zombie apocalypse movie; a disease breaks out which—after killing its victims—turns them into zombies who run rampant, biting other people, turning them into zombies. The world quickly is engulfed with zombies in every city, threatening to end all of civilization. The main character is an epidemiologist played by Brad Pitt. For some reason he travels to Israel and finds himself in Jerusalem. They’ve built a new wall around the Old City to keep the zombies out. The scene I’m thinking of is when the zombies figure out how to use their bodies to build a giant ramp so that other zombies can scale the walls; when the first zombie jumps over the wall, it’s game over. The city is lost.

Thankfully, the zombie apocalypse is not a real thing. That is to say, it is not literally true. The 1994 hit single, “Zombie” by the Cranberries, is a commentary on religious/nationalist violence in Ireland. The youth who get sucked into participating in the conflict are likened to zombies: unfeeling, uncaring, unable to think or understand the gravity of what they’re doing. So we do have zombies, in truth. They are the people in the U.S. who gun down large crowds at concerts and other public events. They are youth who launch rockets or throw Molotov cocktails. They are the nationalist thugs who roam the streets of Europe looking for dark-skinned people to intimidate. They are all spreading the disease and right now the world does not have a strategy to combat it. The walls are breached.

I conclude with an open-ended question. What is the vaccine for this disease…?

Shabbat Shalom,

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July 6, 2019 
 

We are now in the month of Tammuz. It’s a relatively quiet time in the Jewish calendar, with no major holidays or celebrations. The name Tammuz comes from the Akkadian Damu-zid (Sumerian, Dumuzid), which is the name of a Mesopotamian god of heat and fertility. This is alluded to in the book of Ezekiel, And he brought me to the opening of the northern gate of the House of G-d and behold the women were weeping for Tammuz. The prophet remarks that Israelite women have attached themselves to idolatry and are worshipping Tammuz.

What lesson can we draw from this in July 2019? As much as we love the summer, especially in Canada where the winters are long and harsh, we must acknowledge that summer is dangerous. Heat, sun, aquatic activities, and alcohol (often present at BBQs and such) present the obvious physical dangers that many are not sufficiently cognizant of. Beyond this, there is a spiritual danger present. We all have beautiful, luminous neshamot shining outward from within us, but the more external sunlight, physicality, and external pleasure we immerse ourselves in, the harder it is to evoke our inner light. When the pursuit of fun in the sun becomes paramount, we often lose track of our
spiritual life.

I love summer just as much as the next guy, but the cycles of our calendar are there to remind us to keep our eyes on the ball. Enjoy the fun in the sun, but always bring your soul into the picture. Wherever you are, be safe. Use plenty of sunscreen, wear a hat, and stay hydrated.

Shabbat Shalom,

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June 22, 2019 

We are grateful to have Rabbi Corber back at shul this Shabbat. While away, he passed this week's Spotlight to me. The parsha discusses the propensity of the Jewish people to complain. As Beit Rayim's new Chair and Interim President, I enter this role knowing "you can't please all of the people all the time.”  However, I will try!  To provide some insight on this topic, I turn to my memory of our dear friend, Rabbi Chezi z”l. I hope you enjoy his words from 2015.

Larry Miller
Board Chair and (Interim) President

Shalom,

In this week's Torah portion of Behaalotcha, our biblical ancestors are doing something very Jewish. They are complaining about the food.

It seems that Jews complaining about food is almost cultural. You know the story of the elderly Jewish woman complaining to a friend about a restaurant where she ate: "It was doubly horrible," she says. "The food was terrible... and they served such small portions!" So Jews complaining about food comes as no surprise. What is surprising was the basis of their complaint, when they cried out: "Zacharnu et ha-dagah - we remember the fish we used to eat free in Egypt - now we have nothing but this manna to look to." Now you tell me, do you really think the Egyptians served the Jewish people fish during our years of slavery? Is that how you picture the Egyptians treating our ancestors - by serving them gefilte fish? The description that we have of what the Jews ate in Egypt was matzoh, the lechem oni - the poor people's bread. What fish?

It seems that our ancestors in those days fell victim to a syndrome that many of us have to this very day. It's called the syndrome of "the good old days." There seems to be a tendency amongst many people to always picture the past as having been much better than it really was. Whatever is wrong today, they think in their minds, was much better in "the good old days".

My Friends, perhaps we should take a cue from the famous song from the Broadway show "La Cage aux Folles" - "The best of times are now." These are the best of times - yesterday's gone and tomorrow may never be. All we have is today, now.

