Achar hadvarim haeleh( Gen. 15-1)
Question: After Avram had gone to war and recovered his captured nephew Lot, Hashem came to Avram and told him not to worry he would become a great nation. Avram accepted this good news and Hashem considered it an act of tzedakah. Why is it an act of tzedakah to accept Hashems blessing.? Rashi explains it was tzedakah because he didn’t ask Hashem for a sign to prove it. Two verses later Hashem promises Avram the land of Israel and Avram demands proof.
Question: Hashem takes Avrom outside and shows him the stars (Gen. 15-5). As they are doing the covenant between the parts Seven verses later in the covenant of the Parts it says the sun was about to set. How do you see the stars in the afternoon..
Let’s do some number crunching and see what we can come up with.
The earliest Sodom could have been founded was 1996 after the dispersion of the Tower of Babel. Before that there were no settlements other than the one that built the tower.
The year of the dispersion was 1996 after creation which was the year of the death of Peleg. We are told in Gen. 10-25 that the world was dispersed in Pelegs lifetime. Tos. Tractate Shabbos 10b proves that it happened in the year of Pelegs death.
Based of the chronologies of the length of life of the biblical figures found in Genesis 11 we can establish Avram as being 48 at that time of the dispersion.
We know that Sodom was subservient to Kedarlaomer for 12 years and then they rebelled. (Avram is now 60)
For 13 years they enjoyed independence before Kedarlaomer came and crushed the rebellion. This brought Avrohom into the war to save Lot and free Sodom. (Avrohom is now 73)
Let’s refer back to the beginning of the parsha. Avrohom left Charan at age 75. Somethings wrong here.
Seder Olam an ancient biblical chronology offers the following solution to our dilemma. At the covenant between the Parts Avram was 70 years old. When Hashem made a promise to him he asked for a sign. Three years later after having been delivered from war Hashem made a further promise to Avram and he didn’t ask for proof. This Hashem considered an act of tzedakah compared to his earlier reaction. All of his work in Canaan having been finished Avram packed his bags and returned to Charan. There he settled with his father. Two years later when Avram was 75 Hashem called to Avram “Lech Lecha” and he began his journey to assume his destiny in Israel.
Why is the parsha so out of order? Rabbi Yochanan Zweig, Rosh Yeshiva in Miami offers the following insight.
The Avos have the ability to orchestrate the course of Jewish history. Therefore, the events of Avraham’s life must be viewed on two planes: those events which affect him individually, and those in which he functions as the head of the corporate entity of Klal Yisroel. The Torah reflects a sequence of events as they affect the entity of Klal Yisroel, not necessarily as they unfold in Avraham’s private life. Avraham’s going down to Egypt because of the famine foreshadows Bnei Yisroel going down to Egypt because of a famine. Pharaoh attempts to take Sarah from Avraham, much the same way as the Egyptians attempt to kill all of the male Jewish children so that they could take the females for themselves.8 Avraham leaves Mitzrayim with great wealth, ensuring that his descendants would do the same. When entering Eretz Yisroel, a dispute with Lot ensues. Similarly, when attempting to enter Eretz Yisroel, Bnei Yisroel are confronted by Amman and Moa, descendants of Lot.9 Bnei Yisroel conquer the east side of the Jordan, and in the days of Kenosha, the west side of the Jordan, foreshadowed by Avraham defeating the four kings.
Rashi offers a detailed description of how the Covenant of the Pieces made irrevocable the gift of Eretz Yisroel to Bnei Yisroel and ensured their survival from the times of the Davidic Dynasty, followed by the four monarchies which will dominate Bnei Yisroel in exile, and culminating with the coming of Moshiach.10
Parshas Lech Lecha reflects the entire gamut of Jewish history, beginning with the descent to Egypt and concluding with the coming of Moshiach. It is this chronology that the parsha follows, with Avraham functioning as a Patriarch impacting upon his descendants rather than the sequence of his own private life.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
There are only two animals on the ark mentioned by name. They are the raven and the dove. The Midrash also talks about the actions of the lion, the monkey and the dog. Of all of them only one actually has a speaking part. That is the raven. I would like to take a look at what saith the raven and understand him and perhaps gain some insight into Midrash aggadah in general.