So let us enjoy and cherish the old and the new. Let us be grateful for all the good that we have in our lives. Rather than complain, let us echo and proclaim the words of our daily prayer: Ashreinu mah tov chelkeinu u'mah yaffa yerusheitenu - "happy are we, how good is our portion, how pleasant our lot, how beautiful our heritage."

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Chezi Zionce

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June 8, 2019

OP

Rabbi Corber is out of the spotlight this week. Today’s message comes from Lawrence Fox:

The Torah lists three “pilgrimage festivals”–Pesach, Shavu’ot and Sukkot–when we ascended to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices. These festivals were also known as the shalosh regalim, the “Three Festivals of Foot”. When I was in high school, my teachers always stressed that all of the chagim stood on two feet–all had historical/religious and agricultural roots. Pesach celebrates our exodus from Egypt and the barley harvest. Sukkot commemorates our time travelling through the desert after the Exodus and the fall harvest in Eretz Yisrael. Shavu’ot is definitely the festival of the first fruits – but what historical event does the TORAH ascribe to Shavu’ot? What was special about Shavu’ot that would excite the amateur historian in us? What is the great story of Shavu’ot?

Nothing.

As important as the Ten Commandments are to us, the Torah is loudly, almost thunderously silent as to the exact date on which the Event at Sinai took place. This connection was established by our sages following the destruction of the Second Temple. During this time, our rabbis began to transform Judaism from a sacrificial, Temple-based set of observances to one based on prayer, observance of the laws of the Torah, and centred about communal life and the synagogue.

But Shavu’ot had only one leg – a sacrifice and the harvest. It needed a second leg to stand on. To ensure that we made the transition from the People of the Temple to the People of the Book, we needed a fixed date for when we received that Book, and they gave that honour to Shavu’ot. They also connected Shavu’ot with Pesach, saying that Shavu’ot completes the story of the Exodus, for you cannot have freedom without rules; that way lies anarchy.

And so, Shavu’ot gained the role of z’man matan torateinu, the season of receiving the Torah. Once we were exiled from our land, this became the focus of the chag, and it gained the strength to stay with us a festival.

With the establishment of the State of Israel, Shavu’ot has reclaimed its agricultural side, and once again, stands proudly on two feet, connecting us to history and the natural world.

Chag Same’ach!

Lawrence Fox

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May 25, 2019 

This week, the tradition calls on us to refine the quality of Hod – the gratitude and acknowledgement that is within each of us. Gratitude is key to any spiritual discipline because the more we can acknowledge the goodness which infuses our lives, the happier we will be. The opposite is true as well; it is impossible to be happy if we are ungrateful. Gratitude is a cornerstone of religiosity as one who acknowledges the many gifts they will naturally recognize the Source of these gifts, G-d. The word Hod, forms the essential root of the name Yehuda (his mother Leah named him that as a way of saying Thanks to G-d) whose tribe eventually becomes synonymous with the whole Jewish people. Thus, to be a Jew, to be a Yehudi is to be a ‘thanker’. Indeed, we find that the elemental unit of Jewish worship is a bracha, a blessing which is a way of thanking G-d. Jewish law requires that we recite blessings not only for those things which are good but also for our misfortunes. In addition, we recite blessings when performing mitzvot in order to cultivate gratitude for being on the Jewish path to begin with. Traditionally, the first thing we say upon opening our eyes in the morning is Modeh Ani, thank you G-d for giving me another day.

Many of us live our lives only dimly aware of the fact that each day is a gift; we may not be depressed but we go about our days in sort of a dull stupor, not particularly upset or happy about anything. If this is you, try something: make a list of everything you’re grateful for today, and you will almost immediately find yourself in a happier mood.

Shabbat Shalom,

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May 11, 2019 

This past week I attended the Rabbinical Assembly’s annual conference which took place in Montreal this year. Over 100 Rabbis from all over North America, Latin America, and Israel gathered for three days to share their ideas and experience with one another. As I write this, I am still at the conference and it has been an exhilarating and uplifting experience so far.

One very powerful moment took place at the end of Shacharit on Monday morning, and by the end of the service the room was packed with nearly every rabbi in attendance. A minyan of one hundred rabbis is a sight to behold---and a sound to be-heard! When one hundred people are listening intently to the words of Kaddish, and in unison, with kavvanah (focused intention) respond “Amen Yehey Shmey Rabah…” there is a palpable force that can be held. That force is what we call ruach; and it’s something we Rabbis care very much about cultivating for our communities because we know that this is what people are looking for. They’re looking for an experience where they too can feel the force of ruach in the prayer service.

Later in that day I attended a workshop called, “A Taste of Jewish Meditation” led by Rabbi Aubrey Glazer who was in fact trained for his Bar Mitzvah by Rav Chezi Zionce z”l and is now the head Rabbi at the Shaare Zion in Côte-Saint Luc. I myself have been practicing regular meditation for twenty years, more than half my life, so why did I attend this session and not another topic, maybe something I didn’t know much about? It turns out that Rabbi Glazer had a lot to say on the question of cultivating ruach in modern Conservative prayer spaces. Rabbi Glazer’s thesis is that Jewish meditation is a technique intended to prepare us for prayer. The implications of this are profound. According to most interpretations of the Mishna, a proper state of mind in which to enter prayer—every day, three times a day—is the state of mind which results from a period of meditation, 20 minutes or more. If we were to start a regular meditation program at Beit Rayim, the ideal time would be half an hour before the morning service begins.

The challenge we face is: how do we cultivate a feeling of ruach and intention in our prayer spaces? One seemingly minor but very impactful change you can make is, when you are about to enter the sanctuary, stop; remember that you are entering into a holy space and take 30 seconds to clear your mind and set your intention to pray and speak only of holy things. Chit-chat and schmoozing can also be a positive and holy thing to do in  the right time and place—it is good to care for and support one another—but setting this intention in the beginning can help us to stay focused on the big picture, why we’re here, what we’re doing here. I hope you’ll give this a try, and if you’re sitting in synagogue at this moment, try it now!

Shabbat Shalom,

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APril 27, 2019 

With our Seders safely behind us, many of us fall into a lull for the remainder of the festival. We feel the case for our liberation is open and shut and we become complacent. The truth is, we are not yet out of Egypt. The Israelites cross the Red Sea one full week after the Exodus; thus on the upcoming Yom Tov (this Friday) we will once again read the section from Exodus wherein the Israelites cross the sea. This moment is, in fact, the culmination of all of the miracles wrought by G-d up until now; it was all for this moment. The essential miracle of the Exodus is the parting of the Red Sea.

Even when the festival draws to a close on Saturday, we will not yet be fully liberated. Passover is not a one-day or one-week event. The Exodus is a continual process we must undergo every day of our lives (this is why the Rabbis in the Haggadah tell us that we recite the Sh’ma twice daily). The Seder is an opportunity to engage in that process expansively and recommit ourselves to the ongoing project of liberation. Each year and each day we must extend the boundaries of freedom further beyond our bubble. We must not only see ourselves as freed from Egypt, but we also commit to bringing all Jews, all humanity and indeed all beings into freedom with us.

The tradition of counting the Omer, forty-nine days of counting from the bringing of the Omer (a barley offering on Pesach day 1) gives us a practical means by which we can achieve greater freedom. Each of the seven weeks of the Omer represents a different emotional quality (e.g. kindness), and each day within each week there is a different aspect of that quality which we are to examine. By spending the next forty-nine days recalibrating our emotional and mental infrastructure we can rewrite some of the negative programming that keeps us locked in our own personal cycles. This is the key to liberation, it’s freeing yourself from yourself.

Egypt and Pharoah are much more real than you may think; they exist as a psychological phenomenon within us. The tikkun ha-middot—the repair of our emotional qualities—is the means by which we live up to the commitments we made on Seder night, “…now we are slaves, next year may we be free.”

Shabbat Shalom,

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APril 13, 2019 

Last Shabbat we read our final special maftir before Pesach, HaHodesh Hazeh. This is the first mitzvah that the Israelites receive as a nation. This month [Nisan] shall be for you the first of the months of the year. If Nisan is the first month of the year, then the new moon of Nisan should be Rosh Hashanah, and indeed it is one of the four Roshei Shanah named by the Mishnah [Oral Law].

The moon has an enormous impact on life on this planet. The new moon, according to our ancient wisdom, is a powerful moment of renewal for life on Earth. The moon’s gravity sweeps in the tides, which carved a space for life on earth and continues to sustain it. Our bodies, and especially women’s bodies, evolve and develop with the rhythm of the moon.

Every mitzvah in the Torah binding us to the Infinite Source of the Universe and the very first commandment by binding our national calendar to the moon dials us in to the cycle of birth, transformation, and rebirth through which all of life renews itself.