Chapter 8 verse 7 says and he sent out the raven and it went going and coming until the water dried from on the face of the earth. Rashi comments that the raven didn’t keep leaving the ark and coming back but rather he circled around the ark not wanting to leave. Why didn’t he want to leave? Rashi quotes a passage in the Talmud that tells us the raven accused Noach of sending him away so that Noach could take Mrs. Raven for himself. Noach responded “rasha / wicked one. On the Ark I am not even allowed to have relations with my own wife certainly not with an animal.
Now that is quite a Midrash. Let’s first break it down technically and then try to understand it didactically.
Rashi reads the verse. The verse says the raven was yatzo vshov which would normally mean going and coming. Rashi asks himself. Why would the raven be going and coming? If he went and came back why would he go again? So Rashi offers another translation for the words yatzo vashov. He says it must mean the raven was circling the ark. Why would he have been circling the ark? Without any straightforward explanation Rashi quotes a Midrash. You might ask ‘What about the possibility that the raven was circling because it couldn’t find anywhere to go’? That is certainly the straightforward explanation of the verse. However then the Torah should have said it returned to the ark. Why circling. Our sages tell us the Torah wants to teach an additional message. That message is contained in the story of the ravens’ suspicion of Noach.
Now let’s try to understand this raven and why Noach called him a rasha, wicked. Let’s say you are driving down the road and you see me struggling with a flat tire. You pull over to help. You get the tire changed. Instead of thanking you I say “well you certainly showed me up”. Where does a comment like that come from? Why didn’t I assume you just stopped out of the goodness of your heart? The answer can only be because if I had stopped for you it would have been to show you up not to do a kindness. The Sifri a Midrash on the book of Deuteronomy says (1-28) what is in your heart is on your friend and what is in his is on you. The raven could have only leveled such an accusation if it was something he himself would have done. This should come as no surprise to us because we are familiar with a Midrash that tells us that although Hashem forbade all creatures from engaging in relations on the ark the Raven broke the rules. Now we know what kind of a creature this was and now we know why he would have such outlandish suspicion of Noach. To the raven it actually made sense.
Of course this is only true when we presume to know what is going on. What if I know for sure what is going on? Am I also projecting? The answer is many times yes. With out hard and fast evidence when I make an assumption about someone or surmise something I could be telling myself more about myself than I am telling myself about the other person. So perhaps we should all take a lesson from the raven and when we have an opportunity to view someone in a negative light lets all say “nevermore”.
Chapter 8 verse 7 says and he sent out the raven and it went going and coming until the water dried from on the face of the earth. Rashi comments that the raven didn’t keep leaving the ark and coming back but rather he circled around the ark not wanting to leave. Why didn’t he want to leave? Rashi quotes a passage in the Talmud that tells us the raven accused Noach of sending him away so that Noach could take Mrs. Raven for himself. Noach responded “rasha / wicked one. On the Ark I am not even allowed to have relations with my own wife certainly not with an animal.
Now that is quite a Midrash. Let’s first break it down technically and then try to understand it didactically.
Rashi reads the verse. The verse says the raven was yatzo vshov which would normally mean going and coming. Rashi asks himself. Why would the raven be going and coming? If he went and came back why would he go again? So Rashi offers another translation for the words yatzo vashov. He says it must mean the raven was circling the ark. Why would he have been circling the ark? Without any straightforward explanation Rashi quotes a Midrash. You might ask ‘What about the possibility that the raven was circling because it couldn’t find anywhere to go’? That is certainly the straightforward explanation of the verse. However then the Torah should have said it returned to the ark. Why circling. Our sages tell us the Torah wants to teach an additional message. That message is contained in the story of the ravens’ suspicion of Noach.
Now let’s try to understand this raven and why Noach called him a rasha, wicked. Let’s say you are driving down the road and you see me struggling with a flat tire. You pull over to help. You get the tire changed. Instead of thanking you I say “well you certainly showed me up”. Where does a comment like that come from? Why didn’t I assume you just stopped out of the goodness of your heart? The answer can only be because if I had stopped for you it would have been to show you up not to do a kindness. The Sifri a Midrash on the book of Deuteronomy says (1-28) what is in your heart is on your friend and what is in his is on you. The raven could have only leveled such an accusation if it was something he himself would have done. This should come as no surprise to us because we are familiar with a Midrash that tells us that although Hashem forbade all creatures from engaging in relations on the ark the Raven broke the rules. Now we know what kind of a creature this was and now we know why he would have such outlandish suspicion of Noach. To the raven it actually made sense.