The Gerrer Rebbe (a 19^th century Hasidic master) taught that the new moon, and above all the new moon of Nisan, is our gateway to self-renewal. When we access this gateway, we bring renewal not only to ourselves but to all of Creation, the whole Universe.

If we follow the natural rhythms of the Universe which are recorded in Torah, we can regenerate and heal ourselves spiritually and physically. As spring begins and life begins to blossom again, our internal spring is also triggered.

As we approach Pesach, let us bring this intention into our preparation for this extraordinary time of year.

Shabbat Shalom,

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MArch 30, 2019

Thirty days before the Ḥag, we inquire and expound in the laws of the Ḥag —Talmud Massekhet Pesaḥim 6a. This is aתקנה (takanah), a ruling put in place by the elder Sages sometime before the recording of the Mishnah (100 CE).

We are about thirty days out now from the Ḥag in question, Passover. This festival is packed with serious mitzvot with some complex halakhkic issues:ליל הסדר   the Seder evening,איסור חמץ  the prohibition on leaven, and of course קורבן פסח , the Passover sacrifice. Even though the sacrifices have not actually taken place since the destruction of the Second Temple (nearly two thousand years), the ruling was made specifically for the laws of the sacrifice.

Now is the time to ask your Rabbi questions about the three main areas of Passover Law: the sacrificial offering, the Seder rituals, and the ban of ḥametz. There is much to know, far too much to cover unless we start now. For example, did you know you also can’t OWN ḥametz? That means locking it all away for the holiday is not really sufficient. We can get around this by “selling” our ḥametz to a non-Jew; it is a temporary sale which reverses automatically at the end of the holiday. The best part is, the ḥametz can stay at your house even though someone else owns it. Each year, community Rabbis like myself orchestrate the “sale” of their communities’ ḥametz to a non-Jew. This year the Mayor of Richmond Hill, Dave Barrow, has graciously agreed to “buy” our ḥametz.

I encourage you all to sell your ḥametz through the shul and, in doing so, make a small donation to our local food bank. Please contact the office for details. Also, please write to me with your questions on Passover.

Shabbat Shalom,

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MArch 16, 2019

We have now entered the month of Adar II, during which we will celebrate Purim. The statement משנכנס אדר מרבים בשמחה he who brings in Adar should increase happiness, is looked upon as a commandment by many Jews. During the month of Adar, there is an increased levity and humour in traditional Jewish communities. People are more inclined to make jokes in ritual settings. It’s like the Jewish April Fools Day, only it lasts a month. This change in behaviour can be very positive and beneficial. As Canadians we tend to be a bit dry and reserved in both our speech and our behaviour. Our  social etiquette discourages excited emotional expression and gregariousness. Most people don’t speak to others in public; they speak only to those they know. This repression of our social nature is unhealthy and can lead to serious problems like depression. The commandment to lighten up is quite necessary for most of us. Life’s stresses, if unchecked, can cause major emotional and even physical health issues. We often are taking ourselves too seriously. Particularly at the end of winter, when seasonal depression is at its peak, Adar comes along and says we should take ourselves and our problems with a grain of salt. It is no coincidence that Mardi Gras, Carnival, and Purim all take place at the end of the winter. There is so much built-up repression and angst that we need some fun and wildness. We need to go crazy temporarily in order to avoid going crazy permanently. That’s part of what Purim and Adar aim to achieve. In a paradoxical way, disorder restores order.

In honour of Adar, I’ll leave you with a joke:

A Rabbi and Minister were close friends in a small town. They would often meet and discuss their problems. One day the Minister came to the Rabbi with a quandry:

“Someone in my congregation stole my bike. I’m pretty sure I know who did it but I don’t want to approach them directly. I feel that would cause unnecessary shame and be counterproductive. How can I inspire this person to return it willingly without confrontation?”

The Rabbi thought for a minute and then suggested:

“Why don’t you give a sermon next Sunday about the Ten Commandments, and when you come to the commandment against theft, you can mention that your bike was stolen? Surely this individual will feel remourse and return your bike on his own.”

The Minister loved the idea. The following Sunday afternoon they met again for lunch.

The Rabbi asked if his idea had worked.

“It did,” said the Minister. “I began to list off the Ten Commandments and when I came to the commandment against adultery I suddenly remembered where I left my bike.”