Of course this is only true when we presume to know what is going on. What if I know for sure what is going on? Am I also projecting? The answer is many times yes. With out hard and fast evidence when I make an assumption about someone or surmise something I could be telling myself more about myself than I am telling myself about the other person. So perhaps we should all take a lesson from the raven and when we have an opportunity to view someone in a negative light lets all say “nevermore”.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Parshas Braishis
When the Chofetz Chaim was an old man he struggled to go to shul on cold winter mornings. When he woke up his yetzer hara would say "it's cold out there stay bed until it warms up a little". "no said the Chofetz Chaim I have to go to shul" "You are an old man no one expects you to get up this early it won't look bad if you don't show up." said the yetzer hara. It was a difficult argument. So the Chofetz Chaim hit upon an idea. He loved coffee. He told the maid that as soon as she awoke she was to immediately put a pot of coffee on the stove. When the Chofetz Chaim was laying in bed fighting with his yetzer hara he would say know it's cold and I'm not expected in shul but if I get up now I can have a cup of coffee.
Earlier this week I saw the following thought from someone in Jerusalem who calls himself Kol Brisk.
In this week’s parasha, we are introduced to the arch-enemy of mankind, the snake a.k.a. the yetzer harah or the evil inclination. Let us try to understand his methods and damage that he caused. The Mai Hashiloach connects the Hebrew word for snake, nachash to the word menachsh, a sorcerer. Just as a sorcerer whips up all kind of deceptions, so did the snake. You see, before Adam ate from the tree of knowledge he innately desired to do only the straightforward Will of Hashem, without any calculations. The snake was jealous of the sublime status of man, and of the benefits that went along with this. He tricked Chava, and through her, Adam into thinking that eating from the tree was truly the better path to take in service of Hashem.
Once the act was done the whole situation of mankind was altered. Adam could not longer allow himself to be guided by his desires because now he had desires of his own. After eating from the tree, things that are evil and run counter to the will of Hashem, could seem desirable and good. Things that are destructive and unhealthy could be seen as constructive and healthy. The intrinsically repulsive could seem attractive and desirable. Also, now, the sublime and wonderful could be warped to seem unattractive and undesirable.
The negative power of the imagination was set loose.
When we try to do a mitzvah the Yetzer Harah, who sees that he will get nowhere trying to incite us to sin out rightly, has another tactic. He will attempt to get us to do what seems to us a “mitzvah” - what we have ourselves convinced is a mitzvah, when in reality, it is something else, not sublime, not constructive, not good – not the authentic will of Hashem. It is some kind of act construed of all sorts of ulterior motives lurking in the recesses of our subconscious, dressed up as a mitzvah.
Is there any way that we can check ourselves, in order to know the difference between a real genuine Mitzvah and a “mitzvah” that is really something else in disguise??
The Vilna Gaon, in his commentary on The Book of Ruth, gives us a way to check ourselves:
Naomi tried to dissuade Ruth from following her to Israel. At a certain point she stopped:
And she [Naomi] saw that she [Ruth] was exerting herself to go with her, and she [Naomi] stopped trying to dissuade her.
Ruth was younger than Naomi. She easily and effortlessly could have overtaken the pace of her elderly companion Naomi. The fact that she had to exert herself to continue on the journey to Israel was the best sign that her motivation for becoming a Jew was altruistic and pure. At that point, Naomi stopped trying to dissuade Ruth, and became silent.
So it is, explains the Vilna gaon, whenever we take upon ourselves to do a mitzvah. If we find ourselves automatically running to do the deed, our heartbeat increased, our feet automatically jumping to go, the words jumping out of our mouth, the adrenaline level up, we should stop and check ourselves. What are our motivations? If the above symptoms are present, something might be off target. For the person's physical body was created from earth and only becomes excited by the prospect of earthly and physical benefit and pleasure.
If, however, the person sets out to do something and finds that he has to exert himself and has to make an effort, this is a good, sure sign that his motivation is pure. The physical opposition of his body is simply a sign that the Yetzer Harah is trying to intercept, for the person has decided to do something good, for the right reasons..
This holds true in all realms, in all relationships, in all the ways that we seek to do and accomplish. All meaningful things come with exertion and effort.
We have begun the fall winter half of the year. This time period is traditionally a very productive on for the Jewish people. This is the time of year that we start taking classes, find study partners undertake new projects and try to fulfill Rosh Hashanah resolutions. As the year progresses we often become disheartened. Why is it that as much as I value Torah study a grade B movie with a little nudity makes my heart pump but going to class is a perpetual struggle? How come we are always late going to shul but everyone is on time for the Falcons game? To be sure I am not suggesting that we don't try to minimize the earthly distractions and I am not adverse to practical suggestions to make the Torah more attractive to the eye. We try to make the classes interesting. We each try to live close to the shul and the kosher food to avoid the "it's too far" yetzer hara. We try to use earthly enticements to ease the path to Torah. We try to keep the shul clean, warm and inviting. We have a fresh stock of Glen Livet at the Kiddush thanks to Joey Hotz and we try to have scrumptious sponsored Kiddush like it is today in honor of Oriahs Bat Mitzva. We offer treats in the youth program. And we try to honor and acknowledge people. However when it is all said and done everyone, every time will have to exert themselves to come to participate to learn and to grow.
Since the time of the snake that is the way it must be for anything that has value.
So as we begin our pursuit of all of our lofty and noble goals let us bear in mind that it is never easy. And let us also remember to put a pot of coffee on the stove.
Earlier this week I saw the following thought from someone in Jerusalem who calls himself Kol Brisk.
In this week’s parasha, we are introduced to the arch-enemy of mankind, the snake a.k.a. the yetzer harah or the evil inclination. Let us try to understand his methods and damage that he caused. The Mai Hashiloach connects the Hebrew word for snake, nachash to the word menachsh, a sorcerer. Just as a sorcerer whips up all kind of deceptions, so did the snake. You see, before Adam ate from the tree of knowledge he innately desired to do only the straightforward Will of Hashem, without any calculations. The snake was jealous of the sublime status of man, and of the benefits that went along with this. He tricked Chava, and through her, Adam into thinking that eating from the tree was truly the better path to take in service of Hashem.
Once the act was done the whole situation of mankind was altered. Adam could not longer allow himself to be guided by his desires because now he had desires of his own. After eating from the tree, things that are evil and run counter to the will of Hashem, could seem desirable and good. Things that are destructive and unhealthy could be seen as constructive and healthy. The intrinsically repulsive could seem attractive and desirable. Also, now, the sublime and wonderful could be warped to seem unattractive and undesirable.
The negative power of the imagination was set loose.
When we try to do a mitzvah the Yetzer Harah, who sees that he will get nowhere trying to incite us to sin out rightly, has another tactic. He will attempt to get us to do what seems to us a “mitzvah” - what we have ourselves convinced is a mitzvah, when in reality, it is something else, not sublime, not constructive, not good – not the authentic will of Hashem. It is some kind of act construed of all sorts of ulterior motives lurking in the recesses of our subconscious, dressed up as a mitzvah.
Is there any way that we can check ourselves, in order to know the difference between a real genuine Mitzvah and a “mitzvah” that is really something else in disguise??
The Vilna Gaon, in his commentary on The Book of Ruth, gives us a way to check ourselves:
Naomi tried to dissuade Ruth from following her to Israel. At a certain point she stopped:
And she [Naomi] saw that she [Ruth] was exerting herself to go with her, and she [Naomi] stopped trying to dissuade her.
Ruth was younger than Naomi. She easily and effortlessly could have overtaken the pace of her elderly companion Naomi. The fact that she had to exert herself to continue on the journey to Israel was the best sign that her motivation for becoming a Jew was altruistic and pure. At that point, Naomi stopped trying to dissuade Ruth, and became silent.
So it is, explains the Vilna gaon, whenever we take upon ourselves to do a mitzvah. If we find ourselves automatically running to do the deed, our heartbeat increased, our feet automatically jumping to go, the words jumping out of our mouth, the adrenaline level up, we should stop and check ourselves. What are our motivations? If the above symptoms are present, something might be off target. For the person's physical body was created from earth and only becomes excited by the prospect of earthly and physical benefit and pleasure.