Shabbat Shalom,

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MArch 2, 2019

As we carry on in Daf Yomi (daily Talmud study) we are still floating over a discussion on the gid hanasheh, the sciatic nerve which is forbidden from eating (the 3^rd mitzvah in the Torah)Talmudic discussions on a particular Mishnaic statement such as: Liability for consuming the gid hanashe begins at 1 ketzyit (1 olive in weight) can go on for many dapim. These discussions form closed units called a sugya (pl.sugyot). In the flow of this particular sugya, we have reached the point where the Rabbis in the discussion begin to ‘wax midrashic’:

Rabbi Yosi said in the name of Rabbi Ḥanania: What is the meaning of the verse “A thing was sent at Yaakov and it fell upon Israel” (Isaiah 9). The “thing sent at Yaakov” was the injury against his Gid Hanashe. That which “fell upon Israel” is the prohibition against eating from Gid Hanashe of any beast.” Rabbi Hanania revealed a layer of meaning in the text that was always concealed within that verse. It is the bringing to light of these hidden ideas which makes Torah a living document.

“And a man came and wrestled with him until daybreak” (Genesis 32). Rabbi Yitzchak said, This teaches that a Torah scholar must not go out alone at night. “And he [the angel] said, ‘Let me go for dawn is rising!’” [Rabbi Yitzhak teaches when the angel begged Yaakov to let him go] Yaakov asked ‘Are you a robber or a gambler that you are fearful of daylight?’ The angel answered, ‘From the day I was created by G-d until now I have never been called to sing praise to Hashem.’ Rabbi Hananel’s statement supports this idea, as Rabbi Hananel said: There are three classes of angels who offer praises to Hashem each day; one class says “Kadosh”, another says “Kadosh”, another says “Kadosh ADNY Tzeva’ot”.

Someone else posited: the Jewish people are more precious to Holy One than the Ministering Angels for Israel can sing praise to Hashem at any hour and the Ministering Angels can only offer praise once. Some say, once a week. Some say, once a month. Some say, once a year. Some say, once every Jubilee (50 years). Some say, once in eternity. And the Jewish people can utter the Name after only two words (שמע ישראל ה"  Sh’ma Yisrael Hashem) whereas the Ministering Angels must say three words before they may utter the Name (קדוש קדוש קדוש ה" Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, Hashem).

This is how the Talmudic mind works; it is an associative stream of consciousness that flows organically from the subject matter (the forbidden measurements of sciatic nerve) into matters of spirit and prayer. One thing about Talmud is that you would never have any idea what was written in it unless you read it. But that’s why you have me :)  

Shabbat Shalom,

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February 16, 2019

Last weekend I had the pleasure of sitting on a panel of Rabbis for a regional USY convention. My colleagues and I had received questions the week before, some of which had to do with challenges facing the Conservative movement, others were about issues that face humanity as a whole. I was so impressed by this group of young people, most of whom were from various congregations, one of whom was from Beit Rayim. These young men and women are very bright and well-spoken people who think deeply and care deeply about serious issues and about Conservative Judaism.

There were a lot of important questions that afternoon but I will share one with you: Should synagogues change tradition to adapt to a more politically correct world? One answer from a Rabbi with decades of experiences was a hard and final “No.” He later elaborated that, “what is politically correct one day is politically incorrect the next day.” Another Rabbi added, “politically correct doesn’t mean it’s correct.”

There are many potential applications and intentions for such a question and it can go in different directions. Are we talking about not circumcising our sons because the zeitgeist of western culture tells us not to? That’s not on the table for me or any other Conservative Rabbi. Are we talking about changing the wording of our prayers to include women (which Beit Rayim does) or perhaps a grand undertaking to degenderize all pronouns in the Hebrew language?

For my money, there are two issues (aside from gender) in Jewish prayer and scripture which chafe against the Western post-modern sense of propriety: the particularism of the Jewish people and the violence of the text itself. These may not bother everyone so much, but nearly all young Jewish people and a great many of the older generation today have a very universalistic and humanitarian outlook on the world. We don’t feel G-d loves or should love our people above any other, but our prayers are written as though we do. We feel everyone in the world has the right to life, peace and security but in our most sacred text, the Torah, we are explicitly commanded to wipe other nations off the face of the Earth, even if they sue for peace.