If, however, the person sets out to do something and finds that he has to exert himself and has to make an effort, this is a good, sure sign that his motivation is pure. The physical opposition of his body is simply a sign that the Yetzer Harah is trying to intercept, for the person has decided to do something good, for the right reasons..
This holds true in all realms, in all relationships, in all the ways that we seek to do and accomplish. All meaningful things come with exertion and effort.
We have begun the fall winter half of the year. This time period is traditionally a very productive on for the Jewish people. This is the time of year that we start taking classes, find study partners undertake new projects and try to fulfill Rosh Hashanah resolutions. As the year progresses we often become disheartened. Why is it that as much as I value Torah study a grade B movie with a little nudity makes my heart pump but going to class is a perpetual struggle? How come we are always late going to shul but everyone is on time for the Falcons game? To be sure I am not suggesting that we don't try to minimize the earthly distractions and I am not adverse to practical suggestions to make the Torah more attractive to the eye. We try to make the classes interesting. We each try to live close to the shul and the kosher food to avoid the "it's too far" yetzer hara. We try to use earthly enticements to ease the path to Torah. We try to keep the shul clean, warm and inviting. We have a fresh stock of Glen Livet at the Kiddush thanks to Joey Hotz and we try to have scrumptious sponsored Kiddush like it is today in honor of Oriahs Bat Mitzva. We offer treats in the youth program. And we try to honor and acknowledge people. However when it is all said and done everyone, every time will have to exert themselves to come to participate to learn and to grow.
Since the time of the snake that is the way it must be for anything that has value.
So as we begin our pursuit of all of our lofty and noble goals let us bear in mind that it is never easy. And let us also remember to put a pot of coffee on the stove.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Shmini Atzeres 5770
A fascinating day this Shmini Atzeres. No mitzvos . No Lulav, no Succah (although outside Israel we sit in a succah but without reciting a bracha). No Matza, no Shofar, no Menorah and no Megillah. Just a day of prayer and feasting and most importantly being together. The Midrash tells us that after 7 weeks of closeness starting with the month of Elul the last three weeks of intense interaction with Hashem beginning with Rosh Hashanah it's time to go home. In ancient Israel it was time to pack our bags and leave Jerusalem and head back to Tiberius or Babylon. Figuratively it is time for us to resume a schedule that focuses on the mundane 6 day work week which is not superseded by concerns of teshuva repentance or buying a big enough brisket. It is sad because it has been a wonderful visit being so close to Hashem for these past weeks. It is sad for Hashem also. So sad that He cannot let go. So He says "our separation is difficult. Spend just one more day with me" And what will we do on that day? We will be together, that’s all. Hence Shmini Atzseres.
The idea of a day of closeness without Mitzvos is really very tantalizing. Normally we would think that only through the performance of a mitzvah can we be close to Hashem. Whether it is Torah study or helping the sick, we, as physical beings have to be doing something we are instructed to do to experience closeness. When I am together with my wife we are close. When I am writing her a letter from far away we are close. When I am putting in a new light bulb in her closet I am close because I am doing an act of service. But enjoying my lunch, how does that make me close?
In order understand this we have to understand the concepts of chomer -matter and tzurah - form. These ideas are discussed at length in the works of the Maharal of Prague 16th cent. and Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin 18th cent. Chomer is the material of existence. It is what was created in the Beginning. G-d then gave the matter form in the ensuing six days. Why did Hashem create matter altogether? The answer is : To be used by man (whose body is a product of that matter) to bring out the Godliness in all matter. All matter is Godly being a direct result of G-ds directive that it should be. How do I use it? Sometime G-d explicitly instructs us. On the first of Tishrei the ram’s horn is to be blown. On the 15th of that month the palm frond is to be waved. I take matter - chomer a lifeless palm frond and give it tzurah for as a tool of Godly service.
More often however I take the chomer of life my automobile, my pen, my shovel and give them tzurah by using them to develop the world and sustain myself and my loved ones so that we may serve Hashem. Of course Chomer resists Tzurah as does all matter which prefers to remain inert and not stand up against the forces of gravity. Sometimes we find we prefer to go with the chomer flow and be comfortable. It is truly a challenge but a challenge that Hashem felt was worthwhile because without chomer we have nothing to give tzurah to.
Shmini Atzeres is the model for this type of activity. No particular mitzvah just celebrating the day thereby experiencing closeness. When someone is exercising, working, shopping and their intention is to make a better life for their spouse and family they are close to their loved ones at that time.
The shul is a similar type activity. In the shul we can do many mitzvos wherein we are directed to take chomer and give it tzurah. The Torah, the tallis, the shofar, the minyan. But the shul goes way beyond that. We give tzurah to a cup of wine by reciting Kiddush over it but Sharon Fleitman gives tzurah to chomer in Costco by shopping for Kiddush. Amanda B and Kris S. and a rotating corps of volunteers give tzurah to cakes and cookies by setting them out tastefully so that we can make brachos over them and fulfill the mitzvah of Kiddush at a meal. And Carla H. solicits sponsorships of that most chomer of chomers, money to pay for the Kiddush. Randy Shaw, Lester Czuper, Steve H. Gershon R. do the same every shabbos afternoon for shalosh seudos. And Terry T. donates the rolls.
Even dust is chomer. How would you give that tzurah? Laura Drukman comes in every week to tidy up the shul and dust the ark. She brings her boys along also to teach them the art of giving tzurah to chomer.
Susan Krohn knows how to give tzurah to cloth. She sewed the shabbos table cloths for the dome tables and tomorrow we will see the names of children in our congregation embroidered on the large Kol hanearim talis.
Computers are a chomer that can take on a myriad of tzuros. Steve Ellenoff, Julia Patterson and Gary Lips make sure that the tzurah is the one that the office needs to function and keep the shul operating. And speaking of the office Carollete R., Lora S. ,Elizibeth S., Marina Vainer , Raise Pinchasov Bernice P., Linda M., Linda A., Dianne B., Renee H., Yael N., Wendy Sh. fold flyers, stuff envelopes, answer phones, and enable Cory to do her job.
It is a mitzvah to pray. If you are going to do it you need a siddur. Sometimes the chomer of the siddur loses its tzurah and pages fall out. Arnold Coleman repairs our sidurim and chumashim.
Jeff Taratoot Karen Chen and Rabbi Michoel Friedman are marketers and graphic artists. They take chomer colors and lines and gives them tzuros that have meaning. When David Weissmann called for a new branding for the shul they made it happen.
There is a young fellow who works at Ga. Perimeter College named Natan Starkman. He doesn’t live here but he davens here weekday mornings before going to work. Every day he takes time to fold the taleisim so that they look nice and the mitzvah is respectable.
Vegetation is a bunch of chomer. Look around the shul grounds and appreciate the beautiful tzurah. Aaron V. Michael R. and their families make it happen.
What about youth committee, chesed committee, chevra kadish and our entire board who use so many of their talents to give Cong. Ariel a tzurah.
What is the tzurah, What is our form? The name Ariel means lion of G-d because the Temple in Jerusalem as viewed from above has the form of a crouching lion. All of these people and some many more who do things large and small make this small shul a lion of G-d. That is the way it began. Then we became deluded by the chomer and let it take its own form thinking we could hire someone to do it whatever the it is. Then Hashem woke us up. He said I like the shape that Scott Italiaander and Michael Yashik Danny Frank and Andy Grant Nechemian and Yondi K give to the succah.
All of you in so many ways that is the beauty of the Ariel. That is why we celebrate shmini Atzeres to be together for just one more day doing what ? Being together.
Gut Yom tov
The idea of a day of closeness without Mitzvos is really very tantalizing. Normally we would think that only through the performance of a mitzvah can we be close to Hashem. Whether it is Torah study or helping the sick, we, as physical beings have to be doing something we are instructed to do to experience closeness. When I am together with my wife we are close. When I am writing her a letter from far away we are close. When I am putting in a new light bulb in her closet I am close because I am doing an act of service. But enjoying my lunch, how does that make me close?