In my humble opinion, we should not change any of this. Changing the words won’t make the problems go away. Only by retaining the record of the issues which have affected us – which still affect us — can we ever hope to resolve them. We need to have conversations about these things, to struggle with them. We need to find new ways to think about our traditions; hithadshut, constant renewal of the Torah is a task of every generation and is a critical part of keeping our traditions alive. We can do that without changing the words. If someone doesn’t say the matriachs in the first blessing of the Amidah, it doesn’t mean they don’t appreciate women’s rights and narratives in Judaism. Saying the matriarchs in the Amidah doesn’t help the 8 year old girl in Afghanistan who can’t go to school because she’s a girl. When I daven the Sim Shalom bracha, I say bless your people Israel in peace (in Hebrew it works way better) but my kavvanah, my intention, is for all of humanity, and in fact all living beings. This kavvanah though new, is ultimately indigenous to the Torah because we know that G-d created and loves all beings.

Change has always been a part of Judaism as the Torah is an ever-evolving living text, but we must be very conscious and intentional about what we change and why. If we remove everything potentially offensive from the Torah, there would not be a whole lot left.

Shabbat Shalom,

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February 2, 2019

Tu B’Shvat has come and gone. It seemed impossible this year to celebrate Tu B’Shvat here in Toronto. The early beginnings of spring were not felt here in the last few weeks. Most of us are focused on keeping our homes warm, digging ourselves out of ice and snow, and getting around this busy city. Winter has only just begun. Nonetheless, the mazal of Tu B’Shvat, the cosmic forces rising within plant life of this earth, did happen. That aspect of Tu B’Shvat is still active and present with us.

 What is the mazal of Tu B’Shvat about? As I’ve taught previously, in the ancient understanding of Creation, G-d plants reality as a ‘tree’ and the universe manifests by way of this tree. Tu B’Shvat uses the light of the full moon to help us ‘climb the tree’ of reality and ascend to a higher state of awareness.

The Universe expands through four stages: Emanation, Creation, Formation, and Actuation, referred to as the four worlds. In the 16^th Century Ottoman Palestine, a hotbed of spiritual growth and innovation, Rabbi Yitzhak Luria and his society of colleagues and students instituted Seder Tu B’Shvat, as a means to climb the tree of reality through the four worlds. Mirrored after Pesach, the Tu B’Shvat Seder consists of four cups of wine paired with four small courses of tree fruit, each stage paralleling one of the four worlds. The cups are all different: red, blush, rose, and white, paired with four different forms of fruit : ones with pits and shells, one with shells, one with pits and one with neither. The progression is towards a state of purity, to the root of worlds. Concomitant to this ‘cosmic’ ascension is an internal ascension through different aspects of the soul: nefesh, ruach, neshamah, and shoresh neshama, the root of the soul.

This practice prepares us for the spiritual liberation of Pesach exactly two moons prior (three in a leap year such as this year). By rising to the root of reality, the root of our own souls, we can come up out of the Egypt of our lives, whatever that may be for each of us. Soon we will begin Adar, which attempts to deflect the harshness of winter with joy and humour. Without joy, we cannot leave Egypt. Let us be glad and joyful. Let us be positive and speak kindly to one another. Hand in hand we can lead one another out of Egypt.

Shabbat Shalom,

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January 19, 2019

In a few days Tu B’Shvat will be upon us. According to the Mishnah, this date is Rosh Hashanah L’Ilan, the Tree. It held importance in Biblical times as a date on the agricultural calendar of the kingdom. As is known, Israelite farmers living on the land were responsible for tithing their assets on an annual basis to support the Levites and their work in the Temple. It was on the fifteenth of Shvat that farmers would be called upon to account for any fruit bearing trees. Since the destruction of the Temple, Tu B’Shvat faded into obscurity, as tithes were no longer accepted.

During the Gaonic period there is some mention of special piyyutim (liturgical prayers) for the well-being of the trees and the land on this day. In the early medieval period, the Jewish communities of Askenaz observed a custom of eating the fruits of Eretz Yisrael and the seven species. The yeshivot of Worms would apparently give their students a day off, and the teachers would give them some cake and liquor. In the seventeenth century in Tzfat (a culture which served as an incubator for Kabbalah and mysticism), the tradition of the Tu B’Shvat Seder developed. The concept was to mirror the Passover Seder, with the ritual consumption of wine and fruit and with deep Torah learning.