In order understand this we have to understand the concepts of chomer -matter and tzurah - form. These ideas are discussed at length in the works of the Maharal of Prague 16th cent. and Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin 18th cent. Chomer is the material of existence. It is what was created in the Beginning. G-d then gave the matter form in the ensuing six days. Why did Hashem create matter altogether? The answer is : To be used by man (whose body is a product of that matter) to bring out the Godliness in all matter. All matter is Godly being a direct result of G-ds directive that it should be. How do I use it? Sometime G-d explicitly instructs us. On the first of Tishrei the ram’s horn is to be blown. On the 15th of that month the palm frond is to be waved. I take matter - chomer a lifeless palm frond and give it tzurah for as a tool of Godly service.
More often however I take the chomer of life my automobile, my pen, my shovel and give them tzurah by using them to develop the world and sustain myself and my loved ones so that we may serve Hashem. Of course Chomer resists Tzurah as does all matter which prefers to remain inert and not stand up against the forces of gravity. Sometimes we find we prefer to go with the chomer flow and be comfortable. It is truly a challenge but a challenge that Hashem felt was worthwhile because without chomer we have nothing to give tzurah to.
Shmini Atzeres is the model for this type of activity. No particular mitzvah just celebrating the day thereby experiencing closeness. When someone is exercising, working, shopping and their intention is to make a better life for their spouse and family they are close to their loved ones at that time.
The shul is a similar type activity. In the shul we can do many mitzvos wherein we are directed to take chomer and give it tzurah. The Torah, the tallis, the shofar, the minyan. But the shul goes way beyond that. We give tzurah to a cup of wine by reciting Kiddush over it but Sharon Fleitman gives tzurah to chomer in Costco by shopping for Kiddush. Amanda B and Kris S. and a rotating corps of volunteers give tzurah to cakes and cookies by setting them out tastefully so that we can make brachos over them and fulfill the mitzvah of Kiddush at a meal. And Carla H. solicits sponsorships of that most chomer of chomers, money to pay for the Kiddush. Randy Shaw, Lester Czuper, Steve H. Gershon R. do the same every shabbos afternoon for shalosh seudos. And Terry T. donates the rolls.
Even dust is chomer. How would you give that tzurah? Laura Drukman comes in every week to tidy up the shul and dust the ark. She brings her boys along also to teach them the art of giving tzurah to chomer.
Susan Krohn knows how to give tzurah to cloth. She sewed the shabbos table cloths for the dome tables and tomorrow we will see the names of children in our congregation embroidered on the large Kol hanearim talis.
Computers are a chomer that can take on a myriad of tzuros. Steve Ellenoff, Julia Patterson and Gary Lips make sure that the tzurah is the one that the office needs to function and keep the shul operating. And speaking of the office Carollete R., Lora S. ,Elizibeth S., Marina Vainer , Raise Pinchasov Bernice P., Linda M., Linda A., Dianne B., Renee H., Yael N., Wendy Sh. fold flyers, stuff envelopes, answer phones, and enable Cory to do her job.
It is a mitzvah to pray. If you are going to do it you need a siddur. Sometimes the chomer of the siddur loses its tzurah and pages fall out. Arnold Coleman repairs our sidurim and chumashim.
Jeff Taratoot Karen Chen and Rabbi Michoel Friedman are marketers and graphic artists. They take chomer colors and lines and gives them tzuros that have meaning. When David Weissmann called for a new branding for the shul they made it happen.
There is a young fellow who works at Ga. Perimeter College named Natan Starkman. He doesn’t live here but he davens here weekday mornings before going to work. Every day he takes time to fold the taleisim so that they look nice and the mitzvah is respectable.
Vegetation is a bunch of chomer. Look around the shul grounds and appreciate the beautiful tzurah. Aaron V. Michael R. and their families make it happen.
What about youth committee, chesed committee, chevra kadish and our entire board who use so many of their talents to give Cong. Ariel a tzurah.
What is the tzurah, What is our form? The name Ariel means lion of G-d because the Temple in Jerusalem as viewed from above has the form of a crouching lion. All of these people and some many more who do things large and small make this small shul a lion of G-d. That is the way it began. Then we became deluded by the chomer and let it take its own form thinking we could hire someone to do it whatever the it is. Then Hashem woke us up. He said I like the shape that Scott Italiaander and Michael Yashik Danny Frank and Andy Grant Nechemian and Yondi K give to the succah.
All of you in so many ways that is the beauty of the Ariel. That is why we celebrate shmini Atzeres to be together for just one more day doing what ? Being together.
Gut Yom tov
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