The Torah recognizes trees as a venerable life-form, according tree fruit a different bracha than fruit of the earth. Deuteronomy forbids Israelite armies from using trees as weapons of war if they are fruit bearing (Deut. 20). Beyond the reverence for life and the physical trees, trees have significant value as a function of Torah. Why is Torah called a tree? Because it behaves like a tree. The Talmudic process: the dialectic flow of dispute follows the pattern of a tree. A law can be understood as X or Y, but there can be additional parameters for each understanding, yielding Xa or Xb or Ya or Yb. Multiple binaries produce a ‘branching out’ effect, as we see with trees. The idea of a logic tree, of course, applies to all levels of reality. According to Einstein, every time a decision is made, multiple universes are created, the universe in which that decision was made and all of the potential universes in which another decision was made.

Your family tree is an expression of tree like behaviour within the function of biological reproduction. On a larger scale, the evolution of life from single celled organisms to the world we see today is also expressed as a tree. The concept of interconnectivity between all living creatures, and our dependence on our fellow humans and other life forms is guides us to live and behave with kindness and respect for all beings. To see the other as one with the self is, in the words of Hillel, klal gadol baTorah, the main rule of Torah. To see the other as a competitor whose interests conflict with our own is like one leaf on a branch trying to get more sunlight and water than another.

There are many more teachings in Judaism about trees; I have only now just scratched the surface. The takeaway is that Torah is to be found everywhere, especially in the natural world. If nature can teach us Torah, then the Tree is one of the oldest and most distinguished Rabbis.

Shabbat Shalom,

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January 5, 2019

Shalom Friends,

I am glad to be back in the office and shul as there is so much for us to do and learn together.

In the second parasha in the Book of Shemot, Exodus, Moshe is assigned his sacred duty to return to Egypt and deliver G-d’s message to the Israelites, to demand of Pharoah that they be released from bondage, and to lead them out of Egypt. The saga of the Exodus is, of course, reminiscent of the Passover Haggaddah, which feels oddly out of place as we read it this week, in the middle of winter.

I have been more than once asked: How come we don’t read this Parasha in the spring time around Passover? The answer is twofold: 1) as a rule, Torah readings for holidays are always the verses dealing with the commandments for those days, e.g. the various Passover sacrifices read on all the days of Passover, and 2) when we begin the Torah reading cycle as we do, after Shemini Atzeret, the mathematical inevitability is that we will arrive in Exodus in early winter. Interestingly, early winter—or the month of Tevet—is essentially the mid-way point between the Sukkot and Passover. 

We Jewish people are in this world because we are on slichut, a mission from G-d. When we left on our mission—the first Passover in Egypt—we were given moadot (meeting times) in the form of three Regalim (pilgrimage festivals, Ḥaggim). These times we are commanded to reconnect with G-d in a direct way, like astronauts checking in with mission control. But because of the Earth’s rotational pattern, and the commandment that Passover always take place in springtime, there is a long stretch between check-ins, and at this moment we are the farthest we will get from either one: Sukkot and Passover. Thus, we read about the Exodus, Moses and Pharaoh, the Israelites and the Ten Plagues, this week so that our spirits are not dulled by the cold and darkness of winter.

Keep your head up, eyes open, and hearts open, friends. The Exodus is every day.

Shabbat Shalom,

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December 15, 2018

This past Shabbat we celebrated our annual Kiddush Club Shabbat. In honour of this occasion, I shared a D’var Torah on the similarity of Torah to whiskey. You can download a PDF of the handout I used here. The Talmud, while appearing to be a uniform document, is actually composed of many layers. For those who missed it (or for those who enjoyed more than one whiskey afterwards and can’t remember what I said):

The Mishnaic layer (200 BCE-200 CE) is the foundational document containing the Oral Laws passed down from generation to generation. They contain numerous and conflicting opinions of how to practice Torah laws, some of those opinions are unclear in their specificity. Thus the Gemaraic layer (200-600 CE), which comprises a 400 year debate among the students Mishnaic scholars, attempts to explain the Mishna’s meaning, identify the ruling opinions, and harmonize any contradictions. The process is left open-ended with many questions unresolved and without clear ruling opinions. The result is a fluid document which circumscribes the question of how to think Talmudically. The “answers” are variable. Thus, only one who had mastered the Talmud sufficiently was fit to issue rulings on halakhic questions (e.g. when is candle-lighting? Is this chicken kosher?). Those who had mastered it were called Gaonim (geniuses) and during the Gaonic period (600-1000 CE) they received hundreds of questions from Jews throughout the “old worlds” on such questions. During the Medieval period their responses were collected and anthologized into what is now called Responsa literature. Out of this literature, Medieval scholars such as Maimonides developed the first codes of Jewish law (e.g. the Mishnah Torah and the Shulchan Aruch).

On the actual page (daf) of Talmud, one can see both the Mishna and Gemara layers in the center of the page (in the large text). The Talmud itself is the Mishnah plus the Gemara. On the inside of the page we have the commentary of Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, 1040-1105, Provence). This commentary revolutionized the study of Talmud, making the meaning of the Talmud clear and accessible. However, every translation is an interpretation, and there is, as the Talmud shows us, always more than one way to understand a passage.

Thus on the outside of the page we have the commentary of the Tosafists, who often disagree with Rashi and bring exhaustive proofs to make their case. Sometimes they agree with him. This aside, the Tosafists, (who are writing more than a century later from within a German Talmudic culture) have an entirely different interest from Rashi.  While Rashi is content to explain the meaning of the words on the page, the Tosafists take issue when Rashi’s understanding contradicts the Talmud in other places. The Talmud itself contains 20 tractates and Rashi treated each one as its own independent ecosystem. For the Tosafits, the Talmud is a unified document and must therefore present a uniform message. In their endeavour to resolve intra-Talmudic conflicts, the Tosafists are simply continuing the work of the Talmud itself: interpreting and re-interpreting until it makes sense.

In the outer layers of the page we have other, later commentaries. The commentary of Rabenu Nisim Gaon is a short-hand version of the Talmud which relays only the halakhic outcomes (the “answers” which were sought in the Medieval period, later becoming the codes). The Ein Mishpat Ner Mitzvah is a project of Rabbi Yeshua Boaz b. Shimon Barukh which links the laws stated in the Talmud to their corollary citations in the major law codes.

When you are looking at a daf of Talmud, you are not looking at a uniform statement. You are looking at a multilayered, three-dimensional object. A sheet of Talmud is a time machine that can transport you through three millenia of Jewish scholarship. Through it, you can witness the maturation of an idea, much like one can appreciate the many layers and texture of a fine aged whiskey. You can taste the spirit of the plant and the oak in which it was aged. You can enjoy the richness and complexity. That is Torah.

Shabbat Shalom,

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December 1, 2018

Today in Jewish History

Today, Thursday November 29^th, is a little known national holiday in the State of Israel. On the 29^th of November 1947 the United Nations General Assembly voted in favour of the Palestine Partition Plan, paving the road for the Declaration of the State of Israel the following year. The festivities of the 29^th of November, since Independence, were overshadowed by the exuberance of Yom Ha’atzma’ut, but it is still an official holiday which marks a critical step forward for the emergence of the Jewish State. There is a street in Jerusalem named for this date, כט בנובמבר   Kaf Tet b’November which I lived very close to when I lived in Israel. It’s a quiet street in a residential neighbourhood.

Today is also the 21^st of Kislev. According to Megillat Taanit,  on this date in the 4th century BCE, Alexander the Great met Shimon HaTzaddik, the High Priest of the Holy Temple. Shimon feared that Alexander would destroy Jerusalem, so he went out to meet him before he arrived at the city. Upon seeing the High Priest, Alexander made the rare move of dismounting and bowing. When asked to explain his actions, Alexander said that he'd previously seen the High Priest in a dream. Alexander interpreted this vision as a good omen and thus spared Jerusalem, peacefully absorbing Israel into his growing empire. In gratitude, the Sages decreed that the Jewish firstborn of that time be named Alexander -- which remains a Jewish name to this very day.

Interestingly, there is upcoming date in the Gregorian calendar which bears import in the halakha: starting on December 3^rd, we switch to the winter nussach (wording) of the eighth blessing in the Amidah (מברך השנים Who Blesses the Years [for crops]). During the summer months we say ותן ברכה and give blessing upon the earth and during the winter—starting December 3^rd—we say ותן טל ומטר  and give dew and rain upon the land. This may call to mind the second blessing in the Amidah. In that blessing, we say מוריד הטל Who causes dew to fall in the summer and משיב הרוח ומוריד הגשם Who causes the wind to blow and rain to fall in the winter. However, these statements are declarative as opposed to the eighth blessing wherein they are petitionary. Another distinction is that the shift between winter and summer nussachot for the second blessing occurs on Hebrew calendar dates (Pesach and Shemini Atzeret) whereas the nussach in the eighth blessing shifts from summer to winter on a Gregorian calendar date December 3^rd . This is in part because the Rabbis of the Talmud understood the seasons to work according to the solar calendar, thus the Gregorian calendar was needed.